**A/N: I can’t believe I mixed up Nael and Jacques’ names in the previous Chapter?? How even ??? Anywho, it has been corrected now, I apologize for the mix-up.**

-*-

The duo that had gone into the cellar moved slowly, hands up against the uneven stone wall to guide their way in the darkness.

"I hope we see some light past this hallway, it’ll suck if I don’t get to see what’s under here the first time around." Audie rambled, thinking that the person walking behind him was Valentin.

He didn’t get any response but he didn’t mind, he knew that Valentin was feeling a little down so it was up to him to fill up the silence between them. "We could always come here another time with torches though, let’s just see where this stone hallway leads to... oh look! I see light up ahead!"

Audie picked up the pace, stepping out of the narrow hallway to a dome-shaped, dimly lit room. From what little he could see, there were shelves stacked high up the walls and lots of wooden barrels and boxes, it was evident that it was once used by the Academy or whatever structure that was here before the college was built.

He turned around with a happy grin, "Vale you got to see this! It’s so-" His words and smile fell off when the only person that stepped out of the dark hallway was Jacques. "Where’s Vale?" He asked suspiciously.

Jacques just leaned against the wall, "He didn’t go past the cellar door and I heard him scream so I doubt he’s at the storehouse either."

Audie took a step back, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed his best friend’s absence, he had to go check up on him. "It’s just me and you?" He absently pointed out, eyeing the hallway like he was wary of going past Jacques.

"What? Expecting me to jump you?"

"You don’t exactly have a clean track record," He grumbled, "Especially in confined dark spaces."

Jac’s smug expression was hidden in the dim lighting of the cellar, "You can finish up your exploration then we’ll leave, I’m sure Valentin is fine, and I’ll even keep my hands to myself."

Audie scowled, he was worried about Valentin but he was torn between finally getting to check out what oddities were hidden in the cellar and heading back to what could potentially be an empty storehouse. "Fine." He accepted grudgingly.

He would just quickly finish up here and then head back to their dorm building to find Valentin. It was fine, this was fine. He made it halfway down the dusty but surprisingly sturdy shelves built up against the wall to the right, glancing behind him to realize that Jacques hadn’t moved. It would seem that the Alpha was truly keeping to his word, Audie didn’t like how disappointed that made him feel.

The shelves were mostly empty, there were some empty crates and small boxes here and there. Occasionally he found empty bottles and glass jars which were covered in dust and sometimes cracked, and more often than not, home to little critters.

Audie didn’t bother checking the large discarded boxes that took up the middle space of the cellar, not wanting to unearth some creature that would pose a danger to them, he was just looking around after all.

He walked over to the other shelf on the left wall to find a pleasant surprise, there were bottles of wine in some crates on the top shelves. They looked to be properly sealed and well kept and looked more like they were stored here than abandoned.

Now, he knew he said he was not going to touch things but this had piqued his curiosity, so he got on his tiptoes and reached for the crate, intending to bring it down so that he could get a proper look at it.

Jacques planned to stay put till Audie returned but the ominous sound of loud crashing sounds propelled him forward. He couldn’t see the other Alpha from where he stood because huge wooden boxes piled on each other were in the way.

"Audie?" He called out in a panic, hurrying over. "Are you-" He trailed off when he saw Audie standing in an incriminating position - he was stuck reaching for the top shelf where the crate of wine had fallen from, eyes wide in panic.

Jacques had to step back to prevent spilled wine from the broken wine bottles from getting on his shoes, staring down at the wreck before him.

"That wasn’t me, I swear it." Audie denied in a level voice, "It was just like that when I came here."

"Don’t lie-" Jacques started to scold, looking back at him only to falter. "Are you dr- don’t bloody drink the wine!" He reprimanded, scaling the steadily growing puddle of sweet-smelling red liquid to snag the wine bottle out of Audie’s hand.

Audie wasn’t sure what pushed him to do it, maybe he shouldn’t have taken that very first sip of wine after all - because he snatched the bottle right out of Jacques’ hand again and made a run for it, laughter spilling out just like the red wine on the ground behind him.

He dashed for the hallway, feeling his heart beat so fast that it hurt. What was he doing taunting Jacques? He didn’t get the chance to second guess his decision because the other Alpha immediately chased him down with terrifying speed.

Audie stopped laughing and put more energy into trying to get away, a little bit frightened now but even then, excitement still strummed through him. He darted into the dark hallway which forced him to slow down from the very limited lighting.

He barely went a few steps in before he was caught and pushed up against the wall. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to drink more of the wine, Jacques finding his hand holding the bottle unerringly in the pitch darkness.

Audie wondered if Jac could actually see that well in the dark because he was certain that the expression on his face currently would raise a lot of questions. He looked up at the vague outline of Jacques with stars in his eyes while he tried to catch his breath against the cold stone wall, feeling the air around them thicken.

He should say something and then brush past Jacques and keep going, all the way out of this dark, narrow hallway. He should say something but his tongue was tied, he heard Jacques placing the bottle on the ground with an audible clink of glass against stone and he huffed out the breath he hadn’t known he was holding in.

Just as he was about to push off the wall, Jacques stepped in front of him, and before Audie could figure out what was going on, a hand held his jaw and tilted his face upwards.

"What-" His words were interrupted by Jacques’ lips, his parted lips filling up with tangy sweet wine.

Audie’s eyes closed involuntarily, a tortured sound leaving him at Jacques’ actions. His hands found the other Alpha’s shoulders in the darkness, feeling like he was drowning in a sea of sensations and it wasn’t from the wine staining their shared kiss.

Audie couldn’t say for certain if he kissed Jacques’ in return, or who stepped forward to close the distance between them. The kiss was heady, sweet, and forbidding in this underground tunnel like the aged wines he had found in the cellar.

He felt drowsy when Jacques pulled away, leaning against the wall for support as he looked up sleepily at the other Alpha. His head cleared somewhat when he heard Jacques curse, his hands still on the other’s shoulders while the taller Alpha had his hands on his hips.

"We’re leaving." Jacques suddenly said, taking his wrist to pull him along.

"Wait- What?" He mumbled, unable to keep up with Jacques’ thought processes but letting himself be pulled nonetheless.

Only till they got out of the stairs and stepped into the dilapidated storehouse did Audie remember that he was supposed to find Valentin out there. Just like Jacques had said while they were still inside the cellar. the storehouse was empty, and Valentin was nowhere to be found.

How long had they even spent down there? It felt like hours and at the same time like a scant few minutes.

He was going to blame the wine for how airy he felt, that would teach him not to randomly drink out of bottles of wine that he found in abandoned cellars. He had only taken a sip though, not counting the mouthful that Jacques had poured into his mouth.

Audie could barely remember the journey back, one moment they were leaving the storehouse and the next they were right in front of his dorm room. No one batted an eye at Jacques dragging him all the way up the stairs, well aware of their animosity towards each other, it looked like an average day to anyone else who cared to pay attention.

Jacques pulled him right inside his dorm room, slamming the door behind him and pushing him up against the wall to pick up from where they had left off from.

And Audie met him halfway, a firm hand around his neck to keep him close as he surged into the kiss... Just what the hell had been in the wine?