Page 74 of Gratification in Gluttony

Another alarm sounded, and Toni literally whined in disappointment as Jude wriggled out from underneath him to grab at his phone.

“What’s that?”

“My I’m-running-late alarm,” Jude said as he scrambled to his feet. “I really need to shower now.”

Burying his face in the bed, Toni whimpered. “I don’t think my ball has ever been this blue.”

“Aren’t your balls always blue? You know, given your complexion.”

Without lifting his face from the mattress, Toni flipped Jude his middle finger, but the human only laughed. Then a soft hand ran the length of Toni’s spinal fin, making him shudder.

“Feel free to use a dildo or two to help yourself out. I’ll be back in ten.”

“Sometimes, I really don’t like you,” Toni mumbled, but Jude was already gone.

Instead of jerking off like he really wanted to, Toni shoved his feet into his boots and gathered his phone, keys, and wallet. He waited in the hall for Jude to exit the bathroom, and when he did, Toni almost pushed him right back in. His skin was damp and flushed from the heat, and Toni wanted to lick up every droplet of water remaining on his body.

He didn’t.

“I jerked off on one of your shirts,” Toni lied primly. “Then I put it back in your dresser. I’m not gonna tell which drawer.”

“What a disgusting scavenger hunt,” Jude said dryly as he jerked a thumb at the bathroom. “I left mouthwash on the counter.”

“Fuck you,” Toni said without any heat.

Jude grinned. “Maybe next week.”

Toni used the mouthwash. After some deliberation, he also used the shower. He’d bathed before he’d crossed the veil yesterday, but he was still hard. So, he jumped into the skinny shower-bath-combo for a quick rinse, and yes, a yank. Because he was strung too taut to survive a whole day of work without vibrating out of his skin. He came quietly, moan muffled by his forearm and the running water.

Feeling marginally less frazzled, he redressed in his clothes from yesterday and refastened his boots. Then he searched out Jude, finding him in the kitchen, fully dressed, bent over a bowl of cereal as he scrolled on his phone.

“Hey, can I have a bite?” Toni leaned in as Jude offered him his spoon. Artificial fruit and sugar burst over Toni’s tongue, and he grimaced. “Gross. How do you eat that?”

“It’s nostalgic,” Jude defended. “I ate this all the time when I was a kid.”

“Blech, not for me.” Hooking an arm around Jude’s neck, Toni pressed a kiss to his temple. “I gotta catch a train.”

“I can go with you to the station.”

“Won’t you be late?”

Jude winced. “Probably, but—”

“Don’t worry about it. GPS, remember?”

“Right. Hey, let me grab you the sensory earplugs.”

After grabbing his guitar, Toni waited at the front door for Jude to return. When he did, he handed Toni a small case holding two strange-looking earplugs. Toni’s chest gave another lurch as he closed the case and tucked it into his pocket.“Thanks, you’ll get them back next week. And sorry again, about falling asleep in your bed uninvited.”

“No, don’t be. It was nice.” Scuffing the floor with his socked foot, Jude gestured back toward his room. “I’m sorry too. About before. I was kind of a cock-tease.”

Toni captured his chin in a gentle grasp and forced his eyes up. “Cock-teases don’t exist. That’s a bullshit term immature incels use to pressure people. I’m a big boy, Jude. I can take care of myself just fine.”

“Like you took care of yourself on my shirt?” Jude said, and Toni chuckled.

“Nah, that was me being a little shit. I took care of myself in your shower.” Heat flared in Jude’s eyes, and Toni leaned in, hovering over his mouth. “And I used your mouthwash. Can I kiss you goodbye?”

Instead of answering with words, Jude popped onto his toes and joined their mouths. He tasted like the terrible cereal he’d been eating, but Toni curled their tongues together all the same, only pulling away when Jude was breathless, cheeks flushed.

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