11. Chapter 11

S eeing his excitement in the store had been amazing, especially after he looked so lost and heartbroken at the cove. It was infectious, too. I felt like a little kid, eager to get home and decorate the tree. Now that Nemo was here, it made me realize I missed decorating. It wasn't that I had a particular knack for it, but it did make me happy. Doing it when it was just me felt silly to go through all the effort, especially if I would be the only one to see it. But now I wouldn't be, and the thought made me feel giddy.

We stopped at my favorite hole-in-the-wall taco shop, and knowing everything was new to Nemo, I got a wide variety; carne asada, chicken, al past?r, and even fish. I got one of each in both crunchy style, where the tacos were fried, and street taco style, where they used smaller corn tortillas which were warmed but soft. The smell in the cab of the truck had me practically salivating .

When we got to my apartment, I gave Nemo the food and a couple of the bags with the ornaments, while I grabbed the tree. It was such a simple act, just taking stuff in, but it felt so domestic. I used to joke about liking that I was on my own, giving me the freedom to do whatever I wanted, like my grandfather, except… I didn't.

Once we got everything in, I cleared some space in one corner for the tree, and then we sat down to eat. Watching Nemo eat tacos made my favorite food ten times better. We discovered he liked the crunchy tacos because it reminded him of eating through a shell, and surprisingly, he liked the fish the least, because it didn’t taste like fish. He made the most obscene sound when he bit into the al past?r tacos; marinated pork with a bright flavor.

Nemo caught me looking and wiped the corner of his mouth. “Everything okay?”

“Perfect. Just perfect. I am really enjoying watching you discover different foods. You get this euphoric look on your face and, if I’m being honest, it’s sexy as hell.”

Nemo grinned. “I appreciate your honesty.”

I chuckled and then he took another bite of his taco, emphasizing the groan. For someone so new to the human world, he was a natural tease. I threw my napkin at him. “Brat.”

“I’m not sure what that means, but you’re smiling, so I’m happy to brat.”

A laugh popped out of me. “I bet you would. ”

He finished his last bite of food and pushed his plate away. “I don’t think I can eat another bite. Thank you for the tacos. I like them very much.”

“Me too. In fact, they are such a favorite, there’s a social tradition of Taco Tuesday. It’s not required to have them every Tuesday, but it’s a fun option.”

Nemo’s eyes brightened. “Oh, I think that’s a tradition I would like. How long is it until the next Tuesday?”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but Tuesday is Christmas Eve and we’ll be going to my grandfather’s, so we might have to wait for tacos.”

“Oh. Well, I think a meal with your family is a good reason to defy tradition.”

I pulled him out of his chair and gave him a kiss. “I think so, too. I’ve never brought a partner home for the holidays before.”

Nemo looked up at me with those big brown eyes. “You haven’t?”

“Nope. I’ve never had someone I was interested in enough to share the occasion with.”

“Is it okay that I will be there?” Nemo asked in a hushed tone.

“Absolutely. I’m quite smitten with you, Nemo.” It hadn’t even been an entire day, but at the same time, I felt like Nemo had been in my life for years. Nothing about it was logical, but his very existence was illogical. Now that he was here, it was easy to see him here in the next week, and beyond.

“I think I am smitten, too, Cory.” This man… he made my heart feel so full.

“What do you think? Are you ready to do the tree?”

“Oh, yes! I am very excited to put my seahorse in a tree.” Nemo giggled. Giggled . Fuck, it was the cutest sound.

“It’s going to look great.”

I opened the box for the tree and assembled it. Luckily, this one was pre-lit, so it would be easier to put together. After it was standing, I showed Nemo how to fluff out the branches to make it look fuller.

“It’s a tree!” Nemo exclaimed with excitement.

“Yup, now we get to decorate it.”

“How do we do that?”

“It’s super easy. You just use the ribbon on the ornament and put the branch through it. You can put them wherever you want on the tree, but I would recommend putting your favorite ones where you can see them easily.”

He went straight for the seahorse like I knew he would. Nemo studied the tree for several minutes, finally placing the ornament right in the center. One by one, we added each ornament to the tree, then rainbow tinsel, and a star on top.

Nemo stared at it. “It’s beautiful. ”

I knelt on my good knee, preparing to plug the tree in. “Just wait, little one. Why don’t you turn the lights off for me?”

“But I want to look at it longer?” Nemo whined.

“Trust me.” I gave him a wink.

