He sprinted out the back door and nearly ate sand twice when his boots sank in, making him trip. He was not made for running, but for Rusty, he’d persevere.
Inside the station, Gem sent his eyes in every direction, searching out his Pyclon’s fluffy striped tail and pink ears. With a grunt of frustration, he ran toward Platform L, cradling his preciousCowabungain three hands. The train to Lust was about to depart as he stumbled onto the platform, gasping.
A pink striped tail flitted past one of the train windows, and Gem scrambled toward the car, shouting Rusty’s name. The train doors shut the moment before Gem got there, and he smacked several palms on them. Rusty pushed through the crowd until he was standing on the other side of the glass.
“Gem, what are you doing?” he asked.
Gem held up the figurine. “You foundCowabunga!”
The train whistled its imminent departure as Rusty nodded. “On eBay. I beat out Cow-Head69 for it.”
Laughing and crying simultaneously, Gem shook his head. “You did not.”
“I did. By five dollars. He DM’d me, calling me a bitch.” The train started to pull away, and Gem walked with it as Rusty grinned, somewhat viciously. “I told him he could suck my big cow schlong.”
“Cow-Head69 can suck a whole bag of cow schlongs!” Gem jogged beside the train as it picked up speed, the end of the platform coming up fast. “Come over tomorrow.”
“I have a thing,” Rusty called back. “Maybe I’ll see you Sunday.”
To keep from plummeting to his death at the end of the platform, Gem skidded to a stop as the train left the station. He cupped two hands aroundhis mouth and yelled, “I’m so gonna suck your cow dick. You don’t even know!”
But the train was already gone, taking Rusty with it. He slumped and turned back around, freezing as he noticed the numerous travelers still on the platform staring at him in horror. Because he’d just screamed about sucking cow cock.
Straightening his shoulders, he shook out his hair and fought a blush of embarrassment. “Don’t judge me! He’s clearly not a real cow, and I think I might be in the beginning stages of falling in love or something. I cannot be held responsible for what I say in the throes of romantic passion!”
“I don’t think that’s how accountability works,” someone said tentatively, and Gem rounded on the Nymph, eyes spitting fire.
“No one asked you, Brenda!”
Chapter twenty
Ass-ageddon
Gem
It turned out, thethingRusty had to do Saturday—instead of coming over so he and Gem could bone enthusiastically—was surprise Gem for his hatchday in the middle of the godsdamned night. He was rudely awoken to people sneaking into his flat and scaring the ever-living daylights out of him. He’d thought he was being mugged or murdered, but he refused to go down without a fight. He was too young and pretty to die this way, after all.
Of course, it wasn’t actually a serial killer, but his friends. Which made a lot more sense since he was too poor to be burgled and not special enough to be chosen as a murder victim. The entire cafe crew was there to kidnap him for an even bigger surprise, and Gem had never felt more loved.
The even bigger surprise? They took him to the Illian Caves. He’d wanted to go ever since he was a child, but he’d never had the funds for it. Or he’d forget to book in time, and all the tickets would be sold out. But here hewas with the people he loved most watching the moonlight refract through the crystal stalagmites and stalactites of the Wrath mountain caverns.
It was everything he thought it would be and more, and he cried tears of joy as rainbow colors danced over his limbs like a kaleidoscope. The beauty was blinding, made even more special by the knowledge that it had been Rusty’s idea. Because of course it had. Because Rusty was thoughtful and sweet and lovely, and how Gem adored him.
As the moonlight faded and the colors disappeared, the other patrons filed out of the caverns. Gem remained, staring up the rock funnel to the dark sky above. He inhaled the musty, moist air and exhaled, his breath clouding in front of his face.
When the cave was nearly empty, a clawed paw grasped his lowest hand, and Gem jumped in surprise. Their group was already heading toward the exit, but Rusty stood at his side, a soft expression on his Mammylion face.
“You ready to go?” he asked, and Gem nodded.
“Yeah. Let’s go home.”
Back in the parking lot, Glyma and Quin waved sleepily before they teleported away, hand-in-hand, and Gem grabbed Rusty’s wrist and led him toward the car with a happy cry. “This was the best night ever!”
As everyone piled into the car, Zef took the front along with Toni and Jude while Tad crawled gleefully into the trunk. In the backseat, Willow sat in the middle as Liel perched on Oliver’s lap. Gem’s ass barely fit, but he squeezed in beside Willow, then bundled Rusty in his lap. The Pyclon grumbled and whined but, eventually, settled as Toni started the car.
Willow fell asleep with her head on Oliver’s shoulder. Liel blinked sleepily, temple on the window as Oliver snored, forehead resting on the back of Liel’s neck. Jude curled into Toni’s side, whispering conspiratorially as Toni chuckled. At long last, Rusty relaxed back into Gem’s chest, and Gemheld him loosely, tucking his face into his furry neck as the Pyclon’s lids drooped.
Rusty dozed off halfway back to Lust, and Gem smiled happily as his cute puffy snores turned to purrs. He felt a familiar gaze on him, and he glanced up with two small eyes to meet Toni’s black stare in the rearview mirror. His thick brows were drawn into a frown, black eyes narrowed. Gem arched a challenging eyebrow, tightening his arms protectively around the sleeping Pyclon.
