Chapter 142

The group went home for lunch and Valkyrie excused herself for a shower. Nadia was looking over at her worriedly but Valkyrie just didn't have it in her to do anything. Vasuda was no longer sitting with her as Dhiya and Zainab were talking with her about horses, which they all loved apparently, but it still stung that Nadia had spent so much time with Vasuda. It wasn't her fault, of course, she just saw her as a friend.

Instead of using her own shower, Valkyrie grabbed her clothes from earlier in the day and went to Tanith's rooms.

"Val?" Tanith asked when she walked in without knocking. "What's wrong?"

Valkyrie dropped her clothes to the floor, walked over to her sister's bed and threw herself onto it.

"That bad, huh? I thought you and Nadia's friends were all buddy-buddy," Tanith said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm upset," she murmured into the bedsheet.

"Sorry, didn't get that."

"I'm upset because Nadia's friend Vasuda is a bitch!"

"Shut up!" Tanith snapped and they both listened intently for thirty seconds. When little Laila hadn't made a sound from her attached bedroom they continued. "Why is she a bitch?"

"She likes Nadia," Valkyrie muttered pathetically. "And Nadia doesn't even see it. She thinks Vasuda is her friend and being nice to her and stuff but she's actually trying to flirt with her and she's being all touchy-feely and Nadia is letting her because she thinks it's just what she's like because she's acted like that for ages and it's making me really mad."

"Yeah, that can happen," Tanith said sitting on the bed next to her. "What's your plan then?"

"I don't have one. I'm just getting mad and sucking it up."

"Really?" Tanith asked. Her tone was both shock and confusion. "That doesn't sound like you."

"Tanith, the only ideas on what to do is staying close to Nadia and controlling her every move and interaction. That sounds like a control-ly, shitty person thing to do, so I'm avoiding the situation entirely."

"Or, you could just tell Nadia your concerns like a big girl and the two of you can work it out. Even if Nadia doesn't believe you, she'll be more aware of what's happening and realise your right or she'll smack you up the back of the head and explain that she's like this with everyone because they were best friends at school. Some people are just that touchy, like Erskine," Tanith explained.

Valkyrie grimaced. "I promise it's not like that. It's this look she gives me, she's very obviously doing it to annoy me. I don't want to make Nadia not spend time with her friend but honestly, I wish I could."

Tanith rolled her eyes. "Just tell Nadia why your upset. I doubt she hasn't noticed."

She grimaced again. "She has."

"See? You're just going to piss her off not saying anything," Tanith warned.

Valkyrie sighed and got up. "I'm using your shower."

"Sure. But I shaved in there earlier so you might want to give it a rinse down," she called after her.

"You're disgusting."

"And proud."

Valkyrie used her shower time to think over Tanith's option and concluded she was right. After getting dressed and wringing her hair as dry as possible, she went to her room and found Nadia dressed and brushing through her perfectly dry, washed hair.

"Hi," Valkyrie said softly when she shut the door behind her. "I'm sorry I've been a dick."

"You haven't," Nadia said immediately. "But you have been upset."

"I have," Valkyrie sighed and went over to her. "Can we talk about Vasuda?"

Nadia frowned. "What? Why?"

"I don't like her."

Nadia paused, put down the brush and turned on the vanity stall to face Valkyrie. "Why?"

"She likes you."

"She likes me?"

"Yes. She fancies you, or whatever they call it."

"She fancies me? Valkyrie, I've known Vasuda since I joined that stupid school. She's a bit blunt, I know, but she was always alright with me and after we all became friends she was on my side about the whole Rebecca thing after Emily and was really supportive. She stuck by me when Rebecca spread rumours about me at school, and bear in mind some of my other friends doubted me for a time, all while she didn't. She made people see I wasn't in the wrong when she didn't have to. She's a good person."

"A good person that's been trying to flirt with you since she got here."

"She has not," Nadia denied and went back to brushing her hair. "You're being ridiculous."

"I'm not! Dexter sees it too, he was getting mad at me for getting mad at her earlier because I was taking it out on you rather than Vasuda like I should have!"

"Don't you dare get mad at my friends because you're seeing things that aren't even there!" Nadia demanded. Valkyrie swallowed back her retort. "You know, you were right. You are being a dick."

Valkyrie crossed her arms and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and trying desperately to deescalate the situation. "Look, I don't want to fight about this. But I know I'm right. Vasuda is trying to flirt with you, and she's been all over you since the start. She sits next to you, she always talks with you, she hugs and touches you whenever she can, she even sleeps closer to you than me. The only time she isn't doing those things is when your other friends are talking to her or I have my arm over you at that moment. I'm not saying you can't be friends or spend time with her, I just think you should be aware because it's upsetting me, okay?"

