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“Laaaaniiiiiiiiii,” Kinich croons, propped up against a wall yet still managing to wobble. One arm folded at the elbow holding him up by his forearm on the drywall, while the other tries to gesture without spilling the open cup of something alcoholic even he can’t identify. His cat-like eyes light up in a way he doesn’t let show sober and a grin crawls across his face.
Kinich doesn’t drink. Namely because any time his father did he would beat the daylights out of his mother, or Kinich if he couldn’t get out of the way in time. This evening he’d wanted a change from his overactive thoughts and Ajaw’s constant nagging. Who knows maybe the inhibition would be good for the unspoken tension between him and Mualani.
“Kinich!” Mualani squeaks in a response as she approaches, nursing a drink of her own but at a significantly slower pace. “What are you doing here? This is not your usual crowd!”
She was certainly right about that, as much as she was delighted to see him. It was unusual, but not unwelcome. Noticing the flush over his features and the ease in his shoulders, she could tell he’d been drinking pretty heavily. Kinich doesn’t let loose. Archons, Kinich doesn’t even drink. Mualani is a certified party girl, while the saurian hunter could rarely be persuaded to join her.
“I get why you like this stuff now- I think-” He stumbled.
“Kinich you’re wasted, what happened?” She practically yelled over the blaring music, bass competing with her voice through the floors.
“Ajaw thinks I’m booooooring, but I know how to have fun. See?” Kinich gives a clumsy flail of a twirl. Wow he truly is drunk beyond recognition if he’s twirling for Mualani, but it makes her chuckle.
“You’re going to feel like shit when this is over, especially with Ajaw crowing at you over it.” It was meant to be a tease but it was laced with a concern he was too far gone to comprehend.
“Whatever Lani! I want to have fun! I want to be fun!” He all but inhaled the last dregs of his drink and tossed aside the cup in a nearby trashcan, still as coordinated as ever.
“Kinich you don’t have to-”
“Umoja Mualani, will you do me the honor of having this dance with me?” Kinich slurs as he gives her a grandiose bow and offers up his hand, only swaying slightly now that he’s off the wall. He giggled.
Her ears warm, reddening in a way she would never allow had she not been tipsy. A devious glint fills her eyes as they meet his in the dimly lit room. Tossing all logic aside she downs the last of her cup and takes Kinich’s hand, allowing the alcohol and the evening to take her wherever it wanted.
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The music had slowed now. Kinich’s drink had begun to leave him but things were still in a deep haze. Mualani was practically sobered by now, but her usual chipperness had begun to wane as the night grew later. They stood in the center of the room, speakers still drowning out the small sounds of shoes scuffing and jewelry clinking. Mualani’s hands rested on Kinich’s hips, steadying him as they swayed softly to the remnants of music. Kinich rested his wrists on Mualani’s shoulders, hands crossed and dangling behind her head. His face was intently focused on hers, drinking in her features, every single freckle and spot where her tan faltered. By now she’d grown coherent enough to notice and her blush deepened.
“What are you looking at, huh?” It dripped off her tongue, sickly sweet to try to cover her fluster.
“You’re so pretty Lani,” Kinich stated, like nothing more than a fact. Like something he could offer up any time, as easy as the sky is blue. He continued to sway while she faltered slightly. “I could just look at you all night, if I haven’t already.”
And suddenly, their dynamic has shifted. The usually silent saurian hunter had left Mualani completely speechless.
Mualani, despite her successful business, ancient name, and flourishing friends and family, was not immune to feeling self conscious. Oftentimes her overly peppy demeanor was used to cover up layered insecurity and anxieties. Circular cycles of worry about being both too much and not enough plague her from time to time. Too loud. Not skinny enough. Too excited all the time. Not helpful enough. All that being said, something about Kinich’s confession cracked deep to her core, striking her where she’s vulnerable and making her truly believe it.
All she could chirp out was a nearly inaudible “Yeah?”
