Holding five bottles of wine and a loaf of bread under his arm, Lucian returned to his room.
He took his shoes off and climbed onto the bed. With his back propped against the headboard, he covered his legs with a blanket.
The bread was sliced and left on the nightstand for ToGo.
The bird flew into the window and landed on the windowsill. It eyed the piece of bread, then hopped over to the nightstand.
Lucian watched it eat while he was sipping wine, "Did she not feed you?"
The bird glanced at him, and then continued to eat the bread.
Lucian chuckled and took another sip of wine. He felt a bit lonely, and was happy to have some company to fill the room.
"Did you get replaced by a cat?" Lucian continued to tease the bird, thinking about Celine's new pet. He finished his first bottle, and opened a new one, "She must like new things, doesn't she? Once she trains her pets to perfection, they lose their appeal. I'm not that easily replaceable, though."
ToGo didn't seem interested in his ramblings and continued to nibble on the bread.
The second bottle was almost finished when ToGo flew away, and Lucian felt like his heart was stabbed. Just when he got used to the presence of the bird, it left.
He went to use the bathroom and then returned to the bed, starting his third bottle. It didn't make him feel sleepy, but it did dull his senses.
He never got wasted to a point where he would lose control over himself. His stomach would usually protest before that could happen.
Like now. He could feel it bubbling inside him, hurting and begging him to stop. He took another sip anyway.
By the time he was halfway through his fourth bottle, she slipped into his room through the open window, looking furious.
"Why are you drinking alone?" she asked, panting heavily. She was wearing a dark outfit, which blended with the darkness outside.
Lucian looked up at her and then at the little snitch on her shoulders. Togo flew toward his nightstand to finish his bread, and Celine sat down on the bed beside him, grabbing his chin.
"Are you drunk?" she asked.
"No," Lucian denied.
"How much did you have to drink?"
"Not much," Lucian answered.
She counted the bottles on the nightstand and then looked at him suspiciously, "Did nobody teach you that drinking alone is dangerous?"
"You need to be taught to see that?" he asked, "Isn't it an obvious conclusion?"
Sensing his bad mood, she sat on the bed and started taking off her shoes.
"Are you stalking me?" he asked, finding her to be conveniently close to his location. 'She wouldn't order a female to try to drug me and make me hate females as a result, would she?'
Her foot kicked his leg, "I was worried, okay?" she said, "ToGo told me you were trying to kill yourself again."
"I'm working on my silver stage," he explained.
"I told you to never train your stages alone," she scolded him.
He gave her a side glance, "I'm a grown man, I think I can make decisions for myself."
Celine's eyes were so cold it made him shudder. She had a certain presence that scared people away, and made him feel small. Like he was a little kid.
"...okay," he said, "I will take someone with me from now on," he relented.
"That's better," she said, falling on her back, her legs still dangling off the edge of the bed.
Lucian took a big gulp of the wine, feeling more relaxed with her here, "Do you want a sip?" he asked.
"It smells like cheap stuff," she rejected it.
"It's not. It's just watered down a little bit. Wait, I'm going to get something stronger from the inn," he said, getting up.
He didn't like the taste of strong booze, but it seemed like he wouldn't be able to reach the silver stage otherwise.
He had to use the bathroom first though and stumbled a bit on the way there.
He was fine after a few steps, but she decided to follow him and make sure he was extra fine.
Feeling a bit touchy, Lucian pretended to trip, falling in her direction.
She quickly caught him in her arms, "..."
He looked up at her with a charming smile.
Her expression turned colder, "How do you plan to reach the bar in this state?"
"..." A bit disappointed by her reaction to his advances, he pulled himself away from her and stood up straight, "I was being romantic and you just ruined it."
She blinked her eyes a few times, parting her mouth in realization of what he was trying to do. She quickly outstretched her hands, offering them to him, "Sorry. Try again," she encouraged.
"..." Lucian stormed out of the room. He was too embarrassed to give it a second try.
She didn't follow him, waiting for him to return on his own once she realized that he would manage.
He ordered the strongest drink he could find and returned to the room. She was standing in the same place, with her hands still outstretched. She was serious about him trying it again.
"..." He sighed and fell into her arms, causing her to stumble from his weight downwards.
"Ugh," she let out a groan, trying to carry him to the bed. He helped her out a little, letting her drag him to it and drop him there. She definitely doubted the romantic side of it, but at least she was trying.
His face was turning red from the heat of the drink, or maybe it was because of the company. She tried not to distract him from his training and quietly sat next to him, watching the stars from the window.
She didn't talk to him, nor did she try to touch him. She just sat there like a guardian angel.
At some point, ToGo landed on her lap, looking up at her with his little black eyes.
Celine stroked its feathers and cooed at it, praising its intelligence. She even brought some expensive snacks for it.
'Since when did birds eat that kind of thing?' Lucian stared at the bird. He didn't even receive a greeting or a smile from her when she appeared.
"..." Celine glanced at him, and then at ToGo, and then at him again. She raised ToGo to kiss it, but he was not amused.
He grabbed Celine's arm and pulled her into his lap, pressing her against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and made her kiss him instead.
"Not before ToGo," she covered his mouth with her arm.