(disclaimer: The entirety of this work is purely fictional. I don't claim ownership of anything other than the writing itself & my OCs, & I'm not making any monetary profit from this work.)

(a/n: This story takes place in 2004.)

Chapter Seven

Serj

"The bathroom's just through here." I pointed to the wooden door on the wall that was adjacent to my bedroom closet. "There are clean linens on the shelf beside the sink."

"Okay, thank you," Arianna replied, walking towards my bathroom. She was still holding up her long, brown curls in one hand.

"You can just leave your clothes in the hamper if you want," I said. "I'll make sure they get washed."

"Alright," She flashed me a bright smile before softly closing the door behind her.

I stood there and listened for a few seconds longer, noticed that she hadn't locked the door behind her. I felt my cock throb in my pants as I heard the water turn on and I couldn't stop thinking about the naked Arianna currently in my shower.

I sat down on my bed and let the images of water glistening and bouncing off of her bare, luscious body overtake my mind; her supple breasts, thick, juicy rear, her wet…

Stop. I needed to focus my mind on the present before my desire overcame me and I tried to walk in there and take her in the shower. Hmmm, maybe she'd like that? Maybe…

No! What needed to be done now? The vomit on the living room floor needed to be cleaned up, but surely someone had already tended to that by now. Oh, I needed to go grab Arianna's duffel bag from downstairs. I assumed she had a spare change of clothes in it, and if not, she could always borrow something of mine.

I took in a deep breath before standing up so that I wouldn't get light-headed; the effects of the alcohol and weed I still felt very strongly. I didn't feel a bit sick, though. On the contrary, I felt elevated.

I exited my bedroom, softly closing the door behind me. As I drifted back down the staircase, the strong smell of bleach greeted my nose and I noticed a large dish towel had been spread over the area where Rachel had thrown up. I was careful not to step on it as I grabbed Arianna's bag and slung it over my shoulder. It had a bit of heft to it but wasn't very heavy in particular.

I started back towards the stairs, but then paused by the kitchen door. Shavo, John, Morgan and Daron were all seated around the island table. Shavo was pouring out four more shots and Daron was rolling another blunt.

"Aren't you guys all good and loaded by now?" A playful smile graced my lips as I took a few steps into the room.

They all glanced over at me.

"Now you know we keep going 'til we can't party anymore." Shavo replied with a grin. "You want another?"

I held up a hand. "Nah, no thanks. I'm good for right now."

"Pusssy," John teased, instantly reminding me of Arianna. I already missed being near her, even though we hadn't been apart for more than ten minutes yet.

"Yeah, yeah," I replied dismissively, chuckling. "Where's Rachel?"

"Pukerella's in my bedroom, passed out," Daron replied with a harsh laugh, seemingly no concern for her readable in his demeanor. He looked over at Serj. "Where's Arianna?"

"Upstairs." I answered bluntly. It was none of his business where she was or what she was doing.

"Mhmm," Daron nodded and returned his gaze to the task in front of him, which had switched to doing another line.

Damn, I had lost count of how many I had seen him do today, but then again, that was nothing new. Honestly, I was surprised that he wasn't waking up with nosebleeds every morning. It was one thing to indulge every once in a while like John and I used to do, or even still do it every so often like Shavo does, but to use every day and as often as he did was very saddening to all of us. The drug very deeply had its hooks in him. I had already reached and passed the point of feeling sorry for him, but I still desperately wanted him to get better. However, I refused to sit around holding his hand and telling him everything was going to be okay when we both knew that it wasn't. He needed help, more help than John, Shavo or I could ever give him. We had all tried to convince him of that for the longest time, but just as the old saying goes, you can't help someone that doesn't want to help themselves.

"Serj!"

I could faintly hear Arianna's lovely voice drifting down the stairs over the droll of the stereo coming from the living room and excited giddiness immediately overcame me.

"Uh, oh," Shavo said, his voice teasing. "I hear Virginia calling you home."

Smiling like an idiot, I quickly turned, headed back toward the stairs and up to my bedroom.

