Page 62 of Villain

“That’s not how the real world works,” Nix said.

“Maybe that’s not how things ended for your cousin,” Yejun corrected. “But your story could be different. It can be better.”

He slapped his hand away and glared. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“How did she die, Nix?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“How did she die?” he repeated, but his tone changed. It was no longer demanding, now low and almost soothing. Like he was trying to coax the answer out of him.

Nix hated that it worked. There was a good chance that it did only because he’d been bottling it up, unable to talk to anyone about it. His family had been absent most of the time he’d been home, and he’d only really seen them at the funeral. His friends hadn’t known Branwen, so there’d been no point in discussing things with them, especially since they weren’t all that close.

He hadn’t been lying about the part where he’d spent most of his time as a bookworm, locked in his studies. Since transferring, he’d only spoken to his old roommate twice, and they’d lived together since freshman year.

There was no way Nix could trust any of the Demons with the full truth, not until he had one hundred percent certainty none of them had been involved, but if this was a give and take like Yejun was trying to make him believe, perhaps using him to get this off his chest wasn’t so bad?

“She took her own life,” the words felt foreign on his tongue, practically whispered in the small space between them.

To his credit, Yejun winced.

“She left me a note,” he continued, all of it suddenly pouring out of him. “Just me. Her older brother had to sneak it to me even, because he didn’t want their parents getting hurt by that fact.”

“Did she tell you why she did it?”

“Someone hurt her.”

Yejun’s hand cupped Nix’s chin, but before he could shove him off a second time, the Demon was pulling him in. He wrapped his arms around him tightly and held him close, patting his back as if he were a small child in need of comfort.

Frustratingly, that also had the desired effect, and before long, Nix was responding, reciprocating the hug. He inhaled and breathed in Yejun’s scent, a mixture of pomegranate and turpentine with a hint of musk. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

“I’m sorry, Firebird,” Yejun said.

“You mean that, don’t you.”

“Of course I mean it. And I understand now how something like that could push you into making these types of extreme changes. Running from your emotions is never the answer though. If you came to Foxglove to escape your demons—”

Nix snorted before he could help it, finding that morbidly funny.

“Right,” Yejun grunted, pulling away. “Poor choice of words.”

“Anyway,” Nix cleared his throat, “we’re done arguing now, yeah?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, we’re done. I hereby call a truce.”

Nix smiled and nodded, acknowledging that he actually felt a little bit grateful for that. Being on decent terms with one out of three was something, and even though the moment had been fleeting, being able to confide in another person had been…elevating. He didn’t feel better, but he didn’t feel worse.

“You needed me to model?” Nix took a step toward the circular dais, figuring cooperation was the least he could do now. Only to be stopped by a hand on his wrist.

“I do,” Yejun confirmed, but that glint of something mischievous was back in his eyes. “But not like that.”

Nix’s brow furrowed. “Like what?”

“You didn’t pay much attention to my work the last time you were here, did you?” Yejun grinned and leaned in, holding his gaze all the while. “Get undressed, Firebird. I need you naked.” His grin widened when Nix sucked in a breath and he added in a teasing lilt, “Your state of arousal is up to you. Your choice.”

Choice.

Bullshit.

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