A Disenchanting New Year: Amrita

The party is extremely busy when you arrive. It’s something you’re still not used to; the loud music, the hum of conversation in the background, the smell of alcohol permeating the air. Maybe once you would have enjoyed this, maybe once you were a people person. If you were, that person died a long time ago from sheer necessity. Now you’re left adrift as Amrita somehow endears herself to everyone in the room in seconds. 

You feel lost until she wraps her hand around yours, a soft smile meant just for you curling her lips, and suddenly you aren’t alone.

A lot of these people are from her work; fellow journalists, others who take issue with the Council, and the spare few who just wanted to drink on New Year’s Eve. Either way, these aren’t the type of people to judge you. On the contrary, many of them are sympathetic to your plight, to all that happened to you, to the flaming wreckage your life became. 

You could go on, but it’s pointless. What matters is that, as you wander over to the island in the kitchen with food and drink laid out, not one soul gives you a weird look. No one watches you with judgement or scorn. You’re just a person to them, painfully normal, and isn’t that delightfully peculiar?

“Calm down,” She mummers to you, “You’re about to pop my hand off with how hard you’re squeezing.”

“Sorry,” You mutter, “Habit.”

“I know,” She says, “I’m right here. If anyone wants to give you shit, they can talk to me first.”

And get nailed in the face with a fistful of seraphic magic, which she doesn’t say outright but heavily implies. You bite back a smile as she grabs you both a drink and leads you to a quieter part of the room. She leans back on the couch, lifting an arm for you to slot perfectly into her side. You’d be perfectly content just sitting here the rest of the night, warmth radiating from her as she pulls you close.

“We could have stayed home,” She says quietly, her lips nearly brushing your ear.

You shrug slightly, “These are your friends.”

“Fuck ‘em,” She’s unrepentant, saying it almost flippantly, “Also, for the record, co-workers. At best.”

“You still like them,” You huff, “And have to see them everyday.”

“Like I said, fuck ‘em.” She grins, “See Amy over there? She never refills the water in the Keurig. And Josh? He steals my stapler, like, every week. Don’t get me started on Marcus, the asshole constantly hits reply all on department wide emails.”

“Be quiet,” You chide, yet can’t help the chuckle that escapes.

She just tucks you closer, pressing her face into the junction between your neck and shoulder. It’s dark in this corner, and hardly anyone is paying you any attention, but you can’t help blushing as she grows bolder with her hands and mouth.

The clock strikes midnight, and the crowd of people around you erupted into cheers, but Amrita only trails her mouth up to meet yours. She presses closer as your fingers twist in her curls, not giving a single damn about the ball dropping or champagne popping going on outside this moment. It's just you and her, her wings slowly fluttering down to wrap you in a soft embrace.

…

You, her, and someone with a camera apparently. You stare at Amrita’s phone with wide eyes as a picture of the two of you making out is splashed all over the front page of the very newspaper Amrita works for.

“Told you Marcus was an asshole,” She says simply, sipping her coffee.

You sputter, part outrage and part embarrassment.

“Don’t worry babe,” She winks, “He won’t have a job by tomorrow.”

You trust her on that much, at least. If there’s one thing she's good at, it’s knowing everything about everyone. You almost feel bad for the poor bastard. You glance back at the picture before she puts her phone away. The key word there is almost.

“Happy New Year, babe.” She says, giving you a peck on the cheek.