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Chapter twenty-three

Bodacious Babe

Gem

Gem and Rusty stayed until the sun started to set. While Gem chatted with his clutchmates, Rusty lay on his belly in a coloring circle amidst some of the younger kids. Ryni, who’d taken an unexpected liking to the Pyclon, lay beside him, pointing out which markers were which color when Rusty asked.

She’d taken an interest in Rusty’s colorblindness, peppering him with questions. Most of which, Rusty had seemed unable to answer.

“Color blindness. The inability to distinguish or see certain colors,” Ryni had said. “Which one do you have? Dichromacy? Trichromacy?”

Rusty had shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Dadi would know,” she said. “He could check.”

“I’m good. I don’t like people messing with my eyes,” he admitted, and she frowned.

Later, she said, “We’re the same color, by the way. Pink-pink.” She held up her furry arm next to his, and sure enough, her stripes were nearly the same shade of pink as Rusty’s darker fur. “See? Same.”

“Cool. Pink is a good color,” he said, and Ryni glanced up at him briefly with two eyes, offering him a crooked smile. Then she turned back to her own drawing. “You colored Gem wrong in your drawing. He’s red. Use this.”

She handed Rusty a red marker, and he took it with a chagrined chuckle. “Oh, okay. Thanks.”

Watching the exchange, Gem’s non-existent ovaries started to sing, but he locked that shit down fast. Not only did he not want kids—nor did he possess the anatomy necessary—but it was honestly a question of ethics.

Their spawn would be mutant freaks. Six-armed, furry freaks.

It would be immoral to subject a child, nay, the world, to such horror.

“He’s quite lovely,” his father said, jolting Gem from his terrifying thoughts as Hyl wrapped several arms around his shoulders and back. “Maman adores him already.”

“Ew, don’t be weird,” Gem said, even as his hearts swelled in his chest.

His father could, of course, see right through him. “You seem very at peace with him. Settled in your skin. That’s a sign of a good partnership.”

“We’re not…” Gem drifted off, glancing his father’s way. “I don’t know what we are. We haven’t had a chance to talk about it.”

“That’s okay. You have time.” Hyl tucked a curl behind Gem’s ear with a gentle smile.

“I like him, Dadi. I like him so much,” Gem whispered, and like Rusty could sense his gaze, he glanced up meeting Gem’s eyes. He smiled, small and crooked, and Gem’s hearts twisted pleasantly. He grinned back with a wave, one Rusty returned. “I’m scared he might not feel the same way.”

Hyl hummed. “Well, from an outside perspective, I’d say that boy looks at you with stars in his eyes.”

“Yeah?” Gem asked hopefully, and his father nodded, drawing Gem down so he could kiss his cheek.

“Yes.” He patted Gem’s neck, then frowned, finger tracing the tender spot Rusty had bitten. “I should have taught you better blending it would seem.”

Slapping a hand over the mark, Gem grimaced. “I know how to blend my makeup. I was just in a hurry!”

“Well, if you need pointers, just ask. I’ve had to cover up many a love bite in my day,” his father chortled.

“Oh my gods, ew!” Gem cried, and Hyl frowned.

“Don’t be childish. You know me and your mothers make love.”

“Ah, gross!” Gem covered his ears and gagged. “I don’t want to hear about it. Yma, make Dadi stop! He’s traumatizing me.”

Upon their departure, Maman pushed a casserole dish full of leftovers into Rusty’s hands before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Dadi and Yma hugged him, neither letting him go until Rusty pulled away, whiskers twitching, tail flicking.

Mymi slapped him good-naturedly on the shoulder, telling him to come by again soon.

Even Ryni bid Rusty farewell, handing him a picture she’d drawn. Rusty took it with a shy smile, offering her his fist. “Pink-pink, right?”

“Pink-pink,” she echoed, knocking her knuckles to his before she turned and darted back into the house.

“We’ll see you soon,” Maman said with a significant look at Rusty .

The Pyclon nodded. “Okay. I’ll make sure Gem doesn’t forget the plates next time.”

“Traitor!” Gem cried, smacking Rusty’s arm as everyone laughed.

As they walked toward the tram stop, Gem took the casserole dish to free Rusty’s hand so he could twine their fingers together.

Rusty ducked his head, but he didn’t pull away.

On the tram, Rusty sat in the window seat, Gem’s hand clasped between both of his on his leg.

He drew invisible designs on the back of Gem’s hand, and Gem leaned down to peck the top of his head between his ears.

“Thanks for coming with me.”

“Thanks for inviting me. You have a really great family, Gem.”

“Yeah, I do.” Gem smoothed down the fur on the back of Rusty’s neck. “They didn’t scare you off, right?”

