Thankfully, the cafe wasn’t as busy as it usually was at this hour, but there was still a good-sized crowd watching them. There was even a Nymph—a regular Rusty recognized—who had her phone out, like she was recording as she simpered, one hand pressed to her chest. Glyma and Willow were openly crying as Oliver leaned back on the counter, arms crossed smugly over his chest. Zef was watching curiously, antennas quivering, and Tad was scowling, as if all the mushy feelings were offending her.
Quin stood in the mouth of the hallway leading to her office, expression conflicted, like she wanted to interrupt and get everyone back to work but couldn’t bring herself to actually do it. Bob, the mysterious orange bug-like creature that slept in Quin’s office, scurried around her cloven hooves, segmented antennas waving wildly like he was trying to make sense of the confusing atmosphere.
When Toni and Gem parted, Toni wiped Gem’s cheeks clean of tears, then kissed each one. “Gem and Toni against the world, right, baby?”
Gem nodded. “Always.”
Slowly, almost grudgingly, Toni turned his attention to Rusty. “If you hurt him—”
“You’ll kill me and hide my body where it will never be found?” Rusty finished for him.
“Nope.” Toni grinned viciously. “I’m going to skin you and use your pelt like an ornamental rug. And then I’m gonna do Jude on it and teabag your dead face.”
“Gross, Toni,” Gem said.
“That is so violent,” Glyma said.
“And disturbing,” Willow agreed.
“And weirdly specific,” Rusty added.
“I don’t think Jude would be okay with that,” Oliver said.
“I don’t think anyone should be okay with that,” Quin said.
“I’m okay with it,” Tad said.
“Perhaps that is an inside thought, my dear,” Zef said with an absent pat to her head.
As Toni stepped back, the whole room seemed to take a collective breath, and the atmosphere sighed in relief. “So this is gonna be a thing, then,huh?” he asked, running a hand through his glossy hair. “Like, dating and goo-goo eyes and all that shit?”
Gem nodded exuberantly, tugging Rusty closer until he hooked several arms around his back and shoulders. “Yes! He’s my boyfriend, and I’m his boyfriend. Well, sometimes, I’m the girlfriend, but that’s mostly a sex thing.”
Face-palming, Rusty chittered uncomfortably. “Gem, maybe you shouldn’t—”
“Ah, come on!” Toni made a show of gagging obnoxiously. “We don’t wanna know about that stuff.”
“I do,” Tad chimed in, and Gem shot her a shocked, but no-less enthusiastic grin.
“Tad, girl, we’ll chat later.” Whisper-shouting, Gem pointed at Rusty with one hand, while two others rose palm-to-palm with two feet of space between them, like he was measuring something. “Quick preview: he is deity-blessed, if you know what I mean.”
“I really wish I didn’t,” Toni lamented.
“We all wish we didn’t,” Quin agreed.
Tad sized Rusty up with an evil grin. “Nice.”
“He’s clearly exaggerating,” Rusty mumbled awkwardly.
“Only a little,” Gem snorted, widening all eight eyes at Willow, Glyma, and Tad. “Seriously, it’s majestic.”
“Gem,” Rusty whined.
“Oh man, I wish I hadn’t heard that,” Oliver said.
“None of us wanted to hear that,” Zef said miserably.
“This was a beautiful moment until now,” Glyma said.
