by J. E. Cluney
I snickered as Lucas stood up and headed to where Trish was now standing in the yard just a few feet away from the verandah, grinning widely as she had her arms outstretched. She really looked like a crazy witch with that wicked grin and glint in her eyes, and her bun was falling out in a wild mess.
She cackled with glee as Lucas waved a purple glowing hand and she began to slowly rise into the air.
I laughed as she begged him for some control over her movements, and Lucas allowed it as he sipped a cocktail, one of the many he’d made for all of us.
Trish began doing rolls and flips as she floated, and Natalie’s shrill laughter pierced the air as she held her chest, tears coming to her eyes as she watched her mother.
Hayley was giggling away too, and I laughed along with the others, grateful that Trish was wearing jeans and a top rather than a dress as she did slow rolls backwards while cackling madly.
Emma let out a squeal, and I turned to look over at her as she waved her hand wildly at the table while laughing.
The chocolate easter bunnies were bouncing around drunkenly, falling over and rolling as the eggs tore through their foil wrappers and stormed across the table as best they could whilst tumbling over one another and roaring softly.
One bunny jumped into the salad bowl and began hurling all the salad at everyone, which caused us to erupt into laughter.
One bunny bounded onto one of the remaining cupcakes, which was howling like a baby. The bunny stomped onto the icing on top, bouncing roughly on it whilst screeching like a dying cat.
“Allison,” Marcus murmured as he flitted over to me.
“I can’t,” I snorted as I tried to withdraw my magic, but I was laughing too much.
I’d definitely drunk too much.
Marcus sighed as he plucked the screeching bunny off the crying cupcake and finished unwrapping it, since it had burst its legs through the foil wrapper.
It screamed before he bit its head off, and Hayley wailed as she begged him to stop as the eggs began screaming and running across the table in all directions.
“You have to eat them!” Emma cried out as she caught an egg trying to launch itself off the table and shoved it into her mouth.
Thankfully the majority of them were the small eggs, but there were a few of the next size up which fit into the palm of my hand.
Everyone got to work catching the eggs, and Ollie cursed as one egg picked up the cheese knife and threatened him with it.
Skip slammed a hand down on top of the attacking egg, and Ollie grinned as Skip lifted his hand up.
I watched in my drunken haze as the squashed egg let out a small zombie-like groan as it began to form again. It was a little misshapen, but it stumbled towards Ollie with the cheese knife once more in its little bent arm.
Skip laughed and shook his head before snatching the knife from it as it shrieked at him, before he picked it up and tossed it back, crunching down and silencing its screams.
“Here, Trish!” Skip shouted as he grabbed another one and hurled it at Trish, who was still floating around while Lucas had come over to help deal with the chocolate rebellion.
Food was being flung at us by the eggs, while the bunnies were running amuck, squashing eggs and stomping on food.
I watched as the egg sailed into Trish’s little orbit. It seemed Lucas had made the general area around her float, and the egg entered her sphere, its little arms flailing as it tried to swim away from Trish.
She cackled as she slowly dipped sideways after the egg as it floated down, and she ended up completely upside down before snatching the egg up and biting into it.
A cut-up piece of sausage hit me in the eyebrow, and I turned an accusing eye on the egg perched on the edge of my plate as it reached for a piece of my potato salad I had leftover.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” I growled as I shot out a hand.
The egg cried out as I shoved it into my mouth, forcing it to drop the potato onto my plate.
I watched as everyone snatched up eggs and bunnies, gobbling them up like their lives depended on it while laughing and spilling their drinks.
Finally, after what seemed like both minutes and an hour all at once, since when I looked around slowly, the world moved a little too fast, no chocolate goodies remained. Just the cupcakes sat on their plate, crying away.
“Damn, your mischief magic, right?” Dixon questioned as he sat back in his seat and clasped his hands over his distended stomach.
“Yep,” I chuckled as I sipped my wine.
