Arlan's Point Of View

"Are you sure?" I quizzed warily, feeling emotionally drained.

"I mean...why not?" Was Aurora's sheepish reply as she smiled delicately. "You wanted me to, and it is a celebration, right?"

I did originally want her to, but I wasn't in as much of a mood to drink and be silly as I was earlier, so I wasn't sure. After a few more moments of eyeing her with uncertainty, I signaled for the waiter with two fingers, while never taking my eyes off her. She swallowed, a bit nervous.

"I'll take another bourbon, light ice," I asked of the waiter, turning to him.

"Me too," Aurora pipes in.

I snap my head to her and scold her.

"No, you're not having hard liquor. You can have a few sips of something fruity."

"But why can't I have what you're having?" Her delicate pillowy lips frowned.

"Because, you're not experienced enough with alcohol to have something strong." The truth was, she wasn't experienced with alcohol at all. "And you're a small thing."

Aurora frowned, making me chuckle. Cute thing.

"O-okay," She shyly agreed in a small voice.

"She'll have a rosé."

"And are you ready for your entrées?"

"We'll take the penne alla vodka, please. I've heard it's impeccable." I flash a charming grin to the waiter.

A couple minutes later, the food promptly arrived with an enticingly rich and delicious aroma wafting from it.

Right as I'm about to dig in, I hear a soft little cough and see Aurora's sweet face is squeezed together in discomfort, she sticks her tongue out and coughs again. I can't help but feel my features pull into an amused smirk at her adorableness, rubbing my fingers along my beard while watching her antics.

"I-it burns..." She had taken her first sip, wine glass in hand.

"Don't like it, little love?" I tease, cocking an eyebrow up arrogantly.

Suddenly her expressions change and she pulls together a "confident" face.

"N-no I do," She takes another tiny sip so as to "prove herself", only to have her face and eyes scrunch up once more. Trying to fight off any expression of discomfort, she reaches her hand forward.

"Let me try yours."

"Aurora, I said no," I growled, pulling my glass away as my dominant side peaked though. I knew she couldn't handle what I was drinking and was agitated she kept asking. It would be irresponsible to potentially get her sick.

"But, just a sip!" She whines. "Nothing's going to happen from just a sip. It's my birthday."

Sighing exasperatedly, I shut my eyes and exhale.

"Just a sip," I reluctantly agree, fed up with her whining and begging. I picked up the hefty glass of ginger colored liquid and set it in front of her, her large blueberry eyes widening at it. A buzzing coming from my tux pocket alerts me someone's calling, and when I retrieve my cell phone I see who it is: Dominic, who's become more of my second-hand man now that Nate is back in school.

"I'll be right back," I murmur to Aurora, quickly pushing my chair back and heading to the bathroom. Once the door is closed, I press the answer to the call.

"Hello?" I tick my brow up.

"HEY MAN!" Dominic yelled, making me flinch a little, blaring club music in the background of his voice. "We're all out tonight, meet us at Lexi's Pub?"

Snickering and shaking my head, I reply, "How wasted are you, DeMario?"

"Uhh..2 and ½?" He unsurely responds.

Snorting and slamming a hand to my forehead at his incoherent response, I rub my eyes.

"Well, as much as I'd love to witness you all make fools of yourself - especially you, considering last time at the bar you gave an impeccable rendition of Britney's One More Time"-

"Hey man, my loneliness was killing me."

"I can't," I finish, "It's Aurora's birthday, but I'll be sure to join you guys the next time," I promise.

"Alright, boss man, suit yourself! STREETLIGHT, PEOPLE, LIVING JUST TO FIIIIND EMOTION!" He scream-sings to Journey before hanging up. Cackling, I shake my head and put my phone away.

God, nights out with my men were the best. It was nice to have breaks from the drama, the violence and the intensity of the mafia life. I cherished our drunken nights at the bar, arms around each other and singing, and flirting with random ladies at the club. They were idiots when drunk, even more so foolish people than when they were sober. The fond nostalgia of our nights out played in my mind while exiting the bathroom.

When I near the table, I halt in my tracks and feel my face drop.

Aurora's eyes are lowered like a guilty puppy, and she blinks innocent blue eyes at me. My bourbon glass in front of her was empty.

"Aurora," I growl. Not only did she drink the whole thing, but she drank it quickly.

My hand twitched. How could she?!

As I start to speed to her, her face breaks into a grin and she giggles cutely, my feet halting. I eyed her calculatedly. She was...laughing?

"I-I'm sorryy..." Her cute little voice trails off as she plays with a curl of her hair and I feel myself melt internally. Yet, I can't give in and let her think this behavior is okay. She deliberately went against my wishes.

