Cooling down

The ‘plan’ was to ‘punish’ Vi for her brattiness and recent overt sluttiness, and they were ready, sitting in the back of the Uber, making out while Ari was passed out beside them, Sai watching forlornly from the front seat, the rideshare driver doing his best to ignore the sounds of lil smacking..

They were ready when they finally got to Sai’s apartment, Erik helping Ari into Sai’s bed, grinning at his girlfriend as they closed the door to the guest bedroom.

Vi was teasing him, licking his shoulder blades, kissing his chest, stripping his costume off him while she slowly shimmied out of her own barely there outfit.

The plan was to get loud.

But the couple, instead, at the ripe time of roughly 4:00 am, mid-kiss…

They fell asleep, lips pressed together; the warmth of the blankets lulled them into a deep, exhausted slumber.

…

Vi wakes up first, feeling a little bit nauseous; she tiptoes to the kitchen, dragging her hand on the wall for support, the almost noon sun sifting through the blinds in Sai’s large apartment. She drags her feet as she collapses on the couch, lying back and letting the sun wash over her face, needing something natural on her to combat the chemical alcohol and drugs that are keeping her head somewhat spinning.

She hangs her head off the couch, closing her eyes, craning her neck to sip the water slowly, trying her best to cleanse the chemical war crime brewing in her gut.

Erik wakes 45 minutes or so later, his eyes crusted over. He rubs them furiously, yawning and cradling his abdomen, refusing to move for several more minutes, eyes clenched shut as his stomach grumbles angrily.

He sits on the toilet, resting his elbows on the top of his legs, his face in his hands, accepting his fate for the next few minutes.

He trudges out to the living room. “Vi?” He asks, seeing her body splayed out on the couch, “Are you well?”

“Define well.” She says back, not bothering to lift her head, but reaching her hand out for him.

He fills his water bottle, smiling as he sits on the floor, back against the couch, her arm falling over his chest, shifting slightly so the back of his head presses against her side.

They stay like that silently, their eyes closed, both of them at different stages in their battle with the hangover. Vi’s head spinning, Erik’s arms heavy and his throat tight with threat.

“Erik, love you.”

“Hehe. Love you too.” He responds, pushing his head back, nuzzling into her like an affectionate cat.

...

“So…” Erik says, bringing Vi a fresh water bottle. She sits cross-legged now, leaning back on the couch, Erik on the soft carpet on the floor. “You had fun?”

“Last night?” She clarifies.

He nods, turning to look up at her.

She nods, smiling, “Super fun.”

Erik grins, “What was the best part? The end? The middle? Or the start? Or were you too ‘stupid’ to remember?”

She blushes and dips her face into her hands. “I don’t know what came over me; don’t make fun of me.” She whines, laughing in her hands.

“I mean, is that something you want to explore?” Erik asks, reaching up to rub her feet. "Now that you're sober?"

“It’s so embarrassing though!”

“It was kinda hot, babe. I’m going to be real with you. You can turn it on at times.”

She laughs softly, looking up from her hands. “Thanks… I don’t know. As I said, it’s kind of…. Freeing, to turn my brain off, and like, want…”

“Cock?”

She laughs, “Pretty much!”

Erik shrugs, rubbing her feet reassuringly, “Don’t be shy, babe, I’m genuinely down to try anything.”

“Golden showers?” She says, very quickly.

A pause between the two.

“I’m kidding.” She says, her eyebrows furrowing as she leans forward. “Babe, that was obviously a joke.”

Erik stares at her, brown creased in judgement.

“Fuck off.” She rolls her eyes, leaning back on the couch as Erik can no longer hold back his laugh.

She uncrosses her legs and drapes them over his chest, quickly bending her legs and locking him into a leg lock.

“Oh, Mommy!” Erik says over his shoulder.

“CAN YOU TWO SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

The couple jump away from each other, looking at the messy-haired Ari, who looks green with illness. “Fucking hell. Annoying fucks.” She groans, turning back into the room, her bare ass disappearing behind the slammed door.

The group of four eventually made their way out, Sai encouraging Ari to accept some fresh air and vitamins Do, the group shuffling down to a local cafe, recommended highly by Sai; they claim a booth, and all sit quietly, Erik and Vi on their phone, Ari purring underneath her boyfriend's thick arm, lightly stroking the arm wrapped around her.

Erik glances over, Vi staring at her phone, thumb hovering over her father’s text.

“You okay?” He asks softly, stroking her leg.

She sighs.

“He still wants me to come home for a visit.”

“With me?”

She looks over, a pained expression ageing her. “The official instruction is that he would prefer alone; you’re…”

“You can say it, babe, I know it’s not your words.”

She groans, “You’re an unneeded burden.”

“That’s nicer than what he called me last time, no? Progress?"

She turns her phone face down, sipping her iced latte, pinching her nose bridge.

Across from them, Ari tiredly opens her mouth as Sai gently feeds her a small bite of her chocolate crossaint, munching slowly, hugging Sai’s arm closer against her.

‘What the fuck?’

“I think I can’t delay it longer… We’ll have to go after the summer semester; we can, like, make it a week, cut it as short as possible.”

Erik nods, putting an arm around her and kissing her head, “Of course.”

“Ugh…” She groans, “It’s such a pain.”

Ari pulls her knees to her chest, opening her mouth again as Sai pushes the food in; she closes her eyes and smiles contentedly, leaning down to kiss his fingers in gratitude.

“When’s the last time you called him?” Erik asks, taking a sip from his own beverage.

“Weeks now.” She says, staring at the table, “Oh. No. That’s a lie. A week ago… But it was like, a quick one; I lied about having an exam and hung up…”

“That pissed him off?”

She shrugs, “Probably.”

Ari moves in her seat, stretching her arms above her head with a wide-open-mouthed yawn. She grabs some of her pastry and takes her turn feeding her bald boyfriend.

Erik turns to Vi, lowering his voice, “What the fuck?”

“What?” Ari says, cutting across the table with a glare. Her bat like hearing picking up his slight.

Vi giggles, leaning away from Erik and motioning for him to answer Ari.

“You’re just…”

“What?” She asks bluntly.

“Acting so…”

“Cute.” Vi interjects, winking at her best friend.

“Fuck off.” She replies, blushing and, much too tired to fight this any more, leaning back down on Sai’s arm, looking up at him.

“Love you.” Sai whispers to her, smiling tenderly.

She blushes and looks away, her eyelashes fluttering; she lets out a small, embarrassed whisper, “I love you too, you big bald dick.”

Vi laughs, Erik makes eye contact with Sai and gives him an approving nod.

Ari has reportedly been very tsundere, as shown by her reaction to his displays of affection, but she never fails to return them.

The group returns to silence, eating pastries and drinking caffeine, hoping to ease their light hangover.