By The Ocean's Side

Chapter Three

By Roofles

“Hey,” the words drifted through the air like the warm salty breeze. Familiar and comforting.

“Hey?” Bryan replied, cracking an eye open to look at his childhood friend watching him. The otter lying there by his side. “What’s up, Robbie?”

“Nothing much.” The sea otter said, keeping himself slightly elevated on one strong arm. Bryan could see his muscles flexing, keeping his larger body up off the sands. It was an impressive sight to open your eyes to.

Not the physical prowess, but how much Robert had changed since they were kids.

The otter used to be so small and cute. His face wasn’t fuzzy, not like this, and his whiskers weren’t as scratchy. The years had ticked by, and Robert had aged with them. Aging like fine wine. Something Bryan hadn’t expected to see on his return. In a way, the man expected to see everything exactly as he had left it.

Even his best friend. Small and cute.

Things changed. The seasons passed and the sun would set every night as the earth spun. It was inevitable. There was beauty in that. Also fear. Fear of that change. Fear of not knowing what tomorrow would bring. Taking that plunge. Taking risks. Going overseas to a college to try and change, to grow with that inevitability.

Wanting to do something more than what they had been doing. Robert had ended up working at his families fish shop. Bryan didn’t want that. He didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps. It was the main reason why he’d left in the first place.

He still hadn’t expected Robbie to change.

Somehow, Bryan never expected Robert to change. As silly as he knew that sounded. It was one of those things. Like the sunrising over the horizon. In a lot of ways, Robert hadn’t. Still here, on this island, as if waiting for him. Working for his father, sure, but that was also inevitable. There weren’t enough jobs on this island and only thanks to Nepotism had Robert got the job he had.

Bryan knew that was a silly thought. All of it was, really. Such was life.

“You’re still here.” Bryan said aloud, looking at his childhood friend.

“I’m still here.” Robert answered with a bittersweet tone. Both knowing exactly what Bryan meant by those words. That Robert was still here. In this place. Stuck here… yet.

Yet…

It was comforting, and warm, just like his words were. Knowing that Robert was here. That Robbie was here on this island, as if waiting for him. A security blanket that Bryan had greatly accepted when he needed it most.

Comforting and warm as a hug. Bryan moved his hand over and felt the otter place his webbed paw over it. It wasn’t so much holding hands, as it was the touch, the feel of the other person, the other body by their side.

Out here on the beach towels, in their spot. Looking at each other as the sun set in the distance. Comforting and reassuring to be here, together. Hearing the waves wash up over the shores and the sounds of seabirds doing their final calls for the night.

There was a nip in the air. The warm breeze cooling as the sun finally set, blanketing the world in a twilight glow. Neither of the two got up. Not at first. Just lying there, hand against hand.

“You look like you have something to say.” Bryan chuckled lightly. It was a warm bubbling feeling that came out of him. Saying those words. Lying here in their spot, together, again. Like nothing had changed.

Even knowing it had.

It was funny, in a lot of ways. As far as Bryan had run away from this place, he inevitable still came back to it.

“Nah,” Robert’s ears wiggled though. His tail lifted up, slapping against the sandy shore as he continued to watch his friend lying there by his side. “Just glad, I guess, is all.” The otter admitted, sheepishly scratching the side of his short snout with a webbed finger. He was always such a bashful otter. Even if he was trying not to be.

His round ears would wiggle with his big nose. Whiskers swaying back and forth like sand weeds on the shoreline. Robert always reminded Bryan of the ocean. The nostalgia of it all combined together with the sandy brown fur the otter had.  

“Glad? For what, exactly?” Bryan quirked an eyebrow. Rolling onto his back, he looked up towards the darkened sky and the clouds lazily drifting overhead. “I mean it has been a nice night. A nice day,” he admitted himself. Letting it sink in. Letting down his guard, letting the breeze wash over him with the sounds of the sea so close by.

The sound of waves crashing against the shore. It was so familiar, comforting as Robert himself was.

“It is nice.” Bryan said more to himself than to the otter. “Being back here. I’ve missed this…”

“Yeah!” Robert jumped on eagerly, glad he could go off of what Bryan had said. What Bryan had done. Just like before. When they were kids. The otter always following behind his friend, merrily tagging along instead of leading the way. “It’s nice, is all.” Robert smiled and it reached his teary eyes.

He was too happy to cry as he smiled down at his friend. Hand still over Bryan’s own.

“Nice to have you back.” Robert said in no more than a whispering breath that was carried away across the shoreline and out to sea.

“Nice to be back.” Bryan replied with. Closing his eyes, he settled back down on the beach blanket. Neither of the two wanted to talk about the limited time Bryan was here for. In a way, if they didn’t talk about it or address it, then it could last forever.

This moment.

These days.

Even when he did head back to finish the semester, Bryan was sure nothing would change. Not here. Not in this place.

The ocean would continue to crash against the shore. Against the rocky cliffside. The breeze would continue to blow, and the sun would set and rise again. With them here, together. They didn’t need anything else. They wanted for nothing else. Other than these moments to last.

Yet, life is everchanging and eventually the cool breeze turned cold, and the shivering human had to retreat from their special spot on the beach. Robert didn’t mind so much. For he wasn’t returning home, overseas, but returning to his home, Robert’s.

For once, Robert was glad to lead the way.

The sea otter was more than happy to brag about his place. “My own place!” He smugly said, teasing his friend as they walked back towards his jeep. “Paid her off and everything! Just over that there hill there.” Robert was practically bouncing with joy as he pointed at the dune.

 Bryan would’ve been impressed if it wasn’t the very same beach house that the two had grown up in.

