Chapter 2 #2
“I dunno. Jude uses my soap, and he’s just fine. But I buy my soap at the store. Zef makes their own. They’re pretty… homophobic like that.”
Biting his bottom lip, Jude said, “You mean homeopathic?”
Another shrug. “Sure. That.”
At the mention of Bryce’s new roommate, another flurry of nerves swarmed to life in his gut.
Back in September, Oliver had brought his demon coworkers to his parents’ ranch in Montana.
Bryce had arrived to tend to an injured bull, and he’d spent a morning with Zef as the demon had watched him stitch up the animal’s leg.
They’d peppered him with questions, slim antennas wriggling, flat wings buzzing with interest. It had been intimidating, being the sole recipient of such intense attention.
“You know not to touch them, right?” Toni’s question jarred Bryce from his thoughts. “Zef, I mean. They’re a Mantodea, and it’s a cultural thing. They would find it offensive if you touched them.”
Bryce had read up on Mantodeas, and he’d even asked Zef if there were any accurate books or articles he could read to educate himself better before he moved dimensions.
Zef had supplied numerous links and offered to let Bryce borrow some of their books to read once he moved in.
So, yes, Bryce knew not to initiate or force any type of physical connection, even platonic or polite touches.
Mantodeas didn’t shake hands, so Bryce was to bow in greeting. The deeper the bow, the higher the respect being shown. If Bryce ever met an older Mantodea or one of higher authority, he would need to bow deeply. Since he and Zef were of similar age and social standing, a slight bow would do.
At least, he thought so.
“Yeah, I know not to touch them,” he said, and Toni’s shoulders loosened.
The ride to Envy was longer than the one through the veil, but Bryce didn’t notice the time as he gazed out the window at the desert of teal sand rushing past. The sand gave way to craggy trees, then houses.
Most of the train tracks were elevated off the street, winding through buildings, and Bryce was in awe.
He didn’t know which districts they passed through.
There were rows of brick-like houses and buildings in varying shapes of disrepair.
Then later, the train passed through gleaming skyscrapers and marble-pillared buildings.
When they finally arrived at Envy station, Bryce was nearly buzzing with excitement.
Too many questions bubbled up his throat, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask any of them. He didn’t want to sound ignorant or stupid in front of who he hoped would be his new friends, and he didn’t want to annoy Toni by asking him things that were probably obvious.
On the platform, Bryce noticed that Envy station was much cleaner and fancier than Purgatory had been.
The tiles under his feet were brighter and smoother, and the decorative accents were highlighted in golds and opal-esque stones.
Electronic boards flashed with advertisements for skin creams and hair dyes and clothing brands.
They’d barely cleared the ticketing gates when a human with blond hair, brown eyes, and freckles approached them.
“Hey, man, how was your trip?” Oliver asked as he slapped Bryce on the shoulder.
“Oh, it was fine. The flight was the worst part. Never do well on planes,” he admitted sheepishly as he shrugged his backpack higher. “But the trains weren’t too bad.”
“Yeah, we took good care of him,” Toni boasted as he hitched Bryce’s duffel over his shoulder once more.
“Figured you would,” Oliver said diplomatically before he took Bryce’s wheelie bag from his hand.
“I hear you about planes, though. I don’t like flying much either.
Quin’s teleportation has come in handy before, but I never want to take advantage or expect her to just pop us through the veil whenever we want.
So we booked flights for New Year’s, Liel and I, and I am not looking forward to it. ”
As if summoned by his name, Oliver’s demon boyfriend materialized through the crowd, dressed in a suit—sans tie—that complimented his sandy brown skin. Why anyone would choose to wear a suit on a Saturday afternoon, even without a tie, Bryce couldn’t fathom.
He hated dressing up. Loose jeans and a warm flannel. A t-shirt in the summer. That was his kind of outfit.
Even if he disagreed with Liel’s preferred clothing, Bryce still thought the demon looked good.
Maybe that was why he insisted on the suit.