“Guess we know that when you get drunk, it goes haywire too,” Marcus mused as he took his seat again whilst eyeing the cupcakes in amusement.
“I didn’t think chocolate bunnies would be so savage,” Hayley pouted. She’d had almost as many drinks as I’d had.
“Or the eggs,” I snickered.
“Someone needs to eat the cupcakes,” George noted as he frowned at them. Their crying was overriding the background music now.
“I’ll have one, but I’m fairly full of chocolate now,” I stated as I reached for one.
Emma took one, and Ollie snatched up the remaining one when everyone just looked at one another uncertainly. They’d stuffed themselves on the crazy eggs and bunnies already.
Within minutes, the crying was gone, and I was swallowing my last bite of the delicious cupcake as I settled back into my seat.
“Um, where’s my mother?” Natalie said as she shot up from her seat.
I looked around the yard, trying to focus as everything whooshed by and the urge to laugh tried to take over.
There was no floating Trish to be seen.
“Oh no, you Harry Potter’d her!” Emma gasped as Lucas swore and strode out from the verandah to look to the sky.
“I think I should come down now!” Trish called out from somewhere above.
I scrambled from my seat with the others as we all rushed out onto the lawn to look up.
There Trish was, clinging to the gutter of the second story, grinning as her legs floated above her head.
“Jesus,” Natalie clutched her chest as Skip shook his head.
“Sorry Natalie,” Lucas apologized as he waved a glowing purple hand.
Trish slowly uprighted and floated down to join us, smiling ear to ear.
“Well now, I haven’t had that much fun in years. Seeing you all scrabbling for those eggs, then floating up towards the stars. Definitely a night I won’t forget!” Trish laughed as she slapped Lucas on the back. “Thanks, dearie. You’ve revived this old woman’s spirit a little bit more.”
“I think it’s been revived enough for the night,” Natalie said sternly.
“Oh, Nat, relax. I’m sure he had a safeguard in place so I wouldn’t float too high, right?” she looked to Lucas with twinkling eyes.
I felt his hesitation in my mind, although he didn’t show it as he nodded. “Of course.”
Natalie just sighed as she shook her head.
“Well, maybe we should get our accommodation sorted before more drinks are had, right?” she suggested, and Lucas nodded.
Skip went with him to collect some tents from the shed as we all sat back down, and I leaned back in my seat, feeling way too full after all the chocolatey goodness. Not to mention I’d barely made it off the verandah without face-planting, I’d only survived because Marcus had flitted to my side and caught my arm as I’d stumbled.
Marcus also decided it was time to cut me off, and replaced my finished cocktail glass with a tall glass of water to rehydrate me.
God, he was sweet.
Ollie was sitting beside me now, one hand on my arm and tenderly stroking it with his thumb, as if I’d disappear if he wasn’t touching me.
I loved how they all had a need to touch me at times, nothing sexual, just simple contact, even if it was brushing past me in the kitchen or coming up to hold me from behind.
God, now I wanted to cry over it.
Definitely no more alcohol.
I battled the su
dden urge at their cuteness, and instead focused on Skip and Lucas as they began setting the tents up in the backyard.
It was a pitiful attempt, as Skip was quite past drunk with his vodka shots he’d done with Trish, who could apparently handle her alcohol quite well.
So he was stumbling as he tried to put the skeleton of it together, and Lucas wasn’t a whole lot better as he swayed a little.
Dixon got up and headed over to help, although Lucas had other ideas.
He muttered something and flicked his glowing hand, and the two tents constructed themselves, allowing Skip to crumple to the ground on his back as he sighed in defeat.
“Check that it’s suitable,” Lucas said as Dixon just reached them in his attempt to assist.
He peeked into the first tent, then completely stepped inside.
I was dumbstruck as there was no shadow cast by him, but a light came on inside the tent.
I wanted to check it out too.
Marcus was beside me the instant I had the thought, and I giggled as he helped me to my feet while George set Emma down on her seat to go investigate as well.