It was Robert’s family home. The same place that Bryan and Robert would skip school to hang out at. The place they could retreat and recharge after a long day of class, dealing with their fair share of nitpicking teachers and bullies alike. The same place they could stay up late into the night playing games or watching horror movies together, unable to sleep after.

While Robert’s mother was strict, she was also loving and as long as they did all their chores and homework, they would be greeted with hot freshly cooked scallop bites and seaweed salads during the day. Robert’s father would come home after the sun had set. Telling them tall tales of what it was like at sea. From sea monsters to beautiful merfolk and how a manatee had tried to trick him into giving her his fish sandwich.

Bryan preferred Robert’s mother cooking over his dad’s uncooked fish sandwiches any day. Even the scallop bites, hot out of the oven, were a tasty treat. They were some of the most delicious of foods Bryan had ever tasted.

“Nice place,” Bryan said as he entered Robert’s beach house. Acting as if he hadn’t been there a thousand times before.

It was a small, two-story wooden shake of a building. It had been painted colorfully yellow and a light blue on the outside. The salty air was already beginning to peel the paint.

“Parden the intrusion,” Bryan said out of habit as he kicked off his shoes. There was a no-shoes policy in place inside Robert’s family home. They did their best not to track sand inside. The small pockets of sand swept to the side, however, said how useless that was.

“You don’t need to always say that.” Robert said behind him, not even bothering to lock the place up after. It was a safe community he lived in. The neighbors watched out for each other and it went unsaid that the tourists should stick to the ritzy, expensive hotels and out of the neighborhood.

“Force of habit.” Bryan shrugged, walking down the small hallway lined with pictured to the living room to take it all in. “It’s amazing how much this place hasn’t changed.”

There was an old anchor on the far wall next to a tiller Bryan was sure belonged to Robert’s father first boat. The thing had ended up crashing against the rocky cliffs during one of the freak storms that had hit the island, and it was the only thing they could save from it.

It was the only time Bryan had ever seen Robert’s father cry.

There was fish netting running down one of the walls, covering the entire thing in thick rope. Shells, dried starfish and other trinkets from the sea had been hooked onto it making it look as if it’d just dragged along the ocean floor. Catching dozens of things before being pulled in. Bryan just hoped the fish weren’t actual stuffed fish. Some were hand carved wood; he realized stepping closer to inspect all the various things stuck to the net. While others were bejeweled octopi made from coral that some of the local shops sold to tourists.

There were extremely strict regulations on coral harvesting and every couple of weeks Bryan would used to see on the news coral poachers being washed up, dead, along the coastline. The lucky ones were simply arrested before the locals caught them.

The entire place, despite the recent updates, looked very much like the same beach house they’d grown up in. The same flimsy walls that looked as if a strong gust of wind would blow them down. To the creaky floorboard in the hallway, just in front of the far too small guest bathroom that only had a toilet and sink in it. Still, there were newer renovations to the place. Such as the new patio built out back and the front steps finally fixed. The salty air made for constant work on places this close to the shoreline.

Bryan didn’t miss that. The salty air would erode everything away.

It was just another thing for Robert to boast about.

“Put the patio deck in myself. Dad taught me.” Robert said, rubbing a finger under his round black nose. Looking so smug, Bryan had half a mind to push him off these steps. “Gave me my first toolbox just after you left. Said it was time for me to become the man of the house. After his back surgery, he couldn’t do as much as before.” The otter shrugged a shoulder, as if it hadn’t been as bad as it was.

An accident on the docks was all it took for his father to hang up his sailors hat and be forced behind a counter at the family store. It was a touchy subject that neither of the two wanted to wade through. They both wanted this trip to be filled with nothing more than happy memories.

Even if they weren’t taking pictures, these memories would be like souvenirs for Bryan to bring back with him.

Something for Bryan to hold onto and remember during the cold months back at the college. And, admittedly, a way for Robert to try and convince Bryan to move back with. Memories of the two, their time here together, bringing them up like sunken treasure from the ocean floor. To open and pick through. Giving bits and pieces to the other.

Nostalgia was a powerful thing.

“Look it’s the old seashell lamp my grandmother had made.” Robert went over to it. He traced a finger over a part that had clearly been broken, hastily fixed with too much glue. “Remember when we were playing soft ball inside, and you ended up breaking it?” Robert squeaked a laugh. “You tried to bury it out back!”

“Yes, well, your ingenious idea to slather it with glue wasn’t much better.” Bryan rolled his eyes, walking over to look at it. Robert moved to the side so he could get a better view.

“They would’ve noticed it was missing.” Robert frowned, coming back to the familiar argument of what should’ve been done. The two had been ground for three months after caught in the lie.

“You don’t know that!” Bryan defended his dumb reasoning back then.

“It was my mother’s mother. Of course she’d have noticed it missing!” Robert rolled his eyes. “You can’t just bury all your problems.”

“Watch me.” Bryan laughed.

“Heh, yeah, I guess… it’s still here.” Robert brought up, unable to make eye contact as he pushed it. “Lot of things are still here. From back when you stayed at the base. Not much changes ‘round these parts. Oh, sure, we change with the season as usual. Needing to go after the new, dumb tourists that show up for the different festivals. I swear, they get dumber each year.” Robert grinned. “Oh, you have to see the shop before you go! We expanded last year, and we might be needed to hire a couple more paws to help out… you know, during those busy seasons.”

Robert wasn’t as subtly as he thought he was being, but Bryan didn’t mind. He had his own reasons to enjoy such company as he turned back towards the building from out on the patio deck.  

