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Today’s raid was a big success, the crew was content… the real crew, not Bonnet’s “crew”. Possibly some of them were, but it doesn't matter. Izzy doesn't give a damn about them. Or Stede fucking Bonnet. However, he must convey to Edward the news regarding their new approximate revenue. That means he'll have to see and speak with Bonnet, and right now he'd rather lose... a finger? Or toe? Bonnet isn't really worth losing an entire limb for.
Izzy then takes a sip of his coffee while maintaining the appearance that he is still working on his forecast for the sales of expensive fabrics and jewelry.
Coffee is cold and bitter, just the way he likes it. It's also pleasant not to have to see the "crew" "working" on a "ship." Scratch the last one. The ship is beautiful, but Bonnet just has ruined it from the inside.
"Izzy, there you are!"
Izzy closes his eyes because his Bonnet-free, peaceful coffee break has just become a coffee break.
"I told ya he'd be there," Edwards emerges from behind Stede. He's overjoyed as if he's just been crowned King of England. "He's counting if we can feed them," Edward says, gesturing in the general direction of the main deck.
“Oh, there's no necessity for that at all! Of course, we can!” Stede dismisses the situation with a wave of his hand. And Izzy wishes the raid had failed so he could wipe Bonnet's smile away with the news that they are broke. That would be well worth going hungry for a while.
"It was a success, boss," he says to Edward, completely ignoring Stede. "We have been able to…"
But Stede interrupts him, saying, "Well, that's perfect! We need to have a conversation with you about some very important matters, Izzy. Please come.”
Bonnet is not his captain. So Izzy doesn't move. He glances over at his calculations for a moment before turning his attention back to Edward.
It is possible that Edward does not notice the pleading look on Izzy's face, or that he deliberately ignores it.
"You'll add the numbers later, Iz! C'mon," Edward says, a grin on his face.
Fuck. Izzy gulps down his coffee and follows his captain and Stede to the co-captains quoters. Stupid fucking name and idea.
"So, Izzy, while we were looting the other captain's quoters, we discovered..." begins Stede, but Edward interrupts him.
"Ballinvitatons!" It is impossible for Izzy to understand what he is saying, because of the speed and enthusiasm with which he speaks.
“A what?”
“Ball like fancy dancing people, and invitations…like…”
"Perhaps tickets?" Stede provides. So they're going to finish each other's sentences from here on out, aren't they?
"Sure, just like tickets!" Edwards says, smiling at Stede. Yup, that's what Izzy's new reality looks like.
"I'm familiar with the concept of invitations, " Izzy groans. He is not a moron. Also, invitations aren't particularly marketable? Perhaps if the appropriate buyer comes along?
"So, as I mentioned, we've found four invitations to a ball hosted by a Gentelmen named Sir Bénard..." Stede continues in his ostentatious, elitist, and overly eloquent manner.
"There are four of them!" Edward interjects yet again.
"Invitations, not Sir Bénards, to be precise. Well perhaps there are also four Sir Bernards..." Stede says, smiling.
"They might be a family," Ed adds, not even bothering to look at Izzy anymore.
"Oh, possibly brothers? Maybe quadruplets?"
"What's that?"
"It's like having twins, but there are four babies."
"You're takin' the piss, mate! That's not possible"
"It's a very, very rare occurrence."
Izzy is shifting his gaze back and forth between Edward and Steed, which is making him nauseous. This conversation is taking a strange turn.
"What about invitations?" They finally turn to look at Izzy when he says this.
"Ah yes, the invitations to the ball, and it's scheduled for tomorrow evening and...!"
He won't be able to locate a buyer in such a short period of time, but if... oh no ...
"And we'll be going" Ed is overjoyed.
Stede fucking Bonnet broke his Captain.
"Yes, even though I'm not familiar with this gentleman, we thought that we should go so that Ed could see what it's like to attend a French dance ball..." Blackbeard. At a ball. Blackbeard.
"Stede will bring the writing boy to document it!" Ed interjects once more.
It's more like a chaotic-information-exchange situation than ending each other's sentences. Somehow it's worse.
