“Nice try. You don’t get out of family shit for bad behavior.” Rodrigo fake glared at him.
“It’s not like I’m a dick on pu
rpose.” Severin caught Ro’s incredulous expression. “Not to your family,” he had the grace to clarify.
“You just need practice being around people.”
“I already see enough people. Not everyone is an extrovert.”
“I can see how hanging around with my six relatives would freak you out. If you add them to me and Minnow, Loïc, Church and his family. Wow. Double digits.”
“I can’t care about twelve people,” he grumbled. “That’s way too many.”
“No one is saying you have to take a bullet for every one of them.”
“I’ll take a bullet for each and every one of them if it gets me out of small talk.”
“Stop being a baby and come downstairs.”
The corner of Severin’s lip curled in the type of amusement Rodrigo probably wouldn’t enjoy later.
“You’d better watch that fucking mouth.” The whispered words made Rodrigo groan.
“Are you coming back to my place tonight?” It was still difficult for Rodrigo to have to ask for things he wanted when he was used to being in the position where he was the one issuing orders. He hadn’t been hesitant in taking over as Minnow’s full-time dominant since Sev had sent them away, but when the king was in the castle, the prince still knew his place. It wasn’t to command the king to attend to them. That was for damned sure.
“I wish I could, but Loïc still isn’t in a good place in his head, so I don’t want to leave him alone for too long.”
Rodrigo was silent for a moment, arguing with himself about what should be left unsaid.
“You feel like I’m neglecting you and Minnow.”
Rodrigo shook his head. “I just wanting to be sure you’re not ghosting us. That and...”
“And what?”
Rodrigo sighed, trying to guess how Severin would respond to advice. He hoped it would sound like concern rather than meddling. “You can’t teach Loïc to swim while you’re drowning, Sev. I’m afraid he’s going to pull you under.”
“I’m not drowning. I’m okay.”
Severin wasn’t okay. Had never been okay. He couldn’t possibly take care of Loïc’s shit too, without it costing him.
“Just because you’re in charge doesn’t mean you have to have all the answers. You’re allowed to lean on people. You’re allowed to be overwhelmed.”
He snorted, arching a brow at Rodrigo. “Yeah, yeah. You take care of Minnow – keep her safe and happy – and I’ll take care of my brother.”
“I’m trying, but she’s unhappy because you sent her away. I can’t fix that.”
Severin scrubbed a hand over his face. “I know. I just need to get Loïc sorted out and things will go back to the way they were. I’m trying to figure out what to do.”
“So we’re going to have this wedding and keep living apart like this?”
“We’ll be back under the same roof before then. That’s months away.”
“You think he’ll be gone by then?”
“Yes. He’ll be gone in a few weeks, tops. Then things will go back to normal.”
Rodrigo grimaced. “Normal?”