It was still the depths of winter, and although everyone wanted to go home, they couldn't. Aurora wasn't going to make it in the cold if they went out.
Aaron didn't need his cane anymore, and Aphmau had finally gotten strong enough to walk out the door and look at her old home.
So Aphmau decided to show him around, it was a huge bunker, underground and fortified.
The first place they stopped was the armory.
"Ahhh~" He drooled at the amount of weaponry they had, and all of it untouched.
Aphmau had to drag him away, she was laughing though, and didn't care.
They had left Aurora with Zianna, as they were a bit tired of staying inside their room.
They generated a lot of stares as they went by, actually, Aaron generated a lot of stares as he went by. He was quite a bit taller than the rest of the dwellers. Not to mention his accent put them off.
"Why are they staring at me?" He asked Aphmau, leaning down to her ear.
"Because you're with me!" And she started running to a dark room, pulling him by the hand.
When they entered, he realized it was a bar, with shelves full of bourbon and whiskey and vodka.
"Uh, I don't drink." He said to her, a little surprised that she would want to come in here.
"Duh, that's not what we are here for." She looked at him with a smirk.
A robot came behind him, it had three eyes and flew about the place.
It was a Mr. Handy. He had thought that they had all been broken down.
"Hello sir, Can I offer you a cup of our famous coffee?" The robot said in a heavy english accent.
"Uh... yeah sure." He wasn't actually sure what coffee was, he had been raised to find food and drink by himself.
"I'll be right back with your coffee then." And the robot left.
"Uh, Hey Aph, what's coffee?" He asked her, his face heating up when she gave him a look of disbelief.
"You've never had coffee?!"
"No... I never found it." He scratched the back of his head. And the robot came back.
"Here is your coffee sir, on the house!"
The robot handed him the coffee and left to tend to the bar.
Aaron shrugged and took a drink.
And immediately gagged.
It was really bitter, but he did get a nice buzz when he drank it.
He looked at the black liquid and then chugged it. His brain feeling really fuzzy.
"Aph...?" She was laughing at him while taking sips of her own coffee. Not chugging it.
"Feel better?" She asked, still giggling.
"Loads..." He blinked, he felt like he could run a marathon, he hadn't had this much energy in a long time.
"What is in that?!" He blurted out.
"Coffee beans, caffeine, and some other stuff." She had a very amused expression.
He then ordered a beer, not enough to do anything. He wasn't trying to get drunk.
"Didn't you say you didn't drink?" Aphmau asked him, smiling.
"I don't drink to get drunk, I drink because I like the taste." The beer came and he downed it.
"Uh huh, is that why you downed it then." She had a sly smile etched on her face.
"Yup." He didn't order another, he just let it cleanse his system. It made him think clearer.
"You know it's free right, you don't have to pay for it." She asked and he looked at her with strangely focused eyes.
"Good to know." He then hailed for another, downing it like the last.
"Aaron, stop." He smile had faded, she was actually worried he was going to get drunk now.
"What, I'm not doing anything." He grinned to show he was sober. And then gulped the next down.
"Okay, nope, we are leaving. I can't have you getting hammered."
She grabbed his hand, while the music was blaring really loud.
He grinned, and chuckled.
"I'm sober, That was my last one."
He yanked her into his chest, he was a little loosened up now that he had had some drinks.
"Really, because if you were sober, you wouldn't have done that. We can't dance remember." She said, a little irritated.
"I drank three, I'm still as clean as ever." He didn't wobble, he didn't stutter.
Apparently, he had pretty high tolerance.
"You haven't had vault beer, it's a little different. It leveled Garroth with one. It's strong." She couldn't see any effect it had on him.
"I don't feel any different, just a little loose." He laughed and placed his hand on her waist. Calling the attention of several people.
"Aaron, I think you've had enough. Let's leave." She pushed him out, but he turned around and pushed her back into the chair, not hard, but rough enough it surprised her.
"You want something before we go?" He asked, it didn't look like he was plastered, but the beer seemed to be kicking in.
"No, I wanna go back to our room. Let's go."
She started walking out and Aaron followed her, just like he would normally.
They reached their empty room and almost immediately Aphmau was pushed against the wall.
"A-Aaron?" He didn't do it roughly, and he smiled as he leaned in closer. And he chuckled.
"You're really cute, you know that?" He moved some hair out of her face. She could smell the alcohol on his breath.
He had to feel some sort of effect now, because he was starting to waver a little bit.
"Uh...." Aphmau froze, she wasn't expecting this from him. But she had to admit, he was being a little hot.
He kissed her gently, running his hands down her sides.
"Mmph!" She made a little sound of surprise, but melted at his carefulness.
His hands steadied by the beer, he felt her lean into him, and the buzz he had gotten from the alcohol tripled.
He wasn't drunk, he was tipsy at best. He knew what it felt like to be out of his gullet. He didn't need to go though it again.
He deepened it, he wanted a reaction, but he also didn't want to hurt her.
He laced his fingers around hers, and put her arm over her head. His other hand still on her cheek.
Aphmau was freaking out, she wanted and at the same time didn't want him to do this. She still hadn't fully recovered.
And they stayed like that for quite awhile, only stopping when they needed air.
Eventually, Aaron started to sober up a little, but at that point it had gotten a little heated.
He pulled back, his hair messy, and his heart pumping just a little too fast.
Aphmau still stayed against the wall, breathing hard and looking right into his eyes.
Maybe she should get him drunk more often.