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

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[manicpixydream]

There hadn't been a whole lot to do on the plane back except hide in the bathroom so that's at Alice did, and no one bugged her 'cause bathrooms weren't places vamps needed so much as other people she figured. She figured a lot of things on the way back, and none of them were really good, but it was easy to forget them 'cause if she didn't her head was going to explode.

She had to stop thinking that too though, 'cause the one time she'd thought it really, really hard, the bottle of water some flight attendant had slipped her on her way in burst into a million little plastic fragments and that was enough to keep her meditating most of the way home.

Jasper was going to call and he was going to be pissed and let him, she thought, this wasn't normal and it wasn't like she needed topping up daily. Not usually. This was unpredictable and there were more important things than whether or not she wished she could pop a Tylenol. Like who the hell Nathan Raith was when he was at home, and where his home was, and god, Thomas was probably a

[godofcologne]

There was really something to be said for autopilot. His mind was flying through possibilities, trying to figure out why Lara had sent Lord Raith to the house, trying to process how she managed it without Justine even getting a hint of what had been going on, and (more importantly) trying to figure out what he was going to do about it now.

So when Alice came in, Thomas rose without thinking, crossing the room and sliding an arm around her waist. The Hunger was already reaching for her when he kissed Alice's forehead. The sheer magnitude of emotion, of that pent up pressure, surprised Thomas out of his thoughts and he blinked rapidly, staring down at Alice as if seeing her for the first time (which, to be fair, was true).

"I slept already," he answered, his mouth still working on autopilot as he reached up to brush Alice's cheeks with power at his fingertips. Still there, that torrent of emotion, barely held in check by sheer willpower. The next words that came out of his mouth were obvious.

"Alice? You're not okay."

[manicpixydream]

"Everyone says that the first few times they see me off the rails but you don't know, I mean I don't even know, and hey parading not ok for starters let's go with last night 'cause I don't remember Vegas sucking that hard, I texted you and hey, you're the one who should be getting the third degree about not ok, plenty of time for cracks in the wall." Alice leaned into his touch automatically, sighing against his fingers. She wanted out of that dress and into a dark room, but this was fine. She'd be fine.

"You worry too much Thomas Raith, that's always gonna be your problem."

[godofcologne]

With physical contact, it was much easier to get a clear picture of just what Alice wanted subconsciously, and Thomas figured she was too out of it to complain, not when everything seemed to be directed at keeping her from falling to pieces. "If worrying too much is my only problem, I'll take it," he answered lightly, his hand slipping into Alice's, fingers twining with hers.

He thought about telling her to go lie down and yell at him from there for a second, but empty night there was so much. Thomas wasn't sure how she was still standing. "Come on," he said. "Walk and yell." The Hunger slid from his fingers and up, reaching for Alice, sinking deep beneath her skin as Thomas walked her with him to the windows and drew the blinds tightly.

When the room was in shadow, he led her back to her bed. "Don't you give me that I'm fine crap. Sit down," he continued, loosening his grip on Alice's hand to reach behind her and undo her dress, letting his fingers linger against smooth skin. By now, simple touch was enough, though through touch

[manicpixydream]

There were a few things Thomas didn't take well to - boy was that an understatement - and one of them was sympathy, she'd seen that enough times not to even bother trying, but how could she not be totally appalled by what he was saying? And the casual way he said it, the same way he related anything really fucked up about his life, it wasn't the first time she'd heard that tone of voice. Not even the first person. Jasper had stories

[godofcologne]

Feeling Alice slowly relax as tension leeched out of her, Thomas concentrated on slow touches and the steady flow of emotions sinking into him. It helped keep his mind from acknowledging how bad of a state she'd been in coming in, from thinking about the sympathy and anger that slid over her skin. He let Alice draw him down with her and watched her with serious grey eyes, listening to her words.

His hands never stopped moving against Alice's back; there was no way he could knead enough at the muscles he felt beneath her skin to do any good, but Thomas kept up the motions anyway. It was the thought that count, or something. Much like how he really didn't need Alice to be stroking his hair, but it was appreciated. "You are doing something stupid, Alice," he couldn't help pointing out, but there was no heat in his voice. No anger. Just resignation. "But then so I am so maybe we're even on that one

[manicpixydream]

Even sounded about right. Every one of them was being pretty stupid when you came right down to it, but if you lived in fear of that you ended up keeping totally still all the time which, not so great. Or you turned into Edward. Either way it definitely wasn't Alice's MO.

There were still risks you could be super careful about, though. "You can't just not tell her, she can't find out, like, at all, the language was pretty specific and there was a reason, you know?" Alice kept her eyes closed while she spoke, partly out of wanting to feel herself floating in a quieter head and partly 'cause she didn't really want to see his reaction to any of it.

"He couldn't say a whole lot, like something was stopping him, but I think they keep him knocked out most of the time. He said they only keep him awake when they need him to think." That part was the freakiest and the one her brain had been trying to focus on the most since the night before, except she hadn't been able to, not until now. "I don't know what they need him to think

[godofcologne]

It was probably a good thing Alice kept her eyes closed, because with every word about Vlad, Thomas' expression grew blanker, as some things agreed with his suspicions and others teased out other bits of information, as pawns began rearranging themselves on the board. He sidestepped most of her questions, concentrating instead on feeding, on coaxing the Hunger deeper, drawing out all the tripping, racing emotions out of Alice.

