Robin, page 9
They were only in the entrance, and it was already a train wreck. On either side of Miko, two staircases curled upstairs. They faced each other, and Miko wondered if his grandparents each had one. When they went to bed at night, did they each walk up one set of stairs watching each other? Or was one reserved for his grandfather and the other for his grandmother?
The railing was made of gold, and there were potted plants on some of the steps. There was a small table in the middle of the entrance with another plant on it and the crystal chandelier right above it. In front of the door on the other side of the room was a hallway leading deeper into the house. Miko could see more white and gold there, too.
The butler didn’t stop moving, and Miko had to scramble to follow him. As he did so, he leaned toward Robin. “What do you think of the decorations?” he whispered.
Robin pressed his lips together in a clear attempt not to grin. “It’s a bit much for me.”
Miko didn’t have any hesitation in smiling at him. “I think it would be a bit much for anyone.”
“Not for your grandparents, clearly.”
The hallway they followed wasn’t long. They stopped in front of an open pair of doors, and the butler turned to them. “Stay here. I’ll announce your arrival.”
Miko was bewildered. What did that even mean?
He mouthed the words, trying to make sense of them, but he couldn’t. Clearly, nothing was easy with his grandparents.
“Can we run away?” he asked, still whispering.
“I’m tempted to say yes,” Robin told him. “I promise I’ll tell everyone it was my fault.”
But the butler reappeared, and they couldn’t go anywhere. “They’re waiting for you,” the man said. He was clearly tense, but his graying hair was perfectly combed, so much so that Miko wondered if it even moved with the wind. It didn’t look like it did.
But he had something else to focus on, unfortunately. He still wished he could go back and never visit his grandparents again, but he was here, so he might as well do this.
He sucked in a breath and stepped into the room.
* * * *
Robin had to fight to keep the smile from his face. He’d known people with bad taste, but Miko’s grandparents won that trophy. The rest of the house had warned Robin, but the living room was the final nail in the coffin.
The stone floor from the entrance and the hallway stretched out into the living room, glistening under the lights. Right in front of them and of the entrance were wide windows, and that was the only detail Robin appreciated. The garden was beautiful, and it was nice to be able to see it from the living room.
That was the only nice thing about the living room.
To the right was a long couch curling around a coffee table. It looked comfortable enough, unlike the four armchairs peppered around the room. They were of the kind that had little padding and golden paint all over the wood. There was another couch, identical to the first one, on the extreme left of the room and another coffee table. Both the tables had glass tops, and both held small crystal lamps.
Or at least they were small next to the one hanging from the ceiling, right in the middle of what looked like a Renaissance painting. Then there were the columns. There were several of them on both sides of the room, even though Robin was pretty sure they weren’t needed to keep up the ceiling. Made of marble, they were as pretentious as the rest of the room.
The final detail was the massive potted plant in the left corner. It was as tall as Robin.
Robin turned to see what Miko had to say about the room, but Miko wasn’t focused on that. Instead, he was focused on the two people sitting on the left couch. One of them, the man, stood up.
He didn’t look happy.
“Are you sure you’re our grandson?” he demanded to know.
Robin already wanted to hit him.
“You were the one who called me,” Miko told him. “I’m Miko.”
The man grunted and came closer. Robin thought he’d offer Miko his hand, but instead, he walked around him, looking him up and down as if he were wondering whether or not to buy him.
“I suppose there’s time to change all of this,” the man muttered. “You ruined your appearance, but we can fix it before you meet your fiancée.”
Robin briefly closed his eyes. Miko was right. His grandparents had arranged a marriage for him, and they’d gone straight to the point, not even saying hello.
When Robin visited his grandmother, she always fussed over him. She made sure he didn’t want anything to eat or drink, and she hugged him constantly. There was nothing of the sort here. Miko’s grandfather was still walking around him while his grandmother looked disgusted.
