Page 64 of Tis the Season for Tentacles
We wander around the open circular space and discover a stunning partly open-air shower with a glass-bottom floor thatlooks down at the ground below. A simple but comfortable-looking bed with a net canopy over it is positioned by a window that allows the morning suns to shine in on us and wake us naturally. There’s also a small table and two chairs on a veranda that juts out into the air and provides a vista of the plains with a glimpse of mountains in the distance. On the table, we discover a picnic basket with our dinner meal and a note of welcome.
“Let’s eat and watch the rest of the sunset together,” Felix suggests with a smile, his whole face still glowing.
We sit down at the table and unpack our food. They’ve provided an impressive spread of fresh vegetables, a pureed bean dip, dried meat, a selection of local cheeses, a homemade type of flatbread, and some regional fruit for dessert. It’s light and refreshing fare, perfect for the warm climate.
Together, we snack on the food and enjoy the spectacular sunset as the two orbs slowly disappear over the horizon, leaving stunning trails of purple, orange, and red in their wake.
“Stunning,” Felix murmurs, his eyes on the sky.
It is, but I can’t seem to draw my eyes away from him. When Felix is happy, he shines brighter than any star in the universe.
I want him to be happy like this forever.
He turns his attention back on me. “I know I’ve said this already but thank you. Today was one of the most memorable days of my life. I’ll never forget it.”
“It was a pure stroke of luck that we’d already planned to come here. The wildlife sanctuaries here are famous across several galaxies, so we were all interested in visiting.” I grin. “But the main factor in the decision was that Khephren knew that Sasha would love the unusual accommodations.”
Felix laughs. “He really loves his husband something fierce. It’s a wonderful thing to see.”
“They’re almost nauseatingly happy together. When Sasha first arrived on our ship, he was even more of a grump than I canbe. But it didn’t take long for Kheph to work his magic on the man. Now Sasha’s a very different person.” I pause. “Well, he’s still snarky and sassy, but he’s happy now. He smiles and laughs all the time. You never would have thought it possible if you’d met him a few years ago.”
Felix sighs, his eyes full of something suspiciously like longing. “That’s the power of love, I suppose.”
His words make my hearts stutter in a strange fashion.
I’m relieved when he shifts gears and begins excitedly talking about the different animals he saw during the day and how some of them bear similarities to species on Earth.
His enthusiasm is contagious, and I listen attentively, smiling the whole time and just happy to be here with him in this fleeting moment in time.
When we’ve eaten our fill, I manage to persuade him to try out the shower with me. After riding around in the open-top hover vehicle all day, we’re a bit sweaty and grimy.
I’m relieved to find a clothing sanitizer machine tucked into a nook beside the toilet and adjacent to the shower. We toss our clothes in there and I set them to clean so we have fresh garments in the morning.
I coax a nervous Felix into the shower, which is just big enough for the two of us as long as I keep my tentacles tucked into my back. The entire thing is made of some kind of thick clear glass-like material, although the walls only come up to waist height.
I turn on the rainfall showerhead and grab the biodegradable soap to begin washing Felix and myself.
He sways a little in my arms when he looks down. “Oh, boy. That’s freaking me out a lot.”
“Fear not. It’s perfectly safe.”
He looks down again and gulps. “You promise this glass floor isn’t going to break underneath us and send us plummeting to our deaths far below?”
I pull his naked body closer to mine. “I promise.”
As I wash him, Felix starts to relax more and embrace the experience.
“You can see everything from here,” he murmurs.
“When researching this place before coming, we learned that these shower units were designed specifically to create a more immersive experience in nature during one’s stay. Even the soap in this shower is safe and actually beneficial for the soil around the base of the tree.”
“The peoples of this world are quite brilliant. They’ve figured out how to make the best use of the natural resources they have while preserving the environment.”
“Indeed. The natural beauty of the landscape and flourishing wildlife are the main tourist attractions that bring off-world visitors to the planet,” I say.
Two of my tentacles massage soap into his hair as my hands use the washcloth to clean the rest of him.
“Mmmm,” Felix moans. “Your tentacles give the best head massages. Man, could I ever use a massage like this after a hard day of work back home.”
