Chmergess One-Shots

Chandeliers and Caviar

Chandeliers and caviar, the war can't touch us here.
-Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812

Mentions of World War II/Holocaust, but nothing graphic

"I just can't believe what those Germans are doing. It's...it's madness." I heard a man tell the bartender as I sat down at the bar.

"Excuse me." The bartender said as he turned to me. "What can I get for you?"

"Just a Manhattan, please." I said and put some money on the table.

"Alright." Just for show, the bartender flipped the whiskey bottle behind his back and caught it with his other hand. I will admit that it made me laugh a bit.

"Manhattan?" The man next to me asked. I turned around to see quite the handsome man.

"Yeah, my father's favorite."

"So I'm guessing that makes it instantly your favorite, huh?" He smiled and took a sip of whatever drink he had. The most I collected was that it was probably a martini of description, considering the glass.

"Of course it does." I smiled and thanked the bartender as he handed me my drink.

"Well, let me introduce myself." He moved one seat closer to me. "I'm Valentin, but you can call me Val."

"Hello, Val. I'm Sharna." I smiled.

"A pretty name to match a pretty face. Tell me, Sharna, what brings you here alone? Because you're definitely too pretty to not have a date."

My goodness, he was smooth.

I swallowed a sip of my drink before answering. "Actually, I don't have a date. Can't even remember the last time I had one." I chuckled dryly. "Um, but we could say I'm here for one drink and maybe some dancing. I'm a bit worried at the moment."

"You and I both then." Val muttered looking into the bottom of his glass, where all that remained was the two olives that were skewered onto the stick that was perched in his glass.

"What?"

"I said that we're both a little worried." Val raised his hand for another drink. "My brother...he's, he's out fighting, and it's just...nevermind." Val shook his head and basically downed half of his second drink.

"And you're scared he might not come back." Val looked up. "My cousin is fighting, too. Probably alongside your brother, if I had to guess." Val just nodded. We shared some quiet smalltalk past that. I finished my Manhattan, and paid for it. Just as I was about to leave, Val grabbed my hand.

"What did you say about dancing?" He asked with a wink. I smirked, and Val grabbed my hand. He paid for his drinks and led me to the dance hall that was connected to the bar. He whispered something in my ear, but I couldn't tell what it was as we both started swaying to the beat. The band was at top volume, and everyone seemed to just be dancing. They were in the moment, they were dancing to forget, and I guess so were we. The chandelier suspended above our heads began to rattle to the bass, the individual crystals projecting different refractions of light onto the walls. Smoke filled the air as the music slowed down, and drunken men starting dancing with tipsy ladies. "May I have this dance?" Val asked. I took his hand as he led me out to the middle of the dance floor. Alcohol was being spilt around our toes as dance hall began to get more and more crowded, but we didn't mind.

The room seemed to flush a golden amber shade as the music began to speed up again, and a waiter started coming around with skinny glasses of champagne. The waiter dodged partnerships and soloists, but he still seemed to carry himself as if this music was flowing through his veins. He didn't even make it halfway out to the floor when he discarded his tray. A different waiter took his place and had glasses of vodka this time, to offer. Val took one for the both of us, and as the transparent liquid touched my tounge, my world became a sort of silver. Everything seemed to sparkle; from Val's eyes, to the chandelier, to the caviar dishes on the table that neither one of us could afford. Everything in that moment was pure.

"The war can't touch us here." Val whispered in my ear as the music slowed down again, and he asked me for one more dance.

~~~~~

A/N: I really like this one! Imagery queen, @SpicyTaritos, Tara, how did I do with the imagery?

Well, I hope you all enjoyed it!