Miko had to be hurt, but he didn’t show it. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and glared. “Is that why you asked me to come? Because you wanted to marry me off?”
His grandfather finally came to a stop in front of him. “Why else?”
“You said you wanted a relationship with me. You said you wanted to get to know me.”
Miko’s grandfather waved Miko’s words away. “That will come in time. The most important thing is to get you married. We carefully picked your future wife, and your grandmother is already organizing the wedding with your future mother-in-law, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.”
The man hadn’t even asked who Robin was. He couldn’t avoid taking notice of him when Miko took his hand. His eyes narrowed, and his gaze snapped back to Miko’s face.
“What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded to know.
Miko stood up straighter and raised his chin. “That’s not something you thought about, is it? You believed I’d go along with the marriage just because you asked? I’m my father’s son, and I won’t let you dictate my life, especially not when I’ve already met my mate.”
Miko’s grandfather turned his attention to Robin. Robin almost wished he hadn’t. He’d been hurt that he was being ignored, but only for a few seconds. Then he realized he didn’t want the man’s attention.
“You can’t have met your mate,” Miko’s grandfather said. “You’re too young for that.”
“Apparently, I’m not,” Miko said. “And I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that intervening in the bond between mates is against the law these days. You can’t force me to marry anyone. You can’t force me to change the way I look. I happen to like my hair and makeup and clothes, and I don’t give a fuck if you don’t.”
Miko’s grandmother gasped, but no one but Robin even looked at her. Robin wondered why she was here. Was it to look pretty, like one of the plants placed around the room?
She looked nice enough, albeit a little bland. Her white hair was neatly combed and framed her face, and she didn’t have makeup on. She wore a white jacket, a white skirt, and white shoes with just a hint of a heel. Huge pearls hung from her earlobes.
She didn’t say anything. The only one who spoke was Miko’s grandfather.
“You’ve ruined your appearance,” he snapped. “We’re Nix, and you’re my grandson. There are responsibilities that come with that, including not making a fool of our family. I can’t allow you to continue going around like this.” He gestured at Miko’s clothes. “All of that is going to change.”
“Haven’t you heard me? Nothing is going to change.”
“You don’t have to tell anyone about your mate. We can proceed with the wedding, and if this man wants to make trouble, we can make other arrangements, one way or another.” Miko’s grandfather looked at Robin.
Robin almost ran. He felt the hatred, and it wasn’t something Robin was used to. Some people might dislike him, but he didn’t think anyone hated him.
Except for Miko’s grandfather.
“How much do you want?” the man asked.
“For what?” Robin dared to ask. He was curious to see where this would go. He didn’t want Miko to freak out, so he squeezed his hand, hoping it would be enough to reassure him.
“He has a future, but not with you in his life. What can you offer him that we can’t?”
“How about love?” Miko asked. He clung to Robin’s hand, so hopefully, he’d understood.
“Love has nothing to do with marriage. You don’t need love to do the right thing.” Miko’s grandfather sounded derisive.
He clearly believed what he was saying, and Robin suspected he’d never loved his wife. He was probably the kind of guy who’d married young and had had mistresses ever since. Robin wondered if his wife knew about it and decided that she possibly did but wouldn’t dare say anything. He doubted Miko’s grandfather considered her as anything more than a trinket on a shelf now that she was done giving him sons.
“Love has everything to do with bonding with your mate,” Miko spat out. “And nothing you can say will change my mind. My father told me it was a bad idea to meet you, but I wanted to give you a chance. I thought that maybe you’d changed over the years, but I see that’s not the case. Dad was right. I should never have come.”
Miko turned, pulling on Robin’s hand. Robin was more than happy to go with him.
“If you love my grandson, you’ll let him go,” Miko’s grandfather said, still trying to stop them. “If you won’t, you’ll force my hand, and you won’t like the result. I have friends who are only waiting for one word from me to give me custody of you.”
