“He’s good.” Toni smiled softly, releasing a dopey little sigh, which spoke volumes more than his next words did. “He was cranky, but it was super cute.”
“I thought Jude wasn’t… looking for a relationship,” Gem said cautiously as he fit the pieces of the milk steamer back together.
With an almost comical pout, Toni wriggled his shoulders noncommittally. “We were just talking. We’re friends, and friends talk.”
“Right. And you wanting to bone him is just the awkwardbulgridgein the room of your friendship?”
“Hey, show some class. I don’t just wanna bone him.” At Gem’s doubtful expression, Toni huffed. “I mean, yes, I do wanna suck his dick—except he don’t got one of those, so I wanna suck his metaphorical dick, I guess.”
“His dick is a metaphor? For what?” Gem asked, wiping his hands clean on a tea towel.
Blinking blankly, Toni slicked his black tongue along his jagged teeth. “Don’t get smart with me. You know what I meant.”
“Okay, you don’t have to get snippy. You’re the one who used the wordmetaphor.”
“He don’t got a dick, but whatever he does have going on down there, I wanna put my mouth on. That’s all I’m saying!” Toni barked impatiently. “But that ain’t the only thing. He said we could be friends, so we’re friends.”
“Friends with benefits?” Gem clarified, and Toni see-sawed his hand.
“Maybe. He said we could be friends that kiss, so…”
With a distressed noise, Gem dropped the towel and cupped Toni’s face, neck and shoulders with his hands. “Oh, Toni, you’re a hopeless romantic. You’re not built for a friends-with-bennies situationship.”
“What are you talking about? Toni can do friends-with-benefits. I’ve been in my slut-era, and you said I was doing a good job!”
“And you have been. I’ve never been more proud of you,” Gem said earnestly, rubbing Toni’s blue-striped cheeks with his thumbs. “But one-night stands are not the same as friends-with-benefits. With one-night stands, you never see them again, so there is literally no chance of gettingattached.
“If you fuck around with Jude, you’ll get attached. You have a weird wire connecting your heart to your dicks, and there’s only so many times your dicks can interact with someone before you fall head over ass.” Toni’s full brows furrowed in a scowl, and Gem backtracked. “Which I love about you. It’s a beautiful and admirable quality. But it’s not conducive with a friends-with-bennies arrangement.”
“Thank you for not being condescending,” Toni said sarcastically, pushing Gem’s many hands away. “I came out here looking for some support from my best friend of over a decade, and this is what I get.”
With a scoff, Gem turned back to the coffee machine. “You know I’ll support you in whatever you choose to do. I’m always on your side. But I’m also gonna look out for you, because that’s what we do.” He shot Toni a significant look. “We look out for each other. Always.”
Toni softened, fins fluttering happily as he mumbled under his breath before stepping into Gem’s side and wrapping his arms around his torso. “Gemmy, why you gotta go and be all mushy? I’m weak for your mush, you know that.”
“It’s because your heart is soft and mushy,” Gem teased. “That’s why I’m trying to protect it.”
Toni scoffed, forcing false bravado as he said, “There ain’t nothing soft or mushy about me, baby.”
With a gag, Gem shoved Toni away. “Ew, Toni!”
Toni cackled, smacking a wet kiss to Gem’s cheek before he could dodge it. “I love you. You know that, right?”
Triumphant, Gem bundled his best friend in his arms, petting his spinal fin. “I love you too.”
“I don’t know what I did in my past life to deserve you,” Toni grumbled into Gem’s neck, “but it must have been something amazing.”
“You probably cured a plague of some sort,” Gem said with a kiss to Toni’s forehead. “It’s the only explanation really.”
They embraced until a customer walked up to the register, and Gem turned back to the espresso machine as Toni took their order. His phone chirped in his pocket, and he pulled it out as he put the remaining pieces of the coffee machine back together.
[Rusty] So… were you serious about showing me how to put in contacts?
Snickering quietly, Gem typed out a response.
Of course! I wear contacts all the time when I’m in drag.
Bring your contacts with you the next time you come to watch anime with me, and we’ll practice. Okay?
