Page 101 of Gratification in Gluttony

Toni could give him that. “I suppose, but safe don’t always mean happy. You can know the ending, but what if it’s not the ending you want? I’d rather risk looking stupid or getting my heart broke a little if it means I have a chance at getting what I want.”

“And you want me?” Jude asked, and Toni nodded, angling his head to hover over Jude’s mouth.

“Yeah, baby, I want you.”

“That’s crazy.”

And Toni grinned. “I ain’t opposed to crazy.”

“There’s more,” Jude whispered, even as he leaned in, lips ghosting over Toni’s. “We need to talk about—”

“We got time,” Toni interrupted because, for now, he was done with talking. He wanted to take Jude’s face in his hands and lick into his mouth until his human was breathless. But before he could, the door swung open, making them both jump apart as Oliver poked his head into the room.

“Gem, Toni, we’re heading—oh, hey, Jude. Good, I found you too. Um, we’re heading outside…” The human drifted off, quirking his head, brown eyes darting between them as they composed themselves. “Wait, what are you two doing?”

With a playful smirk at Toni, Jude adopted a casual air and said. “We’re clearly having wild, animalistic sex. Can’t you tell?” Toni’s brows rose as Jude started slapping rhythmically against the headboard with his palm. “Oh yeah, Toni. Don’t stop. That’s the stuff.”

And because Toni was a bitch, he grinned at Oliver and started bouncing on the bed, making the mattress squeak under his ass. “Yeah, you like that, baby?”

“Oh yeah,” Jude said, voice almost bored. “So good.”

Oliver scowled fiercely. “You guys are gross!”

“For the record,” Toni said, still bouncing on the mattress, “if wewerehaving sex, he would not sound so lackluster. I’ll tell you that right now.”

“Damn right.” Jude lifted his hand, gaze still locked with Oliver’s, and offered his palm to Toni. Toni high-fived him exuberantly.

“Why does everyone have such weird vibes today?” Oliver demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Zef called Rusty a bitch, Gem wants to fuck the cows, and now you two are… doing whatever this is! I’m too stressed out right now to deal—”

“Oliver, love,” Liel said as he appeared at Oliver’s side, cupping Oliver’s face in his yellow hands. “Deep breath.”

Toni and Jude stopped their fake-lovemaking as Oliver sucked in a breath and released it slowly. Then he pressed his forehead to Liel’s and sighed.

“Better?” Liel asked, and Oliver nodded.

“Yeah, sorry.” He nuzzled his nose against Liel’s flat one before turning his attention back to Toni and Jude. “I’m trying to corral everyone outside before my parents implode. Can you help?”

Jude smiled softly and nodded. “Of course. We’ll be out in a minute.”

“Yeah, we gotta get dressed,” Toni teased, leaning back on his hands. “I mean, what would the neighbors say if they saw my dicks right now?”

With a snort, Jude burst into laughter, and Toni cackled along with him as Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose and huffed. Liel’s sharp teeth dimpled his bottom lip to stave off an amused grin as he rubbed Oliver’s arm soothingly.

“You know what?” Oliver finally said. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m washing my hands of it. Jude, you’re on your own.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Jude said, copying Toni’s position leaning back on his hands. The tips of his fingers blanketed Toni’s, and Toni couldn’t help but smile.

“Gem is cornering your mother in the kitchen,” Liel said, and after the whole Gem-wants-to-fuck-cows debacle, Toni didn’t blame Oliver for immediately sprinting toward the kitchen with a distressed, “Eep!”

With a chuckle, Jude stood and ran a hand through his hair, and Toni followed him up. He stepped closer until there was barely any space separating them. Looming over him, Toni grazed his knuckle along Jude’s jaw, ending at his chin. His thumb pressed to the human’s full bottom lip, and Jude’s mouth parted.

“To be continued?” Toni asked, and Jude’s breath trembled out of him, warming Toni’s thumb.

“Yes, to be continued,” he whispered, and Toni smiled.

“Good.”

He released Jude’s chin and made to step back, but before he could, Jude grabbed his face roughly and hauled him down into a hard kiss. It was short and fleeting, but Toni felt it all the way to his toes.

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