The God of Destruction and I

The Boozehound

Worry roiled in my stomach as we returned to the hideout. Would Finral tell Yami? I watched Finral and Gordon help Magna to his room. Had they already told him, when I'd been inside cheating at cards? I'd been happy enough keeping my crush to myself, but now that it was out in the open it seemed much more serious. Yami had a fresh cigarette in his mouth and headed towards his usual spot on the sofa.

Gordon's advice echoed between my ears as I shifted my grip on the giant bag of money. I'd rejected the idea instinctively, but maybe Gordon was right. Maybe I should just nut up and talk to Yami.

"Captaain." Vanessa's voice was singsong as she swayed up to him, bottle in hand. She wore what she had the first time we'd met- a bathing suit under a squad cape, and her smile was broad and knowing. "Come drink with me."

"Mm." Yami inclined his head. "Sure, I wasn't doing anything else."

With a small sound of delight, Vanessa latched on to the captain, and he took the bottle from her hand as they walked through into another room.

I froze as I watched them go. I felt vertigo. As if the world was about to collapse around me. I couldn't stop him from going with her. He wasn't even mine, and even if he was, even if we had something, going after the two of them now would be crazy, possessive behaviour.

Yami stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder at me, sending Vanessa stumbling lewdly into his elbow. "You coming or not?"

What else could I do but follow?

Books lined the walls of the black bulls' library, shelves as high as ten feet, full of tomes. In the far corner, behind two perpendicular shelves, was a space with a fireplace, a table, and a pair of dark green couches. A few games sets were arrayed in a cabinet by the fireplace, and I spotted a few decks of cards and poker chips.

I wrinkled my nose. "We're drinking in the library?"

"Of course." Vanessa waved her hand airily. "Library, libation, why not?"

Yami fetched glasses and a bottle of amber liquid from inside a globe in the corner, and Vanessa arrayed herself on one of the sofas, legs hooked over the arm. After a moment's hesitation, I joined her, leaving our captain with a sofa to himself.

"You had some of the good stuff left?" Vanessa looked up, her eyes hooded. "And you didn't tell me?"

Yami made an annoyed noise. "You'd've downed all of it, you wino."

"Of course. Isn't that the point of alcohol?" Vanessa waved an arm.

Yami snorted. "Yeah," he said, downing the contents of Vanessa's bottle before pouring a measure of the amber liquor into each of the three glasses, one for Vanessa, one for him, and one for me.

I sniffed the glass- it smelled like old firewood. Vanessa smiled at hers before she tossed it back. Alcohol was a poison. That was how my father had explained it to me. It was strong enough that it would kill small animals, or the tiny unseen creatures that caused infection, but humans were too big, so it started by killing good judgement and balance. If you drank a large amount you could die, but that was true of lots of things.

The stuff burned as it went down, and I stifled a cough. It certainly tasted like I imagined poison would taste. I scraped my tongue against my teeth, trying to rid myself of the flavour. "This is the good stuff?"

"Mm," said Yami, offering me the bottle. "Have a few more and you won't be able to tell."

"You just want to get the newbie drunk," sniffed Vanessa, as I took the bottle and poured myself a tentative second shot.