"Yes, Lucis will receive the invitation and will come with us." Obviously, they're taking Spriggs with them. He'll fit right in.
"That leaves us with the last invitation!" Ed is smiling at Izzy. Oh.
"Yes, and we talked about it!" Stede is also smiling at him. Oh no.
"You, Iz, you're coming with us!"
"We'd love for you to join us!"
They're both looking at him, smiling, as if they've just told him they discovered a buried treasure. Izzy wishes he had more coffee in his system.
"No," he states categorically.
“WHAT?” They say in unison. It appears they share not only a bed but also a brain.
"But Iz," Edward begins.
He says it again, "No."
"C'mon, we've got four invitations!" Ed's smile is starting to fade slightly.
"Then one will be thrown away."
"You cannot discard an invitation! That is in bad taste," says a scandalized Stede.
"And Lucius needs someone to pair with," Ed adds.
"Then bring along someone else. You've got a whole fucking crew!" Izzy is becoming increasingly annoyed. He despises the thought of making Edward unhappy.
"But no one else knows how to behave in high society," Stede declares.
"Neither do I."
"You do, Iz! You're always selling them our stuff."
"That's different!" Izzy retorts.
"Ed is right, you have much better manners than anyone else, and we don't have time to teach them."
With a clap of his hands, Ed declares, "It's set."
"I'm going to go tell Lucius," Stede exclaims enthusiastically as he dashes out of the room. He moves his hands too much when he walks. It's so…so… Bonnet, ugh.
"I'm not going to a fucking ball," Izzy says to Edward when they're alone, hoping that without Stede in the room, Edward will comprehend what he's saying.
"Come on, Iz, it'll be fun." Edward is giddy with delight. It's kind of endearing. But this is lunacy.
"It’ll not! And I'm not going," he reiterates.
"Iz!"
"No! I can keep putting up with dealing with Stede fucking Bonnet and his joke of the crew. But I still have my dignity, and I'm not going to sacrifice it because you want to go to a fucking party!" Izzy spits.
He doesn't hear when the doors behind him open.
"Balls are not undignified in any way! Everyone knows that balls are quite dignified, actually," Bonnet exclaims as he walks into the room with Lucius, who is writing in the journal. Lucius lets out a little laugh, which he tries to conceal with a cough.
"Exactly, Iz, and afterward we may raid them! Or even during! I'm sure we can get some fancy spoons!" Ed puts a hand on his shoulder.
"This is insanity! You've lost your fucking mind!" He's all set to leave. Fuck this.
"Izzy I know we had a rough start and aren't very fond of one other..." Stede begins in his most "diplomatic" (namely annoying) voice.
A cynical chuckle escapes Izzy's lips.
Stede does his best to ignore it and keeps going "However, this could be an opportunity to get to know each other better and patch things up. And if stealing spoons is what it takes for you to go with us, I will not object."
"How fucking gracious," Izzy says, rolling his eyes.
"Thank you." The genuine smile on Stede's face confirms to Izzy that he is dealing with an idiot.
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Kinda was," Lucius chimes in, continuing to write.
"Shut up!" Lucius fucking Spriggs with his comments.
"Come on, Izzy. I need my First Mate," Ed says with his hand still resting on Izzy's arm.
Izzy's brain is on high alert at this point. Fuck. Nope.
"Edward," Izzy says almost beggingly.
"And, as always, I need you by my side if something goes wrong. Lucius isn't much of a fighter," he says this while staring Izzy in the eyes. "No offense," he adds, waving in the direction of Lucius.
"No, you're right," Lucius responds, his gaze remaining fixed on the journal.
"Izzy," and it's between a request and a command.
Shit.
Izzy was going to go to a fucking ball.
Izzy closes his eyes and states through clenched teeth, "Fine, but only because those two are useless in a fight."
"Excellent! It will be spectacular," Stede exclaims and makes handclaps.
"Sure," Izzy replied mournfully.
"We still have a full day to go. So I'm going to teach Ed how to dance. And Lucius can teach you Izzy," Stead declares, and Lucius and Izzy both look at him. Izzy's neck made a popping sound due to the speed of the movement, and he swears he heard Lucius' neck do the same.
