Jingle Bells and Elder Gods: A Tinsel and Tentacle Novella by Kiernan Kelly

Author:Kiernan Kelly [Kelly, Kiernan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-09-30T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Christmas morning found Xeno with a gift he could not deny. The tests could only have been more conclusive if the baby popped out and handed Xeno the results.

"It's official," he told Ryker. "I'm with child."

To his surprise, Ryker smiled and placed a hand on Xeno's belly. "I did a lot of thinking last night, and I realized that I wanted you to be pregnant. I want this baby, Xeno. I want to be a dad. This is the best Christmas present I ever got!"

Xeno grinned, and his orbital sockets leaked again. He batted the tears away, embarrassed. "Sorry. I can't seem to stop leaking."

"It's the pregnancy hormones," Ryker said. "Don't worry about it."

Still, Xeno was unsettled that he couldn't seem to stop even though he wanted to and changed the subject. Elder Things didn't do emotions. At least, he never had before. "So, you said you had questions?"

"Oh, yeah. For starters, do Elder Things have a gestation period like humans? How soon will this baby get here? Will the baby be born like a human, or will it be hatched from an egg? And what about feeding it? Will it need special food?"

Xeno laughed at the rapid-fire questions. "First off, I told you there will be no egg. Do you see feathers on me? I have tentacles, not wings. I'm not a chicken."

"Okay, no egg. Got it." Ryker chuckled and couldn't help but make chicken sounds under his breath. "Bwack bwack."

Xeno swatted him on the arm. Funny little human. Amusing, but a little bit irritating. "As for the rest, Elder Things rarely spawn children. From what I remember, it happens very quickly, so we should prepare the nest as soon as possible."

"Nest? I thought there were no eggs involved!"

"There aren't, but I need a nice, cozy place to give birth. Hence, a nest."

"Okay, gotcha. One nest, coming up."

Xeno smiled and ducked in for a kiss. "Mmm, that tastes even better than Slabboth bread." He took a second helping before continuing. "As for what the baby will eat, well, it depends on how much it's like me, and how much it's like you."

"You've been eating what I eat."

"Yes, but that's because I'm a full-grown Elder Thing. Even though they’re born fully adult, they usually have baby teeth. Baby Elder Things tend to need softer, easier to chew food that's highly nutritious. Like regurgitated mpeetop meat."

Ryker's face screwed up in a grimace. "I don't know what sounds worse -- the mpeetop meat, or the regurgitation part."

"Mpeetop meat is delicious. Kind of like pork, if the pig was on fire and still kicking when you swallowed it."

"Ugh. Let's hope it's more like me. Baby formula sounds so much easier to digest." He paused a moment. “Also, let’s hope it takes after human babies size-wise. I’d hate to have to change a Baby Elder Thing’s diaper.”

***

Ryker and Xeno spent every spare minute gathering supplies for the impending arrival. They scoured the flea markets and antique shops where they found a lush eiderdown pillow, plus thick velvet blankets in blues and purples to line the nest.

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