The Holly and the Tentacles (Tinsel and Tentacles 2.0)

Chapter 6

Chapter

Six

A eryn floated on air for the week leading up to Christmas.

Legacy had kissed him. Also, over the last few days, there had been more kisses. And cuddles. Lots of cuddles. Then last night, Christmas Eve, they’d exchanged and unpacked their stockings, the little candied fruits, chocolates, and nuts he’d gotten Legacy drawing ooh s and ahhh s. Legacy had filled his with silly little pens and bookmarks for the real books he had, then a little credit chip to buy electronic books and vids.

Then they’d fallen asleep on the couch. Together. Curled up under a blanket and pressed against each other with empty hot chocolate cups on the table, Christmas lights glowing, and a holly wreath on the dining pass-through, the battery op advent candle glowing like a tiny beacon of hope.

He woke up early, easing away from Legacy to make a bathroom run, then order breakfast. There were plenty of kitchen workers who didn’t celebrate and were happy to make time and a half for making cinnamon rolls and other yummy stuff for the folks who did.

It was that way with all the holidays.

He ordered those cinnamon rolls with bacon and fruit and juice, because he felt like celebrating, and he put the few smaller presents he’d gotten for Legacy—some new pajamas, the soap he liked for his hands, a little fidget toy—under the tree.

“Hey.” Legacy’s voice was rough with sleep, but he sat up on the couch, smiling. “Merry Christmas.”

“You too. I ordered breakfast. Did you want me to make coffee?”

“Yeah. That sounds great.”

Aeryn moved to start the coffee press. “Did you know there are whole planets now that just grow coffee?”

“Sounds like heaven.” Legacy stood and stretched, his thin pajama top riding up, showing off his ripped belly, and his hipbones, almost, where his pants hung loose. “Be right back.”

“No problem.” He knew Legacy liked his coffee black and sweet, so he made up the steaming mugs with a little condensed milk in his. So yummy that way.

Legacy came back out to grab the coffee from him and drop a kiss on his lips at the same time. It curled his toes and made Aeryn moan, wanting more, but also just so happy to be right where he was, exploring this new thing with Legacy and having Christmas.

He loved it.

“So, breakfast or presents first?” Legacy asked.

“Mmm. Well, breakfast should really just be assembling plates, not cooking, so I bet it will be here in no time.”

“Breakfast then.” Legacy kissed him again, and there was an energy about him this morning, a thrum of excitement. They’d had a few Christmases together, and he’d never noticed Legacy being like this before.

“Yep.” So was it their new…thing that was making Legacy so lit, or was there something else going on? “Are you hanging out here all day?”

One black eyebrow winged up. “Do you need some privacy?”

“Huh?” He flushed, his cheeks on fire all of a sudden. “No! No, I want to spend the day with you. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t have other plans.” He chuckled, the sound rueful. “I know I’m not a prize.”

“You are to me, so stop that.”

“But my leg. And I’m a redhead…”

“And I have a scarred face. I guess we get to be defective together.”

He reached up to touch Legacy’s scar. “There’s no way anyone thinks this is defective. It’s rakish and charming.”

“Mmm. Tell that to the last omega I tried to get with.”

“Nope. I would punch him.”

The other eyebrow rose. “You would?”

“Yes.” He knew it for a fact. “For hurting your feelings and also for making you look at someone who wasn’t me.”

“Fierce.” Legacy set his coffee aside, then took Aeryn’s to do the same. Then, very deliberately, he grabbed Aeryn’s ass and pulled him close to kiss him silly.

“Mmmph.” Aeryn wrapped his arms around Legacy’s neck, clinging to that strong body even as he rubbed up against it. God, Legacy was all muscle, hard in all the right places, and he smelled so good.

The door chime rang, and he sighed, sinking back down from where he was on his tiptoes. “Breakfast.”

“Yep.” Legacy chuckled, looking at his mouth with what seemed like real regret. “Maybe we can go to bed after presents.”