Frustratedly shuffling back into my seat, I grip her chin hard and rough, squeezing her cheeks.

"What were you thinking? Huh?" I shake her head, seething. "This isn't safe. You can't handle this much alcohol, you're a little girl. You haven't even eaten yet, and your frame is so small! This is exactly why I ordered you rosé!" I gesture towards the fruity little wine.

Her fearful expression soon turns to grin as a wild blossom of giggles flow from her, her bunny-slope nose scrunching. Sighing, I released her face and sat back. She was wasted, there was no use in talking any sense into her. Then, she goes to lift her wine glass. Oh, no, woman.

"Aurora!" I roar, shocked at her defiant behavior, quickly snatching the glass away from her. Angrily, I grab her face again. "Stop it, God damn it! What is wrong with you? Come here, you need to eat something or you'll be sick. This isn't safe. Come sit on my lap."

Biting her pillowy bottom lip, more seductively than I presume she intended, she raised herself up, wobbling a bit.

"You're too loud," She pouted, narrowing her eyes low and giggling at me.

Stumbling a bit, her tiny hands sturdy herself on the table before she wobbled to me.

Aggravated at her slow pace, I take hold of her hips and bring her body to my lap. Digging the fork around the pasta, I stab a stack of mouthwatering penne onto it before raising it to her mouth. She puts her mouth over the fork and eats the meal while I do my best to ignore the feeling of the fullness of her ass on my lap, especially with her squirming. God damn.

I feed her a few more bites before she whines frustratedly and turns herself to straddle me. Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I comfortingly rub her back and sigh, trying to keep my patience.

"Please eat," I mumble. Yet she does not move.

"I don't need you getting sick, this is a new tux," I try to joke around, poking her hip.

She groans, not finding my joke funny.

"Why don't you wanna eat?" I sigh exasperatedly.

"I wanna ride horses."

My brows furrow together into a V shape.

"Horses? Where did that come from?"

"Ya!" She squeaks. "I-I never got to see horses when I was little," She cutely hiccups. "Can we do that instead?"

"Maybe someday, Dove," I emptily promise.

"I always wanted a pony as a little girl, but never got one. I could be in the Olympics," She drunkenly rambled.

I notice her absentmindedly start to roll her hips just slightly along my thigh.

"Yeah?" I prompt, as if "convinced", bringing a hand softly around the back of her neck as I watch her hips.

"I would be the number one winner. Y-you wouldn't stand a chance. No one would. Cause I'm the fastest in the worlddd. I would win every single medal, all the prettiest ones," She babbles on as I look up to her eyes.

"Yeah?" I ask again, bringing my hand to around to the front of her pretty little neck, squeezing softly.

A slight moan mixed with the sound of fear emits beautifully from her voice as her eyes enlarge, her body stills. I squeeze slightly harder.

"Yeah?" I repeat, challenging her drunk little eyes with my domineering, cold ones.

"Yeah," She struggles slightly to get out, and I drop her throat before my naughty mind gets the better of me.

"Well, I'd love to see that someday, Dove, really." I raise another fork full of pasta. "But for now, can you please eat?"

That earns me another frustrated groan from her as she tightens her legs around me, and my body tenses feeling hers pressed against mine. It brought something possessive out of me. I pull her by the Dove on her necklace, tangling the chain in between my tattooed fingers as she whimpers quietly, looking at me with wide, doe eyes.

"You shouldn't've drank that much, it was stupid and frivolous. That's why you need my guidance. Now eat, Dove."

"I just wanted it..." She whined, her soft fingers tugging my gelled hair.

I pinched the soft and squeezable skin under her thigh in frustration, making her squirm a bit.

"I just really...really...wanted it," She whispered the last two words in my ear, before licking the shell of my ear, shocking the hell out of me.

Then the realization struck me that my little Dove was trying to be seductive. That lip bite, the tone of her voice, her rubbing herself on my thighs...it was intentional. Aurora was a horny little drunk. Her arms wrapped around my neck slowly and she started rocking herself against me gently, making me suck in air suddenly.

"Aurora," My voice trembles as I quickly pry her arms off me and stop her hips.

I couldn't do anything I wanted to, being that she was drunk, it didn't feel right. As much as I wanted to guide her hips with my hands and let the little thing get off on me, I couldn't.

She leaned up and placed her hands on my chest and I got a closer look at her; Aurora's usual clear and bright, blueberry eyes were bloodshot red and glossy. She was drunk out of her mind.

"What? Don't you want me?" She asked seductively.