She left quickly so Nadia couldn't get mad at her – also she had other things on the tip of her tongue and didn't want to say something she'd regret – and went downstairs to the kitchen where her brothers were making lunches. Dexter raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything, for which she was grateful. Instead, she grabbed the blender, which was full of some red smoothie, and poured herself a glass.

She ate with Nadia's friends but interacting with them felt forced and when Nadia came down and joined them, she felt tense and left them to go out that afternoon by themselves. She didn't want to be a part of their group so long as Nadia was unhappy with her, especially since it would just get awkward if the others noticed they were acting tense.

While they were gone, Valkyrie tried clearing her head by doing chores. She went through her wardrobe and got rid of ninety percent of her clothes because almost none of it fit anyone and hung up her new things, are well as organised the hangers in a way she knew Nadia would like. She went through her drawers and got rid of a lot of those things too, trying to keep in line with the style of clothing she'd picked out for herself, which she did actually really like. Then she picked up the bits and pieces on the floor and got a load of laundry on downstairs. She went for a long run around the woods at the back of the property, chopped up some wood for no reason other than to get some frustration out, and then went inside only for Dexter to attack her and tell her it was training time.

They sparred outside in the now cold air on the grass for almost an hour, Valkyrie missing practically every punch, being too slow to defend at every turn and otherwise just doing a miserable job whilst making herself madder because she was doing a miserable job. Dexter shouted at her and Erskine and Saracen goaded her into fighting back. Out of the few attacks she did get in, she was ruthlessly violent, going for points she was never allowed to go for, trying to incapacitate Dexter rather than spar. He didn't tell her to stop.

Anton was the one that called it off when Valkyrie had finally punched Dexter in the neck, slapped him over the ear, got him on the floor and punched him in the chest so hard he'd been too winded and shocked to defend his face from being punched three times by her. Erskine had tackled her to the ground and Saracen had checked Dexter for broken ribs. He'd been fine.

"You need to get a hold of yourself," was all Anton told her before grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her inside. He dragged her all the way upstairs to the shared girls' bathroom and crossed his arms, forcing her to draw a bath and throw in a healing stone, leaving the door cracked and waiting outside for her to bathe. She felt like a child, an uncontrollable child that needed parent supervision, and she moodily took her bath, feeling the ache of her whole body. She hadn't trained in a long time, much less to that extent, and it had worn her out. As she sat there naked, she felt the guilt and regret creep in. She cried silently in the bath, her tears mingling with the frothy water.

After her bath, she wrapped in a towel and Anton came straight in as soon as she was covered and demanded she go to her bedroom. She did and he closed the door behind her.

He couldn't have done anything else to make her feel worse.

She got into some comfortable clothes and tied her hair into a braid before leaving her room and going to Dexter's. Anton was on the sofa, and Dexter, Saracen and Erskine were on the bed. Dexter had obviously also had a soak but also had two ice packs on his chest.

She didn't say anything, just rushed over into Dexter's arms and cried.

.*****.

It was almost dinner time when Nadia and Tanith came around the corner of the bedroom and sat on the sofa on either side of Anton. Valkyrie, Erskine, Saracen and Dexter were all lying down along the length of the bed like sardines and were probably pretty pathetic looking, but none of them particularly cared.

"What are you doing?" Nadia asked them quietly.

"Feeling shit," Valkyrie answered honestly. Dexter moved his hand and let it drop on her face. "Ow," she said without emotion.

"Don't be stupid," he told her.

"I'm not. It's true," she told him, pushing the hand away.

Nadia sighed. "Look, I'm sorry your mad Val, but I still don't see it."

Valkyrie shrugged. "Fine."

"No, it's not, because you're still mad. I don't want that."

She just shrugged again.

"Well, we're getting ready to go out for dinner. I'd like it if you came. We're going to a sushi restaurant and I thought you guys would like to come too," Nadia told them. "It's a really fancy place. I thought it would be fun."

Valkyrie sighed, already knowing she'd come. "Sure," she said, sitting up. "Come on guys. You're coming too."

There was an immediate protest in the form of groaning and grunting while Valkyrie yanked them off the bed. They did agree once they were stood up, and Valkyrie, Nadia and Tanith went to their rooms to get ready. Nadia and Tanith had picked out their outfits and went to Tanith's room, leaving Valkyrie to stew in her bedroom, which ended up being a good idea because she felt more rejuvenated and awake after having some time alone.

