✔THE STING (onc-19)

13. 'Beluga boys.'

"Fall back. Hide." Sheila signalled both of them to hide as she felt an impending danger. But, there was nothing to hide except for a bunch of pitch dark cellars, all locked for nothing.

"Hug her." The Wonderpus hushed. Kai gulped as the familiar feeling inside his belly tickled. His eyes met with her baffled pair of black orbs only for a second and he immediately shook his head in disapproval.

"Seriously?" Wonderpus grabbed Kai by his arms, as the laughter and gossips echoing from the oncoming peacekeepers was, now, loud. He pushed him on Sheila, pressing her to a wall behind and sandwiched Kai in between her and himself.

Wonderpus's body changed it's striped colour to match the colour of the dark shaded wall behind them. The onlookers passed by without​ any clue of their presence, as his body perfectly blended with the wall to camouflage.

Kai felt queasy as his body was being rolled between the plump clown and Sheila. Although, he took care not to put much pressure on her body, her heart fluttering as if it was a swallow bird stuck in a temple tower was more than audible. He shied away his gaze to cut short the embarassing moment.

"That went well." Wonderpus released himself dusting his hands off, his face appreciating his handiwork.

"Are you okay?" Kai pulled away from her, trying to hide the redness that was painting his cheeks.

"Yeah. I am fine. I am perfectly. fine." Sheila briskly straightened her wonky hood, and stiffened to put on a normal look, but utterly failed at doing so.
A very gentle smile took shape on Kai's lips as a response. Sheila raised her eyebrows in a fake impassive look, "what?"

"Nothing. Nothing." Kai sifted his fingers through his jet black hair and darted towards Wonderpus. Sheila closely followed him out of the hallway.

They peeked and sneaked to avoid getting caught during this suicide mission. They had to hide behind corals of the lawn, some of which were outright poisonous and deliberately grown for fencing purposes.

They played pee-ka-boo of their lifetime in order to escape from a troop of soldiers engaged in a practice parade. But, having Wonderpus with them was more of a boon than a bane.

************************************

They diluted themselves into the kaleidoscopic hustle bustle of the night time market. Seeing a priestess out around in the city, doing her daily chores wasn't a common thing in the city, so Sheila wrapped herself in a jute cloak until the trio walked past the market lane.

"Fin-sock! Ten for two, ten for two. Best quality ensured." A seller in the market blocked them midway, trying to sell her goods. "You both make a good couple, how old is your baby? Buy your baby a fin-sock."

Kai snorted to hide the laughter that unintentionally slipped out of his mouth. Sheila crossed her arms, glancing at Kai's comical face with a pair of beady eyes. His expression suddenly changed into a look that was probably better on a scaredy cat, "that's alright. We aren't married yet."

As soon as the seller lady left them, she nudged him softly, "married yet?"

"I mean...I uh..it's just..." Wonderpus interrupted them from behind.

"Here you are. Come, there are some peacekeepers here on guard. Let's leave." Wonderpus touched a lady's green fin beside them, his skin started to change in texture and colour, so much so, that he almost resembled her except for his clown face.

"Whoa!" Kai and Sheila gasped, holding their hands as they watched him change.

"That's​ why they call me the best," saying that Wonderpus squirted away curling his tentacles upwards.