His hand left her shoulder to fixate on a piece of her bangs, rolling the segment of blue fluff between his fingers to catch under the pink strobes of the party. Kinich smiles, a true, genuine, ear to ear smile. Such a gesture was unheard of from the man known for his stoic demeanor.
“Pretty…” He murmurs.
“You’re drunk,” Mualani giggles, trying to not meet his eyes for fear he’ll see her rapidly heating cheeks. She pulls him off the dancefloor, back to the corner they had met in for the evening.
“Duh. You think I could tell you this sober?” He sounded dumbfounded, as if his intentions for getting sloshed past recognition were written on his forehead all along. “Mualani, I am so stupid for you.”
“What?” Her back settled against the wall, Kinich’s arms returning to her shoulders to play with one of the blue braids.
Kinich’s forehead takes a direct path to her shoulder. Hands still on his waist, Mualani steadies him as soft black hair reaches her neck.
“I’m so in love with you it hurts Lani, please,” He garbles into her sunkissed shoulder. “I don’t think I could ever tell you that.”
Holding back laughter, Mualani moves one hand up to caress the back of the boy who now felt nearly spineless against her body.
“Kinich, sweetheart, you did just tell me that.”
He looked up to make eye contact with her and mumbles a simple “Oh,” before returning to her shoulder.
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The fog of drink had nearly abandoned both of them by the time they entered Mualani’s place, but a light sparkle of fearlessness remained as Kinich pressed her into the door with a thump and a heavy kiss. Mualani let out a soft gasp when his hands moved to her waist, thumbs pressing just above her hipbones. Upon her reaction Kinich immediately stilled and retracted from her lips.
“Good? Or is it-” he murmured, a twinge of anxiety creeping back into his voice. The alcohol had its pros and cons as he was learning, wavering between the high of being inebriated and a queasy, anxious feeling.
Mualani cut him off, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and pulling him back to the kiss with such force his hands left her hips to hold himself up on the door. He let out a soft, unconscious groan as he leaned in, now bracketing her frame against the door.
“Yeah?” Kinich whispered, now finding his edge and moving his hands back to hold her tight by the hips. Pushing her into the door he broke the kiss to plant more down her jaw, over her neck, and beneath her ear. Her hands were now gripping the back of his top, eager for some kind of grounding as they trembled.
Ever observant, even when buzzed, Kinich noticed the soft shaking in her figure and pulled away farther this time. Left hand planted on her waist, the right moved to her cheek. Each of his thumbs drew soothing sweeping motions over her soft skin. Mualani kept her eyes closed. Kinich’s gleamed as he stared at her like she was pure magic.
“Lani?” She took a slow, deep breath and loosened her hold. “What’s the matter, pretty girl?” he cooed, continuing the slow tracing under her eye until she dared to look.
“C-can we just take a second ‘Nich?” She leaned back to stare at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact like it was some abyssal plague.
It’s not that she didn’t want to look at him. She found him absolutely stunning under the low blue lights in her darkened home. This is what she had wanted for so long. She couldn’t seem to grasp that this is what he could want, especially not her.
“Yeah, yeah *hic* of course Lani. Let’s grab a drink of water huh?” He spoke low, afraid of startling the unusually fragile girl in front of him, but also afraid of the seemingly endless nausea settling in from the liquor.
Mualani nodded, lacing their fingers together gently to guide him to the sink as if he’d never been here before. They were best friends after all. Kinich’s back now rested against the countertop as she reached for two glasses and filled them from the tap. Her hands shook just enough to cause them both worry that she’d drop the cups. Kinich grabbed the first filled glass from her delicate hands as she filled the second so she could use both hands again.
One sip down and Kinich knew he was done for. He all but slammed the glass onto the counter and stumbled as fast as he could to the bathroom. Still over the sink with the water glass, Mualani turned around to the slam of the glass and Kinich was just gone. Save for the coughing and spluttering from the toilet she’d not have known where he’d gone. Quick on her feet, she carried both glasses and a small cloth from the closet on her way to the bathroom as well.
