Ocean Feelings

Chapter 8

A few days after the Amazon Adventure, Coco and Barnacles were sitting in the gup on a mission, with Coco tiredly drumming her fingers on the gup dashboard.Barnacles took the rare moment of silence to observe Coco. He didn't know what had happened over the year since she joined, but as fall rolled around, he began to see Coco in a new light. He observed the way she watched the water around her with interest smiling as a new sea creature swam by. He tilted his head slightly as he noticed her necklace and rings shining in the pale light. Barnacles rolled his eyes fondly as she let out a groan. "City boyyyyyyyy," she dragged the word out, slumping against the seat, "I'm boreddddd."

He laughed, "Hi, bored I-" She slapped her hand over his mouth.

"Don't even finish that sentence." She laughed, and he chuckled against her hand

His muffled laugh rang out, and he slowly removed her hand, "Alright, alright... wanna play a game?"

She paused for a second and snickered, "Is it twenty questions?"

He crossed his arms playfully, "Well, not anymore."

She laughed, "ok, I'll start. Have you ever seen any horror movies?"

Barnacles nodded, "I've watched Scream, Halloween, and the Shining... My turn now?"

Coco nodded, "Good movies, very good movies, shoot your question."

Barnacles relaxed against his chair, watching Coco with a fond smile, "What are your rings from? And your necklace?"

Coco smiled as she held out her hands, "This ring is my class ring from where I graduated high school," Barnacles noted the turquoise stone in the middle with a smile. Anything turquoise in the octopod had come from Coco. "This ring is my quinceñera ring. And this necklace is the same."

Barnacles smiled, "Those are really cool! Your turn,"

Coco leaned forward, "You got any tattoos?"

Barnacles chuckled, and Coco found herself smiling with him. She loved the way his laugh started in his chest before leaving into the air and always found herself smiling along with him even if she was previously angry. She was good about ignoring her feelings or not acknowledging them until later, so the warmness that filled her heart whenever Barnacles was near was not unexpected. However, what was unexpected was the way her heartbeat would pick up when he brushed against her. She took it as simply growing closer to him as a friend and left it at that. Ignoring any other thoughts. He shook his head, "I do not."

She laughed, "Really? I think they'd suit you." She winked at him and skillfully ignored the faint pink tinging his ears. She has long since lost the line between them. It blurred, and she didn't know what friendship was and what was flirting anymore. But he didn't comment, and she definitely wasn't going to bring it up, "And before you ask, I have a few. Your turn to ask."

"Well, now I wanna know what tattoos you have." He mumbled but tilted his head, "Does time slow down when you're half angel? I feel like since Tweak and Dashi joined, and even more so with you, we don't age as quickly."

Coco nodded and leaned back, resting her feet on his lap. "Sort of. In the abyssal plains, where we hung out on some occasions, time was completely different. One hour here is five hours there. Since time moves so quickly there, people live longer. Where we spent time there, whatever magic effect is there rubbed off on us, anyone around us can survive for almost inhuman periods, barring any natural or violent causes."

Barnacles nodded, and Coco smiled as he processed the information, "So, how old are you really?"

"Twenty-two." Coco said, "I don't know if I ever asked your age?"