Arianna

"Ahh." I shut the water off and carefully climbed out of the shower. I'd used Serj's shampoo & conditioner, and felt so much better; not only because my hair was clean once again but because my entire being felt refreshed. I'd felt a renewing feeling ever since Serj had kissed me downstairs in the kitchen; I felt happy and safe whenever I was around him. I didn't know how else to describe the feeling. I still hardly knew him, but he exuded both protectiveness and kindness, two things I craved most in any relationship I was involved in.

I grabbed a towel from the cabinet beside the sink and wrapped it around my body, tucking it in the front, and then got a second one to dry my hair with. Afterwards it joined my soiled clothes in the laundry basket. My eyes searched Serj's medium-sized bathroom for a few seconds; white floor, walls, fixtures, but with black molding round the walls, door & black trim along everything else. It was an interesting color scheme, to say the least, and matched the living room downstairs. This was a big house, and I briefly wondered if all of the other bathrooms had this scheme going on, as well. Be kinder weird if they did. I was also a little surprised to find it extremely clean because, in general, most guys were not. I liked it, though. I was a neat-freak myself, so I could greatly respect his tidiness.

I cracked open the bathroom door to peer around his bedroom, but found it empty. Immediately I called out his name, fearful that Daron might "accidentally" stumble in on me. Even though I hadn't really known him long enough yet to make any judgments on his character on a personal level, I had seen and felt enough already to know he was the type that didn't like to take no for an answer.

I desperately ached to feel Serj's comforting embrace, so that I'd know I would be safe.

Leaving the bathroom door slightly ajar, I walked back over to the mirror in front of the sink and used my hand to wipe some of the steam away. The girl staring back at me looked almost foreign for a few seconds, like it wasn't even me. Never in my life would I have dreamed I'd ever be lucky enough to meet System of a Down, one of my favorite bands on the planet, much less party with them! Or that any one of them (especially Serj Tankian!) would ever show the least bit of interest in someone as plain as me. He was freakin' famous; people as fortunate as him got to travel around the world, drive expensive cars, live in fabulous houses and probably dated movie stars & supermodels!

My buzzed brain still didn't want to completely accept the fact that he seemed to like me just for me. Serj was so sweet; gentle, considerate and caring, maybe even the nicest guy I had ever had the pleasure of meeting in my entire life. I liked him, really liked him a lot. I was amazed at how much he had come to mean to me in such a short amount of time.

Noticing a few dark spots along my neck, I tilted my chin to get a better look. Hickies, of course. Why'd I have to bruise so easily? The sight of them flared something deep inside of me to life and I couldn't help the pleasurable shiver that tingled up my spine. There was absolutely no doubt that I wanted him, very badly. And I knew for damn sure he felt the same way about me. The thought of allowing him to make love to me tonight thrilled me to no end, but at the same time also terrified me to death. I did not want to spend a truly unforgettable night with Serj, and then yearn for nothing or no one else for the rest of my life. Should I try to cast my awkwardness aside and just go with it on this, possibly the one and only night we'd get to spend together, anyway? My body screamed yes, but my heart still wasn't so sure.

I was becoming more nervous by the second as I mentally weighed all of the pros and cons of the situation I found myself in, shaking my head from side to side.

Concentrate on your breathing. In-one-two, out-one-two-three-

I definitely liked him a lot, the feeling stemming far beyond just physical attraction, and I definitely wanted to make this a night neither one of us would ever forget. But what if in realty I was just being blinded by the alcohol, weed and my own overwhelming feelings for him? What if he didn't want anything more from me than just sex and all of his kindness was nothing more than an act, one that he was very experienced with using on naïve girls like me? What if he was just another sex-crazed guy like Daron, except a whole lot smoother in his wicked endeavors? My heart shuddered at the thought.

I closed my eyes and willed my restless mind back to a much more pleasant place, back to how nice he had been to me this entire evening. No, there was no way Serj was anything like Daron. or any of the other losers I had been with throughout my life. I could feel it in my heart, feel it every time he touched me tenderly, kissed me passionately, gazed into my eyes longingly, dreamily, as if he was intrigued by me, infatuated with me. Never in my life could I recall anyone looking at me with such passion in their eyes the way Serj did. Either he was one of the greatest con-artists I'd ever had the misfortune to come across, or he genuinely cared for me as much as I cared for him.

