Page 42 of Gratification in Gluttony

“Yeah, you’re gonna feel like shit today,” Rusty said, and Toni smacked his shoulder.

“Would you shut up?”

Rusty glared back at him. “Why? You think lying to him is gonna make him feel any better?”

Dismissing the Pyclon, Toni rubbed Gem’s shoulder as he dry-heaved, nothing but bile dripping past his lips. “Am I okay?” he coughed out, fear filling his eyes with panic. “Toni, did he—”

“No, nothing like that.” Toni cupped the back of Gem’s head gently. “You’re okay. Just try to relax.”

With a whimper, Gem’s face crumpled, and his breath hitched. “My head hurts so bad.”

“I can get him some aspirin,” Oliver offered from his spot hovering in the doorway.

Toni shook his head. “I got it.” He ran his fingers through Gem’s loose curls as he dry-heaved into the bucket again, then he turned and left the room. “Hold up,” he called out as Liel opened the bathroom door.

The Gymnot paused, stepping back as he tucked a chunk of flat brown hair behind his pointed ear. “Sorry, I—”

“I need the medicine cabinet,” Toni said.

“Of course,” Liel said primly, yellow eyes watching Toni warily.

Ignoring Mr. Fancy-Pants, Toni grabbed all the pill bottles he might need, then brushed past Liel with a clipped, “Knock yourself out.”

Wordlessly, Liel disappeared into the bathroom, and Toni spared thirty seconds to feel guilty over treating him poorly when he’d done nothing to earn Toni’s attitude. He’d make amends another time. Right now, Gem was all that mattered.

He dropped several white discs that claimed to help with nausea into a glass of water, listening to it fizz as he read the labels on the pill bottles. Choosing a bottle of high-strength painkillers and one of Gem’s prescriptions that Toni kept on hand for moments such as these, he took them and the glass of bubbly water back to the bedroom.

Upon his entrance, Rusty removed his hand from Gem’s shoulder and shuffled back as Toni sat down beside Gem, rudely forcing the Pyclon away. Rusty didn’t react; he simply took the bucket and mumbled something about cleaning it out.

Holding out the cup, Toni said, “Here.” Gem shook his head, turning away, and Toni clenched his jaw, fighting to keep his tone calm. “Gem, it’ll help.”

“I don’t want to throw up again,” Gem whispered.

“I know, baby, but you gotta try.” Toni set the pill bottles on the side table so he could run a hand through Gem’s hair. “It’ll make your head feel better, I promise.”

Still whimpering into the pillow, Gem blindly lifted one hand, and Toni pressed the glass into it. Then he portioned out plenty of pain meds, along with Gem’s prescription. “Here, baby. Happy pills coming right up.”

“Toni—”

“Gem, you need to take them.” Toni infused his tone with firmness this time. “I know it sucks right now, but you’ll feel better after.”

With a miserable nod, Gem used several hands to prop himself up, and Toni cupped the back of his head to help support it. Gem took a sip of the water, only to immediately spit it back out, gagging.

Before Gem spilled it, Toni took the cup away, unable to smother his huff of frustration. Not at Gem—never at Gem—just the whole suck-ass situation.

“I can’t,” Gem sniveled, starting to cry again. “Toni, I can’t.”

And fuck, Toni’s heart broke down the middle. He hauled Gem into his arms, pressing kisses into his sweaty curls. He heard more than saw Oliver retreat from the room, leaving them alone, and Toni finally allowed the burn behind his eyes to manifest tears.

As Gem sobbed into Toni’s chest, Toni buried his face in Gem’s hair and cried with him. Because fuck what his father said, men cried! “I got you, Gemmy. Okay? I got you, and everything’s gonna be okay. I’m gonna fix it. I’m gonna fix this.”

And Gem nodded, believing him. If only Toni had that much faith in himself.

Chapter twelve

Borrowing Dicks

The day of Gem’srecovery was rough. It wasn’t until Toni had visited numerous drug stores in search of nausea patches that were absorbed through the skin that Gem was able to stop throwing up long enough to keep down the painkillers. Even then, the meds only put a dent in the misery Gem was experiencing.

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