“Um…”

“Together.” Those dark eyes went even darker.

“Okay. Yes. Please.” His lips felt like they’d been sprayed with quick dry lacquer.

Legacy let him go, then moved to answer the door and grab the breakfast delivery. The scent of cinnamon filled the room, and his nose twitched. Okay, yum.

“It’s worth it, huh? You and your sweet tooth.”

“I can’t help it.” Aeryn took their coffees out to the couch. “I love it. And I like crispy bacon, too.”

“Who doesn’t? Oh, they sent us limonmelon.”

“Oh, wow. And those tiny oranges. That’s rare.”

“Nice.” Legacy sprawled on the couch, and he scooted in close so they could feed each other. It felt really bold of him.

They ate, licking at each others’ fingers and kissing icing off each others’ mouths.

Aeryn was hard as a rock by the time they were done, and his ass was soaking wet.

“Now would be a good time for presents,” Legacy murmured.

“It would?”

“Well, for one that I have for you.” Legacy waggled his eyebrows.

“Does it have anything to do with your knot?” The words popped out before he could stop them.

Legacy’s eyes widened, and his lips parted. “It can, for sure. I mean, we can do that first.”

“Then let’s go to bed.”

“Yours or mine?” Legacy asked.

“Yours is bigger.” Aeryn was going to go up in flames.

“Okay, then.” Legacy stood, then bent to pick him up, and he held on for the ride. This was the best Christmas present ever.

Legacy couldn’t believe he’d just tossed his grand plan out the window.

Well, really, he could. This was Aeryn, offering himself up, and Legacy couldn’t resist. Not even to give Aeryn his unique gift.

No, he really just wanted to make love to his omega.

He took Aeryn to his bed to lay him out, glad he had clean sheets on. They had a cleaning crew who came in once a week, and they’d been in day before yesterday…

“Smells like you in here,” Aeryn said, breathing deep.

“Is that good?”

“Gods, yes.” Aeryn smiled for him, but there was uncertainty lurking in his eyes, in his tense body.

“Nothing you don’t want to do, honey. I promise.”

“Oh, I’m not scared. You would never hurt me.”

The unshakable trust in those words made him shiver, his cock jerking. Fuck, that was amazing.

“Then what has you so worried?”

“That you won’t like how I look without my clothes on.”

He scoffed. “I’ve seen you naked, Aeryn.”

Those green-gold eyes widened. “What? When?”

“Right after we moved in together. You forgot you had a roommate and you went to the bathroom without your robe on.”

“Oh.”

“I liked it.”

Aeryn laughed out loud, whacking his chest as he came down on the bed. “Ass.”

“What? I got an eyeful. I know all about your red pubes and freckled ass.”

“Oh, Gods.” Aeryn’s freckles filled in with his flush.

“So nothing to worry about.”

“I’ll try to remember that.” Aeryn tugged at his shirt. “Now I want to see you naked.”

“Okay. That’s fair.” He tugged off the T-shirt, baring his chest. He was never ashamed of his body, just his face occasionally, and Aeryn had never seemed bothered by that.

“Mmm.” Aeryn traced a couple of scars on his chest. “So strong. I worry about you with those drills, though.”

“I’ve never been closer to losing something important than when it got my face, though.”

Aeryn glanced up, expression so serious. “I’m so glad it didn’t do more than scar you a little.”

“Yeah?” He took Aeryn’s hand and pushed it down toward his pants. He needed that touch like he needed air.

Aeryn gasped, but then pulled his waistband, baring him to that hot gaze.

Legacy grunted, arching his hips, trying to get that touch where he needed it. Damn that was hot.

“You’re so hard.” Aeryn stared at him, licking his lips.

“I am, and it’s all for you.”

“Sometimes I think I fell and hit my head.” Aeryn grinned up at him, and then grabbed his cock and stroked it hard.

“Aw, yeah, honey, that’s perfect. Just touch me, get me ready for you.”