Miko twirled around. He was angry, and he pointed his finger at his grandfather. “If Robin loves me, then he’ll be with me. You have nothing to do with our relationship, and I never want to see you again. Don’t call me, don’t try to contact me in any way. I’m never going to say yes to whatever you’re offering, so you might as well stop trying. I thought I could have grandparents, but I can’t, and you know what? That’s perfectly fine with me. I already have a family who loves me and doesn’t expect me to do things I don’t want just because they demand it from me. We’re done here.”
Miko turned, and Robin quickly followed. He couldn’t wait to get out of here, although he wasn’t sure how he should deal with Miko once this was over or how Miko would feel.
But whatever Miko needed, Robin would give it to him.
* * * *
Miko couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so angry. He didn’t think he ever had, actually. He’d never felt the need to hit someone and hurt them like he did now, and he was glad when Robin followed him to the front door without trying to stop him. He needed out, and he needed it now.
They crossed paths with the butler on their way there. The man opened his mouth, but Miko glared at him and continued walking, not giving him time to say anything. He didn’t care about whatever the man wanted. He worked for Miko’s grandparents, which meant he was an asshole like them in Miko’s book.
He felt like he couldn’t breathe until they were both outside and the door slammed shut behind them. He sucked in some air and closed his eyes. He desperately wanted to shimmer them away, but he didn’t want to risk making a mistake and hurting Robin.
“What do you need?” Robin murmured.
Miko didn’t know how to answer that. He leaned against Robin, and Robin took his weight. Miko wanted to stay this way forever, but he also itched to get away from his grandparents, and being by their front door wasn’t enough distance.
He forced himself to breathe in and out, but it still took him too long to be steady enough to shimmer them out. Robin still clung to him, so he took them away and straight to Robin’s bedroom at the pride house. He knew that there he’d be safe, and he’d be able to break down without risk.
As soon as they arrived, he let go of Robin and started pacing the room. “I can’t believe this. Did you hear what he said? They’re going to try to get custody of me. I’m nineteen, for fuck’s sake. Not even my parents can tell me what to do anymore, and that asshole thinks he’s going to be allowed to do it?”
“Miko.”
Miko swallowed and continued pacing. “As if I’ll change the way I look for him. Did I give him any indication that I cared about what he thought of me? I wanted to give them a chance, and I hoped they’d changed, but twenty years clearly haven’t been enough. Gosh, I want to go back and hurt him.”
Robin snagged Miko’s waist and pulled him close. Miko wanted to continue ranting, but it wouldn’t help, so instead, he sagged and allowed Robin to hold him. Whatever happened next, Miko would need his mate.
“I know you’re angry, and I don’t blame you,” Robin said. “But I’m not sure your grandfather can actually do what he threatened you with. Think about it. Not only are you legally an adult, but you haven’t done anything that would make people think you’re unable to take care of yourself, and even if you had and someone did need to make decisions for you, your grandparents wouldn’t be the ones to do it. You have your parents, and you have me. As your mate, wouldn’t I be responsible for you?”
Miko straightened. “You’re right. How did I not realize that?”
Robin smiled softly. “Because you’re overwhelmed and not thinking straight. I doubt your grandfather will convince anyone that you need someone to take charge like he threatened, but even if he does, he wouldn’t be the one to do it. The council created those laws. I’d be first, then your parents. Your grandfather will never get you, so that’s not something you have to worry about.”
But Miko was still worried. Robin was his mate, but they weren’t bonded. That might influence the council’s decision if things went that far. It shouldn’t, because bonded or not, they were mates, but Miko didn’t want to take the chance.
“We should bond,” he blurted out.
Robin blinked at him. “What?”
“You’re my mate, and that should be enough, but what if it’s not?” Miko pushed away. “What if my grandfather wins anyway? What if he knows someone on the council or pays the right person a lot of money for things to go his way? They could still take me away from you if we’re not bonded, but if we are? If we’re bonded, then they can’t do it.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works. The law says no one can intervene in a mate bond. It doesn’t matter if we’re bonded or not. We’re still mates.”
