He took their hand in both of his and brought it to his mouth, and for a split second, they thought he was going to kiss their knuckles. Instead, he cupped their hand between his and blew warm breath over their fingers.
It was unnecessary and a little silly, yet their breathing stuttered all the same. Like he heard it, Dex made eye contact and held it as he exhaled again, and this time, his lips brushed their fingertips, fleeting and light, like the whisper of insect wings.
“I’ll keep you warm,” he said, his voice a rumbling thing that rolled through Cya’s body like an earthquake.
“O-okay,” they said, the word glitching halfway through.
With a satisfied smile, Dex lowered their hands to his leg and people-watched silently for the rest of the train ride. He didn’t let go of their hand, keeping it cradled between his palms, all while Cya fought the urge to hyperventilate.
Since he didn’t address the intimacy, neither did they. They sat ramrod straight, heart tripping inside their chest as their rattle shivered and clicked under their seat. At every subtle tick of their tail, Dex’s placid smile twitched, like he knew exactly what he was doing to them and was enjoying himself.
When they transferred from the train to a tram, Dex released their hand, and even though it was the middle of summer, Cya somehow felt colder without him. The tram was busy with end of day commuters, and they had to stand in the aisle, fingers clasping the grip bar above their head. Behindthem, Dex whistled under his breath, his chest brushing their back with every sway of the tram.
At a particularly hard jolt, Cya wobbled on compromised balance, and a furry arm wrapped around their waist to steady them. It was solid and hot, burning them through their sundress, and even after the tram settled, the arm remained. Dex continued whistling casually, hand cupping the curve of their side, and Cya did their best not to slump back against him.
Were they really this touch-starved? It was entirely ridiculous that a simple arm around their waist made them want to melt into a coil on the floor.
When they departed the tram, Dex’s street was teeming with people enjoying the nice weather. Kids played in the streets, and adults sat on their front balconies and patios, chatting amicably with each other. Groups of Hellians from various species stood around with various drinks, speaking a mix of dialects Cya didn’t understand.
Everyone seemed to know Dex, and Dex, of course, knew everyone. They greeted each other and shook hands, making brief small talk, but every time, without fail, he’d tug Cya into the conversation with a, “This is Cya, by the way.”
He spoke with such pride, like they were special, like they were someone worth knowing. Yet, it didn’t feel performative like it had with their parents or with Kent. In those moments, Cya had been a prize, a trophy, an accomplishment to brag about. But with Dex, it wasn’t hubris. He wasn’t proud of himself for knowing them; he was simply proud to know them, becausetheywere worthy of it.
As they approached his building, Cya used the excuse of the crowded sidewalk to shift closer to the Lupyn. They tentatively curled their fingers around the crook of his elbow, and his head spun in their direction,heterochromatic eyes wide in surprise. Because this was the first time they’d truly initiated contact, wasn’t it?
He glanced down at their hand, then back to their face, and they offered him a cautious smile. His responding grin was bright as the sun, and it filled them with warmth in the same way. Chest puffing, he guided their hand to grip his arm more securely, and they swore he flexed, his biceps swelling firmly under their touch.
Before they could roll their eyes at his grandstanding, a furry body crashed into them, nearly knocking them over. Dex caught them, hands framing their hips to steady them as Jasmyn squeezed Cya around their waist, rumbling happily against their chest.
“Oh, hello,” they said as they rubbed Jasmyn’s shoulder awkwardly. “What a warm welcome.”
Jasmyn pulled away, her hands already moving a mile a minute, but when Cya lifted their palms to stop her, she paused, then she repeated her signs slowly,“You came to practice?”
Cya rubbed their wrists together, and her tail swished excitedly. Signing with one hand, she took Cya’s in her other and hauled them up toward the building. She continued signing one-handed, but Cya missed most of her words as they split their attention between her and the uneven sidewalk to ensure they didn’t trip.
“I’m not selfish,” Dex muttered from beside and slightly behind them.
“What?” they asked over their shoulder.
Dex made a face at the back of Jasmyn’s head. “She said that I’m not allowed to be selfish with you because you’re her friend too.”
For some reason, Jasmyn wanting them to be her friend made their insides melt even more, turning everything squishy and gooey. “Oh, that’s sweet.”
When Jasmyn turned around, Dex waggled his tongue at her, voicing and signing simultaneously. “They were still my friend first.”
She stuck her tongue out too, using a sign Cya didn’t recognize.
“I swear, the mouth on this one.” Dex shook his head in disappointment.
“The hands, you mean,” Cya corrected, signing clumsily, and Jasmyn snorted.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have introduced you two,” Dex grumbled as they arrived at the front steps of his building. “You’re gonna teach her bad habits.”
“She’s the one saying swear words,” Cya sniffed haughtily, shooting Jasmyn a wink, and the young Lupyn stood taller, jutting her chin to match Cya’s posture.
Dex shook his head and sighed forlornly. “Pain in my ass, the both of you.”
Upstairs in the flat, Cya coiled up on the floor across from Jasmyn and did their best to carry on a voice-off conversation. Their vocabulary was lacking, so they had to spell a lot of things out, but Jasmyn was patient, offering the sign once they had finished spelling the word they needed.
