Page 39 of Sinner
“That’s not what I’m worried about, Firebird.” Yejun licked his lips. “Come on, this is me you’re talking to. If anyone here can relate to having parents not agree with their personal life choices, it’s me. Even if it’s coming from a good place, that doesn’t make them right. My mom also thinks she’s doing what’s best for me every time she insists she’s right and I’m wrong, but that doesn’t make it true.”
“It doesn’t make it any easier to deal with,” Nix added, and Yejun nodded.
“Exactly.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “They’ll come around. I have to believe that.”
It sucked too much to think otherwise. He and his family had always been close…for the most part. Had he always felt the need to keep secrets from them? Sure. They didn’t know about his hacking skills, for one. But that didn’t define their entire relationship.
“I don’t want to lose them, too,” he whispered.
“You won’t,” Yejun reassured. “You’re right. They just need time to sit with it, that’s all. They care about you. It’d be weirder if they reacted any other way.”
“You think?” He lifted a brow.
“Yeah. Their only child just told them he’s joining the Imperial family, taking on three boyfriends, and is willingly stepping into the limelight. It’s not exactly safe being a Royal Consort, Nix. If ever a war were to start, you’d be a target.”
True.
“What about your family?” Nix shamelessly turned the tables. “Were they at the meeting?” Yejun and the others had gone to the Club House, leaving Nix behind to deal with this.
Of course, he’d put off calling until the last possible minute, partly knowing one of them would most likely be walking through the door, giving him an excuse to end the call early.
Pathetic.
And also a little ironic. He’d stared down the barrel of a gun and had one of his closest friends basically die in his arms, but when it came to talking to his parents about his chosen mates…the anxiety was too great to handle.
“They were conveniently absent.” Yejun came around the table and opened the cabinet. “Coffee?”
“A world of yes.”
He started getting all the things together, going over to the coffee maker in the corner. Unlike Lake, he didn’t bother with fancy espresso machines, and he didn’t have the level of patience West had to wait for the French press.
Nix watched him move about, enjoying the momentary silence. “This feels…comfortable.”
“Hmm?”
“This,” he repeated. “Us. We’ve felt…homey all week. It’s nice.”
“Homey?” Yejun chuckled and added sugar to both mugs he’d pulled out. “No one’s ever accused a member of the Sang family of that before.”
“It’s not an accusation.”
“It’s too…ordinary, not to be.”
Right, because according to his mother, Yejun couldn’t be anything less than spectacular.
“You’re about to become the right hand of the emperor,” Nix said. “Shouldn’t that be enough?”
“You mean in the same way that becoming the Royal Consort is enough for your parents?”
“That’s different.” Nix turned and boosted himself onto the countertop, watching as the coffee finished brewing and Yejun set to filling the mugs. “My family has always been wary about power, that’s not the case with yours. You’re bringing even more prestige to them. They should be grateful.”
Yejun handed the first mug to Nix and shook his head. “They’re worried it means I’ll stop painting.”
“Will you?” There was a bit too much sugar in his, but Nix kept that to himself. Out of the three of them, only West paid attention to minor details in the kitchen.
Nix didn’t like the boxer more for it, and he wasn’t annoyed with Yejun for not getting it right. Considering Yejun’s upbringing, it made sense that he lived in a world where everyone liked everything the exact same way he liked it. His parents were like that too, after all. For them, art was everything, so it only made sense in their minds that their son should consider it everything.