Rusty snorted. “Do you see me running?”

With a wiggle of happiness, Gem swooped down to kiss Rusty’s mouth. It was short and sweet, but he felt it all the way to his toebeans.

“Do you wanna come back to my place?” Rusty asked, voice hitching with nerves, and Gem blinked in surprise.

Rusty lived somewhere near the station, but other than Glyma and Quin, Gem didn’t think anyone at the cafe actually knew where his flat was. He’d always been so private, and him inviting Gem over felt significant.

“I’d like that,” Gem said, and Rusty nodded, chittering nervously.

“Sorry in advance about my roommates. They’ll probably be high when we get there.”

“That’s okay.”

“It’s not fancy,” he continued, fidgeting with Gem’s fingers. “I’ve been saving up to get my own place, but a lot of landlords won’t rent to me and— ”

“Rus, it’s fine. I’m excited to see where you live.”

Rusty winced at that but nodded without another word.

They transferred to another tram, taking them toward the station instead of Gem’s flat.

This side of town was lower income, but it wasn’t like Gem had any room to judge.

The only reason he could afford his current flat was because his building was rent-controlled and because he’d been lucky enough to have a parent willing to co-sign his first lease agreement.

“Have you always lived here?” Gem asked as they exited the tram, eyeing the dilapidated buildings.

“No. I had a long term room at this shitty motel when I worked Flesh Street. The manager… liked me, so we worked out a deal,” he said, voice devoid of emotion.

Which meant he’d been a teenager, forced to blow the manager in exchange for a roof and a bed. Anger twisted in Gem’s stomach, but he kept his expression neutral as Rusty led him down the street.

“I moved in here soon after starting at the cafe,” he said as he guided Gem up several cracked, concrete steps to an unlocked door.

The building was shabby but relatively clean. A baby was crying somewhere, and shouting echoed from down one hallway, a couple arguing indistinctly. They climbed one flight of stairs before Rusty came to a stop in front of a simple wooden door.

Still avoiding Gem’s gaze. Rusty took a deep breath, then pushed the unlocked door open. The first thing Gem noticed was the acrid smoke. The low buzz of a television filtered in from deeper in the flat, and someone was laughing, high-pitched and loose.

His roommates were definitely smoking something stronger than weed, but again, Gem wasn’t going to judge. He’d had some wild days himself in his youth. Rusty seemed bothered, but Gem squeezed his hand in reassurance.

The hall broke off into a living room where a Nyko and a Reptyl were passing a bong back and forth. Someone was fucking in one of the bedrooms, and the girl sounded like she was putting on her best porno performance. Gem was impressed by her gusto.

“Hey, man,” the Nyko said, stumbling over and taking the casserole dish out of Gem’s hands without even asking. “You brought food. Sweet.”

“That’s Rusty’s,” Gem objected, but Rusty squished his fingers to quiet him.

“You working again?” The Reptyl asked, her glazed eyes studying Gem curiously.

“No, he’s a friend,” Rusty said shortly, tugging on Gem’s hand to lead him away.

As they passed the bedroom where Porno Princess was screaming about how big her partner’s dick was, Gem grimaced. “Well, she’s enthusiastic, isn’t she?”

Rusty snorted wordlessly as he used a keyring to unlock the last door in the hall, both the knob and a deadbolt Gem assumed Rusty had installed himself. He ushered Gem into the room, closing and locking the door behind them.

Rusty’s bedroom was nothing like what Gem had expected. For one thing, there was color everywhere. The walls. The ceiling. His bedspread. None of it matched. Honestly, it was garish and ugly, but so bright. Gem imagined it must look good to Rusty’s eyes, which made him love it all the more.

“I love your room,” Gem said as he took it all in, one lower hand smoothing over Rusty’s yellow comforter.

There were many pillows on the bed, arranged in a misshapen circle, like a squishy nest. He imagined Rusty curled up inside it, surrounded by warm softness on all sides as he napped, and smiled.

Standing at the door, Rusty watched Gem peruse his space, hands in his pockets, pale eyes alert. Atop Rusty’s dresser was an array of unrelated items. A bracelet made of faux-gold, several links brassy with age. A small sock with a hole in the toe. A snow globe with a Pyclon flying a kite inside.

Gem picked it up and shook it, watching the glitter flit around before settling on the bottom once more. He set the globe down next to an ornately carved box. Because he was nosy and couldn’t help himself, he popped it open to peer inside.

It held a plastic bag full of soot. Ashes. Unholy fuck, Gem was looking at Rusty’s dead mom’s ashes!

“Oh, that’s not for tourists,” Gem cried as he slammed the box shut. “I’m so sorry.”

Instead of being offended, Rusty chuckled. “It’s fine.”