𝐂 𝐎 𝐒 𝐌 𝐈 𝐂 𝐋 𝐎 𝐕 𝐄 !
𝙲 𝙷 𝙰 𝙿 𝚃 𝙴 𝚁 𝚂 𝙸 𝚇 !
( 𝔡𝔯𝔲𝔫𝔨𝔢𝔫 𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔰 ! )
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
"𝐀𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐇𝐎𝐋 𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐒."
Ana sat at the dining table in the townhouse, a mug of steaming tea sitting before her as well as a banana. Mor was across from her, her head resting in her hands as the two tried to piece together their memories from the night before. They could both remember arriving to Rita's and talking to Sol, but after their second drink, everything became a blur of happiness and giggles. Hell, Ana and Mor could've fucked and they wouldn't know. Sol hadn't been playing around when she'd given them her strongest drink.
"No, hangovers suck," Ana muttered. "Alcohol is great."
A masculine chuckle came from the doorway, both girls barely glancing up to see the three winged men entering the room. Cassian was grinning like an idiot. "Had a bit too much fun last night, did you?"
"If my head didn't feel like it had gone five rounds with Muhammad Ali, I would kick your ass to the mortal lands," Ana said, holding up her middle finger at the laughing male.
Mor hummed. "I have no clue who that is, but I agree."
Azriel and Cassian took a seat at the table while Rhys moved to stand behind Ana, his hands landing on her shoulders, fingers messaging the knots from them. Ana leaned into his hold, the pain in her head slowly fading into an annoying pulse.
"Good morning to you, too," Cassian said, grabbing some toast and tea for himself. "What did you two even drink last night?"
Mor shrugged. "Something along the lines of 'seductive rose' or 'enchanting peony' or something. It was pink and it worked fast and it made me happy, but now I want to kill it."
"I'll help." Ana sipped her tea, allowing it to settle her stomach. "By the angel, I can't remember what we did last night. But judging by the lipstick stains on my cheeks when I woke up, I made out with someone. I just don't know who."
Rhys's hands stilled on her shoulders, his body going stiff behind her. If her head hadn't hurt, she would've turned and checked on him, but any movement made her want to hurl.
Are you okay? she asked, curious.
Yes, darling. Just fine. There was a tightness in his voice, and Ana knew he was lying. He was not fine.
Maybe she shouldn't have mentioned the making-out thing in front of him. She didn't know what their relationship was, but she knew it was something more than friends. They cared for each other a lot, but not like siblings or family in general. It was something gentle but fierce⎯something she had yet to understand wholly.
Her feelings for Rhys ran deep enough that her heart fluttered when he called her darling and that she felt like she could fly when he kissed her head or her cheek. And let's not forget how her skin buzzed with warmth whenever his hands roamed her body⎯whether it be a hug or the holding of each other's hands or what. Something was there and she needed to figure it out.
But first, she had to figure out who the hell she was kissing last night.
"Yes, I remember that!" Mor pointed to Ana. "After our third drink, we were dancing when some girl came over and told you you were hot. Next thing I know, Ana is making out with her and everyone's cheering them on."
Ana buried her head in her hands, both to hide her flushed cheeks and to erase the smiles on Cassian's and Azriel's faces. "Ugh . . . I hate how kissy I get when I get drunk. I always end up kissing someone. Most of the time it's a girl, but there have been some guys, too."
"You're into both?" Az asked curiously.
She nodded. "Yeah. Though I tend to go for guys more." She tensed up, remembering Lucien's words. Pulling her head from her hands, Ana looked at them. "You guys aren't gonna kill me or something like that, right?"
Rhys frown as he took the chair beside her. "Why would we kill you?"
"Last time I told someone I swing both ways, they said that I would be killed in the courts for it." She could picture the disgust on Lucien's face clear as day. "I mean, I'd appreciate if you guys didn't kill me for my sexuality, but yeah."
Rhysand's face set as he thought about who could have told her that lie. "We have no rules about that. Love whoever you wish to. The only court who is against such pairings is the Autumn Court, but that's because Barron is a dick."
"Cheers to that." Cassian raised his mug and Ana caught a glimpse of a caramel substance within it.
She laughed. "Cass, are you drinking whiskey right now?"
"Yes." He pushed the mug toward them. "Want some?"
Mor held a hand over her mouth, her skin tinting green. "Get that shit away from me before I hurl on your brand new leathers."
