"I'm not so sure about this, Daine." Numair eyed the deck of cards between them and shifted uncomfortably. He sat with his back to her dresser, long legs crossed in front of him. Daine sat across from him, back against her bed. There was just enough room for a beaten deck of cards and a bottle of whiskey between them in the cramped room. "And you need a bigger room," he complained, not for the first time.
Daine laughed, setting two glasses between them. "You might be right about the room—I think I may have outgrown it." She cast a look around the modest room, head turning behind her. Numair raised an eyebrow, noticing her gaze fall on the single bed, but was polite enough not to comment on her responding blush.
"Keep an open mind about the game, though. It's Evin's favorite." She poured them both a generous drink, and slid a glass towards Numair.
"That's hardly a selling point."
"Oh, hush. I'm sure it's not that bad."
"I thought you'd played before?" He raised his eyebrows at his young friend and she shrugged.
"I've watched people play," she paused, looking sheepish, "a bit, anyway."
"See? You don't even know what you're getting us into."
"I've seen enough and Miri's explained the rules to me before! It's going to be fine."
"I'm not sure if 'fine' is what you should be aiming for when it comes to entertainment."
"Alright then, fine and fun. How's that?"
"Dubious at best."
Daine sighed, "Have a drink while I explain the rules—it will help with the 'fun' portion." Numair sighed, but complied. "The game is called questions. We each take turns asking one another a question. You can either answer, truthfully," she eyed Numair intently, "or decline to answer and take a drink."
"What if I don't answer truthfully?" He mimicked Daine's tone, drawing a smile from her. "And what sort of questions am I supposed to ask?"
"Anything you want to know about me," she shrugged, "and if you are caught in a lie you must drink twice."
Numair groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't understand what I'm supposed to be asking. I know everything about you." Daine scoffed at this.
"You certainly do not know everything about me, Master Mage. I definitely don't know everything about you ."
"You know everything about me I want you to know." He replied pointedly and she laughed again.
"That's part of the fun, Numair. It's good to push boundaries every now and then." She winked at him and was pleased when we blushed.
"Magelet, it seems to me that you are trying to get me drunk and embarrass myself."
"Now you're catching on," she laughed. "I'm trying to get myself drunk and embarrassed too, if it makes you feel better."
"Not particularly. I should point out that luring men into your bedroom and plying them with drink is not the most respectable of pastimes." It was Daine's turn to blush.
"Well, if you weren't so paranoid about me being in your rooms I wouldn't have had to 'lure' you." She rolled her eyes.
"I fail to see how that would change anything about the situation. And you know why you shouldn't be in my rooms at night, Daine. Gossip at the castle spreads faster than a wildfire."
"And it doesn't here?"
"The nobles are somewhat more," he paused, searching for the word, "aggressive in their attention to detail."
"Sounds like they have too much time on their hands if you ask me."
"You wouldn't be the first to note that." He shifted again, more uncomfortable with the conversation than with his position. Daine reached out to shuffle the cards. "What are those for?"
"Suggestions," she looked up at him, neatening the pile between them. "You are free to ask a question of your own, but if you're stumped you can draw from the pile." She gestured to the cards. "But if you draw a card, you have to ask what's on it."
Numair reached for the stack, but Daine swatted his hand away.
"You're not allowed to look."
"Why not? I want to know what kind of questions are on them." He eyed the pile. They were obviously handmade and from the varying colors and uneven edges he had no doubt that they had been added to and edited over the years.
"You're not supposed to know. That's kind of the point."
"You know how I feel about surprises."
"You'll never grow if you stay in your comfort zone," she mimicked a phrase he often used to counteract her stubbornness. He shot her a sour look, but smiled despite himself. Groaning, he rubbed his face.
"Fine," she said, finally, "I will go first and I will draw from the deck to ease your troubled mind." Her mockery was not lost on him. Daine reached for a card, and flipped it over.
