Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Valen emerged from his rest cycle to unfamiliar sounds. Rustling, soft thuds, and what seemed to be human muttering. He was still on the couch where Logan had fallen asleep against him the night before, but Logan himself was no longer there.

A clatter from across the cabin drew his attention.

When he went to investigate, he found Logan reaching up to the top shelf of a closet where several dusty cardboard boxes sat. Through their bond, Valen felt something he hadn't experienced from Logan before: a mix of melancholy and... anticipation? The emotions swirled together like the aurora storms of his home world, complex and beautiful.

"What are you doing?" Valen asked.

Logan startled slightly, then relaxed when he saw Valen. "There should be decorations in here," he said, setting one box down on the floor. "Christmas decorations. Haven't put any up in... well, in a while."

Valen peered into the box. Inside, he could see delicate spheres made of glass, painted with intricate patterns of silver and blue, nestled in crumpled paper. "Christmas," he repeated carefully. He grasped that it was an important holiday, but he still wasn't entirely sure of its significance.

"Yeah." Logan knelt beside the box, carefully unwrapping one of the ornaments. "It's about family, giving gifts, celebrating..." He paused, then added more quietly, "Being together."

Through their bond, Valen felt the sharp edge of old pain in those last words, but it was softer now, cushioned by something warmer. Something hopeful.

Valen watched as Logan pulled all the boxes from the closet and began sorting through them, creating small piles of different items. Valen wanted to help but didn't know where to start.

"First thing," Logan said, pulling out a long string of tiny lights, "is to untangle these." He sat cross-legged on the floor, frowning at the jumbled mess in his lap. "This is such a headache every time."

"Is it?" Valen settled beside him, fascinated by the way the morning light caught the small glass bulbs.

Logan's hands stilled for a moment. "Jeff loved Christmas lights. Said they made everything magical. But no matter how neatly we packed away the strings… they'd always be a mess by the next year." Through their bond, Valen felt the memory's bittersweet warmth.

Valen carefully touched a loop of lights with his tentacles. "May I help?"

Logan nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "Yeah. Just be careful. If you use too much force…" He broke off as Valen's tentacles efficiently began working through the knots, separating strand from strand with ease. "Oh. That's... actually really useful."

Valen felt a spark of pleasure at Logan's impressed tone. "We have similar illumination strands on Nexa, though ours respond to emotional resonance rather than electricity. Sometimes it makes them flicker a lot." He paused, realizing something. "Is this why your emotions have been all over the place? These memories?"

Logan was quiet for a moment, his fingers tracing one of the untangled strands. "Yeah, I guess so." He took a deep breath. "But it's good, I think. Like... like finally opening a door that's been locked for too long."

Through their bond, Valen felt the truth of those words, felt the way Logan was deliberately choosing to face these memories rather than hide from them. Pride and affection swelled in his chest, and he had to resist the urge to wrap Logan in his tentacles.

"Tell me about these traditions?" he asked instead, holding up the now-untangled strings of lights. "How do we honor them properly?"

The smile that spread across Logan's face was small but genuine. "Well," he said, standing and offering Valen a hand up, "first we need to figure out if these still work. And then I'll show you how humans make their homes glow for the darkest part of their year."

Together, they plugged in each strand of lights, Logan explaining how to spot the burned-out bulbs while Valen marveled at the way the tiny lights made Logan's eyes sparkle. Most of the strands still worked, which seemed to make his mate happy.

"Now we hang them," Logan said. "Usually around the windows first." He stopped as Valen's tentacles gently took the lights from his hands. "What are you...?"

Valen extended himself upward, his tentacles easily reaching the top of the window frame. "Guide me? I believe I can be more efficient at this task."

A burst of surprised amusement came through their bond. "Show-off," Logan muttered, but Valen could feel his appreciation. "Okay, you want to start at the top left corner, then drape them evenly across..."

They worked their way around the cabin's main room, Valen's tentacles making quick work of hanging the lights while Logan directed him on their placement.

"The tree is next," Logan said once they'd finished with the lights. He was looking at a large box in the corner, his emotions turning complex again. "If you want to help with that too."

"Tree?" Valen studied the box with curiosity. "You bring vegetation inside?"

