Guilty Pleasure

[Markise Sterling]

www.mtv.com/videos/cobra-starship/230500/guilty-pleasure.jhtml
YouTube won't play it, damn them... Apparently the music publishers are REALLY protective.

From their place in the queue, Markise could hear the music thudding. His blood was awake and singing, ready to dance, ready to let go! He hadn't forgotten Anna; he chatted with her now and then, between looking around at the crowd and trying to keep the dancing to the minimum.

This was why he liked some of the other clubs so much; they already knew him, and more often than not he got to jump queue entirely. But he could wait. This was a new club, and he could wait. It'd mean no free water for a while, but he could handle that, too. Why should he spend his money if he didn't have to?

Markise checked his hood again, a compulsive habit he had whenever he came out to London. That, and constantly checking that he wasn't being followed everywhere from Hogsmeade to the club doors. Or the queue, when he had to wait in one.

"How are you doing?" Markise asked, turning back to Anna. His energy was barely contained and likely palpable for at least a few yards. He wanted to be in!

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna looked out from under her own hood, intimidation flashing across her face. "I'm nervous." She admitted, though it was more stating the obvious. Standing outside the club, hearing the music, wondering what was beyond the threshold, all made Annabelle's tension mount.

She had let the idea of tonight consume her since they'd decided to go. Getting ready had been an exciting diversion from her inner turmoil of the past few weeks. She'd never done much beyond lip gloss, and it had been so much fun having Markise give her a makeover. She felt much better about her appearance and clothing knowing that Markise had had a hand in deciding everything from her hairstyle to her shoes. Now that they were here however, it was taking all her concentration not to ruin her make-up by chewing on her lip out of nervous habit.

[Markise Sterling]

"You'll be fine!" Markise assured her. "I told you, I'll dance with you and everything. You're not here alone." His eyes flickered uncontrollably away as the line began to shift, then flickered back to Anna. "You're gorgeous, Anna," he assured her. The shift of the line moved back, and soon Markise and Anna were moving as well. Markise's excitement only continued to mount, but he resisted his usual club-queue behavior. Somehow he doubted that chatting up the nearest good-looking guy would go over well with Annabelle.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna blushed at the complement, still not entirely sure how to take such flattery from him. She was grateful for the movement of the line distracting attention from herself. Her eyes flashed ahead to the bouncer at the door and she leaned toward Markise. "You still haven't said how we're getting in. We don't have IDs." She had wondered how he was getting in originally, but hadn't given the logistics of it too much consideration until recently.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise blinked, and his tongue swept briefly across his lips before he turned back to Anna, hoping he didn't look as guilty as he felt. He could get in just fine. Of course, he had an I.D. It wasn't technically legal, but he was an adult in the wizarding world and it was ridiculous to be treated like a minor. He couldn't very well tell Anna that, not to mention that she didn't have an I.D. at all. Thankfully, he'd already thought it out. And it had worked last time.

"Just stick with me until we get up there. I'll talk to the bouncer, and you just go on through with the people in front of us, it'll be fine. Don't bother waiting for me until you're inside. No problem, right?" He gave Anna a hopeful smile.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna opened her mouth, about to say something against trying to sneak in past the bouncer but she thought better of it and nodded her head instead. She was completely out of her element and dependent on trusting Markise's experience in this scene.

She didn't like the idea of entering the club without him to cling to, but didn't see any other choice. Anna looked at the group ahead of them and hoped they would remain ignorant of the temporary addition when the moment came. She thought they looked friendly enough, but blending in unnoticed was far more appealing than trying to start a conversation with the strangers.

[Markise Sterling]

"You'll be fine, I promise," Markise said again. He waited until the group in front of them had started filing into the club, flashing their I.D.s en masse before giving Anna everything in a rush. "Stick to those two over there. Don't make eye contact with the bouncer, and once you're in the door, just wait for me." Markise slipped the tie on his cloak loose, leaving it balanced on his shoulders. "Go!"

The next few moments were, as always, a blur for Markise. He gave Anna a light push in the right direction, at the same time turning toward the bouncer. One pale, perfectly-manicured hand slipped free from his cloak, handing the bouncer his I.D. even as it pushed his cloak free. As the cloak slithered to the ground, Markise gave a practiced look of surprise and bent to pick it up, throwing a dazzling smile at the bouncer. Then he snatched his hardly-noticed card from the man's hands and proceeded inside.

