Jingle Bells and Tentacle Spells, page 16
By the time we reach the front of the line, we’ve finished our beverages and are nice and relaxed. I hold Gemma’s hand to help her into the hoverboat then jump in next to her. We strap ourselves into our seats, and the attendant quickly sends us on our way. As the tunnel’s entrance fades to darkness behind us, its shimmering walls begin to light up, and Gemma and I hold hands while we wait to see how some of our dreams and fantasies play out on the walls.
The first image shows Gemma and Felix celebrating a future Christmas with me, Najar, Khephren, and Sasha. We all look festive, happy, and full of cheer. It’s a warm, cozy scene that makes me smile.
Glowing, scrawling letters appear above the image with a single word: family.
Gemma gasps. “That’s fucking uncanny.”
My hearts go pitter-patter in my chest when I realize this is one of Gemma’s wishes.
“I know it might be hard to fully accept quite yet, but like Kheph and I told you, the Taylor siblings are part of our quirky found family aboard the Sleigh Belle, and you always will be.”
Gemma’s voice comes out in a faint whisper. “I know, and that means more to me than I could ever put into words. Having a family again, a loving and loyal support system in our lives, is something Felix and I have yearned for ever since we lost our grandparents far too soon.” Her expression turns wistful. “When they were gone, it left us painfully adrift. We never had anyone else we could rely on or turn to in times of joy or trouble beyond each other.”
Well, fuck. Now I’m getting all teary-eyed.
“You both have all of us now, and we’re not letting you two go without a fight!”
Gemma chuckles wetly. “Good, I’ll hold you to that.”
As our hoverboat moves further down the tunnel, the images fade away to be replaced by one of my dreams. It’s an image of Gemma and me being welcomed with open arms by my family. The words reunited and acceptance glow brightly above the image. Now I understand what Gemma meant when she said this was uncanny.
In fact, I kind of get her earlier point about this being creepy.
Dammit, am I going to lose my self-appointed title of Love Master?
“Is that your family?” Gemma asks me softly.
I startle out of my thoughts. “Yeah. Like I told you when we texted, things are kind of strained between us and have been ever since I left Draveth. Actually, if I’m honest, our relationship was rocky for quite a while prior to me leaving. It all got way worse after I left.”
“Because you didn’t fit into their expectations?”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Basically. They put a lot of pressure on me to be someone I’m not. If I hadn’t had the friendship of Kheph and Naj, who knows? I might have caved to their demands. Luckily, my friends supported me from the get-go. That gave me the courage and strength to stand firm against my family’s traditionalist views, no matter how hard it was.”
Gemma uses her free hand to gently stroke my forearm. The sensation is soothing, and a tension I didn’t know had risen up in me lets go.
“You’re super fucking courageous and strong. I can only imagine how difficult that all must have been for you, but I for one am glad that you stayed true to yourself, because you shine as bright as the moon that your name derives its meaning from.”
Talk about a direct love shot to the heart! Or, in my case, hearts.
Thankfully, the image on the screen fades away before I can say or do anything foolish, and we both look on with anticipation as the next one begins to shimmer to life on the tunnel walls. This time, it’s an image of Gemma and me, years from now, cuddled together in bed and looking happy and content. My hair is cut short and there are streaks of silver in the green. Gemma still retains her wild, curly mane of hair, but there’s white around her temples and threaded through her tresses. We’ve aged, but like fine fucking wine. We look damn good, wrinkles and all. I sincerely hope this is an accurate prediction of what we’ll look like in a few decades.
And that’s when it hits me, this is a dream about the future, and one that imagines us still together and happy decades from now. It’s something I can’t deny that I want very badly.
Glittering letters begin to emerge above the image I can barely tear my eyes away from. When I do drag my gaze upward, I see that they spell out shared dream.
My hearts start thumping; I whip my head in Gemma’s direction to find her watching me with a similar kind of awe. Neither of us is quite able to speak yet, and I’m trying not to hyperventilate from too much excitement and pass out.
Calm down, Luna, I mentally chide myself.
Then, quite suddenly and when I’m not entirely ready for it, the image fades away and light appears ahead as we come to the tunnel’s exit. The attendant waiting there helps us both out of the hoverboat, and I won’t deny that my legs are a little shaky. My chest swells with so many emotions that have been building inside me ever since I first saw Gemma on that view screen. I feel like a supernova about to explode.
Unable to hold it all back any longer, I blurt out what I’ve been longing to tell Gemma but too scared to say.
“Gemma Taylor, I’m completely head over tentacles in love with you.”
Her eyes go comically wide.
Said tentacles undulate in the air, dancing to music only they can hear. I shake my head and point at them. “These babies only act like this when I’m with you. They’ve been screaming at me for a while now that you’re the one—my celestial soulmate. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Gemma’s bottom lip trembles. “Fucking hell if you don’t know how to slay my heart with a few words. I love you too, and that includes your tentacles.”
As if prompted by that comment, my tentacles do a full-on Rocky victory dance.
My hearts leap in my chest, and I’m momentarily lightheaded from the euphoria her words bring.