“I’m ready for you,” Aeryn said. “I’m really wet.”

“I can smell you.” Legacy could too. He’d always thought that was bullshit when an alpha said they could smell their mate, but this was amazing, and he could tell that Aeryn was soaking, and that it was the kind of wet that went with being turned on.

He grabbed Aeryn and started stripping clothes. “Off now. I wanna see you too.”

“I thought you said you already had,” Aeryn teased.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to see it again in a different context. Like right now, in a sexual way.” He gave Aeryn a wolfish grin as he pulled those pants off.

Aeryn let go of his dick and tried to cover up, but Legacy grabbed his hands and kept Aeryn exactly where he was. “No, I want to see. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

“You’re the only one who thinks so.”

Legacy shrugged. “I’m the only one who matters.”

Aeryn stared up at him, then smiled. “You know what, you’re right. You are the only one that matters right now. Heck, you’re the only one who’s ever mattered in this way.”

“Are you telling me you’ve never?—”

“No. I mean, I played with toys and stuff.”

Fuck, he was gonna be the first one to take that sweet ass. Holy shit.

“I’m not a toy.”

“I can tell. I’ve never seen one this big.” Aeryn stared pointedly at his cock.

“Mmm. I’m made to fit you everywhere. I’m going to make you feel so good, honey.” He spread Aeryn out, pushing him to recline so he lay on his back.

Legacy wanted to see everything: that hard cock, that sweet ass, pink and wet. He wanted to just look his fill.

A sweet flush traveled down from Aeryn’s cheeks to his chest and his belly, the freckles running together there too. It was the most amazing phenomenon he’d ever seen.

“You really don’t think I’m ugly.”

“Fuck no, and I’ll tell you as many times as you need me to.”

“I don’t want to sound like a whiny brat. I’m just kind of stunned.”

“Don’t worry, I got your back.” He grabbed Aeryn’s straining cock. “And your front too.”

“Uh-huh.” Aeryn started humping his hand, hips dancing for him. The room heated up, sweat beading on their skin, and they rocked together, both of them grunting and moaning.

Finally, he pulled back, spreading Aeryn wide so he could push between those straining thighs. “You ready for me, honey?”

“I said I was.” Aeryn yanked at his shoulders, all but growling his frustration, which was, again, adorable. So he gave them both what they needed, sinking deep into Aeryn’s ass with one thrust. He was so wet and open that there was no sense in waiting.

“Uhn.” The sound burst out of him, and Legacy stilled, his body fighting to move, his brain knowing he needed to give Aeryn time to adjust.

Aeryn, though, had other ideas. He grabbed Legacy’s ass and pulled, and that was it. He had to start moving.

“More,” Aeryn moaned. “Please.”

“I won’t leave you wanting.” In fact, he wouldn’t be leaving Aeryn at all for a while. His knot was engaging, which hadn’t happened since his first time, which had been a disaster, and had ended up with the shock of someone dumping ice water on his crotch to get said knot to go down…

But now wasn’t the time to think of that.

He thrust hard, wanting to give Aeryn just what he needed. They were rocking, sweating, and grunting, just going to town. And it was so damn good it made his teeth hurt.

“Soon,” Legacy warned, and Aeryn nodded, his eyes wide, his lips parted. So Legacy had to kiss him, which changed the angle and made his balls pull up as his knot lodged hard and deep.

Aeryn cried out, his seed splashing between them, and that sent Legacy over the edge, too. He came so hard he saw stars that rivaled the ones outside the hull of the ship, just shorting out his brain and making him shout.

“Oh.” Aeryn clung to his shoulders, fingers digging in. “Oh, oh, oh.”

“Is that good?”

“That’s better than good.” Aeryn laughed. “And you never even noticed my leg.”

“Oh, honey, that was the last thing on my mind.”

Aeryn reached up to touch his cheek. “Thank you.”

“Hey, we haven’t even done gifts yet,” Legacy said.

Aeryn just gave him a soft smile. “Yes, we have.”