Title: Days of Blood Wine & Roses
Rating: ranges from PG13 to NC17
Pairing: Mick/Josef
Warnings: may contain some drug use and explicit descriptions of Male/Male pairing.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Six years after Immortal Beloved. Josef and Mick are living in Paris with Katherine and Roisin. This is the story of their lives, the difficulties & tragedies they must face & the history of Josef's relationship with Mick.
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Chapter 1
"Uncle Josef? Tell me a story."
Six years had passed since Josef and Mick had taken their marriage vows for a second time in Paris. They had moved to the French capital after that, taking Katherine and Roisin with them.
The time following had not been without their difficulties, but they had managed to get through those relatively unscathed, a testament to the seeds that had been planted, and allowed to mature, all those years ago. On Josef's insistence Mick had returned to work, setting up his own private investigations company in the heart of down town Paris. Josef still adjusted the sleeves of Mick's shirt and straightened his collars though, that much remained the same.
Josef regarded the six year old blonde cherub seated on his lap with an indulgent smile. He had long since given up correcting her on the use of the term 'Uncle'.
"Yeah go on Uncle Josef." Mick raised an eyebrow and grinned, tilting the glass of scotch in his hand.
Josef rolled his eyes and then turned his attention back to Roisin. Katherine had left the two of them in charge of the child for the evening whilst she went out on yet another date. Finding companionship as a vampire was proving more difficult than what Katherine had first thought.
"Sure," Josef shrugged and then gave Mick a pointed smile. "How about I tell you the story of how your Uncle Josef fell in love with your Uncle Mick."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Winter 1968
"What on earth have you got him in this time Coraline." Josef regarded the figure of Mick St John standing across the room from him dressed in what he presumed was supposed to be latest in high fashion men's suits, complete with ruffles.
"What, you don't like it." Coraline gave a dismissive shrug and then smiled and waved Mick over. "I think he looks adorable."
"Still playing the Madonna whore complex I see." Josef cocked an eyebrow and then raised the glass in his hand in a mock toast.
"Now now you two." Mick had seen the dark look that Coraline had just flashed in Josef's direction as he walked over to join them, "This is supposed to be a party."
"Good evening Mick, long time no see." Josef smiled politely as Mick wrapped his arm around Coraline's waist and drew her close.
Mick acknowledged Josef's greeting with a quick smile and a nod. "You look nice this evening." Mick gestured towards the perfectly and expensive looking black suit Josef was attired in.
"What this old thing?" Josef pretended to inspect the sleeves of his suit coat. "Just something I found in the wardrobe."
"Sure thing." Mick laughed and took a sip of blood from the glass in his hand. If he noticed that Josef hadn't returned his compliment, he wasn't giving any indication.
Mick felt Coraline's hand on his arm them, pulling him away, her voice in his ear insisting that he simply must come and meet....Mick didn't quite catch their name. Truth be known he hated these gatherings. He would have much rather have spent the night alone with Coraline, sharing a freshie or two as they curled up together in front of Coraline's considerably expensive marble fireplace. She liked to bring him out and show him off every now and then and he indulged her that much at least because it made her happy.
"Catch ya round." Josef heard Mick say then as he watched Coraline lead Mick away.
Josef had never really paid that much attention to Mick before. Dressed the way he was that evening though, Mick looked the very image of naïve boyish charm and Josef found himself unwillingly transfixed.
Then Mick turned and waved back over his shoulder, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead at the same time.
Josef felt his heart go down to his knees.
"Oh dear God no." Josef smiled at Mick and then quickly turned away, pretending to be preoccupied with pouring himself another drink as he drew in a breath and gritted his teeth.
Josef Kostan had just fallen in love.
"And then what happened?" Roisin looked up at Josef with childish expectation.
"And then your Uncle Josef became my official sleeve straightener and collar adjuster." Mick got in quick before Josef had a chance to reply.
"Really?" Roisin's eyes were wide with amazement.
"No sweetheart." Josef shot Mick a sideways look and then laughed and shook his head. "Your Uncle Mick is just being silly."
Josef shifted Roisin from his lap back to the floor then. "Come on poppet." He said then, getting to his feet and bending down to pick the small child up. "It's time you were going to bed. You've got a big day tomorrow."
So far they had managed endless piles of nappies, skinned knees and all manner of childhood illnesses. Nevertheless neither one of them knew how they were going to manage Roisin's first day at school.
Mick read the worried look on Josef's face and walked over to him.
"We'll be fine." He reassured him with a kiss and then ruffled Roisin's hair and wished her a goodnight.
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"Josef, what are you doing here?" Mick regarded the figure standing at the fence in front of him.
"I could ask you the same thing Mick." Josef turned to face him, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"It's almost lunch time; I was just on my way to grab some refreshment. There's a great new Vamp friendly café that's just opened nearby."
"And of course you just had to come past here on your way." Josef arched an eyebrow and then snorted a laugh. "Roisin will be having lunch soon as well." Josef turned back towards the schoolyard and quickly surveyed the expanse of grounds from his vantage point at the schoolyard fence.
