Page 3 of Tis the Season for Tentacles
Khephren gasps and his tentacles do a full-on cheer routine. “Dear goddess, Thekmis. Does that say ‘Meowy Catmas’?”
“Sure does.”
Kheph’s eyes are practically glowing. “It isamazing.”
“I had a feeling you’d like it. I’ll grab a couple of the different cat-themed holiday shirts for you. Your simulator should be able to fashion the holes you need in the back for your… tentacles.”
He whispers that last part.
“You are the best husband a Dravethian like me could ask for.” Khephren makes a kissy face at the screen of his device.
“Ugh,” I mutter.
Luna growls. “Itispretty annoying, isn’t it? Those lucky bastards found love and are getting laid on the regular while you and I are sad and alone, with only our tentacles to keep us company.”
“What happened to that Rendathian woman you met on Xiunderia? I thought you had plans to meet up again when we were next in that quadrant.”
Luna lets out a forlorn sigh. “The long-distance thing was too hard. She met someone new and ditched me in a hot second. We had fun, but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”
I reach a tentacle over and stroke her back. “One day you’re going to find the woman of your dreams.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Any other outcome is unacceptable.”
She laughs and favors me with a soft smile. “Thanks, Naj. I hope you’re right.”
Rambo does a little robotic twirl. “If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.”
Luna rubs his shiny chrome head affectionately.
Neither Luna nor I have ever been lucky in love. Granted, she’s been looking for it
a lot more aggressively than I have.
To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m cut out for such things—namely, messy emotions.
I’ve had my share of bed partners over the years, but those arrangements were always about fulfilling a biological need more than anything else. I always made that clear from the start and went out of my way to select partners looking for the exact same thing. Romance, and the complexities of connection with a lover that go beyond sharing mutual physical satisfaction, are tiresome—and a whole hell of a lot of work.
I will admit, seeing the unfettered joy that Khephren basks in every day since he and Sasha became an item does occasionally tempt me to wonderwhat if?
Being an orphan, I’ve had limited experiences with genuine affection.
Khephren’s parents took me in and provided for my schooling, but it was all in service of protecting their son. I was never quite part of the family, more like the hired help. Having been born with a warrior’s mark, just like my parents who died in battle, I was a perfect companion for their brilliant young child growing up. It was advantageous to them to put me in their debt so that they could make use of my talents to safeguard their son. While I don’t believe their intentions were quite that mercenary, they were calculated to some extent. It all made perfectly logical sense, even to me as a young child, but such arrangements rarely foster deeper feelings.
Things could have gone very badly under the circumstances if I hadn’t gotten along with any of them. But I came face to face with the undefeatable and unrelenting optimism of Khephren—and I didn’t stand a chance in Helgar’s Nebula of not falling under his spell. The man is so caring and earnest, and when he decided he liked me from the moment we met, my status had been elevated to friend in Khephren’s mind.
It wasn’t long before we became best friends, in only the way young children can. Growing up, we were thicker than thieves and always at one another’s side. He won me over and earned my eternal loyalty from the get-go, having always treated me like a true brother. I will always love him for that.
Few can resist Khephren when his sunshiny personality is at full power. That’s why it came as no surprise to me when Sasha succumbed as well. The formerly grumpy, Christmas-hating human could not hold out against the power of Khephren’s magical rays of pure happiness.
It was quite entertaining to watch, actually.
Oh, how the mighty grumps fall in Khephren’s cheerful wake.
Because of the nature of our connection, Khephren and I never shared any romantic or sexual attraction. We weren’t oneanother’s type at all. Perhaps things would have been easier if we had been.
But now I know the universe had bigger and better things planned for my best friend, in the form of the tiny human we brought aboard our ship for a so-called “Christmas adventure” among the stars.
