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Chapter twenty-four

Cow-Furries

Rusty

The evening passed with Rusty napping, head pillowed on Gem’s thigh as Gem read his graphic novel. Several hands pet absently through Rusty’s fur, lulling him to sleep. The last time he’d felt this safe, comfortable, and cared for had been with his mother, and he never wanted it to end.

Even as he dozed, he was dimly aware of Gem’s fingers blazing a path up and down his throat, a continuous scent-marking that made his heart constrict. Gem had been his gaiz for a while now, but this was the first time Gem had marked him back.

Gem was his gaiz, but now, he was Gem’s too. And that? That was everything.

A giggle woke him, and Rusty rolled from his side to his back, mouth stretched in a yawn. Gem rubbed his chest and belly, smiling down at him as he blinked drowsily.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Gem whispered, and Rusty shook his head.

“It’s fine.”

Gem smoothed down the fur between his ears. “Did you have a nice nap?”

With a nod, Rusty brought one of Gem’s hands to his face and kissed his palm. “Mhm. What were you laughing at?”

“Oh, Jewyl’s just sassy, and I’m so here for it.” Gem shifted on the bed as Rusty sat up, setting the tablet aside. “Though I’m disappointed in the lack of space cows.”

“Her familiar doesn’t show up until volume two.” Rusty stretched, then sat beside Gem, back to the headboard.

Pouting, Gem wrapped several arms around Rusty’s and crossed his feet at the ankles. “Well, I guess I have to keep reading then.”

“You don’t have to,” Rusty started, but Gem was already shaking his head.

“No, I want to. It’s really good. The story is entertaining, your characters are really relatable, and the art is grungy but beautiful.” Gem leaned down to nuzzle his cheek. “You should be really proud.”

Face hot with pleasure, Rusty smiled at his lap. “Thanks, Gem.”

“I just can’t believe I know someone who’s internet-famous. I’m honestly super jealous.”

Rusty snorted. “I’m not internet-famous.”

“You have, like, ten thousand followers! That’s a lot. Honestly, you could make bank if you put your stuff behind a paywall.”

“I do it because I like it, not to make money,” Rusty said.

“Still, I think people would pay for it, as they should. It’s amazing.” At Rusty’s eye-roll, Gem clicked his tongue and flicked Rusty’s ear. “Don’t give me attitude. I know talent when I see it, and you, Rusty Róisyn, are talented. In fact, I wanna commission you for something. ”

Judging from Gem’s feral smile, Rusty didn’t think he wanted to know. “Oh gods, you’re gonna make me draw dicks aren’t you?”

“Our dicks,” Gem said with a waggle of his brows. “You should draw you doing me over the back of my couch. So hot.”

“I’m not drawing porn,” Rusty said, and Gem pouted again.

“Why not? That would be so sexy. You could make it my hatchday gift.”

“I already got you hatchday gifts.”

“Yeah, but it’s not actually my hatchday yet,” Gem reasoned. “So on the day itself, you could give me a card, and on the inside, is a super sexy picture of you doing me from behind.”

Unable to stop it, Rusty barked out a laugh. “I’m not drawing us fucking.”

“You’re no fun.” After rummaging in his pocket, Gem checked his phone and frowned. “Ugh, it’s getting late. I should head home.”

They’d spent almost the entire weekend together, yet Rusty’s heart still sank at the prospect of Gem leaving. “You can stay the night, if you want,” he offered, trying not to sound too hopeful.

“I would, but I don’t have any clean clothes.

And I really need an actual shower. I can’t go to work tomorrow smelling like your jizz.

” They both laughed at that, and Gem ran a hand through his dark curls.

“I mean, I have to show some professionalism now that I’m going to be a manager, and coming to work smelling like splooge is probably not a great first step. ”

“Probably not.” Rusty traced the red swirls on Gem’s thigh, nerves cramping in his stomach at the thought of work the next day. “So, uh, about work…”

Gem stiffened beside him, which made him even more nervous. “Right. Work. we should probably talk about…”

“Yeah, we probably should,” Rusty said when Gem drifted off.

“Yeah,” Gem agreed, several hands fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. “I mean, it’s the responsible, adult thing to do.”

“Totally.” Rusty nodded, and Gem bobbed his head too, blowing a slow, loud raspberry. “Or…”

“Or?” Gem prompted, peeking at him from the corner of his eyes.

“We could make out instead?” Rusty suggested, and Gem’s eyes widened.

“I love that plan!” he said, and Rusty grinned as he scrambled into Gem’s lap and covered Gem’s surprised snicker with his mouth.

Gem looped his arms around him, kissing him back exuberantly, and Rusty sank his fingers into Gem’s soft hair. He sucked Gem’s lower lip into his mouth and nibbled on it, bringing a whimper from the Araknis. Grinning, Rusty did it again, and Gem shuddered.