"See? That's not so bad," she threw it on the floor, face up. "What's the last thing you did for the first time?" Numair leaned over, checking the writing, and glanced up at her. While somewhat eased, he was obviously not ready to concede his reservations just yet.
"Alright, that one isn't awful. My prior experience with drinking games—" he broke off, blushing. "Nevermind. The last thing I did for the first time would have to be this game." He smirked at her eye roll.
"My turn," he leaned back, thoughtful. "What's your favorite animal?"
Daine groaned, "That was boring and a waste of your turn."
"How is that a waste?" He asked, incredulously.
"You know I can't choose, and you also know that if I had to I would say I am partial to horses and wolves. You're supposed to ask things you don't know."
"If I take a drink will you forgive me?" He took a swig, enjoying the sound of her laugh.
"I suppose it's a start." She stretched a leg out and resettled. "What's your guilty pleasure?"
"I enjoy reading—"
"That's not a guilty pleasure. A guilty pleasure is something embarrassing."
"Who says?"
"It's implied in the word 'guilty'."
"Fine." He sighed and considered the question. "Alright, I enjoy reading—ah, let me finish—in the bath with a moisturizing serum on my face." He studied his drink carefully, nodding to himself when Daine's laughter broke the silence.
"Does it smell nice?" She asked, stifling giggles.
"Yes, if you must know. Lavender." He raised his glass to her. "Another perk of having larger rooms, by the way." Daine groaned.
"Not that would be worth the fuss."
"I might even give you the recipe." He teased.
"Oh, Horse Lord's Numair. How would the boys stay away if I were so clean all the time?" She laughed at her own joke and it was his turn to roll his eyes.
"From what I've heard, you have no problem attracting them, even covered in muck as you are." Daine shrugged in response.
"Perhaps. You'll have to use a question if you want to know more." She raised an eyebrow and he blushed in return.
"I think something else may be more appropriate," he muttered.
"This game is really about not being appropriate, you know." She took another sip, and watched him closely. "If you ask me what my favorite color is—"
"I was not going to ask you that. I'm not that boring." He fought the impulse to stick his tongue out at her. "Besides, I know. It's green, but it should be blue."
"Oh, should it?"
"You look very good in blue," he supplied, earnestly. She smiled, pleased at the compliment. "Alright," he reached for the deck and read from the top card. "How many times a week do you touch—", he threw the card back down, blushing brilliantly. "Absolutely not. We're done."
"What?" Daine reached for the card before Numair could stop her and nearly choked on her drink when she read it.
"Ah," it was her turn to blush. She put the card back down, shook her head and drained her glass. Numair was taken aback at her response and cleared his throat.
"I would like to note that I didn't ask," he faltered, " that ."
Daine shrugged, "I'm not a cheater." She poured herself another, still not meeting her gaze. "I haven't watched when that question was asked." She laughed, despite herself, and reached for the deck. Flipping through the cards she set one to the side.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm taking some of the more scandalous ones out."
"That's cheating. You'll know all the cards. I should get a say too."
"I'll shuffle them. Besides, I'm pretty sure if I think one is inappropriate you definitely will. Let's aim to level the playing field, but not bring it to the lowest common denominator?" She smirked at him as he balked.
"The lowest common denominator? I have never been called that in my life."
"Oh, so you'd prefer I leave them all in?" She bit her lip, failing to fully hide her giggle. He met her challenge and reached for the card she had set aside. Reading it, he blanched and placed it back down.
"Take them out, please." He ran a hand through his hair, and drained his own glass. "Liquid courage," he intoned, responding to her expression. Daine cycled through the deck and removed several more cards before shuffling the deck and placing it back between them as Numair refilled his glass.
"My turn," she bit her lip, eyeing him through her lashes. "How many lovers have you had?"
This is a pure fluff and fun, guilty pleasure fic. Have a question you'd like to see them ask? Leave it in a review and you might just see it show up!