Blinking down at him, Rusty caught his breath as Gem preened. “That might have been the best blowjob I’ve ever given. I’m hella proud of myself right now.”
Rusty laughed, weak and breathy, but Gem loved it. He loved all of Rusty’s laughs, but he treasured these ones the most. The free, unhindered ones that he only shared with Gem.
Without a word, Rusty sat up, cupped his face, and leaned in to touch his nose to Gem’s. Then he proceeded to rasp his tongue over Gem’s cheek and chin, collecting the mess and feeding it into his waiting mouth. He didn’t stop until Gem was clean, and then he kissed him deeply.
They parted, and Gem smirked slyly up at him. “Was I a good girl, Rusty?”
The Pyclon nodded. “Yeah, Gem, you were, and you looked pretty while doing it.”
Wrapping his top arms around Rusty’s neck, Gem tugged him down for another kiss as he said, “You’re godsdamned right.”
Chapter twenty-one
Leaving Marks
Rusty
Rusty’s brain was stillfuzzy from his orgasm as he licked into Gem’s mouth, tasting himself on the Araknis’s smooth tongue. He groaned and kissed him deeper, and Gem sighed happily, hands petting him all over. It was a little overwhelming, so many hands on him at once, but Rusty had been touch-starved for too long to fight it. He reveled in the kind, comforting touches as his heart rate calmed.
They kissed lazily for several minutes, Gem nestled tightly between Rusty’s spread knees, and Rusty finally understood why people enjoyed this so much. Kissing Gem had quickly become his new favorite pastime. Those gray lips were full and pillowy soft, but his kisses were confident and sure, no hesitation or questioning.
The blowjob had been amazing, the best sexual experience Rusty had ever had by far, but even that paled in comparison to the kissing. He could have spent the whole night like this, learning the dance steps Gem seemed willing to teach him, mouths meeting, communicating without words.
There was a tenderness to this, a sweet intimacy that Rusty’s heart craved more than the high of orgasm. It may have taken him a long time to get here, to accept his feelings and brave the risk, but now that he’d arrived, there was no going back. Not for him.
He finally had Gem in his hold, and he wasn’t letting go. He would fight canine and claw to keep Gem for as long as the Araknis wanted him. Because he never felt safer and more content than in Gem’s many arms, his taste on his lips and his scent in his nose.
Gem smelled like Rusty now, and the animalistic part of him wanted to roar in satisfaction. He wanted to sink his teeth into Gem’s flesh until it split and scarred. He wanted to leave marks, so everyone would know exactly who Gem was to him. He was Rusty’s gaiz, yes, but it ran deeper now. Gem was Rusty’s caryd, hisanymkara,and Rusty was in awe of him.
“Rusty,” Gem breathed his name, and he swallowed it, angling Gem’s head so he could kiss him deeper. He wanted to consume him, or maybe he was the one who wanted to be consumed. All he knew was that they weren’t close enough.
Using his grip on Gem’s hair, he sat back on the couch, encouraging Gem to follow, and the Araknis came, one knee sinking between Rusty’s legs, the other coming to rest near his hip. He didn’t settle his full weight on Rusty’s thigh, but it was enough to ground Rusty to the moment.
Normally, he would have felt trapped like this, pinned against the couch by Gem’s weight and many limbs. But Gem’s scent was everywhere, reminding Rusty he was safe, and the way Gem touched him wasn’t grasping or pulling. He was so gentle, even in his confidence and surety. He touched Rusty coaxingly, encouragingly, an invitation rather than a demand.
So when Gem rubbed his clothed erection against Rusty’s leg, it didn’t scare him. If anything, another wave of desire washed over him, and eventhough his dick needed longer to recover, his belly tightened in anticipation. Because for the first time in his life, hewantedto be wanted by another. HewantedGem to desire him, to find pleasure in him. Hewantedto make Gem feel good.
His hand only shook a little as he slid it down Gem’s fuzzy chest, fingering the thicker hairs of his lower belly. He slipped the tip of one claw under the waistband of Gem’s sweats, and the Araknis hummed into his mouth. He didn’t want to assume permission, so he broke the kiss, breath choppy and pathetically weak.
“Is this okay? Can I—”
“My barbs,” Gem interrupted, gripping Rusty’s wrist to stop him. “They’re sharp and—”
“I know,” Rusty said, because Gem wouldn’t be the first Araknis he’d fucked. “You’re not the only one here with sharp anatomy.”
Gem snickered, crests of his gray cheeks darkening. “My barbs are a lot sharper than your spines.”
“I know,” Rusty repeated as he wiggled his fingers, showing off the thick hide of his palm. “But I have tough skin too.”
“Right.” A small fang dimpled his bottom lip as his many eyes scrutinized Rusty’s face. “You don’t have to, though. I don’t want you to feel obligated or—”
For the third time, Rusty huffed out, “Iknow, Gem. I don’t—I’m not—I know the wires in my brain are a bit tangled when it comes to this, but I wouldn’t be here with you if I didn’t want to be. Okay?”
Gem’s expression softened, and he cupped Rusty’s face in his hands. “It’s okay if your wires are tangled. As shocking as it sounds, I may know a thing or two about tangled brains.” They both chuckled as Gem’s forehead met his. “I like you, tangled wires and all.”
“I, uh, like youtoo,” Rusty mumbled, too embarrassed to meet Gem’s gaze, and the Araknis’s fur hummed in satisfaction.
“Good,” Gem said simply before he kissed Rusty again. “Then how about you take off my pants. If you want.”