Marcus flitted me over to the tent for my family, and he helped me step inside.
Yep, definitely a Harry Potter rip off.
‘Oi, it’s magic. It was a good idea, so I’m rolling with it,’ Lucas grumbled as I chuckled away like a child.
It was like a large room inside, with three queen beds made up with dividers between them. There was even a bathroom off to one side.
Honestly, from memory, it wasn’t as impressive as the Harry Potter one, but considering it was for the one night, it was plenty. Just like a hotel room.
‘I’ll try not to take that as an insult,’ Lucas sniffed.
“Perfect job,” Dixon called out as he tested the bedside lamps, which flicked on with ease.
“Same here!” George called out from the other tent.
Marcus took me out so I could peer into theirs too. It was smaller, with just the one queen bed and bathroom off to the side.
“Want them soundproofed inside?” Lucas offered.
“Of course!” Emma shouted out from the verandah before laughing.
“Guess we know what they’ll be doing,” Marcus murmured into my ear, and I chuckled as George just shook his head while smiling.
I wasn’t sure if I’d still be getting lucky tonight, especially since I couldn’t walk on my own.
I laughed as I thought of how ridiculous we’d be trying to get naughty as we all fumbled around in bed.
“Not tonight, VB. Tomorrow,” Marcus whispered.
I heard Skip’s mental groan, but he accepted it, especially since he was still lying out on the lawn.
I had a feeling we’d all be taking Lucas’ special cure potion in the morning. I vaguely wondered if it was like the ‘Aussie Grog Slog’.
‘Similar, but mine’s stronger since it has warlock magic,’ Lucas answered.
I just nodded, my mind returning to my previous thoughts.
Yeah, no, sex was probably not something on offer tonight now.
Not unless I sobered up, but I was enjoying this wooziness, the light feeling it gave me.
We’d see how I felt about it tomorrow though.
‘Just avoid the toilet early in the morning. Skip’s always has a nasty grog bog,’ Lucas laughed into my mind.
I frowned as I wondered what this was, and his laughter only increased and was joined by Ollie as Marcus smiled down at me.
‘Alcohol has to come out, and it can be foul,’ Marcus chuckled into my mind as he gave me more information.
My eyes just widened.
Oh God. I hope that didn’t happen to me.
The mental laughter in my mind nearly became deafening at that thought.
Chapter 16
I awoke groaning, my head sore and my stomach bloated.
The four guys were all squished around me in my giant bed, and Skip was snoring softly.
“Good morning, I brought you this,” Marcus murmured from beside me.
I just groaned softly as I covered my eyes.
Fuck, last night had been a bad decision.
“Drink.”
As if I could do such a thing while dying right now.
Marcus helped sit me up, and I accidentally kicked Ollie in the process, since he was sprawled along the bottom of the bed, while Lucas was in between Skip and I.
Hell, I barely even remembered getting to bed, I just vaguely had memories of Marcus trying to undress me while I was a giggling mess, and Lucas came to his rescue and magicked my clothes off and pajamas on.
I sipped the concoction he handed me, finding the sweet, milky liquid quite pleasant as I downed it with ease.
“That’s Lucas’ hangover cure. You’ll be feeling good as gold in the next twenty minutes,” Marcus murmured. “Now, you lie back down and rest your head, the headache will fade soon. I’ll get breakfast started.”
He helped me lay back down, and I covered my eyes with my arm again as he leaned over me.
“Oh, and VB?” he paused as I peeked out from under my arm.
He smiled down at me, leaning down and giving me a peck on the lips. “Happy birthday gorgeous.”
I cracked a smile at this as I reached up and played with his hair with one hand. Then the queasiness kicked back in, and I groaned.
“Just rest, it’ll pass,” he murmured before flitting off.
I found myself smiling despite feeling like shit as I remembered the night before.
The chocolates, the tents, the laughter and joy.
It’d been a good night for sure.
