Kert gasped and pulled me by the hoodie, linking our lips.
He was sweet, but the note of desperation in the way his tongue slid into my mouth poured gasoline over the fire inside me. He wanted me back. I groaned as my body reacted to our proximity.
Reining in my response, I pulled him at arm’s length. “Not here.”
Kert looked around at the people skating and nodded. “You’re okay?”
“Yes.” I sounded as breathless as he did. “I have something to tell you. At home.”
Kert sat up. “Are we good?”
I cupped his face and traced a thumb over his bottom lip, flicking the piercing there. “More than good. I’ve been waiting to do this for so long and you made it the most romantic moment ever.”
He blew his eyes so wide his eyebrows shot towards his hairline. “What? Really?”
I nodded. “Feels like forever.”
His surprised expression turned into a wicked smile. “I can think of more romantic scenarios.”
“Of course you can, you little devil.”
He sat up and patted his horns. “If the horns fit.”
I barked out a laugh, propped myself up on my tentacles, then grabbed the railing for leverage. My stomach was twisting with the need to tell Kert everything, but the public setting gave me an excuse to cool down from the kiss, lest I say too much too soon and scare Kert away.
Moments later, I was happily trudging in my boots, without any damn razor blades stuck to my feet anymore.
Kert resumed holding onto my tentacle as he took pictures of anything that caught his eye without looking where he was going. I led him on a walk through Park Avenue and 5th Ave, stopping for Kert to snap pics of the Empire State Building and Flatiron Building, until we reached Union Square Park’s Holiday Market.
A myriad of decorated green-roofed stands were packed with arts and crafts, apparel, and jewelry gift ideas from muppets, to lamps, to honey.
“I’ve read that over a hundred vendors set up this year, all local artists and small businesses.” I tightened the tentacle I had wrapped around Kert’s wrist under the guise of keeping us from being separated in the crowd.
“I bet they’d have fab decorations.” Kert rubbed his hands like an evil mastermind.
As we meandered, getting knick knacks that Kert deemed my apartment desperately needed, from a fabric lampshade to scented candles, we stopped to eat. Over several hours, we hadmochi, empanadas, and cheesy truffle fries, all of which were delightful.
While Kert was busy looking at clothes, I spotted a long, purple scarf that would match his coat. The silk flowed through my fingers so beautifully that I had to get it. Making sure Kert wasn’t looking, I paid for it and stashed it into the side of the bag I was carrying full of our purchases.
“Don’t come over!” Kert yelled, waving me off. I turned around, but I was sure we had a similar idea to get something for each other. “Okay, I’m ready.” Kert stashed a wrapped package into a bag and took my tentacle in his hand.
“Your hand is so cold.” I wrapped it in my tentacle to warm it up.
“Good thing I have you.” Kert snuggled close to my side, and we headed towards the subway.
Chapter Six
Kert
After the kiss, I was expecting Marin to rail me on the nearest flat surface, but noo, he was acting as if nothing had happened, leaving me horny and confused. Every evening before bed, I would pull out the dildo I brought with me and imagine it was him filling me deep until I came all over myself. Part of me wished he’d caught me spread on his bed pleasuring myself, whispering his name as I climaxed. What would he do then? Leave? Or replace my toy with his cock or tentacle?
The Marin I used to know at uni had a busy sex life with women, but he’d always supported me in all my queerness. He’d never kissed me, though. Or anyone else not female that I was aware of back then. Something was up, apart from my frequenterection when I was around Marin, and I had to address it or I’d burst.
For the following days, Marin had planned so many outings and shopping trips that we returned home dead tired and had little time to sit and talk. As if he’d been avoiding that conversation he’d promised.
The air between us had shifted, and as much as I’d loved the kiss, I dreaded what was coming next. Not wanting to spiral into negative thinking, I went along with all the fun plans and I didn’t push him to face the elephant in the room.
I caught him ogling my ass and stealing touches of my exposed midriff, then glaring at his tentacles as if he hadn’t been in control of them reaching for me.