"I can't dance," Lucius exclaims panicked.
At the same time, Izzy declares, "I can fucking dance!"
They both look at each other. To be more specific, Izzy looks at Lucius. Everyone else is looking at Izzy.
"Oh," says Stenede in surprise.
"I've never seen you dance, Izzy," Edward says, looking at Izzy.
"Just because you didn't see me doesn't mean I fucking can't," Izzy snaps. All of the attention is making him uneasy. He should have kept his mouth shut.
"That could also work, I suppose. Izzy will teach you, Lucius," Stede exclaims joyfully after an awkward silence.
"I'm not teaching him anything," Izzy declares. Fuck all of that.
"Don't be ridiculous, I can't teach two people at the same time," Stede adds, waving his hand as if Izzy had just told him there was an elephant in the sea. "All right, off you go!" Stede says, opening the doors and motioning for them to exit. Izzy does not move. Lucius casts his gaze between Izzy and Stede and then walks out.
Izzy has his gaze fixed on Edward. Hoping it's a joke that hasn't been done before. A fuckery. But that's not what he finds. Edward is giddy with excitement. Izzy turns around and heads towards the door, but as he does so, another realization dawns on him as he steps through it.
"Wait, I'm not going to dance!" he exclaims, spinning around and looking at Edward.
"It's a ball! Of course, you are!" Edward chuckles when he says this.
"Best of luck!" And with that, the door shuts behind Stede.
Fuck.
"So where to?"
Izzy flinches. Lucius had slipped his mind. He shifts his gaze to the other pirate, who is holding the journal to his chest, and stares at Izzy with a sly smile.
"Wherever you want because I'm not going to teach you how to dance Spriggs."
Because he will absolutely not do that. Cause a) he isn't going to dance, and b) he isn't going to spend the entire day dealing with Spriggs.
"But the captain said..." Lucius seems surprised.
"I agreed to go, but I never agreed to teach you," Izzy replies as he turns around.
Perhaps there was some coffee left in the kitchen? If not, he will have to request another from Roach. There was no way putting coffee on the top shelf was to "keep it from becoming wet." But he's not going to ask them to move it to a lower shelf…
"It's the same thing!" Lucius exclaims.
'No, it isn't,' Izzy asserts, as he begins to make hir way to the kitchen. He's starting to feel a headache coming on. Coffee. Definitely coffee.
"Izzy, wait, I can't not know how to dance," Lucius' voice isn't becoming any quieter, so he must be walking behind him. How does this idiot manage to walk so quietly?
"That sounds like your problem," he says without turning around.
"Well, it's also yours because Blackbeard will be disappointed." Is it a sarcastic remark? Mockery?
Fuck. Izzy came to a halt without thinking about it. Lucius is, unfortunately, correct, and Izzy despises it.
He turns around with a groan. He was expecting a smug smile or laughter from Lucius, but all he gets is a wide-eyed stare.
"Fine, but we're not doing that on the main deck And you'd better learn quickly."
"All right," Lucius instantly nodded.
"If you say anything about it to anyone. I'm going to fucking gut you."
"Understood."
"Good."
They stand awkwardly in the corridor, surrounded by quiet.
"Wait, I will need to tell Stede and Ed"
Jeez, this kid is slow. How is he still alive?
"His name is Blackbeard or Captain," he says, and at this point it's automatic. It no longer bothers him nearly as much as it once did. "And I meant everyone else besides them."
If Lucius requires everything to be explained in such detail, this is going to be an excruciatingly long day.
"Right. Makes sense."
Hell. Izzy is in hell.
He must approach it as if it were a combat or duel. Let's go about it strategically.
"What's the biggest room on this joke of a ship?" Izzy asks.
"Biggest?"
And he needs everything to be repeated. Fucking great. Izzy is not going to get any sleep tonight.
"Yeah, we need a fucking floor," he explains with a grunt.
"I typically go with a bed, but anything you want," Lucius says slyly.
Izzy sighs and rolls his eyes. Lucius is never without a fucking comment to make. A "fucking comment" in the literal sense.
