Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines series.

This one's in honor of New Year's and features a drunk and jealous Sydney! Doesn't really sound much like her, but I think it works in this scenario. Also I used two quotes from The Indigo Spell in here, just because they ended up fitting sort of perfectly. Review and let me know :)

And Happy New Year's!

There are a lot of benefits to being friends with Rose Hathaway. She's fierce and loyal and funny and caring. But she can also be a little demanding at times. Usually I don't have a problem telling her when to back off, but tonight was, apparently, an exception.

New Year's Eve is a time to party with friends and ring in a new beginning with people you love, not a time to mope in the corner, according to Rose anyway. I was perfectly happy mopping in the corner. Well, not happy, exactly. I hadn't really been happy in a while. Not since... not since before Adrian had kissed me.

It was painful to think about the last few months. At first Adrian had been rude and I'd been miserable, not to mention angry with him for ruining our friendship for something as stupid as a kiss! But then he'd decided that approach wasn't working, so he started being nice to me again. And on the outside it was like nothing had happened between us, but I knew something had. The ordinariness of our relationship was even worse than the anger had been. It was like, he was right there. He was the Adrian I enjoyed being around, the Adrian I liked, but I couldn't be normal back. I couldn't let myself fall back into the patterns we'd already forged. He loved me. I knew it, he knew it, and I couldn't ever let myself forget.

Mostly I stayed away from him. I was cordial and everything when we were together, but I couldn't go back to the way things had been. I guess he'd had enough of that though. He'd told me once that he wouldn't bother me anymore unless I wanted him to, and he'd stuck to that promise. Mostly, anyway. Adrian was always a little irksome, no matter what.

Her also told me that he didn't care if it was hopeless, he'd just keep on loving me anyway. When I suggested he needed to move on, he'd inferred that he wasn't going to. Apparently, that was a promise he wasn't sticking to anymore.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. He hadn't actually promised those things, I reminded myself. And it wasn't like I'd ever wanted him to. I'd told him to move on. Told him he was wasting his time.

So why did it hurt so much to see him with someone else?

I shook my head again, trying my hardest not to look at the couple laughing across the room. There were a lot of people at this party, mostly Royal Moroi around our age, but I could still spot him through the crowd. He was wearing a crisp black suit, a neatly pressed white linen shirt underneath his jacket. His purple tie was crooked, though. It was loose and the red head he was with was tugging on it, leading him to the dance floor.

I forced myself to look away.

Just in time, too, because Rose strolled up and took a seat beside me, a champagne glass in each hand.

"I'm not going to tell you again, Sydney," she said sternly. She seemed a little buzzed though. "Get up and have fun or I'm going to make you."

"How many of those have you had?" I asked, pointing to the glasses in her hand. However many it had been, I was fairly certain she didn't need two more.

"A few." She shrugged her shoulders and her hands went up too, causing the champagne to come dangerously close to spilling all over her pretty black dress.

Maybe pretty was the wrong word.

Sexy black dress.

She'd gotten tonight off—the first time in months, she said—so she was taking the opportunity to live it up. Dimitri was off tonight as well, and the two had been all over each other on the dance floor. So were Sonya and Mikhail. And Eddie, Angeline and Jill were dancing. Everyone I knew—even the queen, Lissa, and her boyfriend, Christian—was having a good time. Meaning I had no one to talk to over here. Jill and Angeline had tried to get me to dance a few times, but I couldn't. I didn't dance to this type of music.

"That's it," Rose said, thrusting one of the glass flutes into my hand. "Drink that and then we'll have some fun."

"I don't drink. You know that." I started to put the glass down on the table, but Rose leaned over and grabbed my hand.

"Drink it," she demanded. A sly look passed over her face and then she released me and sat back. "Drink it or maybe I'll just have to tell Adrian that you're sitting over here crying over him."

My eyes widened and I sputtered. "You... You wouldn't! I am not crying. Over him. I'm not!"

"By all means," Rose said, standing up and facing the dance floor. She made a show of looking around, as if searching for someone. "Don't drink it and find out."

"Rose," I said quietly. Apparently my pride had gone right out the window. "Don't. You can't."

"Drink it," she said again with every ounce of conviction she had. "I will not let one of my best friends sit in the corner by herself on New Year's Eve. Dance with me, or with Dimitri, or with Jill! Please?"

