“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 inhis 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 thebed, 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.