Cassian was quick to grab his mug and chug the rest of the alcohol, the stench of it causing Ana's stomach to do cartwheels⎯and not the fun kind that Rhysand causes. Holding her hand over her mouth like Mor had done, Ana swallowed the bile in her throat and shuddered. She hadn't thrown up in a long time, and she preferred not to do so in front of her potential (absolute) crush and his family.
"If you will excuse me, I'm off to sit in a dark room for an unknown amount of time until I either fall asleep, throw up, or feel good enough to entertain the idea of social interaction." Ana stood, waving her hand about dramatically. "Goodbye." She made it to the doorway before stopping and turning on her heel. With a sharp look at Cassian, she pointed. "If you even think of pulling something on me, I will string you from the ceiling by your wings to replace the chandelier you broke two nights ago. Understand."
Cassian blanched. "Yes, ma'am."
Ana nodded and turned, walking toward the stairs. The last thing she heard before entering her room was Rhysand's amused voice, "I knew you were the one who broke it."
⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯
Rita's was a mess of drunken laughs and slurred words. Ana and Mor were who knew how many drinks in, their minds a flurry of indiscernible thoughts and nonsensical ideas. Bodies flushed together and all worries absent, the fae inside the club were filling the atmosphere with a drug-like wonder. Everywhere Ana looked, people were having fun, not once thinking about the problems of that day or the next. She was drinking that feeling in just as fast as her alcoholic beverages.
Half-empty glass in hand, Ana continued to cheer Mor on as she grinded against a female fae with bright pink hair and eyes, butterfly-esque wings, and tattoos all along her brown skin. It was nice to see her blonde friend letting loose and unblocking her true self. Of course Ana knew about Mor's sexuality⎯she had a very impressive gaydar, and Mor had been setting it off since day one. Watching her dance freely against this fae had Ana screaming happily and jumping up and down in excitement.
"Get it!" A few other fae had joined Ana in her cheers, the energy matching that of a college frat party or a high school football game. "Go! Go! Go!"
The squeals only got louder when the unnamed fae pulled Mor into a hot kiss. Ana's lips were parted in surprise, eyes wide as she laughed with a few other people. No one had suspected the butterfly fae to make a move, for Mor was known for being dominant in relationships (at least, that's what people had told Ana).
"This is insane!" a feminine voice called from beside Ana, causing the blonde to turn. Next to her stood a High fae female. She had copper-toned skin, bronze eyes, and long dark hair that was braided beautifully. Her long limbs were draped in silk and deep blue painted her nails, her lips a matching color.
"I know, right?" Ana held out her hand. "I'm Ana!"
The fae took her hand. "Fara!" She pulled Ana closer, their chests brushing. "Wanna follow in their example?"
"Sure!"
Fara wasted no time in pulling Ana into a kiss, their lips melding together as lipstick stained their skin.
Now, one should know that Ana was a touchy person when drunk. She tended to pick a person and cling to them until sobriety took over and made her no longer act like a kid. Some would say this was a side effect of her isolated childhood and the fact that she was touch starved for so long, but Ana just chopped it up to being the alcoholic influence on her body. Kissing, hugging, dancing, and even making out were all on the table for her when alcohol entered her system.
However, as she backed Fara into a wall and kissed her drunkenly, something in the back of her mind was yelling at her to stop. Blurred images of someone's face kept popping up, violet eyes and beautiful dark wings being the only things she could really pick out. But since nothing was solid in her mind, and she was wasted to the point of alcohol poisoning for a mortal, she didn't stop her make out session.
If only she'd known that Rhys could hear every drunken thought, and it was making him want to storm into that club and take her for himself.
Ana sat on her balcony, allowing the sun to warm her skin and push away her headache. Memories were coming back, and she could now put a face to the unknown pair of lips she'd kissed the night before. This wasn't her first time kissing someone while drunk, but it was her first time feeling shitty about it. Especially with her unknown feelings for Rhys.
Maybe she should've listened to what remained of her sober conscious that night? It was trying to tell her not to kiss Fara, but whatever she had drank was too strong to ignore. Hell, she was sure she'd kissed Mor that night as well, but the memories weren't there, only the faint feeling of perfect curls beneath her fingers and hands gripping her waist.
