I'm the kind to sit up in his room. Heart sick and eyes filled up with gloom.

[godofcologne]

When Thomas woke up, the sun was streaming in through the window, and he could see brilliant blue sky through a space in the thin curtains. His mouth felt bone dry, but his head didn't throb, a pleasant surprise. Some part of him had expected the vampire safe tequila to have given him every effect of real alcohol. As it was, Thomas couldn't

Comments

[godofcologne]

The look on Thomas' face at the mention of blood was the exact expression young children got at the mention of broccoli. "You're worrying, Alice. It'll give you wrinkles," he teased. "But you know fear and blood aren't my things. Leave that to the Skavis and the other Courts. Edward was just drinking the tequila, and you know me, I'll try anything once. Twice. Three times, tops."

His grin was pure mischief, but Thomas seemed to catch his own words and frowned a little. "You can get smashed just fine with the regular stuff. Edward used to be able to, but now he can't." He raised an eyebrow and gave Alice a Look. "Think he just overdid it the first couple of times, or is this related? I mean, the stuff was definitely magic, even though it doesn't taste any different. I couldn't burn it off at will like the normal stuff."

Thomas shook his head, the grin returning at the mention of pictures. "But if I use the internet to find them, that makes me some sort of skeezy pervert. If you offered them it would be a gift. Or an invitation works

[manicpixydream]

"Sometimes you say stuff and I have no idea who you think I am, like wrinkles, come on, but then I remember you've never met Rose and thank god for that." She'd imagined it more than once, and stopped for the sake of her own mental health. Still it left her being the stereotypical girl Cullen. Most of the time.

"You've never seen me really smashed. Well ok maybe that one time, but I got over it pretty quick, yeah? I dunno, I never went for the full alcoholic experience, not like Edward. It might be whatever hocus pocus, but our tolerance is pretty high." Alice frowned in thought, staring at the ceiling, so it was completely believable she didn't notice all the towel tugging she was doing. "I wanna try this magic booze stuff though, that sounds pretty great, plus surprisingly few retail goods for vamps in my experience of the world. I mean I don't know any sparkly lushes personally, you know? I'll ask Jasper

[godofcologne]

The way Alice was tugging at his towel was sort of funny, though Thomas suspected that she wasn't really thinking about it and surpise naked time wasn't really a good thing. The surprise part usually didn't go well.

"Yeah, sounds pretty neat if you want to get drunk without being able to get undrunk on your own," Thomas grumbled, though he added with a smirk, "Lucky for me, everyone's seen me tipsy so often they can't tell if I mean to be or not. And what better excuse for drinking myself into a coma than surprise family reunion?"

He trailed a few kisses down Alice's throat. "What sort of work are we talking about for pictures? Can't I just beg for them on my knees? That usually works." His hand caught Alice's wrist at his towel and Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Disapprove of my towel colour choice, Alice? And I am not a pervert. I'm just a kind soul who doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings by turning them away."

[manicpixydream]

"You mean you had to sober up the slow human way, oh poor Thomas, from the sounds of it you needed all the drunk you got between your father and my brother, who by the way you never told me how that ended, except I'm assuming someone had to pull him off whoever again." Family reunion, yeah, that was one way of putting it. Maybe they could drop him in the woods and use him as a fox for the hunt she'd cooked up with Mal.

"I think you can figure out how good boys get rewarded all on your own, yeah?" Alice inched forward, nose to nose, with a knowing smile. "Your towels have this annoying habit of being on you is all, plus yeah, you are a pervert, plus are you saying I'm just a pity date? 'Cause that's insulting, Thomas. That's the worst thing you can say to a girl."

[godofcologne]

"Ugh. Don't remind me. I was still drunk when we ended up at Lestat's party and I saw dear old Dad again," he grumbled. "Watching for him to do something homicidal when I can barely put one foot in front of the other's not fun."

Still, with the way Alice smiled and came up into his face, the last thing he wanted to talk more about was Lord Raith. "I could," he answered, "but a hint would help. You know, just a little one." He closed the inch or so of space between them and kissed Alice again, long and full of slow heat. "And I am not a pervert. Being free with my affections is a good thing. But I should probably shut up before I say something else stupid, huh?"

[manicpixydream]

"Note the stark lack of denial on the pity date front, it's no wonder you're fending them off with a stick, you're only like, made of charm, god I almost want to stick you in a room with Rosie, someone'd die and I'm fully not sure who so keep that in mind if you ever really piss me off, yeah

[godofcologne]

"You know you're not a pity date. You're just fishing for compliments," came the unrepentant answer as Thomas' hand drifted up Alice's spine, savouring the soft skin beneath his fingers. He grinned and arched into the touch of her lips at his jaw.

Maybe it was just in comparison to the actual bad night of Vegas, but the afternoon was shaping up to be much better. Everything else was a complicated web, but Alice was an island of clarity. He knew exactly where they stood, and Thomas took refuge in it, at least for the moment.

"You know me, Alice. I don't do fine print. Too empty-headed to stipulate fine print and ripe for taking advantage of." His eyes danced with mirth as he turned his head a little and kissed her again, hand sliding back down Alice's back and over her hip. "Well, since you have all the answers, what should I do with my mouth instead of talking?"

[manicpixydream]

"You think you're so totally funny." Empty-headed was a fight she could see through to the end if she thought for one second he believed it, but more curious was who he thought believed it, and that she really didn't want to know. There was twisty and then there was twisty. King Nathan showing up made Alice remember a lot of stuff she'd seen and wanted to forget.

