The Neptune Revenge

Chapter 12 (short)

Quick A/N
Ok I'm sorry this is short and rushed but I needed to post something I would have posted/written sooner but I got my phone taken away and end-of-school stress and I have a boyfriend now (not sure how that happened I'm still kinda shocked) but it's summer so I'll try to write more. I have some cool plans for the next chapter though!

Now that Dai has finally began to relax, the party starts to become enjoyable. The dolphins swim through the reef looking for "gifts" to bring Dai, just like they did on my birthday. While they do that, my human friends begin to present their personal gifts to Dai.

Robry and Penn give him with a dive knife Penn tricked up to track the location of a set of spear darts the two present him with as well. I'm impressed with Penn's design, but I'm sure it was Robry's idea. I can tell Dai is impressed, too. We could save quite a bit of spear darts this way. I make a mental note to talk to my dad -after we make sure it works- about producing them on a larger scale to give others access to them as well.

Sunny gives Dai a picture of Ton she painted on a flat slab of rock with special waterproof paints my father purchased for her. The painting is beautiful, but I'm not sure what use Dai has for a painted rock. Pretty, but not very functional. He still gives her a wide smile and a sincere-ish thank you, which makes her pale cheeks redden as she smiles and swims back to Lena's side.

Tobin gives Dai a few bottles of a special -and very expensive- salve to help treat dolphin injuries. He says it might help some of Ton's scars fade away, too. Dai slips the bottles into his sea pack and gives Tobin a nod of thanks.

Most of the gifts Dai receives are just more supplies to get shoved away in the seapack of the boy who'd rather fight with his bare hands than any fancy weapon. Rad gives him some rope, Lena gives him three more spear darts, and Bria gives him a braided seaweed necklace she made herself.

Before I can present my gift, the dolphins come back with an assortment of colored shells, rocks, small marine life, and strands of seaweed to drop in front of him. We all laugh as the dolphins fight for his attention to present their gifts. Normally the dolphins aren't this outgoing with him, but even they must be able to tell he is in a much more relaxed state than usual. Dai thanks the dolphins and pats each one on the head before picking up a small blood-red shell one of them dropped at his feet, turning it over in his hands, and tucking it into the pocket of his dive suit.

:My turn!: I smile in his direction.

:It's about time. I thought you had forgotten it's my birthing day,: He winks in response, a small smirk on his face. I roll my eyes and swim over to him, taking his hand. :We'll be back... sometime,: I tell the rest of the group, unable to think of how long this might take. Dai raises an eyebrow, but doesn't question me.

:Ok. Have fun!: Robry smiles. More than half of the group is smirking or talking on private sends. Ree raises her eyebrows and locks eyes with me. Her minuscule head shake of disapproval almost, almost goes unnoticed.

:Let's go, then.: I turn to look at Dai, but he's already looking at me, smiling.

:Let's.: He nods, takes my hand and we swim off in the direction heading back to Safety Harbor.

We swim in awkward silence for a while. I wrack my brain for something to say, but nothing he wouldn't make fun of me for comes up. I eventually decide on the semi-safe topic of asking him how his birthday is going, when he speaks first.

:The others still don't like me:

:What?:

:They don't like me. I could literally feel it after you said we were leaving. I didn't even have to reach into their minds to feel that they were worried for you, being alone with me.:

:But... that's not... oh, come on...: I stammer, tripping over my words. :We've been alone before...:

Dai shrugs. :Tell them that.:

:Oh, shut up. It's your birthday. Can't we have fun?:

:I dunno. Is your idea of fun just swimming aimlessly through the ocean for hours?:

:No. I just need to get something.: He can be so on obnoxious at times.

:I know I'm obnoxious, Nere,: He laughs.

:Get out of my head!: I exclaim.

:Nope. It's my birthday. I can do whatever I want. It's the one day of the year where I don't have to listen to you.:

I keep my mind blank and ignore all the rude thoughts and feelings I would love to send his way.

We swim for a while and eventually reach Safety Harbor. We go in, take out two skimmers, and head back out of Safety Harbor.

:Skimmers?: He asks, glancing over at me.

:We'll get there faster this way,: I explain.

:Got it.:

Then we take off.

I have no intention of doing anything else besides blowing his mind.