Rubbing her head, she groaned and leaned back, frowning as a shadow blocked out the sun. Ana looked up, spotting Azriel standing beside her with a concerned expression. While she and Az hadn't been too close in the beginning of the week, they'd made progress. Especially after the night she taught him how to make enchiladas (he'd enjoyed making them more than she'd thought he would).
That night, they'd passed stories between each other, and now, a week and a day in, they were finally comfortable around each other. It was nice to have Az around since he reminded her much of Alec. She was sure he and Alec would get along well if they were to ever meet.
"What's up?"
Azriel took the seat beside her, adjusting his wings accordingly. "You've been up here for a while. I wanted to check and make sure you were okay." His eyes moved over the city before them, taking it all in. "Are you okay?"
Ana sighed. "Things are coming back, and the nausea is gone, along with the headache. But . . . I don't know. I feel shitty."
Azriel perked a brow. "Why?"
The blonde hesitated. Yes, she trusted Azriel and considered him a friend, but he'd known Rhys longer and was more loyal to him. She didn't know if she could tell him what was going on in her head. Would he tell Rhys? Because that was the last thing she wanted him to do if she did tell him the truth.
"Will you keep it a secret?" Ana asked, her voice small. She needed to talk to someone about this, and she knew Azriel would give it to her straight and listen without interruption. "Like . . . keep it between me and you until I gain the guts to tell someone else?"
Azriel nodded, placing a hand over his heart. "On my honor, I will keep this secret."
Ana felt a weight lift from her shoulders as she turned to him. "Okay . . . I'm sure you've noticed the odd relationship Rhys and I have. We're friends but we act like something more, and yet neither of us mentions it." Azriel hummed, nodding. "Well . . . I . . . by the Angel, this is harder than I thought."
Ana hadn't been open about her romantic feelings before. She'd never had to be. She'd never felt anything romantic toward anyone before. I mean, with a traumatic past like her own, it was understandable that she'd stray away from romance. But now that she had met Rhys and gotten to know him . . . well, things had changed.
"I think I like Rhys. Like, really like him." Her voice was soft and quiet in her ears, and if Azriel didn't have the fae hearing he did, he wouldn't have caught it. He had to try really hard to keep his smile concealed. "I don't know when it started, but I feel . . . different . . . around him than when I am around others."
Azriel tilted his head. "Different how?"
She ran her fingers through her hair. "My heart races, my skin heats up wherever her touches me, and I get this fluttering in my stomach that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. And the things he says to me . . . it makes my knees go weak. I'll sometimes lose my train of thought when looking at him, and when he talks to me sometimes, I'll forget what to say. I just . . . I've never felt like this before."
And she hadn't. This was the first time.
Az leaned back in his chair, cautious of his wings. "Sounds to me like you feel something more for Rhys than just like." He turned to her. "Why tell me?"
Ana shrugged. "I needed to tell someone. Cassian would make a joke out of it, Mor is too hungover to deal with it, and Amren would call me an idiot. And Raziel forbid me that I tell Rhys any of this without figuring it out myself, first. That would be a worse disaster than Dragon Pox."
Azriel frowned at the unknown disease but brushed it off. He sat up and faced Ana to better look at her. She seemed nervous, her knee bouncing and her eyes flitting about. This must've been bothering her a lot. "It's obvious you like Rhys in a more romantic way, which is nothing to be ashamed of or worried about. But why do you feel shitty?"
"I kissed someone last night."
"You were drunk, number one," Azriel said, holding a hand up. "And number two, you and Rhys are not officially courting each other or whatever you call it in your world. Has he ever told you about him liking you or asked you to not see anyone else?" Ana shook her head. "Then you had every right to kiss someone. But, if you are feeling bad about it, then maybe it's time to figure out those feelings and admit to them."
The blonde groaned. "God, why are feelings so difficult?"
Az laughed. "I wish I knew."
"Shh!" Mor pressed a finger to Ana's lips, nearly knocking the girl to the ground as they stumbled into the townhouse. It was well past midnight, and the two were well past wasted. It was only when the music started getting repetitive that the duo chose to leave, taking another shot on their way out. Now the two were struggling to get into the house without waking anyone up, and with their loud laughter and even louder footsteps, that was an impossible task. "We don't want to wake anyone up!"
The light turned on, blinding them. "Too late."
