Earth Fathers Are Weird (Earth Fathers #1) - Lyn Gala Page 0,62

more strength than Max had realized the little one possessed. The next thing Max knew, he was engulfed by tentacles as Xander drew him closer. It felt good.

And cold.

“Query. Did someone reduce the temperature on the pool?” Max asked.

Rick answered. “Invaders wanted conservation of energy to recharge their ship.”

The offspring shifted and Max was pulled closer until pressed up against Rick's warm central head. “You do have the heat turned up, though, right? Query?”

“I do,” Rick agreed. He raised a tentacle as if expecting Max to flee. Eventually he wrapped it around Max's waist.

The offspring had claimed Max's left hand and his entire arm was wrapped in tentacles, but he reached around with his right to embrace Rick. When he touched something slick, the folds of skin warned him that he had touched Rick’s eyeball. Rick was smooth everywhere except where his tentacles met his body and around his eyes. “I'm sorry,” Max blurted.

“Query. What do you regret?” Rick tried withdrawing his tentacle, but Kohei wrapped his own tentacles around it, holding Rick in place.

“I regret touching your eye,” Max said. “I apologize for touching your eye.”

The eye closest to Max dilated. “Eyes are to be touched.”

“Seriously?” A full-body shudder ran through Max.

No one answered him, but given that Max had not properly marked the question he wasn't surprised. He tried again. “Clarify. Human eyes are not for touching. Query. Can I touch the eyes of the people?”

“Understood. I will not touch your eyes,” Rick said. “You may touch my eyes with comfort.” Rick tightened his tentacle around Max’s waist again.

And there they were, right back to the alien and bizarre conversations they'd had before invaders had decided to attack the ship. Max leaned into Rick's head and shivered. Rick might be a wonderful hot water bottle, but Max's limbs were still slowly losing feeling.

“Are the offspring safe in such cold water?”

“I am cold, cold. Kohei warm. Kohei keep me warm,” Xander said with a hnng-hnng noise added onto the end.

“I warm too.” James crawled over Max’s shoulder, lifting himself out of the water to perch on Max’s head.

“James is warm on land,” Xander complained.

“I am warm enough for Xander,” Kohei said, and that ended the escalations. Max smiled. It had sounded so much like him and Petey fighting over the Halloween candy that it was hard to believe he was on an alien ship.

“I think I am too cold to stay in the water,” Max said. He shivered. While he should swim to the edge, he hated leaving the little island of warmth he had found. But if he didn’t, his toes might freeze off. He had enough problems with potential kidney bruising, so he didn’t need to add frostbite. Max started to pull away from the family puppy pile.

James stayed on his head for a few seconds before he slid off, but when Max kicked his legs to swim toward the edge of the pool, Rick hung on. Max had to swim with his feet because Rick held so tightly all the way to firm ground, where Rick released him. “Query. Option. You may choose new living section,” Rick said.

Max stopped at the edge of the water and turned to look at him. That had come out of nowhere. “Query. Why would I want a new room?” Max asked. It had taken him time to learn to use all the latches and knobs in the room he had. Even though Rick had been quick to offer his help with any of the equipment, Max’s pride had prevented him from taking up too much of Rick’s time. Trial and error had allowed him to figure out most of the features, although Rick had to help Max with the use of bathroom.

“Come.” Rick headed for the door at warp speed.

Max blew out a breath. Rick was excited about something.

“Rick Father warmed Max Father,” Xander said.

Max grabbed the thin fabric Rick had manufactured after Max had described a towel.

“I was not dangerously cold,” Max said, “Not unless I stayed in the water much longer. Query. Do you need more warmth?” Max was uncomfortable leaving Xander in such cold water.

“Kohei is warm,” Xander said. “Air is warm.”

Max assumed that meant Xander could warm up by getting out of the water. “James, help with warmth,” Max said.

James hit the surface of the water with a tentacle. “Xander be warm!” he said loudly as Max was putting his pants on. Max didn’t know whether the clever little git was avoiding making a promise to