Mammylion Pep Buds
Chapter four
Dex
Cya was avoiding Dex. At least, he was pretty sure they were.
They had canceled the Tuesday tutoring session, claiming they had to go to the dentist. He didn’t think dentists were open that late into the evening, but he figured rich people had all sorts of professionals on retainer to help them at a moment’s notice.
Maybe every wealthy person had a personal dentist; for all he knew, they probably even did house calls.
On Thursday after class, Cya had slipped into the girls bathroom without a word, so, like a gentleman, Dex had waited outside the front entrance of the STEM building for them.
For nearly twenty minutes. Genuinely concerned for their health, he’d gone back inside, awkwardly poked his head into the bathroom—eyes firmly closed, of course—and called Cya’s name.
“Cya, are you good in there? Do I need to call your doctor-on-retainer for shit emergencies such as this?”
“Oh my gods, get out of the girls bathroom, you creep before I call security!” someone shrieked.
He’d quickly ducked out of the bathroom and power-walked away, growling, “I’m not a creep; My eyes were closed!” over his shoulder. After another ten minutes of calling Cya’s phone and receiving no answer, he’d gone home, confused and a little annoyed.
That next Monday, Dex loaded up his gym bag for dyscus practice and his backpack for class, then he rode the tram with his sister and dropped her at school before heading to the train station.
He got to Purgatory later than planned and jogged across the teal sand of the desert to the small, yellow-bricked building with the red metal roof.
He didn’t want to be late on his first day; he’d get fired before he even had a chance to make a good impression. So he ran past the sign staked into the sand outside the entrance to The Passing Through Cafe that read, “Watch out for ninja stars,” and burst through the purple front doors.
“I’m here!” he shouted, making every person in the cafe freeze and turn toward him. “I made it. My train was late, but I made it. I’m here. Dex is here!”
“Clearly,” the red-and-gray Araknis behind the register said, blinking eight eyes at him.
Panting, Dex dropped his gym bag and backpack to the floor and propped his fists on his hips.
“Whew, those bags are heavy when you’re trying to run.
Good thing I never skip leg day. Leg day high-five!
” He offered his hand to an Ursydae in a business suit beside him, and, bewildered, she copied him, palm up. He high-fived her exuberantly. “Boom!”
Behind the espresso machine, Cya grimaced and made a noise of disgust. The Araknis blinked in a wave from left to right. A pink Pyclon—who had just walked through the swinging kitchen doors—shook his head with a husky, “Yeah, no,” and immediately turned around, disappearing back into the kitchen.
Dex gestured at his bags. “Where can I put these?”
“Um, Quin’s office, I guess? Last door at the end of the hall,” the Araknis said, pointing a top left hand toward the hallway to Dex’s right.
“Right on. Thanks.”
Hoisting his bags off the floor, Dex bustled down the hall, past the bathroom and supply closet Glyma had shown him during his tour two weeks ago. He knocked on the door at the end of the hallway, and a crisp voice carrying a Greed accent replied a moment later.
“Come in.”
Inside the office, a Daemon with brick-red skin, black locs, and curling black horns above her ears sat behind a dark wood desk. She was typing on a laptop, but her red eyes surrounded by black sclera were locked on him. Quin sent him a small smile that did very little to soften her fierce face.
“Good morning, Dex.”
Beside her, sitting in one of the chairs from the dining area, was a human man with blond hair, big brown eyes, and freckles smattering his nose and cheekbones. He looked up from the ledger he was writing in and offered Dex an easy grin.
“Hey, man. I think I missed you when you came in for your interview. I’m Oliver.
” He stood up and rounded the desk, offering his hand for Dex to shake.
Before Dex could, a furious screech sounded behind him, and the human yelped in fright and stumbled back several steps.
“Fuck off, Bob! I’m nowhere near your nest. Speciesist little monster. ”
Dex turned and cocked his head at the burnt orange…
thing huddled in the corner of Quin’s office.
It had a hard exoskeleton and many barbed legs.
Two antennas on its head swiveled this way, then that, as it scuttled backward until its back half was covered by the dingy blanket it nested in.
Surrounded by shiny objects, balls of tin foil, and other various garbage, it released a series of territorial clicks and hisses, clearly aimed at Oliver.
“Whoa, what’s that?” Dex asked.
“That’s Bob,” Quin said.
“He’s an asshole,” Oliver said.
“Righteous,” Dex said.
At Quin’s prompting, he dropped his bags beside the leather couch, then Oliver led him back into the cafe proper, giving the still-hissing Bob a wide berth as they left Quin’s office.
Cya and the insanely tall Araknis were still behind the counter, but the Pyclon—Dex had forgotten his name too—was cleaning up dishes and wiping down the tables in the sitting area.
