“Kids!” Anna’s mother, Caroline, said, approaching the girls with her arms wide, taking them both into a hug that they withstood stiffly.
George, Anna’s father, followed, offering Khy a handshake. “Good to see you, how are you getting on?”
“Fine, thank you.”
George laughed and rubbed his hand once he had it back. “I’ll never get used to that,” he said.
Khy frowned a little. Did he mean his scales and claws? But George had already moved on to kiss Amy’s cheek, and Caroline was suddenly there, pulling him down into a hug. “Hello, darling, how are you?”
“Fine.”
Anna rescued him, or perhaps used him as a shield, by taking his arm tightly. “The car’s that way. Do you want a drink or anything before we go?”
It turned out that yes, they did. A drink, a trip to the bathroom, an argument about whether or not they should eat something small or wait to have dinner in a restaurant, or just have dinner there. Anna fidgeted, but Khy didn’t know what he was supposed to do to help. They were her family after all.
Lucky settled it by announcing “The kids are tired. Why don’t we settle into the hotel and meet up for dinner later?”
At the mention of the girls, Caroline changed her tune immediately, and George was left to follow in her wake. They got to the car, Lucky was prevailed on to drive, and Anna sat with her parents answering their questions as best she could.
They made it to the hotel and everyone checked in, and Khy and Anna waited in the lobby for them to come down, gratefully making use of the sofa. Anna slid her fingers between his and laid her head on his shoulder, blowing out a breath.
“I love my family,” she began, her voice not exactly full of love. “But you’re my favourite.”
He didn’t have it in him to laugh. Instead he turned his head to kiss her hair, then lifted her hand to run his clawtip along the back of it. “I’m glad to hear it.”
****
Khy understood quickly that his duty was not to keep out of the way, it was to keep Anna and her family from killing each other.
The girls wanted to hang out with him and Anna, touring the city and going to the beach. George and Caroline wanted to see their grandchildren, or failing that, their children. Lucky and Amy wanted the others to act as free childcare so they could disappear by themselves. Khy wanted Anna to himself, and Anna was increasingly only wanting to be alone.
So, as her mate, with her happiness as his priority, he did his best to orchestrate escapes and distractions where necessary. He took the children to the beach while the others went sightseeing, and when Anna joined them and collapsed to her knees with a wild look in her eyes, he feigned heatstroke so they could return home for a few quiet hours, joining the others at dinner. He suggested George and Caroline take the girls to see the Christmas lights and tree, so the others could have a quiet night in. It was a delicate balance of throwing some people under the bus so others could rest. Luckily, the visit was only for four nights. Lucky and Amy had to go back to work, and George and Caroline were looking forward to spending New Year’s in Las Vegas.
On Christmas day itself, Khy opened his eyes to a morning exactly like any other. There was no magical snow falling outside, no sign that an old fat human had visited them in the night. He knew he and Anna had to get up on time, as everyone would be coming round to open presents, which had all been piled under the tree, but for the moment he was content to pull Anna to him and tighten his arms around her.
She groaned a complaint, tugging on his arms. He was squeezing too hard, but he knew she didn’t need to breathe yet. He let her go after another count of five, and she grumbled again, pressing her face into the pillow.
“Merry Christmas,” he whispered into her ear.
She grunted back, clearly not interested.
Very well. If she wasn’t interested in Christmas, then perhaps she’d be interested in his hand sliding up her thigh and under the shorts she wore to bed. When she didn’t push him away, he tickled his claw over her underwear where it covered her slit.
She sighed and rolled onto her back, forcing her eyes open. “We have to get up, don’t we?”
“Maybe not.”
She considered it, her face blank as she stared at his face. He lifted his crest hopefully, but it just made her laugh and push him away. “Nice try, but I don’t want to be doing anything when two children and my parents arrive.”
He let his crest fall back down as she struggled out of bed and sat up, stretching. “Aren’t you excited about Christmas?”
She gave a small groan. “It would be easier if it was just you and me. Just thinking of my mum trying to cook a full Christmas roast in our kitchen fills me with dread. Where is everyone going to fit? And it’s going to be so loud.”
Khy sat up too and caught her wrist as she headed to the bathroom, then pulled her down to kiss her. “Don’t think about that. I’ll protect you. And think of all the presents you’re getting.”
She did smile then, a small, genuine one. “Did you get me something good?”
He shrugged, letting her go to recline on the bed, one leg cocked. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
She pulled a face and went to get ready while Khy went to the kitchen for his morning choba.
They were dressed when the doorbell rang, announcing Anna’s parents. Khy let them in and Anna offered them drinks as they sat on the sofa, facing the tree Anna had put up. She hadn’t been that enthused about it, grumbling and cursing as she consulted the instructions to slot the branches together. Khy claimed ignorance of the whole ritual. It had taken her an hour to get it built and decorated, then she’d declared she was never doing it again.
The others had handed over bags of presents to be put under the tree for Christmas morning. As there were eight of them, there were a lot, and it had taken over their living room. Khy wasn’t sure how they were supposed to fit everyone and all the presents and food, but it was only one day.
