Rose's Lion
By Laura Schiller
Based on: UniCorp Series
Copyright: Anna Sheehan
"You should rest," Nabiki said softly, curled up on Otto's bed in defiance of the dorm monitors as usual. Her fierce almond-shaped eyes were soft, as always when she watched him, but her mouth was tight. "You're exhausted. Let the police do their jobs, won't you?"
Otto put down his notescreen – no messages yet, for the fifteenth time – and pushed the wheeled chair just far enough to touch her, which in that tiny room was only centimeters. I know, he conveyed, one hand on her bare ankle. I just –
What happened next was an accident. His telepathy had caused its share of problems between them before, such as when he thought her adored older brother was a poseur or her favorite singer sounded like a horse. But the barbaric surge of fear he had for Rose, the cold-sweating, stomach-churning dread that the Plastine would catch her – that, he would admit later, was not something his girlfriend should have felt.
Her response shocked him. Knowing Nabiki, he would have expected her to share his concern, with only a minimum of jealousy – after all, she was his lioness, protector of anyone in need. Instead she blazed up with something he could only call rage – toward him, but worse yet, toward Rose, who had never done her any harm. It blistered like fire.
All this for that spoiled brat! We were happy before she came, and now –
How can you? Otto mind-shouted back. How dare you? What if she dies tonight!
Then maybe I might have my boyfriend back!
YOU -
He let go, but the damage was done. Nabiki flushed and jerked her foot away. Her hand flew to her cheek as if he had slapped her – which, with his mind, he had.
For the first time he could remember, her brown eyes filled with tears.
I'm sorry, he said in sign language, which she had learned from his siblings. I'm sorry!
"You've never done that," she whispered. "When those boys beat you up, you … all you were thinking was how pathetic they were."
She had hauled him to his feet that time and put her arm around him, snarling invectives at the bullies over her shoulder as she showed him the way to the school nurse. Her flashing eyes, her soft hair against his cheek and the strength of her slim body had reminded him of a lioness defending her cubs. She had sensed it, and that had been that … until now.
He stood on the green carpeting, breathing hard, more lost than he could ever remember feeling. He put out his hand, not even knowing what thoughts would come out if she touched him. But she shrank away.
"You're in love with her," she said.
He shook his head emphatically.
"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you don't know. If I can feel it, you can."
But I love you too, he signed.
"I refuse to share you with anyone."
You may not have to, after tonight.
Nabiki grimaced at the sarcasm, which could have come straight from Quin. "Look, I'm sorry I thought that. About her dying. It was … cruel. I don't have anything against her as a person, you know. Or I wouldn't, if the two of you weren't so ridiculously perfect for each other."
His heart leaped painfully, giving the nanobots more work than they were used to. He crossed his hands over each other and swept them apart, blocking her.
"You're both creative types, both old-fashioned, both sort of property of UniCorp, both have some seriously messed-up childhood issues … " She counted off on her finger, then threw her hands up in disgust.
She loves Bren. Mercifully, the sign language didn't show the pain that caused him. He thought of Rose's embarrassed little texts about Bren – he's very aesthetically pleasing – and how he had looked in the mirror at the same time, comparing his blue skin and yellow eyes to the chocolate coloring of Brendan Sabah.
Nabiki laughed a bitter little laugh. "Great."
I'm sorry.
"Yeah, you said that."
Gracefully, even now, she slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and stepped into her shoes. Without looking at him, she passed him on her way to the door.
One more time, she reached for his hand.
Rose. She unearthed his thoughts about immediately, the dreams of the lost and lovely princess behind her hedge of thorns. Rose shaking with compassion at their first meeting, promising to "give him back to himself, sign the rights over". Rose shyly asking if they could be family. Pair of odd ducks ... I'm not worth much. Say that one more time and I'll show you you are! If the alien was as adorable as you, absolutely. Thoughts he had been ashamed to confess to himself, let alone another living being.
If Rose wrote back to him tonight, he would find her. He would defend her from the Plastine at all costs, including his life.
And there, in between the tangle of Nabiki's hurt, her jealousy, her rage, he detected the first glimmers of understanding.
You're the lion now, she thought.