Chapter 20
twenty
CIELO
When Dante is at work selling things that make my ears flutter and my cock appear, I find myself at the gym meeting up with Brody, Tyler, and Chadwick. Brody texted me, the phone vibrating loudly with his message.
Brody: Come down, bruh. Tyler’s sandbagging his WOD and we need to gas him up.
I had dropped my phone on the street as I tried to understand what all those words meant. A woman gave me a very angry glare. I do not know why. I pretended not to notice. It is usually better this way. She has the haircut that Everest said makes human females very angry and rude.
When I enter the gym, Quilliyn is at the front desk. “I didn’t think I was going to see you today. Dante said he wanted to spend some extra time with you.”
I incline my head in deference, though I know he despises that, so I lean against the counter to attempt to be more casual. “We have spent a lot of time together.”
His ears flicker in slight embarrassment. Even though he has been living so open and free with humans, he—like me—is still not used to living like a human. We say so many things now that would likely have us locked away and reeducated in the capital.
“You here for the boys?” Quilliyn asks in English.
I nod my head. “Yes. Weee…” My words are coming even easier since taking more of Dante’s cum, but the words themselves still make no sense. “Neeed to gasssss up Tyylrrrrr?”
Quilliyn bursts into laughter.
I feel my skin flush and my ears flicker downward. He is mocking me.
“Cielo,” Quilliyn says quietly. Affectionately. He puts his hand over mine just briefly, the way human friends do. Never in my existence did I think I would call a prince a friend. “It means to motivate someone. Gas,” he repeats in English.
“Gassss,” I try again. I still get stuck on some letters, my tongue struggling to twist and turn through such a blunt language, but my tongue also no longer feels like a wild masax, ripping through trees, either.
Quilliyn nods, then points over to the free weights. “Your friends are waiting for you.”
It is still a novel concept. Human friends. But I’m happy to have them. It allows for what I need most today: distraction. It is easy to get lost in the memory of what Dante and I did last night.
And the way he curled up in my arms.
But if it’s too quiet, I think of the other thing he brought home. The offer, the secret. The hope that I will see Erethar, my village, and my people again.
I cannot. I do not want to think about what they will do to me, Dante, and Everest if we are caught. But the temptation is almost too strong. It has been gnawing at me since the words left Dante’s lips.
I take a deep breath, then my gaze searches the gym for my friends.
I see Brody, Tyler, and Chadwick at the irons, their small muscles bunching as they lift them. They are so weak and yet so kind.
I would rather be friends with them than some of the most powerful in Erethar.
Dante’s voice filters through my head, and I greet him, sending affection through the bond we share. I’m not sure if it’s permanent, but since I started sucking, I can tell that it has grown stronger. If I stop, will it disappear entirely? I do not want to find out.
As I approach my friends, Chadwick steps up to me. His name is the hardest for me to say—although it is becoming easier.
“Hello, Chadweeeek,” I say, and he grins at me.
“Yeah, dude! You’re getting better at saying my name. Right on. Have you been taking like, English classes or something?”
I shake my head, and he bobs his. I have not been taking lessons.
Vyastil naturally absorb languages, though English words have always been hard for me to form.
But now…things are changing. I just do not want to explain to him that it is from the fresh, warm cum from my Dante. I do not think they would understand.
“Yeah, you sound good!” Brody adds, coming up to nudge me. I find that human males do not hug as often as Everest, so I resist the urge to do so. I did once the other day, and they seemed shocked by it.
Zane saw me and muttered that real men don’t like to hug.
I have not attempted it again. I do not want to insult anyone.
“Thaaank you.” I sign it for good measure.
He grins at me, and then Tyler guides me over to the irons. He points to the biggest one, and I sweep it up.
They cheer, and I feel like I am the strongest being on Earth as I follow Brody’s instructions.
It is far too easy, but I do not relay that. I just do as he says, and then when I am done, I set it down, watching as they attempt to lift it. They cannot.
We then move on to something they call the bench press. I find it is odd. You lie down, grab a large metal pole, and then place yourself under pressure just to prove you can lift it.
I go first. It is, once again, far too easy. But it makes them happy. They are smiling and uttering kind words of encouragement. They seem proud to be my friend.
So, I continue to lift it, and they continue to add on large rings at the ends. More and more until I have garnered a crowd. They are all watching me lift, and I can’t help but show off.
I feel like a king.