"A floor for dancing," he adds through his teeth. He will not allow Lucius to get under his skin. "Which one is the biggest?"
"Probably the captain's quoters," Lucius responds swiftly. The deepest tier of hell. "Right, but it's occupied." He must have seen the anger and resignation on Izzy's face. “So I guess the rec room." The what room?
"The what?" Izzy asks.
"The recreation room." Still no idea.
"Forget I asked. C'mon," Izzy says and begins to walk.
"Actually, it is that way," Lucius comments behind his back.
"Don't try my patience, Spriggs." His headache is becoming worse. And its name is Lucius fucking Spriggs.
"That would imply there is some to test," Lucius replies, then quickly adds, "Sorry, sorry! It's that way!"
Ugh. This was going to be his private hell.
He follows the younger man through the confusing network of hallways.
"What a fucking waste of space," Izzy comments as they reach the "rec room."
"It is kinda big, isn't it?"
They stand at the entrance, taking in the room.
It's best to get started right immediately. The sooner it's over, the better.
Izzy enters the room and begins to move toward the opposite wall while counting aloud, "One, two, three..."
"What are you doing?" Lucius follows him a few feet behind.
"Shut up... five, six, seven Okay, that'll do. The dance floor at the event may be larger, but it will suffice to teach you."
Strategy. It's a battle.
"What are these lines drawn with?" Izzy inquires as he examines the white lines on the hardwood floors.
"Chalk?"
He can make it work.
"Where can I find it?"
"In the box in the corner," Lucius says, pointing to a massive wooden chest adorned with gold etching. Fuckin' Bonnet.
"Hm, might come in handy when I teach you the figures," he asserts.
"The what…"
"Figueres! Focus Spriggs."
"I am!"
"A typical instrumental suite consists of four main dances: allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue. But, because Bonnet stated that it is a French ball, I'm sure there will be a lot of minuets," he's still staring at the crate, trying to figure out the best strategy.
"Could you repeat the names a little slower?" asks Lucius from behind him.
Izzy turns to face him. Lucius is scribbling furiously on a scrap of paper.
"Why are you taking notes?"
"I'm learning," Lucius continues to write.
"This isn't a fucking Sunday school! You learn to dance by dancing, not by taking notes."
"Right sorry," he says, continuing to write.
“Put that away!”
"Yes, right," Lucius finally places his paper and Stede's journal on the floor. He has flawlessly tidy penmanship.
"Allemande is almost always first in a suit, so we are going to start with it."
Izzy unbuckles his sword.
"What are you doing with your sword?" Lucius asks, his voice panicked.
"Do you want me to stab you?" It's quite tempting.
"What? No!"
"Exactly, you don't dance with a sword, moron!"
"Oh."
Izzy looks around while holding his sword. There aren't many places to put it. He is not putting it on the floor. He feels he has been standing there for too long, so he walks over to the crate and places the sword on it.
Should he remove his vest? It would be more comfortable. But he's with Lucius, so it's a bad idea.
When he turns around, Lucius is still standing in the same spot.
"Are you just going to just stand there?" After asking the question, he walks to the center of the room.
"No, right!" Lucius dashes over to Izzy.
Strategy. Think strategically.
"Stand up straight," Izzy instructs.
"I have back issues!"
"Keeping you from standing up straight?"
"No?"
"Then straighten up! You can't slouch when dancing!"
Lucius does improve his posture.
Izzy had grown accustomed to people being taller than him. But fuck! It's annoying that Lucius is as well.
It's time to fucking begin.
"Every dance begins with a bow, so that's where we'll begin. You need to stand with your feet like this," Izzy demonstrates, "and then you bow like this."
He bows.
"Who would have guessed, Izzy Hands bowing before me," Lucius chuckles quietly.
Izzy straightens up so quickly that he will soon be the one with back problems. Fucking Lucius Spriggs
"I'll throw you overboard and tell everyone you danced yourself into the sea," Izzy hisses.
"That would mean you'd have to admit to dancing with me," Lucius says with his typical smugness.
Fucking twat.
You're doing it for Blackbeard.
You're doing it for Blackbeard.
Izzy exhales deeply.
