by M. A. Church
“Thank you for all this… son.”
Evan and Jerry were still talking, but Dale was sitting close enough to hear the soft, startled meow from Keyno. Dale leaned close and rubbed Keyno’s pointed ears, listening to the soft purrs of happiness, his eyes bright with unshed tears.
“My dad wouldn’t want you to make a big deal of that, but it’s his way of saying he forgives you for harvesting me under the legal age limit and accepts you.”
“I… I am honored.” Emotions caused Keyno’s voice to crack. “I love—”
Before he could finish, Evan let out a shout. “Oh, shi—”
“Evan!” Both Dale and Susan yelled.
“Sorry, sorry, I forgot about the little ears listening, but… jeez! It’s a Bose music system, honey. I’ve wanted one of these since forever.” Evan stroked the top of it. “Dude, you didn’t have to do this.”
“Guys, before you all get the idea this cost Keyno and me a lot of money, remember we have a reduplicator. We can make this stuff, and it costs nothing.”
“That in itself is mind-blowing. Here…” Jerry smiled as he handed Keyno a gift. “I hope you like it.”
“Mine kind of goes with his,” Lyn said.
Keyno slowly pried the paper off the box. Since he was taking too long, Raiden and Szin decided to help, ripping the paper away. Jerry had given Keyno a new grilling set, and Lyn gave Keyno an apron that said “Beware of Sudden Purring” that had Dale laughing so hard his sides hurt.
“I’ll have to try this out as soon as possible,” Keyno said. “Thank you.”
“Oh God, yeah. Please do. I can’t wait to see you in that apron.”
“That’s from us,” Susan said as Dale passed another gift to Keyno.
Evan and Susan gave him an aluminum paperweight that was sectioned off with answers that were supposed to help with decisions. It said things like sit on it for a bit or pass the buck to someone else or I’ll get back to you on that.
“It will have a place of honor on my desk,” Keyno said.
Of course Chad and Cielo zeroed in on the section that said sit on it for a bit, smirking at Dale.
All the young got small toys like balls, Etch A Sketches, drinking cups with their names, coloring books with crayons, and the twins got a Hot Wheels track that all the young loved, mainly because they could chase the little cars. After they played with the toys, they attacked the boxes and ribbons left on the floor, growling and hissing, play fighting with each other.
“Okay sweetie, it’s your turn.” Lyn motioned for Dale to start opening his gifts.
Dale received some of his favorite magazines, books by authors he liked, and recipes that his mom had written up for him and Keyno.
“Thanks guys, I’m sure Keyno can’t wait to try these recipes.”
“Are there more frozen cream recipes in there?” Keyno asked. “The last recipe your mom gave us when we were there was great.”
“It’s ice cream, not frozen cream.” Dale grinned at Keyno. “There’re some new recipes too.”
“Oh good.”
There was a hand-drawn framed print done from one of the pictures taken the last time they were all together.
“Oh man.” Dale teared up again because Susan and Evan weren’t in it. “It’s wonderful, but….”
“Open the blue present with the sleds on it,” Lyn said.
It was an 8x10 done of Susan and Evan with Lindsey.
“Oh, oh, wow. Guys, thank you so much.” Dale hugged both Susan and Evan. “You have no idea what this means to me.”
“Well, this is the last one, here you go, Dale.”
“Oh, Mom.” Dale lifted up two crocheted baby blankets.
“I started it when you and Keyno were with us, hoping I would get a chance to give it to you. My mom did one for you and Susan, and now I’ve done one for Raiden and Szin, and Lindsey.”
“It’s perfect, Mom. This whole day has been perfect. Just exactly what I wanted.”
Keyno pulled Dale in his lap and held him. “I love you.”
“And I love you, you evil alien.”
After Dale calmed a bit, he and Keyno fixed a light meal and everyone settled down to eat. Chad and John, and their families, left to do their own Christmas celebrations shortly thereafter. Cielo and Ti stayed a little longer before they had to leave.
Susan helped Dale pick up the main living area while Evan, Jerry, and Keyno went outside to look at Keyno’s flyer. It wasn’t a car, but both men wanted to see it and maybe take a ride. Dale and Susan had just gotten the twins and Lindsey down for a nap when they heard their mom laughing.
