Page 20 of Snowed in: With the Alien Tentacle Monster

"No." Logan ran a hand through his hair, still damp from the snow. "I mean, yes, but... that's not why I got angry. Or it is, but..." He made a frustrated sound. "I'm not explaining this right."

Valen guided him toward the couch with gentle pressure from his tentacles, pausing only to grab the thick blanket from the back of Logan's reading chair. "You're still cold," he said, his topaz eyes reflecting the firelight. "Let me help with that first."

Logan didn't resist as Valen wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. He should probably change out of his wet jeans, but the thought of moving seemed impossible right now. The fire was beginning to warm the cabin, sending shadows dancing across the walls.

"I chose to be alone," Logan said finally, staring into the flames. "After Jeff died. His mom, she... she tries so hard to keep me connected. To make sure I still have holidays, traditions, family." His voice cracked on the last word. "And I just keep pushing everything away. Everyone away."

Valen settled beside him, close enough that Logan could feel his warmth but not quite touching. A tentacle gestured toward the kitchen. "Like you pushed me away."

"Yeah." Logan's throat felt tight. "I'm good at that. Really fucking good at it." He turned to look at Valen. "But feeling you out there, through the bond... knowing exactly how much I hurt you..."

"You were protecting yourself," Valen said softly.

"I should have explained instead of exploding. Could have told you why that dinner meant something. Why Christmas is..." He trailed off, searching for words.

Valen's tentacles shifted restlessly. "On Nexa, we have ceremonies for grief. Times when the whole community shares in one person's pain. But humans..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "You carry your grief alone."

Wasn't that the truth of it? "Not all of us do that. Just me."

"I think," Valen continued, a tentacle ghosting over the blanket on Logan's shoulder, "perhaps we both need to learn. Me about human boundaries, and you about not being alone."

Logan leaned into the tentacle's touch without really meaning to. Even through the blanket, the contact sent warmth spreading through him. Or maybe that was the bond, humming contentedly now that they were close again.

"I don't know how," he admitted quietly. "To not be alone. I'm out of practice."

"Then we will practice together." Another tentacle brushed Logan's hair, still damp from the snow. "Though perhaps with less destruction of your food items."

The attempt at humor startled a laugh out of Logan. "Yeah, maybe let's skip the microwave experiments for a while." He sobered, looking toward the kitchen. "I should clean up in there."

"I will help," Valen said, starting to rise.

Logan caught one of his tentacles. "No, I... can we just stay here for a minute?" The fire's warmth was finally seeping into his bones, and the thought of moving seemed impossible. "I'm still cold."

Valen settled back immediately, his tentacles rearranging the blanket more securely around Logan. After a moment'shesitation, he carefully wrapped one appendage around Logan's shoulders.

Through their bond, Logan felt Valen's uncertainty, his desire to offer comfort. But he was afraid of overstepping again. The alien's usual confidence had been shaken by their fight, replaced with a cautious gentleness that made Logan's chest ache.

"This is okay," Logan said softly. "The touching. I know I've been sending mixed signals about it."

"You needed space," Valen said. "After the nectar…"

"Yeah, but that wasn't your fault. Not really."

Through their bond, Logan felt Valen relax slightly. The fire crackled, casting dancing shadows across the walls, and for the first time, the silence between them felt comfortable rather than strained.

This was nice.

Logan picked up the remote. "Would you like to learn more about this planet?"

"Yes." Valen sounded adorably eager.

Logan felt the corner of his mouth twitch up as he turned on the TV and found a nature documentary to watch. "This okay? It's about Earth's oceans."

The narrator had barely begun speaking when footage of an octopus appeared on screen. Logan felt a spike of curiosity through their bond.

"Logan," Valen asked, "do many humans find these creatures... attractive?"

"What? No!" Logan felt his face heat up as he realized what Valen was implying. "They're just animals. That's not…I didn't choose this because—" He broke off as he felt Valen's amusement bubbling through their connection.

---