Number 15 from the prompts list for Matthew and Alice?
Drunkenly confessing feelings
His head swam with the amount of whiskey both of them had consumed - the warmth of the alcohol as it burned down his throat was only outweighed by the warm weight of Alice pressed against his side. This was dangerous territory - them alone with alcohol, but Matthew wasn’t keen on ending their night early.
It’d taken them so long to get here, through outside circumstances (Lucien going missing and Ballarat’s gossip circles) and their own hesitation (she pulled back and he tried not to push), that he didn’t want to ruin it by opening up his mouth.
Unfortunately, his mouth (and heart) spoke before his brain could catch up.
“I think I love you,” he blurted out - interrupting Alice’s ramble about something she’d read in her medical magazines.
Alice’s wide eyes met his and silence reigned between them; the longer it went on, the more Matthew started berating himself in his head.
‘Of course she’d freeze, you know better than this, man, Alice has always been the more cautious of us two and now you go and do this, I shoul-’
Lips pressed against his - startling him from his spiraling thoughts; he stared at Alice’s blushing cheeks when she drew back from the kiss.
“You… you weren’t responding to your name,” she blushed further. “I thought that would get your attention.”
She smiled and kissed him again.
“I think I love you too, Matthew,” she interrupted him before he could get the apology off the tip of his tongue. “I’m… I’m sorry it took this long to figure that out.”
“I was going to apologize for blurting it out,” He let out a small laugh - Alice joining in as she leaned further against his side. “I wasn’t sure if you were… ready to hear it.”
“I think if you asked me when we’re sober I would’ve hesitated, but… in vino veritas… though we’re drinking whiskey and I’m not sure if the Romans had a word for whisk-”
Matthew drew her chin up for a kiss - butterflies fluttering in his stomach (though that could also be the amount of alcohol they’ve had compared to food) as Alice sighed into it - and pulled her close.
“I love you,” he whispered against her lips, “and that won’t change once we both wake up with a hangover.”
Alice giggled - giggled - as she got comfortable in his arms, “Care to stay and prove that hypothesis in the morning, Superintendent?”
He grinned, “Will we fit in that tiny bed of yours, Doctor?”
“Only one way to find out,” she kissed him.
Surprisingly, they did fit in Alice’s bed - it required some expert puzzle-solving, and Matthew grumbled about how he’d buy her a bigger bed (that had Alice quipping that he’d have to come and “get some use out of his investment”, Matthew looked so shocked she giggled for quite a long time before they could actual settle down to sleep). As the sunlight pierced through the sliver in her curtains, Matthew winced as it lanced across his face; burrowing further into Alice’s covers (and shoulder), he let out a sigh at the darkness relieving his headache.
The headache further receded when Alice sleepily kissed his jaw.
“Love you,” she whispered against his skin - barely heard above the birds starting to wake outside her window.
It wasn’t a cure for the massive hangover thumping in his head, but it helped.
“Love you too, sweetheart.”
