Page 41 of Santa Has Tentacles

Saint was beaming and carrying silverware, cold drinks, and napkins with other limbs. “You are welcome, my Colby.”

The way he said my name didn’t get us any curious reactions that time, and I could only assume it was because they’d realized he was right to use it.

“Do you need any help, Sir?” Deciding that if they didn’t care about the submission stuff then I wouldn’t care about using his title around them, I wasn’t surprised when Saint shook his head.

“No, my Colby. However, if you would like to make a decision, you may pick where we will sit.” Saint glanced around at the options but I was back to trying not to smile.

The whole room was filled with individual tables.

One small table.

One small chair.

“I’d like to share a table but I can sit on your lap if we shouldn’t move the chairs around.” I belonged to him so there was no way he was going to let me have my own table.

The one free limb that wasn’t holding him upright or something related to our breakfast patted my head. “You will be seated on my lap, my Colby. That is your place while we are not in public.”

Oh.

So this was private too?

His carrying me through the lobby so confidently made more sense if he considered the building a private space. I’d narrowed it down in my head to just his apartment, but that didn’t seem to be how he was seeing it.

“Yes, Sir.” Leaning into his touch made him happy and puffy too, but it also got visible reactions from some of the other guys.

I was going to have questions.

Later.

When I dragged him outside for a walk so we could have actual privacy.

For the time being, I carefully picked out a table that wouldn’t crowd anyone else and set my mug down. Saint nodded andseemed to think I’d done a good job because he carefully arranged our place setting…settings?

Was it one place setting if we were eating in the same spot?

Before I could mentally wander too deep into something stupid, Saint picked me up and arranged us in the thankfully sturdy chair.

The IKEA-looking furniture was actually heavy as fuck and didn’t do more than slightly shift when I bumped into it. Whoever had built this place for them had really understood what they were doing because we both fit at the table and the chair was strong enough to hold us both.

“This looks wonderful.” I couldn’t help the bubble of happiness inside of me that just kept growing as he carefully arranged everything and fed me the first bite of my omelet.

Moaning from the taste got a giggly sound from him and several of the other guys looked like they thought it was cute. It was easy to tell the ones who’d figured out humans more and who were still learning because several of them looked like they were confused.

Culturally, they weren’t my problem, though, and I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be acceptable for me to offer to help. That seemed like something Saint would need to organize, so I stayed focused on him and my food.

After feeding me bites of the potatoes he’d picked out as well as handing me my water, he gestured toward my coffee. “You may consume your toxins carefully unless you would like help.”

Nothing in his tone said he had a strong opinion on the subject, so I tried to navigate the conversation without frustrating either of us. “Sitting on your lap after you picked outmy food has made my sub side very content. I want you to be able to enjoy your food too.”

And I wasn’t sure I had a kink related to being fed.

The cuddling and him picking out my food was higher on myoh that’s funlist than I’d expected, though. I hoped Saint could feel that or could understand enough of what I was projecting to be happy with the answer, but it wasn’t until he put my fork in my hand that I knew we were both good.

“You are highly adept at communicating your needs, my human.” His proud smile and pats said he was glad he could show off his smart human.

“Thank you, Sir.” And since I wanted to make him look good too, I kissed his cheek and snuggled into his torso, even draping a smaller tentacle over my lap as I started eating.

And drinking.