“Truly?” I ask, my voice wavering with a mixture of hope and uncertainty.
She flings herself into my arms and I catch her, inhaling her sweet, familiar scent and counting my lucky stars.
“I’d never lie about loving you,” she whispers fiercely.
My tentacles shimmy and shake. “Good, because no one has ever sent joy comet-tailing through my entire being like you do.”
Gemma peppers soft kisses along my jawline. “You’re such an adorable romantic,” she murmurs. “You make me believe in the power of true love, something I’d kind of given up on until I met you.”
My tentacles do another merry little shimmy around us.
Gemma pulls back slightly to look into my eyes, her mouth curving in a smirk. “You do realize that your love confession was basically a proposal, right?”
It’s my turn for my mouth to drop open. I think back on what I said.
Neptune’s nads, but she’s totally right.
That wasn’t intentional on my part, yet it speaks to the truth of the final image we saw on the walls of the Quantum Tunnel of Love, and that bolsters my self-confidence.
I smirk right back. “Hey, don’t forget, the tunnel showed us a shared dream image at the end. I’m not the only one who fantasizes about a future with us growing old together as a happy, loving couple.”
Gemma’s cheeks flush. “That one did throw me for a bit of a loop at first, but when I did a little soul-searching, I couldn’t deny that it’s something I’ve secretly started dreaming about.”
“Ditto, gorgeous.”
The smile she directs at me is so beautiful and bright. I’m utterly captivated.
She traces a heart pattern over my chest with her finger. “Does that mean we’re both committing to one another on a permanent basis right now?”
I swallow hard. “That’s what I want.”
“Perfect, me too. Although I’m not sure that I’m ready for or even want something official like marriage.”
“Don’t worry,” I hasten to reassure her. “There are plenty of other types of couple designations that are legally recognized across most of the universe. We can decide together what, or if anything, suits us best.”
She links her arm with mine, and we begin walking back through the park toward where we docked the ship.
When we entered the Quantum Tunnel of Love, I wasn’t planning to declare my feelings for Gemma, but in the end, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I’m so damn glad I did because now I know that she loves me too.
I covertly pinch myself. Yep, this is real. I’m not dreaming.
I start grinning from ear to ear.
Gemma’s eyes become hooded and sultry. “Now that we’ve declared our love for one another and gotten that out of the way, I think it’s time for us to make our way back to the ship and to a bedroom. Stat.”
We race arm in arm back to the Sleigh Belle.
CHAPTER 17
Now that you’re settled into your relationship, you might be asking yourself—how do I keep the romance alive? That’s a good question and one you should think about!
Even the most committed relationships can become stale or stagnant over time. It’s easy to fall into a rut or simply settle into a routine with very little deviation. Variety is the spice of life, as they say, and it is crucial to keeping the romantic zest in your relationship zesty! Try to commit to regular date nights as a couple. Plan them around things that appeal to you both, and sometimes to your partner’s preferences. Show them you care and prioritize them and their happiness. Surprise gifts from time to time aren’t a bad option either, so long as they are in alignment with what your partner enjoys. You don’t have to break the intergalactic bank either. A meaningful handmade gift can hold more romantic value than an item from a store, or you can find time to do things with your partner that you both enjoy. Whether it be outdoors and adventurous or cozy and comforting, remember to always consider time, place, and needs.
Long story short, just because you’ve won each other’s hearts, doesn’t mean you don’t still need to work at keeping the romantic vibes grooving!
—Ch. 8, How to Flirt Among the Stars: An Intergalactic (and Interspecies) Sapphic Dating Guide
Gemma
Once Luna and I are back on the Sleigh Belle and in her quarters, the clothes start flying with gusto. We’re both riding high on the events of the day.
Who could have known so much would happen during a simple visit to an intergalactic theme park? But I’m not complaining. In my mind, everything that went down today was an important step toward building our future as a couple—and helping me determine how to pursue my passion as a doctor. The Quantum Tunnel of Love ride also gave both of us some profound insight into what we want. Family’s deeply important to us, and I’m already bound and determined to help make her dream of reconnecting with hers and gaining their acceptance a reality. But far more moving still was that final shared dream that gave me a vision of what being with Luna decades from now might look like.
It wasn’t anything elaborate or spectacular—but somehow, it was exactly what I want. That cozy picture kindled a deep yearning in the very core of my being. It reminded me of the love my grandparents shared. They were together for over fifty years, and to this day are still the happiest couple I’ve ever known. That’s not to say they didn’t have their share of ups and downs and issues they had to work through, but the fact that they triumphed over those potholes in the road of life and came out better and stronger on the other side was always inspiring.
Their commitment was rock solid, and they never strayed from the promises they made. Thus, it came as no surprise to Felix and me when they passed within a few months of one another—as if they couldn’t bear to be apart, even in death.
When I was younger, I often fantasized about having a relationship like theirs, but as I got older and experienced the realities of dating, I quickly became disillusioned and settled for what I could have. I admit, those relationship failures weren’t entirely the fault of the women I dated. None of them ever inspired me to go all in with them either. I always held a part of myself back, instinctively knowing none of them were the one for me. In my heart of hearts, I was holding out for a love that could stand the test of time like Nana and Gramps’.