"Shut up and bow, Spriggs!" he mutters through clenched teeth.
"Usually, guys kiss me first, but I'll make an exception for you," Lucius bows, adding, "should I call you daddy next?"
Izzy lets out a surprised huff. He swallows. Fuck.
"Fuck you, and you're standing wrong," he says, trying not to sound bothered.
If Izzy had to be honest, Lucius isn't doing anything wrong. However, Izzy is becoming increasingly hot. Daddy repeats itself in his mind. Fucking Lucius fucking Spriggs
"So, like this?" Lucius bows once more.
Izzy says, "Yes," but his voice is scratchy, so he clears his throat.
Izzy takes a look around the room. He is definitely not trying to avoid looking at Lucius.
"We'll start with..." What's the best way to go about it? "I'm going to show you the entire dance first, and then we'll go over it step by step," he decides.
"What's about music?"
"What music?"
"We have no music."
"We don't need it."
"But is a dance!" Lucius exclaimed in surprise.
Izzy lets out a sigh. "Yes, but we don't need it. You only need to count the steps. You can count, right?"
"Of course, I can," Lucius says, rolling his eyes.
"Great," Izzy snarls, sighing again, "so move over and watch."
Izzy adjusts his position.
There goes nothing. It’s been quite a while. Let's hope it's not something you forget.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two..."
Although it has been a very long time since he has danced, his body still seems to remember all of the steps.
"What's with this arm thing?" Lucius asks, interrupting him.
Izzy stops.
"That's where you hold hands with your partner"
"Oh, I didn't realize people touched each other during."
"Allemande is an exception."
"So you went with the one where we have to hold hands? You could've just asked." Lucius gives him a wink.
"It's the first in a standard suit," he says through his teeth. He did not choose it for any other reason. He did, didn't he? No! It is a strategy.
"Tell yourself whatever you need to feel better," Lucius says with a grin.
Izzy frowns. The sooner it is over with, the better.
"Any other comments, Mr. Spriggs, or can I go on?"
"That's all."
"Excellent."
Should he start at the beginning? He decides to do so.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, one two three..."
This time, Lucius does not interrupt him, and he completes the entire dance smoothly.
It was nearly perfect. He has missed one step. But Lucius will never know, so it doesn't matter.
He looks up at Lucius, who is staring at him with wide eyes.
He knew what was coming.
"What, no snarly remark?"
"No, actually. It was..." Oh, here it comes, "absolutely wonderful and graceful."
And there it is... wait, what?
"You're an excellent dancer, Izzy!"
Why is he feeling hot? Probably because of all the dancing?
"When people receive compliments, they usually say thank you," Lucius adds.
"I don't want or need your compliments, Spriggs. Get your ass over here, so we can begin.”
Lucius smirks and says, "You could have at least bought me a drink first," while simultaneously positioning himself in front of Izzy.
Fucking Lucius fucking Spriggs.
"When did you learn to dance?"
"It's none of your concern, Spriggs."
"Kinda is, though."
“We are not having a tea party where we tell stories about our personal lives, so no, it isn't.”
"All right, just curious."
Izzy groans.
"I'll show you the first four steps, then we'll do them together. Then you do them on your own while I watch."
"It costs extra to watch"
What if he gagged Lucius? He can learn without using his mouth at all.
They proceed in accordance with Izzy's plan. And much to Izzy's astonishment, Lucius picks up the steps quickly and is able to perform them accurately after no more than three attempts.
"Good. we can move on to the now next one," Izzy makes a decision just as Lucius completes the first sequence he has been repeating, for the fifth time.
"Finally!" Lucius breathed a sigh of relief.
"I've changed my mind. Again, twice"
"Are you fucking serious?"
Yes, yes. If Lucius intends to make things difficult for Izzy, Izzy will make things difficult for him.
"Did I say twice? I meant three times," he snarls with satisfaction.
"All right, all right!"
When Lucius completes the final step, he makes no comment. And Izzy considers making him do it twice more, but decides against it because Lucius still has a lot to learn. Izzy, on the other hand, would really like to sleep tonight.
“Okay, so next part.”