Standing in the foyer were Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel, the trio having decided to wait for the girls to return before going to bed themselves. It had mainly been Azriel and Rhysand's ideas, the two worried about their own individual female, and Cassian had just gone along with it, excited to see what drunk Ana was like.
Ana's eyes landed on Rhysand and they grew wide and childlike, a giggle leaving her lips. "Rhys!" The High Lord had less than a second to think before Ana flung herself into his arms, nearly taking him to the floor. Her arms and legs wrapped around him like a koala, body pressed flush against his. "I've missed you! You should've come out with us! Why didn't you? Do you not like me? Do you just pretend to like me?"
Rhys sighed in amusement as Ana continued to ramble off questions, her voice a drunken slur of incoherence. He knew she wouldn't remember anything she was asking him in the morning, so he didn't bother answering most of them. Only the important ones.
"I didn't come because Mor would've smacked me upside the head, and I do like you. I don't pretend to like you. And yes, I do think you are nice to spend time with." He adjusted her in his arms, well aware that she would not be letting go anytime soon.
Ana smiled happily and placed her head on his shoulder while Mor fell against an unsuspecting Cassian, knocking the both of them on their asses.
"What the fuck, Cass? Catch me next time, won't you?" Mor stumbled to her feet, kicking Cassian in the shin. "Dumb Illyrian asshole and your lack of hand-eye coordination."
Cassian looked at Mor in utter disbelief. "Me? I'm the problem?"
Ana hummed. "All men are the problem!"
"Preach!" Mor shouted, pumping a fist in the air. "Men are shit!"
The blonde in Rhys's arms crawled around him and moved to rest on his back like a backpack. Rhys just adjusted his hold on her to accommodate the new position. Her hands began to pat the top of his head like a bongo, the girl whistling her own tune.
"We should get you both to bed," Azriel said, moving to take Mor in his arms.
The fae shook her head. "Absolutely not. We came back to continue the party in comfort!"
Ana nodded. "Yeah! We wanted to bless you boys with our wonderful presence and get you on our level!"
Cassian chuckled. "If we were on your level, girls, we'd be face-down in the dirt."
"That's cause guys can't drink like us!" Mor argued, pointing at Cassian. Or, well, she tried to. Instead, she ended up pointing at the wall behind him, her eyes blurry. "Right, Ana?"
"Yep. The only person who could drink like me back in the other world was Magnus, and that's cause he's a warlock with sparkly flingers and cat eyes. And a huge crush on my friend Alec." She gasped and placed a hand over her mouth. "I didn't say that. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that!"
Rhys frowned. "Um, darling, aren't they married?"
Ana paused, blinked, then laughed. "Oh, right! That was such a cool wedding. Alec was getting married to this bitch named Lydia⎯Izzy, Clary, and I called her Clit-ia behind her back, but don't tell her⎯because he was pissed about his parents being part of the Circle, which is the really bad group that I helped stop in the first war. The second war was against Clary's brother who we didn't know was still alive because we thought Valentine⎯that's Clary's dad, but he's a dick and the leader of the Circle⎯had set him on fire to get back at Jocelyn⎯Clary's mom⎯for leaving him with the Mortal Cup. In all fairness, I would've done what Jocelyn did. Valentine was a crazy man who did experiments on himself with blood and shit. Gross. Kind of like what Viktor did with me, Nadia, and Dmitri." She gasped again. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that, either. The part about me being a human test subject."
Rhys had to fight his urge to question her, knowing she was just spewing drunken thoughts at the moment. But when she mentioned her past, he had to keep himself cool. He did not want to lash out right now, especially with Ana in his hands. He'd wait for her to sleep before raging about his mate being put through so much shit.
Mor 'oohed' and clapped. "Keep going!"
"We should really⎯"
Cassian cut Az off. "No, I wanna hear more about the wedding."
"Oh, right, that's what I was talking about." Ana had lost track. "So Alec is standing at the alter with Lydia and a Silent Brother⎯these guys who stitched their mouths and eyes shut and speak in their minds⎯about to make the dumbest decision of his life. And then, before I could clobber Lydia and lie about it being an arm spasm despite me being far away from her, Magnus threw the doors open and stormed in. And Maryse⎯Alec and Izzy's mom who I love, but I didn't in this moment because she was being really homophobic⎯yelling at Magnus and told him to leave. But he was all like 'No' and next thing I know, Alec is walking toward him and kissing him in front of everyone like the bad bitch he is! And when a few Shadowhunters made comments, Izzy and I slapped them upside the head."
