“Oh,” Gem said, quiet as a whisper, a middle hand reaching out to take the soup Rusty offered.
“M’kay, that’s it,” Rusty said, rubbing at his notched ear. “See you at work tomorrow.”
Before he’d managed even a few steps, a hand circled his wrist, stopping him. “You’re leaving?”
Studying Gem over his shoulder, Rusty nodded. “Figured Toni was smothering you enough.”
“Toni’s not here. I made him go home,” Gem said, offering a weak smile as he lifted the bag holding the soup. “I can’t eat all this by myself. Stay.”
His request was punctuated by a gentle tug on Rusty’s wrist. Rusty’s head told him to keep walking, but his feet were already moving toward Gem’s door. Because the soup smelled really good, and he hadn’t eaten in a while. And he didn’t want the soup to go to waste.
That weary smile brightened, and something in Rusty’s chest lurched as Gem’s hand slid down to curl around his paw. It reminded Rusty of the way Gem had clung to his hand like a lifeline Friday night, like he’d needed Rusty close for some reason. His scalp was prickling now, like it had then, and his heart was beating faster.
Usually, he didn’t like it when people touched him, but it wasn’t so bad when Gem did it. Gem’s skin was thick and tough, like all Araknis, but his palm was soft from the lotion he used, his long fingers gentle as they shifted to slip between Rusty’s claws. Like it was entirely normal for them to touch this way.
Rusty liked it. At least, he thought he did, but his heart was beating too fast now, and he was hot and prickly all over, and he couldn’t quite inhale.
Jerking away from the intimate touch, he cleared his throat and shut the door behind him, avoiding Gem’s perceptive gaze. He stepped closer to the wall, adding much needed distance so his chest could unwind, and Gem slipped his many hands, except for the ones holding the soup, into his hoodie pocket.
Gem didn’t touch him again, and for some insane reason, Rusty wished he had.
Chapter seven
Scream Expert
Gem
After instructing Gem tosit down, Rusty navigated his kitchen, gathering the supplies they needed to eat. Gem curled up on the couch and watched, swallowing a snicker when Rusty climbed onto the counter to reach the bowls in one of the higher cabinets.
As Rusty filled two glasses of water, Gem unpacked the soup from the paper wrapping that kept it hot. It smelled amazing, gamey and earthy, and Gem’s mouth watered, even as his stomach gave a warning flip. He’d managed to eat a few salty crackers and hadn’t thrown up, but his stomach was still queasy.
The migraine—which had been the worst pain Gem had ever experienced—had downgraded to a dull ache in the back of his skull. Still present, but easier to think around. The weakness in his limbs was fading, and he was hoping he’d feel back to normal in the morning.
He couldn’t remember much from Friday night, not after the Avia took him to the bar to buy him that drink. Part of him was glad; he didn’t wantto remember, not when what hedidremember was so scary. But the other part of him feared that what he couldn’t remember was vitally important somehow.
What if Toni was lying to make him feel better and the Avia actually had… done something? He didn’t believe Toni would lie about something like that, but his best friend also had a knack for going to great lengths to protect him. As much as Gem loved that Elas, he didn’t need Toni to protect him all the time, especially not from something like this.
If Gem needed to go to a clinic and get tested—
Leaning away from the soup, he blew out a heavy breath, fighting the urge to heave. In his younger, more irresponsible days, he’d been in his fair share of dicey situations. He was an Araknis, though, so he was stronger than most everyone. He could defend himself easily from just about any species in this dimension—not that he’d ever really had to.
As teens, Toni had been the punch-first, ask-later type of confrontational, and though Gem had stood a better chance at winning a fight than his best friend, he usually was the one pulling a furious Toni off whatever dickhead had insulted Gem to begin with. He had a temper, after all, and though maturity and therapy had helped him learn how to handle it—most of the time—teenage Toni had been a bit of a menace. It had fallen to Gem to be more peaceful, but that didn’t mean he was weak.
As he studied the quake in his hands, he questioned how true that was. He felt weak, and not just because his body was exhausted. He felt pathetic and violated, even though the Avia hadn’t actually fucked him. Because he should have seen it. For deities’ sake, he had eight fucking eyes, so he should have seen it. But he’d been basking in the attention and the flattery, so he’d let down his guard.
“Idiot,” hewhispered.
“What?” Rusty asked, and Gem jumped because he’d forgotten all about Rusty and the soup he’d so thoughtfully brought for him. The Pyclon cocked his head, one ear falling forward while the other stood straight, those pale eyes scrutinizing him.
“I was an idiot,” Gem said, louder this time, and Rusty frowned. “I should have watched my drink.”
A low growl vibrated in Rusty’s chest as he set down the glasses of water. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was my drink, and I should have—”
“He was a fucking creep and an asshole. Don’t absolve him by taking on any of the blame,” Rusty interrupted, voice cold, expression severe. “It wasn’t your fault, Gem.”
Tears blurred Gem’s vision, and he swiped angrily at his eyes. “Why did he even—I was a sure thing. Like, I’m a very proud and confident slut, so I was gonna go home with him. He didn’t have to do that. Why did he do that?”
