Chapter Four: Hangover
Notes: Okay, this is the last attempt. I really disliked this chappeh when I first wrote it, and five times later, I'm really kinda hating it. So let's hope this one makes the print.
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"Get that first aid kit, Ama. He's lookin' kinda bad."
"Don't you think I know what I'm doing?"
"It'd be a lot easier if you'd quit spazzing out, Zidane. It's just a little red, it's not going to kill him."
Awoken by voices, Vivi's first thought was that something had had happened to him. He remembered feeling sick, and Zidane helping him out of Treno. Had he gotten hurt somehow?
He opened an eye cautiously. He was back at Zidane and Kuja's apartment, lying on the sofa. Zidane was hanging over the top of the sofa on the opposite end, while Kuja and Amarant were on the floor in front of them. The room was dark, save for the dim glow of the television the other three were watching.
His eyelids felt heavy, but his vision was clearing up, so he sat up. Immediately his head spun again. He whined a little, putting both hands on either side of his head.
Zidane was at his side, leaning over the sofa. "Viv! You're awake. How do you feel?"
Vivi squeezed his eyes shut. "Spinning…"
The monkey frowned worriedly. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault."
"Glad to hear it," Kuja drawled, looking back at them. "If he throws up, you can take care of that."
"I'm amazed by your caring bedside manner," his brother scowled before returning his attention to the Black Mage. "You can go back to sleep if you want. We're gonna keep you tonight so nothing happens."
Vivi wished they didn't all talk so fast. "I'll be okay."
Zidane sighed. "I feel terrible about all this."
He lay back against the arm of the couch. "It's alright. It was an accident. I don't blame you."
From the television, a loud static noise made Vivi turn sharply, rewarding him with another wave of nausea. He curled into a ball with a groan.
The blond put a hand on the boy's head. "Hey guys, lay off the radio a bit. He's got enough pain as it is."
"Kid's having a hangover. Just give him another hour and it'll be out of his system," Amarant waved him off, but turned down the television anyway.
"What was that?" Vivi leaned forward, trying to see around the redhead.
Zidane's concerned expression suddenly broke out into a grin. "You've never seen Silent Hill before, have you?"
"Silent Hill?"
"It's like a playable horror movie."
"Quite a mind fuck as well," Kuja added, sounding normal, even though he'd had more than double of what had knocked Vivi out.
Zidane hopped over the couch, sitting cross-legged on the floor below the boy. "Watch it for a bit. It's awesome."
The game was darkly lit, even without Vivi's eyes blurring slightly. He had to lean over the edge of the couch to see correctly. At a glance, the game looked like a guy named Harry killing monsters and running around a foggy town. But as they watched Amarant play, a deep and thought-provoking plot began to develop. Lost daughters and religious cults.
After Harry beat the boss character, sirens began to sound. Then the building would turn into a parallel version of itself. The walls were covered in rust, blood or both. And the floors were nothing more than steel grating, suspended over a dark void. It almost made one wish for a tetanus shot.
Suddenly, a demon shot out from under a car. With a surprised yelp, Vivi's arms went out from under him. The boy tumbled, only to find himself falling into Zidane's lap.
"S-Sorry!" Vivi scrambled to get up, wobbling a bit before falling back down.
Zidane sat him steady. "I don't mind. Hell, I hang on Ama all the time!" Was it Vivi's imagination, or did Zidane's face look more pink than usual?
He decided it was easier to stay where he was. He leaned against Zidane's chest comfortably. His eyes fought with his mind for sleep. Finally he closed them reminding himself to ask Zidane about the game in the morning.
He was half asleep when he started feeling warmer. Not the cozy warmth he had been feeling from Zidane, but a sickly version. It was too hot to sleep. He turned over, making a small whimper in his throat. He was starting to feel restless and twitchy.
Zidane put a hand on his shoulders. "What's wrong?"
He whined again. "It's too hot…"
Kuja looked up from where he'd laid his head on Amarant's leg. "Meltdown. You might want to herd him to the bathroom, Zidane."
"I don't wanna…throw up…" his voice was shaky.
Zidane set the boy up, standing after him. Taking the Black Mage by the hand, he led him down the hall to the bathroom.
Vivi stood there for a minute, swaying back and forth, before the last wave of nausea hit. He fell to his knees, purging the alcohol from his system. It stopped long enough for him to take a breath, letting out a sob before a new round started.
By the end of it, he slumped against the wall, crying. He finally noticed Zidane, standing in the doorway. "I hate throwing up…" he said weakly, wiping tears from his eyes with his sleeve.
Zidane looked at him sympathetically before walking over to him and wrapping his arms around him. "God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, and I've already made you cry…"
Vivi, feeling slightly relieved now free of the alcohol, leaned into the embrace, closing his eyes. "I'm okay now, really. I feel a lot better."