"Vincent's a slimy wannabe Armani knockoff model," Thomas said instead, forcing his voice to be light. "But whatever he does, he's warded. I can't read a thing off him, and neither can Edward." The idea that Wolfram & Hart would let Lacci get a letter from her brother when they were doing their damnest to keep everything about him from her seemed unlikely at best, but Thomas didn't say anything. No need to start that argument again.

The beginnings of an idea ran through his mind. The girl enjoys reaching into your mind, speaking to us. Who is to say I cannot whisper back? For the moment, Thomas pushed it away

[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]

"What is this, name calling day?" Thomas complained, his hand running through Alice's hair. "First you call me a pervert and now it's mopey jerk time? And whatever that nickname means."

He did laugh, though, at Alice's question. "I'll leave the sunny optimism to you. It doesn't go well with the tall, dark and handsome thing I'm going for." Thomas leaned back on the bed, pulling Alice half on top of him. "So I'm up for the day, I think. Anything you want to do before the rest of the house wakes up and there are a dozen people to tiptoe around instead of just one?"

[manicpixydream]

"I'm pretty kick ass at backgammon." Alice dropped a kiss at his shoulder, grinning up at him. "I mean I gotta assume you were referring to the wide world of board games seeing as how you got dressed and all, plus strike the out of doors 'cause I know you get distracted when I'm glittering up the joint, I saw you all looking out of the corner of your eye whenever we stopped for gas. You like it."

Another kiss to his chest, and a totally not-stifled giggle, 'cause she was pretty sure this was tantamount to accusing him of war crimes or listening to Menudo or something.

[godofcologne]

"Pants can be taken off, you know," Thomas answered. "If I recall, you're pretty good at it, except for that one ripping incident which I still haven't forgotten." The kiss to his chest spurred Thomas to tug Alice back up, kissing her with a laugh on his tongue and rolling over to pin her beneath him.

"Now that's just dirty slander. I'm not some glitter chaser," he answered, fingers tickling Alice's side. "Though I will admit it looks way better on you than on me."

[manicpixydream]

"I am an expert at pants, probably like olympic standard but I'd take the silver to you and you know it plus, the ripping? Totally not my fault when you do that voodoo that you do so well, Mr. I'm Not Into Glitter, and since when do you sparkle like a diamond? 'Cause if there are pictures I basically demand them." Alice laughed at Thomas' burst of energy, not that it wasn't appreciated, and clearly talking wasn't getting them anywhere she wanted to stay very long.

"Seriously. Misguided glam rock phase? Frat prank? I'm prepared to tickle until you spill."

[godofcologne]

If he'd been slightly less focused on the woman writhing and twisting beneath him, and if he were less of an unrepentant smartass, Thomas might have told Alice how beautifully she danced, how every roll of her hips and each arching motion of her back complimented the Hunger's playing. But as it was, his awareness was full of nothing but soft skin and heady desire, of quivering need and breathless gasps

[manicpixydream]

It was a rush you didn't get with anyone else, all that feeling called up and flooding through her just as intensely as heat and clutching desperation. Thomas who made it quiet, Thomas who drove her crazy across state lines, Thomas who still pulled her in to the kind of desire that shouldn't have lasted after the first few times. That thrill of novelty and discovery no matter how many hotel rooms or back alleys, no matter how strong the friendship and affection. It made him feel more solid in her arms

[godofcologne]

He could taste the edge of laughter on her tongue even if Alice tried to swallow it down, and Thomas couldn't help smiling against her lips. An accident of birth made him what he was, but it felt good to feel that something like joy could come out of this, out of the dark hunger that haunted every moment. The Hunger plucked at emotions, sent nerves reverberating with need even as laughter was woven into its song, rising high with desire, coaxed into that pinnacle from which it would all come tumbling, crashing down in release.

They moved in perfect sync, bodies rising and falling, her hips meeting his, drawing close and pulling apart. There was far too much to touch, to taste, and his hands and lips slid over Alice's body with quick, needy touches, as if trying to have everything before it all came crashing down. The Hunger delved deeper with anticipation as their rhythm quickened, unwilling to lose even a single drop of emotion.

[manicpixydream]

The laughter came when Alice did, head thrown back and mind emptying of everything except that one long thread, the shuddering of pleasure against Thomas' skin, the pressure and pain still remaining burning away like mist in the sun. You couldn't not laugh when you flew down a hill that steep and found yourself at the bottom, warm and happy, and ok the metaphor maybe ran out when she got to being naked and still quivering breathlessly at Thomas' touch, but it didn't mean she was wrong.

Still laughing in fits and starts, she kissed him, the grip at the back of his head turned to a caress of his neck, legs soft and molded against his torso. And so there might have been some damage to the bed, her hand was tiny and it wasn't like she slept in it.