Her wide brown eyes were practically begging me to have fun. It was like she couldn't enjoy herself properly unless she knew I was alright. I wasn't alright, but I could give her this, right? One drink wasn't so bad. It was just champagne.

I lifted the flute to my lips and took a sip. It was bubbly and made me feel like I wanted to sneeze a little, but I didn't. I couldn't even if I'd wanted to. When I'd tried to take the glass away from my mouth Rose had pushed up, leaving me with two options. Let the bubbly liquid spill all over my new black satin dress, or drink it.

I drank it. All of it.

"There you go," Rose smiled at me. She grabbed the other champagne flute off the table and handed it to me. "You can sip this one slower. I just wanted to make sure you had at least one glass."

I glared at her. "Maybe you really are evil," I muttered, causing her to laugh.

"I won't stay and bug you," she said. "But please get up and go have fun? For me?"

I nodded, agreeing, but didn't really mean it. "I will. Just let me finish this drink." I raised the glass and scowled at her again. Rose just chuckled and wandered off, probably to find Dimitri.

I sat there for a little while, sipping at the champagne just to have something to do. The first glass hadn't hit me too bad, I guessed, because I didn't feel slow or groggy at all. I was just finishing up when I heard Adrian's voice ring out above the music. He was laughing at something the red head said. I could just see him through the other couples on the dance floor.

Oh no. He was coming this way.

Quickly, I downed the rest of the champagne and stood, dodging people as I made my way around the dance floor. Going in the opposite direction of Adrian and his date. I grabbed another glass of champagne as I passed a server with a tray full of them.

How could he do that to me? How could he show up at a party he knew I was attending with some girl? He had no right to do that! Since he'd told me he loved me I hadn't dated anyone else! Not that I usually dated anyone at all, but still. It was about respect. I respected his feelings for me, I just didn't reciprocate.

I took a long sip of the bubbly drink and silently fumed.

He said he loved me. Loved me enough to wait and hope I'd love him back one day. Yeah. Right.

Some part of me knew how irrational it was to be angry at Adrian for dating. I'd told him to. It was what I wanted. I couldn't be with him, so why should he be alone? It was only fair he be allowed to date someone else. But in that moment I didn't feel like being fair. I felt like being mad. Like being furious.

I was so furious with Adrian that I didn't notice when I bumped into someone. I spilled some of my drink onto his blue silk shirt.

"Whoa," the guy said, reaching out to steady me.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized. I handed him my glass and wiped my hand over the wet spot on his shirt. I wasn't sure what I expected to accomplish doing that, but it seemed better than doing nothing.

I felt, more than heard the guy chuckle, my hand still stroking his chest and all. Suddenly embarrassed, I pulled my hand away and looked up at the man I'd walked into. He was tall with hair that was a mix between blonde, brown, and red. I couldn't think of what that color was called at the moment. His eyes were blue, though. So blue. They matched his shirt.

"Hi." He smiled down at me, his hand still gripping my elbow to steady me.

I smiled back, trying to be polite. This guy was a Moroi. A Moroi I didn't know, but for some reason that didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

"I'm sorry," I said again. "I didn't see you..."

"It's okay," the guy said, still smiling. His blue eyes crinkled a little at the corners in a cute way. In fact, this guy was very cute. Hot, even. Not as hot as Adrian, but still.

No! No. I wasn't going to think about Adrian.

My anger came back then. I glanced around, looking for Adrian and the horrible red head he was with. He probably left with her. He was probably...

I felt sick.

"Are you okay?" the guy asked. When I looked back up at him he was watching me with concern. Probably worried I'd puke on his shoes.

"I'm fine," I said. I was fine. I was going to be fine. I didn't need Adrian. I didn't want Adrian. "Just drank champagne a little too fast, I guess."

The guy nodded like he knew what I meant. "I'm Jesse, by the way," he said, letting go of my elbow and holding his hand out for me to shake.

I took it and shook, feeling steadier now. "Sydney."

Jesse smiled and leaned down closer to me. "What do you say we go get you another drink, seeing as you spilled most of this one on my shirt?"

I shook my head. "I don't drink," I said.

Jesse looked amused. "You could have fooled me. Let me get you one drink," he said. "It's the least you could do after ruining my favorite shirt."

I didn't really want another drink. I suddenly felt really dizzy. But he was right, I did ruin his shirt. And one more drink couldn't hurt. I'd take a sip or two and that would be that.