He was dressed at his most glittering tonight, for countless reasons, but mostly for the fun of it. He wore a white version of the vest-and-trousers outfit he'd worn one night at Popstarz, and his hair was in perfectly tousled curls that framed his face and teased the back of his neck. His makeup was painstakingly applied, with smoky eyes and fruity-glossed lips. And glitter. A shimmer that highlighted his eyes and cheeks, his shoulders and even his abdomen, covered as it was. He was here with Anna, but he was going to be remembered as Angel.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

The whirlwind that happened getting into the club didn't give Anna much chance to chicken out. She was hardly aware at the hand pushing at her back or Markise's words as it all blended together. As she cleared the doorway and stepped through, she blinked, taking in the surroundings.

The others moved on without so much as a glace at her, leaving Anna standing just beyond the entrance alone. She turned back to the doorway, and was shocked to see Markise already just behind her. She looked him over with wide eyes, shocked at her own reaction to seeing him so made up. She had only seen it that one late night in the classroom but it had been nothing like this. "Wow, Markise. You look......great!"

[Markise Sterling]

Markise's lips curved into a smile of genuine pleasure that only widened as he approached. He lifted his arms and did a twirl for her, the motion pulling his vest up just enough to tease anyone who happened to be walking by. "I only get one night a week," he said when he'd stopped. "I can't waste it." He gestured for Anna to give him her cloak and turned to look for the coat room or whatever they called it here.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna's hands fumbled at her clasps but she managed to undue them by the time Markise turned back to take it. She handed it over a bit reluctantly while she glanced around at the others that were near. She self consciously smoothed her hands over her purple top and light jeans. With it's black belt creating an appearance of an empire waist and it's cropped sleeves, it was one of the few tops that were even remotely dressy.

While waiting for Markise to turn in the cloaks, she hovered closer to the wall, watching as the club-goers passed by. Markise hadn't been lying when he said everyone wore whatever they wanted. She spotted a group coming through the doors, with one of the guys wearing a piece of cloth that could hardly be considered a top and the tightest shimmering pants she had ever seen. Looking away quickly, she noticed others, some wearing jeans and tanks, others wearing various forms of glitter and beads.

[Markise Sterling]

"You look adorable," Markise said. Maybe not exactly what she wanted to hear, but Anna just wouldn't look right whored-up. He turned and exchanged their cloaks for tickets, tucking them deep into his hip pocket where they'd be safe. As much as he let guys get away with when he was in the mood, there were some places that were still off-limits and his front pockets were definitely off-limits. With that done, he turned back to Anna, a smile on his lips. "Are you ready to dance?"

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"As ready as I will ever be!" Anna smiled back automatically, unable to resist Markise's infectious attitude. She raised her hand to reach for his, but at the last minute remembered he wasn't one of her girlfriends from back home that would run down the street linking arms with each other. Anna wondered if he'd really take it, but instead she made like she was gesturing toward the floor. "Lead the way Markise."

[Markise Sterling]

Markise resisted rolling his eyes and lifted a perfectly-arched eyebrow instead. Then he swept past, taking Anna's hand as he went. He had no issues with doing so. It wasn't like any of the guys here were going to mistake him for straight and refuse to dance with him later. He'd told himself that he'd behave for Anna, but there was only so much control he could put over himself under the flashing lights and pulsing music!

There was no stopping the sway of his hips as he half-danced ahead of Anna, and no stopping the dazzling smiles and occasional winks that he threw to any guy who caught his interest. He'd get at least a few dances with someone besides Anna, and if he came back here, he'd like to be recognized.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna laughed at Markise's animations, following in his wake with good spirits. She reminded herself that she was there to have fun, and that she should enjoy whatever the night brought. Although she would never allow herself to sway her hips like Markise, she managed to make it look like she was happily following of her own free will.

By the time they'd weaved their way to the dance floor she'd caught at least one smile that she assumed Markise hadn't been flashing at her. She had tried to follow the direction he'd been looking, but by the time she turned it was impossible to tell just who it was aimed at. She wasn't sure why she wanted to know, maybe it was natural curiosity, or just that she had no idea what type of person Markise would go for.

There were plenty of different types of people there. Anna couldn't help noticing that several of the guys had caught her attention, not for their choice of apparel, but because they were handsome. It's too bad they're all gay. When they were facing each other again, Anna knew she couldn't hide the blush that had formed on her cheeks.

[Markise Sterling]

Anna's blush was unfortunately lost to the lights flashing in the otherwise dim club, but Markise could tell by the look on her face that she was flustered again. His hope that it hadn't been anything he'd done flickered and faded as a new song started. His grin was for Anna now, since she was his dance partner. He danced easier here than he had at the Bloody Mary. He didn't need to tone himself down, at least not as much. Still, there was a noticeable difference in the way his body moved to the beat. He was infinitely less self-conscious, and though he wouldn't have even considered any risqué moves in front of Annabelle, he let go quite a bit.