It was Rusty who leaned in this time, closing the minuscule distance between them, and when he kissed Gem, they weren’t those boys—they never had been those boys. They were just men, flawed and a little broken. But as Gem had told him all those months ago, there was nothing wrong with broken things.
Chapter twenty-seven
Not Safe for Work
Rusty
When Thursday rolled around,Gem had already arranged to swap his shift with Oliver so he could get off work at the same time as Rusty. Gem had said several times that he didn’t care what they did for his hatchday, as long as they spent it together. He mentioned watchingDesperate Desiresor getting high and watchingKiki’s Delivery Service, but Rusty wanted to do something more, something special.
He might not have put much stock in birthdays, but Gem being alive was proving to be Rusty’s favorite thing. It deserved to be celebrated.
So when they got back to Gem’s flat, Rusty prodded Gem toward the bedroom. “Get changed. We’re going out.”
“We are?” Gem eyed him suspiciously, and Rusty nodded, pushing him past the room partition.
“Yes, get changed into something warmer.”
With a squeal and a shimmy of excitement, Gem skipped to his dresser and started digging through it. “Like something fancy? Or—”
“Not fancy. But it’s outside.”
As Gem changed, Rusty simply slipped on the hoodie he’d stowed away in his knapsack, then sat on the couch to wait. The Araknis took nearly thirty minutes, insisting he had to do his makeup and fix his hair. Rusty thought he looked gorgeous just as he was, but he didn’t complain.
Rusty watched from the couch as Gem dusted powder around his eyes, something in the spectrum of yellow he guessed, then he added product to his already perfect curls. He wore a tube top, visible through a crocheted sweater that stopped at his elbows, and a jean skirt that barely covered his ass.
It wasn’t warm, but it was sexy as hell. Rusty kind of wanted to join Gem in the bathroom, sink to his knees, and eat his ass as he watched himself in the mirror. Maybe they’d do that later. For now, Rusty kept his hormones in check, determined to treat Gem to a hatchday date.
As much as he hated to admit it, he was nervous. He’d never been on a real date before, and he didn’t want to mess it up. Especially on Gem’s hatchday. But then Gem danced out of the bathroom looking radiant and excited, and the nerves dissipated. Even if all they did was eat takeaway on the beach, he had a feeling Gem would love it.
“Okay, I’m ready!” Throwing up several arms, Gem gave Rusty a twirl. “How do I look?”
“Beautiful,” Rusty answered honestly, and the crests of Gem’s cheeks darkened. “But I said dress warm.”
Gem gestured to the crocheted top. “I’m wearing a sweater.”
“It has holes in it,” Rusty said, and Gem pouted.
“If you make me change, then I have to redo my makeup to match the new outfit. So we’ll be here another hour,” Gem said, and Rusty chuffed a laugh.
“Okay, if you think you’ll be warm enough.” Slapping his thighs, Rusty stood, and Gem smoothed two hands over his shoulders as another two hands rubbed down his sides.
“You look nice too.”
He dismissed the compliment, taking Gem’s hand and twining their fingers. “I’m just wearing a hoodie.”
“I know, and it makes you look all warm and snuggly. It’s cute.” With a giggle, Gem rubbed Rusty’s belly. “And it makes your tummy look so squishy and wonderful.”
“My pudding pouch?” Rusty said flatly, and Gem shrieked with laughter as dragged him out of the flat, locking the door behind them.
“I love that you called it that. It’s my favorite name for your wonderful belly.”
“Shut up,” Rusty grumbled, barely resisting the urge to cover his stomach with his arms.
Like Gem could sense the rise of insecurity, he pulled Rusty into the lift and cupped his face in his hands. “I love your tummy. It might be one of my favorite things about your body. Not my number one, but definitely in the top ten if we’re speaking purely about physical attributes.”
As the lift descended, Rusty cringed. “Gods, can we not discuss my physical attributes? That’s awkward.”
They rode the tram to the tip of Gluttony where the carnival had set up decades ago. In the coldest months, it closed down, but they were getting in just under the wire.