"Okay, sure," I said, smiling up at him.

Jesse guided me through the mass of party goers with his hand on my lower back. He took me to the bar and let me squeeze in in front of him so I could see the bartender. He ordered two shots of something, I wasn't sure what, but I watched as the bartender took out a bottle of clear liquor followed my a can of Coke and a bottle of something that smelled like coffee even from across the bar.

"I don't know about this," I said to Jesse, even though I was slightly intrigued by the coffee smelling liquid.

"No worries," he laughed. His hand was still on my back and I shifted a little to try to dislodge it. "Just one shot. I promise it tastes good."

The bartender slid the shots over and Jesse grabbed them, handing one to me. After watching him down his I felt a little bit like a wuss for not wanting to drink mine.

"Come on," he urged. His hands reached out and grabbed my waist to turn me to face him. "It'll be fine."

Would it be fine? Adrian was off with some girl, doing God knows what. And I was stuck at a party where all of my friends were busy having fun, where everyone was having fun, except for me. How whiney was I? I wanted to have fun too. I should have fun. I'm sure Adrian's little girlfriend would do the shot.

I raised the glass to my lips and tipped my head back the same way Jesse had done. Ahh! It burned its way down my throat and for one brief moment I thought I might actually throw up all over Jesse's shoes. I coughed a few times and Jesse patted my back.

"Never had tequila before, huh?" He laughed.

"I don't—" I coughed again. "I don't drink. I said that."

"Well, there's a first time for everything." He smiled at me and his hand went back to my waist. "It'll kick in in a second." He looked behind me and then asked the bartender for two more shots. This time he just ordered the tequila straight up.

I started to protest but then my head felt funny. Like my head was heavy, but at the same time was light enough to float away. It was also getting harder to remember why I didn't want the drink he was offering.

Jesse drank his shot, but pushed mine away when I reached for it. "Let's give you a couple of minutes to get your drinking legs under you, alright? Don't want you passing out or anything."

I nodded, feeling like I was going to tip over. Jesse's hands on my hips seemed like the only thing keeping me from swaying. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. I should probably go find Rose or somebody...

I looked up to see if I could find any of my friends in the crowd but Jesse was too close. I couldn't see around him. In fact, he was much closer than I had been expecting. He was smiling at me, his blue eyes still crinkled in the corners. His bronze hair fell over his forehead in a way that—

"Your hair is bronze!" I laughed, finally remembering the word.

Jesse laughed too. His warm breath hit my face and it didn't smell like the alcohol he'd just ingested. He smelled fresh, like mints. "And your hair is blonde." He reached out and twirled a strand around his finger. "I've always had a bit of a thing for blondes, you know."

His fingers released the blonde lock he'd been holding and instead buried themselves in my hair. He leaned in, pulling me closer at the same time. It took me longer than it should have to realize what was happening, but even when I realized what he was doing all I could do was widen my eyes in shock as his lips moved closer to mine.

Before he could close the small space between us he disappeared. Well, he didn't disappear, I guess. That wasn't possible, or logical, considering I could still see him. He was just further away from me now. His hands at my waist were gone and I stumbled, knocked off balance by his sudden departure. I grabbed onto the bar behind me in order to stay on my feet.

It took a moment for my alcohol soaked brain to process what had happened. To realize that Jesse hadn't moved away of his own accord. To notice Adrian standing next to him, unconcealed rage on his face. Adrian had ripped Jesse away from me.

"What the hell?" Jesse yelled, spinning around and pushing Adrian off of him.

"Exactly!" Adrian yelled back, causing me to wince. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Zelkos?"

Jesse backed up a step and straightened his now crumpled—along with wet—shirt. "I was having some fun with a feeder. Jeez. I didn't know you were the party police."

Adrian made a growing sound at Jesse's sarcasm. Or... no. He wasn't mad because of the party police comment, it was because of the word feeder. Even as buzzed as I felt, a shudder still ran through me at the word. Jesse thought I was a feeder.

"She's not a feeder, you dumb ass!" Adrian yelled, pushing Jesse away from me again. "She's an Alchemist. You didn't notice the gold lily on her cheek? Or are you just too fucking stupid to know what an Alchemist is?"