"Wait, what position am I in?" Lucius inquires before Izzy has a chance to demonstrate it.
"What?"
"Oh, I don't mean this kind of position."
And prior to him saying that, Izzy had been considering a position as either standing, sitting, or whatever. But his mind is now flooded with multiple and diverse images. Fucking Lucius! Or more like Lucius…fucking… no no no.
Lucius is smiling as he looks at Izzy.
Izzy sincerely hopes that Lucius can't decipher his thoughts from his facial expressions.
"I meant, am I dancing as a woman or a man?" Lucius speaks innocently.
"Are you a lady?" That appears to have caught Lucius off guard, as his grin fades slightly. A point for Izzy.
"No," Lucius says slowly.
Izzy now holds all of the cards.
"Then it's a good thing I'm fuckin’ teaching you the men's steps."
"But how are we going to dance at the ball?"
"What?"
Izzy just lost every single card he had.
"How will we dance if we both do the steps of the men? Do you know the one for women?"
"They're nearly identical, just mirrored..." Wait. And then it hit him: "We're not going to dance as a pair!"
"Yeah we will, we're going together." Lucius appears to be genuinely perplexed.
"We're going as a group! Not together! We'll each find dance partners. Dance partners who are women. And if we're lucky, there won't be enough, allowing us to skip a few dances."
"Oh," Lucius thinks for a moment, "but how will I practice the parts for two people, like holding hands?"
"I'm fucking going to practice them with you!"
"So we're going to be holding hands after all," Lucius winks.
"Shut up, Spriggs"
They go through two more sequences before getting to the handhold part.
"You must now take my hands in this manner."
He takes Lucius' hands in his.
"Your hands are icy." Lucius pauses for a second before saying, "Well hand, not hands."
"And you only have nine fingers. Are there any more facts that need to be stated?"
"Just some food for thought. Is it really necessary that you wear this glove?”
“Yes, fuck off”
He places Lucius in the proper position. His hand feels warm against Izzy's bare hand. It's too delicate for a pirate. Lucius’s hands are soft, delicate, and warm with almost no calluses. Focus.
"And one, two, three, four, five," Izzy comes to a halt. "Why are you using your left hand?"
“Did I? Sorry, it just seems more natural."
"More natural?" What the fuck does that mean?
"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm left-handed."
"I don't bother looking at your hands, Spriggs!"
"Your loss, as I was told they are quite nice."
Izzy realizes he is staring at Lucius' hands. Fuck. When he returns his gaze to Lucius's face, he is greeted with a sly smile.
"Artist and all," Lucius says as if he's talking about the weather.
"Remember that it's always right."
"A compliment? Thank you very much."
"Right hand. You always start with your right hand"
"Actually, my left one is said to be better. But perhaps I just need more practice.”
How is Izzy supposed to deal with it for another four dances?
"Fuck you, and just do it the right way," he sighs.
"That would take me about 20 minutes unless you mean the right, right way, then about 40."
Twenty minutes?
"What?" Izzy asks, his brow furrowed.
"To fuck myself."
FUCK. DO NOT VISUALIZE IT. DON’T … Too late.
"Oh Jesus," It comes across as less annoyed than he intended. The images flood Izzy's mind. FUCK. He tries his hardest to make his voice as venomous as possible, "are you going to be like that all the time?"
"Like, like what?" Lucius inquires, innocently.
"Like..." Izzy makes a pointing motion toward Lucius as he searches his mind for the appropriate word. "You know what?" he declares, throwing his hands in the air, "fuck that and fuck you."
"Is that an offer?"
Izzy closes his eyes. He is at his wit's end, and Lucius is really pushing him to his breaking point. And Izzy could kill Lucius here and there. And he should. However, it is Ed's new pet's pet.
"Oh, Izzy, are you getting flustered because of me?"
Okay, that's it.
"I am done," he announces, and he is.
"But, we didn't make it all the way through the first dance."
"I don't give a fuck. Go cry to Stede about it."
He begins to make his way towards the door.
"Wait, Izzy, fuck no, sorry," Lucius says as he follows him.
"Fuck you!"
"I'm sorry! Please don't leave. I'm going to shut up!"
