Page 77 of Gratification in Gluttony

“You clean that thing, like, three times a day. I’m pretty sure it’s the cleanest espresso machine in the universe.”

“I like taking it apart,” he said, somewhat defensively.

“I know,” Toni said.

“But I have to put it back together or else I can’t serve customers,” Gem said, like he was explaining brain surgery to a toddler.

“I don’t appreciate the condescension,” Toni said.

Rolling several eyes, Gem turned back to the coffee machine. “Do you need something?”

“Do I need to need something in order to hang out with my best friend?”

“Oh, now you want to hang out?” Gem asked, feigning levity, but there was a bite there that made Toni pause.

“What?”

Gem’s shoulders slumped. “Sorry, that wasn’t—I didn’t mean it like that.”

“How did you mean it then?”

As Gem turned to face him, Toni hopped off the counter and reached out to take one of Gem’s hands. The Araknis offered a smile, but it cracked halfway.

“Hey, Gemmy? What’s wrong, baby?”

“I’m sorry. I’m trying to be a good friend,” he said, big eyes welling with moisture. “But I’ve just missed you. You haven’t come over forDesperate DesireSundays, which I totally understand. I get that it’s the only day you can see Jude, but it would have been nice if you’d given me a heads-up, you know?”

Utterly blindsided, Toni filtered through his memories from the last few weeks. “What do you mean, Gemmy? I did tell you. I said… I-I said…”

But he hadn’t told Gem, had he? He’d made his plans, and Jude had come over. And Gem had called him.

“Hey, where are you?” he’d asked.

And Toni had said, “Uh, home. Jude is teaching me guitar, remember? Hold on. Listen to this.” Then he’d proceeded to strum a poorly executedGchord over and over again.

“Oh fuck,” Toni said, and Gem shook his head, already opening his mouth to, presumably, try to make Toni feel better. “I thought I talked to you about it. I thought—shit, Gem, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I get it.”

“No, it’s not okay. I stood you up forDesperate DesiresSunday.” Toni made a disgusted noise. “That makes me the biggest asshole. Like, hundred percent douchebag.”

A watery laugh burst from Gem’s chest, and Toni cupped his face, thumbs rubbing under his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Gemmy.”

“It’s okay. I mean, not okay. But I forgive you.” He curled himself into Toni’s hold, tucking his face into Toni’s neck. “I just missed you.”

“Ah, baby, you’re breaking my heart.” Toni kissed Gem’s head, squeezing his best friend tight. “How about I come over Saturday? We can hang out, just the two of us.”

Backing away enough to meet Toni’s gaze, Gem smiled tentatively. “Really?” Toni nodded, and that smile grew. “I’d really like that.”

“Then it’s a date,” Toni said, pressing a chaste kiss to Gem’s nose. “A Toni-Gem date.”

With a wiggled squeal of excitement, Gem hugged him again, all six arms squeezing Toni until he was short of breath. “I love you,” Gem said.

“I love you too,” Toni gasped out. Gem loosened his hold, and Toni caught his breath, rubbing soothing circles over the Araknis’s back. “It’s me and you against the world, right?”

“Yeah,” Gem said. “Me and you.”

When Saturday did come, Toni bought the ingredients for Gem’s favorite meal—homemade Araknis-style noodles slathered in a sweet, spicy sauce—and together, they cooked an early dinner. Well, Toni cooked while Gem danced to the music playing over his speakers and snuck bites of the vegetables Toni was chopping.

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