"She'll be fine." Mick drew his arms around Josef's waist and rested his chin on top of Josef's shoulder.
"Yes well." Josef placed a hand over Mick's forearm and leaned back into the embrace. "It doesn't hurt to keep an eye on these things."
"Josef." Mick laughed and then placed an affectionate kiss on the side of Josef's face. "Don't you think you might just look the slightest bit suspicious standing here dressed like that?"
"What do you mean 'suspicious." Josef folded his arms over his chest, his tone defensive.
Mick took a step back and held Josef out to one side, inclining his head towards the long coat, dark sunglasses and fedora hat that Josef was attired in.
"I suppose you're right."
"You know I'm right." Mick laughed and shook his head "You standing there, waiting for school children to appear dressed like that. It's not a good look Josef."
Josef furrowed his brow and then nodded an agreement.
"Come on." Mick said then, draping an arm across Josef's shoulder. "You can join me for lunch."
Josef stole one last quick glance over his shoulder and then reluctantly began to follow Mick away from the schoolyard and Roisin.
"I've missed you." Josef held Mick to him and covered his face and neck with kisses. "You've hardly been home lately."
"I've had a lot of work on Josef." Mick's hands explored the planes and angles of Josef's back, one leg draped over Josef's hip as he moved against him. "You know that."
"I know." Josef moaned as Mick's hand found his erection. "Doesn't mean I'm not allowed to miss you though. So what is it this time," Josef asked then, his hips moving in time to the rhythm of Mick's touch, "cheating husband?"
"Cheating wife."
Mick increased the rate of his attentions on Josef's cock, his own arousal building in response to the whimpers and sighs of pleasure that elicited from Josef's lips.
"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Josef pressed his lips to Mick's ears and whispered to him, shifting the position of his body so that Mick was beneath him.
"Twice yesterday and three times the day before that." Mick replied in-between fervent clashes of lips and fangs as Josef reached for the lubricant next to the bed and quickly slicked his cock with the viscous substance.
And then Mick couldn't speak at all because Josef was pressing his legs back against his chest and driving himself into Mick's passage, his cock stroking against Mick's prostate and sending shockwaves of pleasure reverberating throughout Mick's body.
"I'm thirsty" A child's tiny voice called out to them in the dark.
Josef quickly gripped Mick's chin with his fingers and turned his head to the side, away from Roisin.
"Don't let her see your face." Josef hurriedly instructed, his voice inaudible to human ears.
"Roisin." Josef replied out loud, his own visage hidden buried against Mick's shoulder. "Go downstairs; I'll be down in a minute to get you a drink."
"What are you doing?" Roisin took a tentative step towards the bed.
"Nothing sweetheart." Josef tried to keep the tone of his voice light, but found he was unable to suppress the groan that erupted from his throat when he heard Mick add the words.
"We're wrestling."
The answer seemed to satisfy Roisin's curiosity for the time being and she shrugged in that small shouldered way that children do and then turned to leave.
"We're wrestling?" Josef huffed, raising himself up onto outstretched arms and furrowing his brow after Roisin had left the room to go downstairs,
"Well what was I supposed to tell her Josef?"
"How about you don't tell her anything at all."
Mick's formed protest was silenced by Josef's lips as Josef drove himself into Mick's body once more. Reaching a hand down to grip Mick's cock at the same time, Josef urged the both of them to completion, each growling out the rhythm of their respective orgasms as their bodies shuddered with pleasure and they sank their fangs into each others flesh.
When it was over Josef withdrew himself from Mick's body and wiped Mick's fluid from his hand with a convenient towel, before throwing a robe over his naked body and heading downstairs to tend to Roisin.
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"I didn't hear you come in." Josef came downstairs to find Katherine already seated at the kitchen table with Roisin.
"You must be slipping in your old age." Katherine arched an eyebrow and smiled up at Josef as she slipped a glass of water into Roisin's outstretched hand.
"So how was your date?" Josef took a seat at the table next to Katherine, pointedly ignoring her remark about his age.
"More of the same." Katherine forced a smile and waved a dismissive hand, trying to convey the sentiment that more of the same really didn't matter.
Josef saw straight through her charade. "You'll find someone." He told her, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. "Give it time."
"Well I suppose that's one thing I do have plenty of." Katherine replied without a trace of irony and then reached across to cover Josef's hand with her own.
"Uncle Josef." Roisin perched on the edge of the chair, her tiny legs swinging back and forth. "Can I have another story?"
"No darling." Katherine stood up and bent down to pick Roisin up from her seat. "Come on you should have been in bed hours ago."
"Just one, please." Roisin's voice was plaintive, eyes wide and pleading.
"I'll take her." Josef reached for the child in Katherine's arms. "I think we've got time for one quick story."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Winter 2008
Josef awoke the following evening to find Mick already dressed and standing at the bedroom window, gazing out over Lestat's garden expanse.
"Evening." Josef greeted Mick with a kiss, "How are you feeling?"