She found a dress she hadn't worn in years, but it was too small and had escaped her throw out from earlier. After putting that in the pile to go, she looked over her smart trousers and top options but didn't 'feel' any of them. She looked through her skirts but none of them felt right with her tops. She was about to give up and start having a tantrum when she caught sight of a bit of purple fabric at the back of the wardrobe. It was behind where she usually had her bulky coats and jacket and she couldn't believe she had missed it before. She pulled it out and found the dress she'd been given the previous Christmas from Solomon and Skulduggery, alongside the customary books and other gifts. She barely even remembered getting it, but now she saw it she remembered why it was at the back behind everything else.

It was a mid-thigh length dress in a deep purple, the skirt tight and elegant, the top also tight but modest. The neckline hinted at something more whilst keeping it all to the imagination. It had a built-in slip and when she tried it on, it tucked her waist in at the sides just enough to give her definition without making it so she couldn't breathe. The orange sash around the middle was a bold but a fun detail the dress needed to pull it together. Without it, the dress was plain and almost boring.

As soon as she tied that around her, she looked more youthful as opposed to childish – the dress was fun and classy, just like something Solomon and Skulduggery would pick out. She fiddled around with how to wear the tie before putting around the front, off centre and in a simple knot. She got her new nude heels and put those on, and then got on with some makeup. She went for a smoky eye and dark lips, contour to make her seem darker and more mysterious, before finishing with going through the stuff Tanith had abandoned in her bathroom and found some fake lashes. After threatening to burn everything to the ground, she got them on, found some jewellery and got her pretty silver and nude clutch together. She threw on one of her new creamy trench coats over it. The dress was bright and fun, but the full look was classy, elegant and – she just felt that the woman inside her she was on the brink of becoming was shining through tonight.

She knew she looked good, which was only made better when she was last down the stairs and the others looked up at her. Her family smiled, knowing she was upset still but pulling a brave face, and Nadia's eyes glowed with happiness because she was quite obviously using the event to forget they had argued earlier. The best part was all the smiles and compliments from Valkyrie's friends which let her simper and flatter them so she looked so very nice. It pointed out so nicely how Vasuda didn't say a word to Valkyrie and looked somewhat put out that she'd even turned up. Valkyrie didn't check to see if Nadia picked up on it, just led them out the house. She wasn't a petty bitch, but that didn't mean she had to try to make Vesuda look bad.

They had cars pick them up and take them to the fancy sushi restaurant, which did look incredibly expensive and nice, and were taken to their table by an immaculately dressed man with the best eyeliner Valkyrie had ever seen. He handed them menus and let them choose.

Valkyrie remained quiet. She was sat with Anton on her left, Charlotte on her right and on the other side, Tanith was opposite Anton with Laila next to her in her car seat, Nadia was opposite Valkyrie and Vasuda was opposite Charlotte. Next to Nadia.

Valkyrie didn't comment or even look at her, trying to be reserved and polite and not look like she wanted to stab Vasuda's throat, and instead picked what starter and main she wanted. China would be proud of the subtle show she made of it all. They all chose to go on the pre-picked group meal plan which meant they would all get to share food. They ordered enough for them all, which included Solomon, Saracen, Tanith, Anton, Valkyrie, Nadia, Dexter, Erskine and Nadia's eight friends. That meant sixteen individuals. They all chose an alcohol drink, except Tanith who breastfed of course, which did surprise Valkyrie but it was Anton who quietly told her that they were happy for the girls and Valkyrie to have a small glass of wine while they were out because they were all almost adults and they trusted the girls to control themselves. Plus, he told her, they had already bought a bunch of alcohol and planned to drink it later so they may as well all enjoy a nice meal now since they were allowing excessive drinking at the house anyway.

That was news to Valkyrie but she kept up her façade of blank politeness and chose to have a glass of prosecco – China had told Valkyrie to always ask for prosecco if she didn't know anything else to choose as it was the safest for someone like her, whatever that meant. They all spoke in quiet tone about different things along the table. Nadia tried to talk with Valkyrie several times and Valkyrie responded every time, talking about the restaurant, what they were doing later, about the book Gordon was almost done writing and wanted them to all proofread. Each and every time, Vasuda would chime in, often using Charlotte to make it seem like it was a group conversation rather than an interruption, and Valkyrie was absolutely certain Nadia could see some of what Valkyrie had been telling her by the time the food came.

