Page 21 of Snowed in: With the Alien Tentacle Monster

"I'm just trying to understand your species' apparent fascination with tentacles," Valen said innocently, while one of his appendages deliberately tightened around Logan's waist.

"Cut it," Logan muttered, but he couldn't help smiling. It felt good to joke again, to feel the lightness in their bond after so much tension.

They settled into comfortable silence as the documentary continued, Valen occasionally commenting on the similarities and differences between Earth's ocean life and Nexa's. Logan found his eyes growing heavy, lulled by the narrator's voice and the warm security of Valen's embrace.

He didn't remember falling asleep. Just the gentle weight of Valen's tentacles, the soft glow of his skin, and the quiet certainty that, for the first time in years, he wouldn't be alone for the holidays.

CHAPTER 6

Valen emergedfrom his rest cycle to unfamiliar sounds. Rustling, soft thuds, and what seemed to be human muttering. He was still on the couch where Logan had fallen asleep against him the night before, but Logan himself was no longer there.

A clatter from across the cabin drew his attention.

When he went to investigate, he found Logan reaching up to the top shelf of a closet where several dusty cardboard boxes sat. Through their bond, Valen felt something he hadn't experienced from Logan before: a mix of melancholy and... anticipation? The emotions swirled together like the aurora storms of his home world, complex and beautiful.

"What are you doing?" Valen asked.

Logan startled slightly, then relaxed when he saw Valen. "There should be decorations in here," he said, setting one box down on the floor. "Christmas decorations. Haven't put any up in... well, in a while."

Valen peered into the box. Inside, he could see delicate spheres made of glass, painted with intricate patterns of silver and blue, nestled in crumpled paper. "Christmas," he repeated carefully. He grasped that it was an important holiday, but he still wasn't entirely sure of its significance.

"Yeah." Logan knelt beside the box, carefully unwrapping one of the ornaments. "It's about family, giving gifts, celebrating..." He paused, then added more quietly, "Being together."

Through their bond, Valen felt the sharp edge of old pain in those last words, but it was softer now, cushioned by something warmer. Something hopeful.

Valen watched as Logan pulled all the boxes from the closet and began sorting through them, creating small piles of different items. Valen wanted to help but didn't know where to start.

"First thing," Logan said, pulling out a long string of tiny lights, "is to untangle these." He sat cross-legged on the floor, frowning at the jumbled mess in his lap. "This is such a headache every time."

"Is it?" Valen settled beside him, fascinated by the way the morning light caught the small glass bulbs.

Logan's hands stilled for a moment. "Jeff loved Christmas lights. Said they made everything magical. But no matter how neatly we packed away the strings… they'd always be a mess by the next year." Through their bond, Valen felt the memory's bittersweet warmth.

Valen carefully touched a loop of lights with his tentacles. "May I help?"

Logan nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "Yeah. Just be careful. If you use too much force…" He broke off as Valen's tentacles efficiently began working through the knots, separating strand from strand with ease. "Oh. That's... actually really useful."

Valen felt a spark of pleasure at Logan's impressed tone. "We have similar illumination strands on Nexa, though ours respond to emotional resonance rather than electricity. Sometimes it makes them flicker a lot." He paused, realizing something. "Isthis why your emotions have been all over the place? These memories?"

Logan was quiet for a moment, his fingers tracing one of the untangled strands. "Yeah, I guess so." He took a deep breath. "But it's good, I think. Like... like finally opening a door that's been locked for too long."

Through their bond, Valen felt the truth of those words, felt the way Logan was deliberately choosing to face these memories rather than hide from them. Pride and affection swelled in his chest, and he had to resist the urge to wrap Logan in his tentacles.

"Tell me about these traditions?" he asked instead, holding up the now-untangled strings of lights. "How do we honor them properly?"

The smile that spread across Logan's face was small but genuine. "Well," he said, standing and offering Valen a hand up, "first we need to figure out if these still work. And then I'll show you how humans make their homes glow for the darkest part of their year."

Together, they plugged in each strand of lights, Logan explaining how to spot the burned-out bulbs while Valen marveled at the way the tiny lights made Logan's eyes sparkle. Most of the strands still worked, which seemed to make his mate happy.

"Now we hang them," Logan said. "Usually around the windows first." He stopped as Valen's tentacles gently took the lights from his hands. "What are you...?"

Valen extended himself upward, his tentacles easily reaching the top of the window frame. "Guide me? I believe I can be more efficient at this task."

A burst of surprised amusement came through their bond. "Show-off," Logan muttered, but Valen could feel his appreciation. "Okay, you want to start at the top left corner, then drape them evenly across..."

They worked their way around the cabin's main room, Valen's tentacles making quick work of hanging the lights while Logan directed him on their placement.

"The tree is next," Logan said once they'd finished with the lights. He was looking at a large box in the corner, his emotions turning complex again. "If you want to help with that too."

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