45

Word Count: 1887

~Dove

I can feel Varian watching me as I add the finishing touches to my final cupcake.

An hour has passed by so quickly it's dizzying. Or perhaps it's the bottle wine the three of us have polished off in record time.

Our attempts at decorating cupcakes have been atrocious. I've ruined most of them myself, Varian gave up half way through, and Dev has created give masterpieces despite his almost drunk state.

"It's all over your face, Dove," Varian murmurs from beside me, reaching over to swipe a smear of icing off my cheek with his thumb.

I stay perfectly still as he touches me, silently noting the careful precision of his movements.

"Thanks," I whisper.

He licks the icing off his thumb, his eyes warm. I brush away the shimmer of desire pulsing against my skin. Now is hardly the time to concentrate on that, although the wine isn't helping.

"Your apron is failing to be operational," he says, pinching at the fabric of my fuzzy pyjama's, which are stained in different places from brightly coloured icing.

I pull at the knot behind my back, tugging the useless apron off. I thought it would simultaneously protect my dignity and my clothing, although it's failed to do both.

"How you've remained clean through this is unbelievable," I muse, passing a glance over his undisturbed person. I was concerned for the expensive suit he wears, but he hasn't gotten a thing on it.

"We clearly aren't drunk enough." Dev stumbles to his feet, massaging his leg that has fallen asleep from him being sitting for so long. "Shots?"

"We probably shouldn't..." I mumble, shaking my head at him.

I'm already quite tipsy, and as time goes on, Varian becomes increasingly more irresistible. I hate how he sits next to me with such ease, watching the night unfold before him without a single shift in his demeanour.

I, on the other hand, aren't sure how I'm supposed to act. I keep saying things that make me wince, although he's gracious enough not to seem to mind.

"Come on, this is supposed to be a fun night." Dev's voice grows fainter as he walks into the kitchen. "We have a lot to celebrate."

I frown. "We do?"

He returns with dusty shot glasses that have lived in the back of the cupboard since we moved in, and a bottle of liquor tucked under his arm. "We're going to find Varian's brother, we're going to take down Matthias and we're—"

"We aren't supposed to be taking Matthias down. Not unless he's hurt my brother," Varian adds tightly.

I nod. I'm not sure what Dev believes he's doing to help us with Varian, although I suppose his emotional support is enough.

"Fine. I still think we should celebrate," he muses, setting the glasses down on the table. They clink musically together, promising a night I might end up forgetting by morning.

"Alright. I'm down," I concede. "Varian?"

He stares at where Dev is already filling the glasses. "Sure, why not?"

We take our shots before we sit around and talk for a while. Dev tells some outrageous stories about his time performing while I over share on a whole manner of things. Varian tells a few stories of his own, but mostly he watches Dev and I spill alcohol on ourselves and laugh until I'm massaging my cheeks from smiling too much.

Now, Varian and I sit on the couch together, watching Dev act something out as part of our game of charades.

He's lying face down on the floor, writhing around. He's been doing this for a couple of minutes now, trying to demonstrate what animal he's supposed to be. Varian and I haven't had much luck guessing.

"Snake," Varian guesses.

I tap my chin. "Snail?"

Dev looks up at me. "Snail — do you need some sense slapped into you, Dove?"

I laugh into my hand. Dev looks up at an amused Varian.

"Sorry, that was a joke," he adds hastily. "Please don't hurt me, Alpha."

I risk a glance at Varian. He's so relaxed tonight. Seeing him in this context is warming me to him so much more. He's not just an Alpha, but a male who appreciates my company and who fits in effortlessly with my friend.

"Get on with it then," I wave my hand at Dev, who continues rolling around on the floor.

Varian's brow pulls together in concentration. "Fish?"

Dev mutters something under his breath about us being half blind.

This is an impossible task. "Injured...gazelle."

He sits up, scowling at me. "Okay, now you're making fun of me."

Maybe I am, a little. I like winding him up. His face gets so red and he starts huffing. It gives me something else to focus on other than my mate mere inches away from me, looking so good it's giving me heart palpitations.

"What could you possibly be?" I demand.

"A sloth, obviously." He stands, brushing fibres of the carpet off his pants. "My genius is unappreciated."

"Ugh. That was impossible," I complain. "Sloths are supposed to be slow. They don't writhe around on the floor."

Varian laughs under his breath while my friend props his hands on his hips, looking as though we've offended his entire performing career.

"I demonstrated in the beginning that I had fallen from a tree..." he snaps, pushing his hair off his forehead with his hand.