“Still the same.” Robert admitted, looking at the place. “Some things never change, huh?”

“Yeah. Some things do…” Bryan agreed.

There were plenty of windows to it. Lining every wall with giant sheets of glass, giving them a perfect view of the distant ocean. It, along with several other buildings, had been built on a large rocky overlook giving them the perfect view. It was prime real estate that was only sold to locals. Several laws had passed to keep it that way. While others could visit and tourists were more than welcome, there were no possibilities of owning land here. Unless you were part of the nearby navy base, there was no getting around it. Locals only. It was just another reason for Bryan to stick close to Robert during his stay here.

The deck Robert was so proud of was facing the ocean, the closest part of the house to it. It had been built on large poles sticking up from out of the ground, in case the ocean came in too far. A rare occasion that happened just enough to keep it in mind. Bryan could see faint markings on the logs where Robert had marked where it had reached in the past. 

Bryan had only ever experienced one such storm in his lifetime living here.

Bryan doubted that’d help during tsunami season, though. It was just something to show interested buyers to reassure them that their beach house wouldn’t be knocked over during a bad storm. Everyone on the island knew the risk of living out here. Most could, ironically, retreat into the sea to be protected during a massive storm.

Another reason why they kept outsiders out. It was dangerous to live in such places and if such a situation arose, those people would be left behind as the sea faring folk got to safety.

“Nice work,” Bryan shook the disturbing thoughts away as he inspected the deck. It was leveled nicely. A difficult thing to accomplish for a beach house. The wood would often warp and, seeing as how Robert had used driftwood for most of it, it was impressive to see the otter manage to keep it mostly leveled and evened out.  

Bryan would’ve never guessed that Robert could be such a handyman.

“Collected every piece myself. Drying it out was the tricky part.” Robert gladly went over the details as he crouched down with Bryan to inspect it.

The deck was nice. It’d be a waste if it was swept out to see. It had been made with drift wood from the beach. Bleached by the sun, making it turn a pleasant off-white color. Handpicked, from the looks of things. He could practically see Robert spending an entire evening going out to look for new pieces to add onto it. Walking the beach as the otter hand selected each one. Inspecting them closely before tossing some aside and loading the rest up into his jeep to bring home.

Bryan had always loved that. Walking along the water collecting various things the ocean had washed in.

There were plenty of nights the two walked along the shoreline together. After a good storm, there were plenty of driftwood and seashells for them to find. It was like a treasure hunt the two kids could go on. Walking out there, they could find whatever they could imagine. Talking about pirate treasure or hunting for legendary sea dragons. Wherever their imagination had taken them, they had followed.

Spending an entire day out there and long into the night, until one of their parents had gone out to fetch them. The scolding was worth the trouble. Just getting to be out there past curfew was a mischievous fun in itself.

Bryan let his hand run over the smooth bleached wood. No splinters to be found. The harsh winds and sun beating down on it made it perfect to build such a deck with. It wouldn’t last, no. But it was beautiful, nonetheless.

“Funny.” Bryan muttered, standing back up to feel the top of the railing.

“What?”

“All the effort you put in, is all. Building this thing. Knowing it won’t last.” Bryan knocked against the wood, half expecting the thing to fall apart.

“Give me some more credit than that!” Robert huffed, slapping his tail down hard against the patio. The thing shook slightly and the two froze, waiting for it to settle. “Well, it still has a good couple of seasons at least.” Robert defended and Bryan laughed.

There was a beauty in that. Knowing it wouldn’t last. How hard Robert had worked to build it, knowing that it would eventually have to be torn down and replaced in the future. A job in itself that the sea otter was looking forward to doing from the looks of it.

“Next time. Double decker deck!” Robert grinned at the silly idea and Bryan rolled his eyes.  

Bryan couldn’t recall Robert being so conscientious. Robbie had used to cry at the smallest of things from a splinter in his paw that Bryan would have to pluck out for him, or when a crab had pinched onto his tail and wouldn’t let go. Bryan had laughed and laughed at the sight, chasing the otter around who was trying to shake the thing off.

He used to be such a small, cute scaredy otter. Afraid to sleep in a different room after watching a horror movie. He’d even used to ask Bryan to come and wait outside the bathroom until he was done during the night. Bryan had, as a good friend, even if he still teased the otter about it.

Now? Robbie had changed. The one thing he hadn’t expected to change on the island had.

It was strange, seeing this.

It must’ve taken a lot of sweat, blood and tears to build this thing. This much work put into something that wouldn’t last. Like their old sea forts, the ones they used to build out of driftwood on the beach. They’d go early in the morning, building vast moats and water channels around their constructed driftwood forts. When the tides came in, they’d try to “survive” for as long as they could until the sea washed their hard work away.

They could never win against mother nature.

Only to repeat the same thing next weekend. Using pieces of driftwood like shovels to dig through the sand. They never bothered with the toy shovels or buckets the local shops sold. They were molded buckets where you just filled up with sand and turned over, to create castle towers and ramparts with. They preferred to create it from their own imagination instead. Hand molding every piece. Spending hours out there together.

It made things personal. Just like the deck Robert had built. Something hand crafted through ones effort made the object priceless. At least, in Bryan’s eyes, it was.

“I bet watching the sunset here is so nice…” Bryan sighed, looking out towards the sea. The view was breathtaking. No wonder why so many of the high-class rich folk from the mainland wanted a piece of this land.

It was the perfect vacation spot to take.

“Hold that thought,” Robert quickly scurried inside to grab something. Leaving Bryan out there with his thoughts.

“It’s so much different from school. Two worlds, far apart. They might as well be different countries…” Bryan sighed, shaking his head. He suddenly felt cold, and it wasn’t from the breeze.