From the doorway behind them, Amarant cleared his throat. Zidane let the boy go, eyes widening a bit.
Kuja slid out from behind the redhead's frame. "Ama and I are heading off now. We've got some errands to run. You should probably get some sleep."
Amarant looked at Vivi. "You okay, kid?"
Vivi nodded, wiping at his eyes again. Zidane raised an eyebrow at the two across from him. "Errands?"
His brother smiled secretly. "Errands," he changed the subject, looking at the Black Mage. "Since we're all staying here tonight, we should do something tomorrow. I hardly think you enjoyed getting sick."
"If anyone wakes up while it's still daylight," Zidane replied airily.
Kuja laughed. "And what exactly will keep you two up?"
Both Zidane and Amarant gaped at him. Vivi blinked, confused. With a smirk, the silver-haired man left, dragging Amarant by the arm.
"I don't get it," Vivi said finally.
Zidane shook his head. "It doesn't matter. He's just being a jerk." He went to the sink, filling a glass with water for Vivi to rinse his mouth with.
After this was finished, Vivi looked up at Zidane. "Are you gonna play Silent Hill anymore tonight?"
He smiled. "I might."
"Can…Can I watch you play?"
"Sure thing. We'll start over so you can see the whole thing." He took the Mage's hand and pulled him away from the bathroom.
Vivi sat on the floor in front of the television. Zidane sprawled out beside him, switching the game console on.
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"Well, I just figured we'd let you know, since you were so concerned and all," Kuja sipped his drink, leaning his chin delicately on his hand.
Across the counter, Lani nodded. "I appreciate it. Poor kid looked trashed."
"Small wonder with the shit he drinks," Amarant muttered.
"I prefer quality to quantity, Ama," the coordinator replied, tracing a finger along Amarant's jaw with a smile.
Lani grinned, slumping over the bar and watching the two. "So…do keep me posted, will you?"
"I'll do you one better. You should come over tomorrow."
"Sure. What's going on?"
"He's not exactly sure yet," Amarant answered, finishing his drink. "But knowing him it'll piss me off."
Lani grinned. "Then I'm there."
Amarant smirked. "Why am I not surprised?"
"We should get going. I just wanted to fill you in," Kuja drained his drink and stood, putting on his jacket.
The girl nodded. "I'd have just taken you with me when I got off," she gave Amarant a knowing smile. "But I figure you've got better things to do…"
Kuja winked. "Damn right. See you tomorrow."
The two walked across the parking lot to Amarant's car. "I don't know why I hang out with all you people. You're insane."
Kuja took his arm. "Cuz you know you love us. Especially me."
"Right. Masochism."
Kuja laughed, reaching up to tug on a bit of Amarant's hair.
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Vivi squealed, burying his face in Zidane's back. At the same time, the monkey jumped. On the screen, the cabinet opened, and something popped out, grabbing Harry's leg. Both watched as the the game protagonist was pulled inside. The 'game over' sign flashed on the screen.
"Damn," Zidane put down the controller, stretching.
"That was scary…" Vivi replied, laughing shakily.
The blond sat up on his knees. "Yeah. You should probably catch some sleep. Kuja'll be pissed. He's planning something."
The Mage nodded with a yawn. "What about you?"
He shrugged, sitting on the furthest end of the sofa. "Natural insomniac. I'll just watch some TV until I get tired. You can lay down here, I won't bother you."
Vivi hopped up on the sofa, laying down. Zidane took the blanket off the back of the sofa and draped it over the boy. Then he picked up the remote and switched the television to a movie. "Hey Viv, I'm sorry tonight was such a mess."
Vivi shook his head. "I had fun…except for the getting sick thing. But that was an accident. I'm glad you asked me to come."
Zidane smiled as the boy closed his eyes. "Yeah, me too."
"Mmm," he muttered, well on his way to sleep.
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Kuja's back hit the wall, and Amarant pressed against him. The redhead found his apartment key from memory and unlocked the door. The two moved inside, making it to the couch without disentangling themselves.
The monkey fell back onto the couch, pulling the taller man on top of him, kissing him hard. He moaned, arching against him and wrapping his arms around Amarant's neck.
Amarant smirked. "Running errands, huh?"
Kuja's tail wound around his waist. "Oh shut up."
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"Wake up time!" Kuja threw open the door, tossing his keys on the counter. Amarant followed behind, shaking his head.
From the sofa, Zidane's head popped into view, still half-asleep. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Kuja grinned almost evilly, leaning face to face with the blond. "You're wasting valuable game time, dear brother."
