“Yeah, I don’t think I wanna know that,” Rusty said with a grimace.
“You know what? Good for you.” Toni tugged Dex into another bro-hug. “That takes a lot of bravery, and I’m proud of you, man.”
“Really?” With a pleased rumble, Dex leaned into Toni’s embrace. “Thanks, bro.”
Toni sniffled melodramatically and scratched the scruff of Dex’s neck. “Our kids are growing up, and it’s so beautiful.”
“Yeah, I don’t think I want any of you talking to me for the rest of the day,” Rusty grumbled as he turned and grabbed the tray from under the counter so he could clear the dirty tables in the dining area.
“Bryce searched the internet for me.” Zef held up their phone, screen displaying several website links their human roommate, Bryce, had sent them. “It appears both terms are applicable to your feelings, Dex, though I support whatever label you wish to use.”
“Cool. Thanks, Zef.” Dex offered them two thumbs-up, and Zef returned the gesture with their lower hands, top hands typing away on their phone—responding to Bryce, Cya assumed.
“No matter what label you use, you’re in good company, kid.” Upsetting Dex’s backward hat, Toni ruffled the fur between his ears. “We’re all pretty gay here. Except for Tad. I think.”
“Not sure I’d want to know,” Cya confessed, and Toni’s black eyes widened as he nodded in agreement.
“Not enough to ever ask.”
“She scares me,” Dex whispered.
“She scares us all,” Toni said solemnly.
“You’re godsdamned right,” Tad—the cafe’s dishwasher extraordinaire—said gleefully from behind them, and all three of them screamed at her sudden appearance.
“Where the fuck did you come from?” Toni demanded, hand on his chest.
She winked one large, bulbous eye at the Elas, making him pale slightly. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“C’mon, Tad, you can’t do that! I nearly shatmyself,” Dex barked.
Honestly, so had Cya, but they managed to swallow that admission as they massaged their throat where it felt like their heart had lodged itself. “Precious deities.”
“She came from Quin’s office,” Zef said airily, still typing on their phone. “She was feeding Bob.”
“Oy, don’t spoil my fun, Zef!” The Anura scowled and waddled past them on webbed feet, everyone giving her a wide birth.
The Mantodea blinked owlishly down at her. “My apologies, Tadora. I was simply answering Toni’s question.”
“That’s okay. You know I can never stay mad at you.” She patted their arm, and Zef’s wings buzzed in pleasure as the crests of their light green cheeks darkened in a subtle blush.
“Did I tell you that Bryce accompanied me to the Mantodea Colony and met Toa Sian?” they said as they allowed Tad to lead them back into the kitchen. “He taught me a human line dance called The Watermelon Crawl. It was lovely.”
“You danced with Bryce and didn’t tell me?” Toni cried, chasing after the duo through the swinging doors. “I thought we were friends!”
Zef’s reply was lost to the ambient noise of the kitchen as the doors shut behind Toni, and Dex propped his hands on his hips, ears tall and perky. “So was that my coming out story?”
Not caring enough to ask what he meant by that, Cya shrugged. “Maybe?”
A furrow appeared between Dex’s eyes. “Kinda wish it came with cake.”
With a groan, Cya facepalmed. “Deities have mercy.”
After they clocked out at two, Cya rode the train to Pride beside Dex, the Lupyn chatting endlessly as they did their best to ignore him. As theystepped out of Pride station, they wound their scarf around their neck to stave off the mid-April chill.
Dex headed toward the trams with a wave and a “See you in class,” while Cya turned to the temporary kiss-and-drive parking where Hemersyn’s sedan idled.
“And how is Dex?” Hemersyn asked as Cya settled in the back seat.