Mick hesistated and then drew in a breath. "Fine, a little sore." He replied, wrapping a tentative arm around Josef's waist.
"You'll get used to it." Josef smiled and waved a dismissive hand. "Takes practice. Any regrets?" Josef drew his own arm around Mick's shoulder and pulled him close.
"No." Mick's reply was a little too quick off the mark; he paused again and then repeated his answer with more assurance.
"No, but…?" Josef left the rest of the sentence unfinished, leaving the door open for Mick to respond.
"I never expected this." Mick paused again and then added, "Us I mean."
Josef tried to convey his assurance that they were in the same boat, that he hadn't expected this either. Mick nodded a brief understanding and continued on.
"I mean I know I've fallen in love with you," Mick swallowed back a nervous lump, "It's just not…"
"What you expected to happen?" Josef reiterated, finishing Mick's sentence for him.
"No." Mick let out a reluctant breath, the lines of his forehead creased.
"Give it time." Josef's reply was simple, his arm drawing tighter around Mick's shoulder.
"Well I suppose that's one thing we both have plenty of."
Mick turned to face Josef then, allowing himself to be drawn into Josef's embrace as they stood together in that moment and pondered an uncertain future.
Roisin was asleep by the time Josef had finished telling the story. Of course he had left out some of the finer details, like exact dates and the fact that Mick had felt sore.
Bending over to place an affectionate kiss on the sleeping child's brow, Josef wished her a goodnight and then returned to his own room and Mick.
"So when are we planning to tell her, Josef?" Mick asked as Josef climbed into the freezer to lie next to him.
"Tell her what Mick?" Josef pretended he didn't know what Mick was talking about.
"About us, about what we are."
Mick had had this conversation with Josef before. It always followed the same pattern.
"It's not up to me, you know that." Josef dropped the pretence and then fell silent, staring up at the frosted glass of the freezer as he contemplated the ramifications of telling Roisin that her Mother and both her Uncles were members of the undead.
"So when are we going to tell her Josef?" Mick felt a sudden sense of déjà vu as he regarded the 12 year old girl seated across the room from him, legs tucked up underneath her and freckled snub nose buried in a book.
"It's not up to me, you know that."
Mick rolled his eyes and let out a sigh of breath, already having pre-empted Josef's answer.
"She asked me again last night why she never sees any of us eat." Mick's tone was pointed.
"And what did you tell her?"
"Same as what I've told her for the last six years Josef, that we work strange hours and we eat at different times."
"And," Josef turned towards Mick, brow arched, "Did she believe you?"
"For now."
Mick watched then as Josef made his way over to Roisin and sat down beside her on the couch.
"Is that any good?" Josef asked, indicating the book in Roisin's hands.
"Mmm hmm." Roisin swung her legs out in front of her and turned to the next page.
"What's it about?" Josef's attempts at drawing Roisin into conversation were met with an indifferent shrug and yet another monosyllabic answer.
"Vampires."
"Really." Mick flashed a pointed smile in Josef's direction.
"Yeah." Roisin lifted her head from the page she was reading, her voice suddenly animated. "It'd be cool if Vampires really did exist, wouldn't it Uncle Mick."
Josef drew in a quick breath, unsure if Roisin's words were wishful thinking on a child's behalf or the sign of some deeper knowledge.
"Well you never know. They may be closer than what you think." Josef heard Mick say then, the tone of his voice a not so subtle hint.
Josef shot Mick a warning look and then gently pried the book from Roisin's grasp.
"Come on." Josef said then, trying to keep the tone of his voice casual as he reached for Roisin and drew her to her feet. "Your Mother's waiting for you outside. I'd suggest you hurry it along unless you intend to be late for your school excursion"
"You seem drawn to this particular painting Roisin?" Pierre Lamont approached his young student cautiously, studying her face as she stood and stared at the portrait on the wall of the Louvre with rapt fascination.
"It's my Uncle." Roisin's voice was filled with amazement as her gaze roamed across the canvas. "Well I mean it's not my Uncle, it can't be." She quickly corrected herself, "But it looks just like him." Roisin pointed to the small bronze plaque just below the portrait of the 18th century nobleman. "Look, same name and everything."
"Your Uncle's name is Josef Kostan?" Pierre Lamont couldn't be sure how much the child in front of him knew. He tried to keep his voice as even as possible as he placed a scholarly hand on Roisin's arm and said, "I'd like to meet your Uncle sometime, perhaps he's a distant relation of the man in that picture."
"Yeah maybe." Roisin shrugged and turned away, prying her eyes from the portrait in front of her.
"Wait." Pierre held out a hand to stop Roisin's leaving and then drew a small card from the pocket of his well worn tweed pants. "Give this to your Uncle." He instructed Roisin with a smile. "I really would love to meet the man in that picture."
"Sure." Roisin furrowed her brow for a moment and then shrugged and accepted the card from Pierre Lamont's outstretched hand. "He works weird hours though."
"Oh I'm sure he does." Pierre muttered under his breath and then watched as Roisin began to walk away, her attention focused on the next portrait in line.