Page 17 of Snowed in: With the Alien Tentacle Monster

The last few hours had been... challenging. Three times he had felt Logan's desperate attempts to find relief, each one leaving his mate more frustrated than the last. Each time, Valen had forced himself to remain still, even as every part of his being screamed to go to him.

He didn't know what was worse; feeling Logan's physical need or the emotional turmoil that came with it. Guilt, desire, grief, shame... human emotions were socomplicated.

The sound of the shower running drew his attention. Was this finally over for Logan, then?

Valen looked at the bedroom door with uncertainty. How did one approach a mate after such an experience? On Nexa, there would be no shame in seeking pleasure, no hesitation in asking for what was needed. But humans, he was learning, had so many layers of emotional complexity around physical intimacy.

Ultimately, Valen decided that he couldn't just stand there. He drifted toward the kitchen. Surely his mate would needsustenance after such an ordeal. It was the least he could do, given that he had caused this situation.

The kitchen, however, proved to be another challenge entirely. He examined the various appliances, trying to figure out the purpose of such primitive machines. The device on the counter, some sort of localized radiation chamber for heating food, seemed promising.

In the cold storage unit, he found several flat containers with food in them. Frozen meals, designed to be heated. Simple enough. He picked the largest one.

Hopefully better than that 'soup' he'd had earlier.

His tentacles manipulated the packaging carefully. It was a simple enough procedure. Remove lid, place in radiation chamber, press buttons to set time. Good thing he'd already learned this planet's way of measuring time.

Valen watched the container rotate, pleased with himself for managing this simple human task. Through their bond, he could sense Logan's exhaustion, his lingering discomfort. He would welcome a meal, wouldn't he?

The container spun, the timer he'd set counting down. Steam began to build up inside the radiation device.

The shower shut off, but Logan didn't emerge immediately. Good. The meal would be ready when he?—

A popping sound from inside the cooking device. Was that normal? Some sort of sauce was bubbling quite vigorously now, splattering against the microwave's ceiling.

When the timer finally dinged, Valen carefully extracted the container with his tentacles. The sauce had settled, and everything looked... well, cooked at least.

"What are you doing?"

Logan's voice, rough and tired, made Valen turn in surprise. His mate stood in the hallway doorway, hair still damp, wearing fresh clothes.

Logan's eyes fixed on the container. "Is that..." His face went pale. "That's...that was supposed to be Christmas dinner."

Valen brightened. "Yes! I thought you might need sustenance."

Logan came closer, staring at the meal. "How long did you microwave it?"

"I thought fifteen minutes would be enough even for primitive technology."

Valen watched his mate carefully, pride in his accomplishment fading as he sensed a shift in Logan's emotional state. Something dark and heavy, like storm clouds gathering.

"Fifteen minutes! God, Valen, you can't just..." Logan's voice cracked as he ran his hand through his damp hair. The gesture seemed involuntary, stressed. Valen could feel waves of... was that anger? But why?

Desperate to understand, Valen reached out with his tentacles, trying to bridge their mental connection. "Let me understand."

"No!" Logan jerked back, nearly colliding with the counter behind him. "We have a rule about that, remember?"

The rejection stung. Valen couldn't help the frustrated sound that escaped him. "You promised to try to be open to it. I only want to understand." How else could he learn what he'd done wrong if Logan wouldn't let him see?

Logan's laugh was wrong, harsh and cold in a way even Valen could tell had nothing to do with joy. "You will never understand, and if it wasn't snowing so damn hard outside, I'd tell you to get the fuck out of my cabin."

The words hit like physical blows. Valen's form wavered, his hold on physical shape suddenly too much effort. Without conscious thought, he let himself shift back to his natural state, energy swirling with hurt and confusion.

"The cold doesn't affect me like this." His voice resonated through the air rather than coming from a physical form. "I'll go back to my ship."

He didn't wait for a response. Couldn't bear to see if Logan would reject him again. Instead, he flowed through the cabin's door and out into the storm.

The snow fell heavily around his energy form, but he barely noticed it. Physical sensations meant little in this state. Only the ache in what humans would call his heart remained real, pulsing in time with the bond that connected him to the mate who'd just pushed him away.

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