The dinner was, of course, amazing. Valkyrie rarely had sushi so it was a nice change and she didn't even flinch, growl or snap when Vasuda fed Nadia a piece of sashimi. She just smiled at her girlfriend and saw a little bit of awkwardness in her eyes. She noticed Vasuda finish her glass of wine quickly and when she was meant to be going to the bathroom, order bottles for the table. By the time she was back, there were three bottles of wine on the table. Vasuda poured until her glass was at the top.

Valkyrie just smiled at her girlfriend, still being quiet and right.

Things escalated slowly, but the food was great. Charlotte seemed to have clocked on to Nadia and Valkyrie having had a tiff, and more importantly, she had caught on to Vasuda being the problem. She pulled Vasuda's attention away when she could and they talked about a trip to Rome they had planned and gossiped about people at school which Valkyrie knew Charlotte didn't care about but it worked.

By the end of the meal, Nadia looked harassed and Valkyrie was pleased with herself. Vasuda, Fleet, Prema, Lian, Erskine and Saracen were on the border between tipsy and drunk, and it was time to go home. After footing a hefty and disgusting bill which was mostly just the price of the very expensive wine Vasuda had ordered them, their cars drove them home. Back there, Nadia pulled Valkyrie aside.

"Fine! Fine! I see it, okay?!" She furiously whispered. "Now stop being so damn annoying about it."

Valkyrie grinned widely. "I'm sorry, I think the words you're looking for is, 'Oh Valkyrie, I'm sorry I claimed you were a dick for seeing something so obvious, please, accept my apology.'"

Nadia glared at her. "Val, I am trying to make this better."

"You're doing an awful job of it," Valkyrie said, losing her grin. She stared Nadia in the eye, the wine loosening a tongue a little. "I was really upset you said those things you said to me. I don't like Vasuda. I know she's your friend, but it would have been nice if you had at least pretended like you'd take my concern seriously."

"I'm sorry, baby, I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you," Nadia said, her face dropping. "I just didn't want to think anything bad of my friends."

"To be fair, I like all the others," Valkyrie said. "Charlotte's great, and it's hard not to like Fleet."

"Yeah, they're pretty great," Nadia smiled. "Are we good now? I want to have a drink and spend time with you. Please?"

"Of course. I didn't want to fight about it in the first place," Valkyrie said, pulling Nadia close. "You look great by the way."

"Thanks. Tanith told me I had to wear it." Nadia was in a dress once more, this time a small black number she paired with a long coat for outside. It looked better with the coat, to be fair, although Valkyrie did just have a thing for coats so it may have just been that, but the dress itself was also pretty. Nadia had on more makeup than usual but she'd kept it classy. Valkyrie could tell that Tanith had had a hand in it. She had made Nadia put a little more on show, probably knowing they would be alcohol on hand, to get Vasuda to show her true colours when Nadia's skimpy outfit made her lose control. It had worked.

"Well, I love it," Valkyrie smiled and kissed Nadia. "It shows off your legs."

"Yeah, it's a dress," Nadia teased and kissed her more deeply, gently licking Valkyrie's lips until their tongues were playing once more. They stayed like that, tipsily making out until someone came around the corner.

"Oh," Vasuda said, stopping. She crossed her arms. "We're all getting ready to play some games. Do you want to join us?"

It didn't sound like she wanted Valkyrie there at all and that made her smile. "Sure, we'll come now."

With Nadia under her arm and unable to do anything else, and went to the snug where the girls had gathered everything they thought was important. That was, they had moved everything off of the floor except for pillows and a few beanbags and had only wine bottles, a ton of cider and a small amount of beer on the floor. The girls had enough alcohol to get all of the Dead Men and all the Dead Men's friends very drunk. Valkyrie wasn't sure why they had so much. Alongside the alcohol, they had an empty bottle, some cards and a lot of sweet finger food.

"This looks fun," Valkyrie grinned. "Is that actually a bottle for Spin the Bottle? That seems cliché."

"Yep," Fleet grinned. "You and Nadia are welcome to not play, or you can. You're choice."

Nadia and Valkyrie looked at each other, but neither let on what they were feeling about the situation. "How about we play that later and decide then," Valkyrie said cautiously, trying to gauge how Nadia felt. Valkyrie was fairly open, at least to little kisses between friends that didn't actually want to date each other. Nothing sexual or romantic, of course. She'd never spoken about it with Nadia though because they'd never been asked to kiss other people before.

Fleet shrugged and nodded. "We can do that. I thought we'd play truth or dare first anyway."

