Lay Me Down to Sleep

Chapter 24

Kinn is very, very sad. He's heartbroken, actually, because Porsche clearly doesn't want to be around him anymore. 

"I don't think it's that, Kinn," Khun says gently, looking at Kinn as he squats by the desk, "He's probably processing. This is likely confusing for him. You even told me that you didn't want to overwhelm him more and figured this would be harder for him to wrap his head around. You came here so he wouldn't feel obligated to care for you-" 

"But he should have insisted that he would anyway," Kinn says in a small voice. 

He could swear that his brother just rolled his eyes, but before Kinn can call him out on it, Khun fully settles down on the floor. 

"Why don't you get ready?" Khun suggests, "Arm and I would like to take you out for dinner. We can do some shopping too-"

"I'm not going out like this! Ever!" Kinn tells him, crossing his arms.

"Kinn, we don't know how long you'll be like this. You can't shut yourself in the compound indefinitely." 

"You did it!" Kinn snaps, which isn't a kind thing to say. At all. He immediately feels terrible. But Khun doesn't seem to take offense to it, which surprises Kinn a lot. 

"That's what you want?" Khun asks, "To be like how I was? Cut yourself off from your friends and the world?" 

Kinn sniffles, "I can't see my friends while I'm like this. I can't even see Tay and Time. They know nothing." 

Khun shrugs, "They could. We could tell them. You've known them for such a long time, Kinn. You were their chronic third wheel until…we won't say his name. But I think Tay especially would want to be here for you. I was thinking about talking to Porsche about Yok and letting her know. She has been a motherly figure to him and Chay. I thought with the number of adults decreasing, she may want an extra income in exchange for helping me with you all-"

"I can take care of myself," Kinn mumbles, but he feels surprisingly drawn to Khun's idea. It might make him feel better to talk to Tay, and even Time. And Khun usually comes up with some reasonable and solid ideas. 

That reminds him…

"How did the meeting go?" Kinn says, picking his head up. 

"It went really well!" Khun says, nodding his head, "I think having Arm, Pol, Porsche, and Vegas backing my speech and plans really helped. And the staff seemed to be fans of the business and policy changes I announced." 

Of course they were. The changes strongly advocated for their safety and happiness, almost to the point where they could gain too much leverage. Pa always said that when Kinn tried to make changes that would help the guards. He said they were family, but also tools, and they needed to be kept at a certain level. 

But still, Kinn didn't understand why bulletproof vests were not feasible for their guards, considering how many have gotten shot.