Keyno was circling the house with Evan and Jerry in the flyer.
“I can’t believe your dad got in that thing,” Lyn hooted.
“We’re going next.” Susan grabbed Lyn by the arm and started toward the elevator.
“Oh good heavens, I don’t think so.”
“Go, Mom, it’s safe. Keyno captains a starship; he knows how to fly.”
“But Dale—”
“Look, they’re landing. I’ll get Dad or Evan to stay with the young, and I’ll go with you,” Dale said. “How’s that?”
“Well, I guess so, but only if you go. Just tell Keyno not to go too high.”
“Good grief, Mom, you got here by flying through space on a starship.”
“That was different. Don’t ask me how, it just is. Maybe because that thing there is smaller, and there isn’t a top to it.”
“Keyno put the top down. It’s like a convertible. Come on, you’ll love it.”
After some more fast-talking on Dale’s part, and Keyno promising to put the top up, they got Lyn to go. Keyno hovered above the ground for a bit before Lyn gave the go-ahead to go higher. After the trip was over, they made plans to meet in the morning. Everyone called it an evening and returned to the portable home.
Once Dale was alone again, he hurried to their bedroom. He had plans for Keyno. He wasn’t there long before he heard Keyno entering the room.
“Dale?”
“Just a minute, I’m in the bathroom.” Dale picked up a small bottle and sprayed a tiny amount of liquid on his wrists.
He had to be careful. This stuff was potent, as he well knew from experience. He had been experimenting with this for a while in the botany lab Keyno had built near the base of their tree. Dale winked at his reflection. Tonight should be interesting.
As soon as Dale stepped out of the bathroom, Keyno swept him into his arms. Dale’s body tingled, possibly due to all the blood that left his head and drained into his rapidly swelling cock as Keyno lifted him effortlessly. Keyno’s fingers tightened slightly when Dale nipped his neck.
“I have something for you.” Keyno carried Dale into their bedroom.
“Yeah? Well, I have ‘somewhere’ for you to put that ‘something’.” Dale ran his fingers over one of Keyno’s pointed ears causing Keyno to purr softly.
“And I plan to stuff that ‘somewhere’ of yours full shortly, but first—”
Chapter Ten
Keyno dropped Dale on the bed, watching as his mate bounced lightly. Dale leaned back on his elbows and let his legs fall open. The smell of cloves rose from Keyno, flooding the room. Dale moaned, hardening from Keyno’s bonding scent. Keyno raised an eyebrow at the mischievous grin on Dale’s face. His nose twitched, and he sniffed the air.
“What have you got for me? I mean, besides that.” Dale rubbed his foot over the bulge in Keyno’s pants.
Keyno grabbed Dale’s foot, careful not to bruise the tender flesh.
“Keyno? Tah’Nar to Keyno.”
“Um, yes, so I researched this holiday, but I also….” Keyno’s nose twitched again. He was a little… antsy, a little… anxious. Keyno released Dale’s ankle, reached under the bed, and pulled out the gift. “Here, this is my present to you.”
Dale sat up and crossed his legs as he examined the present. “Oh wow, you did a good job with the wrapping. Everything I wrap looks like a hot mess.”
<
br /> “I have to admit that your mom helped.” Keyno swallowed hard, his body hot and achy. His muscles wanted to bunch and shift, bulk up in a dominance display, something that happened when he detected a threat, or was highly aroused.
Dale opened the large gift, taking his time to pull the paper apart. Keyno shifted from foot-to-foot and huffed, a soft irritated meow escaping him. If Dale didn’t hurry up and open the gods-be-damned thing he was going to… A quiet laugh brought Keyno back to the present.
“Jeez, I can tell Mom had a hand in this. Only she would wrap a present in a present trying to fool me.” Dale lifted the smaller gift out.
Keyno closed his eyes and prayed for patience. “Dale, open the gift… please.”
Dale smirked up at Keyno. “Impatient much?”
“Chosen…”
“Okay, okay, hold your horses.”
Keyno snapped his mouth close before he informed Dale he had something Dale could hold, and roll, and tease, and lick and suck… and it wasn’t a horse.