"Yeah, you don't have a head for details I know, but I'm thinking maybe moving in here wasn't the most genius move I could've made, yeah?" Even getting the words out, Alice bit a lip and pressed against him just a little more under his drifting fingers. "Or at least I think there's some stuff I could make better if I wasn't you know, crowding your space, at least to some people I fully won't mention, and Lacci's offered. I mean not that that won't cause major broodface 'cause it will, but I know Edward, he'll calm down about it eventually if you give him the right space, you know? And Lacci's willing to deal with it." Dru was another story. Dru didn't seem likely to

[godofcologne]

Some days, Thomas wasn't sure how Alice managed to turn simple sentences into long rambling explanations. But she was kissing him back and there were still faint trickles of emotion sinking into him, though it seemed to have slowed. Perhaps there just wasn't enough pressure behind the Alice brain dam for the Hunger to feed through touch alone. He didn't particularly care about the why behind it, not when he could occupy himself with the nice way Alice was curled up next to him and her very skillful lips

[manicpixydream]

Alice couldn't really help the sigh of relief, and sure, she knew Thomas wasn't going to take offense, but letting her come in and out like she owned the place, that was still the kind of thing she needed to hear out loud before she did it, especially now she didn't have her psychic goggles on. It was more about boundaries anyway and Thomas was pretty easy with those most of the time.

"You know they're not gonna stop fighting, believe it or not it's actually a kinda good sign for him, I mean he used to give the silent treatment for years and not hours, but it's a factor I guess." Really Lacci should talk to him first, just for her sanity, but- "It's just you know, Lacci offered 'cause she wanted to help, and it was sweet, and I think it'd be fun, but I'm not going anywhere yet, I mean definitely not right now." Thomas' leg had done a hell of a lot more damage to his towel situation than she had, and her smile was wicked

[godofcologne]

Alice's hands were really good at what they did. And so were her lips, even if she was giggling and threatening to crawl into his bed and be creepy. "You have better things to do than watch me sleep," he dismissed. "As sexy and alluring, and not at all creeping stalkeresque as that sounds."

The way her hand wandered along his leg had Thomas pressing himself unconsciously against her hip. "Yeah, they fight, they fuck, they repeat. I know that drill." He smiled innocently. "Or did you not want want to think about that part of living with Lacci?"

Teasing and all that aside, now that they were talking about Edward and Lacci again, Thomas' expression grew a little serious. "When he was all apathetic or whatever, I sort of eavesdropped on the argument," Thomas said without a trace of shame. He tapped the side of his head. "You know, up here. Hard not to notice what they were feeling. I though, I was positive for a minute there, that Edward enjoyed hurting her. The taste of despair. Arguing snapped him out of it this time, but I can't say

[manicpixydream]

The giggling didn't stop with the creeping stalkeresque comment and, yeah, she was really going to have to stop making jokes like that if she wanted to make up with Edward, but not like, right away. Not when things were so nice and Thomas understood it was her job as someone who cared about Edward to mock the crap out of him, since it was clearly his job too.

Her expression got serious though, and her giggling quieted while she listened. To the part about living with Lacci and the empathic eavesdropping bit, 'cause it was all one ballgame to her, a scarier and scarier one

[godofcologne]

It occurred to Thomas that maybe Alice took so long to say anything to him because she knew he wouldn't listen the first time or the second. But this time he heard it and remembered Harry, how Karrin Murphy had said similar things to him once. Thomas sighed, and it was resignation and understanding rolled in one.

"Yeah. I know how that goes." Thomas relaxed a little, as if Alice had confirmed something he suspected but hoped wasn't true. "I just wanted to make sure you knew all the important stuff that happened in Vegas, just in case."

Just in case he had to make a quick getaway. Just in case Lord Raith danced faster than Thomas did. It was insurance, and the words tasted bitter on his tongue. He replaced it immediately with the taste of Alice, kissing her deeply, drawing out just a little more emotion, a little more slowburning heat. "Never mind. I won't backseat drive. Edward's your brother. Your deal. I'll be the getaway driver when you bundle him into the backseat for deprogramming."

[manicpixydream]

"You're not backseat driving, it's ok, I mean- I get that you're worried and I'm kinda glad, you know? I don't want this to be a problem but it's still nice to be able to share the load a little, and if you're gonna be there I'm not saying no." There was some change in his expression and Alice couldn't pin what, which was only the most irritating.

"He's your deal too, he's your friend, I'm just saying I'll know when to watch out for myself, yeah?" Everything she'd said was true, so this was too. She hoped. "Anyway he's gonna have to deal with me and Lacci being friends, and he got over me living here pretty quick. 'Course if you're just trying to get me to stay I'm convinceable, yeah?" That kiss was a good start, all trying to leave her breathless like it made a difference.

"That's why I came here, right? Solve everyone's problems and keep your spectacular self in bed as much as possible, I mean I'm just one girl trying to weigh all my responsibilities.|"

[godofcologne]

"I just--" Thomas paused, trying to find the words. His hand ran through Alice's hair, and he held her gaze. "I don't want you being in there to trigger whatever is wrong with his head," he said carefully, "Because if he does do something to Lacci, I'm not going to wait for you to smack sense into him, family or not." Despite his best efforts to remain calm and careful with his words, steely resolve slid into Thomas' voice, an unexpected fierce protectiveness.

The words hung in the air for a silent second until Thomas blinked, shook his head, and gave a self-conscious little laugh. "Is that what I sound like when I'm lying? Because I don't believe you for a second."

[manicpixydream]

"Probably a good reason for me to be there first then, yeah?" Thomas had set off a spiral of wanting to see more than she had in awhile, and it hurt, but that wasn't why she sat up, rubbing her forehead and sighing