“I wanted to keep my end of the bargain,” he said as Rusty’s thumb gently grazed over the scabbedRtattooed into his asscheek.
“It’s amazing,” Rusty said around another laugh. “But it’s not my full name.”
“Well, I may have passed out, and the tattooist didn’t feel comfortable tattooing my unconscious body,” Gem explained, cheeks warm at thememory. “So the first letter of your name will have to do.”
Admiring the letter, Rusty grinned widely, tail swaying in amusement. “Best birthday gift ever.”
“Yeah? You like it?”
“Yeah, I love it. It’s… ridiculous and silly and amazing. Like you.” Rusty ducked his head shyly as Gem straightened his shorts and turned around. “And I love it. All of it. All of… you, I guess.”
For a moment, Gem wondered if he’d passed out again because there was no way that Rusty was saying what Gem thought he was saying. Right?
“What?” Gem said stupidly, and Rusty cringed, scratching behind his notched ear.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it weird. I just meant that you’re incredible, and I love that. I love everything about you.” Rusty shifted his weight, tail curled protectively around his leg. “Which, I guess, means that I love you. A lot.”
“I got the tattoo to make you laugh, not because I thought you’d say you loved me,” Gem said, and Rusty’s shoulder slumped.
“Oh. Sorry. I can take it back—”
“No, that’s not—don’t take it back,” he cried, grabbing Rusty with several hands. “I love you too. Like, so much. It makes me want to build you a house and bake you pies and have your babies, even though I don’t actually have a uterus. I want you to be the last thing I see before I go to sleep and the first thing I see when I wake up. I’m gonna love you forever, more than anyone has ever loved anyone else in the history of the universe. I just didn’t want to say it because I didn’t want to freak you out.”
Swallowing thickly, Rusty reached up and traced Gem’s jaw with his thumb. “If I was gonna get freaked out, I think it would have happened with the cow closet.”
Gem laughed wetly, blinking against the burn in his eyes. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Rusty said bashfully, but he didn’t stop Gem from scooping him up and kissing him passionately.
“Get a room!” Oliver crowed from across the cafe, and Gem flipped him off without breaking the kiss.
When they finally parted, Rusty blinked dazedly, and Gem was out of breath, but he’d never been more happy. “Well, if this is what getting the first letter tattooed on me accomplishes, I’m scared what would have happened if I’d gotten your full name.”
“Probably would have broken the universe,” Rusty teased, touching the tips of their noses. “Good thing you passed out.”
“I do what I can to keep the universe intact,” Gem said, and Rusty snickered. “And to even things out. I couldn’t have you being the only one with a name tattooed on your ass.”
“What?” Toni bellowed a moment before he burst through the swinging doors and pointed a finger at Rusty still in Gem’s arms. “You have Gem’s name tattooed on your ass?”
Everyone in the cafe turned and stared, and Gem’s sucked air through his teeth. “I thought I was whispering.”
“You were,” Rusty said.
“I was just eavesdropping,” Toni said, face brightening in a shit-eating grin. “Your trampstamp is Gem’s name?”
“No, that would be crazy,” Gem said, but Rusty stopped him.
He wriggled out of Gem’s arms, straightening his shirt as he settled on his feet. “Yeah, I have Gem’s name tattooed on my lower back. Wanna see?”
The room erupted with noise as everyone converged on them, and Rusty laughed good-naturedly as he turned around and parted the fur above his tail. Gem laughed and cried simultaneously as everyone took turns inspecting the tattoo. Then he gleefully revealed his own, showing off halfhis ass to his coworkers. And all the while, Rusty sent him a secret smile, the one he reserved only for him.
“I love you,” Gem mouthed.
“Love you too,” he mouthed back, and Gem couldn’t help but bundle him up again and kiss the shit out of him.
When the food was ready and they’d finished decorating the Christmas tree, they all gathered at the tables and took their seats. Before they dug in, Glyma stood and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention, and they all fell silent.
“Before we eat, I wanted to say a few words and make some announcements since we’re all here together.” She glanced Gem’s way, and he straightened in his seat. “First off, Quin and I are so fortunate to have you all, not just as employees but as friends. As family.