“Oh Keyno, I can’t believe you found a bottle of Belmarian champagne.” Dale cradled the small bottle, his heart thumping. “Jesus, this stuff is so rare. I’m not sure if we should drink it or put it in a safe place.”
“I thought this would be a good way to celebrate the Christmas. King Duran had a bottle so I thought… I thought… Is it hot in here?” Keyno stripped off his shirt.
Dale sat on the bed, his lips twitching. “I love it, and you. Let’s open it.”
Keyno opened the bottle and reduplicated glasses so they wouldn’t have to leave the bedroom. He poured a half glass for Dale. The liquid was electric blue, with small tendrils of effervescence rising from it. Dale touched his glass to Keyno’s.
“I love you too. I believe I’m supposed to wish you….” Keyno’s purrs warped into a strange sort of combination of yowls, growls, and loud purrs. His pupils dilated, and his tail skittered on the floor. “I’m supposed to wish you a Merry Christmas. Gods.”
“So,” Dale asked, his eyes dancing as he watched Keyno, “do you like my present?”
“Brat, what did you…?” Keyno’s eyes peeled wide. He sniffed the air as Dale wiggled out of his clothes. “That scent… I know that scent. Oh gods, you didn’t.”
“I most certainly did. Here, give me that before you drop it. Damn stuff is too rare to let spill on the floor.” Dale quickly set both glasses by the side of their bed.
“Where is that blasted plant? Did you hide it in here?”
“No plant. It is Tah’Narian Catnip, but I condensed the pollen into an essential oil and diluted it with a filtered liquid. I sprayed a little on my wrists when I was in the bathroom. I’ve been working on it for a while now. I didn’t use much. I didn’t want you to react as you did in that field of flowers on Aploi. You’re clearheaded and able to consent, right? Unlike last time, all this should do is make you horny.”
Tah’Narian Catnip was a blooming plant that Dale had found on their honeymoon on Aploi. It affected Tah’Narian males, or anyone with Tah’Narian DNA, like catnip affected the cats on Earth. A bonus side effect was it made males very, very horny.
Dale inhaled, held his breath, and then released it. “I’m feeling it too.”
“Dammit Dale, I’m going to fuck you until you scream for mercy.”
“That’s the plan, mate. Yeah, fuck me silly. And by the way, Merry Christmas.”
Chapter Eleven
“Dale, the comm is beeping, are you ready to get up?”
Dale burrowed his head under a pillow. “Oh God, I just went to sleep.”
“Aren’t we supposed to stuff the stockings for the young?”
“Haven’t you done enough ‘stuffing’ for one night?” Dale smirked at Keyno as he swung his legs off the bed and stood.
“Who said I was done?” Keyno patted Dale’s naked ass.
“Hmm, maybe I need to dilute that formula more.” Dale quickly stepped into night pants, grabbed the gifts he’d hidden, and waited for Keyno to finish dressing. “You check on the twins and make sure they’re asleep, and then we’ll get started.”
He made his way downstairs to wait on Keyno. When his mate appeared, Dale sat on the floor with the gifts. Dale had reduplicated three red velvet stockings with the name of each twin and Lindsey’s at the top. He laid each stocking down on the floor so the names were visible.
“Okay, I reduplicated the stockings and put their names on them. Our young got the same things, and the dolly stuff is for Lindsey.”
Keyno held up a lip gloss kit with several cartoon princesses on it. “Wax that tastes like strawberries?”
“Don’t ask, but trust me, she’ll love it.”
There were paper books, more little cars, some small rubber balls that bounced really high Raiden would love, a cloth doll, new coloring books, and wrapped chocolate candy. Once Dale stuffed the stockings, he laid them under the tree. “Now, we need some cookies and milk for Santa.” Dale turned back to the kitchen. “Come on.”
Dale reduplicated the goodies and fixed a glass of milk, and then took several bites out of the cookies.
“I thought that was for the Santa.” Keyno frowned.
Dale held the milk out to Keyno. “Bottoms up, Santa.”
“Oh.” Keyno sniffed the milk, and then sipped cautiously. His eyes widened, and he took a bigger gulp.
“Look, you milk hog, save some for me.”
“Reduplicate your own.” Keyno turned away as Dale made a grab for the drink, finishing it off. Dale snickered at the milk mustache Keyno wore.
