Disclaimer: Hmmm. Far as I know, I own nothing here. Please don't sue me.

A/N: This is set in modern day Velgarth, except for the fact that it takes place in the Havens. Basically a minor little plot bunny about some of Van and Stef's mis-adventures.

Vanyel sat beside Stefen, warming his toes in the hot sands of the beach. Both were silent; Van because he was deep in thought and Stef because he knew Van was deep in thought and was too lazy to disturb him. Van was reliving a flashback of the night he'd first started to get to know Stef. He had woken up with an absolute terror of a hangover, as well as stiff muscles from sleeping virtuously on the floor while Stef usurped his bed for the night. At that point Van had had no idea that Stefen was shaych and had thought him simply a starry-eyed bedazzled youngster. Van smiled at the thought. Ah, the good old days.

Now there was something else he remembered – a thought he'd had that long-ago morning about his companion Yfandes. She'd been teasing him about his hangover. And he distinctly remembered vowing to find a way to make a companion drunk. Well, now was as good a time as ever, and it wasn't as if he had anything BETTER to do…

A plan took form in his mind. He grinned. It was a decisively evil grin. And then… he couldn't help it. He laughed manically. This was going to be the most fun he'd had in a loooooong time….

Stefen had looked at him oddly after his sudden outburst. "Van?" he asked tentatively. "Is it that time of the month again? No, just jesting!" he crowed, laughing at the look on his lover's face. "But really, what's with the laugh? You okay? Is the heat getting to you? Do you want to go riding?"

Van smiled at the concern in the relatively young man's face. "I'm fine," he assured Stef. "I've just had one hell of an idea."

Stef smiled. "Care to tell me about it?"

"Maybe…" Van grinned at Stef. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you. First… remember the night you met me? I let you sleep in my bed 'cause you were drunk as hell. For that matter, so was I. Anyway. I slept – virtuously, I might add – on the floor. So you can guess where that left me in the morning: sore, and with a terrible hangover. It was early, too – I had an important magical appointment later in the day and 'Fandes kept me up. I got absolutely no sympathy from her, of course; just more harassment. That made me rather cranky, as you can imagine. I vowed to find a way to make a companion drunk.

Stef's eyes sparkled. "I think I may see where this is going, Vanyel-ashke. I also think I'm going to like it – very, very much."

Vanyel cleared his throat. "If certain Bards would kindly shut their mouths so I may continue – that's better. Now. One way or another, I never really got around to fulfilling that vow, what with dying and all, and then spending several centuries as a tree getting root rot. Of course, being with you made it all worth it." (A/N: FLUFF!)

Stefen took a bow. "Why, thank you, ashke. My pleasure, really." Van took a mock swat at him and Stef sat down again. "Oh, woe is me," exclaimed Stef, "that I may not even speak for cruel beatings bestowed upon me by the one that I love – "

He was cut off by a hand over his mouth and an arm around his neck. "Ah, peace," sighed Vanyel. "Anyway, I have a proposition for you. Are you up to completing this oath with me? It should be fun."

He removed his hand from its position over Stef's lips. Stefen wormed his way out of Van's headlock in order to perform another mock bow. "It would be an honor, my liege, to assist you in completing this great and valiant quest assigned to be your burd –"

A kick to the buttocks sent him sprawling on the ground, mouth full of sand.

A day had passed, in which the two had gotten up to all sorts of mischief and not spoken much about their master plan. Now, the sun had risen, and Vanyel was awake. Unfortunately, Stefen was not.

The Bard lay across the entire bed, taking up more space than was humanly possible with his slight little frame – just like a cat, thought Van, echoing his thoughts from long ago. A half-smile adorned Stef's face, and his hair was mussed across the pillow. Van, however, was by now immune to the sleeping spell his lover cast and rushed in to destroy his dreams.

Van leaned over the bed and prodded Stef's side. "Wakey, wakey, lover mine…," he cooed. "Oh, you'll be awake soon…"

And with that, Van began to mercilessly tickle Stef, not sparing him at all. His hands flew up and down Stef's sides, and then to the bottom of his feet. By now, Stef was indisputably awake, and his eyes were streaming. His limbs thrashed all over, but he could not escape: the blankets constricted his movements.

"S-s-stop!" Stef giggled, unable to control himself. "I'm a-a-awake! Really, I am!"

Van finally stopped after several more minutes of torture. As breathless with laughter as Stefen, he threw himself down on the bed beside his lifebonded, breathing deeply. Stef was still laughing helplessly, and only stopped when Van kissed him lightly on the lips. "Come on, ashke, we've got a lot to do today." The former Herald-mage slid off the bed, pulling Stef with him.

The Bard yawned and stretched. "What do you mean, a lot to do? We're DEAD, Van. We have all the damned time in the world."

Vanyel sniffed disdainfully at the Bard. "That's what you think. I can't keep this little ruse from 'Fandes forever, you know."

Enlightenment came to Stef's eyes and his mouth formed a soft "o". "Sorry, Van, I forgot," the young Bard said sheepishly.

"S'okay." Van prowled around their bedroom until he found a clean set of clothes for Stef and threw them at his lifebonded. "Or at least, it will be okay if you hurry up and get out of here."

Stefen threw a pillow at him.