My eyes were wide as I watched Adrian scream. He pushed Jesse again and the other boy backed up, his hands in the air like he was surrendering. He looked slightly astonished that Adrian was acting that way. Everyone at the bar was watching them. I turned to look at the rest of the room and it looked like almost everyone at the party was watching them. I thought I saw Rose on the other side of the room, her eyes like saucers and her mouth hanging open. On second thought, it was definitely Rose. She was standing with a humongous guy with long brown hair who could only be Dimitri.

I turned my head back to the fight in front of me and let go of the bar. I took a step forward, trying to reach Adrian before he did something stupid, but I was unsteady on my feet and had to grab onto the person next to me for support.

"Adrian," I called, hoping to get his attention.

The second I spoke Adrian turned away from Jesse and looked at me. When he saw me, wobbly and gripping the sleeve of some strangers jacket so I wouldn't fall, he rushed to my side.

"Are you okay?" He asked, but kept talking so I figured I didn't need to respond. "Come here. Let's get you out of here. The cold air will help sober you up a little."

I nodded and exchanged my grip on the stranger for Adrian's arm around my waist. He started to lead me away from the bar when I heard Jesse say, "What a dick! I thought you were cool, Ivashkov!"

Adrian muttered something under his breath, but I couldn't hear it over the steady murmur of the crowd. It was then that I realized someone had stopped the music when the fight broke out. Thank God it didn't escalate passed a shoving match. I remembered the look in Adrian's eye, the unbridled anger he'd had when he looked at Jesse, and knew that I wouldn't have been able to stop him if it had come to blows.

The music started again just as Adrian escorted me outside onto a terrace. It was cold and I didn't have a coat on so Adrian settled me onto a stone bench and then shrugged out of his suit jacket. He sat next to me, pulling the jacket tight around my shoulders. His hands rubbed a trail up and down my arms a few times, trying to generate heat to keep me warm.

I bit my lip and dared to glance up at him. His green eyes met mine for the first time tonight, for the first time in what felt like months, and held like glue. He lifted his hand, hesitating a moment before brushing my bangs out of my face.

"How much did you have to drink, Sage?" he asked softly.

I thought about it, my head feeling slightly less heavy then it had before. "I don't know. Two glasses of champagne. Two and half. And a shot of... I don't know. Tequila, I think? And something that smelled like coffee."

Adrian smiled a little, his fingers still on my cheek. "It's Kahlua, Sage. Packed with sugar and coffee flavor."

I sighed. Great. How many calories had my little drinking binge cost me?

"That was a lot for you," Adrian said, looking concerned. "You've never drank before and you weigh, what? Like a hundred pounds?"

"A hundred and thirteen," I muttered, still worrying about calories.

Adrian ignored my tone.

"You're going to have a killer hangover in the morning, but you'll be alright." He paused, seeming to consider something. "If you let me, I can heal you. It'll clear the alcohol from your system, that way you don't have to—"

"No!" I said adamantly. I shook my head too, but stopped when I almost fell off the bench.

"Okay, okay," Adrian said, steadying me so I didn't topple over. "Forget I said anything. You'll just have to deal with the hangover then."

I rubbed at my eyes with the palms of my hands. I felt clearer, but now I was starting to feel sick.

"You okay?" Adrian asked again. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. I wasn't sure if it was to keep me warm or himself.

I wrapped my fingers around the collar of his shirt and looked up at him.

Why was he here?

I hadn't stopped to think about it when we were inside, but now I did. Shouldn't he be off somewhere with the red head?

"Where's your date?" I asked. My voice sounded bitter and angry to my own ears. Adrian frowned.

"Camille?" he asked, sounding confused. "She left. With her boyfriend. I was only keeping her company until he got off work."

"Really?" I asked, more hope and relief in my voice than I wanted there to be.

Adrian smiled and stroked my cheek again. "Really. You thought I'd have a date? When was the last time you even saw me with another girl?"

"That time in L.A.," I blurted before I could stop myself. I was never drinking again. Alcohol really messes with your sense of self-control.

"When you came and picked me up," he nodded. "I haven't been with any girl but you since then. I'm not gonna start now. I told you how I felt."

I nodded, tugging on his collar a little. "You love me," I whispered.

He nodded and pulled me closer, forcing me to lean my head back to look him in the eye. His hands trailed a path up and down my back. He was so perfect. So beautiful. He loved me, he protected me, he waited for me even though I had no right to ask him to do it.

I leaned forward and closed my eyes. "I love you," I breathed.