Clean cut and confident, with bright yellow eyes and thick, yellow-streaked hair the texture of seaweed, the demon—who was clearly aquatic in some way given the fin-like ears—was striking.
A little frightening given his needle-sharp teeth and even sharper grin, but Bryce couldn’t blame Oliver for flushing lightly when the two made eye contact.
“I found a parking spot for the rental, but it charges for every quarter of an hour,” Liel said in a smooth, somewhat fancy accent. “Hello, Bryce, welcome to the Pentagram.”
“Hey, Liel. Thanks,” Bryce said as the Gymnot fell into step with them. “I can pay your parking, if—”
“Don’t worry about it,” Oliver dismissed easily, dragging the wheelie suitcase behind him as their group headed toward the main entrance of the station. “Liel’s been promised a promotion, and he loves spending his money.”
“On new sex toys,” the demon growled, “not parking.”
“Stop whining, babe,” Oliver chided, knocking Liel’s shoulder. “I’ll get you a new sex toy for Christmas.”
This seemed to appease the demon, and Liel grinned wildly as he leaned in to press a kiss to Oliver’s cheek. “I look forward to it.”
“Gross, guys,” Jude mumbled, making Toni snigger.
Blood had surely turned Bryce’s ears red, judging from the heat taking up residence there, but he did his best to banish the embarrassment.
He wasn’t a prude, and sure, he liked sex well enough.
But he’d always found the act, and everything pertaining to it, a private affair.
He’d never been overt about his sex life, even when he’d dated and even when he’d, briefly, tested out hook-up culture.
He’d hated it, but he’d tried.
At first, he’d thought something was wrong with him for not wanting casual sex the way most people seemed to, but like everything else pertaining to his sexuality, he’d taken it in stride and moved on.
Maybe he was a little demisexual, or maybe he just had a lower libido than average.
Either way, he was simply himself, and that was fine with him.
Sex wasn’t everything, after all, right?
Outside the station, Bryce blinked against the harsh light coming from the blue sun shining in the mustard yellow sky. The late October breeze was cool, but not biting the way it was back home in Montana.
At the thought, Bryce’s chest panged with longing.
He’d never been this far from home before, and not only because he was currently standing in another dimension.
He’d vacationed out of state before, but he’d never gone far.
He’d seen the redwoods of California and the Seattle Space Needle.
He’d even crossed the border to Canada a time or two, but that was nothing compared to the distance now.
“It’s only temporary,” his mother had said, cupping his face in her soft hands. “You’ll regret it if you don’t try.”
“And think of all you’ll experience,” his nan had added as she pulled a pie from the oven. “You’ll see things you’ve never even dreamed of. I wish I could go too. You think they have a spot for an old lady?”
Ah heck, he’d barely been gone two days, and he already missed his family terribly. But they were right. He was going to see and experience so many new things, and in the grand scheme of things, it was only a year, right?
The car they piled into a few minutes later was sleek and shiny.
Liel mentioned that he’d borrowed it from his boss for the day, so Bryce was extra careful as he crawled into the back seat beside Jude.
Oliver buckled up, then twisted in his chair so he could continue his conversation with Jude.
The four of them chatted away amicably, and Bryce settled back in his seat, content to listen in.
Liel drove through the busy streets, the traffic eventually thinning as the shopping malls and businesses faded into more residential neighborhoods. Oliver commented on how sexy Liel was while driving, to which the demon replied, “I make anything I do sexy.”
Jude and Toni exchanged matching looks of disgust as Oliver lunged in and planted a wet kiss to Liel’s cheek. Bryce checked his phone, finding several texts from his family.
[Mom] Did you make it? Have you eaten? Make sure you get enough sleep. You know how your migraines can get.
[Nan] You’re mother’s a right wreck, but don’t let her stress you out. I’ve got her well taken care of. You have fun.
[Pop] Do you remember where I left the keys to the tractor?
Chuckling quietly, Bryce responded to each text.
