16. July
Chapter sixteen
July
Cya
[Dex] You know what? I’ve made my peace with the naked mole rat situation.
[Cya] Is that so?
Yeah. They live a long time, can hold their breath for, like, twenty minutes, AND they don’t even feel pain.
Neither do psychopaths.
Okay, well, they don’t get cancer.
None of us get cancer. That’s a human ailment.
Are you just googling facts about naked mole rats?
… Maybe.
They’re cool, you know? They can move their front teeth independently of each other.
Yet, they still look like an old man’s wrinkled ballsack.
OMG please don’t make Rusty turn me into a naked mole rat! I hate it so much. I have nightmares about it. It’s literally affecting my health!
*laughing emoji *evil smile emoji *laughing emoji
You’re a dick!
June 30th, 10:08 A.M.
[Cya] Hemersyn is teaching me how to cook. It’s going poorly.
[Dex] What are you making?
Scrambled eggs.
And it’s going badly? Scrambled eggs are, like, the easiest.
Well, I’ve never made them before!
Spoiled, little rich kid. Never had to do anything yourself. Do I gotta teach you how to do laundry too?
Choke.
No lie, I probably will if I ever actually suck a dick. ’Cause, like, I’ve never done it before.
June 30th, 10:46 A.M.
Just read a blog post about it and wrote down some tips and tricks.
No cap, I think I’m more of a spitter than a swallower. Does that make me a bad dick-sucker? Is it, like, rude not to swallow?
June 30th, 10:51 A.M.
Um… hello? Why are you ignoring me? You need to help me navigate my gay exploration. It’s what friends do!
Also, the blog said I could practice on vegetables to, you know, train my gag reflex.
June 30th, 11:08 A.M.
That last one was bad advice. I almost choked and died! Then I threw up.
OH MY GODS, GROSS!
Ha! I knew I’d get you with that one. I didn’t actually almost die or throw up.
Congratulations?
Did choke, though.
As shocking as this may sound to you, I really don’t want to know about you fellating vegetables!
Then why are you still texting me?
Because I tried ignoring you, and that didn’t work!
What can I say? I’m unignorable. It’s pretty much my superpower.
July 1st. 3:16 P.M.
[Cya] Behold. I did my own
laundry. Take that!
[Dex] Wow, I’m really proud of you.
… Really?
Of course! You’re, like, growing into a real adult now.
I don’t appreciate the condescension.
Your folding skills need work, btw.
So do your fellatio skills.
You volunteering?
Cya?
I was just joking.
CYA!
July 1st. 11:43 P.M.
[Cya] My parents left for Paris. They’re to be gone all month.
[Dex] What’s Paris?
A place in the human dimension. Lots of history and fashion.
You didn’t wanna go?
No.
That’s a lie. I did want to go.
They just didn’t invite me.
I’m sorry. That sucks.
Yes, it does.
Well, you can hang out with me and Jas whenever you want, okay?
I’ll be fine. I’m used to it.
Okay. Still. If you get lonely.
July 1st. 11:57 P.M.
[Cya] Do you think my parents actually love me?
July 1st. 11:58 P.M.
*This message was deleted*
July 1st. 11:59 P.M
[Dex] What was that?
Wrong chat.
Okay. Goodnight, Cy.
Goodnight, Dex.
Cya rolled their head around their shoulders as they rinsed the dairy steamers. They yawned and sipped at the Americano they’d made with extra shots of espresso. It was ten minutes before opening, and with their short night of sleep, they were not ready for the day ahead.
“I am very nervous,” Zef was saying from the dining area. “I have never flown before, but Bryce arranged everything.”
They turned to the large human beside them, smiling serenely at him, and Bryce grinned back. He tucked a chunk of their white hair behind their ear, then gave their earlobe a tug. Whirring in mock reproach, Zef took his hand and clasped it in two of theirs.
“I got you covered, darling,” the human said, and the crests of Zef’s cheeks darkened in a delicate blush at the endearment.
Glyma simpered. “I hope you have a wonderful time.”
“Give Nan our best,” Willow said.
“We better go or else we might be late for our flight,” Bryce said, and Zef nodded, wings buzzing anxiously from where they were trapped between their back and their travel bag.
“Yes, of course. I will see you all in two weeks.”
“Coffee for the road, Bryce?” Cya called, holding up a slow-dripped black coffee, made the way they knew he preferred.
Surprise colored the human’s face. “Oh, wow, thanks, Cya.”
“Zef, I have tea for you, if you like?” They pushed both to-go cups across the counter. “Green tea for alertness with some lemon balm for the nerves.”
Taking the tea, Zef breathed in the vapors, compound eyes closing. They exhaled in a sigh. “This is perfect. Thank you, Cya. How very thoughtful.”
“Have a pleasant trip,” they said, and the Mantodea offered them a small, sweet smile.
“Thanks, Cya. The coffee’s perfect,” Bryce said, and satisfaction settled soft and warm in their belly.
