“Don’t ask him that,” Daylen tugged Calder in and cinched his arm around his neck playfully. “I’m enjoying having a single room!”
“I won’t be coming back,” Rin laughed at their antics.
“You’ve moved in with him?” Brennon, who was standing behind the others and had kept a couple of feet away broke his silence. When Rin met his gaze, he dropped his.
Calder snorted. “You two idiots. Just talk it out.”
“Yeah,” Daylen gave Rin an almost pleading look. “That night was wild and we were all wasted. That’s all it was.”
“He regrets it,” Calder tacked on.
“I do,” Brennon immediately agreed.
Rin stared for a moment and then sighed. “Yeah, okay. Let’s talk.”
“Perfect.” Calder bumped by Rin and grabbed onto Daylen’s arm to drag him down the next flight of steps. “We’ll be in the cafeteria! Join us after!”
Brennon waited until they were truly alone and then came closer, running a hand through the hairs on the back of his skull sheepishly. They were standing on the landing between the first and second flights, in front of a large bay window, sunlight highlighting the pink on his cheeks. “Hey, look, I know I should have messaged you sooner but…I was too embarrassed. I am so sorry. I should never have kissed you.”
“We’d both had a lot to drink.” It also wasn’t lost on Rin how big of a hypocrite he’d be if he couldn’t find it in himself to forgive his friend for one stolen kiss when he was actively falling for Kelevra. Who’d done way worse, and all while sober.
“I don’t want things to be awkward,” Brennon said. “If you’ve been skipping training because of me, I promise it’ll never happen again.”
“That wasn’t why,” Rin told him. “I had something else going on.” They’d kept the shooting a secret since Kel hadn’t wanted it to make headlines in the news. “But, Brenn,” this was uncomfortable, but it had to be mentioned, “I am with Kelevra. I have a fiancé. It may be supper sudden, but it is what it is. I’m sorry, but you and me? That’s never going to turn into anything other than friendship.”
“I know.” He glanced away, then forced himself to look back. “I know. It was stupid. I just, was drunk, and I thought…It doesn’t matter. You’ve made yourself clear and I respect your decision. I just want us to go back to the way things were. Is that possible?”
“Is what possible?” Kel’s voice cut through the conversation and Rin turned to find him and Madden making their way up from the first level. He was sucking on a lollipop, but he pulled it out and offered it to Rin as soon as he was close enough.
Rin made a face, but the Imperial Prince laughed and leaned in.
“We’re being watched, Consort.”
Wherever he went, Kelevra drew attention, and sure enough, cadets had stopped on the upper level to stare down at the two of them.
He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, allowing Kel to slip the candy onto his tongue. It was sour.
He liked it.
“Shouldn’t you thank me?” Kelevra smirked and then turned, offering his cheek next.
“Good Light.” Rin took out the candy and quickly pressed his lips to Kel’s warm skin. Popping the lollipop back into his mouth just so he’d have a reason not to kiss him anywhere else. The warning look he sent the Imperial Prince’s way hopefully helped to bolster his stance on PDA.
Some of the onlookers giggled and it took everything in him not to elbow Kelevra in the side as hard as he could.
“Where are you off to?” Kel asked.
“Target practice.” Rin risked a glance in Brennon’s direction. His friend seemed rightfully nervous but hadn’t yet excused himself. He wasn’t sure if that was brave or idiotic.
“I’ll join you,” Kelevra said.
“Been a while since we wasted a free period remaining on campus,” Madden chimed in, bounding up the stairs. He looped an arm around Brennon’s neck, tugging him in close and ignoring his small protests then looked to Kel. “Let’s go.”
“Wait, I’m not—” Brennon shut his mouth when he received a sharp glare from Madden.
Rin frowned. “Kelevra.”
“Relax,” he shrugged as he turned them and headed back down the way he’d come, “you two usually go to target practice together.”
