>> Dante Valerio continued from Green Grass Gradation
They made it.
Not that that was a super impressive feat or anything, considering prom was located about fifteen minutes away from Dante's house. It had taken them a little longer than that to actually get there since twice Aurelien stayed stopped at a red light for too long cause he was busy looking at Dante and one time he was so distracted that he took a wrong turn and got stuck behind a garbage truck for a little while, but those were pretty small hiccups at the end of the day. Now they were here. At prom. The Big Dance, or whatever. The big... thing. The big thing that was very important and everyone was supposed to be super excited for it and all that.
Dante didn't totally get it, honestly. Like he was happy to be here, but that was mostly just cause he was with Aurelien, and it was the first time he'd let himself be with Aurelien, like, in public, though he was pretty sure that cat had been let out of the bag back during Forrest's house party anyway, so it was kinda silly for him to have waited this long. Prom itself was just, like, a big party. A little less crazy, since there were teachers everywhere, but everyone was just hanging out and dancing. Admittedly in pretty nice clothes. So that was cool.
But he'd seen way too many people stressing about this over the last year. Worrying about having a date or not having one or being able to afford tickets or nice clothes or a limo or about who would or wouldn't be prom royalty. And that kinda bummed him out. It seemed to Dante like this big special event that was supposed to celebrate them all graduating shouldn't be something that caused people so much stress. It put a damper on the whole thing to him, honestly. But still, the people who were here seemed to mostly be having a good time, and he was here to have a nice time with Aurelien, so that was what he was gonna do. Thinking about stuff too hard always just gave him a headache.
They didn't dance, not right away. They got drinks, and talked for a while about nothing in particular. They did a little people watching. Actually dancing with Aurelien in front of the whole school felt like... well, it felt like a pretty big step, and he needed to take a little to process it, and Aurelien, as usual, was totally sweet and cool about it.
He wondered if Vee had gotten there yet.
Ballare
tagging pippi & also murderweasel
((Aurelien Valter continued from Green Grass Gradation))
Aurelien was definitely having a good time people watching. One people in particular.
…
Uh, wait, not. One persons.
One person.
Dante, he was watching Dante.
Jeez. Just looking at the boy was scrambling his brain.
He didn’t mind though. Not in the slightest. He wasn’t usually one to brag, but he absolutely would in this situation; his prediction that they’d blow everyone else out of the water in terms of looks? Right on the money. He was really, really struggling to tear his eyes away from Dante. He’d looked stunning in the car, bathed in light, but now that he was shrouded in shadow and neon, he looked… mystical. Other-worldly. Most importantly, attractive as all hell.
But he’d already almost walked into two walls and spilled his drink all down his boyfriend’s suit, so Aurelien had decided to keep the Dante Watching to when he wasn’t trying to walk, or move in general.
Aurelien had suggested dancing more out of instinct than anything, seeing how many other couples were already out there tearing it up, or down, or just tearing up. He was secretly kinda glad that Dante had wanted to give it a while; for someone who spent his life cycling down rocky hills and playing soccer, when it came to dancing, Aurelien absolutely had two left feet. Although, if he was gonna make a fool of himself, Dante was the one person he wanted to do so in front of. They could laugh about it later, after all.
He took a sip of his drink, vaguely registering the music playing in the background but barely absorbing it as he looked over Dante’s face one more time – just as perfect as the previous hundred times – and took a quick glance around the vicinity.
The first person he laid eyes on almost caused him to spit his drink right back into his cup. Had staring at Dante for too long messed with his vision or something? Cause that was definitely a second Dante right there, only clad in a red dress instead of a suit.
Aurelien blinked, shook his head, and focused, before breaking into a grin and nudging Dante.
“Hey Dante,” he said. “Isn’t that your sister over there?”
Aurelien was definitely having a good time people watching. One people in particular.
…
Uh, wait, not. One persons.
One person.
Dante, he was watching Dante.
Jeez. Just looking at the boy was scrambling his brain.
He didn’t mind though. Not in the slightest. He wasn’t usually one to brag, but he absolutely would in this situation; his prediction that they’d blow everyone else out of the water in terms of looks? Right on the money. He was really, really struggling to tear his eyes away from Dante. He’d looked stunning in the car, bathed in light, but now that he was shrouded in shadow and neon, he looked… mystical. Other-worldly. Most importantly, attractive as all hell.
But he’d already almost walked into two walls and spilled his drink all down his boyfriend’s suit, so Aurelien had decided to keep the Dante Watching to when he wasn’t trying to walk, or move in general.
Aurelien had suggested dancing more out of instinct than anything, seeing how many other couples were already out there tearing it up, or down, or just tearing up. He was secretly kinda glad that Dante had wanted to give it a while; for someone who spent his life cycling down rocky hills and playing soccer, when it came to dancing, Aurelien absolutely had two left feet. Although, if he was gonna make a fool of himself, Dante was the one person he wanted to do so in front of. They could laugh about it later, after all.
