THIS IS MY DISCLAIMER FOR EVERY FICLET HERE ON IN. I OWN NOTHING, AT ALL...
The stars in the sky winked, twinkling delightfully over the OZ. It was a scene that would have been well sketched amongst the pages of DG's sketchbook. However, on this night DG had no intention of sketching. Instead, her mind flooded with questions of Cain's location. The young princess thought it best to give her Tin Man a night off, a well-deserved night off.
"But who will keep an eye on you?" Cain had asked.
"I can keep an eye on myself. Nothing has really happened in a while, and I highly doubt anything will happen in a few hours that you're gone."
DG could see Cain clench his jaw slightly. Leaving DG was not something he did often. The palace often called him the Tin Shadow. No matter where DG was, Cain was right behind her, hat tilted low so you can barely see his eyes, gun ready, just in case.
"Fine, I'll go. But only for a few hours okay?"
DG cracked a smile, she hadn't meant to, but she couldn't resist. "Go ahead. Go have a couple of drinks." The words were more or less commanded as opposed to suggested.
Now the command was slightly regretted. It was growing late and DG wanted Cain to be back before she went to sleep. The first hour or so was relaxing and quiet. The hours slowly rolled in after that and DG began to suffer from withdrawal. She made her way over to the door and peeked outside into the long corridoor. The moonlight casted the strangest of shadows. One of them however, simply didn't look like the rest. DG squinted and saw a tall dark figure stumbling in the dark. As the person got closer she knew who it was.
"Cain?"
"Princess!! Hey, what are you still doing up?" His voice bounced off the walls loudly.
"Shhh….You'll wake up the whole OZ." She giggled a little. It was rare for Cain's voice to be so loud and boisterous, when it was it meant he was angry. But this time was different.
"Nonsense! Those people sleep like rocks!!" Again his voice danced down the corridoors, this time he noticed. "Oooh. Did ya hear that echo DG? That was awesome. Echo!" He yelled down the long hallway listened as his voice traveled. "You try it DG."
"Cain, be quiet!"
"Oh come on Princess. Live a little. You know that's not how it's done. Would you like me to show you again?" Cain stumbled a bit as he readied himself to make more noise.
"NO!!" DG said loudly and grabbed his arm pulling him into her quarters.
"There you go. That wasn't so bad. I think you're catching on." DG felt like falling over and laughing. At the same time she was frustrated, how could Cain go out and get drunk?
Cain lept onto DG's bed and threw himself into the plush pillows. DG laughed outloud at the situation before, figuring it was better to have fun with what was going on.
"W's so funny?" The words slurred as he sat up.
"You're drunk!" She said with a huge smile across her face.
"Pss…please I am not!" Cain went to get off the bed too quickly and landed on the floor on all fours. DG simply laughed and went to help him up.
"Oh really? You're NOT drunk."
"Nope. I always get off the bed like that. It's a rare talent." A smug, stupid smile landed on his lips, his grey-blue eyes shiny and distant.
"Of course you do. C'mon, get back on the bed."
DG climbed into the bed and found herself laying side by side with Cain.
"So what'd you wreck while I was gone?"
A shocked gasp leapt out of her throat. "Wreck?"
"Uh huh. You're always wreckin' something DG, so what was it?" He said cooly.
"I do nothing of the sort."
He scoffed. "Please, do you remember your first ball? You broke that huge vase 'cuz you ran into it."
"That's no fair I was pushed. Glitch had a clumsy moment and…."
"And what? It rubbed off on you." He laughed his joke and sighed as DG stared at him, her mouth half open in shock. "I have to admit though… you're cute when you do stuff like that. It always makes me smile."
He leaned over talking right above her. She took in a deep breath and could smell the alcohol mixed in with his smell. It had an odd scent, something she simply wasn't used to, but wasn't entirely repulsive. She smiled up at him.
"Oh yea. I think it's embarrassing."
"Nah. People in the OZ don't really care about things like that. I still think it makes you look cute." He leaned in a kissed her on the cheek and then rested his hair against her chest.
DG wrapped her arms around him an kept close in attempt to make up for the lost time. He stood quiet and eventually fell asleep, his light snoring filling in the silence that flooded DG's ears.
"Ooww."
"Well, if it isn't the Drunk Man who has awoke from his slumber." DG smiled, his head still rested against her chest.
"What time is it?"
"Early, I guess. A little after sunrise." She hated that part, it meant everything was over and Cain would go back to his normal, more serious self. She craved Drunk Cain for just a little longer.
"Oh my head!… It's so bright in here." He shielded his eyes from the blinding sunlight.
"It's called Hangover. That's what happens when you get a night off and get drunk."
"Drunk! What?" He immediately sat up, realizing he'd spent the night in DG's room, on her chest and entirely drunk. "Aw man I'm in so much trouble. How bad was it? Who saw me?"
"You're funnier when you're drunk and it was late, I doubt anyone saw you."
"That's not funny DG." He said sternly as DG smiled widely. "I could get into a lot of trouble for this." He cradled his aching head and queasy stomach. "What did I say?"
DG smiled rememebering the almost compliment she had received. "You denied being drunk, that falling off the bed was a rare talent and that we should yell down the hallway just to hear our echoes. You said people in the OZ sleep like rocks. Oh and that I was cute when I was clumsy." She raised an eyebrow and Cain turned a shade of bright red. He turned his head a little, moving his eyes to a separate part of the room, ashamed of the night's actions.
"I'm sorry...If I said anything offensive."
"Nothing of the sort." She assured, "C'mon. Let's go to the kitchen. I've been drunk plenty of times in my life and know just what you need for that hangover." Cain gave her an inquisitive look as DG grabbed his wirst and dragged him out of the room.