Desider felt like shit. He didn't dare chase after Edward last night. Even without the presence of the shrieking sleeper he still wasn't able to sleep any better.
He slumped off to the cafeteria down stairs. The blond sat by his lonesome, hunched over his bland breakfast. The silence was killing him. He moved to a more populated table to finish the remaining bit of his breakfast. "Good morning, Desiderius. You look awful." A gentleman who sat adjacent from him stated. "Are you okay?" The man next to him asked. Desider wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand. "Edward and I got into a fight. Nothing serious."
"We hear someone screaming every night."
"You would scream too if you took medicine, chemistry, and math consecutively." Desider leaned back in his chair to get a better look at the two men. "Maybe he needs to relax?" The brunette man grinned. The man sitting next to him had dirty blond hair and wore glasses. He nodded in agreement.
"You mean opium? My father said that opium does terrible things to you."
The man with glasses shook his head. "It helps you relax and if it was terrible, I'm certain it would be completely restricted by now." Desider waved his hand, rejecting the idea.
"Does he drink?"
"I doubt it."
"You and your roommate should come over to our room for schnapps. Maybe he can relax and we can all get some sleep tonight?"
Desider nodded. He stood from the table to inform Edward, but- "Have either of you seen Edward today?"
"Have you tried the courtyard?"
"But it's raining."
Rain gently spotted his clothes, but even with the slightest rain it was unusual for anyone to be outside in it. The world around him was dormant and all that could be heard was the sound of rain. With his back against a tree and a stick in his hand, Edward sat on a root and drew circles in the dirt.
Desider sat down next to Edward. Their eyes never strayed away from the ground. "I'm sorry." Desider was the first to break the silence. "I had no idea." Edward glared at the ground in response. "Stay angry at me if you want, but we're getting complaints. However, they also suggested a solution. Two, actually. But I don't recommend the first opt-"
"Just say it."
"Opium."
"No." Edward began to stand, but was quickly pulled back down by Desider. "Liquor. Do you drink? It can help you sleep." Edward raised a brow at the smaller man.
The room wreaked of smoke coming from the two long opium pipes their hosts weld. The dirty blonde haired man softly played the accordion in between puffs. "Desiderius and Ernest! So glad you came!" The brunette man greeted the two from the bed where he lay.
Edward ignored his faux-pas and joined Disider on the floor. "Alright, men." Desider rubbed his hands together. "You two said there would be liquor. I only expect the finest!"
"I'm sure you're expecting a snack too?" The boy with glasses laughed.
"Come on! I know two Southern gents like yourselves have at least two centilitres of Kirschwasser here!"
All but Edward shared a laugh as the brunette fumbled under his bed for his trunk. He rummaged through the trunk until he revealed a bottle of Kirschwasser and a bottle of Vodka. "Choose your poison. I prefer Vodka on cooler days, but there is plenty to go around." The brunette passed Desider the bottle of Kirschwasser before holding his Vodka in the air. "Cheers." He removed the top and drank a copious amount of the clear liquid from the bottle.
"I'll let you take the first drink." Desider passed the maroon substance to Edward. He took it into his own hands with uncertainty. "Be a man, Edward! Never have a drink before?" The young man with glasses teased. Edward nodded. "When I was in the Gymnasium... I had a friend who decided it would be a good idea to bring a bottle of forty-six year old red wine from his father's personal collection to school." He chuckled. "I can't remember what she said.." His voice trailed off. "But the sound of my mother's shrieking and yelling, I'll always remember. She was absolutely livid. I had a god- awful headache the next morning because of her."
"I think the hang-over probably caused the headache."
"Hangover?"
"It's like a cold you get after drinking too much." The brunette explained.
Desider nudged the bottle of Kirschwasser closer to Edward's mouth. "It'll help." He said softly. Edward opened the bottle and took a swig. The men clapped and cheered him on and followed with "Me next!" and other stories of their crude drunken behaviors.
Each time the bottle of Kirschwasser was passed to Edward, he would savor the taste. He embraced each sip as it engulfed him in warmth from the inside out. The sweet taste reminded him of the wine he regretted and missed so much. He yearned to press his mouth to the lip of the bottle of Kirschwasser again, but it did not yearn for him.
Edward stumbled to his feet. The room was spinning. His head felt light and his stomach couldn't stay in sync with his body.
"Edward?" Disider noticed his friend's uneven steps. Edward ran out of the dorm and down the hallway, stumbling on his own feet. He scampered into the toilet.
"Go hold his hand, Desider." The dirty blonde haired man laughed at Edward's misfortune, mockingly. "You might as well hold his dick for him too. That light weight isn't using it." The bed lane man sneered. Desider ignored the remark and instead went after Edward.
Desider entered the toilets. He discovered Edward slain over the toilet seat, catching his breath in between vomits. "I didn't expect you to practically drink the entire bottle by yourself...as well as a few sips of the Vodka." He paused when Edward began hurling again. Desider knelt down next to his poor light weight of a roommate. He rubbed his back as he continued his apology. "Accordion man and I drank...maybe a quarter of the bottle together? Maybe less. We kept passing the bottle, but we stopped drinking from it and I assumed you had too."
Edward finally sat back from the toilet seat, panting. His eyes were glazed over. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up before you fall asleep because I sure as hell cannot carry you, Mr. Edward 'R'-tofen."
"I can schleep-puh here."
"No. No, you can't. Someone might stumble in here in the dark and piss on you." Desider handed Edward a handkerchief that he used to wipe his mouth with. Desider then took Edward's arm over his shoulders to pull the man up on to his semi-reliable feet. With the great difference in height, Edward could practically use Desider as a crutch. He was barely the height of his wasted roommate's chin.
With great effort and drunken giggles, the two managed to stagger back to their dorm. "Find your bed, Edward." The room was pitch black and finding the lamp while balancing a drunken giant was more than Desider could handle.
He groped around in the dark for the cold iron bed. "Alright, you ...sit...there." Desider instructed, guiding Edward to his seat. He released the man who responded with a low moan.
''Come back. You're warm."
"Go to bed, Edward. You're drunk."
"You're warm. Stay."
It was nice being next to someone again, but the young man begging before him was drunk...and probably would be none the wiser in the morning. What was the harm in comforting a friend for the night? Just as long as he crawled into his own bed before a more sober Edward could come to his senses and catch him.
A/N: Kirschwasser is made of fermented fruit and is common in South Germany because of the availability of fruit. It was usually served in two centiliters and with a snack.
Quote references:
-"This whole war thing could have been worked out over some nice little schnapps." - Edward Richtofen, Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies, Der Riese.
-"Mother? Is that you? I didn't do it!" (When seeing a shrieker zombie) - Edward Richtofen, Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies, Shangri- la.
There is a quote where Dr. Richtofen references himself as "R-tofen". I found it in a YouTube fan video and they took in game quotes and played them over a video. So, I have no idea what game or map the quote comes from. I just thought it was funny and wanted to include it.
-Gymnasium: (German High school). It is the most advanced of the three secondary schools. It prepares students (Gymnasiast) for university studies.