hard-won happiness the clan had gained. He’d ask her about it tonight.
Meanwhile, the other matter bugging him needed to be nipped in the bud. He cast a sidelong glance at the Nobek at his side. Fortunately, Osopa matched Tukui when it came to dedication to getting to his duty station early. They were in no danger of showing up on the bridge late. After doublechecking the time, Tukui spoke.
“Stop. We need to talk.”
Halting, Osopa scrutinized Tukui’s expression and frowned. “Is there a problem, my Dramok?”
“Is there? I’m sure you have a reason for holding back when it comes to Tina.”
“I—I don’t understand.”
“Don’t hand me that. Yorso discussed it with you. Since you’ve failed to take his concerns to heart, it’s my turn.”
Tukui wasn’t the hardass of the clan. Yet he could call on his sterner Dramok leanings when he had to. Osopa sighed, resigned to being the one chewed out for a change. “I’m working on it.”
“Work harder. Of all people, you should be guarding against the tendency to be distant. It’s unacceptable that she’s left wondering how you feel.”
“I’m not distant, not always.”
Tukui was ramping up, gathering a full head of steam. “A single second of it is intolerable. Our Matara has been abandoned by those she trusted. Rejected. How can you, with the history of neglect you suffered, be so damned emotionless around her?”
“You know I’m not emotionless. We’ve discussed this at length.”
“I’m not talking about how you feel. I’m pointing out what you show. You’re inconsistent with being open with her.”
“I gave her great pleasure last night, and I plan to make her feel good every chance I get. Beyond that, she’ll come to understand I’m there to protect her at all costs.”
Tukui crossed his arms over his chest and glared. As much as he loved Osopa, his clanmate could be infuriatingly stubborn, especially when it came to revealing how he felt. “She needs to realize that now. All you’re doing at this point is confusing her. You have moments where you show her you at least want to be kind, moments when you display the caring person beneath all that Nobek discipline. But mostly, it’s no-nonsense Osopa, guarding his thoughts and feelings. You have to do better.”
The Nobek wasn’t guarded at the moment. His consternation was peeking out around the edges of his imperturbable mask as he struggled to find an argument.
It hurt to watch Osopa attempting to bare his feelings. Tukui hated to force the issue, but he had no choice. For Tina’s sake, the whole clan had growing up to do.
With shift change still several minutes away, they’d had the corridor to themselves for a few precious moments. Footfalls warned Tukui someone approached from the branching hall ahead. He sighed. “We’ll talk later. When we do, I expect you to have a strategy in place for this issue.”
As he finished speaking, another crewmember turned the corner and headed towards them. Dramok Zevs. Of course.
The other man slowed, staring with frank, expectant curiosity at them as he neared. No doubt he enjoyed the obvious scene of confrontation. He might have even heard Tukui’s last statement.
Tukui stared in return, challenging but controlled. Silently daring Zevs to say something.
Zevs scowled and kept going. Tukui watched him, but his rival never looked back.
When he was out of earshot, Tukui turned to Osopa. “You see? You save the cold attitude for work and trash like Zevs. When you’re around Tina, you behave like the parents you wanted or the friends you wished for in training camp.”
“I’m not sure how.” Osopa wasn’t good with uncertainty. It made him obstinate. Tukui wasn’t having it.
“Figure it out. Your Matara deserves your protection from those who would harm her—not you protecting your childhood hurts from her.”
He could have kept going on and on, pointing out the lack of harm Tina posed to Osopa’s vulnerabilities. He could have listed the strides the Nobek had managed since they’d met as teenagers. Normally, Tukui would have done just that.
For perhaps the first time in his life, the young Dramok recognized the moment had come for him to back off, however. Osopa was a thinker, the kind of person who ruminated over an issue, turning it over in his mind before coming to a decision. He needed space to digest the circumstances, to come to his own conclusions. And hopefully a solution to his issues with letting his guard down with Tina.
Instead of badgering his clanmate as he normally would have, Tukui resumed his trek to the