Happy New Year Everyone!
Thought I'd post my 13th story at the end of 2013. I know it's a little late here in England, but it'll fit American time, and since that's where it's set, I guess it's all good :)
I apologise for any mistakes. This was started earlier, and quickly finished very late (early?).
DISCLAIMER: Seriously, not mine. VA belongs to Richelle Mead and Auld Lang Syne obviously isn't mine either. I think it belongs to Robert Burns. Probably :P
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne
And there's a hand, my trusty friend
And gie's a hand to thine
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne
"What have you got there?"
I jumped, almost stabbing myself in the eye with the pen. Slamming the notebook shut, I looked up to where Dimitri was standing in the doorway.
"Uh..."
It was New Years Eve, about 11:30. We were having a small party in the Royal Suite, just our friends and whatever family we had. To all of our surprise, Mia's dad actually got along well with my parents. Or maybe that was just the champagne doing that.
I'd left the party about 10 minutes ago, stealing away to our room to complete my yearly tradition. I refused to call it writing a journal- you had to make an entry more than one a year to qualify as a diary writer, right? It was more of a yearly review, and somewhere to put my resolutions so I wouldn't have the excuse of forgetting them.
I realised I still hadn't answered Dimitri. "Writing," I explained evasively. I'd never even told Lissa I wrote this 'review', partly because I didn't want to look like a geek, partly because I didn't want her to see what was in it. Drudging up the past was never a particularly good idea with her.
"Writing what?"
"What's with the interrogation?" I immediately snapped back, before regretting it. This was Dimitri; he wouldn't judge. He had a right to know. I wanted him to know. "Um, just about the year, what's happened, what's changed, that sort of thing."
He came and sat down on the bed beside me. He didn't ask anything else, seeming to notice my hesitance to answer.
With a sigh, I reopened the book, finishing writing the final sentence. I'd been so close to getting away with it, slipping back into the party unnoticed. When I was done, I closed the book again, setting it carefully on the bedside table.
"I was just trying to decide if this has been a good year or a bad one. You know, in some ways it's been the best of my life- our friends are happy, Lissa's Queen, I have you. But also..." I trailed off, not needing to remind him of the Strigoi, murder accusations, and deaths. He knew only too well.
After a few moments of silence, he spoke. "There may have been too many bad things to call it a good year, but think of all the progress we've made. This time last year..." He trailed off, and I smiled wryly.
"This time last year I was held hostage by Strigoi, thought you were going to run off with Tasha and Mason was killed. Since then, yeah, things have got better." I pretended to think for a minute. "Actually, last new year's makes this party look even better."
"You can say that again."
"So... it's been a year of changes. And we're both here now. Back to the party?"
Dimitri stood up, holding out a hand for me. I realised then that I was maybe a little tipsy, as I ended up swaying and crashing into his chest. We both laughed, and when I regained my balance, I picked up the notebook from the nightstand.
I wrote one last sentence at the bottom: Resolutions: Take nothing for granted and enjoy every moment.
After signing my name, the date and time with a flourish, I put the book down and dragged Dimitri out of the room back to where the guests were. I'd show him tomorrow.
"Where did you go?" Lissa asked, slurring a little as she pressed a champagne glass into my hand. "The countdowns about to begin."
Clearly I'd been a little longer than I thought, as looking at the clock; it showed that it was 3 minutes until midnight.
"Sorry Liss, was just sorting a couple of things out." I turned to Dimitri and smiled. I saw mom talking to Abe on the other side of the room, gesturing wildly with her hands and Scottish accent thicker than ever. My mother was drunk. This really was a night to celebrate.
By now Dimitri had a glass in hand as well, and Lissa called out to hush the room.
"Hey, the countdown's starting!"
To my surprise, the roomful of drunks actually responded to the order and stopped their conversations, only to redouble their volume a moment later in the countdown.
"10, 9,8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!"
As the first fireworks exploded at Court (even though it was technically daytime, Moroi did them anyway. You couldn't really see them, but you could hear them going off), a cheer went up that resounded around the building.
Dimitri gathered me up in his arms and our lips met in the first kiss of this new year, this first year of many that we would be spending together. It was passion and fire and hope, and burned every bit as bright as a firework in the night.
As we, reluctantly, broke apart after the 12th strike of 'midnight', I saw that my parents were in a similar position. I was too happy , and drunk, right now to be grossed out by it.
"Happy new year everyone!" I shouted, and they all replied.
Christian hit a button on his computer to start the music, and a moment later the familiar notes of Auld Lang Syne began playing. Everyone began singing along, my mother being the loudest, and a couple of the most intoxicated people- ironically her, Eddie and Mia- linked arms and swayed.
But there was only one person I was linking up to right now.
Pulling Dimitri closer again, I meshed my fingers behind his neck and leaned against him, tilting my head up to look into his eyes.
"What're your best for the new year?" I asked. "Any of Yeva's fortune-telling skills giving you a hint?"
The light reflected in his eyes, and aided by the alcohol and the promise of a clean slate and a bright future, they shone from within.
"I don't know," he said, leaning in to brush his lips against mine. "But I think it's going to be good."
My smile joined his, and as we kissed, I couldn't help but think how apt his repetition of my words was. And how true they were.
We didn't know what the future held, but surrounded by the people we loved and trusted, and with each other, it looked bright.
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne
For auld lang syne
Once again, happy new year to all you amazing people. I've been writing on this site for almost a year now, and you've helped me improve my writing skills among other things. Thanks for being awesome!