"Yes, Master Fleet," Valkyrie said, taking her shoes off and sitting on a pillow. Nadia did the same and sat next to her, and on her other side, Tara sat down. Vasuda, for once, was further away from them. Drinks were passed around and Valkyrie and Nadia giggled with each other and chose to share a bottle between them. They popped it open and drank straight from the bottle, taking it in turns and already probably getting into it too quickly. Valkyrie had been allowed a little to drink before with her family, but not as much as this with such free choice over what she could drink, and she had more to go. It was exciting and liberating, and she could see from Nadia's face this was not her first time drinking like this.

"We're playing truth or dare!" Fleet shouted over their laughs and small talk. The girls, including Valkyrie, sat forwards and got ready. "This is how it works. We go around in a circle. Let's say I start. I can choose anyone to ask them truth or dare. The person to my left, in this case Prema, gets to ask someone of her choice next, but it cannot be the same person or exactly the same question. For the people asked! You can pick truth or dare, but no more than two truths before you have to pick a dare! You can pick only one and if you refuse to do or answer what was asked, your forfeit is decided by the group. For all dares, you cannot choose to have someone kiss another person or take off clothes, but forfeits can be that, so you better be sure what you choose because we all know we're going to make you do one of those two things. Everyone understand?"

Everyone did and Fleet began. "Okay. Charlotte." Charlotte groaned. "Truth or dare?"

She thought about it a moment and then said "Truth."

"Predictable. When did you lose your virginity?" Fleet grinned.

Valkyrie grinned and shook her head, but Charlotte took a drink from her cider bottle and answered. "I haven't."

Next was Prema, who asked Lian, who picked dare. Everyone grinned and sat forwards while Lain picked what she wanted. "I dare you… to text that creepy guy that you want to suck his dick!"

"Oh my God," Lian muttered as the rest of them laughed and asked if she'd do it. After a moment she reached into her bag, exclaimed "Fuck it!" and texted a guy that she wanted to suck his dick. They all looked at the phone and after she was cleared for doing it, it was Dhiya's turn to choose.

"Valkyrie!" Dhiya immediately said, turning to her. "Truth or dare?"

This needed strategy, Valkyrie could tell. If she picked dare, which was her first instinct, Dhiya was pretty over-excitable and would likely make her do something stupid, like prank call the Sanctuary or something like Lian had to do. She could only imagine the type of truth she'd have to answer, but it felt safer while she worked out what people wanted from everyone else. "Truth," she said.

There was some 'aww'ing and Valkyrie knew they were going to try and throw her in it. Even Nadia acted disappointed.

"Tell me…" Dhiya said allowed as she thought. "Have you ever kissed a man?"

"No, but I did have a boy kiss me on the cheek when I was, like, seven. I punched him in the face and got suspended for two days," she told her, feeling like that was an easy one.

Tara got to go next and picked on Zainab, which resulted in her getting dared to down the whole content of her glass of wine. It was pretty high and Zainab did it. After coughing and holding her throat, probably feeling it burn horribly, she got laughed at and announced she'd be sticking to water for a while.

Valkyrie got to choose someone after that. She looked over the group and after a bit of quick debate in her head, turned to Nadia. "Nadia. Truth or dare."

She smiled, half nervous, half giddy, and declared "Truth!" over the sound of the others egging her on.

"When was the first time you touched yourself over me!" Valkyrie said quick and the others exploded laughing and pushing Nadia to say.

Nadia blushed darkly and laughed also, barely able to get a word out before putting up a hand. Everyone went quiet and Nadia looked at the floor, trying to smother a grin. "After your family reunion party. We kissed and danced all night and I went home and… did it."

There was some begging for details but Nadia didn't have to say so they had to move on. It was Nadia's turn to pick. "Fleet, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" She almost shouted, gripping her bottle excitedly.

"Go tell Dexter what you think of him," Nadia said smoothly, sipping their bottle.

Fleet obviously hadn't expected that and looked as if she wanted to back out. She kept asking, what if he isn't alone, how am I meant to do that, this isn't fair, but Valkyrie was the one to pull her up, wrap an arm around her and pick her up. The others opened doors and they took her into the kitchen where Tanith, Dexter and Erskine were all drinking coffee. Valkyrie put Fleet down in front of Dexter and ran from the room and the girls listened in through the door pretending to give them 'privacy'.

"Err," Fleet said. Valkyrie could see she was both blushing and pale. "Umm…"

"Don't be shy," Dexter said, sipping his coffee and looking at her intensely over his mug. Tanith was already trying to hide her laughs.

"Errr," she said again, her voice a higher pitch. "I, err, I think you're really hot and I think you're great and I like your hair and you're great fun to talk to."

