Chapter Five:
"Arianna, are you sure you're up to this?" Josef called, adjusting his shirt in the mirror. Clubbing had never been a big thing on his list, but he thought he had managed to pull off the look quite nicely. He had chosen a deep red button down shirt with black jeans, and the elder vampire thought he looked quite handsome. All that remained now was his other half, who was taking much longer than he had ever anticipated. "Women." He murmured under his breath.
"I HEARD THAT!" Arianna called, bathroom door slamming shut. "You're not allowed to laugh."
Josef twitched his nose as the smell of perfume wafted into the room, and he turned. Had he not been somewhat accustomed to scantily clad women regularly occupying his home, his jaw would have made friends with the floor. A black dress made of fabric that seemed to catch the light and throw it back at you shimmered over Arianna's curves, leaving little to the imagination. Falling at just above the knee, the back flared out into a small train, allowing her ease of movement. With her hair and make up done, Arianna looked every inch worthy of being at Josef's side, and he made no attempt to hide that fact. "My dear, you look absolutely stunning."
"Why thank you." Arianna trilled playfully, reaching up and fixing Josef's tie.
Josef swatted her hand away gently, reaching up to fix it himself. "I have a method to these things. You must understand that."
Arianna rolled her eyes. "I'm sure." There was a loud knock on the door, and the vampire brightened. "They're here!" She hurried over to the security feed, grin widening as Mick and Beth's images flickered to life. "About TIME!" She leaned over, opening the door with all the excitement of a four year old expecting presents.
Mick smiled gently at the vampire, glancing over her shoulder at Josef. There seemed to be a silent greeting exchanged as Mick and Beth stepped over the threshold of the apartment. "You look lovely, Arianna." Mick took her hand gently, planting a courtly kiss on the ring there.
Arianna simply stared for a moment, before, "It took me TWO hours to get ready, and all you're wearing is a fancier coat. WHAT IS THIS?!" She threw up her hands in exasperation, starting back towards the inside of the apartment. "Beth, sweetheart, do you want something to drink?"
Beth frowned. "You have something other than blood here?"
"What makes you think otherwise?" Beth let out a little shriek as Josef appeared, seemingly out of thin air.
Mick shut the door with his foot, ushering Beth over to the expansive sofa. "Josef, don't do that." He scolded, giving Beth a reassuring pat on the shoulder before starting towards the kitchen. "Is the drink invitation still open?"
"Of course." Arianna smiled, handing Mick a tall champagne glass full of blood. Hurrying over to Beth, she set a glass of water down in front of her. "I'm sorry, it's all we had that was drinkable…"
Beth smiled up at the vampire. "It's okay. I understand."
With a smile in return, Arianna swept past the blonde, making her way into the bedroom where Josef had retreated to finish getting ready. "Darling?"
"Which shirt looks better?" Josef's voice sounded from the closet, and he emerged bearing three different shirts, the deep red one, a black one, and a dark green one.
"That one." Arianna indicated the green one with her free hand, taking a sip from the glass she held and pulling a face.
"It tastes odd, I know." Josef conceded, retreating back into the closet to put the shirt on as Arianna leaned against the bedpost, waiting. "Come here."
Arianna frowned, taking another sip quickly before setting it down on the bedside table and making her way to the closet. "Yes?" She let out a small gasp as Josef grabbed her shoulders gently, pulling her into a searing kiss.
A moment passed before he broke the kiss, grinning in a way only Josef could. "You taste like blood. AB positive."
Arianna nodded, somewhat amazed. "How-"
"I have four centuries to my name, my dear." Josef pulled his jacket on, flicking the light in the closet off and exiting. "What say we head out now?"
"I don't see any problem with it." She followed the elder vampire into the main room, where Mick and Beth were waiting expectantly.
"Are we leaving now, Josef? I swear, you take longer than these girls to get ready." Mick grinned wryly at Josef's reddening face. "I'm kidding, Josef. Calm down."