Bryan had told himself to leave that kind of baggage back there, in the dorms, on the mainland. This was a vacation! A trip away from that needless drama. Bryan would enjoy his time here, with his best friend, and leave all that sorry shit at the dorms.

He was not looking forward to going back.

Resting against the wooden railing, he wasn’t left alone for long as the glass door behind him slid open the next second, and the otter joined him with refreshments. They used to call them “provisions” from Bryan’s father time in the military. A way to keep them going, retreating from their sand base up to Robert’s families home to “restock” for the fight ahead against the oncoming dreaded high tide.

Bryan didn’t bother looking at Robbie. Instead, he focused on the view in front of him. Down the hills, over the main road leading towards The Strip. Bryan could see the lights turning on in the distance along the pier. Bright colorful lights. “Bisexual lighting,” Bryan had joked about it with Robbie the last time they’d talked online. Voice chatting with each other. Not letting distance get between them.

He felt the otter’s dense, double layer fur brush his arm as Robert stood next to him now. No longer just a voice online but a warm body at his side. Resting ever so slightly against the smaller male as Robbie used to do when they were kids. Physical contact was a huge factor for several Anthro societies, otters included in the group. Bryan had always sworn it was an otter thing. With how close he always stood, as if afraid one of them might be swept out to sea if they weren’t close enough to each other.

“You know sea otters hold hands, right?” Robbie had said oh so many years ago. Trying to both hold hands and not wanting to make it an embarrassing thing to do.

“I’ve heard about that. To prevent from drifting away, right?” Bryan had asked in turn, looking at his friend.

“If I hold onto you. Then when I wake up, I’ll now you’re still there.” Robbie had squeaked, blushing so bright that Bryan could see it through his fuzzy white fur along his snout. “Then you won’t drift away…”

“Like I’d ever do that.”

And Bryan had, moving away across the sea where a sea otter couldn’t reach. He didn’t like to think about such things. Not directly, knowing it was only for a time. A period of time in their lives apart, right…?

The thought was as cold as the breeze blowing from the sea.

In his webbed paws, Robert carried a silver tray with a jug of lemonade and two glasses. Setting the tray down on the small back table, he pulled over one reclining chair and then the other. Giving something for the two to sit on if they desired. Neither did. Preferring to stand next to one another.

Filling up the glasses with the lemonade, Bryan clinked his against Robert’s.

“To being home.” Bryan lifted it up and Robert smiled at that.

“To second chances,” the otter grinned before taking a big drink. Bryan was surprised to taste the alcohol in it as he followed suit. “Spiked lemonade is the best after a long day at the beach.” Robert let out a hearty sigh, squeaking after with a hiccup. “Sweet as you always liked it.” The otter teased with a wink and a playful slap of his tail over the human’s ass.

When he was a kid, that was a cute thing to do. Now that Robert was fully grown, it hurt. Bryan, as a man, tried not to let it show in front of his friend. Holding in the pain.

“Yeah, back when we used to sneak it behind your dad’s back.” Bryan chuckled, recalling the moment of the two young kids breaking into Robert’s dad liquor cabinet. Bryan had learned to pick simple locks back then. A silly thing to know. With the idea of getting their hands on alcohol for the first time, Bryan had been extremely motivated to pick at the old lock.

He was sure, nowadays, he could’ve just forced the old thing open. It wasn’t that secure. Just a simple brass turn lock that was more to keep the cabinet drawers from swinging open than locking anyone out. As a kid, he thought he was some kind of bad ass secret agent that was infiltrating a base.

It was funny seeing this place again without the rose-tinted glasses on.

“Have a couple of these and go streaking along the beach!” Robert held up the empty glass. It was made with different color shards of glass and when the setting sun hit it, it lit up in a lovely display of flowing colors. Robert’s mother had hand crafted most the things in their home. And most those things remained.

Most of them…  

Something Bryan had forgotten until now seeing the glass. It was, in it’s own way, a rose-tinted glass that brought back only the good memories of this place. Sometimes, it was nice to just enjoy the good and ignore the bad. Especially on a vacation, like this.

“You mean a long nap.” Bryan laughed, blushing faintly at having fallen asleep for so long on the beach that day. He was thankful Robert had stayed around the entire time. Not that the beach was dangerous here. There were plenty of watchful eyes keeping hooligans in check.

It wasn’t that that Bryan appreciated. Maybe it was the certainty that Robert would be there when he woke up. Willingly putting himself through an inconvenience for his friend’s sake.

Bryan’s friends back up north wouldn’t have done that. They’d have left his tired ass where he fell asleep, maybe even playing a prank or two on him. If they even bothered to do that. Bryan couldn’t really call them friends at the end of the day. More like acquaintances he had made during college. People he knew the names and faces of and little else.

There was a reason why so many people called the north cold.

A real friend would play a trick on you after falling asleep drunk but would stick around to enjoy the show after. To make sure you were safely suffering from the trick. Up north…? Bryan couldn’t even be assured of that much.

They wouldn’t even have gone to the effort to put his hand in warm water or draw on his face. They’d have just left without a word, most likely.

“Some friends…” Bryan muttered, taking another long drink of the spiked lemonade.

“Careful there. You never were one to hold your liquor.” Robert teased.

“Don’t plan on getting me too drunk now.” Bryan set the empty glass down on the tray. “You remember the last time I got black out drunk around you.”

“I didn’t do squat!” Robert quickly said in his defense, holding up his webbed paws. The look on his face told Bryan enough.