But now that Miko had thought about this, he couldn’t ignore it. He grabbed Robin’s shoulders, needing his mate to understand. “But my grandfather doesn’t care about that. He wants me and will do everything he can to get me. Just, please. Can we bond?”
Robin wrapped a hand around Miko’s right wrist. “I don’t think you want that. You think you’ll be in trouble if we don’t, but I don’t think you will be.”
“But can we risk it?” Miko frowned. “Are you saying no because you think I want it for the wrong reason? Because it’s not just about my grandfather. I’ve wanted to bond with you since our first date. I didn’t say anything because I knew you wouldn’t want to be rushed.”
“This is a bit sudden.”
“But are you saying no? Because I love you, Robin. I realize it’s fast and that maybe this isn’t the way you wanted to do this, but I don’t care. My feelings won’t change because we wait, so why should we?”
“I don’t want you to regret this because we went too fast and didn’t think it through. I’m glad to hear that you’ve wanted it for a while, but I’m not convinced you’re not just terrified of what might happen if we don’t bond.”
Miko looked away. “So you don’t want us to bond?”
“I never said that.”
Miko was confused. “But you’re saying no.”
“I’m not.”
“So you’re saying yes?”
Robin stared at Miko for so long that Miko thought he would say no. Instead, he gave a tiny nod that Miko wasn’t even sure he’d seen.
“Yes?” he asked to be sure.
Robin sighed. “Yes. I don’t care that maybe you want it for the wrong reason. You said you love me, and I’m falling in love with you. That’s all we need, right?”
Miko beamed. He wrapped a hand behind Robin’s neck and pulled him close, smashing their lips together. “Love you,” he muttered as he guided Robin toward the bed.
Robin laughed. “Love you, too.”
“If we do this, it’s forever.” Robin already knew that, but Miko wanted him to be sure.
“I know.” Robin looked into Miko’s eyes. “I want it to be forever. I’ve been thinking about this for a bit, and while I still think I’m too old for you, this feels right.”
Robin hooked his hands around Miko’s neck and pulled him down to kiss him. Miko’s heart soared, knowing that soon Robin would be forever his and that no one would be able to tear them apart, not even his grandfather. He pressed against Robin’s body, feeling hesitant but wanting to touch his mate. “You’re not old, but I like that you’re older than me.” It made Miko feel safe, although maybe that had to do with Robin and not the age difference.
But he knew Robin would make sure he didn’t do something stupid or impulsive. They filled holes in each other’s personalities and completed each other in a way Miko had known would happen but still hadn’t fully expected.
Robin pushed Miko’s shirt up, and Miko was happy to help him take it off since he wanted skin-to-skin contact as much as Robin clearly did.
He couldn’t wait long, so he stood up, shedding his clothes and throwing them on the floor until he stood naked. He had a split second of self-consciousness because he wasn’t muscular and his skin was pale. He wasn’t vain, but right now, he wished he’d put more effort into building muscle or something.
But the lust and love in Robin’s gaze as he stared at him was reassuring.
“Your turn,” Miko said with a grin.
Robin didn’t seem too happy about that. He opened a few buttons on his shirt, then paused. “I don’t look like you.”
“I’m glad. I’ve never been into skinny twinks.”
That startled a laugh out of Robin. “You’re not a skinny twink.”
“I’m the definition of one.”
Robin grinned. “Well, I’m into skinny twinks, so that’s great.”
Miko could still see the insecurity lurking in Robin’s gaze. He didn’t want Robin to feel like he wasn’t good enough, because there could be nothing further from the truth. “I love you. I’d love you even if you were purple and three feet tall. But that’s not a problem, because I like how you look. I like that you’re not like me and that you’re kind of soft. I want you, and I know that nothing I can say will make you feel better just because I say it, but please, remember that.”