He walked across the room and hit the switch on the wall; at the same time, I pushed the plug into the outlet and it sprang to life, the multi-colored bulbs casting a bright glow. Nemo gasped audibly. His hands were in front of his mouth as he came to stand before it. I stood behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, my chin resting on his head.

“Now, what do you think of it?”

His arms folded over mine on his waist. “Oh, Cory, it’s magnificent. This is a wonderful tradition. You must do this every year.”

It was gaudy and obnoxious, and I wouldn’t have picked out the brightly colored sea creatures if it was up to me, but seeing the joy radiate out of him made it perfect. Complete perfection.

He sighed and leaned back against my chest, and this moment with him felt more like Christmas than I’d had since I was a kid.

“What do you usually do after your tree is decorated?”

“Watch Christmas movies. Have you seen any movies?”

Nemo tilted his head to the side so he could look at me. “Hmm. No, I’m not sure what that is.”

I pulled him toward the couch and sat down. Instead of sitting beside me, Nemo sat right on my lap, as if he was always supposed to be there, and I didn’t mind one bit. “A movie is a story told by people acting it out, and it is recorded so we can watch it again and again. Christmas tends to have a lot of funny or romantic stories to help capture the spirit of the season.”

Nemo nodded, trying to understand. “I think we should watch a romantic one.”

“I like the way you think.” I kissed the side of his neck, and he made that wonderful humming sound he did.

I picked out a movie about a snowman who came to life and became the love interest of the small town’s new mayor. It was corny, but sweet. We ended up shifting on the couch so I could recline to the side and prop my leg up, and Nemo settled between my legs with his head on my chest. He laughed at moments that weren’t intended to be funny, making me laugh, and he asked questions about the idioms that were used, making it an entirely different experience than if I had watched it on my own.

Nemo was very entertained and, in turn, entertaining. It was endearing as hell, but also fun. When it was over, he let out a loud yawn. It had been a long day, and he seemed to be handling things a lot better than I expected him to. Too well, in fact. I was half-bracing myself for it to hit him again, but I was glad I was able to distract him for a while.

“Hey, little one, I think we should head to bed. ”

“Is it time for more sex yet? Because I think we have waited a really long time.”

A snort popped out of me. It was tempting. So tempting. I wanted nothing more than to explore every inch of him, but so much had happened in such a short time. I wanted to savor him, not just devour him, because he looked entirely too enticing.

“Not yet. Not because I don't want to, believe me I do, but I still think we should wait a little longer. Consider it part of me courting you and trying to be a gentleman. I want you to see I value you and want you for your heart and not just for your body. Even if it's a really incredible body.”

Nemo sat up and stretched, that crop top lifting to reveal more of his beautiful, fair skin. Fuck, was it too late to take back what I said about waiting? No. No. I could resist. He looked back to catch my gaze, giving me a knowing smirk. “Very well. We'll wait.”

I swung my leg around him to straighten it and stand. My knee buckled for a minute, but Nemo came to my side quickly and wrapped an arm around me, bracing me while I carefully put weight on my leg.

“Are you all right, Cory?”

“Yes, little one. I have good days and bad days with my knee, and I think those steep stairs are catching up with me. I'll be okay. It'll be better after some decent rest.”

Nemo stayed at my side as we crossed the apartment to the bed. He stood on his tip-toes and kissed me. “Can I help you with your clothes?”

Did I need help? No. But waiting or not, I would be foolish not to take him up on his offer. “Sure thing, sweetheart.”

He beamed as if I'd given him a gift. Damn, this man was going to spoil me for any other. Though it was hard to imagine another after him.

Nemo pushed his hands under my hoodie, pausing to play with the hair on my belly, an action that had my cock perking up. The playful look in his eyes told me he knew the effect it had. Yup, a natural brat. I smiled to myself. He pushed the hoodie up higher until my nipples were exposed. He stared at them and licked his lips. They'd been tender all day after that suction magic from his cirri and the idea of feeling them again made me even harder.

I narrowed my eyes when Nemo looked up at me. “You don't play fair.”

He shrugged with a wicked gleam in his eye. “It's really too bad we can't do anything about it tonight. But I want you for your heart, too, Cory, so it seems we can't.”

The laugh that burst out of me was muffled by my hoodie being pulled over my head. Once my arms were free, I threw them around his waist, lifting him off his feet, and kissing him deep. The move was a bad idea, especially when his legs went around my waist, but I simply could not resist. Nemo was the textbook definition of irresistible. The hint of the ocean on his tongue made me think of where else I wanted to taste him. Before I gave in to that idea, I pulled back, resting my forehead on his. Slowly, I set him down, putting space between us as I fought to not lose my resolve.