“Are you alright?” Her voice sounded small, nervous. She set the glasses on the edge of the sink and ran the cloth under cool water, wringing it out.
Kinich looked up at her from the floor, his expression softer than she’d ever seen, and as he tried to nod her an assurance he couldn’t help but whimper.
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Many minutes of back rubs and hushed reassurances later, the pair found themselves side by side, backs against the wall and hip to hip. Kinich’s hand moved softly over Mualani’s thigh and his head laid on her shoulder.
“You’re real good at handling your drink, aren’t ya?” she chastised lightheartedly. They both knew she meant it kindly as her hand was busy holding the damp cloth to the back of his neck.
“I don’t get nearly as much practice as you,” he grumbled, his usual snark returning slowly. He still nuzzled softly into her shoulder. After what felt like forever dry heaving into her toilet he’d finally rinsed his mouth clean and settled against her.
“Touche,” she countered, allowing them to drift into a small, nervous silence for a few minutes.
“Hey Kinich?” Yellow eyes moved up to meet Mualani’s crimson. “Did I- was that- because- do you not like me?”
“What?” Kinich scrambled to kneel in front of her, panicking slightly. “Where did you get that from Lani?”
“I know I’m not the best but I didn’t think I was bad enough you’d get sick from kissing me…”
Grabbing her hands tight, Kinich made sure she was looking at him before he said anything. He wanted her to hear this, see this, feel this.
“Mualani. I got so drunk tonight. I have never drank so much in my life. I regret that part, but I don’t regret any other part of this evening.” He squeezed tight. “If I am to be honest, I got drunk for you.”
“I- wha-”
“The three real reasons I got so unbelievably wasted were that I needed to stop worrying so much, about literally everything, and so I could maybe finally say all that mushy gushy junk I said out at the club. Not that it’s junk. Nothing having to do with you could ever be so low.” Her eyes widened in awe. “Oh and Ajaw was bothering me about being boring or something.” She snickered a bit at that comment.
After a moment all Mualani could say was, “Me? Really?”
Kinich was never a man of words. So he chose to move next with actions in their place. Nothing he could have said or done would be what she deserved anyways. Internally he berated himself for that. Never being enough for her anyways. He began by taking their intertwined hands and kissing the backs of her fingers.
“All of you. Just tell me to stop if it’s too much ok?” Mualani nodded slowly.
He started with her fingers, pressing another kiss to their backs, then turning her hands over to place another to the center of her palms. Next came the inside of her wrists, the inside of her forearms, the curve of her biceps and the tops of sunkissed shoulders in that order, one peck on each side of her. Her left cheek, then the right, and one on the tip of her nose. Their foreheads pressed together now.
“Can I keep going?” Kinich whispered, barely even audible.
“Please.”
Their lips met, warm and wet and loving. Their tongues slid over one another’s, fighting against teeth and lips and time. When Kinich finally broke the kiss to complete his ministrations Mualani couldn't help but whine under her breath.
A kiss made its way to each collarbone just above her top, followed by one to the pale markings above her tummy, and two more symmetrically placed over the bikini tan lines over her hips. The plush of her thighs, the tops of her knees. His hands followed a few steps behind, trailing over the invisible points he’d peppered with his lips. A soft squeeze to her arms, another to the soft skin of her waist, and finally her thighs, pliant under his touch.
“I meant all of it Lani.” Kinich looked up from her legs timidly. Both of their eyes were glistening.
“I love you too Kinich.”
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The next morning they awoke in her too-small-for-two bed, curled up chest to chest, limbs a tangled mess. They whispered softly in the morning light, a bit hungover and still love drunk.
“Ya know. I didn’t even remember what you had said on the dancefloor.”
“Don’t mess with me. I can still go home.”
Mualani just squealed and hugged Kinich closer. He never intended on leaving anyways.
“Hey! I cleaned up your drunk barf-y self last night, be grateful!”
“I’ll always be grateful for you Lani.”
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