“Yeah, you also didn’t stop me, either!” Bryan covered his face with a hand, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I tried to break into that strip club… Admittance my ass,” Bryan laughed. “If Fynn hadn’t been there to stop me, I don’t even want to think about it. I didn’t know they were having a girls night.”

“Well, you were trying to convince all of us you weren’t gay.” Robert said as if in Bryan’s defense. It only made the human feel more foolish about it as he covered his face with a low, painful groan.

“I didn’t know it was her twenty-first birthday!” Bryan groaned just thinking about it. “We went to the same school.” Of course they did. Everyone on the island had some sort of connection to each other or through family. It wasn’t that surprising to see one of their classmates in the club that night. “Most awkward school day of my life.”

“If I recall correctly, you ended up putting on a strip show for them.” Robert still had pictures from that night that he, of course, as Bryan’s best friend, took to blackmail him with later about. Something the otter had never ended up telling Bryan about. Guiltily keeping the pictures for himself.

“Hey! It would’ve been rude not to give her some kind of present,” Bryan offered in reply, ending up snorting a laugh at the end at his blatant attempt to justify his actions.

“Like you’re some kind of gift!” Robert squeaked at the idea, slapping Bryan on the back playfully. Even his hand was larger, stronger than before and the slap hurt almost as much as his slab of a tail had. “I didn’t know you could dance like that. You’re usually so… reserved.” Robert had to think of the right word to use.

“Growing up in a military household will do that to you. Castrates your fun. Strict rules that cannot be broken. Getting away from that was, well, another good reason to…” Leave. Bryan didn’t have the heart to say the word aloud. Just thinking of it was uncomfortable. “Get enough drinks in me and you’d be surprised what I can and can’t do,” Bryan winked. Robert’s round ears splayed out. His scruffy, fuzzy white cheeks turning a shade redder at the thought as he looked away.

“Don’t tempt me,” Robert warned, trying to play it off. Bryan gave a hearty laugh and clapped a hand against Robert’s arm. The human gave his strong, muscular arm a guilty feeling grope and blamed it on the alcohol.

It was amazing to see Robbie of all people like this. Full grown and coming into himself both as a person and as an otter. He had that strong sailor build, the fuzz to match. Bryan wanted to feel it so bad. Reach up and tug on his fuzzy whiskery snout but resisted the temptation to do so.

For now.  

“I don’t have to worry about you,” Bryan said as he motioned towards the lights in the distance. The pier was becoming active, the night crowds beginning to come out. “We both know I’ve already given you that kind of permission before,” he added as he hopped down the back steps and offered a hand for Robert to take.

Standing there with one foot on the sand, one foot on the steps Bryan offered his hand to him.

“What are you-,” Robert’s round ears folded back just thinking about it.

“You planning on staying inside all night? Or are you going to show me the town, handsome.” Bryan teased with a playful smile. Robert swore his heart skip a beat seeing that smile aimed in his direction.

“Heh, you still remember that…?” Robert reached out a hand, taking Bryan’s hand and ended up getting pull down the steps to join the man. Even being the larger of the two, Bryan still had that strong grip. Robert’s body moved on its own. Following after Bryan on its own, like a reflex.

A familiar reflex of following after the human ahead of him. Bryan always the one to lead them on their adventures around the island. Exploring every crook and cranny of it.

“It’s been so many years. I’m sure you’ve had plenty of partners since then…” The otter bashfully said, keeping his voice low as his eyes were. Looking at the hand holding his instead of the face watching him.

“It’s hard to forget waking up with your best friend between your legs,” Bryan blushed as he recalled it, still holding Robert’s paw. The webbing was a familiar texture. He didn’t recall Robert’s paw pads being so coarse, though. It showed how hard the otter worked; he supposed.

A part of him had hoped for Robert to stay the same soft, gentle pup he’d always been. It was strange seeing him like this, in a new light. As if seeing him for the first time.

“Well, I mean, you…” Robert ears refused to remain still, his tail thumping against the ground as he got worked up at the memories.

Memories of Bryan passed out on the sofa in his room. Shirtless, with his swim trunks half pulled off. Bryan had drank too much that night, taking from Robert’s father stash, and ended up passing out before he could even fully change. He still smelled of chlorine. Of the pool the two had been swimming in. There was a reason why alcohol wasn’t supposed to be mixed with hot tubbing, and Bryan had practically passed out in Robert’s arms on the way home giggling like a mad fool about something neither of the two could recall.  

Half-naked and exposed, a tipsy Robert couldn’t help thumbing those swim trunks down. Pawing at them for a t least ten minutes before succeeding. Pulling them down slowly to get a good look at his friend. It was supposed to be out of innocent curiosity, but a teenagers horny brain led him nose first until…

“You said it was okay,” Robert fidgeted with his fingers. Bryan stopped at that, giving him a confused look. Stopping ahead of him down that sandy trail towards the lights in the distance. Hoping for Robert to show him the sights.

To see what all had changed since he’d been gone.

“Dude,” Bryan said, and Robert looked up at him with worry in his eyes. Fear lurking behind them, waiting for Bryan to admonish his actions. “The only thing I regret is not being fully awake for it. You know how much I love getting head,” the human laughed, slapping the sea otter’s arm again. “Damn, I missed this…”

“Uh, me giving you…?” Robert’s face turned an even deeper scarlet, and Bryan could’ve sworn he saw steam coming out of those round ears as Robert’s brain overheated. That only made Bryan laugh louder. The sound of his rambunctious laughter filling the evening night around them.

It was a beautiful warm night without a cloud in sight. Giving them full reign to view the stars above. It was too perfect an evening for Bryan to stay indoors. Sleeping half the day away had only energized him for the night.

