Drinking game with Niall and Marcus

“Oh, please. I could lift that rock. Easily,” Marcus’s voice claims.

“Well, I already did. And I can confidently say that you couldn’t,” Niall answers.

I peek from the doorway to see them puffing their chests at each other. Different sized goblets and snacks litter the table.

“You’re full of shit. Let’s go outside right now.” Marcus stands up.

“Now? But it’s cold...”

“Are you from the North or Petraea?”

Just as Niall is starting to defend himself, his eyes find mine and his face lightens up. Marcus turns to me and smirks.

“Well, look at you, sneaking up on people like a little rat you are.”

Niall punches Marcus on his arm. “Don’t call Hati a rat.”

“But of course, my deepest apologies.” Marcus rubs his arm, his words oozing sarcasm.

“You asked me here. Have you two been drinking?” I ask the obvious.

“No,” Niall starts before looking at the goblets. “A little,” he corrects himself.

“It’s a good thing you’re here, moron. I was getting bored.”

“You don’t have to start acting mean just because Hati is here.”

Marcus frowns. “I don’t act mean. I… You know what? Fuck off. Both of you.”

“Are your pent-up emotions overflowing? Is it the alcohol?” I ask innocently.

Marcus’s eye twitches. “My what?”
Niall shoots me with a stealthy smirk. “Anyway! Sit down, Hati, we’re both glad you came.”

Marcus opens his mouth to say something but decides against it. He slumps on his chair with a frown on his face.

Niall offers him a plate of cheese. “You need to remember to eat. You’ll feel better.”

Marcus rolls his eyes but still shoves some offered cheese in his mouth.

Niall sits next to me. “I bought this bottle of alcohol from a merchant who claimed it’s from Serica. It’s a gift for Marcus but I’m sure he’s willing to share.”

I smell the alcohol and grimace. The smell is strong, stronger than any alcohol I’ve smelled before.

“What is this poison?”

“It’s exactly that. I did a taste test on Marcus.” Niall pokes Marcus on his side whose frown deepens. “He seems to be alive still.” Niall smiles at me. “I thought that you’d like to join our little drinking game.”

“Are you sure this is not poison?”

“Hati. Don’t you trust me?”

I give him a long look. I don’t want to say I don’t but–

Niall nods. “Say no more, my friend, say no more. I will taste it. Then, if I live, you can join us.”

I shrug and he takes it as a yes.

“Propino tibi!” Niall exclaims and downs a small glass of the poison. The liquid fills his cheeks as his eyes widen.

“Swallow, you fool,” Marcus says.

Niall’s eyes fill with water as he squeezes his hands into tight fists. Finally, just when I’m sure he’s about to spit it out, he swallows.

“By Morrigan’s ass cheeks!” he shouts.

Irritation flashes through me. “Keep Morrigan’s ass cheeks out of your mouth!” I will not tolerate such blasphemy!

“You’re right, I’m sorry, I–”

Marcus starts laughing. “Hati. What did you say?”

“I said–” Then, I realize what I said. Heat rushes to the tips of my ears. “It was metaphorical!”

“So I could literally take a bite out of the old crow’s sweet cheeks and you’d be fine with it?”

“I will wipe the blasphemous grin out of your–”

Niall claps his hands. “Alright! Let’s begin the game!” He pours some of his poison into three glasses. “So, the rules are as follows: We take turns and ask the other to do something. A dare, if you will. If they don’t do the thing, they have to down the pois– I mean the drink.”

Marcus raises his brow at him. “Really? Drink or dare with Hati?”

“Yes? What’s wrong with that? It’s a fun game.”

“Sure. Your funeral.” Marcus smirks.

I shoot Marcus another evil eye before turning to Niall. “I’m not sure I like the sound of this.”

“Hati. Please. For Yule.”

“Yule is about gifts and food and family.”

“And drinking,” Niall adds. “Drinking gifts!”

I sigh. “Fine. Just one round.”

Niall grins victoriously. “Great! Who starts?”

Marcus says, “You, obviously. This was your idea.”

“Alright. What do you need me to do?”

Marcus has an evil grin on his face. This is not going to end well.

“Kiss Hati,” he orders.

Niall frowns. “What?”

“Kiss Hati.”
“Why would you want to see that?” I ask. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Just do it, Tribune.”

However, Niall has already emptied his glass before he can even decline the offer. He coughs at the taste and tries to act like nothing of note happened.

Marcus laughs. “That was fast!”

I try not to pout. He didn’t have to act like the thought is wholly offensive to him.

“Look, you made Hati sad,” Marcus mocks him.

“I’m not sad. I didn’t want to kiss him either.”

Niall tilts his head, and something flashes through his features before he nods. “Right. No kissing dares, Marcus.”

Marcus sighs. “Fine. Whatever. Boring cunts. My turn now.”

A few turns pass us by and no one is willing to do the dares. I asked Marcus to kiss Niall, Marcus asked me to remove my clothes, Niall asked Marcus to shut up. (Of course, Marcus refused to be silenced.)

Everyone would rather drink than do the dares.

The alcohol is indeed strong. Slowly, however, I’ve grown to appreciate the taste. It’s fruity and exotic, its aroma is intoxicating in itself.

I don’t mind it. But I also think I shouldn’t indulge it for longer. My head feels a little too light for my liking.

“Niall,” Marcus’s words slur slightly. “Kiss Hati.”

“Again with that?” Niall groans. “No. I refuse. You can’t just keep asking the same thing over and over.” Niall refuses to look at me as he continues to reject me. He looks a little ill by the thought. Or is it the alcohol?

How rude. Am I that unkissable? I know I shouldn't be offended, I'm trying my best not to.

I turn my squinting gaze to Marcus who looks altogether too pleased with himself. He’s always playing his shitty little games with that shitty little grin glued to his face.

“I can and I will, Lord Tribune. I will ask you until you–”

But he can’t continue the thought, since I grab the neck of his tunic and smash my lips against his. A surprised hum vibrates against my numb skin. A scent of leather with a hint of something floral mixes in with the alcohol in his breath. The scent of Marcus.

I yank him closer to me, almost violently, all but refusing to process what I’m doing.

I was supposed to exact revenge on Niall for acting like the thought of kissing me repulsed him. However, I’m not sure if I thought this through. I’m almost certain that I didn’t.

Marcus’s lips are tight against mine, and it takes only a moment to realize that he’s smiling.

No. Not smiling. Grinning. I can feel his shitty grin against my lips.

I push him away and stifle a yelp of disgust. Disgust towards myself, towards him, towards this whole game.

Without thinking, I just down another drink without anyone even asking me to do that. Anything to take my mind off what I did and to drown the taste of him still lingering on my lips.

Marcus laughs. Of course he does. “You know what, Hati? That’s what I love about you. You’re such a force of chaos. Niall, don't you agree?”

Niall quickly looks away when our gazes meet. “Uh. Whose turn is it?”

Marcus chuckles. “Mine.”

“I don’t think we should continue…” I rub my face and grimace at the sensation: my flesh is numb.

“We absolutely should, we’ll play this until someone passes out.”