Page 84 of Tis the Season for Tentacles
Gemma reaches over and flicks him on the forehead.
“Oww!”
“Serves you right,” she chortles.
A warm sensation that’s starting to become familiar unfurls in my chest just watching them. The sibling love and affection between them is very evident, and I’m so thrilled I could make this happen for both of them.
Selfishly, of course, I’m also happy for me, because I was going to do whatever it took to be able to be with Felix.
Even if I had to bribe Gemma or fight the Alliance to do it.
“I’d love to read some of your fanfic… together,” I whisper in Felix’s ear.
He blushes but the way he squirms in his seat tells me he likes that idea too.
Everyone soon settles down, and Sasha finally starts the special Christmas episode we recently finished producing.
Felix is entranced the entire time and keeps grinning at me.
When the end credits start to play, he leans over and whispers in my ear, “You were amazing.”
I shrug awkwardly. “I don’t know why, but the fans of the show really seem to like having me in it. If it weren’t for Kheph, Sasha, and Luna, I wouldn’t do it.”
“But you’re too good a friend to say no,” he says, reading me like a book. “I love that about you,” he murmurs softly. He takes hold of one of my hands and kisses it. “Thank you for arranging everything, for figuring out how we could be together so I wouldn’t have to leave my sister behind. Like I told her, I don’t think I could have asked her myself. I thought about it, of course, but it felt like I would be subtly pressuring her, not only as her older brother but also as her only family. The fact that you all wanted to, and were able to convince her yourselves, means the world to me.” He stares deep into my eyes. “It’s the best Christmas present I’ve ever gotten, Najar. Thank you.”
Then he kisses me and everything else falls away.
The things this man makes me feel.
“May we have many merry Christmases to come,” I tell him once his mouth lets mine go.
In response, his eyes shine with joy. “I know we will. After all, we’re proof that Christmas miracles do exist.”
Epilogue
Ten months later…
FELIX
“The space station is waiting for us. They’ve rounded up the latest group of abandoned strays for us to rescue,” I tell Najar over breakfast.
He sips his kavga and strokes my thigh with one of his tentacles.
It’s been nearly a year since we got together and in that time, Najar has grown much more comfortable being affectionate with me, especially around others.
“We should be arriving in a few hours. Do we have enough room to bring them all aboard?”
“Yep. Our kennel facilities are more than equipped to handle things. It’s only six this time.”
In the past ten months, I haven’t sat idly by like a kept husband or anything. Not long after Gemma joined us, I realized I wanted to do something about helping those animals abandoned at intergalactic space stations. It didn’t take long for me to learn these busy ports have a chronic problem with folksdumping their pets and few resources to help with safely and humanely rehoming them.
That’s where the crew of the Sleigh Belle comes in.
Luna and Najar helped me transform one of our large storage rooms into a comfortable kennel facility with a small veterinary med bay. We now have a regular schedule for visiting different space stations during our travels and collecting any animals who need help.
Saving Cosmo inspired me, and I’m finding this new calling to be incredibly rewarding. I still get to interact with and learn about exotic animals—of the extraterrestrial variety—and help rehome them or, in some cases, reintegrate them into the wild when able.
Right now, Cosmo’s curled up in a ball at my feet, having his morning nap. Needless to say, he’s living his best life too.