Then Luna burst into my life like a green-tentacled tornado, upending my whole world and causing me to dare to dream once more. Yet I still held a part of myself back, not fully able to believe that the proverbial shoe on the other foot might not drop at some moment and obliterate my poor, foolish heart.
But over the weeks we messaged with one another, and then after we finally met in person, those jaded doubts began to disappear one by one until I was able to believe in what Luna and I could become. So when she declared her love for me and practically proposed in such an adorable, earnest outburst, complete with excitable tentacled gesticulations, the last flimsy barrier around my heart dissolved, and I was swept up in a tidal wave of emotions I’d been barely keeping at bay.
The deluge was overwhelming, but also pretty damn blissful. I couldn’t deceive myself any longer that I’m as much in love with Luna as she is with me.
In a heated frenzy of passion, we tumble onto her bed together, desperately touching every inch of each other’s bodies as if to confirm that we’re real. That what happened in the tunnel wasn’t a dream.
“Galactic gods, I love the way you feel in my arms,” Luna groans.
“You stole my line,” I chuckle.
Luna lets out a playful growl and gently tackles me, making me squeal a little.
This time when we kiss, there’s a tightness in my chest that’s part pain, part pleasure. It’s as if I can’t get enough of Luna and want to devour her completely. The intensity of it nearly knocks the breath right out of me.
I never knew true love could be so powerful and overwhelming.
Our bodies writhe against each other, and in almost synchronized motion, we each begin to stroke the other’s pussy. We’re even more sensitized than last time, and there’s something almost sacred about coming together like this.
Once Luna’s gushing around my fingers, I waste no time delving inside her and questing for that spectacular version of a G-spot that she possesses. When I find the sensitive ridge, I go to town, alternating between pressing down with firm pressure and stroking my fingers against it.
“Gemma!” Luna cries, her hand on me faltering.
“Let me pleasure you,” I purr.
She shudders all over and then her body relaxes, submitting to my request. It’s a heady sensation. Giving herself over to me like this, when I know that’s not Luna’s MO, tells me how much she loves and trusts me. I want to bask in the glow of this feeling and never let it go.
My fingers are full-on performing an infinity loop maneuver on her G-spot that’s driving her wild. It’s finger-fucking worthy of a gold medal if you ask me.
Right when Luna’s passage clamps down tight around my fingers, she cries out and her body convulses as she orgasms. I can’t tear my eyes away from how stunning she is, naked and trusting in my arms.
When she finally stops twitching from the aftershocks of her release, I gently remove my fingers that are wet with the evidence of her arousal. Remembering how much she liked it last time, I put on a teasing little show as I slowly and suggestively lick them clean.
Her eyes spark with fire and my heart squeezes in my chest. She yanks me closer for a deep kiss, and I willingly yield to her. Luna’s talented tongue conquers my mouth, licking and tasting every square inch of me in a way that makes me even wetter with desire.
Right when I think I might lose my ever-loving mind, Luna flips me on my back and moves between my legs. Her beautiful green skin, damp with sweat, is stunning in the low light of the room.
“I really want to fuck you with one of my tentacles now. Would you like that?”
Holy fucking hell.
My pussy throbs in time to some primal beat, and I swear all my nerve endings are doing an enthusiastic cheer, all in favor of getting tentacle-fucked. I wasn’t ready until now, and I can admit that it was because I was holding back. Acknowledging and committing to the love I have for Luna has freed me in so many ways, but it’s also made me want to know all of her—including this.
I gulp. “I’d like to try it but I’m a little nervous. To say I’ve never experienced anything quite like what you’re offering is an understatement.”
Sure, I’ve had plenty of women finger-fuck me, one who even wanted to try and put her whole hand in there, but I put the kibosh on that. I’ve also, with a partner and by myself, used some rather fun toys that, in combination with clitoral stimulation, gave me deeply intense orgasms.
But I’ve never had anything quite like one of Luna’s tentacles inside me.
The prospect doesn’t scare me at all anymore. In fact, my whole body is pulsating with the need to feel her inside me like that. I know Luna will be careful and gentle. She’d never hurt me. I believe that now.
No, at this moment, my only concern is that I’m going to like this a little too much.
Totally tentacle sex-positive gal right here, folks!
As if reading my mind, one of Luna’s tentacles comes to hover between us, and I stare in amazement as it starts to glisten wetly.
“What the—?”
Luna grins at me. “Hold on, baby. Self-lubricating tentacle for the motherfucking win.”
That makes my pussy clench hard enough I fear I might damn well orgasm before she even gets her tentacle inside me.
I lick my lips. “Show me what I’ve been missing, honey.”
Her answering grin is full of passion and promise.
Using her calloused hands, she spreads my legs wide, stroking my sensitive inner thighs, and I tremble all over. Her lubricated tentacle moves closer to my center and then gently, almost playfully, slides between my labia, smoother than silk.
