Disclaimer: I do not own Moonlight or any of it's characters! If I did, we'd have a second season...then a third, and a fourth.
Authors Note: My second ever attempt at writing Josef Kostan! Now, this is a Josef/Charles x Sarah Whitley story. They are my OTP. I write this story from Josef's POV and I call him Josef instead of Charles. Sarah only knows him as Charles Fitzgerald.
Now this was orginially intended to be a oneshot but the idea sort of grew. I've planned another 1-2 chapters which I may post, depending on how well this story is recieved. That being said. Please Read & Review! I live off of reviews. If I get enough feedback I'll continue the story! :)
There were only two occasions in his century's long life where Josef Kostan had thought of himself as a monster. The first being when he had been changed, the second had been when he'd met Sarah Whitley. He was a vampire, one who knew better than to get involved with a human. He knew, but he'd done it anyways.
They'd gone to a show that night, a theater troupe from out of town was putting on "Romeo and Juliet" Sarah had heard about the show weeks before, it seemed as if every newspaper and street corner had been peppered with fliers announcing the limited engagement. Sarah had immediately inquired about tickets, though she'd never told him so. She thought that it would be a wonderful outing. To her chagrin, the cheaper seats had sold out almost immediately and she could hardly afford one of the box seats, never mind two. She'd gone from babbling happily about the production to saying that she could wait till the next time it took to the stage. Even then Josef was a man of money and connections, the price of two decent seats were pocket change to him. He purchased the tickets and took them to dinner that night. He'd give them to Sarah just after she had finished desert. He'd never forget the smile on her face, or the excited laugh she'd let out when she'd open the envelope. She'd spent the rest of the night talking about how she simply couldn't wait the mere three days till the show. Josef was already very familiar with the story; he'd seen various productions of it countless times. In fact he could have easily gone the rest of his undead life without ever seeing it again, but he would go for Sarah.
On the night of the show he had arranged to have Sarah and himself picked up by town car, which would then take them to the theatre. He bathed and dressed, drawing a new suit for the occasion. This sort of affair was rather black-tie, peopled dolled themselves up to the best of their ability. The car arrived right on time, not a second late. In no time he was on his way. He was anxious, oddly enough. It wasn't as if he'd never been to a formal affair with Sarah before and usually Sarah was the nervous party. He always remained calm and collected a trait which Sarah openly teased him for. Within ten minutes the car was parked outside a small townhouse, living arrangements which Sarah had been given by her father. His driver had offered to go collect Ms. Whitley, but he gently insisted on doing the task himself. In little under a minute he was at her doorstep, knuckles rapping against polished door. It felt like an eternity before t he door opened.
"Oh my!" If he'd had a pulse his heart would have skipped a beat. Sarah was standing in the doorway, wearing one of the most innocent smiles he'd ever seen. "Charles Fitzgerald, no one is going to pay attention to the play. All eyes are going to be on you!" Sarah spoke solemnly, holding back a laugh. He knew that he was handsome, but he couldn't have disagreed more with her statement. If eyes were going to be trained on anyone, it would be Sarah. Her hair had been pulled up and back into a tight bun, silver clips on either side of her head. With the hair away from her face and off of her shoulders, it showcased her flawless skin. She was wearing a simple silver chain, which matched her emerald green evening gown. A new dress, which he'd never seen before. She looked like a goddess.
"Shall we?" Josef asked. Sarah nodded, turning for a brief second to grab a rather large fur wrap off of the meeting bench which sat beside the door. Josef took it from her, carefully arranging the item around her shoulders. Then he took her hand, gently guiding her out into the night. Once she had shut and locked the door behind her, the two were off.
Now the journey into the bustling downtown area was quicker than that of the trip of Sarah's residence. Still the woman had somehow managed to cover a surprising variety of topics. Everything from her fathers brief visit to how much her new dress had cost her. Though Sarah wasn't one to hog the limelight, She insisted on him re-telling every drab detail of his day to her. Unlike most people he knew, she listened quietly; almost like a child who was enthralled in a fantastical tale – even though his business ventures were nothing of the sort.
Once the they arrived there was a particular buzz in the air. They were something of a spectacle, a point of gossip. He had John Whitley to thank for that. The man was open about his dislike for his daughters 'male friend 'and the rumors spread like wild fire. While some woman had chosen to stay more traditional, Sarah didn't seem to care much about her father's disapproval. At least that was the mask which she hid behind. While she'd never said so to him, Josef knew that she'd had to care. She'd been so close. An only child, her parents pride and joy. She was strong, one of the many qualities which he adored.
As it would turn out, a business partner of his and a friend of hers were also attending the play. They'd stopped inside the red-carpeted lobby to chat for a moment but then an usher quickly whisked them off to their seats.
Despite having seen various re-tellings of the same story a handful of times before, Josef didn't complain – nor did he think about doing so. Every time he glanced over at Sarah she seemed completely engrossed. The emotions which were being portrayed on stage reflected themselves in her eyes. The show ran for almost three hours, not including the two intermissions. Only at one point did Sarah's attention falter.
Josef had acquired sought after box seats. The man who owned the local grocers and his wife were the other couple who had purchased the two extra seats. Having company wasn't a problem till the final act. During the final scene, where Juliet awakes in the crypt only to find her lover, Romeo dead, the woman beside Sarah had started crying. It wasn't quiet sobs either; it was as if a dam had broke. He and Sarah both exchanged awkward glances before she opened her small little clutch bag, pulling out a silk handkerchief. With a sympathetic smile she silently offered it to the woman, who was quick to snatch it up. It did muffle the crying some. He imagined the play had that effect on quite a few people. It may have been the lighting, but Josef could have sworn he'd seen Sarah's own eyes turn glassy at that particular scene.
Once the curtains closed the entire audience had risen to their feet –roaring with a deafening approval. The cast was brought back out to receive their applause and then began the painfully slow process where all of the people in attendance attempted to leave their seats and the theater at the same time. Instead of rushing with the rest, Sarah stayed seated in an effort to avoid the chaos. As the theater slowly emptied she'd quietly told him that this outing was one of the most memorable and that the crying woman hadn't returned her handkerchief. After they had a laugh she asked what he thought about the tale of Romeo and Juliet and how the play compared to the others that he had seen. It was a ten minute discussion, by the time it was done it was safe to get up, Sarah had tentatively put forth an invitation to return to her living quarters and share a bottle of champagne, despite the late hour.
Josef had hesitated at first, knowing he needed blood and that Sarah didn't know about his…condition. Still, he couldn't decline her offer. Little did Josef Kostan know it, but by accepting his loves offer he had put something in motion.
That night would be the most terrifying, yet happiest night of his entire life.