Chapter 7

All I could do was moan as his tentacle started shallowly fucking me as the rest of his limbs kept up the sweeter hugs he’d been giving me. “I believe the educational technique of rewarding appropriate behavior will be the most beneficial to use with you, my submissive. It would be counterintuitive to use pain-based behavior modification.”

Couldn’t spank me into being a good boy.

Yep, probably not, but I’d sure come a lot.

I nodded against him and managed to push enough of the growing desire to the back of my head that I could respond in words. “I’m…I’m reward motivated and I like…I like making you happy.”

He seemed to understand that, but with the whole alien and not human thing, I figured it was best to be very clear about it.

“Then I shall be well-defined in regard to rewards and happiness.” The thin tentacle in me started to thicken. “Your submission as you received pleasure was highly…it provided significant happiness.”

Hmm.

He’d paused a bit too long.

Rubbing my cheek against his torso, I tried to find a few wandering brain cells. “It’s okay if you don’t know the words for something, Master.”

Rocking onto the best butt plug I’d ever experienced, I kissed along the area where one of his larger tentacles met in what would’ve been his shoulder if he were human. “You speak English incredibly well and I always know what you mean.”

His quiet lack of response said he didn’t agree with me, but he didn’t keep it up for long. “Verbal communication is important for human interactions. I am also not used to being…diseducated…no.”

I wasn’t sure if giving him the word was the right response or not, but I hated hearing him so frustrated. “Uneducated. I can understand why you used dis, though.”

English was weird.

“Your language is precise and yet not.” He let out a breathy sound, something like a huff and it almost sounded like he was pouting. “I have the ability to understand why our language professionals advised we learn it without agreeing with their decision.”

He clearly hadn’t liked English and had wanted to learn something else.

I’d have laughed if it wouldn’t have upset him…and then there was the whole plugged thing.

“We don’t like it either most of the time.” We had a lot of words that meant the same thing but didn’t really mean the same thing. “But I think it will get easier with more practice.”

Had he said how long he’d been speaking English?

Probably not.

We were missing a lot of the stuff people picked up in small talk because we hadn’t done any.

“I’m not sure how to phrase this or even what question I should ask but how long have you been…how long have you not been the captain?” Yeah, English was a bitch at the best of times. Was retired the right word? Unemployed? “I think I’m trying to understand where you’re at in the get to know humans part of life here.”

That wasn’t much better but his quiet sounds said he understood the question.

“One of your months. I have realized my education is lacking but finding humans to interact with for educational purposes has been difficult.” Something in his words made me sit up and I saw him frowning. “I do not understand where some of the difficulties appeared, but I cannot get past the asking for coffee stage.”

Oh.

His entire body felt frustrated but that was probably because he was tense. “I do not understand why conversations must start there. I do not like that liquid.”

Oops.

“Um, that’s usually a regular human’s way of asking if you’re interested in dating them.” He went even more rigid and even the one in my ass felt weird. But I did my best to ignore all that and just focused on my confused…boyfriend.

“When we meet someone we think we might want to get to know on a more personal level, we hint and ask questions to see if the other person is interested in dating or something like that.” It seemed like all his social instructions had been geared toward talking to subs.

It made sense because of what he was looking for in a partner, but it wouldn’t help him navigate the vanilla human dating scene.

“It is a social ritual that starts the process of finding a mate.” His body was slowly going back to its regular density, so I thought we were on the right track. “Your senses do not allow you to perceive potential mate bonds so you must have extensive rituals. Yes.”

He made us sound like cute little neanderthals he’d just discovered…but he wasn’t wrong, so I nodded and kissed his cheek. “Yes. They were showing they wanted to date you, but I’m glad you didn’t understand that. You’re mine and I’m glad you came to the party.”

He was too sweet.

I’d have lost him to another human before we’d have met if he’d dated a lot of other people first.

Oh.

Wait.

“A month?” Had that been what he’d said? “You’ve only been…not a captain for a month?”

Giving me a quizzical expression, he seemed to find the question curious. “Yes. Then there was time to…time to transition to Earth and find appropriate housing.”

Shit.

“You’ve only been on Earth a month?” Really? “Your grasp of our social customs and language is amazing then.”

Looking up toward the roof, I imagined the sky above the building. “You were on the ship since you got here?”

“Yes. I was…I was the captain.” He didn’t seem sure of that word but he looked like he thought it worked for the time being because he kept going. “When my time was expired, I turned over…I gave my position to another leader.”

And captains stay with the ship.

“I hadn’t thought about the fact that someone needed to stay up on the ship.” I had a vague memory of a news broadcaster saying something about it not being able to land on Earth safely. I was pretty sure it’d been made in space and was meant to stay in space. “I’m sorry you were stuck up there.”

Jerker was still looking slightly confused when I focused back on him, but that might’ve been because of my word choice. “I was not restrained.”

Yep.

Word issues.

“I mean… It feels like you were alone and far away. So it’s like being stuck.” Still wondering if that made sense, I was glad when he nodded slowly.

“I understand the association.” Looking thoughtful, he went back to stroking me softly and gently fucking me with the tentacle in my ass. “I did not see it in that context but it is not wrong.”

