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when I can't reach my mate, when I can't feel what he
feels except when he's in mortal danger!
Well, when Aki put it that way... Matt pulled himself
together.
Because your bond is stronger that way! You're not
dependent on being within physical reach, and the more
you can do this, the closer you get. Look, I'll show you.
Matt showed Aki the same image that Robbie had
showed him back when he had to learn, of a bond made
of elastic with an unbreakable core harder than any
metal.
I know how it looks!
Then why don't you get it? Look, here's the bond
you're trying to create. Matt made a mental image of a
rigid iron beam.
And so what?
Matt gritted his teeth. Aki was more stubborn than a
sullen teen.
And so it isn't strong enough! Matt made a mental
image of what happened when you used a lot of force
against an iron beam, shattering it in a cascade of tiny
splinters.
Himiko: Warrior - 96
Aki's roar was deafening, the Himiko struggling to
get loose.
"Listen to me!" It was only Robbie's grip around
Aki's waist that kept Aki from attacking Matt, and Matt
had to use all of his mental force to get Aki's attention
again.
I said, listen to me! Matt's inner voice was loud
enough to stun Aki to silence. He took a deep breath.
Okay. Now, look at this instead. Again he showed
Aki the image of an elastic bond with a firm core,
showed his mentor what could be done with the bond,
how it would never break the way a rigid bond would.
In the beginning, Aki was dismissive, unwilling to
even listen. Matt didn't pay any attention to his protests,
but simply forced him to watch how Matt could twist
and stretch and bend the bond without ever breaking it.
See? Nothing can happen to this. He had caught Aki's
attention now, his mentor reluctantly following his
demonstration. Aki shuddered when he pulled the
imaginary bond so thin that it was almost invisible, but
Matt refused to stop.
This is what you need to learn. It won't snap. Ever.
Matt pulled the bond even thinner, showing how strong
it still was.
Suddenly, something fell into place in Aki's mind,
and the Himiko relaxed so quickly that Robbie had to
support his body to keep him from falling.
Is it... Is it really like that? But Aki already knew, the
revelation making all that fear and tension leave his
body.
It's really like that. I promise. Matt briefly wondered
at the improbability of a human teaching his Himiko
mentor anything about the Himiko bond. But it had been
necessary.
Himiko: Warrior - 97
And this Himiko is more stubborn than you'd think
possible. Robbie fondly nuzzled Aki's neck.
You don't say so. Matt allowed himself to enjoy their
connection for a moment, the way he was close not only
to Pietr, but also to Aki and, through his mentor, to
Robbie. Then he prepared himself to end it. Very good.
We'll let you go. Behave, now. Matt reluctantly pulled
back.
Pietr shook his head. "You really have a way with
words, honey."
Their connection was broken, and it almost felt like a
loss to Matt, even though he still had Pietr.
"Now you can fuss."
Aki looked uncomprehendingly at Matt. Then a
horrified look went over his face and he turned back to
his injured mate.
"Oh, no, you blew it, buddy. You can't be all happy
with letting me cuddle you and then go back to thinking
that I'm dying." Robbie kissed Aki's nose and turned to
make them something to eat, much to his mate's
consternation.
"I'd just give up if I were you, Aki." Pietr was
shaking his head. "You have to pick your fights."
"You do." Matt raised an eyebrow. "Of course, it's
not hurting my mate's great insightfulness that he's
really hungry for those sandwiches."
Someone's sleeping on the couch tonight, baby.
Matt laughed out loud. As if you would want to miss
what I'm going to do to you. He gave Pietr one or two
images of what kind of fun he intended them to have
tonight. It wasn't until he heard Aki sputter that he
realized that he hadn't quite severed their common
connection yet.
"Has that couch ever been slept on?" Robbie had
turned away from the sandwiches he was putting
Himiko: Warrior - 98
together to look at them. "Because that's getting to be an
empty threat by now."
Matt cringed inwardly as he remembered how Pietr
had stayed away from him after he found out what Pietr
did for a living. But he couldn't reveal anything about
that to his friends without risking their lives, too. "Well,
it's always good to have a deterrent." Matt leaned back
against his mate, encouraging Pietr to embrace him,
wanting everything to be back to normal. The Himiko
held him tightly. Matt sighed in spite of everything.
When mates didn't need to be killed or hit they were
quite nice to have around.
Oh, my God, after that overwhelming declaration of
love, honey, I'll just have to fuck you senseless right
away.
See? It worked.
***
After dinner, Matt cuddled up with Robbie on the
couch while Pietr took Aki outside. Aki looked
rebellious, but Pietr just pulled at him.
Aki needs to let go a bit, Pietr thought to Matt. And
Robbie is going to kill him if he fusses another second.
Matt laughed inside. Apparently you didn't have to
know Robbie as well as Matt did to see that the Himiko
was this close to losing his patience. Robbie only just
held it together long enough to shoo his mate out of the
door.
That guy is so much hard work. There was a good
deal of exasperation along with the love in Robbie's
thoughts.
Yeah. Mates generally are.
Robbie shuffled a bit closer, and Matt put an arm
around his shoulder.
Himiko: Warrior - 99
Are you okay, by the way? Robbie kept the question
light.
What do you mean? Matt tried to pretend he didn't
know what Robbie was asking.
Don't even try; I've been bossing Aki around for
months. I'm in great shape when it comes to getting
people to talk.
Matt sighed. It's not that I don't want to talk about it,
but it's kind of private. I can't really talk about it.
You figured out what he's doing for a living, didn't
you?
Matt looked disbelievingly at Robbie.
Robbie just shook his head. "Come on, it's not
exactly difficult to guess. I mean, he started going back
to work at about the same time that you suddenly looked
like you had been attacked all over again. Do you really
think that I believed your talk about a 'relapse'? You
don't get those a month after having a concussion. At
least, not unless you do something incredibly stupid, and
you didn't."
Matt didn't even know what to say. Underestimating
Robbie used to be something Pietr did, not Matt.
"It's okay." Robbie's voice was softer. "I get it."
"It's a mess." Matt wanted to confide in Robbie, but
he couldn't risk anything. Fortunately, Pietr had shown
him how to hide things deep down where nobody could
find them, so he didn't risk Robbie finding out.
"It is. But it's not really his mess."
Matt looked questioningly at Robbie. "He said that it
was."
Robbie made an impatient noise. "Yes, he likes to
take all of the world's troubles on his shoulders. And he
is to blame for some of it, but most of it is..." Robbie
suddenly looked a little sick.
Himiko: Warrior - 100
"Don't." Matt kept himself meticulously shielded,
careful not to let anything slip that could endanger either
of them. But a look could say more than many words.
Robbie's eyes widened, then he nodded slowly.
"Okay. Okay." He seemed to shake himself. "So...
You're fine now?"
Matt was relieved to leave the dangerous subject. He
shrugged. "I don't know. We should be, but we're..."
"You're not?" Robbie's voice was gentle.
Matt shook his head. He couldn't meet Robbie's eyes.
"Not really. I never thought there could be anything
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