Two days after the Lysander incident, Kayen decided they needed to celebrate—both Arav's choice and the fact that they'd survived another attempt to tear them apart.
"Vampires don't drink alcohol," Arav pointed out as Kayen led him to an exclusive supernatural bar in Bangkok's underground.
"No, we don't," Kayen agreed with a mischievous smile. "But we drink blood. And certain types of blood can have... interesting effects."
The bar was hidden beneath a legitimate nightclub—accessible only through a door that appeared solid to humans but opened for supernatural beings. Inside was pure decadence: red velvet everywhere, crystal chandeliers, and a menu that made Arav's eyes widen.
**"BLOOD COCKTAIL MENU"**
- *Tiger's Fury* - Tiger blood mixed with spiced rum essence (for vampires with shape-shifter ancestry)
- *Witch's Brew* - Blood from a willing witch, naturally intoxicating to vampires
- *Divine Nectar* - Rare: Blood from beings with divine ancestry (HIGHLY intoxicating)
- *The Convergence* - "For those who dare: A mix of all three"
"Oh no," Arav said, reading the last item. "That's me. They named a drink after me?"
Jin laughed from across the table—he, Preeda, and Som had joined them. "You're famous now. Of course they did. The question is: are you brave enough to try it?"
"Absolutely not," Kayen said immediately. "That drink is made from convergence bloodline donations. If Arav drinks it, it'll be like... like getting high on his own brain chemistry. The effects would be unpredictable—"
"I'll try it," Arav interrupted, feeling reckless after the stress of the past weeks.
"Arav—" Kayen started.
"One drink," Arav said. "What's the worst that could happen?"
Famous last words.
Twenty minutes later, Arav discovered what happened when a convergence vampire drank blood from another convergence bloodline (even a small amount): absolute chaos.
"I can TASTE COLORS," Arav announced loudly, standing on the booth seat. "The music is PURPLE. Why is no one else seeing this?!"
Kayen had his face in his hands. "I tried to warn you."
"And you!" Arav pointed at Kayen with exaggerated drama. "You are so BEAUTIFUL. Like, stupidly beautiful. It's actually offensive. How dare you have cheekbones like that? It's not fair to other faces!"
Preeda was recording everything on her phone, laughing so hard she was crying. "This is the best thing I've ever witnessed."
"Your hair," Arav continued, now running his hands through Kayen's hair, messing it up completely. "It's so SOFT. Like baby duck soft. Are you secretly a baby duck? Be honest."
"I'm not a baby duck," Kayen said, trying to maintain dignity while his very drunk bonded mate climbed into his lap in the middle of a crowded bar.
"Prove it," Arav demanded. Then gasped. "Oh my GOD. I can feel EVERYTHING through the bond. Your embarrassment is DELICIOUS. It tastes like... like strawberries mixed with regret!"
"How much did he drink?" Jin asked, amused.
"Half a glass," Kayen said miserably. "Half. A. Glass."
"I LOVE YOU," Arav shouted suddenly, grabbing Kayen's face with both hands. "I love you SO MUCH. Like, an illegal amount. Should we check if there's a maximum legal limit on love? Because I'm definitely over it."
The bar went silent. Everyone staring.
Because this was the first time Arav had said "I love you" out loud. They'd felt it through the bond, implied it, shown it—but never actually spoken the words.
And of course, Arav's first "I love you" was screamed while blackout drunk in a supernatural bar.
Kayen's expression softened despite the ridiculousness. "I love you too."
"SAY IT LOUDER," Arav demanded. "Everyone needs to KNOW. This vampire—" he gestured wildly at Kayen, nearly falling off his lap, "—is MINE. We're BONDED. He's stuck with me FOREVER. Even when I do stupid things like drink blood cocktails!"
"Yes, I am," Kayen agreed, holding him steady. "Forever stuck with you."
"Good," Arav said, satisfied. Then his eyes widened. "Wait. Oh no. Kayen. KAYEN. I can see sounds. The bass is making SHAPES. This is a medical emergency!"
