Part 40: Thinly Veiled

                                    

                                          
"Okay, good news is we've got all the steps down." Toxic announced hopefully.
                          
Galaxy Girl sighed in relief. They'd been working on the Paso Double for nearly 2 hours now and her legs were sore from all the split positions he'd been pulling her into. This was yet another dance they couldn't perform with his gloves on, so that meant there could be no separation on the dance floor, and considering the nature of the dance, that was quite a headache to work around.
                          
"Good, my legs are killing me. It's such a funny thing to feel this kind of pain." She said, rubbing the back of her thigh. "Splits will be the death of me." 
"You think I have it any easier?" 
He raised an eyebrow 
"My arms are numb from lifting you." he completed the sentence by rolling his eyes. 
                          
"Are you saying that I'm fat?" She crossed her arms at him, to which he could only chuckle in self-pity. 
"If I were, it would just be a thinly veiled attempt at covering up the fact that you are not heavy, I am just weak." Sore, and just starting to get tired, they put his laptop in front of them as they scrutinized what they had just rehearsed.
"Something is missing..." He shook his head, pausing it halfway through.
"What could be missing? We are performing all the moves correctly and on time." The hero stroked her chin.
                          
He searched the internet for a video of another couple performing a Paso Double and heavily scrutinized it, then another video, and then another.
After a while she could see it too. Something was different, something was missing from their performance. 
"What do they have that we are don't?" She puzzled, biting her lip. 
                          
He ran his hand through his hair again and she found herself fighting the urge to do the same thing to those dark, luscious curls. Toxic's eyes widened, he got the 'Lightbulb Look". She had endearingly named it so many years ago. The expression he always took on when he realized something important.
                          
"That's it!" He exclaimed. 
"Look at them, they are not dancing."
"They're not?" She argued, confused by his last sentence. It sure looked like dancing to her. 
"They are flirting." Stated Toxic bluntly, turning away from his laptop to look at her. 
                          
"We are just going through the motions. It's the passion we are missing." Galaxy didn't like the way he was looking her when he said that... but then again maybe she did. 
"We are in love...." He said softly, taking a step closer. 
"Our Alter Egos I mean. We have to act like it, not just off stage, but on as well" He continued, taking another step. 
"The Paso Double is not quite as fornication-fueled as the Tango. It's different. It's about love, not lust and it's passionate, flirting without words. Or at least; that's what Wikipedia tells me." He chuckled slightly. The tall, but oddly and undoubtedly handsome Villain took a step closer to her, and his aura diminished to but a slight green glow. They were just inches apart now.
                          
"Have you ever flirted with anyone?" He asked, cocking his head at her curiously. Her cheeks flushed at the question. 
"No..." She answered with a blush. "You?" "Never." He said, shaking his head, causing his black curls to dance around. 
"It's a little obvious why I haven't... but why haven't you? With other Heroes I mean?" He asked hesitantly.  She had it all: the looks, the excellence that everyone admired; even the sarcasm needed to make flirting a tad bit more interesting. Galaxy Girl could feel his warm breath on her face, and she had grown to like this feeling.
                          
"I... I don't really know, I guess I never really saw any other hero in that light..." She shrugged honestly. 
"There's only ever been two men in my life that I've actually wanted to spend time with..." She began to explain. 
"My Father and... You." She pointed a finger at his chest. 
"My Father... Well because he's my father, and you because, well, because you're you." She laughed awkwardly. 
                          
"Yes, The one and only." He grinned, finding that her answer did please him greatly, for no obvious reason.
"Ok, well we are going to have to learn, if we want to pull this off properly that is." Toxic spoke after a couple seconds of silence. He closed his eyes, as if collecting himself. 
"Pretend you're in love with me" 
Her nemesis asked softly, leaning forward. 
                          
"Madly in love." He whispered into her ear, sending a wave of shivers pulsing throughout her being. 
                          
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