Ocean Kisses

Fuffy Bed

Tango pov

Once Zedaph got a feel for the apartment, he began to wander around, curiously touching things and taking in every little detail. Eventually, he found his way into my room and stopped in his tracks when he saw my bed. He stared at it for a moment before slowly walking over and hesitantly sitting down. The instant he did, his eyes widened, and he gave a little jump as if the bed had shocked him.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, his hands gripping the edges of the mattress. "What... what is this? It's so... soft?!" He shifted his weight, sinking a little into the plush surface, and immediately looked at me with a mixture of wonder and confusion.

I chuckled, leaning against the doorframe. “It’s a bed, Zedaph. You’ve never seen one before?”

He shook his head, his horns brushing against the air as he did. “No! Nothing like this, anyway. Everything I’ve ever slept on has been... I don’t know, firm? Or... well, the ground, really. This is so... weird!” His fingers dug into the blankets, testing the softness further. “It’s like... like a cloud. Is this normal for people here?”

“Pretty much,” I said with a grin, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed beside him. “Most people prefer soft beds. You’ll get used to it.”

Zedaph leaned back cautiously, his head sinking into the pillow, and his eyes widened even more. “This is incredible,” he muttered. “It feels like I’m floating. Is this why everyone here is so relaxed all the time? Because of these... beds?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I don’t think that’s the main reason, but yeah, a good bed does help.”

He rolled onto his side, burying his face in the blankets, his tail flicking slightly. “This is amazing. Can I just... stay here forever? It’s so much better than the ground or the wreckage.” His voice was muffled but filled with genuine awe.

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you want,” I said, smiling at his excitement. “But you’re going to need your own bed eventually. You can’t just take over mine.”

He looked up at me, his ears twitching slightly. “But this one’s perfect. Can’t we just share it?”

The suggestion caught me off guard, and I felt a heat creep up my neck. “Uh, well, maybe for tonight,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual. “But we’ll figure something out. I’m sure we can get you your own bed that’s just as comfy.”

Zedaph sighed contentedly and flopped back onto the bed again, staring up at the ceiling. “If this is what the surface world has to offer, I might never go back to the ocean.” He smiled, a rare moment of pure happiness crossing his face. “Thanks for bringing me here, Tango. I think... I think I’m going to like it here.”

I smiled at him. “I’m glad, Zed. Though I’m not sure it’s good to say ‘never’ since, you know, you do need water to survive. Speaking of, we both need a shower.”

Zed tilted his head in confusion, his ears twitching slightly. “A... shower?” he asked, sounding out the word as though it was foreign to him. “What’s a shower?”

I blinked at him, trying to figure out how to explain something so commonplace. “It’s, uh... like standing in a waterfall, but controlled. Water sprays down from above, and you use it to get clean. It’s warm too. Way better than dunking yourself in the ocean.”

He sat up, intrigued but skeptical. “You mean people here make waterfalls? Inside their homes?” His eyes sparkled with curiosity. “That sounds... strange. But also kind of amazing?”

I laughed at his reaction. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it. Come on, I’ll show you.” I stood and motioned for him to follow me to the bathroom.

Zed was cautious as he stepped into the small, tiled space. His hooves made a slight clicking sound against the floor, and he glanced nervously at the linoleum just outside. “It’s not slippery here,” I reassured him. “You’re fine.”

His gaze darted around the room, taking in the sink, the toilet, and finally the shower. He pointed to it with a hesitant finger. “That’s it? That’s the... ‘shower’?”

“Yup,” I said, pulling back the curtain to reveal the showerhead. I turned the knobs, and warm water immediately began streaming down. Zed flinched at first, his ears flattening against his head as steam started to rise. “See? It’s like a waterfall, but controlled.”

He slowly moved closer, reaching out a hand to let the water hit his palm. I think he expected it to not be real water, but as soon as he touched it, his hand immediately webbed up, and his fingers shifted into scales. He wasn’t scared about it, just fascinated, his eyes widening as he inspected the transformation with keen curiosity.

“This is... amazing,” he murmured to himself, lightly running his fingers through the water, the scales on his hand shimmering with each drop that hit it.

But before he could fully enjoy the moment, someone walked by the bathroom door. He startled, quickly yanking his hand back, but in his haste, he lost his balance. His hooves slid on the tile floor, and he was about to fall when I reached out just in time to catch him.

“Whoa! Easy there,” I said, pulling him back up with a soft laugh. His face flushed with embarrassment as he steadied himself, but I could see the faintest flicker of panic in his eyes.

“I... I didn’t mean to—” Zed started, but I cut him off.

“Hey, no worries,” I reassured him, keeping my grip on his shoulder until he was steady. “You’re fine. Just be careful next time.”

He looked up at me, his eyes a little wide. “It’s just... I wasn’t expecting that,” he said, glancing down at his hand again. The webbing and scales had already started to fade, but the transformation had clearly taken him off guard.

I nodded, understanding his surprise. “It’s a thing with some hybrids. You’ve got a bit of... water-based stuff in you, I guess?”

Zed looked down at his hands thoughtfully, flexing his fingers before turning his gaze back to me. His beautiful purple eyes, now laced with sarcasm, met mine. “I’m part fish, Tango. You know that... I saved you from the plane crash," he said flatly, like I’d just missed the most obvious detail in the world. "That was just a faster response to water than I was used to."

He glanced at his hand again as the webbing and scales began to fade, his expression a mix of bemusement and slight annoyance, as though he was dealing with an obvious fact that I was somehow just discovering.

“Right. Right, of course,” I said, playing along with his sarcasm. “How silly of me to forget. It’s not like I didn’t see you half-submerged in the ocean earlier or anything.” I smirked, and he gave me a deadpan look, not entirely impressed by my attempt at humor.

“You really don’t need to rub it in, you know,” Zed muttered, his tail flicking behind him in mild irritation. He looked down at his drying hand again, clearly trying to regain some semblance of composure. "I’m just not used to... doing that with water. I was, uh, more focused on saving your butt, remember?”

I grinned at him, appreciating his sarcasm. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a hero, I get it. But it’s still pretty cool, right? Your fishy powers are pretty handy.”

Zed rolled his eyes, but I could see the faintest hint of pride in them. “Cool? Sure. Except when I accidentally flood the bathroom or, you know, turn into a full-on fish hybrid. Yeah, that’d be great.” He leaned back against the counter, folding his arms with a dramatic sigh. "Look, I just... I didn't expect it to be like this. You know? Being this 'hybrid' thing is a lot more... complicated than I thought."

I shrugged, letting him vent a little. “I mean, it's a lot to adjust to. But, hey, you’ve got me now, right? I’ll help you figure it out.”

Zed shot me a half-smile, clearly trying to mask the fact that he was still processing everything. “Lucky me,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, but there was a flicker of affection in his eyes that I was starting to catch onto.

"Hey, at least you don’t have to deal with Skizz all the time." I raised an eyebrow, watching Zed’s reaction.

“Oh, don’t remind me.” Zed groaned, his head lolling back in exasperation. “How does he have that much energy? Seriously, it’s like a live-wire on caffeine.”

I laughed, feeling a lot more relaxed with him now. “That’s Skizz for you. You’ll get used to it... eventually.”

“I’ll just... keep my distance,” Zed mumbled, but I could tell by the slight smirk on his face that he didn’t mind as much as he let on.