As they kissed, Rusty lost himself to the sweetness of Gem’s lips and the smoothness of his fuzzy skin, to his breathy sighs and wandering hands.

There was heat and sweat, but there was no rush to these kisses.

They kissed like they had all the time in the world, and Rusty indulged.

It was decadent and luxurious, and he wanted to stuff himself full.

Breaking away from Gem’s lips, Rusty trailed biting kisses across his jaw, and Gem dropped two hands to his ass and squeezed. For some reason, it made him laugh, and he hid the half-manic sound in Gem’s neck. He slipped his hands under Gem’s shirt, dragging the material up in silent question.

Gem extracted his arms from the shirt and tossed it to the floor before tugging Rusty closer.

Their chests met, and Rusty circled Gem’s neck with his arms and kissed him again.

A sliver of insecurity trembled in Rusty’s chest as he chased Gem’s mouth, memorizing the ways Gem moved so he could replicate it.

When it came to kissing, Rusty was less experienced.

Most of his clients hadn’t bothered, and the ones who did had always kissed Rusty selfishly.

They were forceful and rushed and sloppy.

For the most part, he’d preferred to skip the kissing and just get to the fucking; at least then, it would be over quicker.

But kissing Gem? He could have kissed Gem forever. Even though he lost the rhythm sometimes or missed a step in the dance of their lips, Gem never grew annoyed or impatient. He’d simply smile and angle Rusty’s head to start again, leading while Rusty followed.

And it was good. It was so good.

Shifting in Gem’s lap, Rusty rubbed against the erection trapped in Gem’s shorts, and Gem grunted, fingers flexing on Rusty’s ass.

A subtle anxiety trickled down Rusty’s spine at the feeling of a hard dick near his ass, but he breathed through it, filling his nose with Gem’s scent.

He didn’t have to be scared, not with Gem.

So he licked into Gem’s mouth and rolled his hips again. Gem moaned, and Rusty drank it down. He’d never felt powerful being the object of someone’s desire or the vessel of their pleasure. Until now. Until Gem. Giving Gem pleasure, being the reason Gem was hard, was a heady, wild feeling indeed.

It made Rusty feel strong and sure, confident and fierce. It made him feel free and unshackled. And by gods, did it make him feel powerful.

A grin split his mouth as he ground down on Gem’s cock, soaking in the sounds of his pleasure. “Does that feel good, Gemae?” he whispered in Gem’s ear as he slid one hand down his chest.

“Yes,” Gem whispered.

Lifting onto his knees, Rusty ran one claw along Gem’s clothed erection, and Gem jolted. “I wanna make you feel good.”

With a breathy laugh, Gem lounged back against the headboard, surrendering to Rusty’s touch. “You already do, ashari.”

Rusty cupped Gem’s dick through his shorts, making the Araknis moan. “Then I guess I’ll have to blow your mind, and yes, that pun is intended,” he said, and Gem half-laughed, half-whimpered as he rubbed himself against Rusty’s palm.

“Only if you want to.” Gem cupped Rusty’s face, dark eyes hooded but serious, like he knew the levity of what Rusty offered. “Rus—”

“I want to,” Rusty said, and it was mostly true. He had baggage, yes, but he didn’t want it to hold him back. He trusted Gem. Maybe it was time for Gem to put a little trust in him.

Rusty curled a hand around the back of Gem’s neck and kissed him briefly. “Just…” Swallowing thickly, he kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see Gem’s reaction. “Don’t hold me down, okay?”

“Rusty.” His name left Gem’s lips like a broken thing, but Rusty kissed it away.

“Don’t, Gem. It’s okay—”

“It’s not okay.”

Opening his eyes, he glared at Gem, hating the pity twisting his features. “Stop. What’s done is done. It doesn’t define me, and I sure as fuck won’t let it define this.”

Gem turned away, jaw working as he blinked rapidly. Rusty gave him time, thumb rubbing soothing circles under his ear. Then he sniffed and nodded, facing Rusty again.

“I wish I could take every ugly thing away, and I’m sorry that I can’t,” Gem said as a single tear escaped his lowest left eye.

Rusty wiped it away with his knuckle. “We can replace them with beautiful things, and this”—he kissed Gem between his largest eyes, then the tip of his nose, then both corners of his mouth—“is a beautiful thing.”

Their foreheads met, and they breathed each other’s air for several long seconds. When Rusty kissed him, Gem hesitated only a moment before kissing him back. They built the heat back slowly, and every time Gem faltered, Rusty whispered reassurances.

As he sucked on the tender skin under Gem’s ear, the Araknis asked, “What do you need, sweetheart?”

Rusty knew he couldn’t kneel. That would fuck his head up too much. So he nuzzled Gem’s earlobe and said, “Lay down.”