He’d seen the way Rin had gone to mush beneath him after a rough fucking. Saw the blissed-out state he entered. It was a reprieve from the constant barrage of overthinking he suffered on a daily basis. Kelevra had also realized Rin didn’t just do that for himself. He thought ahead for his brother, too. Worried for them both. Prepared for them both. It was like the guy thought his life was some epic chess match, and if he made one wrong move, he’d lose the entire board.
If Kel guessed correctly, up until this point, Rin had convinced himself that the sex wasn’t worth all the baggage that came along with it. He’d agreed not to contest the betrothal, and to move in, and yet a whole week had passed since Kel had called to ask where he was and Rin was still spending his nights at the dorms.
Was he racking his brain trying to figure out what Kelevra’s angle was? Had he gone from relieved that he was getting that space he so desperately craved, to anxious? Were those rumors that Kel was bored with him getting to him?
Rin was an overthinker.
Just by staying away, Kelevra had given him a lot to think about.
He bet Rin was missing it by now, the way Kel could touch him and wipe all those pesky thoughts from his mind. How he could force himself in deep and shove that overanalyzing nonsense out.
“Random suggestion,” Madden twirled a hand in the air, “but have you considered trying to romance him instead? If you’re really into him, and don’t just want to trap him—”
“Who said I didn’t?” Kel interrupted. “I don’t want to lock him up. There’s a difference. There are two parts to everyone, the physical and the mental. I don’t just want to conquer one. I want both. I want all of him. And I’ll have all of him. He’s good at telling people what they want to hear, but there’s no way of knowing whether or not he’ll follow through. I can’t just shove him behind a locked door and throw away the key. The rest of our lives will be a constant battle, and eventually, one or both of us would get tired of that kind of drama.
“If I want to keep all of him, I need to do more than simply catch him. I need to tame him, and the start of that happens,” he tapped his temple, “right here. My flower’s main issue is he feels too much. He’s ruled by his emotions. It doesn’t take much to make him feel resentful.”
Madden frowned. “Pretty sure he’s the Academy’s resident nice guy.”
“It’s a façade.” Kelevra didn’t like outing Rin, especially since he still didn’t understand why it was so important for him to stay hidden. He’d figure it out eventually, but it wasn’t the highest on his list of priorities.
Rin wasn’t the only one he was learning new things about through this.
“It turns out,” he continued, “I can be patient when I want to be. Taking his body was the easy part, infecting his mind is harder. It’s a process. I can’t just force my way in all at once.”
Madden stared at him for a long moment before, “Have I mentioned recently that you’re terrifying?”
“Not recently, no.”
“I spilled coffee on my shirt, that’s why I took it off.”
Kelevra gave him a droll look. “I don’t actually give a shit.”
“So you want him thinking about you?” Madden brought them back to the topic.
“I’m going to use his issues against him. He’s emotional and a control freak. Not knowing what I’m planning, having to deal with the constant barrage from the public…Eventually, he’ll torture himself enough and he’ll break for me all on his own.”
“That’s why you haven’t ordered him back to your side.”
“There’s no need.” Once Rin had enough, he’d find his way back, most likely fuming and chomping at the bit. They might even get into a physical altercation wherein Kelevra would be given an excuse to subdue him. He enjoyed that. Got a real kick out of subjugating his flower whenever he was in a particularly foul mood. It somehow made the conquest all the sweeter.
“And the brother?” Madden began tossing the ball once more. “He’s not giving you any grief?”
“He hasn’t, why?”
“I see him around the docks sometimes.” Madden shrugged. “The guy looks different at night, that’s all.”
“Devils tend to flourish in the dark,” Kel hummed, and at his friend’s confused glance added, “How do you expect to be a good head of guard for me if you’re this obtuse? The twins aren’t normal. But normal is overrated anyway. I’m too good for normal.”
“Yeah, because you aren’t,” Madden replied, laughing. “And you still don’t think this has escalated too quickly? You banged the guy a couple of times. That usually doesn’t make a person want to rush out to marry them. You’re aware it’s forever, right? You only get one shot at naming a Royal Consort. That’s a tradition not even your sisters will be able to change for you. I get impulsive is your middle name but…?”
“The Imperial decree has already been made,” Kelevra reminded.
“Sure, but until the actual wedding, there’s still time to change your mind.”
“I won’t be changing it,” he stated, annoyance flickering in his sharp gaze when he set it on his friend. His sisters might be elated that he was willing to settle down with someone, but his Retinue were less enthusiastic. That was going to have to be dealt with, but right now his main focus was on his flower and edging him to the conclusion that he was already plucked.
Rin Varun belonged to Kelevra. Body and mind. If his flower also happened to have a soul? Kel would take that too. He was going to leave nothing behind.