"Game time?" Zidane deadpanned.
"I think we'll start with DDR, then maybe Guilty Gear or something…" he put a finger to his chin in thought.
Zidane sat up slowly, returning to the world of the living. "That's your big plan? More video games?"
Kuja sat back, surprised. "You're turning down a chance to beat me in DDR?"
The blond smirked suddenly. "Who said I was turning it down? I just thought you'd be a little more creative than that."
He winked. "I was…otherwise occupied."
"Where's the kid?" Amarant ended that conversation. Kuja tilted his head, just remembering they had another guest.
"Sleeping," Zidane replied simply.
Before they could inquire further, a head entered the view of the doorway, the door left open after Kuja's grand entrance. "All-nighter again?"
"Hey Lani," Kuja smiled. "You're ready for some competition, right?"
Lani crossed her arms, smiling. "Well, somebody got laid last night."
"Better believe it."
She walked in, leaning against the couch next to Kuja and Amarant. "Didn't you say that Vivi kid was staying with you last night?"
Zidane was looking increasingly more uncomfortable. "He did…"
Kuja raised an eyebrow, picking up on his brother's attitude. "Oh really…?" he lifted the blanket off him before the blond could react.
Vivi was still aslepp, resting on Zidane's lap. The Mage was curled into a ball, lying on the blond's legs. Zidane turned an interesting shade of pink.
"Dear god, that's too cute! Don't move." Lani rummaged through her bag, pulling out a cell phone. Zidane frowned, but knew better than to disobey the girl. He waited until she had taken a picture before shaking the boy's shoulder.
Vivi opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he saw were four faces peering down at him, and he panicked. Jumping back, he fell off the couch. Lighting fast, Zidane caught him before he hit the floor.
"T-thanks…" he muttered, sitting up. His face felt hot, and he was pretty sure it wasn't remaining alcohol in his system.
Kuja, by this time, apparently uninterested in the whole show, had taken a notepad from the coffee table. "Okay everyone. DDR is first, and the rules are simple. Anything goes, last round is random. The winner is decided by points. Who's up first?"
The Mage looked around. "What's going on?"
Zidane stood, stretching. "Kuja decided to play more video games. You ever play DDR?"
He scrambled off the sofa. "Er…once or twice. My roommate took me."
The blond nodded. "Cool," he looked at Kuja. "I'll go first."
Kuja pulled a dance mat from under the sofa. "Okay. Lani?"
Lani sat on the couch's armrest. "Hmm…I'll take third."
"Last," AMarant called, hooking up the pad to the console and flipping though the collection of games.
He looked at Vivi. "Second or fourth?"
"S-second?"
Kuja wrote it down. "Alright, let's start. Zidane…"
Zidane's chosen song was Drop the Bomb on Standard. Vivi watched him fly through it. It looked so easy when he did it, and the Mage could watch him dance for hours, it seemed.
Lani poked his shoulder, grinning. "You're doing it again. It's your turn."
Vivi took a breath, standing on the mat. Scrolling through the list, he decided on Nori Nori Nori on Light.
"Just remember dancing with Zidane last night," the girl cheered, causing both Vivi and Zidane to blush.
It wasn't as easy as Zidane had made it look. He knew the basics, so he did alright. When he was finished, he sat on the floor. Zidane grinned at him.
Lani started with Midnight Blaze on Standard. She moved more than the first two, making it more into an actual dance rather than just hitting arrows. Freestyling, he remembered his roommate telling him it was called.
Kuja's chosen song was Exotic Ethnic on Light. He moved even more than Lani had, moving fluidly and rolling his hips with every step.
Amarant raised an eyebrow. "You did that on purpose."
The older monkey smiled. "You chose to go last. Besides, you need some sort of handicap. We already don't stand a chance as it is."
He shook his head. Then he picked Captain Jack on Heavy. Vivi was shocked by the sheer amount of arrows, and Amarant hit all of them without any problem. And once again, Vivi wondered how exactly he could move so fast.
Needless to say, he won. The final score went Amarant, Zidane, Lani, Kuja and Vivi in last. No one really cared about score, but it was fun anyway. Then they switched to Guilty Gear.
Amarant won that one too.
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Oh yeah, the Silent Hill movie rocks. –grins- Really sorry this took so dang long.
MiniMnMs: Yeah, that whole thing came from Yami no Matsuei. Cuz we all know underage kids can't hold their liquor. -rolls eyes-
Garnet Crystals: Thankehs so much. I always try for the underlooked couples.
Bloodshy Testament: Just playng around with the equipment is all. -laughs- I'm going to start a cult, I swear it.
Blair Lafrad: At this time no. Sorry.
Devilish Kurumi: Glad it meets your Lani expectations!