“What? Do you think I would have gotten rid of you? I would have retaliated, but not like that. I don’t break my own things. I can afford not to give a shit about some random girl getting strangled to death, same way I can afford not to off my future Royal Consort for trying to have me killed once.”
He snorted without meaning to. “That’s ridiculous logic.”
Kelevra grinned. “It’s fine. Now that I’ve come to my senses, it’s obvious it wasn’t you. This wasn’t your style. If you did ever try to kill me, it’d be a spur-of-the-moment thing, in a fit of rage. And you’d most likely—”
“Drown you,” Rin stated.
“Yes.” He laughed. “That. One day, you’re going to have to tell me what your obsession with that is.”
One day he most likely would.
But that wouldn’t be today.
Chapter 29:
The next few days were strangely…simple. They kept low because of the shooter, waiting for the Retinue to come up with some lead as to who the culprit could have been. So far, there’d been nothing, but Kelevra didn’t seem all that concerned. Most likely because it’d given him good reason to ask Rin to spend more time with him at the penthouse.
There was only so much they could miss at the Academy before their grades started to be affected, so they’d returned to their regular schedules. It meant the two of them rarely saw each other during the day, but space was healthy in any relationship.
At least, that’s what Rin kept telling himself.
It was insane, but after the incident in the forest, he and Kel had seemingly grown closer. He was getting used to the guy's arrogant jokes and being constantly surrounded by the delicate smell of roses and spice. The sex was still electric, but in a shocking turn of events, the Imperial Prince had actually taken Rin’s words to heart. They spent just as much time talking over meals and having regular conversations as they did in the bedroom.
It was…nice.
And terrifying.
Rin had never had anything to lose other than his brother, and this growing attachment to Kelevra made him uncomfortable in a way that was difficult to describe. He hadn’t tried, not to himself or anyone else, but eventually, it was going to catch up to him and he’d be forced to acknowledge it. That’s always how things worked.
Even his father would eventually find a way to force them to accept his calls and speak with him again. Honestly, it was a miracle that Crate Varun hadn’t already. His messages continued to come in, but both Rin and his brother had agreed they would no longer accept them.
For some, the concept of cutting off and losing a parent, especially the only one they’d ever known, would be scary. For Rin, it was as though a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and even though he knew logically Kel had done this to further bind them together, he couldn’t help but be a little bit grateful.
It was the Imperial Prince’s financial backing that allowed them to so boldly cut Crate off, after all. Something else another person might experience guilt over that he didn’t. For Rin, in a life that had always been about transactions, this was merely a deal that benefited them both. Kelevra wanted him, so he paid their tuition fees to ensure he’d stay. Rin wanted to stay, so he gave himself over to Kel.
When it was laid out like that, it was all pretty clear-cut. Plain and simple.
Which was why, despite Kelevra’s continued insistence that he wouldn’t grow bored and kick him out, Rin couldn’t help but feel uneasy. That feeling only seemed to get larger and larger with each passing day.
They teased each other still, but they hadn’t had another argument since the forest. Kelevra had tied him up and blindfolded him once or twice, but it’d never been against Rin’s will. He’d always one hundred percent been onboard with any sexual deviance Kel wanted to experience. And afterward…
Before this, Rin would have said in no uncertain words he was not into cuddling, but…He’d lost track of the number of times he’d woken resting in Kelevra’s lap, the Imperial Prince’s fingers running through his hair. Or in bed, curled up against him, listening to the pitter-patter of Kel’s heart beating in his chest. Those moments always felt warm and safe, as though they were in a bubble of sorts, out of touch with the rest of the universe.
There was no cure for Rin’s mood disorder, only ways to cope, and that was another thing that had gotten easier for him. Using Kelevra’s body as a grounding tool worked exceptionally well. That, paired with the fact he was physically exhausted each and every time after helped to keep his emotions in check more often than not.
Things felt really…good.
Which made Rin really anxious. Things hadn’t exactly started out amicable between the two of them, and from afar, he understood this didn’t look so great. “A spoiled prince sets his sights on a love interest and is gifted them by their sister” was not exactly the way most fairytales began. But Rin wasn’t looking for a Prince Charming, and he personally didn’t care how they’d started.
His emotions might be more stable, but his mind was anything but, and he was constantly lost in thought, only partially paying attention to the world around him. It shouldn’t have been surprising when his friends were able to corner him in the stairwell on the way from the library five days after the incident in the forest.
“Dude, where have you been?” Calder clapped him on the back, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.
“Were you sick?” Daylen asked, giving him a once over, frowning when he couldn’t find anything. “You look fine.”
“Just busy,” Rin said. His smile wasn’t as fake as it usually was. He’d maybe even actually missed hanging out with them a bit. Go figure. “I’ll be coming back to class regularly starting today.”
“What about the dorm?” Calder glanced between him and Daylen.
