~22~

"More, again!" Dion gleefully announces as he tosses me out again.

Him and Leo took turns chucking me into the dark empty water, and each time I'd be able to gain back control before spinning out, twisting my body around to correctly orient myself, and find whoever I was being thrown to.

Hands would grab under my armpits, my hips, waist, and even wrap around my whole torso as I'm being caught.

I felt heat continually rise further and further up my cheeks.

They tried to make sure any contact between us, whether Dion or Leo, was absolutely necessary. But that didn't stop the small unexpected and intimate touches that threatened to send me on a one-way rocket trip to Saturn's other moons! Go on an unexpected trip to Titan's brothers and sisters!!

But I didn't seem to be the only one affected.

Every time my body slammed into one of them, I'd get different but equally interesting reactions.

Astute Dion, who seems focused on nothing but the task at hand, would simply refuse to even make accidental eye contact if, say, my body brushes up and presses too hard against his shoulder when I'm trying to come to a swift stop and his body seemed like the best, and only, shock absorber at the time.

Leo on the other hand had the complete opposite reaction as his face would shimmer and glow with iridescent glitters as he fumbled his words when I'd crashed into him once, and without him having a proper grip and stance, my whole body pressed into his and my face smushed! against the side of his.

We almost had an 'accidental kiss' moment!

Which was a tragically missed opportunity. But I'm happy things played out the way they did.

When I kiss someone, I prefer it to be done with full intent and can't be waved off as a 'happy accident'.

Both parties need to be consenting and enjoy it.

Period.

But just as both of Dion's arms reach out and securely catch me, I catch myself and my wayward wanton thoughts.

Why was THAT what was currently on my mind!?

It seemed like the more I spent time with them, the more I wanted to throw myself at them. Both of them! Which was far more worrying and alarming to me.

I wasn't this much of a thot. Especially back home. I'm sure of it!

Was social and physical isolation the result of this? Why am I more than willing to throw myself at the sign of the first alien species to even look at me!?

Would I have reacted this way if I'd landed on a different planetary body and it was covered with rock people instead of these vaguely humanoid fish people?

Were they even fishes!? I see no gills. But anything back on earth that could breathe and move freely underwater WAS a fish.

But hell, back on earth bees were classified as fishes now under federal law! So what the fuck do we even know???

Again I tried to reason with myself. If I had landed on a completely different planet covered in rock people, would I still be acting this way?

I tried to think of the absurd situation in my head.

But all that popped up were images of Dion and Leo.

Oh, I'm down bad...

Coming to grips with that revelation, it was then I realize that I hadn't been thrown again, and Dion was shifting me to his side, as if ready to make an announcement to both me and Leo.

"I believe that's enough for today. We're almost running out of time. You have performed exceedingly well Mel and I think it's time we take you back...home?" Dion said.

I nod to assure him he used the proper word.

"You did great my Melody! I'm so proud and impressed!" Leo swam up to us in an instant, and I feel both his hands reach out and pinch my cheeks.

I'm beaming.

I loved being praised and given positive affirmation.

Especially after having none these last few days.

"Haha, Melody!?" I call out. Humour caking my tone.

My senses were quickly fading, but as Dion held me close to him and kept moving in place, I was still able to feel about a small radius around us.

I awkwardly floundered around my limps to also maintain motion, wanting to contribute something myself at least.

I could tell I wasn't offering much help. It almost felt like I was, okay I definitely was, impeding Dion's ability to freely move. But he compensated for it and effortlessly swam around me. Like a mature swimmer would around a much more inexperienced novice.

Which technically I was.

The irony wasn't lost on me or my viewers that I landed on a water planet with barely any swimming abilities, and only learned to do so after landing from watching countless hundred hours of YouTube video tutorials.

"Oh, I learned what the word meant today, and I thought it fit you perfectly! It's how I feel about you! Or, more specifically, how you make me feel!" Leo cheerfully answered.

I felt Cupid's arrow launch itself through my heart.

Did he realize how utterly sweet and adorable that was!?

He probably most definitely did as I felt a grin spread across his face when I cup both my hands against my mouth in mild surprise, and Dion suppresses a chuckle beside me.

"L-let's just go! You can take me back home now!" I try my best not to fumble my words. I turn my body away from him in a fake pout, as if pretending to be offended by his words and feigning ignorance to my very evident feelings and reactions.

Maybe if I pretend to not feel anything, they won't say anything?

That assumption may be true for Dion. But I should've known better in regard to Leo.

He wraps his arms around me in a tight hug from behind. Not even allowing me to swing back and face him.