Lucky, Amy, Izzy and Jess arrived not long after. Izzy was bouncing and ran inside as soon as the door opened, throwing herself down with a gasp in front of the tree.
“Sorry we’re late,” Lucky said. “The kids were too excited to eat, and the time difference is killing us.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Khy said closing the door behind them.
“And it’s still weird that it’s sunny on Christmas day.”
Khy shrugged. He wasn’t going to complain. He still had a lot of the clothes he had bought for his trip to New Hampshire the year before, but he’d never touched them again. He could live the rest of his life without wearing sleeves.
“Tea?” Anna offered, coming out from the kitchen where she’d been hiding. “Coffee?”
Amy and Lucky accepted her offer of coffee, giving her an excuse to disappear again.
“Dad, come on!” Jess yelled from her place by the tree.
Lucky made a face, and Amy called back, “Don’t yell,” as she walked over.
Khy thought Anna probably had the right idea, and retreated to the kitchen too, finding her stirring coffee in mugs. He leant against the wall to watch her. That coffee was definitely stirred but she kept going.
“Aunt Anna!” one of the girls shrieked impatiently.
“Oh my god,” Anna muttered. “Alright, let’s go before we’re dragged out by our ankles.”
She picked up the coffee and took it through, putting it down on the coffee table and then retreating to stand behind the sofa her parents were sitting on. With four adults, and the kids on the floor, there was nowhere left to sit unless they dragged in some dining chairs.
Khy stood beside her to watch. Anna nodded at the girls with a sweep of her hand, allowing them to proceed with opening presents. They handed out gifts to the adults if they came across one not addressed to them. It took over an hour to get through everything. The girls ripped into the gifts, squealing with delight and thanking whoever signed it. This year Anna had got them both books, whil
e Khy had given Jess a wilderness survival kit, as she was the elder, and Izzy a kit to build accurate models of various shelters, from a tent to a log cabin.
Anna’s parents opened things slowly, savouring them and taking long pauses to go off on conversational tangents until even Khy was getting frustrated. Lucky and Anna did their best to prod them back onto topic. Anna had allowed him to sign his name onto her gifts for them, as he didn’t know what to get them. George got a thick knitted cardigan, and Caroline got a pair of floral printed gardening gloves.
“No knives this time, right?” Lucky murmured as he opened his gift from them.
“Uh…”
“No, no knives,” Anna confirmed, elbowing him sharply even as her lips twisted, amused.
Anna and Khy got him an expensive membership to an online network of tutorials, documentaries, and forums. She’d told Khy Lucky was such a nerd, he’d love it, and he did seem pleased with it. And it could easily be transported back to New Hampshire on the plane, since it was basically a small booklet and a log-in. Amy was a bit harder, so they had settled on a cashmere sweater and a photo album of family pictures Anna had printed from their social media.
There were a lot of joint presents, since everyone had had to travel with their gifts, and would have to travel back with what they had received. Anna got a book from the girls, and another from her mom. Her dad got her vouchers for an upscale chain restaurant with a branch in the city. Lucky and Amy got her a necklace with matching earrings.
Khy got a book on planets from Izzy and Jess, clearly on the basis that he was an alien, but he smiled and thanked them. From Anna’s parents, he got a watch, and George spent a long time explaining its features, such as how long and how deep it could go under water, and how long the battery would last, and how accurate it was. From Lucky and Amy, he got a sleeveless hunting jacket with a dozen pockets and various kinds of insulation.
Khy had wondered what to get Anna. There hadn’t been a gift that would ensure she would eat lunch every day without him there to enforce it, and he couldn’t marry her a second time, or give her another ring. He didn’t want to get her something anyone could get her on their first Christmas as a mated, married couple, but equally he didn’t think she would appreciate something unique to him like a Volon blade or jewellery or a promise of some sexual act. In the end, he just had to review what he knew she liked. She liked arguing and making fun of things. She was cynical and sceptical and loyal. She never asked for help when she needed it. She was focused, often to the point of ignoring everything around her. She loved her job and she loved him. He was often the only thing that could tear her away from her desk.
So he got her a new laptop, fully loaded with all the latest marketing and editing software she could possibly need in her role as a PR officer. It was better than the computer she had at work. It had cost him a lot, but he’d taken some extra shifts at DETI to cover it.
As she peeled the wrapping off the box, she froze at the sight of the picture on it. She glanced at him. “Is this just the box?”
He rolled his eyes. Only she would think- “No, it is not just the box.”
“You really got me a laptop?” She pushed the rest of the paper off the box. The laptop was sleek and silver, thin. It looked powerful. Its capabilities were printed on the front, and stickers announced the software it had been loaded with.
Khy scratched his neck. Maybe she didn’t like it. Maybe it was too much. “I thought with that you could… work from home, maybe. One day a week, or-” He stopped when her hand squeezed his.
“That’s… That’s a nice idea. I’ll ask Marcus. Thank you.”
He smiled.
“What did you get him?” Lucky asked.
Anna switched her gaze to him, looking trapped for a moment. “Khy told me he didn’t want anything.” Then she punched him in the arm, with no real force behind it. “He didn’t tell me he was getting me a bloody laptop!”
“So you didn’t get him anything,” Lucky grinned, teasing her.