“Silly otter…”

A breeze blew, shaking the plants next to them. Forcing them to sway with the breeze. Bending effortlessly as the sand blew against their exposed arms and legs. Bryan had to let go of Robert, moving his long hair out of his face as it whipped to the side. Running a hand through the side of his hair, he looked at the otter still watching him.

Staring at him, even now, waiting for Bryan to lead the way for them.

“You always were like an, uh, how do you otters put it? An oyster!.” Bryan chuckled with that heartwarming smile. “Shut tight. Impossible to pry open. If I was reserved growing up? You were clinically dead. At least your sex drive was,” Bryan laughed. “That’s why I was so surprised by it, I mean… You taking initiative for a change.”

“Oh. Right.” Robert cleared his throat. “I was rather… reserved, as well, back then, huh?” The otter rubbed an arm. Robert slapped it, perking up the otter’s ears.

“Nah, man. I was reserved. You were just…” Bryan had to take a second on that. Mulling it over like a bovine chewing grass. Before it clicked, the light bulb turned on and he looked at the otter with that bewitching smile that, Robert swore, made his teeth sparkle. “Shy. You were just an extremely shy pup growing up. Afraid to talk in class. Not wanting to hang out with the other guys. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to, no. You were just shy.”

“Well… what does that have to do with this?” Robert said defensively, puffing out his cheeks as his tail slapped the ground again in frustration over it all. It was hard to read the human at times. Bryan was such a chill, down to earth guy that you could slip between his legs, give him a BJ and in the morning he’d joke about you not drinking OJ because of the after taste.

It was why it was so hard for Robert to get a grasp of their… situation. Their relationship. A friendship that ran so deep that it was almost impossible to cross out of that friendzone. Even if it was a friendship with benefits, it wasn’t exactly what Robert wanted.

Not anymore.

Wanting more than just that…

Robert just wasn’t sure how to do it, to breach that line drawn in the sand. To go from friends to more, without risking damaging what they had. It was his goal, during Bryan’s stay, to figure that out. To answer that what if question. To see if they could possibly be… more.

“Silly otter,” Bryan repeated with that coy smile.

“Not silly…” Robert grumbled, folding his arms over his expansive chest and pouting as if he were fifteen years younger. Bryan laughed at that. Petting, rubbing up and down Robert’s arm as he did so. Calming the otter down as he used to as kids.

Otters were such touch-feeling creatures that it was the best way to soothe them if they got agitated. Water dogs, that’s what Bryan had heard them called before in the past.

“I mean this. Us! It’s just… awesome. Being able to talk with each other, joke about this kind of thing… after having done it with each other.” Bryan blushed lightly at admitting such a thing. He still couldn’t believe Robbie had done that while he’d been passed out. “Just…”

“Just?” Robert worried he might’ve brought up the topic too soon. Something that was hard to forget when you had your best friend’s dick in your mouth.

Bryan turned away from him, walking over the sand covered road towards the pier. The rows of lights on the street luring him closer, inviting him to partake in what they offered. Sinfully delicious treats, alcoholic beverages, a night of fun where the rules didn’t apply as they did on the main land. They might as well have been arrows pointing towards the place. Directing the flow of traffic, of tourists, to future sights to spend money on.

The pier was a massive platform of wood and pillars that started far up on the coastline and led even farther out over the open sea than you’d see anywhere else in the world. It was one of the main attractions for the island. If not the main one.

During the day it hosted rows of carnival rides and shops, appealing to the more family centric demographic. At night time, the age restrictions came out and there was open gambling and games to be played as the sweet shops turned to bars. Some parts were even served far more cardinal treats. Both for the eyes and more.

The rules of the island were a lot like Vegas. What happened there, stayed there.

Bryan wondered what naughty sights he’d see this time. He wasn’t sneaking out with his fake ID any longer. He was an adult and could do whatever he damned please… even if he was still nervous about it. Having Robert their was a comfort. An anchor in the storm that helped keep him from drifting away.

“I want to see it all.” Bryan said to no one. Just saying it aloud felt nice. Being repressed most his life had built up a curious desire inside to see the forbidden fruit and, maybe, even taste it.

“Where would you like to start?” Robert stepped next to his side. Placing a hand on his shoulder, the otter looked out towards the pier. “There’s so much to see and so little time…”

“The Landing be nice. I wasn’t really allowed to when I was a kid.”

There was a large floating platform out over the sea that had been set up past the waves. It would be brought in during the stormy seasons and set up for the rest of the year. It was a place Bryan was hoping to see again, only ever experiencing it once before when he was a kid. His parents had hated it.

His father had been very strict and stringent about certain things. While not draconian, his father’s rules were there for a reason and as long as Bryan had followed them there weren’t any problems at home. The only problem was when those rules involved him and Robbie.

Bryan hoped to change that, or at least his time here from before.

There was another saying about this island. Roughly translated from Seaspeak, it meant “A place to Enjoy.” A place to drink, gamble and more. A place where you didn’t have to wear clothes, after certain hours. It was an open, safe place to express oneself and enjoy far more “liberal activities” as the conservative mainlanders like to put it.

A place to be free.

Those in the know, knew the place was far more open about their sexuality than a lot of other places in the world. Even the bathhouses were commonly used to fool around within or experiment at. Even having bowls of condoms and lube for their patrons. Certain hotels had been designated as the “top ten swingers hangout,” where couples could swap partners with each other or meet new people for the night. A place to explore ones sexuality, to push your limits, or just to dip your toe into the deep end for a change.

