“I don’t. I have kept your sexuality in mind going into this, but I want one year. Just one. Can you give me that much?”
My immediate reaction is no. Why should I have to do anything for anyone in this situation? But then I recall my conversation with Gem who—dammit—made good points. A lot of this is still the consequence of my own actions. I’m not one hundred percent at fault, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t play my part. Zhang is doing the mop-up job all on his own, and he’s trying. He’s even considered my sexuality, which I didn’t know he knew about and it’s more than anyone else in his position would do. It’s not something he has to do.
He's in charge. Everything he says goes. He could be a tyrannical asshole, but so far the only asshole between us is me.
“Are you polyamorous too?”
He shakes his head. “No, but I will allow you to take other lovers with my permission.”
“What if I fall in love with someone?” The “for the record, I’m not in love with you” hangs heavily in the air like the aroma of stale cheese.
He sighs and grimaces. “I hadn’t gotten that far yet. One problem at a time.”
I nod my agreement and sip more hot tea. There’s something in it, and a nice hazy numbness drifts over me. “Back to the rules. There’s the house one about curfew, high domestic protocol, and then … that’s it?” I say, hopefully.
His lips slant upward. “Nice try. You will obey me, and you will obey my father with less sass. You’re driving him crazy.”
“I thought we had a vibe going. I know I’m not imagining it. He loves my sass.”
“He’s ready to throw you off a bridge. While we’re discussing etiquette, you need to observe the house vulgarity rule as well.”
“In public, I will.”
“This isn’t a negotiation.”
“I’ll clean up my act in public, Centaurus, but that’s the best I can promise.”
“And around my father. I’ve already been in shit several times for your antics, Treyu.”
“Like what? I haven’t done anything. I’ve been a perfect angel.”
“You didn’t ask Gemini to speak to the Guild on your behalf to get an extension?”
“That’s not fair. Gem should have?—”
He holds up a hand. “I’m not mad at you for it. I’m glad you did. That doesn’t change that it caused trouble for my father, which he shouted at me about. We need to lay low for a bit. I’ll punish you if you disobey, Treyu.” His voice gets breathless enough at the end of that sentence, I suspect he’d like to do just that.
“H-How?”
“Not like this,” he says, referring to the state of me. “Never like this. I spank, mostly.”
Oh, Mother of Mercy. Maybe sometimes it will be worth it.
“I know what you’re thinking. It will not be worth it.”
“Can you read my mind too?”
“No.” He smirks. “I’ve known you for several hundred years.” Fuck. All that means is I’m doomed. “You know the house rule about alcohol,” he reminds me.
“What about when I’m not in the house?”
“Especially when you’re not in the house.”
“Ugh. This is the worst.” My eyelids dip between closed and open. He’s there to grab my mug from spilling. Fuck, am I high. “You smell like cherries.”
He sets the mug down. “Maybe we should have this discussion when you’re more coherent.”
“No. This is perfect. Then I can claim ignorance when I inevitably tell your father to fuck off. Do you know what he did to me? This.” I thrust my wrist at him. The runes shimmer. “This is mean, Zhang.”