Fleet turned and left the room, her face bright red and the picture of mortification. Valkyrie and the others giggled quietly and ran ahead, keeping it in until they were in the snug and they let it all loose.

"That was awful!" Fleet said, getting back into her seat.

"It was great. Good one Nadia," Valkyrie laughed and high-fived her girlfriend.

When they had found peace again, it was Zainab's turn. She picked Vasuda, who picked truth, and was asked what the craziest thing she'd ever done was. She said it was the time she had snuck out of her parent's house to have sex with her boyfriend at sixteen. Next was Lian who chose Dhiya, who chose dare, and they had her text a sexual message to a boy Dhiya didn't like but was interested in her. It only took ten seconds for a dick-pic to come through.

After they 'eww'ed and pretended to gag and all the customary things that came with that, it was Vasuda's turn. It took a few moments of her looking at the ceiling to think before she looked at Nadia. "Nadia. Truth or dare."

Valkyrie made no reaction other than to look at Nadia and sip from the bottle. "Truth," she said.

"Last one!" Fleet interjected.

"Nadia, tell me," Vasuda said slowly, thinking, "is there anyone you have a secret crush on?"

Valkyrie had to hide a smirk.

"I'm dating Valkyrie?" Nadia said.

"I mean as well as her," Vasuda clarified.

"Yeah, a crush is different from fancying someone," Tara said, rolling her eyes. "And from loving someone too. It's, like, you can love your husband or wife and have a celebrity crush, right? This is the same thing."

"Oh," Nadia nodded and thought about it. "Honestly, I don't watch telly, I don't know. I thought Mr Pyre was hot though."

"Not good enough!" Vasuda told her before anyone could agree or disagree. "Tell us a better one."

"I don't know. I mean, the movie from yesterday was hot, but I don't have a crush on anyone," Nadia said. Valkyrie put a hand on her back comfortingly.

"It's okay if you just like me," Valkyrie told her.

"Thanks, baby, I'm so grateful for all your support," Nadia smiled, giving her a kiss.

The others laughed and they moved on without a scene. Charlotte was next to choose and she went for Prema who picked dare. After a few moments, Charlotte dared her to send a message to an ex-boyfriend of hers and tell him to go suck a dick. Feeling like there was a pattern but also completely into it, Valkyrie watched as Prema very happily send a text to her ex-boyfriend telling him to eat a dick. About the same moment, the annoying guy Dhiya had dick-pic from gave them a follow-up and they all winced as Dhiya opened the message. It was a picture of his large, spotty face with his tongue out and eyes half-lidded. They all told her to put her phone away and she did.

It was back to the start and Fleet chose Tara, the only one not picked until then. She chose truth, Fleet immediately asked her what her dirtiest sexual fantasy was.

"Seriously, Fleet?" Tara asked. "That's nasty."

"That's the point," Fleet grinned.

"You turn into a weirdo when you drink, I hope you know that," Tara told Fleet. "It's of a group of men all wanting me. There."

"More details," Fleet grinned.

"Not a chance. Prema's turn."

Prema turned on Fleet. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare, of course," Fleet replied cockily, like she wasn't still horrified from what her last dare had led to.

"I dare you to send a picture of your feet to Dexter," she said, face straight.

Valkyrie lost it and began booming out laughter, just imagining his face, and offered to provide the number. Fleet glared and refused.

"I can't do that, I did a bad one last time. That's not fair," Fleet tried.

"You literally made the rules!" Prema laughed. "Are you forfeiting?"

"Oh my god, please don't, I can imagine his face!" Valkyrie laughed, barely able to control herself.

Fleet glared at her. "Yes, I'm forfeiting. That's an unfair dare!"

"It's not and you know it. Fleet, leave the room while we prepare your fate!" Fleet did that, giggling excitedly despite complaining it was all too cruel, and Prema looked back at them with an evil glint in her eyes. "She has to get naked."

"What?" Valkyrie asked.

"Val," Nadia said, holding Valkyrie's arm. "Last time we played this game, Fleet came up with the most insane and personal things for us to admit and do just so we'd forfeit and she could either get us to kiss people or get undressed. We weren't able to get her to forfeit at all. This is our chance!"

Valkyrie shook her head. "I'm not drunk enough for this game, am I?"

"Nope," Prema said. "I move to vote on her getting naked."

"No, that's mean," Valkyrie defended, and everyone looked at her like she was stupid. Even Nadia. Especially Nadia. "What? I just think it's mean. Just make her kiss someone or something."

"Like who? It's not fair on everyone else for her to kiss someone. I'd know, I've seen where that mouths been," Prema shot back.