I made it to Envy. In the car on our way to Zef’s. I ate a sandwich on the train, and I slept pretty good last night. Head feels fine.
I wouldn’t have left if I didn’t think you’d hold down the fort for me, Nan.
Hanging next to the garage door opener. Or you left them in the ignition.
“Parents worried?” Jude asked, and Bryce tucked away his phone.
“Not worried, but I’ve never been this far from home before. And we’re a pretty close family, so it’s… an adjustment.”
Something passed through Jude’s eyes quicker than Bryce could interpret, but he covered it with a stiff smile. “It’s good they miss you. Parents should miss their kids.”
He didn’t quite know what to say to that, but Jude didn’t seem to expect a response.
He simply turned and pressed a kiss to Toni’s shoulder, twining his fingers with the demon’s and squeezing tight.
Toni’s brows drew down as he studied the top of Jude’s head, but he didn’t say anything either.
Nuzzling Jude’s scalp, Toni covered their laced hands with his other one, whispering something in a language Bryce didn’t understand.
“Myri je entwyn,” Jude echoed, and Toni’s gills flared, his arm fins fluttering as he beamed down at the human man.
Aware he was witnessing something intimate, Bryce looked out the window instead and watched the houses pass.
Eventually, the car rolled to a stop in front of a tall rectangular building.
It looked like it was separated into four apartments, two ground-level, two above, and Bryce recognized the front door with the decorative wreath of black vines and orange leaves from the video tour Zef had sent him last month.
On the sidewalk in front of the building sat a very tall figure with six arms and dark gray skin covered in red swirls.
The spider’s—er, Araknis’s—head shot up as Liel put the car in park, and in one fluid motion, Gem stood.
The demon was so tall, which for Bryce was saying something.
He was six-two and ten pounds shy of three hundred—give or take—and he felt small as the demon skipped over to them, his eight eyes swiveling wildly around to look at everyone at once.
“Oh my gods, finally! I’ve been waiting forever, and I have to pee,” Gem cried to no one in particular before he offered Bryce a blinding smile, revealing two short little fangs.
“Hi, Bryce, so great to see you again. I would hug you, but seriously, one squeeze and I’m peeing all over you.
And even though I’m hella open-minded, I’m not really one for water sports. ”
Not even fully out of the car yet, Bryce blinked and swallowed thickly. “Okay.”
“You could have just gone in and peed,” Oliver said.
“I was going to, but then I saw Tad crawl into Zef’s house through their window wielding scissors, and there was no way I was going in there alone.
What if she finally decided to kill Zef?
I don’t want to be the one who discovers their body!
I am not built for that kind of trauma.” Dancing in place, Gem fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie and the frayed ends of his shorts.
“And I also wasn’t going to risk being her next victim.
I figured my only chance of survival is facing her with someone she likes even less than me. C’mon, Ollie, you’re going in first.”
“What?” Oliver barked as Gem dragged him toward the house. “You’re not sacrificing me to Tad!”
“I’m pretty sure she likes Toni,” Jude said. “She saw his dicks and seemed impressed. Maybe he should go first and butter her up?”
Toni’s jaw dropped. “I would do anything for you, but I won’t do that!”
“You mean you won’t do her,” Liel corrected snidely. “I don’t think she’d appreciate being called a that.”
“I ain’t doing Tad! Not even to save your lives,” Toni snarled.
“Who’s Tad?” Bryce asked, and everyone blinked at him.
“No one. We were just joking, anyway,” Gem whispered before he turned to the others and gestured at Bryce. “Now that I’m thinking about it, Bryce should go first.”
Everyone nodded their agreement, and even though Bryce wasn’t quite sure what was going on, betrayal trickled through his chest. Like a lamb to slaughter, he cautiously approached the front door.
Behind him, Toni carried his duffel bag slung over one shoulder, and Gem held his wheelie bag in front of him like a shield.
The Araknis urged him forward with one of his lower hands, and Bryce frowned.
When no one moved, he released a breath, and, resigned, he rang the doorbell.