I softly trailed a finger from my cheek, across my jawline, down my neck and around the edge of my breast, consciously imitating the way he had touched me when we'd been dancing earlier. I ached to feel his fingers on my flesh again, knew that I wouldn't be able to keep these feelings bottled up throughout the remainder of the night. One could not simply ignore the incredible sensations he instilled in me whenever he was near.

Although I was scared to give this a try, afraid of all of the things that could go wrong, there was one thing I was definitely positive about: I wanted him, emotionally as well as physically; romantically.

You barely even know him!

I knew him well enough to know he was the most caring and kind man I'd ever met.

You've known him less than a day. Looks and actions can be deceiving; you of all people should know that by now.

I wanted to trust him with my whole heart, offer it up completely.

He'll use it up and then break it, just to throw you away like everyone before him has. Don't be fooled by his charm; you don't know him, which therefore means he cannot be trusted.

He'll love and cherish me! I could feel it every time he gazed into my eyes.

He'll stay with you 'til he gets bored, then move on to someone better. You're just a crazy country girl from Virginia, after all, nothing too special.

Shut up, damn you...That's not true.

Walk away, before you get hurt.

No, I can't…I won't! He already means too much to me.

Then stay, and suffer the consequences.

I slammed my hands down on the counter of the sink in frustration, wishing that the little girl petrified of the world & everyone in it that had dwelled in my heart since my early adolescence would just go away and allow me to be the woman I wanted to be. I refused to let my own fears sabotage me, not this time.

"Just breathe," I whispered to myself. "Take a deep breath and relax." I knew that I was overanalyzing everything and despised that aspect of my personality; it caused me nothing but grief. My upbringing had instilled in me the need to always remain cautious of everything around me, and especially every one. It was just in my nature. The funny thing, though, was that it seemed like no amount of caution had protected me from all of the previous damaging relationships I had let myself fall into.

A soft knock sounded on the door suddenly, startling me from my thoughts. I was very happy for that.

"Are you okay, Arianna?" Serj's voice drifted through the cracked bathroom door and it instantly seemed to soothe my nerves.

Glancing at the door, I noticed he hadn't moved it an inch, wasn't trying to be intrusive in any kind of way. I respected that. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be out in a sec."

"Okay. I got your bag for you. I figured you may have needed it up here with you."

What a gentleman, I thought with a smile. "Aww, thanks, how kind of you."

"You're quite welcome," came his reply. His voice was a bit farther away that time, as if he'd moved over to sit on his bed.

To my dismay, I started to feel very nervous again. I took another deep, calming breath and reminded myself that nothing had to happen that I wasn't comfortable with. Serj definitely didn't seem like the type of guy that would try to pressure a girl into doing something she didn't want to do. I adored that quality about him; how he always seemed to want to be very helpful, was naturally considerate and irresistibly loving.

He wasn't just any ordinary guy, though. He was Serj fuckin' Tankian, world-famous vocalist for System of a Down, and an amazing guy that was able to take my breath away whenever I gazed into his eyes or he simply uttered my name.

I quickly grabbed my green & black striped arm-warmer off of the sink's counter (thankfully, no vomit had landed on it!) and put it on. I may have been willing to show Serj my body, but I definitely wasn't going to let him see the ugly, self-inflicted scars strewn across the inside of my left forearm. Every time someone accidentally saw them, they always expected an explanation for why I'd want to do such a thing to myself. It was a story that I wasn't prepared to tell, not tonight. It was too depressing and definitely a buzz-killer. I wanted tonight to be just about us; no complications, just blissful fun.

Tightening the towel more firmly around my body, I took one last look at myself in the mirror, drew in a slow, steadying breath and then pulled the bathroom door open.

Now it was time to go give him my all, and make sure he'd never forget about me.

Serj

As I sat on the edge of my bed I could hear Arianna shuffling around in my bathroom. She had already got out of the shower, turned the water off and would be out any second. My sweaty palms made me realize how nervous I was at the thought of just being around her again. Not nervous in a bad way, though. I was just a little wary of making a mistake, even a small one, because I wanted to do everything in my power to impress her. Despite my nerves, I also reveled in the feelings she stirred within me. It'd been several years, if ever, really, since I had felt this strongly about a woman. I was very worried about how she would perceive my actions. Damn, I thought to myself, taking in a deep, steadying breath.

