Cut and Run 3 - Fish and Chips

his partner fell back into the water and disappeared. After a deep breath, Zane followed.
    It was suddenly quiet and calm around him, and all he had to focus on was his breathing. It was soothing. Zane sank slowly through layers of blue and green for what seemed like a long time, letting the weight on the belts he wore pull him down as he got used to the silence roaring in his ears and watched the water mute the glittering light above the surface. He drifted down past several divers who were staying closer to the surface, and one of the dive instructors wearing a bright yellow neoprene suit waved at him. Zane gave her a thumbs-up before righting himself and turning to peer through the shifting water.
    When he looked down, Ty — Zane would recognize that body shape anywhere — was several yards below him, arms and legs spread out as if floating on the surface. It was a pose of utter relaxation and pleasure. He gave Zane a little wave, then straightened his body out, gave a strong kick of his legs, and dove backward, relative to Zane, deeper into the clear blue. He reminded Zane of a porpoise, with how easily he wiggled through the water.
    Zane saw some divers nearby checking out the coral reef the sea had made its own, but he was content to simply float slowly deeper and keep an eye on where Ty the Super Dolphin swam.
    It was easy for Zane to lose himself under water, surrounded by the warmth and silence, schools of fish flitting about, brilliant colors set off by the never-ending aqua. All that marred the view was the black blobs of the other divers, and there were fewer of those the deeper he sank along the shelf.
    As he turned lazily in the water, one of those black blobs rushed toward him at alarming speed, swooping down on him from above. Before Zane could react, strong hands grabbed his biceps, and the “attacking” diver hung suspended upside down above him. A faceplate pressed against Zane’s, and Ty’s hazel eyes sparkled merrily as he looked at him and winked. Zane laughed and had to reach out to set his mouthpiece back between his teeth before he could swipe at Ty, who was already reeling away. Zane was a decent swimmer, but there was no way in hell he could catch Ty. It would be fun to try, though, and Zane grabbed at an arm, his fingers catching on the skin of Ty’s wrist, before his partner swished just out of reach.
    Ty twisted and turned to circle back around and behind Zane, and from the smile Zane could see even behind the mouthpiece, he could tell Ty was enjoying the cat-and-mouse game just as much as he was. He used Zane’s backside to kick off and darted away from him. Zane’s longer arms weren’t an advantage; the water slowed him down enough that all he ever got was his fingertips on suit or skin. After rolling completely over in the water while chasing a flipper, Zane watched Ty literally cavort away, teasing and waving. It struck Zane that he didn’t get to see Ty like this often: playful and relaxed. Zane really liked it. He was very much like a seal, gleefully flitting around a killer whale and daring it to catch him. Zane tried to snort at the comparison but couldn’t because of the face mask. If Ty’s offer to take off to a tropical island for their next stretch of time off was serious, it was an extremely enticing offer, especially if this was the side of Ty he’d get to see every day.
    Ty glided along the sandy ocean floor as Zane watched. The shadows were deeper there, but visibility was still good. The waves above were a world away, and the peace and joy of the moment stole over the scene, lulling Zane into just enjoying it.
    He should have known it wouldn’t last.
    Ty stopped his leisurely swim and sank to his knees in the sand on the ocean floor. A cloud of sediment and disturbed sand billowed in slow motion around him. He seemed to be checking one of the gauges of his air tank. After several breaths, Zane righted himself and kicked his legs a couple times to send him in that direction to see what was going on.
    Ty looked up as Zane approached. The murky clouds around him had begun to settle, and Zane could see his chest and shoulders clearly again. He gestured for Zane to come closer, and when Zane got within reach, Ty reached out and took hold of his shoulder, peering at his air gauge closely. He then leaned back and tapped his own, gesturing for Zane to look at it.
    It read that the tank was half empty. Plenty of air left. Zane shrugged. Why was Ty looking at it?