Skip’s snoring ceased as he started groaning, and I heard his panicked thoughts as his own queasiness set in.
He sat up quickly, waking Lucas abruptly as he climbed over him, kneeing him in the hip and making him hiss before stumbling off the edge of the bed.
Then he was gone, rushing to the toilet as Lucas rolled closer to me and threw an arm over my waist.
“How you feeling?” he mumbled, although I could tell his hip was still aching a little from the sudden impact of Skip.
Ollie was stirring at the end of the bed, but he merely rolled over.
“Like shit to be honest,” I muttered.
“Well, that’ll pass. Here, let me speed up the effects. Since you’ve already had the potion, I can just boost it to make it work faster,” he murmured as he waved a glowing purple hand over my stomach.
My headache started to fade immediately, although the rather bloated feeling wasn’t shifting as quickly as I’d hoped.
“You’ll have to get the alcohol out still,” he chuckled. “Just like Skip’s doing now.”
I scrunched up my nose at this. I knew Skip was not throwing up, he was on the toilet dealing with his dreaded grog bog.
“Don’t scrunch up your face, you had a fair bit too. You’ll be in his spot soon, especially now that you’ve had that. It detoxes you faster,” Lucas grinned as I gave him a dirty look.
“You drank too,” I pouted.
“Warlock,” he shot back as he gave me a quick kiss.
Lucky bastard.
Surely he still had to shit though.
Lucas laughed out loud at this, and Ollie grumbled as he rolled over to face us.
I glanced down at him, at those sleepy, adorable hazel eyes.
He blinked, staring at me for a moment, before a smile spread across his face and he slowly sat up.
“Happy birthday,” he said before yawning.
“Yes, happy birthday Cupcake, hopefully you’re feeling a bit better now,” Lucas murmured as he stroked my cheek.
Ollie clambered off the bed and walked up to my side to give me a kiss on the cheek.
“Wait here,” he murmured before hurrying out of the room.
“How come he’s not feeling shit too?” I grumbled.
“He didn’t drink as much as you and Skip. And he drank water throughout the night too.”
Ugh. I’d tried
to drink water, Marcus had given it to me, but I think it was a little too late.
Ollie returned, perching on the edge of the bed beside me with a childish grin as he held something behind his back.
“What?” I smiled.
“Happy birthday!” he declared as he revealed the giant chocolate Lindt bunny.
I just gaped at the huge amount of rich chocolate.
“Damn,” Lucas snorted.
“Figured you’d like it. It’s just something small, I’ve got something else for you, sort of,” Ollie said sheepishly.
“Something small,” Lucas snickered.
“Aw, I love it,” I beamed as I slowly sat up, relieved to find my headache had faded fully now.
But my stomach was beginning to groan at me.
“You can have some after breakfast, I believe Marcus is on that duty today,” Ollie said as he set the bunny down on the bedside table.
“Should probably pop it in the fridge, don’t want it to melt,” Lucas remarked, and Ollie rolled his eyes before picking it back up and sliding off the bed.
I watched him disappear just as Skip was walking back in while rubbing his head with a disgruntled expression.
“Head down when you’re ready for breakfast, it’ll be done in about five minutes,” Skip groaned.
“Did you take the cure?” Lucas asked as he arched an eyebrow.
“Yeah,” Skip mumbled.
“I’ll speed it up,” Lucas offered as he gave me a peck and then slid off the bed to stride over to Skip.
I smiled at his hot pink briefs he was wearing. Damn, seeing him right next to Skip, who only had on some briefs as well, was definitely a sight to enjoy.
Too bad my stomach was begging me to run to the toilet.
“Better go deal with your grog bog,” Skip managed to chuckle as he looked at me with one eye closed.
His headache was shocking from what I could feel through our bond. Poor bugger.
I hurried off down the hall, locking myself into the toilet.
Great. Just what I wanted first thing on my birthday.
I showered after my toilet run, and headed downstairs to find everything had been moved outside to the table on the verandah.