“That’s Rusty.” Oliver pointed at him, then to the Araknis taking orders. “Gem usually works the espresso machine, but since Cya is taking his place when we head to the new location in Greed, he’s been working the register. He will be training you today. Cya—”
“I know Cya,” Dex interjected. “We go to school together.”
“Oh, okay. One less introduction, I guess,” Oliver said as he led Dex around the bakery case and behind the counter. “Rusty knows the bakery case in and out, so he’ll take the lead on teaching you that, but Gem will be your trainer for pretty much everything else. Gem, you know Dex, right?”
“We’ve met,” Gem said with a playful wink of one small, red eye. One of his six hands reached out and took Dex’s, giving it more of a squeeze than a shake. “Welcome to the fam, babes.”
“Your eye makeup is poppin’,” Dex said.
The black-and-red striped fur covering every arm from elbow to wrist vibrated with a happy hum, and Gem beamed at him, showing off two little fangs. “Aw, thank you.”
Standing this close, Dex could smell the heavy musk of pack rubbed into the Araknis’s skin mixed with his natural coffee and cinnamon scent. He glanced down at the nape of Gem’s neck. There was no mark, but he was claimed all the same. Every Mammylion would know to keep their distance.
On instinct, Dex released Gem’s hand quickly. “So, I don’t always pick stuff up fast, but I’ll do my best.”
“Oh, don’t stress,” Gem dismissed, giving the top of the register screen a pat. “The system is really simple, but I’m still here for a few weeks, so you won’t be expected to know everything by tomorrow.”
“Cool.”
“Rus, have you met Dex?” Oliver asked the short, pink Pyclon as he joined them behind the counter.
“Uh, kind of. Hey, man,” Rusty said as he sidled up next to Gem, dressed head to claw in black clothing.
Now that they were standing next to each other, Dex could smell the matching pack scent shared between them.
They were either very close packmates, or they were totally boning each other.
Seeing as Rusty captured Gem’s lowest hand in his, threading his black-painted fingers with Gem’s brightly-colored ones, Dex assumed there was clear and present boning taking place.
Excited to have another Mammylion around, Dex immediately offered him a high-five, tail wagging. “Alright, Mammylion buds represent!”
Rusty cocked an incredulous eyebrow. “Huh?”
“Mammylion high-five, bro,” he said, and the Pyclon grimaced but hesitantly lifted his hand. Dex slapped it, making Rusty wince. “Boom!”
“Well, aren’t you just peppy,” Gem said, placing two hands on Rusty’s shoulders as another teased the end of the Pyclon’s tail. “Which is just wonderful because Rusty loves pep.”
Rusty growled, scowling up at Gem, and Araknis giggled, waggling his dark tongue.
“Alright, alright!” Dex clapped his hands. “Pep bros.”
“Oh my gods,” Rusty said miserably.
“Oh my gods,” Gem gushed enthusiastically. “You hear that, Rus? Pep bros!”
“You can’t leave me here,” Rusty whined.
Bending down to eliminate the significant height difference, Gem smacked a noisy kiss on Rusty’s furry cheek. “Don’t worry, babe. You won’t even notice I’m gone because you’ll be having so much fun with Dex, your new Mammylion pep bud.”
“I hate you,” Rusty grumbled.
“No, you love me, and I love you too, more than I’ve ever loved anyone ever, because you’re my favorite person in the whole wide world,” Gem said, teasing tone shifting to something sincere and sweet by the end of his claim.
“Gem, cut it out,” Rusty grumbled, his pink-striped tail puffing up as a purr stuttered to life in his chest, even as he struggled to stop it, and Gem beamed at him like he hung the sun and moons.
Their love was super sweet, but also kind of gross, seeing as Dex could smell the surge of hormones building between them. Judging from Cya’s repulsed expression, they were picking up on it too—or they simply hated public displays of love and affection; Dex didn’t know which.
Thankfully, Gem and Rusty’s sexual energy bubble popped when the kitchen doors opened, and an Elas appeared, black eyes narrowed.
His skin was blueish-gray with darker blue stripes lining his arms and throat, and his indigo hair was slicked back, except for a stubborn wave that fell over his forehead.
The gills lining his throat flared as he sent Gem an accusatory frown. “And what about me? You used to love me more than you’d ever loved anyone. The fuck’s up with that?”
“That’s Toni,” Oliver whispered to Dex.
“Aw, Toni, I still love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. Except Rusty. But it’s hella close.” Gem lifted two hands, holding one slightly above the other. “Like, only a little step below.”
“Ha!” Rusty grinned triumphantly, and the Elas sneered.