14: Unsteady feet, Firm hands

Nova huffed at this, trying to be upset and failing, "Can you please help me?"

Roan looked pleasantly surprised by her request but he didn't hesitate to take the bottle from her.

Nova's eyes were riveted to the point where Roan easily undid the cap of the bottle that had been impossible for her, swallowing unconsciously at the prominent veins in his hands. She gratefully took the cup of water that he poured for her, eyeing her full glass of champagne with distrustful eyes.

She hadn't planned to take more than a couple of sips but somehow, she had emptied her glass twice. She hoped that the night would be coming to an end before the alcohol hit completely. Her hands were steady as she picked up her silverware but the sparkling lights around her were in technicolor, making her a little uneasy.

The very last thing Nova wanted was to be more of a burden than she already was on Roan, and being drunk would make her do just that. She picked at her food, seeing it swim before her eyes, and wondered if she could take Roan up on his previous offer to leave.

She glanced over at him to find that he hadn't moved to touch the silverware, a flute of champagne in his long fingers, his gray stare fixed on her.

"Are you ready to leave?"

Nova didn't expect him to ask her again but she didn't hesitate to take the lifeline this time. She could be as drunk as she wanted to be when she got to the privacy of Roan's mansion, as a matter of fact, maybe she just might. Her entire day had been a complete wreck, she totally deserved to get wasted.

"Yes, please." She eagerly agreed, her silverware clinking against spotless ceramic as she placed them down. Nova reached for her glass of water again, she hoped that the clear liquid would stall her from becoming too tipsy to walk, instead, the glass nearly slipped out of her rubbery fingers.

Roan somehow managed to catch it in time, the brush of his fingers against Nova's making her asking burn. Just how had he managed to get here in time to stop her from making a horrible mess?

"I'm s-sorry about that," She murmured, placing down the cup with Roan's help and completely giving up trying to drink water.

Without her saying a word, Roan helped her out of her seat, his arm firm around her waist. Nova wanted to be appreciative of the kind gesture but it was rather difficult to be that way when his touch burnt her on contact.

The room swam when she rose to her feet, so much that she had to lean against Roan's shoulder for a brief moment, and without thinking, she reached for the bottle of wine on the table to take with her.

+

Roan had an amused smile on his face as he watched Nova; he was frankly impressed, he had never seen someone get drunk so fast from two glasses of champagne.

Right as the meal started, he could see her struggle to do such a simple task and immediately offered for them to leave. Roan was fine with Nova doing whatever she wanted, he planned to encourage it even but several of those things were for his eyes only.

He had to resist the urge to pick her up when she leaned her head against his shoulder - it was a fast-growing bad habit, one that could stand out at the dinner for all the wrong reasons.

His sharp gaze picked out her slender hand shakily reaching for another bottle of champagne, the beginnings of a smile dying out when he remembered why she wanted to drink more.

A waiter appeared out of thin air and took the champagne from her, stealthily putting it in a souvenir bag, a professional smile on his face.

Roan snagged Nova's bag as they walked towards the edge of the dais; there was a staircase made of three steps and before the glasses of champagne, Nova was perfectly capable of going up and down the trio of steps. But now, as they drew nearer, Roan could see her blink at it in a way that worried him.

She kept her balance perfectly even though she was wearing heels but he doubted she could make it down those steps. Roan had cautioned himself from picking up Nova but the last thing he wanted was for her to trip going down those stairs. So with elegance and ease, he walked down the stairs while supporting her weight with a single hand.

+

Nova bit back her gasp when she felt Roan pick her up to help her down the stairs, her alcohol-induced haze clearing a bit. She had been bracing herself to go down the stairs, she knew she could do it even if it meant that she tripped a bit but she didn't expect Roan to do what he did.

She held on tightly to his arm, it wasn't that she was worried that he would drop her, it was just reflex. The tips of her heels gently found the ground when they got down from the dais and Nova was relieved that her vision was blurry because she knew that everyone was staring at them - she wondered if that included Levi…

Her straying thoughts were interrupted by Roan's voice right against the shell of her ear, "Are you alright?"

Nova pasted a distant smile on her face, finding it difficult to focus on Roan's words when he was so close to her. His arm was tight around her waist and she was literally pressed up against his sides, they were touching in many ways, and it made her champagne-muddled brain even more confused.

"Yes, sorry," She apologized without even thinking about it, feeling less like the room was swimming around her when they stepped into the dim hallway.

Roan didn't say a word after her response and Nova didn't pay attention to his silence, her focus completely taken up by the effort of getting back to the car without falling on her face. Although she doubted that Roan would let that happen to her, falling became very much a threat when they left the hotel behind and the camera flashes went off again.