Sunshine and Shadow - A Darklina Fanfic

Like a monster

Alina's POV:

When I woke up, my head was throbbing.

I groaned into my pillow to find Aleksander still passed out next to me, snoring slightly.

The light seemed too bright, and when I checked the time, it was 9 am.

Tea. I need tea.

I remembered the time Mal and I snuck a bottle of kvas from the orphanage when we were younger, and how miserably sick we were. I then thought of the herbal tea Ana Kuya gave us to make us feel better.

I rang for two cups of tea, hoping the servants would know what to do, then sat back down on the bed, unable to fall asleep again.

A few minutes later, which felt like hours, a servant knocked on the door carrying a tray of tea.

I took it gratefully and managed to bring it over to Aleksander's desk, spilling only a few drops.

The vertigo was really kicking in. The world felt like it was spinning and moving. I started to feel nauseous.

I chugged the tea before I could vomit, and I felt my head clearing slightly, and the dizziness slowly going away.

I took a deep breath. I hope Aleksander didn't schedule anything important today, because I was staying in this room no matter what.

I brought the other cup of tea to Aleksander, putting it on his bedside table. I shook him, but there was no response.

I poured a little bit in his mouth and set the cup back down, waiting for the effects to kick in.

Aleksander coughed and shot straight up, clutching his head. He cursed a bunch of curse words, some I'd never heard of before.

"Drink your tea." I said, pouring more into his mouth.

He grabbed the cup and chugged the rest of it down, taking deep breaths to steady his fast pulse.

"My head feels better." He says, running his hand through his sweaty hair. "Did you drink it too?"

I nod, watching him. "Wasn't this tea made by some Alkemi? To help people get sober faster?"

Aleksander nods in a daze, "Something like that."

"How many glasses of champagne did you drink?" I ask, and Aleksander looks away. "Aleksander. Answer me."

"About six."

"Six!?!? How did you not pass out?!? Do I need to bring you to a healer?" I say, getting up abruptly.

"No, no, Alina, calm down. I'm fine. Grisha can drink more than otkazat'sya. How many did you drink?"

"Four." I say, wondering how hungover Aleksander felt.

"Not bad." He says, looking away. "How drunk was I?"

"Way more drunk than I was. And I was barely holding myself up. Your speech was slurred and you clung to me the entire night. I had to drag you back to our room, and you couldn't walk in a straight line to save your life."

Aleksander chuckles a bit, then he stares at my neck. He reaches out to touch the very spot where he was kissing me last night.

"Did I do this?" He asked, a bit of fear in his voice. I nod slowly. "Did we- did we have s-"

"No." I cut him off. "I pushed you off me and then I drugged you."

His eyebrows raised in surprise. "You drugged me?" 

"Well, in my defense, you drugged me multiple times, so I figured I might as well return the favor." I say. "Why were you drinking so much?"

Aleksander ponders this for a moment, then he says, "I wanted to forget what happened."