Such a Good Boy
Seth
Iwatch Ryn discreetly as I finish stirring her tea, the clinking of the spoon against the porcelain sounding overly loud in the small space. Her apartment is a studio, but for all that it lacks in size, it makes up for in charm.
From the outside, the building matches every other run-down looking mill-style building on the block, and the bones of the place are what you’d expect—exposed brick and pipes. The windows are huge, arched things, completely trimmed in black, and the floors comprise worn wooden planks. There are area rugs of various shapes and patterns strewn about the apartment, and draped fabric hanging in willowy arcs, interspersed with twinkling fairy lights. They all meet in the center of the room where a chandelier with sparkling crystals hangs down, casting warm prisms about the room. The warmth of the lighting is in perfect contrast to the jewel-toned colors bedeckingthe space. Her home decor style is a blend of whimsical dark academia meets the Darkmoon Faire. It’s bold, unique, and purposeful, like her.
I carefully place the spoon on the counter and take a breath. I shouldn’t be so nervous right now. She wants me here. She didn’t flee after my outburst at the club. She asked me to stay. This is good, right? Grabbing the dainty cup in both hands, I make my way across the small kitchen area over to where she’s perched on an oversized armchair. Her hands pop out from the blanket pile that’s dwarfing her as she reaches for the tea with a faint smile on her face.
“Thank you.” Her voice cracks, seeming smaller somehow. She quickly takes a small sip of the tea and closes her eyes, as if bracing herself.
I stand around awkward as fuck and try to think of what to say. My hands wring together mindlessly as I shift nervously.
“Ryn, I’m really sorry—”
“Please don’t. You have nothing to be sorry for, Seth.”
I rub at my neck and nod half-heartedly, “I mean, I did kind of get us banned from the 3P. ”
She chuckles, and I meet her eyes, hoping that I’ll find some guidance on how to act in her gaze. My normal knee-jerk response would be to smother the situation with humor and sexual innuendos, but for possibly the first time in my existence, this feels too real.
She’s being vulnerable—trustingme,of all beings, with her fragility—and I find that I actuallyreallycare whether or not I fuck this up. Somewhere between that alley kiss and this moment, the stakes went up for me. It’s completely unbalancing, and more than a little terrifying.
Ryn’s eyes soften, and she scoots over in her chair, shifting some of the blankets around and single-handedly holding them up while motioning for me to join her. I might as well be a dog, with how fast Irespond to that come-hither request. I’m not even embarrassed.Woof woof, bitches.
Carefully, making sure not to bump her tea, I settle just to the side of her. The intimate tiny shorts and cami top she put on when we got here are almost more provocative than her club outfit. I allow myself a super-quick glance, but then dutifully train my eyes on her face. She smiles softly and leans back into me, dropping the blankets over my lap before taking another sip of tea. Her warmth bleeds into me, and goosebumps of pleasure erupt over my skin.
“The Unseelie Prince was at the club.”
I stiffen at her words, but if she notices, she doesn’t show it as she continues, “I’m going to have to work with him. There’s no getting around it.” The bitterness in her tone is unmistakable, and it makes me want to punch the fucking knob goblin in the dick.
“I can maybe try something else. Deny the permit and request a resubmission to buy more time or something?” I can’t do that, legally speaking, but I’d figure it out for her.
She sighs and leans her head back onto my shoulder. I let my chin dip into her hair and inhale her vanilla chai scent.
“Mmm, thank you, sugar, but no.” My heart does a little flip at the endearment, and I do my best to continue paying attention against the distracting sensation as she elaborates, “It seems that no matter how much distance I think I’ve put between myself and that wretched court, it’ll never have been enough. They’re like a tumor, those beings—insidious and malignant.”
“D-Do you want to talk about it?” My curiosity is piqued for sure, but really, I just want the albatross around her neck to fly the fuck away.
“I grew up in the Unseelie court and it was by far the shittiest part of my life. I couldn’t get out fast enough. I was never really all that closeto anyone, anyway. My parents could never be bothered with us, and the sorts of creatures that magical folk hire for nannies in the Unseelie Court are not exactly what you’d call nurturing.” Ryn’s breath stutters out of her, and I gently rub my hand up and down the arm she's resting on my leg.
“My sister was the only person I had any sort of connection with, but we couldn’t have been more different.”
She pauses and takes one last long sip of tea before leaning over and setting her empty cup on a small side table. With that sorted, she turns into me and snakes her arms around my waist, half-burying her face in my chest. I wrap her up in my arms and wait for her to continue, absentmindedly rubbing small circles on her back.
“She loved the court. She loved being a menace. I dreamt of escape and some semblance of order, while she dreamt of becoming an Unseelie princess and causing as much chaos as possible. My parents were disappointed when I left. Mostly because of the optics. Nowadays, the courts are really more like high-end country clubs for self-absorbed assholes. Pay your dues, amass more wealth through whatever incestuous business practices necessary, and gossip with people who wouldn’t hesitate to sell you out to get ahead.”
I nod, still rubbing little circles against her skin and humming to let her know I’m listening. The Unseelie Court has always been the center of speculation for many paranormals on the outside, so I know some of this already, but Ryn seems to be slightly less anxious the more she talks.
After a moment, she sucks her teeth and chuckles, “My sister was livid when I left. She took itverypersonally.”
“She has something to do with why Darro has weaseled his way into your project?”
“Sheisthe reason.”
I can feel my eyes widen slightly as I force myself to ask, “Is she—did she become his princess?”
Ryn’s eyes bulge, and she snorts derisively, “Gods, no, thankfully!” I can feel a shudder go down her spine before she shakes her head, “No, although I guess that almost would have been preferable.”
