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The scream —
Robin frowned, knowing her eldest wasn ’t one to scream. She stood up, following the scream to the bathroom just in time to hear the shower go off. She knocked on the door. “Sebastian, are you alright?”
There came no response, which worried her, knowing he would typically say something to get her to go away.
She let out a sigh and opened the door, waiting for him to yell at her for intruding. Instead, she found him shivering, his fingers struggling to wrap the towel around his waist. He looked up, giving her a somewhat skeptical look at her being in there while he was naked, a thing he hated immensely regardless of who it was.
And then his fingers failed, the towel dropping. He quickly dived down to grab it, stumbling as he continued shivering, getting out only half of a curse word because he was shivering so much. His face turned red, although only slightly, as his body didn ’t seem to have the heat it needed.
Robin looked away. “It’s not as if I haven’t seen it before, sweetheart.”
Silence.
“Why don’t I go and get you a warm blanket while you finish drying off and getting dressed?” she said, closing the door. She headed for the closet, letting out a deep breath, before returning to the bathroom. She knocked. “Sebastian?”
No answer. She opened the door. Sebastian was sitting on the toilet, looking miserable, although he ’d managed to get the towel around himself. He continued shivering. Her fingers reached for the switch for the heating element in the ceiling.
“It should heat up soon. Meet me in the front room when you’re done.”
She headed there, then paused, heading to her daughter ’s bedroom, knocking on the door. “Come in.”
Robin opened the door. “Maru, did you do something to the shower?”
“Did Sebastian complain?” Maru asked.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Robin said. “What did you do to your brother?”
“I turned the hot water off on him,” Maru said.
Robin frowned, then said. “Maru, you realize it’s the dead of winter, right?”
“Sebastian likes the cold.”
“Yes, but not when he’s showering!” Robin protested. “Why would you do this?”
“Because he gave you a rock for the Feast of the Winter Star this year.”
“It was a joke,” Robin said.
“And I did a joke back.”
“Maru, giving me a rock—that’s not the same. He could get really sick because of this,” Robin said.
Maru finally looked up, swallowing. “I’m grounded.”
“Definitely. Demetrius isn’t here, so why don’t you pack up everything on your lab table into a box and put it by the front desk. You can have it back later.”
“Fine. I guess I deserve it,” Maru muttered.
“You definitely deserve it,” Robin said, looking for Sebastian in the front room, and when she didn’t find him went back to the bathroom.
“I’m fine,” Sebastian said. “I’ve warmed up a bit.” And then came the sneeze.
She let out a sigh and opened the door to find him half-dressed, looking miserable. “Go to bed. I’ll bring you some soup later on.”