"Okay, if you know where it's been, you are obviously the one to kiss her," Valkyrie said back sickly sweet.

Prema glared. "All who says Valkyrie has to kiss Fleet, say aye."

All hands around the room went up. Valkyrie's mouth opened in shock. "What? Nadia?"

"You have to kiss the drunk weirdo," she stated, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry it had to come to this."

"Nadia. This is stupid, you can't–"

Valkyrie was cut off by the girls demanding Fleet come back in and she came back into the room with a giant grin. After some nudging, Valkyrie stood up. "They voted I have to kiss you."

Fleet frowned. "I thought I had to kiss someone? Not the other way around."

"Yeah, well they got mad I said you shouldn't have to take your clothes off. They really want you naked by the way. Just kiss me," Valkyrie demanded, looking at Nadia. Nadia just smirked, leaned back and sipped on the wine bottle like it was a show.

Fleet shrugged, stepped forwards, wrapped an arm around Valkyrie's neck and started kissing her. Valkyrie would have left it at a peck but the girls cheered and Fleet opened her mouth and suddenly their tongues were playing and Valkyrie was a bit confused but also enjoying the strange taste of orange chocolate and strawberry wine on Fleet's tongue. When she got a catcall from Nadia, she deepened the kiss herself, putting a hand on Fleet's waist and dancing her fingers around, pulling away with a bite tugging on Fleet's lower lip. Fleet was bright red, and Valkyrie was too. She just turned quickly and sat herself next to Nadia.

Fleet stumbled for a moment, got laughed at, and sat down fanning herself. Instead of being embarrassed, shocked, amused or literally anything Valkyrie thought Nadia would be, she was grinning proudly. Valkyrie shook her head, not sure how to feel. She at least wouldn't be contradicting any of the girls forfeit ideas from now on – plus Fleet was hot and that kiss had gotten her a bit bothered, which was never a problem when her girlfriend was also getting bothered by it.

The next few rounds were tame in comparison, including Valkyrie asking about Zainab's biggest kink which Valkyrie had thought was a good question – it was something unrepeatable – and then it was Nadia's turn. After her great round last time, they all looked at her eagerly.

"Valkyrie," she started, and Valkyrie felt her hopes die. "Truth or dare, sweetheart."

Valkyrie groaned and cursed herself because she knew, either way, Nadia would destroy her, and picked dare for the heck of it.

"Good choice. I dare you," Nadia began with a grin, "to send a picture of your boobs to your boss."

"Ha, jokes on you, I quit my job!" Valkyrie grinned triumphantly.

"Oh, what's that?" Nadia said, looking around the room. "Valkyrie can't complete her dare? Guess we'll go for an automatic forfeit!"

Valkyrie's mouth opened in horror and got shoved, pushed and manhandled out of the room. At the end of the corridor, Tanith, Dexter and Erskine were standing with fresh mugs and smiling.

"Alright, Val?" Tanith asked.

"Nadia dared me to do something I literally couldn't do and they twisted my words so it looks like I forfeited. Now I have to do anything they say. I've already had to kiss Fleet and I didn't even lose that time!" Valkyrie complained.

"Why did she forfeit?" Dexter asked.

"They dared her to send a picture of her feet to you and she thought that was worse than telling you her feelings. Then I said we shouldn't make her get naked, so I had to kiss her as punishment," Valkyrie explained. "I think they're going to make me get naked."

Dexter nodded. "Sounds like a cool game. Can I play?"

"Several people in this room are minors and you are not. That is not okay to even joke about," Valkyrie reminded him. "Next time for sure. Fleet might wet herself."

"Sounds good to me," he grinned with a wink.

"Can I play? As a woman, I am much less susceptible to the law," Tanith smirked.

"Again, still not okay, but I feel this will be happening in the future, and I want to be there please. Now, if you'll excuse me, they are calling me in to meet my doom," Valkyrie said and entered the room again. She looked at Nadia.

"We've decided that the only right thing to do is give you a choice," Nadia said diplomatically, taking a swing from the bottle. "Since it wasn't your fault you had to forfeit, you can choose – kiss someone of your choice on the mouth outside of this room, whom would be your sibling so I wouldn't recommend it, or take off an item of clothing. It will be placed in the middle of the room to be collected at a later time if you earn it back – bear in mind you are literally wearing just underwear and a dress."

Valkyrie looked around at the girls, turned and left the room. They all gasped and followed her out, staring after her as she matched up to Tanith, grabbed her face, smooshed their lips together quickly and let her go. "I'm so sorry," she told her sister and marched back into the room.

