Colors of Love

Seventeen

The aforementioned Chocolate eyes widened in surprise as Bobby simply stared at the young Neko before him. He couldn't help a couple flashbacksta that Night almost nine Years ago when he'd met Nikki, knowing exactly what that kinda reaction meant. There wasn't a doubt in the Darkest corners of his mind that this kid had just found his mate–and judging by what he'd said, he was that mate.

        Biting his lip nervously, Richie took a couple steps back as he realized that he'd prolly just fucked up without even meaning to. He couldn't help wanting to somehow admit that he'd suddenly started seeing in Color, which was indicative of that Life-Changing event he'd been looking forward to all his Life. Course, he shoulda known that that prolly wouldn't go over so well with this man–and it'd everything to do with the fact that one of them was a Neko, the other a Zorro. If he'd already been mated to and seriously hurt by one Neko, he prolly thought that any others'd do the same thing to him.

        Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, the bassist moved to settle on the couch next to his younger counterpart. He was grateful that his friends were still there and more than willing to offer their support, both of them knowing what was going through his head without having to ask. But even as they offered that support to him, they kept quiet so he could tell his own story for himself, which'd prolly be better. Neither'd try to speak for him unless he asked them to, and he was grateful for that since he needed to do this, himself.

        "When didja start seeing in Color, kid?" he asked, even though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

        "Not till you walked in," the younger brunette answered. "Damn, I didn't realize that both your friends were blue-eyed blondes."

        "Yeah, we are," Rikki laughed. "Granted, my eyes've a lil green in them, whereas Bret's are Sky-blue."

        "I can see that, as long as you're decently close," Richie told him, sounding contemplative as he turned back to his fellow brunette. "I'm guessing you're curious just to be damn sure about what I'm sensing?"

        "Yeah, 'cuz I don't have that cue," Bobby chuckled. "I've been seeing in Color for Years now."

        His eyes widened as he processed that fact, knowing what it meant.

        "I'm not gonna get into all of it–not here at the studio, anywhore," the bassist said. "But I started seeing in Color in March of 1983–the Night I met my late mate."

        "Rikki told me ya were kinda biased toward Nekos and mentioned that your mate'd died," he admitted. "I haven't asked about anything beyond that, though, 'cuz I hate it when others talk about me behind my back, so I try to refrain from doing that to others."

        "Biased is an understatement, I think," Bobby chuckled dryly. "Hell, I'm almost as biased toward my own race, no thanksta my second mate."

        The younger brunette's eyes widened as he realized what he was getting at. "You're saying that I'm your third mate?"

        "If ya didn't start seeing in Color till I walked in, yeah." He nodded, unable to help wringing his hands slightly.

        "I didn't think such a thing could happen," Richie said. "I mean, my parents're both a Century old, give or take, and they've never told me about such a thing."

        "Oh, it can happen–it's just extremely rare," he laughed. "My first mate's stepgrampa's over two Centuries now, and he told me he's only seen it happen twice in his Lifetime."

        "Sweet Goddess," the younger brunette breathed. "But were all the mates in question still alive?"

        Shaking his head, Bobby told him that the way the tale'd been recounted to him, all the mates involved had been alive in only one of those stories. In the other, it'd been more like his own story–one mate'd been Graced with multiple mates, but'd outlived at least one of them. Other than that, even he didn't know that many details, and he hadn't bothered asking for them since he doubted he'd get them.