His hands were on my shoulders before I could close the gap between us. My eyes snapped open and I wondered why he was pushing me back.

"You're not that drunk, Sydney," he said softly. He looked sad.

"I'm a little drunk," I countered, pulling him down towards me. He pushed me away again.

"But not drunk enough that you'll forget all of this. You're still going to be embarrassed in the morning." He brushed my bangs behind my ear again. My hair must have fallen out of its clips, I realized.

"I'm already embarrassed," I said, sitting back and trying to decide by feel how bad my hair looked. "I've done nothing but embarrass myself all night long."

Adrian smirked. "I've been embarrassing myself around you for months now, I survived. Your hair's fine, Sage." He grabbed at my hands and lowered them to my lap.

I smiled and closed my eyes. "Thanks. For helping me whenever I need you. Even though I won't—"

"10!" A hundred or so voices shouted from inside the party.

I looked over and saw everyone inside watching the New Year's ball drop on a big screen TV hung on the far wall.

"9! 8! 7!"

Adrian turned my head back to face him, both of his hands finding my cheeks.

"6! 5! 4!"

"I do love you, Sydney," Adrian hurried to say over the counting. "I'm always going to love you, even if you never say it back." He shrugged. "You know, when you're sober."

"3! 2!"

I looked at him and he looked right back at me. His eyes filled with love and sadness and hope and... I didn't know what else. All I knew was that I wanted to make him stop. I wanted him to look at me with happiness, not sadness. And, for the first time ever, with the alcohol in my system, there was no nagging voice telling me not to. Nothing holding me back.

"Adrian, I do—"

"1!"

Before I could finish he leaned forward, my face cupped between both of his palms, and kissed me. My eyes fluttered shut and it was like the first time he'd kissed me all over again. I melted. His lips were soft and firm and I kissed him back with everything I had in me. My hand found his collar again, pulling him closer, before I wrapped both arms around his neck and threaded my fingers through his hair. A cold chill went through me as Adrian's jacket dropped from my shoulders and landed on the bench behind me.

Through the fog of alcohol, or maybe it was the ecstasy of the kiss, I could hear the shouts of Happy New Year's coming from inside. I didn't care. Adrian was kissing me. What else was there to care about?

When we finally pulled away to breathe Adrian picked his jacket up and put it back on my shoulders. The silence spread between us, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I wasn't sure what to say to him. No matter what my body and mind wanted, I knew, deep down, that the two of us couldn't happen. Nothing had changed.

I realized, belatedly, that the mixture of the cold and the kiss had sobered me up a little. It was easier to think now. Easier to rationalize and worry. For a moment, I sort of missed the buzz from the tequila.

"I know," Adrian said, his hand finding mine and giving it a squeeze. "It doesn't change anything. You're still an Alchemist and I'm still Moroi. It's fine. But at midnight on New Year's you're supposed to kiss the person you want to spend the next year with. It's tradition." He gave my fingers another tight squeeze and smiled tenderly down at me. "And I want to spend all of my years with you. So I didn't have anyone else to kiss. Look at it as you did me a favor, alright, Sage? You kept me from being alone on New Year's."

He was trying to ward off another freak out. Quell another lecture before I could start. Stop me from running off again.

But I wasn't running anywhere. I probably couldn't run if I'd wanted to.

I squeezed his fingers back and tried for a smile. "You kept me from being alone, too. Or worse," I said thinking back to what had happened inside. That guy Jesse had thought I was a feeder. Who knows what he would have tried to do?

Adrian looked upset for a moment by the mention of Jesse, but shook it off and stood. He helped me up, keeping a tight grip on my hand. For support, he said, because I was still drunk.

"We need to get inside. I think my hair gel's frozen," he said lightly, walking back in the direction of the party.

I pulled back on his hand a little. "I don't want to go back inside," I said quietly. "Can you take me back to my room, please? I don't feel very good."

Adrian nodded and turned us around so we could walk down a set of stone steps that led off the terrace and into the palace gardens.

"We should probably stop and get you some coffee, too," he said, smiling. His fingers were still tightly intertwined with mine and I didn't let go.

"Coffee would be great," I said leaning into him a little and smiling despite the queasy feeling in my stomach.

No one was around to see the two of us together, fingers laced and leaning on each other. And even if they did, what were they going to say?

I was drunk, after all.