frostbite

Chapter 38: Drunken Mischief

The door to Eden's apartment clicked shut behind her as she stumbled inside, a mix of drunkenness and giddiness making everything feel a little fuzzy around the edges. The night had been chaotic, but in the best way possible. Even though Evelyn had taken her home, the tension between them only seemed to fuel Eden's buzz rather than calm her down.

Evelyn had left her at the door, firm but caring, telling her to get some sleep and drink water—always the responsible one. But Eden, feeling the lingering effects of alcohol, wasn't quite ready to follow the good professor's advice. Her head spun slightly as she kicked off her shoes, her limbs looser than usual. Everything felt warm and silly, like the world had lost its sharp edges.

She giggled softly to herself, stumbling toward her bedroom. But halfway there, she caught a glimpse of herself in the hallway mirror and paused. Her hair was a mess, her clothes clinging awkwardly from the rain and the night's misadventures. She needed to change—definitely needed to change.

"Alright, let's get out of these... constricting things," she mumbled, pulling at her shirt, struggling to find the hem in her tipsy state. She eventually managed to peel it off and tossed it carelessly onto the floor. Her jeans followed with just as much difficulty, and soon she was standing in the middle of the hallway in nothing but her underwear, swaying slightly as she laughed at her own reflection.

"Look at you," she muttered, poking her own reflection in the mirror, "just... standing there. Naked... well, almost."

She was too tipsy to feel embarrassed, too caught up in the silliness of the moment to care. But as she stood there, half-dressed and grinning at herself, her phone buzzed again. She groaned, fumbling to pick it up from where it had fallen on the floor.

Evelyn.

Eden blinked at the screen, biting her lip. She wasn't sure whether to answer or let it go to voicemail. But with the alcohol still clouding her thoughts and inhibitions, she hit the call button.

"Eden, did you make it inside alright?" Evelyn's voice came through, steady but with an edge of concern. Eden could practically see her raising an eyebrow, waiting for confirmation that she hadn't managed to fall over in the short trip from the car to the door.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fiiiiine," Eden slurred, plopping herself down on the couch, still in just her underwear. "Made it inside, all good. Just... just getting comfortable."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Comfortable?" Evelyn's voice was sharp, tinged with amusement. "Eden, how much did you drink?"

Eden giggled. "Enough to... well, enough. But I'm not, like, blackout drunk. I'm... perfectly aware that I'm sitting here in... almost nothing, which is... totally fine, by the way."

Another pause. This time, Eden could practically feel Evelyn's irritation mixed with amusement. "Are you telling me you're half-naked right now?"

Eden snorted, leaning back on the couch. "Not half. More like... three-quarters. No pants. No shirt. Just... underwear. And honestly, Evelyn, I feel... free."

There was a soft sigh from Evelyn's end, but Eden could tell she wasn't truly mad. "Eden, go to bed."

Eden pouted, even though Evelyn couldn't see her. "But I don't want to. It's too early for bed."

"It's late, Eden. You need to sleep off whatever it is you've been drinking."

Eden giggled again, rolling onto her side and stretching out across the couch, her hand tracing patterns on the soft fabric. "You're bossy, you know that? Always telling me what to do."

"I'm responsible, which is why I'm telling you to go to bed."

Eden smirked, propping herself up on one elbow, suddenly feeling bold and mischievous. "You're just mad 'cause you're not here to boss me around in person."

"Eden..." Evelyn's voice held a warning, but there was something else underneath it too—something that made Eden's grin widen.

"What?" Eden teased, her voice dripping with mock innocence. "You're not curious what I'm wearing? Or, more accurately... what I'm not wearing?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and Eden knew she'd struck a nerve. Her teasing had hit its mark. The tension between them from earlier in the evening, from all the moments they'd shared over the past few weeks, was back in full force, and Eden wasn't going to let it go easily.

"Eden," Evelyn said slowly, her voice low and controlled, "you are drunk, and this is not a conversation we're having right now."

"Why not?" Eden shot back, feeling bold. "You're always so... controlled, Evelyn. Don't you ever just want to... let go? Have a little fun?"

Evelyn's voice was tight, clipped. "This isn't the time."

Eden pouted again, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. "You're no fun. But... maybe I should just go to bed, like you said."

"That would be wise," Evelyn replied, her tone softening slightly.

Eden smirked, deciding to push one last button. "Fine. But I'll be going to bed... like this. Naked."

Evelyn let out a frustrated sigh, clearly torn between exasperation and amusement. "Eden, you—"

"Goodnight, Professor," Eden purred, cutting her off before hanging up and tossing her phone onto the couch. She lay there for a moment, still feeling giddy from the alcohol and the tension of the conversation, before finally peeling herself off the couch and stumbling toward her bedroom.

The night had taken a turn, and as she crawled under her covers, still half-naked, Eden couldn't help but smile to herself. She knew she was playing a dangerous game, teasing Evelyn like that, but it was fun. And, drunk or not, she couldn't deny the thrill that came with pushing Evelyn's buttons.

As she drifted off to sleep, her mind swirling with a mix of drunkenness and mischief, one thing was clear: this game between her and Evelyn was far from over.