“And those people would be wrong,” Gem said, before adding, “And stupid.”
“Right,” Oliver said, shaking his head as if to clear it. “Anyway, that’s not important. I need to talk to you.”
“Of course.” Gem placed two hands on Oliver’s shoulders, adopting his most understanding expression. “Now, I’ve never had that problem myself.” He flopped his wrist again, just to make sure they were on the same page. “But I had a brief friends-with-bennies situation with a guy who did, and we just had to get creative. Honestly, it was a lot fun, trying new things to see what worked.
“The most important thing is not to stress about it or take it too seriously. And that goes for both you and Liel. It’ll just make it harder.” Gem sucked a breath through his teeth. “I apologize for the poor word choice, but you know what I mean.”
“Uh, not what I wanted to talk to you about,” Oliver said, face pink with embarrassment.
“Oh.” Gem dropped his hands to his sides. “Okay. Sorry. What’s up, Ollie?”
“It’s about Rusty,” Oliver said, and Gem’s stomach clenched.
Cool as a cumberbun, he gathered the supplies to make himself a latte. “And what about Rusty did you want to discuss?”
“I’ve just noticed that he’s been acting strange lately,” Oliver said as he typed in a customer’s order.
“Strange how?”
“Well, for starters, he’s been in a good mood. Every day. For a while,” the human said as Gem started steaming dairy. “Like, he’s happy. All the time.”
Warmth bloomed in Gem’s chest, and he smiled down at the frothing milk. “You think so?”
“Yeah, which is kind of unlike him.”
“That’s a bit harsh,” Gem chided.
“Is it, though?” Oliver challenged.
Thinking back on the years he’d worked with Rusty before they’d really become friends, Gem winced. “Fair enough.”
“Anyway,” Oliver said as he handed a muffin over the counter to a waiting customer, “he’s been whistling at work and being nice to customers. I mean, last week, someone dropped their cookie on the floor and he gave them a new one for free without any snark.”
“How wonderful that he’s growing professionally.” Gem clasped two hands to his chest. “And it’s so sweet you’ve noticed.”
With a huff, Oliver cracked his neck. “Um, sure. Another thing, he’s been coming into work later than normal.”
“Good. Work-life-balance is important,” Gem said, and he swore Oliver barely held back an eye-roll.
“Oh god, okay. He trimmed three claws on his dominant hand.”
Gem grimaced. “Kinda weird for you to comment on someone else’s body.”
Oliver crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s wearing purple today.”
That made Gem pause. “Come again?”
“He’s wearing a purple shirt,” Oliver repeated. “In public.”
Oh shit, Rusty was going to kill him when he found out.
“It’s nice to see him branching out with his fashion choices,” Gem said, and Oliver’s eye twitched.
“Wow, they weren’t kidding,” the human muttered. “Rusty has arrived late for his shift numerous times the past few weeks, claiming he overslept.”
“About time. The man does not sleep enough, so if he’s sleeping better, that’s a win in my book. Oh!” Gem snapped several fingers. “That’s probably why he’s in such a good mood. A healthy sleep-cycle is the first step to a healthy life.”
“Oh my god!” Oliver barked, making Gem jump. “Maybe he’s in such a good mood because he’s getting laid on the regular, and you understand what I’m saying!”