The Human Bearer Ch. 23

"Damn, and I thought we were starting to become friends. With all due respect, high commander, or whatever you want me to call you, you're sort of an asshole."

Kanto touched his skin slowly, only with his fingers. Then, he brought them to his nose and inhaled. "So unpleasant, so unclean, and yet."

"Hey, chill a little with the insults, okay? I don't like how you guys leave that slime of yours all over the place, either, but here we are, together on this ship. Let's try to cooperate," Riordan offered.

Kanto caught his chin and made him turn his head. "You were given to me." That wasn't a claim; it was only a consternated realization.

"Trust me. I'm as surprised as you are. Your big guy is a funny guy." Riordan blinked. Staring into Kanto's deep green eyes was too much like staring into Xana's eyes. Otherwise, they were very different, but that, the same shade of eye color, they shared.

"His Royal Chancellor enjoys punishing me, it seems," Kanto continued. "I tried to argue against it, and yet, the thought did not appeal."

Riordan continued to stare at the high commander, determined to get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took. "You don't like me. I don't like you. I won't be a douchebag and tell you that, to me, you stink, too, but there's no way for us to work. Marn... I mean, His Royal Chancellor made a mistake. Maybe you got on his wrong side and he wants to punish you. I don't matter, but you should talk to him about why he wants to get you into this kind of mess. Xana's already jealous as fuck, and--"

Kanto surprised him by sneaking his tongue into his mouth and shutting him up. The humming started, which meant that Kanto was trying to communicate with him or...

I must stop! I cannot embrace this inferior being! He is everything I detest--

Riordan pulled his head back as hard as he could. What the heck? Was he... reading minds, now? Fuck.

"Hey," he said loudly. Kanto's unfocused eyes set on him. "Snap out of it, dude. It's only because of this huge belly." He touched his abdomen to make a point.

Kanto removed himself from him, tail and all, as if he had been burned. He moved at a safe distance from Riordan, staring at him with confusion mixed with alarm. Could Kanto tell, that he just had his mind read by a mere bearer? Maybe Xana wasn't supposed to give him that gift. Maybe that was another way to get into an even bigger mess.

"I must inform His Royal Chancellor that I cannot comply with his request," Kanto said in his most formal tone.

That should have been a relief, but Riordan doubted that it would be that easy. Marn was a stubborn beast, for sure. "You do that," he said and got dressed without being told to.

And, also without being told to, he turned on his heel and left the high commander's quarters. Was there something in the water on Tu'lek to make all these Xenos so horny all of a sudden? Something didn't quite sit right with him. Kanto would never kiss him otherwise.

Or so he thought.

tbc