Izzy pauses. Not because of Lucius. He'd forgotten about his sword.
As he maneuvers around Lucius in order to reach the crate, he growls at him, "No, you will not."
"How about we place a bet?"
Is Lucius still talking while Izzy is holding his sword? Is he wishing to die?
"If I don't get the whole thing right, I'm going to shut up. If you want, you can even gag me." Lucius states.
"I only showed you four steps, which a child could do."
"When I say "the whole thing, I mean the entire dance"
"I didn't teach it to you."
"I saw you dancing it."
"Once."
"Then it's an easy win!" Lucius says with a smile.
"So, why even bet? You can go ahead and shut up right now."
"You don't want to know what would happen if I won?"
"You would not."
"All right then."
Fucking Lucius and his mind games. Izzy is curious now.
"What?" He snaps.
"I'll ask you for something, and you'll have the option of saying yes or no."
"Ask me for what?"
"I thought it was going to be an easy win?"
"Yes, it is!"
"So you don't have to worry about it. And you have the option to decline it."
"Your bet is illogical! If I win, you'll shut up. And if you somehow win, I won't do anything you want."
"Are you afraid that you are going to lose to me?"
"You can't tell your left from your right!"
"Then what are you afraid of?"
“I am not afraid!" Fine! At least you'll finally shut up!”
That was intense. He can feel his blood pulsing in his veins.
"May I have this dance?" There's no mockery in Lucius' voice. It seems to be the kind of question that anybody could ask. "Will you be my dance partner?" He holds out his hand to Izzy. Waiting for an answer
"That wasn't part of the deal," Izzy sneers. His anger subsided slightly.
"I know, but it seems easier when there is another person dancing with you and you can actually do all the moves properly."
Oh, he's picked up on what Lucius is up to.
"You won't win if you try to copy what I do. There are far too many steps that you don’t know."
"So if I try that, I will lose," Lucius shrugs. "Again, an easy win."
"Fine!” Fucking idiot, of course, he'll try to imitate Izzy's steps. “Everything for you to just shut up!"
They take a bow and begin.
Lucius, surprisingly, does not fall short of the mark. So far, he hasn't made any mistakes.
Perhaps he isn't quite as stupid as he appears. Could he really pick it up from just watching it once?
Wait! When he was demonstrating it, Izzy missed that one step... so how did Lucius learn to do it…
OH!
"You fucker!"
"What's the matter?" Lucius inquires, not stopping.
"You can fucking dance!"
"Of course, I can!" They're holding hands now. Lucius has a wide smile on his face.
"You said you fucking couldn't!"
"I just didn't want to have to teach you. Darling, you've lost your rhythm."
"Darl..." Fuck. Which number were they on?
"Too much thinking, not enough counting. One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and there you have it"
Why was Izzy still dancing?
"You're thinking too much," Lucius chuckles as he leads Izzy through a pirouette.
"That's much better."
At this point, they were nearing the end.
"By the way, you're an excellent dancer. But you're good at a lot of things."
Izzy's mind has stopped working.
"Last steps," Lucius adds, before whispering: "remember to bow"
Izzy choked back a moan that was about to escape his throat.
Fuck.
Then it's over. They take a bow. And just look at each other. And Izzy feels extremely warm. It must be adrenaline. He was absolutely not getting aroused, as a response to the fact that he danced with Lucius fucking Spriggs.
Was he?
"So I won," Lucius says, taking a step closer. Fuck! That fucking bet. Izzy had forgotten about it.
Izzy takes a deep breath and swallows. He should have wanted to argue, to tell Lucius that that was cheating and that it was not binding.
"So I get to ask you for something," Lucius says and takes another step.
Izzy is completely still. He can only stand there and stare at Lucius.
"And you have the option to agree or disagree."
Yet another step. Izzy was within touching distance of Lucius.
"Is that clear to you? That you can refuse?" Lucius kept his gaze trained on Izzy's face as if he were searching for something.
Izzy can feel his head nod in agreement. He's free to refuse. But what will Lucius ask for? He's staring at his lips, fuck. Look away from his lips!
Lucius takes another step forward.