"An artificial one, actually." Logan opened the box, revealing sections of green synthetic branches. "It's tradition to decorate an evergreen tree for Christmas. Real ones are nice, but..." He shrugged. "This is easier."

As they assembled the tree, Logan began explaining the tradition's origins and how it had changed throughout the years. Valen listened intently, fascinated by earth's history. "I don't have a gift for you," he interjected when Logan explained that part of the holiday.

"You've given me plenty already." Logan smiled softly.

When they were done assembling the tree, he opened a box with delicate ornaments. The decorated spheres Valen had noticed earlier. "We need to be careful with these," Logan said. "Some of them break easily."

"I'll be very careful," Valen promised, and as they worked their way through the box, Valen's tentacles proved perfect for reaching the higher branches, carefully placing each ornament where Logan directed.

At the bottom of the box, wrapped in yellowed newspaper, Logan found a star tree topper. He went very still as he unwrapped it.

"Logan?" Valen asked softly, feeling the sudden surge of emotion through their bond.

"We used to have one just like this," Logan said, his voice rough as he turned the silver star in his hands. "Jeff and I, in our apartment in the city. He used to say it wasn't really Christmas until we'd nearly knocked the tree over trying to get the star on straight."

Valen moved closer, letting one tentacle rest lightly against Logan's back. He could feel the way Logan was working to stay present, to not let the memories overwhelm him.

"Would you like to put it up?" Valen asked.

Logan nodded, looking around for something to stand on. "Let me just grab the—" His words cut off in a startled yelp as Valen wrapped one tentacle securely around his waist, lifting him clear off the ground. "Jesus! A little warning next time?"

"Is this not helpful?" Valen asked innocently.

"I was going to get a chair," Logan grumbled, but there was no real annoyance in his voice.

The star caught the morning light as Logan set it in place.

"Beautiful," Valen said, though he wasn't sure if he meant the decoration or the way Logan's energy had steadied, finding balance between memory and the present moment.

"Okay, you can put me down now," Logan said. And then his stomach growled. He laughed as Valen set him down. "Sorry. I got so caught up in all this, I forgot about breakfast." He glanced toward the kitchen, then back at Valen. "Have you ever had hot chocolate?"

"Hot... chocolate?" The words were unfamiliar on Valen's tongue.

"Oh, you're in for a treat." Logan's excitement filtered through their bond.

He disappeared into the kitchen, Valen heard him humming something under his breath. The tune was unfamiliar but pleasant, and he felt Logan's spirits continuing to lift.

But underneath that contentment, Valen sensed something else: the first subtle signs of rising body temperature. Soon, Logan would need more nectar. The thought sent anxiety coiling through him. How could he broach the subject without ruining this moment of peace?

While Valen worried, rich aromas filled the cabin. Logan returned with two steaming mugs, tiny white things floating on top of the dark liquid. "Careful, it's hot," he warned, passing one to Valen's tentacle. "And those are marshmallows. They melt into it."

Valen watched, fascinated, as Logan took a careful sip and sighed contentedly. Through their bond came a wave of pure pleasure, memories of winter mornings and shared warmth.

The drink was good. Very sweet, but good. Valen could see why Logan liked it. It wasn't very nourishing, though. "You should eat something," Valen advised. His mate would need his strength soon.

Logan paused mid-sip, studying Valen over the rim of his mug. "Something's bothering you, I can feel it."

Valen's tentacles curled inward. "Your temperature... it's beginning to rise again."

"Ah." Logan was quiet for a moment, his fingers tracing the rim of his mug. Through their bond, Valen felt him processing this information, weighing options. Finally, he looked up. "How long do we have before...?"

"Thirty minutes, perhaps." Valen licked his lips. "I don't want you to suffer like last time."

Logan took another slow sip of his hot chocolate, his emotions churning through their connection, anticipation, nervousness, but also... determination? Setting his mug down, he met Valen's gaze. "Don't let me suffer, then."

Did Valen dare to hope? "What do you mean?"

Logan gave him the smallest of smiles. "Help me through it."

"Are you sure?"

"No." Logan laughed softly. His face flushed. "But I want this. I want you."

Valens hearts beat faster. Finally he would be able to take care of his mate the way he was meant to.