Her soft lips mashed hungrily to mine and I groaned, fisting my fingers through her hair and pulling it. My tongue anxiously lapped around her mouth, my system filling with lust, needing to taste her. Her kisses were insatiable, fast, full of want and made pleasure surge through my veins. When I felt her hand start to trail down my thigh, I pushed her off, panting.

"But,"- She pouted.

"Of course I fucking want you. I want to ravage your body more than anything. But we have to stop now, it's not the right time," I breathlessly growl, holding her back by gripping her wrists.

"But I need..." She whined, hugging herself to me and burying her head in my chest.

God she was turning me on.

"You need what, babe?" I rubbed her back whilst simultaneously bouncing my leg, on edge. Leaning my head back and shutting my eyes, I mouthed a few silent curses, before leaning back and rubbing my stubbled jaw.

"Hm?" I prompted in a mumble at her lack of response.

Lifting herself up groggily and eyeing me, she giggled.

"You look funny."

Guess she wasn't horny anymore. Good. It would help me stop, too.

"Oh yeah, princess?" I poke her side and she laughs again as I grin. "I believe the words you once said to me were...'ugly as fuck'."

She giggled even louder now, putting a hand over her mouth.

"No, you just look...double. Like, two of you. Is the room spinning for you, too?" She asked suddenly, looking up.

"No, angel, but you know what helps stop that?"

"Whaat?" She drawled, looking back to me.

"Pasta! It cures room spinning. Scientists said so."

"Really,"- I cut her questioning off with a fork of penne to her mouth.

"Uh huh, the Scientists of Room Spinning confirmed it."

She closed her lips around the fork and chewed the pasta, her eyes blinking innocently at me.

"See," I mumbled to myself. "Look at you, eating on my lap, drunk. You do need me. We'll probably take the rest to go and get you into a bath and then bed, okay love?"

"B-but...no bath, and I'm not tired," She whines and attempts to lift herself but I grip her body.

"A quick one, I promise. It can be a shower, too, if you want."

"Okay, I wanna see Elise anyway...I haven't seen her since we went,"- Aurora abruptly stopped.

"Since you went?" I quizzed with confusion, cocking an eyebrow up.

"Since we went to my last bath," She nodded quickly.

"So, this morning," I laughed at her silly drunkness.

"Well, that was a long time ago," Aurora groaned. "I need more girl time, I can only be near testosterone for so loonggg. It starts to smell weird, like, man. And I don't like men."

"Great, so I'm ugly and smell weird and I'm a man. I'm not really lucking out here, am I, sweetheart?"

"Mm mmm," Aurora shook her head and said cutely.

"Well, I guess I have one more trick to pull out of my sleeve, then," I stood and gently raised her from my lap, kissing her forhead as she looked up at me. "Come with me, it's time for your gift."

"But, it's not Christmas."

I mentally face palmed myself.

"You were born today, Aurora."

"...Oh yeah."

"Yeah," I laugh at her silliness. "Gimme one sec."

I quickly run to the back of the room to retrieve something and come back with it: a carpet. Raising the small carpet up, I let it fall flat to the floor.

"Please step on your carpet ride, Princess Mulven," I gestured to it.

She eyed me confusedly, before stepping and sitting down onto the carpet. She gasped and giggled when I lifted it.

"Oh my gosh, it's flying!" Aurora squealed as I jogged with her on it, occasionally tipping it left and right.

"Exactly! Just you wait and see."

She squealed as I ran with her in the hallway, her hands anxiously gripping the carpet.

When I unlocked the room in the back of the restaurant and revealed the surprise, Aurora gasped in wonder. Set up around the dark room were several movie projectors on the wall that showed the flying scene from Aladdin. The first movie we ever watched together. With wonderstruck eyes, Aurora peered all around as I walked her around the room on the carpet.

"Pretty cool, right?" I smirked.

"I...I love it," She whispered, gripping the carpet. "I feel like I'm in the movie." Her head craned all around, watching Aladdin and Jasmine cozy next to each other as they flew through the city.

"I did this all for you babe. And I know you probably won't remember it in the morning...I was kinda hoping you wouldn't be this drunk, but it's okay. Because I'd gladly do anything like this for you once you're sober for a lifetime."

Turning, her soft lips met my cheek and pressed a delicate kiss. She didn't say anything, and I walked her carpet around the room for another five minutes or so before she dozed off. When I realized she was asleep, I slowly placed the carpet on the floor and cupped her face.

"Even though you were a drunk idiot...you're still so precious to me," I whispered, stroking her cheek like it was made of glass. Her cute little forehead crinkled in her sleep. "I love you, Aurora Mulven...to many, many more birthdays. I want to spend all of yours with you."