We've Got Tonight

Sunday, July 11th, 2010 9:59PM

"If you'd taken any longer, I would've been late, you know." Mia reminded Darren.

"Hey, but I didn't so you weren't. You're welcome." Darren smiled sweetly up at her. Mia laughed, but she still rolled her eyes. Every time she did that, laughed, Darren felt himself slipping more and more. Soon he'd be falling, he knew.

Mia's hand in Darren's was lose weight, but her grip tightened when she caught sight of someone she knew. The man was tall and thin, with vampire pale complexion and messy hair. Scrawny, Darren thought, he could take him. It reminded Darren of the kids he'd gone to high school with. The smart asses who never really studied or showered or bothered to show up and not sleep in class.

Darren leaned towards her. "Is that him?"

"Yeah," she whispered, reaching a hand up to play with his hair. Darren knew it was for show, but he couldn't refrain from leaning into the touch. "Should we go talk to him?"

"I don't know, looks like he's with someone." As soon as he'd said it, Darren wanted to take it back. It was like he was rubbing it in Mia's face. Her face that looked sad and then bitter.

Spontaneously, Mia pressed her lips against Darren's. "Let's go," she hooked Darren's arm into hers. "I'll introduce you." Taking a deep breath, Darren followed her as they maneuvered their way through tables of people over to Garrett. Darren would've reprimanded her for breaking the second rule, but Mia had her game face on.

The first person that noticed their presence was the girl he was with. Perhaps Garrett would have been more observant if he wasn't trying to eat her neck. Darren started forming his argument of how Garrett was in fact a vampire. He planned to amuse Mia with it later. The girl cleared her throat and squeezed Garrett's arm. When he saw Mia, his face showed surprise and maybe a bit of regret. But, he also looked cocky, as if his eyes were challenging her to top what she'd just seen. Darren caught the message, placing his hand protectively on Mia's lower back.

"Hey Mia."

"Garrett." She regarded him coolly.

"Is this the 'serious boyfriend' you were telling me about?" He used air quotes around the terms as if they were a joke to him.

Mia didn't bother humoring him. "This is Darren. Darren, this is Garrett." At first Darren considered saying he'd heard a lot about him. But he didn't want to give this guy the satisfaction, so he just shook his hand and gave him a brief hello.

"This is my girlfriend, Audrey. She works down at the music store a block from the apartment.

Audrey nodded happily, "the one with the collection of vintage guitars. It's where we met."

"You know the place Mia."

She gave them a forced smile. "Right. How nice for you both."

"I know you play the bass for Garrett's band," Mia had to restrain herself from correcting her. It wasn't "Garrett's band." It was a band that Garrett was in. "But, how do you know Darren?"

"A friend set us up." Darren supplied. "Uh, it looks like they're going to get started here soon," he gestured to the stage where instruments were being placed and tuned. "So, we should really be getting back to our seats." Mia smiled thankfully at Darren for the escape.

"What'd you think of her?" Mia asked once they'd found a table.

"Too much eyeliner and her boobs are smaller than yours." That earned Darren a light smack on his shoulder.

"I'm serious. Look how happy he is with her."

"So? Who cares?" Darren asked softly, moving Mia's hair from her face. Sometimes he felt like the only one holding up their end of the deal.

"I care."

"Why?"

She made sure his back was turned to them. "Because maybe I'm not as over him as I thought."

"Then I will help you get over him." Darren promised, cupping his warm hands around the back of her neck. "Tonight it's you and me, okay?" Mia nodded. "And it's going to be fucking awesome. Everyone will think that we are so happy together, because that's how great it's going to be." When Mia turned for another glance to Garrett, Darren shifted into her eye line."The greatest. And Garrett will feel like shit for picking Audrey instead of you. Then when he's sorry, you'll be so over him that you will get to tell him no and let him suffer. Okay?" Again Mia nodded, giggling a little this time. It was cute how he'd get so worked up over something like that. "I'm going to kiss you now." Darren warned quietly, before leaning closer to seal together their lips.

"Thank you." Mia whispered, her forehead still warm against Darren's.

He grinned at her. "Just doing my civil duty, because no one should date a vampire," he began mock singing, which started up more of Mia's giggling. "You're life isn't a Twilight satire." She started laughing harder, burying her face into the crook of Darren's neck. He let his hand smooth down her hair, coming to rest on her back. "Thank you, I'm here all night, folks."