The other just laughed at her, including Tanith who could be heard roaring with laughter even after the door was closed. Zainab had to go next and Valkyrie could see she wanted to ask follow-ups to Valkyrie but couldn't. Instead, she asked Charlotte who had done two truth's previously and so had to pick dare. She was dared to send a picture of herself to a guy of choice in her phone, so long as it wasn't family, which ended up being Charlotte's brothers best friend much to her horror, but she was powerless to stop it as she feared the forfeit so much. Lian dared Tara to steal a bottle from the kitchen she'd seen earlier, a bottle of whiskey Valkyrie knew she'd be in trouble for later, and actually managed it without getting spotted.

Eventually, they played two or three full goes around with almost every single person picking dare and having to take a shot. Once at the point they felt the game had degraded into who could get each other the drunkest the fastest, they concluded it was time for a quick spin the bottle tournament.

"What's that?" Valkyrie asked, and was actually happily surprised. What she had thought was a deck of cards was actually a deck of challenges. They would spin the bottle as a group and whoever it landed on, no matter what, had to do the challenge they picked up from the deck of cards. They would take it in turns spinning because, if it was a challenge for another person, they'd use the spinner. For example, Nadia told her, the first time she had ever spun the bottle it had landed on Prema, and Prema had been challenged to lick the spinners armpit. Bad for the two of them. Valkyrie nodded, sort of happy she didn't have to kiss people but also more worried.

"Valkyrie you start!" Fleet said.

Being certainly drunk now, Valkyrie spun the bottle and it span and span and landed on Prema. Fleet giggled madly and read out, "Feed each other."

Everyone smiled and nodded at the easy first go, and Prema and Valkyrie got to have a piece of chocolate each which was good. Nadia spun next and it landed on Tara who was dared to do a handstand. Being so drunk, Valkyrie was immediately fearful for her carpets, but it ended up being alright as Tara did a half-assed handstand and sat back down safely.

Both Zainab and Lian spun the bottle, each time landing on each other and getting fairly rubbish challenges, and then it was Vasuda's turn. Obviously, it landed on Nadia.

Grinning, Fleet grabbed the card and then gasped and said quickly, "Vasuda has to lick Nadia's belly."

Valkyrie's body went cold and her face went blank. All happiness left her body. "No," she said. "Get another card."

"It's the rules," Fleet said drunkenly.

"New card," Valkyrie repeated. Nadia just bit her lip and said nothing. "Just pick a new one and do that."

Fleet shrugged and went to do it but Vasuda put her hand up. "The rules are, as well all agreed to almost a year ago, if the victim doesn't do the challenge, the only forfeit is to kiss the other person."

Valkyrie felt like punching her right then and there. She was sure Nadia said something, but she and Vasuda were glaring at each other.

"It's the rules," Vasuda told her.

"It's not happening," Valkyrie countered.

"You wouldn't be mad if it was someone else," Vasuda claimed correctly. Valkyrie would have enjoyed the show just as Nadia enjoyed her and Fleet kissing, but again, that was with someone who wasn't emotionally involved. Emotions changed everything. "Follow the game rules. You're ruining it for the rest of us."

Perhaps it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just a bad, drunken attempt at stopping a fight, but Fleet spoke over them and said it was the rules. All the other girls agreed and brought up times they did things they hadn't wanted to, and only after that asked what Nadia wanted. Valkyrie could tell she felt backed into a corner, but Valkyrie's own drunkenness saw Nadia's begrudged willingness to do the challenge. There was no way that was happening.

"Nope! I forfeit for Nadia, it's not happening!" Valkyrie said loudly and quickly, standing up. "Pick something horrible, now!"

The girls started arguing about whether or not it was okay to forfeit for someone else and what they would even pick as Vasuda got up as well. In the end, they decided that they could only let the challenge fall to Valkyrie. Vasuda would have to lick Valkyrie's belly.

"What?!" They both yelled.

The girls seemed stumped until, thankfully, a much more sober-than-the-rest-of-them Charlotte grabbed the card, put it on the back of the pile and took the next one. "Nadia, you have to eskimo kiss Vasuda."

Valkyrie almost fought that one too but Nadia pulled her down and went over to Vasuda. It went well, too well, as Nadia leaned in and gently rubbed her nose over Vasuda's.

And then Vasuda leaned in, grabbed Nadia's head and pressed their lips together.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh no bitch, you didn't!

Remus Cyka Crux: there will be more, don't start feeling safe! And anyway, you saw the NSFW warning, you deserve all you got ;)