"It's not a medical emergency," Kayen sighed. "It's called being drunk."
"ON BLOOD," Arav emphasized. "Blood drunk! That's different! That's..." he paused, thinking hard, "...that's VAMPIRE drunk! I'm vampire drunk! I'm VAMPIRED!"
"That's not a word," Preeda wheezed, still recording.
"It is NOW," Arav declared. "I'm making it official. As a convergence bloodline, I have that authority. Don't question me!"
Then he tried to stand up on the table to make an announcement, lost his balance, and Kayen had to catch him before he face-planted.
"Okay, that's enough," Kayen said, lifting Arav into his arms bridal-style. "We're going home."
"NOOOO," Arav protested, but wrapped his arms around Kayen's neck anyway. "The night is YOUNG. We should go swimming! Do vampires swim? Can we swim? Let's find out!"
"It's 2 AM and we don't have a pool," Kayen pointed out.
"The RIVER," Arav said, pointing dramatically toward where he thought the Chao Phraya River was (it was actually a wall). "We'll swim in the river! Like... like vampire dolphins!"
"Vampire dolphins aren't a thing—"
"They are if we BELIEVE," Arav insisted.
Jin paid the tab while Preeda sent the video to everyone in their contact list with the caption: "Convergence vampire discovers alcohol. RIP dignity."
As Kayen carried Arav out of the bar, Arav started singing—loudly, off-key, making up lyrics:
*"I'm a vampire, you're a vampire, we're all vampires, YEAH!*
*Blood is tasty, bonds are crazy, Lysander's a DICK!*
*Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai, Thailand Thailand Thailand,*
*My mom disowned me but that's OKAY because I have KAYEN!"*
Several supernatural beings stopped to stare.
"Please stop singing," Kayen begged.
"Never!" Arav declared. "This is my TRUTH SONG. It's full of TRUTH. Like the truth that your butt looks AMAZING in those jeans. That's a truth. A important truth."
"You're going to regret this in the morning," Kayen said, but he was smiling now.
"Probably!" Arav agreed cheerfully. "But right now? RIGHT NOW I regret NOTHING. I'm drunk on blood, in love with you, and I can see SOUNDS. This is the best night of my undead life!"
They made it back to the safehouse, where Arav immediately tried to challenge Mae Siri to a "magic duel" (she declined), told Karan he was "a good human and deserved a cookie," and attempted to reorganize their entire kitchen because "the spices weren't in alphabetical order and that's CHAOS."
Finally, Kayen got him into bed.
"Kayen?" Arav said, suddenly serious, his eyes still swirling with four colors but slightly more focused.
"Yes?"
"I meant it," Arav said quietly. "The 'I love you.' I know I said it while vampired, but... I meant it. I should have said it before. Sober. Properly."
Kayen's expression melted. "I know you meant it. I felt it through the bond."
"But you deserved to HEAR it," Arav insisted. "So: I love you, Kayen. I choose you. Not because of blood resonance or past lives or bonds. Because you're you. And you're... you're my person."
"You're my person too," Kayen whispered, kissing his forehead. "In this life and every one after."
"Good," Arav said, satisfied. Then: "Also, the ceiling is breathing. Is that normal?"
"That's the blood cocktail. It'll wear off in a few hours."
"Cool cool cool," Arav said, eyes already drooping. "Love you. Love you so much. Even when you wouldn't let me swim with the vampire dolphins..."
He passed out mid-sentence.
Kayen sat there, watching him sleep, feeling the bond pulse with love—messy, chaotic, perfect love.
His phone buzzed. A text from Preeda: *"I've watched the video 47 times. Thank you for this gift."*
Attached was a screenshot of Arav standing on the booth, arms spread wide, declaring his love to the entire bar.
Kayen saved it immediately.
Tomorrow, Arav would wake up mortified. But tonight—tonight Kayen had heard "I love you" for the first time, had seen Arav completely unfiltered and honest, had been chosen again despite everything.
Worth it.
Totally worth it.