"You are adorable! Okay, let's go." Still holding on to me from the back, Leo jets off through the water, and I faintly hear Dion's huff of laughter under his breath before he speeds up after us.

We arrive back up to the water's surface in mere seconds, practically in the blink of an eye.

We could have been anywhere from hundreds of miles away, to a few feet right under my ship.

But the resounding throb in my head told me clearly that I'd just gone at speeds my human body did not agree with.

Which was saying a lot, because it's the same body that got launched into space!!

I grab onto the ledge of my ship's doorway and hoist myself up gingerly, wobbling on shaky arms.

"Urgh! That was way too fast!" I groan.

[Finally! Noise! Sound!! I almost left the stream from sheer boredom.]

[We could barely see or hear what was happening down there. What happened bestie?]

[This is all just sponsored state government propaganda. WAKE UP PEOPLE!! Their budget is running out, that's why they're blacking out huge portions of the video. I'M ON TO Y'ALL!!]

I let out a second groan, as the hoard of nagging and complaints came through my screen.

I'd completely forgotten about the viewers at home. And judging by their disappointment, they weren't going to easily let me off the hook without some sort of compensation FOR their compensation.

But a small part of me was...glad??? that they didn't see the intimate moment me and Leo and Dion shared.

It felt stupid, and somehow childish, to want to keep the both of them to myself. Especially when my numbers shot into the stratosphere whenever they showed up on screen. But call me selfish, I liked it when things were private and just between us 3.

Why I felt that way, I didn't know. And wasn't ready to properly dissect.

Leo swims just below me, his elbows encase either side of my thighs as he comes close.

Almost too close.

Almost.

"I'm sorry. Did I move too quickly for you to handle?" He gently asks.

I wanted to wave him off. To reassure him I was fine.

But-

That didn't and wouldn't help anyone, or do any favours. Especially to me.

"Just a little," I say, pinching my fingers close together for emphasis.

"I'm really sorry..." He says again, squeezing my legs together with his arms and laying his head on my lap in a solemn apology.

My head nearly explodes off my shoulders from the gesture.

And the audience back at home on earth were eating this up!

[No apologies necessary sir! ALL IS FORGIVEN!!!]

[AAAAHHH! I'M SWOONING! AND IT'S NOT EVEN ME HE'S TOUCHING!! MELL!!! HOW ARE YOU STILL STABLE!?]

I wasn't, I was just a lot better at hiding my meltdowns than these online degenerates.

"I...fine. You no need to worry," I fumbled the English language, awkwardly patting his head reassuringly.

Sometimes better at hiding it. Anyway.

"I don't think that was a correct sentence," Dion offers with a smug smile, swimming up and effortlessly pulling himself out of the water to sit next to me.

"Says the bastard who can barely string a sentence together 2 out of 3 times," I counter.

"Touche," Dion agrees with a chuckle, noticing his teasing got the intended reaction.

[Hey! That's mean!! Even for you, Mel...]

[But she's right.]

[Doesn't stop her from being mean.]

[You're only defending him cause he's hot. Leave Mel alone.]

[^ Yeah. Your point??]

[Leave Mel alone you simps!!!]

"I hope this isn't too inconvenient for you, but we have a favour to ask," Dion says next out of nowhere.

"Oh no," Leo says, as if instinctively knowing what Dion was going to say next.

The small nod Dion gave to him seemed to confirm Leo's suspicions and worse fears.

"Hey, what is it? What's up??" I look from one to the other, concern lacing my voice as I struggled to quickly piece the puzzle together. "Y'all can ask me anything!"

I tried to reassure them. No question or request would be too great. I'd try to accommodate them to the best of my ability.

Dion awkwardly pauses next, then looks to Leo, as if for help.

Leo boldly looks the other way and avoids Dion's gaze, turning his head on my lap in the other direction.

"Hey, you brought it up. You ask her." Leo said, definitively closing any avenue to bail Dion out.

That was odd.

Dion on the other hand seemed to get the hint, and took a deep breath to face me.

"Hey..." I softly say, reaching out a hand to cover his own placed on the floor beside me. I feel the air deflate from within his body, as if I'd broken down the walls he'd used to steel himself. "You can talk to me about anything. Nothing bad will happen. I promise."

I whispered those last words. Charging it with as much sincerity and honesty as I could muster.

Dion takes another curt breath, and looks me square in the eyes.

Determination flaring through him to get this question out to me.

Why was I oddly proud?

I felt a sudden need to alleviate all that troubled him, and do my best to not make him feel-

"Can we spend the night with you?"

All rational thought stopped in my head.

"What!?"