“The North? It’s known as the cold north for a reason, Robbie.” Bryan sighed, shaking his head as he looked around. The nearest hotel had been marked with a cupid’s arrow. A clear sign it was used for couples to explore more open interests with others.

What happened on the island, stayed on the island. It was the unspoken rule of the place.

“Well, the north is cold.” Robert muttered. He tried to see what Bryan did. Squinting his eyes as he looked around. Everything looked exactly the same as it had yesterday and the day before. The place hadn’t really changed. Not in any significant way. It always had been the same place since they had been kids. The same sleazy motels, the same over priced hotels. The pier had been recently rebuilt near the end, but otherwise it was all the same.

“It’s not just the weather, Robbie.” Bryan rolled his eyes at that. “I mean the people. The people up North in Lakehole? Well, first of all, the lake is frozen nine months out of the year.” Bryan laughed at that. “The hole part of the name comes from the ice fishing people do. You can have an entire group of people spread out over the frozen lake to fish. They actually import fish to put into the lake for the activity. People spend fifteen hours freezing their faces and tails off to get a couple of trout!”  

“Ice fishing?” The sea otter jumped at the thought. “I’ve never been!”

“Of course you haven’t! The climate here is completely different.” Bryan chuckled.

“It doesn’t seem all that bad…?” Robert glanced over at Bryan as the human shook his head.

“Sure, I mean, you can go ice fishing, I suppose, and that’s about it.” Bryan continued to walk wearing only his shorts and sandals. Robert kept pace on his bare webbed paws with a pair of stylish swim trunks on. They looked to be normal shorts on the outside. The mesh hem inside was the tell that they were meant to be swam in. A popular trend for aquatic folk. “That’s if you can get the polar squad to let you.”

“Dare I ask?” Robert frowned at that.

“Polar bears, moose, walruses… you name it. Those used to the cold have formed a self-governing group that dictate what you can and can’t do up there. With extremely conservative values based off their tradition or religion or some other bullshit. Like dad had been…” Bryan rolled his eye waving it off, not wanting to think of his family right now. “Everyone call them the Polar Squad. They’re the police without being the police…”

“Sounds like what we got here, with the marine animals watching the sea and beaches.” Robert noted, scratching his chin and Bryan nodded in agreement.

“I mean, they are the natives there. Originally. Before the great migration happened. We’re the ones sort of taking up their land, now… and well, they do not like us for that. They call us squatters for a reason..” Bryan grumbled. “At least it wasn’t just me. They have strict curfews there. You can’t go fishing without like fifteen permits. They’re also extremely biased for their colder species than they are for others. Claiming it’s for safety. Everyone knows it’s because of nepotism, wanting to give their families the rights first. Give us whatever crumbs are left after. If there are any.”

“What does this have to do with us?” Robert must’ve drank too much as the gears in his head were refusing to turn properly. He had taken a few glasses before joining Bryan on the deck, needing some encouragement to push things as he had done in the past.

It wasn’t like he wanted to get Bryan wasted again and try something. He wanted… Robert wasn’t sure what he wanted from Bryan’s visit and those confusing thoughts weren’t helping his addled brain right now. Wanting more? Wanting physical contact? Or just to hang out, again, as they had in the past? It was difficult to say. To put a finger on.

“What I mean,” Bryan looked at the otter. “Right now? I could get on my knees for you. Pull down your shorts and suck on your pearls without anyone batting an eye at us.” The human said, making the sea otter freeze on the spot as Bryan laughed.  

Robert’s tail lifted up, curling at the end as he waited for Bryan to continue. Hoping this wasn’t just a hypothetical situation.

“Or, like, waking up with your best friend between your legs.” Bryan shrugged it off and kept walking, making Robert’s body slouch forward in dejection. “Up North? You’d be tossed in jail for the night if you so much as dare take your socks off!”

“Sounds dreadful.” Robert grumbled and Bryan laughed at that.

“Still hate socks, huh?”

“You try having webbed paws!” Robert lifted up one of his feet, wiggling his toes at the man. “Socks and most shoes aren’t design for these guys! It feel so, urgh,” the sea otter shivered. “When the webbing between the toes gets all scrunched up by the cotton or when the shoe is too tight. Hurts!” He growled loudly. “Used to hate going to church because of that. No flippers inside my tight butthole.” The otter squeaked a laugh before clearing his throat and trying again, with a deeper voice. “It’s why I use the strap sandals instead of the normal flip flops. They’re the only ones that don’t tear up my webbing.”

“Yes, yes. We must protect your poor delicate feetsies.” Bryan rolled his eyes. “And tight rear.” He added.

“Paws.” Robert made sure to correct him on that.

“Feet,” Bryan glared over at sea otter.

“Paws, paw pads, fur, beans!” Robert squeaked and Bryan shook his head.

“We are not having this discussion… again!” Bryan said loudly at the end with a forced “hah.” “Ah, some things never change, do they?” He did laugh at that. Even ten years later, here they were having this conversation again.

Robert had pushed his feet against Bryan’s and the two had wrestled with just their legs, trying to overpower the other. Bryan, of course, had won in the past. He wasn’t sure he could win this time if the otter tried to wrestle him.

“We’ll stop having this discussion when you just admit that paws are better than feet,” Robert offered as a solution to their problem. With a heavy shrug, the sea otter shook his head. “Just accept paw supremacy and all will be forgiven. I’ll even let you rub them.”

“I rub your paws once, ONCE, and you never let me forget my shame of losing, do you?” Bryan pretending to swoon away. “Lose one match of horn ball and you’ll never forget it.” Bryan laughed, thinking of the aquatic sport that he was sure had been invented by narwhals.