“Here kitty, kitty, kitty.” Dale waved one of the cookies in front of Keyno’s face. “Trust me, you’re going to want to try these together.”
Seeing as his mate inhaled the first batch, Dale reduplicated more milk and cookies. He placed them where the twins and Lindsey would see them. “We need to leave some partly eaten cookies on a plate and make sure most of the milk is gone. That way it looks like Santa had a snack. Not that that’s going to be a problem the way you’re going.”
Keyno licked his fingers. “We need to have this Santa snack more often, especially the liquid.”
“It’s called milk, and I should have thought of it before now.” Dale smiled widely as Keyno fixed himself another glass, purring softly.
“Why should you have thought of it sooner?”
“Oh, no reason.”
Dale’s head barely hit the pillow before Keyno woke him up again.
“I heard the elevator. Raiden and Szin are awake too.”
“Jesus, how did Mom survive this? I don’t think I got three hours of sleep last night.” Dale lurched out of bed and stumbled around the room as he tried to dress. “Thank God I don’t have to cook for hours like she did.”
Dale pulled his hair back and faced Keyno. “Just what are you grinning at?”
“Your shirt is on inside out.”
“Well hell, not one word, Keyno. Why are you so perky? Don’t be all perky around me, dammit. I’m too tired for perky. You’d think I’d be used to being sleep deprived with twins.”
“Later I’ll keep the young entertained, and you can take a nap.”
“You’re really not tired?”
Keyno shrugged. “I’m used to functioning on little sleep if need be. You ready?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to miss this.”
They barely made it downstairs when Lindsey—with Raiden and Szin hot on her heels—came tearing out of the twins’ room.
“Santa came! Santa came!”
“This is my favorite time,” Lyn said while she watched the young and Lindsey.
The twins trailed Lindsey to the tree, copying what she did. While they dumped the contents out on the floor, everyone else sat down. Lindsey found the lip gloss and immediately smeared some on her lips. Raiden was busy chasing a bouncing ball, and Szin had a mouth full of chocolate. Raiden’s ball bounced over by the plate with the cookie crumbs and milk.
“The Santa Claus ate his cookies, look
.” Raiden pointed at the plate. Szin and Lindsey crowded around.
“He ate all of them too. He must’ve been really hungry,” Lindsey said.
Dale grinned at Keyno as the twins and Lindsey moved back to the stockings.
“Bubbles!” Lindsey screamed. “Mommy, open.”
“Oh my God, can they yell any louder?” Susan whispered to Dale.
“This from the child whose voice was so shrill she could peel paint off a wall.” Jerry cackled.
“Just wait until the growling and hissing starts,” Dale whispered back.
“What are bubbles?” Raiden asked, his ears cocked.
“Watch.” Lindsey dunked the wand into the soapy mixture then lifted it up and blew. Bubbles exploded from the wand. “Bubbles.”
Dozens of bubbles floated in the air. Raiden’s nose twitched, and he growled low in his throat. His ears flattened on his head as his big yellow eyes tracked the floating bubbles. His tail, which wasn’t very long, swished, making his whole butt wiggle.
He stalked across the floor, pausing, adjusting, and closing in on his prey, marking its movement. Raiden froze for a few seconds, and then launched himself at the bubble, grabbing at it. A disgruntled meow sounded as the bubble popped and Raiden came up empty.
He looked around, trying to find where it went when another bubble caught his eye, and he was off stalking it. Just as he was getting ready to pounce, Szin stuck his finger in the bubble, popping it. Raiden yowled loudly as the soapy substance covered his face.
“Szin….” Raiden growled as he moved closer to Szin, his eyes narrowed.
“Here.” Szin held out a piece of candy.
Raiden stared at the candy, huffed, and then took it. Szin giggled as he blew more bubbles for Raiden to stalk. Lindsay joined the fun, and soon they were running around, popping the bubbles Raiden was trying to kill.
“I told you there would be growling and hissing.”
“Oh my God, Dale, they’re so cute,” Lyn said.
“Guess it’s a good thing I’ve always liked cats, huh?” Dale watched Keyno’s tail snake back and forth on the floor and leaned closer to his mate. “Just go, you know you want to.”