I exchange a look with Varian. "Whatever."

I'll give him points for creativity. I'm about to get up and embarrass myself as well.

"Your turn then, Lovey Dovey." Dev collapses onto the couch next to me, pinching my arm.

I get up, wavering a little. The alcohol has definitely gone to my head, but I feel good. I round the coffee table before turning to face the pair of curious eyes watching me.

"First one to guess it gets a blowjob," I say brightly, enjoying the way their expressions immediately contort.

The both look at each other, Dev seeming terrified of retaliation by a startled Varian.

"I'm joking." I wink at Varian, who shifts in his spot. "Don't faint, Deven."

My friend inches further away from the Alpha, fanning his face. He seems convinced he's going to get turned on for even appearing available to me.

I shove my hand into Dev's sparkly hat, pulling out a slip of paper. I read the word 'rabbit' written on it before I fold it up and toss it onto the table.

The moment I crouch down into position, Dev is standing and pointing at me animatedly.

"Oh, frog!"

"Close," I grin.

"Close?" He falters, looking contemplative. "Tadpole."

I sigh. "Be serious."

To demonstrate my point, I do a little hop. Varian is smirking, clearly enjoying the show I'm putting on for them both. He hasn't made an effort to guess, not wanting this to end while he sips casually at his drink.

Dev surveys my stout position. "Gnome!"

"It has to be an animal, and it has to be real," I remind him.

I go to hop again, and to groom my metaphorical ears with my fantastical paws, but I pause. "Wait did you get Gnome from that?"

"Rabbit," Varian guesses smoothly.

I rise again. "Correct."

His unflinching eyes are as dark as night. I let them roam over me, his control unleashed from wherever he had caged it.

"You know what that means," he murmurs darkly.

I was joking about the blowjob, but more indulgently he watches me, the less I feel like being humorous about it. I would love nothing more than to watch him come undone because of me, to watch the tension unspool from his body.

"Our drinks need refreshing, don't they." Dev hurries off the couch and into the kitchen. "Shit. This isn't far away enough."

I shake my head, laughing under my breath. "I'm not going to suck his cock in proximity to you Dev, don't worry."

Dev pokes his head around the corner. "But you would if I weren't here?"

"The nights not over yet," I say.

The weight of Varian's attention rests on my skin as I sink down on the couch beside him. His scent is deliciously strong this close, reminding me of when I climbed into the shower with him.

"Are you having fun?" I ask softly.

He nods. "I am."

"I'm sorry this isn't what you came here for. I promise we can talk about business tomorrow," I assure him. I'm ready to speak to him about what I know about Matthias, without mentioning how willing the male was to get into bed with me.

"I enjoy spending time with you." He relaxes deeper into the seat. "And your friend."

Dev still lingers in the kitchen, bumping around in the sink as he pretends to clean dishes in an effort to give us space.

"Are you sure? He's a bit intense." I can't trust anyone who doesn't want to be around him. He's the best person I know, but upon meeting him, he can be a lot for some to handle.

"I like him. He really cares for you," Varian says in a way that indicates how important that is to him.

"He's my best friend." There's so much space on the other side of the couch, but I don't make the effort to move, enjoying sitting this close to Varian. "Like how Claude is with you."

"Claude and I used to be closer, before my brother went missing." The threads of his voice betray his hurt.  "I want to be who I was before again. I want to be open to him and...others."

He swallows, looking down at his hands. There's so much more he wants to say, and I feel the same way. Now is hardly the time, although the haze of alcohol makes it tempting.

"We're going to find him. I promise," I say gently. I won't stop until we get the answers I know are out there.

"I don't think he's alive, Dove." His jaw tightens. "He's been gone a long time. In the beginning I was optimistic, but now...I don't have much hope."

"Either way, you need answers, and you're going to get them." All I can be is certain of that. Anything more and it would be unrealistic.

He shifts to face me, a vulnerability in his eyes that immediately disarms me. "Thank you for helping me."

"Of course—"

A knock sounds from the door, so loud and sudden it makes me jump. Varian frowns, checking in watch for the time while I stand.

"Expecting someone, Dev?" I call out.

"No..."

"I'll get it."

I skip to the door, trying not to stumble. The moment I open it, however, I almost faint, taken aback by the man standing in the hallway.

Matthias smiles, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. "Hey Dove."

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***

My hands tremble by my sides. "Don't sleep with her..."

He steps toward me, his eyes dark. "Why not?"

"Whatever you were planning to do to her tonight, do it to me instead," I whisper.

***

~Midika 🐈‍⬛💜