December25th-morning
I woke up wrapped in a tight hug of hands and tentacles. Squished in the best morning bondage known to man, I released a breath and snuggled closer.
Nereus.His scent was all around me, like an ocean breeze and warm sand in the summer. It soothed me. He was my happy place.
We’d woken up together at Paula and Penny’s house, but that was a sleepover. Now, Ner was in my bed. No one had ever slept in it but me.
I kept my eyes closed, not wanting the moment to be over, hoping that even when he was gone, I could fool myself he was with me every time I woke up. It was the highlight of Christmas, and we still had a day left. One day before he had to leave me.
A wet kiss on my neck told me Ner was awake.
“We have to build a snowman,” he said into my hair, then nibbled on my earlobe.
“Let me wake up properly.” I pulled his tentacle over my face and grumbled into it.
“You are awake.”
“Nope. Not before coffee with half and half I’m not.”
“Okay, but get up.” Ner propelled himself off the bed and pulled my leg. His energy levels were impressive any day, and now he was well-rested.
“How much eggnog did you have last night?” I tried kicking him off, but his tentacles wound around my leg. “There’s no snow outside.”Did I just giggle?Ner brought out a playful side in me I hadn’t seen in what seemed like forever.
“But we have sand. Come on.” He inched a tentacle up my thigh and I purred. It was involuntary. Sort of. I loved his touch too much to fight it.
“I’d rather stay here and check how tired your limbs are after last night.” I flipped onto my back and looked at him between my parted legs.
Ner shut his eyes. “Nope. No tentacle fuckery until we build a snowman.”
“Sandman?”
He snorted, letting go of me. “My cousin wouldn’t appreciate that nickname for our creation.”
“How many cousins do you have?” I watched his back muscles flex as he picked out clothes from the pile I’d prepared for him the day before.
“Many.” Ner threw a pair of sweatpants and a sweater at me. “Get your ass up.”
He pulled on pajama bottoms patterned with gifts and mistletoe, then a loose t-shirt. His magnificent thermoregulation meant he could prance around barely dressed. Yeah, I could get used to having a half-naked Ner in the house on a daily basis.
A wonderful coffee later, we walked to the beach in my backyard, Ner’s tentacle around my waist and my hand in his.
“Come on, we need some wet sand.” Ner skipped closer to the water, his body moving with fluidity and effortless grace.
Laughing like children, we carried lumps of sand far enough from the waves not to destroy our crooked masterpiece. The sheer joy flowing through me amped higher whenever I looked at Ner’s dimpled grin.
The snowman was round but clumpy, so we splayed on the sand to smooth the edges. I dug for two pebbles and stuck them on as eyes.
“Wait here.” With a spring in his step, Ner ran to the water and wiggled a tentacle under the surface. He returned with a bunch of seashells which made a great smile for our snowman. Then, to my surprise, he pulled out a bunched-up Santa hat from his pocket.
“There.” He arranged it on top of the snowman’s head and I handed him two twigs to stick at the sides.
The snowman wasn’t perfect, but he was ours which made him special. Just like the connection I had with Ner.
“Come here.” I opened my arms, and Ner wiggled himself all around me, tumbling us to the sand.
He kissed me with slow-burning passion, melting my body underneath him. His tongue on mine and his tentacles holding me close created an aura of belonging. I was safe and wanted. We pulled apart only when I gasped for breath and Ner grinned at me, flashing his dimples, his gills working overtime.
I looked into his eyes, his beautiful face above me, and my pulse skyrocketed when words too big, words I shouldn’t say, formed at the tip of my tongue. The emotion in my heart was something I’d never felt before, not like this, and not so strong. But I knew what it was.