Snuggling back into him, I let the gentle pleasure build again as I trailed my fingers along his tentacles. “I’m glad you’re here now.”

For a lot of reasons.

But that didn’t mean my questions had evaporated.

“I am glad as well.” A small limb stroked over my head and the one in my ass was gently moving in and out, too slow for an orgasm to be the goal, but I didn’t think that was his plan at the moment. “Your submission is pleasurable as well as your company, my Theo.”

No, my submission was definitely his plan, not an orgasm.

“Thank you, Master.”

But what else did he have planned for me?

For us?

“This might be a stupid question, Master, but…but we’re dating, right?” Just because he’d used nice words didn’t mean I should assume shit. “You…you said you were drawn to me but I want to make sure I understand what you want.”

I wasn’t the mate on the first date type even if they saw things differently. Hell, he might regret picking me at the dinner once he got to know me.

“Humans are just as interesting as I was told.” His tone was more humans are weird rather than sounding offended so I just waited and snuggled. “This concept of dating is…sad may not be the right word but it is all I understand.”

That kind of frustrated him but I nodded. “I get it.”

Compared to what I knew of mates, and their species in general, it was sad.

“You go through finding your mates with such…hesitation.” Mumbling to himself about that word being close, his shallow fucking went slightly faster and the rest of his limbs got very cuddly. “The confidence that you have chosen right is remarkable.”

Hmm.

Yeah.

“But we’re very passionate and loving when we’re confident.” For the most part. “I know it’s not like that for you, but do you understand that humans need to date and to build that confidence?”

And he needed time to make sure he knew what he was getting with this human.

What if I couldn’t submit enough?

What if we didn’t have anything in common?

What if he got bored with me?

“Yes.” His confidence was clear in his voice and in the way his limbs tightened around me. “I have been told of dating and the human notion of taking things slow.”

Something really close to distaste tinged the words before he sighed.

Yep, I knew exactly how he felt about going slow.

“I won’t do that to you, Master.” I wasn’t sure what he was picturing but it was torture to him. “But I need to get to know you and for you to get to know me before we move-in together.”

Humans just didn’t do that before they’d even had their first date, right?

The tentacle inside me sank deeper until the tip was finally teasing my prostate, making what felt like slow circles around it. I wasn’t sure if this was his way of pouting but I wasn’t going to discourage it even if it was making me crazy.

“I…” Fuck.

Giving up on words, I pressed my face against him and tried to rock back and forth, but his hold tightened again. Just having that one spot teased was almost torture, but the soft, soothing sounds he made as the pleasure almost faded into a buzzing at the back of my mind said he knew how good it felt.

“That is very good, my Theo. Submit and give yourself to me. Then we shall discuss navigating human dating rituals.” The tip went round and round as he patiently waited for me to submit…and probably to stop worrying.

Overthinking was my specialty but he made it impossible to keep up with trains of thought that were more complicated than tentacles good.

They were really good.

They could hold me tight.

They could fuck me.

They would jerk me off.

Then there was lightning.

Oh, and there were spankings.

“That is very good, my Theo.” The tentacles that were wrapped around me started to ripple in a soothing motion. “Good boy. Yes.”

Good boy.

Yes, good boys got good things when they had a Master with tenacles.

They were so much better than hands.

“There is nothing to fear. You are my mate but I will remember you are human.” The tip inside me made what felt like a “come here” kind of motion that sent sparks through me. “I will give you security and safe caretaking and pleasures to help you relax.”

Yes, that’s what mates did.

When they weren’t fucking their sub’s brains out.

“My goals can be accomplished while we explore the human concept of dating.” One tentacle started caressing right over the area he’d spanked earlier, pushing the memories back to the front of my mind. “We will see movies. We will attend events. You will tell me about your day. Then I will provide caretaking and pleasure.”

He made it sound so easy.

Nodding against him, I rubbed my cheek against his body before kissing along the top edge of a larger tentacle. “I…I’m going to like…that…”

I’d been trying to say something else but his tentacle started pulsing against my prostate and the thoughts vanished. “Yes…I’ll…”

“You will submit and allow your Master to give you pleasures.” There was something soothing in his voice that had me sinking deeper into the sensations he was pushing through me. “Then I will provide caretaking measures.”

The gentle way he said that didn’t give me any clues about what he was imagining. But that might’ve been because all my thoughts were centered around my ass and how incredibly tight he could hold me.

Not that I had enough strength left to fight him.

Even if that’d been the game, I couldn’t have moved a muscle. I’d never had a partner who could wear me out so thoroughly or who could make me feel so helpless.

Wonderfully helpless.

Wonderfully trapped.

Wonderfully teased.

Just as the world was going foggy again, my orgasm flowed through me like a deep wave sucking me under. All I could do was float along the undertow as he played with me, barely fucking me as he kept up the too gentle pleasure.

When it’d finally faded, his tentacle slipped out of me and his limbs were back to stroking over me. “Pleasure and caretaking. All you are required to do is submit, my Theo. I shall take care of everything else.”

With anyone else I’d have second-guessed what they were saying or how long the scene would last and I’d go back to being alone. But this was Jerker.

My Jerker.

And just maybe…my mate.