In normal circumstances, Izzy would never allow him to get this close to him. His face is only a few inches away from Izzy's. And Izzy is forced to look up at him. And he ought to despise that, considering how much he detested having to look up at other men. He doesn't mind, however, looking up at Lucius.
"What do you want?" And it should be threatening. It should have a "fuck off" undertone to it. But it almost sounds like a plea. Izzy's voice is heavy and husky, and he didn't mean for it to be that way. He can smell Lucius and feel the heat radiating from him.
And Lucius leans in closer, just an inch or two away from Izzy.
“Kiss me”
Inside Izzy's head, the words "kiss me, kiss me, kiss me" keep playing over and over again like an echo. And the other voice, the one that was yelling "you will say no to whatever he asks," is lost somewhere in the back of his mind. It isn't a command. Lucius's voice was gentle. But he has the impression that he has just been given an order that he cannot disobey. Or perhaps he just doesn't want to.
His body moves on its own accord.
And he's kissing Lucius. His eyes closed. Taking fistfuls of Lucius's jacket and pulling him closer. And it's aggressive. And Lucius returns the kiss but does not open his mouth. After that, Lucius's hand runs through his hair. Then a sudden yank on his hair causes him to moan into the kiss. And he should be ashamed. But Lucius makes the most of the opportunity by slipping his tongue into Izzy's mouth. And at that moment, Izzy feels his heart skip a beat. How much time has passed since the last time someone kissed him?
His thoughts fade away, and he is instead consumed by the sensations. He feels a wave of warmth enveloping him. He clings to Lucius as if he were the only thing that could save him from drowning. The agony that is on the back of his head and the pleasure that is in Lucius' mouth blend together.
And then Lucius pulls away from the kiss. Izzy groans in frustration at the unexpected loss. He wants more. Needs more.
Both of them are panting heavily. But he doesn't care. Trying to pull Lucius back into the kiss, But Lucius places his palms on Izzy's chest, and he's pushing him away ever so slightly. Izzy finally decides to open his eyes. He is greeted by the kind, smiling eyes of Lucius, who is studying his expression. Pupils blown. And Lucius, oh my god, he's stunning. A delicate smile, with his lips swollen and red.
"Are you sure?" It's so soft that it almost sounds like a whisper.
And Izzy doesn't understand. Yes, he's fucking sure. But no one had ever asked him that question before. Everyone just took. And then he realizes he doesn't know. It's too much. He feels lightheaded. As if he's drowning. Why isn't Lucius simply taking?
Lucius makes a move to back away. And Izzy does not want that.
Is he sure?
"Yes," he says, his tone being harsher than he intended. His throat is rough as sandpaper. And Lucius stops, but he still doesn't kiss him. He is searching Izzy's face for something. Studying him for what seems like an eternity.
Izzy swallows hard. Has he made a bad mistake? Was it all an elaborate hoax?
Lucius's face lights up with a big smile. And it's not a sarcastic smile by any means. Lucius then leans in. So Izzy closes his eyes. But Lucius' lips do not meet his. Instead, Izzy can feel a soft breath next to his ear. He feels a shiver run up and down his spine.
"Well, if that's the case, I guess we're free to take a short break from our dance class."
That causes Izzy to open his eyes. Before he can say anything, Lucius cups his cheek gently with one hand. His thumb brushes up against the X tattoo on Izzy's cheek. Izzy leans into the sensation. And Lucius leans in slowly, stopping when their lips are only an inch off from each other when they are breathing the same air.
"But after that, I really do need you to teach me that minute dance," he whispers. Izzy feels Lucius's breath on his lips.
The words don't click into place until after a second has passed.
"Minute…" His voice is trembling and breathy. What? Oh. "Minuet?”
"That one, I honestly don't know that one," Lucius' voice is filled with a smile.
"You better be a fast learner Spriggs." Before he even has a chance to process what he is saying, the words have already left his mouth. And by that point, it is already too late to stop them. In his head, he screams. Fuck why are you calling him by his last name? He should simply say yes and leave it at that. He ruined everything.
"I said after," Lucius murmurs against his lips before kissing him.