“You loved it!” Robert squeaked again. He cursed after, cleared his throat and continued in that deeper voice as if he were trying to chew on gravel. “If I recall correctly, you didn’t mind sleeping next to my feet all night.”

“Your room was painfully small. Where else was I supposed to sleep?” Bryan rolled his eyes at that, looking at the sea otter grinning at him, as if waiting for him to ask.

“My legs are always open for you.” Robert stuck the tip of his tongue out and got flipped the bird for his efforts. The two laughed about it, neither denying the possibilities nor offering them. Yet. “It’s great to have you back,” Robert said, and Bryan felt that.

Neither of the two wanted to ruin this moment together.

“It really is,” Bryan wrapped an arm around Robert’s side and the otter placed his around Bryan’s shoulder. One armed hugging the other, they walked down the long road leading towards The Strip, that in turn led towards the pier at the end. It was said that all roads lead to The Pier. “I forgot how many shops were here.”

“They haven’t changed.” Robert said disgruntled, looking around the place. “The puffin twins still own Glass Works,” he pointed the shop out. There were several stained-glass pieces in the window. All crafted together from pieces of colorful glass carefully put together to form dolphins and lighthouses.

Sea glass was a rare thing in most the world. Here? They had an abundance of the stuff and would try to get rid of it by selling it to ignorant tourists.

“I’m surprised they’re still in business!” Bryan recalled how horrible the twins were. They had that weird twin complex that Bryan could never understand. Finishing each other’s sentences and knowing what the other was thinking. It was creepy. 

“They’re still both assholes too,” Robert grumbled as he gave Bryan a squeeze and let go. For a second, Bryan was free from his grasp, before feeling Robert’s hand against his.

Without words, the two held hands as sea otters do, walking down The Strip towards their designation.

“Molly and Ringo finally got together.” Robert explained each of the places as they slowly walked by in a leisure, comfortable pace. Neither wanting to rush things. To anyone else, they would’ve looked like a couple enjoying the sights. “Springer, you know that over hyper labrador? He finally came out of the closet.”

“Oh, how’s he doing?” Bryan asked, barely recalling the lab. “He was the guy who liked to lick? Like… a lot.” Bryan gagged recalling the saliva storm.

“She,” Robert correct with a knowing smirk. “Is doing great. Her and her wife have been going on five years now, I think?” The sea otter had to think about that. With a shake of his head, he continued. “All I know is her wife runs the lighthouses around the island. She has a whole team that come in and inspect them bi-monthly.”

“So often.” Bryan didn’t think it was needed for such work.

“The lighthouses keep ships away, sure. But you forget that we seafolk also use them as guides. Out in the ocean? We have the stars, when it isn’t stormy. Closer to land, we can use the different lighthouses to know where we are at. Where others are. They even use them as signals now.” Robert explained, going further in-depth than Bryan was expecting on the matter.

He supposed, since Robert was a sailor now like his father, he was reliant on these lighthouses as the rest of the seafolk were.

“They also have some underwater.” Robert brought up and Bryan was confused about that. “See, the light itself can be used to blink in morse code under the waves. They have a few facility around,” he motioned towards the ocean. They were impossible to see from land. “Well, you can’t see them above water.” He laughed, squeezing Bryan’s hand tightly. “Underneath the waves, you can’t really hear things the same way you’d expect. We use other means to communicate with each other.”

“Why not use scuba gear?” Bryan had to think about it. It’s how humans got to the underwater cities. The ones closer to land, that was. The farther into the depths you went required more advanced tools or even submarines and other equipment.

Bryan had read they were trying to put an ocean tunnel in to connect the main land to one of the cities. It was a multi-billion-dollar project that still was years away.  

“You know how slow that would be? It’s so tight and uncomfortable! I don’t know how you do it.” Robert shook his head without trying to hide his disappointment.

“How else would I stay down there with you?” Bryan frowned. “I rather not drown.”

“I wouldn’t let you drown,” Robert blushed as he twiddled his fingers in front him at the thought. “It’s not like I thought about it, but, like, I could always share my oxygen with you.” The otter offered meekly as his tail tip curled inwards.

“Yes. Just constantly give me lifesaving kisses while we swim under the sea. Romantic.” Bryan rolled his eyes, clearly joking.

“It would be.” Robert mumbled under his breath.

“What?” Bryan was staring into a window at a collection of carvings. The locals really did love using what they saw as garbage to sell to mainlanders. The driftwood had been carved into intricate figurines and designs. One was even an extremely hand carved lighthouse with a path leading up to it.

Bryan was this close to buying it for his dorm room when he was distracted by the otter.

“We’re almost there!” Robert snagged Bryan’s hand and quickly tugged him forward, jogging towards the colorful lights. “We only got two weeks to see everything. No time to waste!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Bryan easily kept up with him. Otters weren’t known for their sprinting and Robert, even larger than Bryan was, wasn’t any different. With a laugh, a skip, and a turn of a corner they were there.

It took Bryan’s breath away as Robert slid his hand into the human’s again. Not wanting him to drift away in the sea of people before them.

“Welcome back, Bryan. Let’s have some fun.” Robert grinned as Bryan took in the sights. A webbed paw hand slipped into his and Bryan stopped looking at the sights long enough to see the otter there standing by his side.

Even so many years later, Robert had such a dorky smile. It reached his eyes. Eyes that seemed to sparkle from the lit up pier. And, as a warm breeze blew forcing Bryan to cover his face, he could’ve easily mistaken the man next to him as the young otter he’d known all his life.

“Yeah,” Bryan matched that smile with one of his own. “I’m back.”