Cassian and Mor were eating this story up like little kids, and Rhys had to admit that he was intrigued by it. So much had happened in Ana's life and he wanted to know all of it, even the hard parts that he hoped she'd trust him with someday.
"That's so cool!" Mor said. "I hope something that cool happens in my life!" She then beamed. "Let's get to drinking!"
"Yes!" A sudden weight on Rhys's head, followed by soft snores, told him that Ana had finally crashed after her final wave of excitement.
Mor was quick to follow, falling into Azriel's arms. The shadowsinger picked her up and turned to Rhys. "I'll get her to bed. Come on, Cass."
The brothers bid each other goodbye and went their separate ways. Rhys climbed the steps and entered Ana's room, gently setting her down on the bed and tucking her in. He studied the beautiful dress she wore and noted how it would be uncomfortable to sleep in, so with a snap of his fingers, he changed her into more comfortable sleepwear. He also placed a glass of water at her side for when she woke up, knowing she'd be thirsty.
He brushed some hair out of her face, his fingers lingering along her cheek. She really was beautiful. Ethereal.
He bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, the feeling causing Ana to smile in her sleep. With another look at her and a squeeze of her hand, he stood.
"Goodnight, darling."
⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯
Ana stood on the roof of the townhouse, eyes locked on the setting sun. Her wings were out, feathers rustling in the breeze in anticipation for flight. She wasn't going to fly, but she'd wanted to let them breathe after days of being tucked in. They were like her magic⎯free spirited and always begging for release.
The gentle fade of yellow and orange to pink and purple brought Ana a sense of calm she'd only managed to achieve while in Velaris. If she hadn't made connections in her other world, she would stay forever in Prythian. But she had another family to return to, even if it meant leaving one behind. Honestly, it felt a bit like divorce⎯she would see one side of the family for two weeks then spend another two weeks with the other side. Stressful but okay in the end.
Ana sucked in a deep breath of the night air, enjoying how it cooled her lungs. She would miss this feeling while in Brooklyn, but knowing she'd return made it not so bad. That, and knowing she would be seeing her loved ones.
"There you are." She didn't turn her head as Rhys approached her. "Going for a night flight?"
She shook her head. "Just airing them out. They get restless."
"Just like their owner," Rhys said, ducking as Ana went to whack him. "So, only a week left. How will you spend it?"
Ana shrugged. "Like I have. With you and the others, doing stupid stuff to make memories. I may visit Feyre once more before leaving, and see Aurelia and Astrella while there."
Rhys smile. "Ah, yes, the Fire nymph and the horse you love so much." He had no problem with her journeying to the Spring Court. He knew she could handle herself. "You miss them, don't you?"
"Of course I do." Ana thought about them everyday. "I miss Feyre and I think it's insane how no one in that horrid court has noticed how much she is suffering. I miss talking with Aurelia and making food with her. And I miss the rides that I would go on with Astrella. God, I miss that horse. I would steal her from the Spring Court if I could."
An idea sparked in Rhysand's mind. He could pull it off . . . with a bit of help, that is.
"How about an early-morning flight?" Rhys asked.
Ana smiled. "I'd love that." Her wings disappeared, folding into nothing. "I should get some sleep if I want to be awake for it. Goodnight, my love."
With a kiss to his cheek (alarmingly close to his lips!) Ana left for her room.
Rhys remained in his spot, eyes set on the sky. "Hey, Mother or Cauldron. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me a mate like her. I don't know what I did to deserve her, but I will treasure her forever."
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
𝐀 𝐔 𝐓 𝐇 𝐎 𝐑 𝐒 𝐍 𝐎 𝐓 𝐄 !
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
This chapter was a bit of a mess, but we got to see Ana's drunken decisions, along with her admitting to her feelings to AZRIEL! And the drunk storytelling had me laughing a bit to myself. There was a lot to fit into that space, but I thought back to how I act when drunk and thought it would make sense.
Drunk Mor and drunk Ana. I hope they met your expectations. And there were more cute moments between Ana and Rhys (still don't have a ship name for them). I love them so much!
Next chapter is the last chapter before Ana returns and shit gets real. Hold on!
Please comment and vote!
Love you all!
~ a.h.