“Hey, I hate to interrupt all the romance,” Adi says, voice coming through the pad. “But the Sister just got a message from a Zebah ak’Ven who just sent coordinates and nothing else. You know what that is?”
Mathiras sighs. “Yeah, I do. That’s one of my contacts. Are the coordinates here on the station?”
“Of course not,” Adi sings out. “I plugged in the coordinates and it looks like an independent food processing station in orbit near a farm planet.”
“Let me guess, far away from everything.” Mathiras looks vaguely annoyed.
“You got it.”
“Then it’s a trap.”
“Oh, absolutely.” Adi chuckles. “It’s not even a sly set-up. Speaking of sly set-ups, are you guys getting a room on the station?”
Why would we get a room on the station? How curious. But Mathiras grits his teeth. “No. We’ll be back soon. You can have some time to look around if you like. Are the auditors still there?”
“Nah, they’re gone. Found one bag of noodles in a flavor they didn’t like, slapped us with a fine, and went on their way. Pretty sure it’s just a scam to shake out some credits from visitors, but they’re out of our horns at least.” Adiron yawns. “Come back whenever you like.”
“Will do.” Mathiras terminates the comm and pockets his data pad again. “How about you?” he asks, looking down at me. “Do you want to do a bit more exploring or do you want to go back to the ship?”
As if this is even a question? “Let’s go back home so we can kiss.”
I love how Mathiras’s ears grow subtly darker.
As we board the Sister again, Mathiras immediately heads for the bridge. I follow after him, scratching behind my ear at the mask. I’m tired of wearing the stupid thing and the cloak, but I won’t take it off until they tell me it’s all right. Adiron brightens at the sight of us, still seated in his chair at his station on the bridge, and Mathiras leans against a nearby station. The two brothers chat for a few minutes, discussing the inspection and Lukzar and the station itself. They talk a little about the bounty hunter who sent coordinates, but neither one seems too concerned that it might be a trap.
That makes me comfortable. If they’re not worried that it’s a trap, it means we can handle it. Maybe I’ll get to bring my rolling pin out and protect my sweet Mathiras. He’ll be so grateful that I’m there to rescue him that he’ll shower me with kisses again. I sigh happily at the thought, sitting down in Mathiras’s favorite chair.
Both brothers look at me, curious.
“I was daydreaming about Mathiras,” I explain. “We’re going to kiss some more once you leave, Adi.”
Adiron blink blink blinks. “I’m sorry, did you say kiss some more?”
Mathiras immediately reaches over and nudges his brother’s horn. “Don’t ask her about that.”
“Why not?”
“Yeah, why not?” I add, curious. “Are we not supposed to talk about it?”
“Not if you don’t want to,” Mathiras says, that bristling tone in his voice that he gets when he’s defending me. “Helen is allowed to do what she wants without having to discuss it with anyone. Understand?”
Adiron blinks again. “No. Actually I’m really confused right now. So Helen can kiss you as long as she doesn’t talk about it? What happened to going slow? What about—”
“Don’t you have some shopping for your mate to do?” Mathiras growls.
He shakes his head. “She’s going to be WAY more interested in this, trust me.”
Mathiras goes to nudge Adiron again, but Adiron grabs his brother’s hand and jerks him down, then pins his horns in a headlock as Mathiras flails, his back pressing against Adiron’s chest. “Go on, Helen,” Adiron grits as his brother struggles against him. “Tell me all about the date.”
“Well,” I say, watching them wrestle. “I was a little sad I didn’t get to spank the bird lady, and then I was really sad I didn’t get to shoot the praxiian in his floppy bits. But then I got to eat some pretty vegetables and some fruit and we went to a garden and I fed the birds and Mathiras kissed me sixteen times on the mouth and now we’re going to kiss some more and he’s going to show me how his penis gets hard.”
Both brothers stop wrestling. Mathiras makes a pained groan, his eyes closing.
Adiron releases him, a grimace on his face. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually sorry I asked. Damn. So much for going slow, huh, Matty?” He punches his brother in the arm. “You’re full of keffing shit.”
“We’re going slow,” Mathiras protests. He gets to his feet and immediately grabs Adiron in the same headlock and thumps his forehead. “And don’t ask if you don’t want answers. I warned you.” He shoves his brother away and scowls. “As for Helen, she’s setting the pace, all right? We’re going as slow or as fast as she wants.”