[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
after his surgery." Aki sounded very pleased with his
discovery.
"How can that be a good thing?" Matt kept his eyes
closed; that way, he didn't have to look at the world
moving around him.
"Because it's so simple! And even simpler to cure.
You just have to practice looking and listening and
moving."
"Why does everything come back to me having to
practice?" Matt knew that he sounded grouchy.
"Because it is about you having to practice. It's a new
skill; you have to put it into use to master it."
That actually sounded logical. Matt opened his eyes.
"And that's all there is to it? It isn't something
complicated or -- permanent?" He held his breath after
asking the latter.
"I don't have any reason at all to believe that. I'll give
you something to stimulate your senses, and then you
can start expanding the exercises. Take a break when
you feel nauseated, and then go on. It's really simple."
It sounded that way, and for the first time in ages,
Matt felt optimistic. Hard work was something he knew;
Himiko: Bonding - 115
this didn't have anything to do with mysterious abilities
he had never known before. He could do this.
***
An hour later, Matt was about to explode. He had less
skill than a five-year old. Aki had thrown a ball at him.
He hadn't caught it. Aki had waved those flags around,
and the world had started moving in directions it wasn't
supposed to move in. Then Aki had made sounds and
gestures at the same time, and Matt had had to lie down,
his head spinning.
"This is so incredibly annoying!"
Aki didn't look as if he was going to disagree with
that. The Himiko crossed his arms and looked
speculatively at Matt. "I have another idea. Yes, why
not? Wait a moment." He left the room, looking very
determined.
You're so weird, you know that?
Matt sat back up, looking incredulously at Pietr. "I'm
the weird one? I'm surrounded by fucking mind reading
aliens! I'm so not the weird one here."
Fucking, yes, mind reading, yes, but we're not weird.
We're very consistent. You're not. You learn the hardest
things in no time, and then you freeze over something
like this. It's like your trip outside. You aced the
challenge that we were worried about -- and then you
found something totally unlikely to freak out about.
You're weird.
Matt was incredibly close to yelling something not
very polite when the door opened and Aki entered again.
He carried a radio and put it down on a table. Then he
looked expectantly at them as if he were presenting the
cure for cancer.
"What's that?"
Himiko: Bonding - 116
"It's a radio."
Matt just stared.
For the first time since Matt had met him, Aki looked
uncertain. "It plays music? Sounds, you know?"
Matt rolled his eyes. "I know that!"
Aki looked relieved.
"What I mean is, why have you brought it, and why
do you look like it can bring peace to the Middle East?"
Aki looked offended. "Because it's a very good idea!"
If you may say so yourself.
Matt managed to keep a straight face even with
Pietr's impertinent remark in his head.
"Dancing gives you three different sensory inputs at
the same time, sound, sight, and sensation -- and it
enhances your coordination. It's perfect." Aki turned on
the radio and looked expectantly at Matt.
"You expect me to get up and dance? Now?"
Aki's eyes narrowed. "Only if you want to get better."
It was kind of difficult to protest when his mentor put
it that way. "But... In front of you?"
Aki looked slightly hurt. "Well, I can leave if you'd
like."
"I would. Very much." Matt could do a lot of things
in front of strangers; dancing wasn't one of them. Aki
huffed and left.
Matt just sat on the bed. He would normally have to
be very, very drunk before anyone could get him out on
a dance floor.
Baby?
He looked up. Pietr was in the middle of the floor,
reaching a hand out for Matt. Uncertain, Matt stayed
where he was. Pietr smiled gently at him.
Come dance with me?
There wasn't much Matt wanted less right now.
Dancing was embarrassing even on a good day. And he
Himiko: Bonding - 117
wasn't having a good day. But there was no way he was
going to let his mate down again; Matt still felt raw
when he sensed how fragile Pietr was.
With a great effort, Matt got up, crossed the floor,
and took his mate's outstretched hand. He closed his
eyes and snuggled into his mate, sighing when he felt
the solid body against his. It was close to ridiculous, but
being apart, if only for minutes, felt hard. Pietr put
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]