Nemo looked beautifully flushed, and his white pants were tented. Before I could say anything, he lowered himself to his knees, his face lined up with my crotch. Fucking hell. His position did nothing to quell the throb in my cock.

He started at the button on my jeans as if trying to work out how to undo it. Nemo reached out and felt the button from the outside, as well as dipping a finger into the waistband to feel it from the inside, making me suck in a quick breath. I could have shown him or instructed him, but apparently, I was in it for the torment, because I said nothing. He went at it with both hands, pushing and pulling, his tongue sticking out in concentration. It was the most adorable thing ever. His determination to figure it out was only out-cuted by his little cheer when the button slipped free from the hole. Yup, I was a goner.

The zipper was easier to figure out, and he had it unzipped with my jeans rolled down my legs in a moment. When his hands returned to my boxer briefs, my hard cock barely contained, I stopped him. “I think I'll keep those on, thank you.” I needed some sort of barrier to keep me using the head upstairs and not give in to what Nemo so willingly offered.

Nemo stood and gave my arm a squeeze. “Lay down and rest your leg, Cory. I can take care of my own clothes.”

I would have protested, but I didn't know how much longer I could keep myself in control and undressing him might have made me throw this whole slow-courting thing out the window. Throwing back the covers, I did as he said, though I may have enjoyed the show of watching him remove his shirt and pants.

He'd been commando under them all day. I didn't sell underwear in my shop, and it didn't occur to grab some when we were shopping for the tree. I should ask, though with his sensitivity to materials, I wasn't sure he would want to wear something else underneath, but he should have the option. I'd ask him later. Not right now, with him standing there gloriously naked. Fuck, such a beautiful, lithe body that I desperately wanted to touch.

“Do you need anything to help with your knee?”

I wasn't used to having anyone look after me, but it was nice. He was so sweet, and I was perhaps more than smitten already. “Maybe one of those small pillows from the couch so I can prop my knee up.”

He tilted his head for a moment. “Actually, I think I can help with that, if you would be willing to let me.”

I had no idea what he had in mind, but after his cirri trick, I'd already decided I would be open to trying whatever he wanted. “I'm willing.”

Nemo smiled and crawled into bed next to me. I felt a strange whir of energy and jumped when a cirrus slid over my leg. Nemo flicked his eyes to mine, checking if I was okay. I gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, just surprised me. It's still a new sensation, but it's not bad, I promise.”

“I understand.” He placed his hand on my cheek, keeping my attention on him, as dozens of cirri slid over my good leg, which was closer to him, before they slithered beneath my bad knee. So many appendages touching my skin with their ends flicking over me like a lizard tasting the air with its tongue, only it was a lot of tongues. It tickled in ways that both fascinated and turned me the hell on. My knee lifted, cushioned by Nemo's cirri, like my own customized support, naturally contouring to my body's shape. It was unreal, but also kind of incredible.

“Is this okay?” Nemo asked carefully. I knew he was eager to help, but he also sounded small and vulnerable.

“Is it possible to lift a little higher under the center?” As soon as I asked, his cirri adjusted and gave my knee a slight bend, making it the perfect, relaxed position which relieved the pressure. “Ah. Yes, right there. And yes, it's okay. In fact, it feels perfect, just the right support where I need it. Is it…comfortable for you? ”

Nemo smiled. “Yes. My cirri like touching you. I feel this sense of satisfaction from them, and it's nice to know I can help you.”

Seeing the flesh-colored cables snaking across my thigh and lifting my other knee looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, but as it turns out, I was definitely into it. Reaching down, I caressed my hand over the cirri, making them contract in response, squeezing me lightly. They had grooves and ridges I found really enticing. I ran my hand over them again, and Nemo giggled.

“You said no sex, but your touch excites them, so if you keep doing that, I can't guarantee they won't pursue more and it will be your own fault.”

“Fuck, okay, I'll stop.” We both let out a disappointed groan when I moved my hand away. Some of the cirri supporting my knee released their secretions, adhering to my skin. They began contacting and relaxing in a way that felt like several small fingers giving me a massage. Somehow, they were able to target the exact areas I needed it most. I let out a loud sigh and felt my entire body relax into the mattress. I used to get regular massages as part of my rehab and physical therapy, but it was something I'd neglected over the last couple of years.

“That feels really good, Nemo.”

“Good. Just relax and let me take care of you.” Nemo rubbed his smooth cheek against my scratchy one, then kissed my nose .

My leg's weightlessness and the soothing palpitations had my eyes closing before long as I sank into blissful rest.