The Bourbon Diaries ✢ The Vampire Diaries FanFiction ✢ TVD FanFic ✢ TVDU FanFic

Chapter Forty-One - Raid Vaziri

Present day

Border of NC and VA

"Argh, why am I drunk?!" Raid's elbows slipped forward on the bar counter as he slapped the palms of his hands over his face, causing him to wobble on his stool. Phoenix and Adam guarded either side of him, while further along the bar, Gabe and Zara were betting whether one of them was going to catch him if he fell.

Given this was the second time Phoenix was about to explain this to Raid, he spoke slower. "I already told you. You started hitting the drinks at the same time Stef's blood was fresh in your system. Vampire blood helps metabolise alcohol quicker, but you continued to pound back the drinks after its healing properties began wearing off. You can't outdrink vampires, Raid."

"I won't remember that, write it down for me," Raid groaned, lowering his head so his hands now slid through his hair. He scanned either side of the bar from between the crook of each elbow. "Where's Stef?"

"Again, she's still in the meeting room with Flick, they're helping Winifred and Ava work through things," Phoenix told him.

Raid dropped his hands down firmly on the counter, drunken determination lighting up his face. "I need to tell her how I feel about her." He barely finished the final word, the breath instantly knocked out of him as he stumbled off the stool and flung his arms over the counter to stop himself falling, the curved edge hitting him against the chest.

As Zara held out her hand to Gabe for her winnings, Gabe countered, "Technically he caught himself."

Adam looked Raid in the face as he pulled himself upright. "That would be the worst idea. You're not in a good state right now."

"You don't understand, I need to confess," Raid pleaded, his palms against Adam's chest, both to support himself and in supplication. He realized the placement of his hands and, with a gasp, found himself with another idea. He looked down at the ground, decided on a direction, and started lowering himself down. "I need to pray."

"No, you don't," Adam decided, pulling him up by his underarm. "I'll wake you up with me for Fajr Salah, but right now you can't pray while drunk, you haven't performed Wudu, and that direction is Miami, not Mecca. Sit back down, drink water, coffee, anything other than bourbon."

Raid groaned as he returned to his seat and Zara handed him an open bottle of water. Yells drew his attention to across the opposite side of the room where a crowd was forming around the dance floor. The yells turned into cheers as soon as a thud was heard from beyond the row of backs. Someone had landed on the floor. "What's going on over there?" he asked, carefully aiming the bottle to his lips to take a mouthful of water. "Sounds like fighting."

"It's not fighting," Zara clarified. "It's a magic duel---or rather a supernatural pissing contest---between witches."

"Is Cristian involved?"

"He's always involved," Zara confirmed.

Raid's head nod was more of a head bob. He passed the bottle back to Zara. "Okay," he said, holding onto the counter with one hand as he eased himself into standing once again. "I'm game."

Unfortunately a few witches spotted Raid take a few uneven steps towards them before Phoenix caught his wrist and forcefully tugged him back. Raid slammed into Phoenix on the return swing but managed to stay upright. "You're not game, but you are child's play right now," Phoenix cautioned him quietly, noticing one of the witches push between the crowd to speak to Cristian, gesturing back in their direction. "Cristian secretly has Splits with Gideon during these duels. His power has been amplified; he'd beat you even if you were sober."