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Chapter seven

Scream Expert

Gem

After instructing Gem to sit down, Rusty navigated his kitchen, gathering the supplies they needed to eat. Gem curled up on the couch and watched, swallowing a snicker when Rusty climbed onto the counter to reach the bowls in one of the higher cabinets.

As Rusty filled two glasses of water, Gem unpacked the soup from the paper wrapping that kept it hot.

It smelled amazing, gamey and earthy, and Gem’s mouth watered, even as his stomach gave a warning flip.

He’d managed to eat a few salty crackers and hadn’t thrown up, but his stomach was still queasy.

The migraine—which had been the worst pain Gem had ever experienced—had downgraded to a dull ache in the back of his skull. Still present, but easier to think around. The weakness in his limbs was fading, and he was hoping he’d feel back to normal in the morning.

He couldn’t remember much from Friday night, not after the Avia took him to the bar to buy him that drink. Part of him was glad; he didn’t want to remember, not when what he did remember was so scary. But the other part of him feared that what he couldn’t remember was vitally important somehow.

What if Toni was lying to make him feel better and the Avia actually had…

done something? He didn’t believe Toni would lie about something like that, but his best friend also had a knack for going to great lengths to protect him.

As much as Gem loved that Elas, he didn’t need Toni to protect him all the time, especially not from something like this.

If Gem needed to go to a clinic and get tested—

Leaning away from the soup, he blew out a heavy breath, fighting the urge to heave.

In his younger, more irresponsible days, he’d been in his fair share of dicey situations.

He was an Araknis, though, so he was stronger than most everyone.

He could defend himself easily from just about any species in this dimension—not that he’d ever really had to.

As teens, Toni had been the punch-first, ask-later type of confrontational, and though Gem had stood a better chance at winning a fight than his best friend, he usually was the one pulling a furious Toni off whatever dickhead had insulted Gem to begin with.

He had a temper, after all, and though maturity and therapy had helped him learn how to handle it—most of the time—teenage Toni had been a bit of a menace.

It had fallen to Gem to be more peaceful, but that didn’t mean he was weak.

As he studied the quake in his hands, he questioned how true that was.

He felt weak, and not just because his body was exhausted.

He felt pathetic and violated, even though the Avia hadn’t actually fucked him.

Because he should have seen it. For deities’ sake, he had eight fucking eyes, so he should have seen it.

But he’d been basking in the attention and the flattery, so he’d let down his guard.

“Idiot,” he whispered.

“What?” Rusty asked, and Gem jumped because he’d forgotten all about Rusty and the soup he’d so thoughtfully brought for him. The Pyclon cocked his head, one ear falling forward while the other stood straight, those pale eyes scrutinizing him.

“I was an idiot,” Gem said, louder this time, and Rusty frowned. “I should have watched my drink.”

A low growl vibrated in Rusty’s chest as he set down the glasses of water. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“It was my drink, and I should have—”

“He was a fucking creep and an asshole. Don’t absolve him by taking on any of the blame,” Rusty interrupted, voice cold, expression severe. “It wasn’t your fault, Gem.”

Tears blurred Gem’s vision, and he swiped angrily at his eyes. “Why did he even—I was a sure thing. Like, I’m a very proud and confident slut, so I was gonna go home with him. He didn’t have to do that. Why did he do that?”

Slowly, cautiously, Rusty lowered himself to the couch beside Gem, his paws tightening, then releasing. Tightening, then releasing. Then he said, “Sometimes, it’s less about sex and more about control.” He swallowed thickly, throat working. “And sometimes, it’s just about hurting people.”

“I’m not naive, you know? People think I’m stupid, because I’m pretty and I’m femme and I talk too much, but I’m not stupid.

” Gem fisted his many hands, fighting the wave of tears trying to drown him.

“I know I’ve led a very privileged life, but I’m not naive.

I just don’t understand why some people are so ugly. ”

It took Rusty a long time to reply, but when he did, he sounded so much older than his twenty-four years. “Because they can be.”

“That’s not good enough,” Gem said fiercely. “That’s not fair. ”

“Life isn’t fair, Gem.”

“I know that!” Gem snapped, before taking a breath and releasing it slowly. “I know that,” he said in a kinder tone. “But it’s still not right.”

“Yeah,” Rusty agreed, staring at his clasped hands between his knees.

Choking on a sob, Gem used his hoodie cuffs to dry up the sudden waterfall pouring down his face. “Sorry, I’m extra emotional. I think it’s the drugs.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I get it.”

