"You know, you're kinda cute," Gradeus says.

Rael groans in the background where he's cleaning the injuries Rajak got from one of the fishing nets the humans put out every other week. They aren't that bad, just hard to see when you're swimming fast and if you smashed into them, they'd dig into your skin and leave you bleeding all criss-crossed like he is now. Gradeus only stopped laughing at him a few minutes ago when Rayga had arrived at the infirmary to see why they were here.

Speaking of Rayga, he just sighs at the compliment and swims away, going up and out. Gradeus watches the webbing that connects those limbs of his spread as he does, fascinated. He really is cute with how he has to go up and down to move sideways. Grinning, he follows after, not even flinching as his spines knock harshly against the pillar. He just readjusts himself and pays a bit more attention to his surroundings.

Rayga is still in sight and he calls out to Rael and Rajak even as he keeps his eyes on him, "Be home in time for dinner! If not, you don't get dessert!"

"Yeah yeah, we'll be there!" Rael replies. He hears him grumbling, "Why would we even be late? It's not like anything's happening and we're not going to avoid them for so long that the light will disappear. Only enough for the mushy stuff to be done with," to Rajak.

It's amusing and he snickers, and covers his mouth at Rajak's serene reply- "No. We're going to be late."

Rael's sputtering is adorable and Gradeus ignores how Rajak drags his brother off. He looks back again though, just out of curiosity, and Rael's usually transparent body has filled up with in, making it a dark black mass. The poor thing really is embarrassed out of his mind. Ah, and now Rajak's waving away the smoky ink that's coming out by flapping those leaves of his which is only making Rael more embarrassed when they brush against him. His sons are a hilarious duo. It does mean he mentally crosses out their presence for dinner though.

Still, Rayga's getting farther and farther away so Gradeus tries to go after him. It's a bit hard with just how slow he is but he manages. Well, not really since but he's grabbing onto anything on the way to propel himself forward so he can at least make sure that his husband is within sight. That goes well enough since he doesn't mind the distance. It allows him to admire how Rayga swims. It also means he can call out and say nonsensical things like "Hey cutie, your webbing's in clear view from down here," without being smacked on the head.

He knows Rayga hears it because his limbs always contract out of nowhere and ruin his smooth movements when he does. It's also just nice seeing how his husband weaves above and below structures, and how he flinches sometimes when he feels plants brush against him as the currents guide them. Gradeus isn't much of an arts person, he leaves that to the coral obsessed weirdoes, but he can appreciate good work when he sees it and that's just all that Rayga is.

It makes him forget his cautiousness and he doesn't even notice that they're out in a vast open area until he feels something pulling him. He looks away from Rayga, annoyed, before his eyes widen and he lunges to the seafloor. He's too late though, and too slow because those like him were created slow. The currents are much stronger out of the city, and it drags him along.

"Shit!" is the first thing out of his mouth and he looks to Rayga but he doesn't need to.

He's greeted with arms wrapping around him and helping to drag him down to the seafloor. Wanting to say something, he opens his mouth to speak but instead Rayga's hair ends up in his mouth. Gradeus starts to cough, wrapping his tail around his waist so that he doesn't drift away when Rayga lets go of him to get his hair out of their faces. Finally, they're lying against the sand without anything ruining the moment so he lets go of his torso, only to wrap around him with his arms instead this time. His tail goes to wrap around one of Rayga's limbs instead, gently and only squishing slightly as to not break through the delicate thing.

"This is why I should always be holding onto you. And maybe we could go on a date too, cute stuff"

Rayga smiles, ignoring the second part even as he blushes- "That sounds inconvenient."

He snorts- "Better that than never seeing me again, asshole. It's good that you're super-fast."

That only elicits chuckling and Gradeus rises slowly, because absolutely everything about how his type move is slow. Actually, no, that's not true. They're good at eating fast. Not that it sounds impressive when he says it like that. He's never gone hungry is a better way to phrase it.

As Rayga swims for them, since he just drifts along with the ride, he offers his hand- "are you going to hold on?"

"I already am."

Gradeus looks at his husband carefully instead of admiring him like he was seconds prior. Not like he's an idiot, which he definitely is, but judging what he's trying to do.

"You aren't," Rayga says with confidence, even glancing to where his tail is doubled around twice on his limb.

"…I guess I'm not."

If that's what he's playing at, Gradeus doesn't mind. He takes his hand and they continue on back. At their home, a nice fancy place made of something that the humans call marble. They also say they made sure to treat it before giving it as a gift to his ancestors but he doesn't really care. The stained glass is prettier anyway.

When they aren't covered in ink that is.

"Rael and Rajak got back before us."

"Weird. Rajak even said that they'd be late," he says.

Rayga pauses at his words but shrugs and swims in. Immediately, Gradeus sees the flowers weighed down and thinks about Edian with that human lover of hers. They'd probably gone to visit her and come back early when she chased them away for some time alone.

He grins when Rael groans upon their arrival- "I told you they'd still be all mushy! Now we're gonna have to see it all."

Rajak doesn't say anything in reply, only nodding his head to his them and asking- "So do we get dessert?"

Gradeus laughs- "Yeah. Yeah you do."

Gradeus – Spiny seahorse (Hippocampus histrix)

Rael – Cockatoo squid (Galiteuthis phyllura)

Rajak – Leafy seadragon (Phycodurus eques)

Rayga – No common name (Opistoteuthis 'adorabilis')

Gradeus is a seahorse because the way they hold onto stuff without their tails is the cutest fucking thing ever. And of course he loves to hold onto his husband. Rayga is that octopus because Gradeus says he's cute and his word is law. Rael is a cockatoo squid because the ink part fits the Kertia aes while being transparent fits him. They don't actually fill up with ink because they're embarrassed but here he does. Rajak is a leafy seadragon because I like them and also they camouflage well.