She was simply mesmerizing to me. I wanted to make slow, sweet, passionate love to her, stimulate both her body and mind to the point where we were both exhausted and couldn't go anymore.

But even with this nearly overwhelming urge to see her face writhed with exuberant pleasure and hear her sweet voice moan my name over and over again in ecstasy, my determination to prove to her that I wanted so much more than just her body was a stronger force still. She could tell me that she didn't want to have sex tonight, and I'd still care for her just as much. As long as I'd get to fall asleep with her cradled in my arms and wake up in the morning to her beautiful, smiling face, I'd be a very satisfied man indeed.

The solid fact that Arianna had completely over-taken both my mind and heart in less than twenty-four hours was absolutely exhilarating to me, and also a bit astonishing at the same time. I knew I was head over heels in love with her and the reality of it sounded crazy, especially to me. Pure insanity, because I suddenly realized that other than knowing her name, her hometown and that she was currently living here in California with a friend, I knew absolutely nothing else about her. Even so, I still yearned to tell her exactly how I felt about her. I just wasn't sure when or how. Definitely not tonight, that was much too soon. If I did, she'd probably think I was a creep telling a flat-out lie with the hopes of getting into her pants. I needed to wait for a while longer, at least until I was able to discover more about her. Although I was absolutely positive that there was nothing I could discover that could sway my feelings for her.

The door of my bathroom slowly swung open, causing me to instantly sit up a bit straighter. My heart was thundering inside of my chest.

Arianna stepped out of the bathroom with only a navy-blue towel wrapped around her body. It clung wondrously to her voluptuous curves and I couldn't control my gaze from trailing up and down her lovely frame. Her hair was damp and had lost some of its volume, but still perfectly framed her full, gorgeous face.

She took three or four small steps towards me, glanced down at herself tentatively, then looked back at me. "Somethin' wrong?"

"No, no, of course not," I said quickly, giving her a warm grin. "You're just…stunningly beautiful, that's all."

Her shoulders visibly relaxed a bit as she ran a hand through her hair and smiled brightly. "Why thank you, Mr. Tankian. You're not too bad yourself, you know."

A wide smile spread across my lips and I laughed lightly. "Thank you, Arianna."

She smiled again and her gorgeous, green eyes took on a seemingly mischievous quality. She started walking towards me slowly and my eyes were instantly drawn to the sexy sway of her hips, my brain mentally unwrapping that towel from around her body.

For a second her eyes darted down to where her duffel bag lay beside my feet and I immediately thought she was walking over to get it. I grabbed the strap and held it out to her.

Arianna took hold of the strap and sat her bag to the side. Giving her head a slow, slight shake, then tilting it slightly to the side, she gazed down at me for a few seconds with a quizzical glint in her eyes, as if she were studying an intricate painting. A small smile played on her lips and one of her eyebrows was slightly raised.

I don't know if she even realized how seductive the look she was giving me truly was. I fought the sudden urge to wrap her up in my arms and kiss her with everything I had, until neither one of us could breathe properly!

But my God, was it getting harder and harder to restrain myself!

I didn't want to be the one to initiate anything, though. I wanted to make her feel as comfortable as possible, and so I wanted to leave the choice entirely up to her. I would be completely happy to go along with whatever she wanted to do.

She laid a hand on my shoulder and gently caressed my cheek with her other.

My eyes closed and I softly put my hand on top of hers so that she wouldn't move it, wanting to savor the feel of her soft skin touching my own.

Suddenly, shockingly, amazingly, Arianna climbed on to my lap, straddling me, and my eyes flew open. My arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her torso as I looked into her hypnotizing eyes, gazed into her irresistible soul. What I saw there completely and irrevocably amazed me; kindness, adoration, seduction, maybe even love…

"Arianna, I…" For a second, the inhibition-stunting alcohol currently affecting my mind almost got the better of me, and I had almost let slip the three words that were on the tip of my tongue, desperate to break free. I love you.

"You, what?" She tilted her head to the side again, the action causing a few locks of her hair to fall forward.