And he did get it. Because he’d been where Gem stood, hadn’t he? Though Gem feared he hadn’t had anyone looking out for him. He’d had no one to save him, and it made Gem want to rage at the injustice of it all.

“Doesn’t it make you wanna scream?” Gem asked, and Rusty smirked.

“So scream.”

Gem gawked at him. “What?”

Brushing off his pants, Rusty stood and held out a paw, palm up in invitation. “Get up.”

“Why?” Gem demanded, still dabbing at his eyes.

“Do you trust me?” Rusty asked, a mischievous curl playing at the corner of his mouth.

It surprised even Gem how little he hesitated as he slipped a top hand into Rusty’s. He let the Pyclon pull him to his feet and lead him toward the fire escape. Gem followed mutely, ducking through the now-open window, his fuzzy socks soaking up the evening dew on the metal.

Rusty dropped Gem’s hand as he looked out over the unimpressive view of Lust. “Scream.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. ”

“But people will hear,” Gem said, looking significantly at all the surrounding buildings.

Rusty shrugged. “Probably.”

“It’s weird,” Gem said.

“Then don’t scream,” Rusty said.

It felt like a challenge, and Gem shifted his weight uneasily, frowning down at the Pyclon. He faced forward and opened his mouth, releasing a short shout into the air. He shot a panicked look at Rusty, who scoffed.

“That was pathetic.”

Thoroughly offended, Gem huffed, “Well, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were a scream expert!”

Instead of rising to the bait, Rusty chuckled quietly and leaned his forearms on the railing. Gem copied him, tucking his lower hands back into his hoodie pocket.

They stood side-by-side on the fire escape, watching the setting sun as Gem picked at the corroded flakes of the railing.

Rusty’s eyes had taken on that far-off look he got sometimes, and Gem fought the urge to reach out and take his hand.

He had pulled away earlier, and though it made Gem sad, he didn’t want to cross the unspoken boundary again.

“I was seventeen,” Rusty said after several long minutes of silence. “He was a client. He wanted to take me out to dinner, and I couldn’t believe my fucking luck. Ain’t that a bitch?”

Before Gem could truly absorb it, Rusty opened his mouth, bared his canines, and screamed.

It was guttural and raw, and it made Gem’s own throat ache as it scraped up and out of Rusty’s mouth.

Gem wanted to run away, because there was pain here, a pain Rusty normally kept bottled up tight, and it scared him.

It scared him how very real it was, but he refused to flee.

He couldn’t undo Rusty’s past; the least he could do was stand and bear witness.

Rusty screamed into the sky until he ran out of air, then he gasped in a breath and slumped onto the railing, chest heaving. He still didn’t look at Gem, glaring down at the metal between his clenched paws.

Facing forward again, Gem thought of the Avia’s sharp talons running down his arm.

The way the lights had gone fuzzy, and the world had spun.

He’d been confused and scared, and the Avia had said, “Don’t worry, baby.

I’ll take good care of you.” But he was a liar.

He’d looked at Gem and thought he was entitled to what he saw, and it made Gem so fucking angry.

So he screamed his rage and helplessness, leaning out over the fire escape until the railing dug into his stomach.

He screamed until his throat ached and his vocal chords gave out.

He screamed until he couldn’t scream anymore, and only then did he choke on a desperate inhale, breath catching.

Looking down, he met Rusty’s gaze, and the Pyclon nodded. Just once.

Then they both turned and screamed again, Rusty’s a low, animalistic snarl, Gem’s a furious shriek of indignation. They screamed until they were empty, and somehow, Gem felt better. He grinned down at Rusty, and the Pyclon smirked back.

Then someone from a neighboring building shouted, “Hey, keep it down over there!”

“You keep it down,” Gem yelled back, waving several arms threateningly. “We’re having a cathartic moment!”

“Gemae? Is that you?” they called, and Gem exchanged a worried look with Rusty.

“Uh, yeah?”

“No way! It’s me, Kravyn. ”

“Kravyn? Oh my gods, how are you? How’s Brandi?” Gem knocked Rusty’s arm. “It’s Kravyn!”

Rusty shook his head. “I don’t know who that is.”

“I’m doing good,” Kravyn said. “Brandi had the baby, and we got another one on the way.”

“What? Congratulations! That’s so great.” To Rusty, Gem said, “They were trying for a really long time. I’m so glad it’s finally happening for them.”