“I did! It just… hasn’t arrived yet.”
“Sure,” Lucky sang.
“I did!” She looked at Khy, worried.
Oops. He took her hand back. “Honestly, if Anna stays home with me instead of going to work, that’s my gift.”
“Aw, isn’t that sweet?” cooed Caroline, putting her hand to her heart.
“Anyway, isn’t it time to start dinner?” Anna said, picking up her gifts and taking them to the bedroom.
Khy followed, shutting the door behind him. “Anna?”
“I did get you something,” she insisted. She sat on the bed. “But it’s probably stupid and you’re going to hate it.”
He sat next to her. She looked sad. He’d made her sad with his present. “Impossible.” He covered her hands where they picked at each other in her lap and ran his thumb across her skin. “I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have got you the laptop.”
She tipped her head onto his shoulder, taking his hand into hers instead. “It was a great idea. Really sweet, and really expensive…”
With his free hand he pushed her hair back from her face so he could see her. “But you’re unhappy.”
“I’m not unhappy. I’m going to use it just like you said. I’ll get a work-from-home day from Marcus, at least one a week. And I’ll stay in my pyjamas, and you can make me lunch and cups of tea…” She smiled, testing him, teasing.
He smiled too and shook his head as her good mood came back. “And I’ll make sure you eat by eating you under your desk, and if you’re not finished by the stroke of five, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and make you stop by taking you to bed.”
Anna lifted her face to his, her eyes half-lidded and her mouth twisting into a challenge. “Empty threats,” she hissed.
His crest twitched up. Ooh, this woman knew how to push him and make sure he did exactly what he promised. With that thought in mind he kissed her and pressed her back onto the bed, making her giggle. Her hands pushed at his shoulders even as one of her legs bent around his hip.
“We need to get back out there,” she said. “They definitely think we’re fighting, or fucking, in here.”
“So?”
Anna laughed, then reached down his back to slide her hands into his jeans and grab his ass and squeeze, driving him against her briefly. Then she took her hands back and rolled him off her. “Maybe you’ll like my present after all,” she said as if musing to herself, then she left the room.
Once he’d straightened himself out and followed, she was in the kitchen with her mother and Lucky. It looked cramped in there already, and Khy couldn’t pretend he knew how to cook a Christmas roast, so he continued to the living room and helped Amy pick up and sort all the wrapping paper.
Dinner came hours later. The girls killed the time with their new gifts, Khy and George helped Izzy build a miniature tent, making sure it was on a platform to keep it safe from pooling rain water, while Khy explained how they had built such things on Teiss and pointed out the right way to do it.
An hour before the food, Anna broke open the wine.
Khy and Amy set the table. It was going to be cramped with eight of them around a table that could only seat six comfortably, but they would manage. Anna had borrowed chairs from their neighbours. There seemed to be a never-ending flood of heatmats and coasters and plates and bowls and glasses – many different kinds of glasses, many different kinds of forks and serving spoons.
Finally, they all squeezed around the table to commence stuffing themselves. Caroline and Anna had done a great job, and everything smelled delicious. Khy was not used to sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with a group of humans. He had done Christmas dinner at Lucky’s the year before, but George and Caroline had not been there, and the table had been bigger. As it was, he was quietly thankful that he had Anna on one side, a human he did not mind brushing against him, and Izzy, the smallest of them, on the other. She didn’t even come up to his shoulder.
George gave a speech about t
hankfulness and toasted the chefs and the hosts, and then everyone could eat. Khy wasn’t interested in much of it, and it wasn’t in his nature to eat until he hurt, but once again he helped Izzy disappear her vegetables onto his plate. Amy commented on how grateful she was not to be hosting Christmas this year, and thanked Anna and Khy again. Khy could tell Lucky had his hand on her knee under the table. He thought this atmosphere must be what Christmas was about, even as Anna sat quietly, only speaking to snipe with Lucky.
Once dinner was over, he helped George to clear up while the others went to sit down and digest with a movie. George had never said anything to Khy about him being a Teissian and marrying his daughter, and he didn’t say anything now. He just complimented the dinner again and thanked Khy for his help. If the old man had a problem with his daughter’s choice of mate, he was keeping it to himself. Maybe he didn’t care.
After the movie, when Izzy, George and Caroline had all fallen asleep, Lucky suggested they call it a night and go back to the hotel. Anna helped everyone find the right shoes and bags, then she and Khy received hugs and handshakes from everyone as they left. They would see them all again tomorrow, and the day after that before the family split up again, but this was the end of Christmas, and it was sentimental.
The quiet once he was alone with Anna was blissful. She sighed and smiled, tired but happy, then she went to idly tidy up the living room, putting cushions back where they belonged and taking mugs to the kitchen to run the dishwasher. Khy did what he could to help and then they collapsed on the sofa with their feet up, his big and green and clawed next to hers, which looked tiny, frail and blunt in comparison.
“So what did you get me?” he asked her with a nudge.
Anna rolled her eyes. “I thought you didn’t want anything?”
“And I know you didn’t listen, so what is it?”
An Office Alien Christmas Collection (Office Aliens Book 5) Page 22