That is, until Everest’s best friend pushes through.
“Enough of that. He’s not a fucking circus act.”
I put the bar easily into the small slots and then sit up, knocking my head on the bar in the process. Someone laughs at me, but Zane scowls at them, throwing up his middle finger and then moving toward me.
Quilliyn says that he is complicated, and I think this is true.
“You okay?”
Brody is rushing away, and Tyler is holding onto my shoulder comfortingly.
“Yes. Jooost a boop.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” As he says this, the crowd disappears, and Brody reappears, handing me something. Ice. It is cold and unnecessary, but he presses it against my forehead in an effort to comfort me, so I allow it.
“Why did you stop him?” Brody asks Zane, who is continuing to linger.
“I didn’t like the vibe. They were making fun of him.”
My eyebrows meet, and Brody scoffs softly. “They weren’t. They were just being supportive.”
“They were staring at him like he was a wild animal.”
“Yeah, alright, I can see how you think that—”
“Just…treat him better. He’s my best friend’s friend.” He glances at me and nods, and I do the same, the ice pack hitting my nose.
Brody apologizes as Tyler and Chadwick mutter to one another in soft tones. I can hear their disbelief and also the derision they have toward Zane, who is walking away now.
I do not like that, but I understand. Zane is hard to like.
His complicated nature makes him…rough. He is so unlike Everest, and I do not fully understand how or why they are such close friends. But Everest adores him, and so I must as well.
I will try to understand why he behaves the way he does.
“Sorry, man,” Brody says, the ice falling away from my face and hanging loosely in his hand. “I don’t agree with that guy. He was totally overthinking it. Everyone was super into it. You’re like really strong.”
“I knowwww.”
“Yeah, good. We wouldn’t let anyone mess with our friend.”
“Frennnnds.”
“Yeah, friends. Come on. Let’s get you a latte. Then you can drink it while we do the StairMaster.”
I do not understand the StairMaster. It is a master of nothing, and the stairs go nowhere, but they enjoy it. They say it is good for their butts.
I do not know why. Their butts are small and round. They have not changed much when they get off the endless, pointless stairs, but they seem to value it.
So, we walk to the back of the gym, and I get my latte, saying hello to Rosie and telling her the best I can that I will be in tomorrow morning before following my three friends to the machine that walks uphill to nowhere, sipping on the delicious milk and espresso as I pretend to ascend over and over.
My eyes linger on Zane, who is across the gym.
He is doing the rowing machine, his eyes on Quilliyn, who is talking with a human woman, their lips both curled up in smiles.
Zane seems to row faster.
He seems angered by the interaction Quilliyn is having with this woman.
I do not know why, but for some reason, I want to make him feel better. I want Everest to be proud of me for trying to make his best friend happy.
Hopping off the stair machine without turning it off, I toss my latte cup into the trash. I make my way toward Zane, whose eyes have moved from Quilliyn to me. His cheeks, which were already red, darken.
He suddenly stops rowing and glances up at me, sweat dripping down his temples and onto his cheeks. He lifts a towel and mops his face.
“What’s up? You need something?”
“You wannn latte? Myyy treaaat?” I don’t fully understand that phrase either, but Dante uses it, and so does Everest, and it always means they will pay with their own money as a gift.
He cocks his head, and his face scrunches up. “I mean, a latte will make my heart race, but thanks…”
My lips purse and my mind whirls. “Smoootheee?”
He huffs a small laugh. “You really want me to drink something, huh? Is this a monster thing?”
“No, your frennnd.”
He seems shocked by that, and his eyes turn toward the ground for a quick moment. He inhales deeply, and then his gaze flicks up to mine once more. “Yeah, fuck it. Why not?”
He hops up and wipes down the machine before stepping up next to me. I grin at him, and he stares up at me, something moving across his features that I do not understand. Then we begin walking toward the back of the gym once more.
I keep my strides tight and slow so that Zane does not get angered by me walking too fast. I feel it would injure his fragile human ego.
“Shit, I feel a little lightheaded. Probably didn’t eat enough protein this morning. Maybe I did need to stop. A smoothie is probably a good idea.”
“Yes.”
He huffs a small laugh. “Your English is getting better.”
I do not know what to say, so I just incline my head.
“So,” he says after a beat of silence, “You’re friends with those three dickheads? You seem too nice for them.”
My tail curls tightly around my waist.