Beth jumped in. "Can we go now?"
Josef nodded, leading the way. "Certainly. Arianna, stay close."
They made their way down to the car, Arianna slightly confused. "Why?"
Josef opened the door for her, allowing her to slide into the convertible, before walking around and hopping over the door himself. "Lets just say…you're young. You're new to this kind of thing. I don't want you hurt."
Arianna smiled. "Okay."
Mick St. John couldn't remember the last time he went to a club to just have fun. The group had little difficulty getting in, due to Arianna and Beth's feminine wiles and the not-so-human nature of the males, and were now scattered across the dance floor. Thudding bass and flickering lights had become an object of fascination for Arianna, and the last Mick saw, Arianna was pulling Josef off through the crowd.
"Mick? Are you okay?" Beth had emerged from the crowd, bearing two glasses.
Mick nodded. "Yeah. Thanks." He smiled, taking the glass automatically and starting to take a gulp.
"Ah, wait!" Beth stopped him quickly, grabbing his wrist. "That's soda. Don't think you'd like it too much."
Mick paused, sniffing and nearly coughing at the bubbles that accosted his nose. "I see." He laughed, lowering the glass. "I suppose this is for appearances only?"
Beth smiled up at him, looping her arm through his. "Yeah, pretty much."
They stood there for a few moments in content silence before Mick spoke up again. "Did you see where Josef and Arianna got to?"
Beth shrugged. "Last I saw, they were dancing."
Mick turned to stare at her. "What?"
Beth nodded. "They were dancing. This is a slow song."
The vampire noted for the first time that night that the song was lacking it's usual techno beat and high bass, but that didn't stop his confusion. "They couldn't have been. Josef doesn't dance."
"OBVIOUSLY he does, Mick." Beth frowned. "Why are you so determined against this?"
"Because the Josef Konstantin I know wouldn't DO that!" Mick spluttered indignantly, starting out onto the dance floor.
"Wait! MICK!" Beth sighed in exasperation, following the determined vampire as he strode off towards the darkest corner of the floor.
The vampire stopped short, spotting the pair off in their own world. "Well, what do you know…"
"I TOLD you." Beth panted, smiling at the pair.
If anyone had told Josef that he would be slow-dancing with someone he fell in love with overnight, he would have called them a flaming liar and probably have threatened to eat them on the spot. But now, as he revolved slowly on the spot with the comforting weight of Arianna's arms draped over his shoulders, that didn't seem like something to do.
"Josef?"
"Mm?" The vampire glanced down at Arianna, a small smile crossing his face.
"I love you."
"I love you too, Arianna." Josef whispered, pulling Arianna into a tight embrace. He started as someone tapped him on the shoulder. "What is it?" He turned, letting out a yell as someone struck him across the face, sending him careening away from Arianna.
"Josef?! Who are you? GET OFF! GET-" She cut herself off with a moan of pain as whatever was attacking them got to her as well.
"ARIANNA!" Josef yelled, ignoring the screams of the other club-goers.
"JOSEF!" Her pained yell made his heart seem to try to claw its way out of his chest, and he dove forward blindly, gasping as searing pain shot through his arms.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you to be careful around strangers?" A female voice lilted in his ear.
"Bitch." Josef spat, letting out another yell as the female tightened something around his wrists. Something metal. Something…
"Silver." The voice purred. "That should keep you calm."
Josef never panicked. Not even when he was about to die. He panicked now. "You can't DO THAT to her! She'll DIE! She's too young!"
He bit back a groan as their attacker slapped him. "SHUT UP! She's not what I'm after! YOU are."
"You don't know me!" Josef burst out, crying out in pain as the attacker jerked on the silver chain again.
"No? Think about that, Josef." She wrenched him into the light, revealing her face to him for the first time that night.
It couldn't be. "Sara?"
A/N: So...yeah. I like how this is going. Tell me if you all agree!