“That doesn’t make it better,” Gem hissed.
“Shh,” Rusty snarled back.
“Oh, don’t you dare shush me!” The bed creaked as Gem hooked a hand over the edge and glared down at Rusty with bloodshot eyes. “You’re the one who rudely woke me up with your shrill caterwauling—”
“Your dick wasonme, Gem!” Rusty roared back, and Gem cringed. “It was—oh my gods, it was fucking on me. And now”—he gagged—“yeah, I’m gonna puke.”
Gem made a noise of offense. “Well, that’s a bit of an overreaction, don’t you think?”
Rusty’s fear of puking on the floor overrode his embarrassment over his nudity, and he abandoned the sheet in lieu of scrabbling across the ground to the empty trash bin by the desk. He’d barely gotten his chin over the lip of plastic before he was retching violently.
“Oh for deities’ sake!” Gem sniffed as he sat back up. “You’re being so dramatic right now.”
“I can still feel it,” Rusty coughed out between bouts of vomit. “It’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Are you seriously throwing up because my dick was in your general vicinity?” Gem accused, and Rusty angled his head just enough to glare at the Araknis with one eye.
“I’m throwing up because I’ve never been this hungover in my lifeandbecause your dick was in my general vicinity.”
Somehow, Gem had the audacity to pout. “That is shockingly hurtful, even coming from you.”
“Shut up, Gem,” Rusty spat before heaving into the trash can again.
“Stop yelling at me, Rusty. I’m still too drunk to deal with getting yelled at.” Gem cradled his head between several of his hands. “And you’re so loud. How are you making puking sound angry?”
Spitting into the trash can, Rusty wiped his mouth on the back of his paw before rounding on Gem, baring his canines again. “Because I’m an angry person!”
Three of Gem’s eyes watered. “You’re being so mean.”
“I think I’m entitled.” Rusty motioned aggressively between them. “Seeing as I woke up naked withyou. And you’re naked. And—please tell me we did not fuck last night. Shit, I’m gonna puke again.”
“Again, surprisingly hurtful,” Gem whined. “But I don’t think we fucked, so that should bring you some peace of mind, apparently. Didn’t realize I was so repulsive to you.”
“Are you seriously getting offended?”
Crossing two sets of arms over his chest, Gem scowled. “Yes. Because you seem to find the thought of being with me sexually legitimately nauseating. I think I’m allowed to be offended by that.”
“You should find it nauseating too. Everyone alive should find that idea nauseating,” Rusty bit out between clenched teeth, and Gem looked, impossibly, even more offended.
“Oh, calm down. It’s not like we actually fucked.” He wiggled, like he was double-checking. “I’m wearing underwear, and I’m pretty sure I’d feel it if you had fucked my ass. Unless, you know, you’re on the smaller side? Which is totally fine. Absolutely no shame, babes. Size doesn’t matter.”
“You’d feel it!” Rusty insisted as the skin under his fur warmed in a blush he was thankful Gem couldn’t see.
“Yeah, a lot of guys say that, but very few actually prove it.” At Rusty’s mutinous expression, Gem raised several hands in placation. “Easy, furball, take a deep breath. We didn’t have sex last night, so you can stop throwing up at the mere idea of it. Honestly, it’s insulting. On many levels.”
Shooting him one last glare, Rusty gave the Araknis his back so he could vomit with whatever dignity he still retained. Before he had a chance, Gem released a shrill cry of dismay.
Rusty spun around immediately. “What?”
Gem had two hands covering his mouth, two clutching the sheet to his stomach, two fidgeting with the bedazzled shorts Rusty recognized from last night. All eight eyes were wide and horrified, unblinking in an unsettling way.
“What’s wrong?” Rusty asked, but Gem just shook his head. “Gem?”
“It’s nothing,” Gem whispered between his fingers, and Rusty’s eyes narrowed.
His tail thumped in annoyance as he settled on his knees, claws digging into his furry thighs. “What is it?” he demanded a third time.
Another shake of Gem’s head was followed by a barely audible, “I don’t wanna tell you; you’ll just yell at me some more.”