Bryce held his coffee in one hand and Zef’s lower left hand in his other. Zef waved goodbye, and Rusty followed them out, shutting and locking the door so the few customers waiting outside wouldn’t come in.
“We’re just about ready to open,” he said when they grumbled their dissatisfaction. “Couple more minutes.”
“Oh, they’re so adorable,” Glyma said, and Willow nodded.
“Just precious. Such a complimentary match.”
“You know,” Rusty said with a mischievous grin, “Gem told me that Zef said that they totally hug now.”
Hands on her chest, Willow audibly gasped, and Glyma smirked, tail serpentining sinuously. Even Cya couldn’t entirely cover their astonishment at the revelation, brows rising high into their forehead.
“My gods, that’s practically sex,” Glyma purred.
“Glym,” Willow chided, before both women burst into giggles.
Rusty chuckled, dropping his husky voice a few notches to whisper, “Apparently, there’s been a lot of slutty hand-holding.”
“Rusty, you gossip.” Glyma smacked his arm playfully before she and Willow headed back toward the kitchen.
“I think it’s simply wonderful,” Willow said, dabbing at the corners of her eyes.
“Is Bryce going to stay, then?” Cya asked as they booted up the register tablet.
They all exchanged worried glances, but it was Willow who said, “No, I don’t think so.”
“Perhaps it’s more of a temporary thing?” Glyma suggested.
“It’s Zef, though,” Rusty said, hands in the pockets of his baggy, black jeans. “I mean, they wouldn’t date someone unless it was the real deal. Right?”
“So Zef would live with him in the human realm?” Cya asked, and Willow’s eyes watered.
“I would be so happy for them, but I would be very sad to say goodbye.”
“We shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves.” Glyma rubbed Willow’s arm in comfort. “Zef never makes rash decisions, so even if they decide to move, it won’t be right away.”
Scratching the back of his head, Rusty chittered, almost sadly. “It’s weird, though, right? It seems like so much has changed.”
Willow hummed and nodded. “Yeah, a lot has changed, but that’s life, you know? It’s always evolving and growing, losing some things to make room for something new.”
Glyma’s hot pink eyes met Cya’s, and she smiled cheekily and winked. “You’re the young ones now.”
The smile-wink combo hit Cya full in the chest, and they blushed hotly, releasing a pathetic little giggle that they couldn’t suppress. They weren’t into women, generally speaking, but for Glyma, they could have been tempted to make an exception.
“I’m only twenty-five,” Rusty grumbled.
“Only for another month,” Glyma corrected.
“Oh, I didn’t realize Gem was that much older than you,” Cya said, and Rusty snorted.
“Yeah, that’s because Gem will probably be twenty-one at heart for the rest of his life,” he said, tone soft and fond.
“And you’ve been a cantankerous old man since you were a kit,” Willow joked, earning a sharp grin from the Pyclon.
“Godsdamn right.”
Glyma dragged several purple fingers over the edge of the bakery case. “We should do something all together soon. We’re all spread out and disconnected. I miss our game nights.”
“It’s true. The last time we were all together would have been, when? The Christmas party at Oliver’s?” Willow said.
“We all helped Rusty and Gem move,” Cya said.
“Yeah, but then Gem kicked us out so that he and Rusty could have weird cow sex,” Glyma said morosely.
“I’m so glad everyone feels comfortable bringing that up,” Rusty said flatly.
“Gem brings it up the most,” Willow countered, and Rusty pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Yeah Wil, I… I know.”
“We should put something on the books. Get reconnected,” Glyma said definitively. “Hopefully before Quin gets too pregnant to move around.”
“Everyone could come to my house,” Cya offered before they could think too hard about it and sack out.
Three pairs of shocked eyes landed on them, and they instinctively spun their gold bracelet around their wrist to give their hands something to do.
“Really?” Glyma asked.
Cya nodded. “Yes, well, my parents are on holiday for… a while. So I have a big empty house, and there’s a pool in the back, in case it’s nice weather. There’s lots of space for games or swimming or whatever.”
“In Pride?” Rusty asked, though it sounded more like he was pointing out a shortcoming than he was asking for clarification.
“I understand if it’s not a convenient location.” They lowered their eyes to the counter. “I just thought—”
“That would be wonderful, Cya,” Glyma said, and they jerked their head up in surprise.
“How sweet of you to offer,” Willow said with a knowing smile, like she could sense Cya’s insecurity. As a Dryad, she probably could.
“Gem and Toni do love to swim,” Rusty said.
Pleasure replaced the nerves, and Cya stood a little straighter. “Well, you’re all most welcome.”
It was decided that everyone would come to Cya’s house on Sunday.
The cafe was closed, so Glyma and Quin could freely attend, and the weather forecast called for clear skies and dry heat.
Hemersyn ensured the pool was thoroughly cleaned and prepped for swimming, and at Cya’s request, he arranged the rental of extra patio furniture and comfortable lounge chairs.