I gently tucked them back behind her ear and let my hand rest on the side of her face. "I am constantly being surprised by you tonight and I love it."

Smiling widely, she giggled, and the sound of it warmed my heart. "I think I can definitely say the same thing for you too, Serj." She settled even closer to me then and I could feel the hot softness of her pressing against me through the thin material of my pants.

Arianna seemed to feel the sudden throbbing and constriction because she pressed her chest tightly against me and her lips sought out mine. Her kiss was soft and just a little bit timid, but filled with undeniable and overwhelming passion, much like the kiss we had shared earlier in the kitchen. Her lips on mine were so soothingly smooth and…innocent. I again resigned myself to go at the pace that she was comfortable with.

She moved both of her hands up to gently grasp the back of my head and tenderly sucked on my lower lip, causing a low growl to echo from deep in my chest.

Arianna bit down again, with a bit more force, and another moan escaped me. I couldn't stop myself from strengthening my hold around her and, very tenderly, grinding myself against her. Then it was her turn to let a small moan of pleasure float up from her core. The sound of it turned me on even more than I already was, and I craved more. I loved to hear her sounds of pleasure and suddenly got the strongest urge to go down on her. I wanted to taste her sweet desire and yearned to hear her wail out in ecstasy.

Patience. Patience is a virtue.

I settled for letting my lips trail down to her slender throat, gently nibbling the tender flesh there. Burying a hand in her damp hair, I kissed over to the other side of her neck as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. She wrapped both of her arms around my neck and pressed my face a little closer to her throat, thoroughly enjoying my gentle tongue and lips caressing her soft skin. Aha! I believed I'd found a hotspot.

I teasingly sucked in on the flesh of her throat and reveled in the insatiable moans it made her produce.

Running a hand through my hair again, I felt her muscles around me clinching and quivering. She rocked her hips against my own, already wet.

Still kissing and teasing the smooth, soft skin of her neck with my tongue, I ran both of my hands down her sides and took hold of her hips. I slowly grinded myself into her again with a little more force than before. The loud moan that escaped her excited my body, made my blood heat up, and I could feel myself getting harder and harder by the second. Good God, if only you knew just what you're capable of doing to me!

"Mmm, Serj," Arianna murmured, placing a gentle hand against my cheek once more. The feel of her rocking her hips back and forth into me was becoming more agonizing by the minute. "I want you to make love to me, Serj."

I pulled my head back to look into her eyes, carefully searching. "Are you sure?" My heart was jack-hammering in my chest and my groin throbbed wildly in my pants, but I needed to be absolutely certain that she wanted this, wanted me; that she hadn't said it because she was simply caught up in the moment or doing it because she thought that it was what I wanted. "I care about you, Arianna," I love you with all of my soul. "A lot." More than you'd ever believe right now. And we don't have to do anything that you don't feel comfortable with. I promise I won't be mad or upset. Are you positive?"

Her eyes searched mine intently for a few seconds and then a small, warm smile spread across her luscious lips. That playful, seductive glint brightened in her eyes. "I'm positive," she replied, hugging me closer to her firm body. "I trust you, Serj. You've made me feel more comfortable and beautiful here tonight than I've ever felt before, and I don't believe you'd ever do anything to hurt me." She raised a hand and rested it on the side of my face and I turned my head to the side slightly to kiss her fingers." I care a lot about you too, Serj, and I want you to make me yours, right now."

Arianna's words instantly calmed my concerns, made my heart swell with indescribable love and passion and soothingly warmed my soul. No, I could never, ever do anything to harm this incredible, beautiful woman in my arms. If she wanted it, I'd love and cherish her until the day I died; just the thought of it immediately instilled a foreign, pure, overwhelming and all-consuming happiness in me that I'd never experienced before. I loved the feeling, I loved her, and I'd never let anyone or anything try to stand in between us.

**This RPF is currently in a revision stage; chapters one through seven are finally completed! I'm now working on eight through fourteen. This story will most likely continue past chapter fourteen, that's just all I actually have written out right now. I will try to be more consistent with my updates because I don't plan on abandoning this story! And to anyone actually reading this, thank you, I love yah! 3**