He took a sip of his drink, vaguely registering the music playing in the background but barely absorbing it as he looked over Dante’s face one more time – just as perfect as the previous hundred times – and took a quick glance around the vicinity.
The first person he laid eyes on almost caused him to spit his drink right back into his cup. Had staring at Dante for too long messed with his vision or something? Cause that was definitely a second Dante right there, only clad in a red dress instead of a suit.
Aurelien blinked, shook his head, and focused, before breaking into a grin and nudging Dante.
“Hey Dante,” he said. “Isn’t that your sister over there?”
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
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MurderWeasel
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((Alton Gerow continued from The Dead Cat Bounce))
Alton beamed as he gazed at his date. So far, the evening had been a rousing success.
It hadn't been too difficult to find a suitable sister to invite so as to corroborate his story, and really he felt that he'd done well in an unqualified way. Venetia Valerio was pretty, sort of like a feminine Dante, which might have bothered somebody else but didn't cause Alton a moment's pause. In her heels, she came close to his height without quite matching it; this was how he preferred it. Her dress was brilliant red, with a neckline that managed to be both intriguing and passably modest, and a slit that went most of the way up the leg and had been the subject of a certain matter of impromptu garment surgery on the drive over. Alton had kept his eyes mostly on the road; they both knew that he was aware of what was going on, but it didn't need explicit mention.
He was in red too, though a few shades darker. It was a popular color this year, but he wasn't letting that bother him. Blind nonconformity was no different from thoughtlessly following trends, and besides, he wore it better than most. His suit was simple in design, but well-fitted, two buttons on the front, functional sleeve buttons, and a matching vest. His tie and pocket square were both purple, the former darker than the latter. He had chosen to entirely ignore the theme of the event, which seemed to be in his favor; the hall was full of tacky outfits, built around or awkwardly incorporating glow-in-the-dark materials. It made his classmates look like kids, made this whole thing feel more like what it actually was: a meaningless high school ritual in which everyone put on unearned airs.
The drive had been pleasant, at least. He'd never fancied limousines. The restriction of his freedom wasn't worth the song and dance, and besides, they furthered the feeling of unreality. No, Alton drove the same car he always did, top down, and it had been suitably impressive, and he'd gone slow enough that nobody's hair got too mangled, and now they could leave whenever he felt like it. It was much better that way.
Venetia was a little bit starstruck. He could tell, though she was holding together admirably. Alton hadn't felt that way so much when he'd negotiated an invitation to the prom at her age, but then, he knew other people attached more or less significance to various events. She seemed excited to be amongst the seniors, probably exulting a little in the relative equality it offered her compared to her brother, who Alton happened to spot just as that thought crossed his mind.
He considered giving a nod, but rejected it and instead played it off like he hadn't noticed. No need to make anyone feel awkward. If Venetia wanted to say hello, then they would, and if not they wouldn't. It made very little difference to him.
"Thank you again for accompanying me tonight," he said to her, meeting her eyes with a smile.
Alton beamed as he gazed at his date. So far, the evening had been a rousing success.
It hadn't been too difficult to find a suitable sister to invite so as to corroborate his story, and really he felt that he'd done well in an unqualified way. Venetia Valerio was pretty, sort of like a feminine Dante, which might have bothered somebody else but didn't cause Alton a moment's pause. In her heels, she came close to his height without quite matching it; this was how he preferred it. Her dress was brilliant red, with a neckline that managed to be both intriguing and passably modest, and a slit that went most of the way up the leg and had been the subject of a certain matter of impromptu garment surgery on the drive over. Alton had kept his eyes mostly on the road; they both knew that he was aware of what was going on, but it didn't need explicit mention.
He was in red too, though a few shades darker. It was a popular color this year, but he wasn't letting that bother him. Blind nonconformity was no different from thoughtlessly following trends, and besides, he wore it better than most. His suit was simple in design, but well-fitted, two buttons on the front, functional sleeve buttons, and a matching vest. His tie and pocket square were both purple, the former darker than the latter. He had chosen to entirely ignore the theme of the event, which seemed to be in his favor; the hall was full of tacky outfits, built around or awkwardly incorporating glow-in-the-dark materials. It made his classmates look like kids, made this whole thing feel more like what it actually was: a meaningless high school ritual in which everyone put on unearned airs.
The drive had been pleasant, at least. He'd never fancied limousines. The restriction of his freedom wasn't worth the song and dance, and besides, they furthered the feeling of unreality. No, Alton drove the same car he always did, top down, and it had been suitably impressive, and he'd gone slow enough that nobody's hair got too mangled, and now they could leave whenever he felt like it. It was much better that way.
Venetia was a little bit starstruck. He could tell, though she was holding together admirably. Alton hadn't felt that way so much when he'd negotiated an invitation to the prom at her age, but then, he knew other people attached more or less significance to various events. She seemed excited to be amongst the seniors, probably exulting a little in the relative equality it offered her compared to her brother, who Alton happened to spot just as that thought crossed his mind.
He considered giving a nod, but rejected it and instead played it off like he hadn't noticed. No need to make anyone feel awkward. If Venetia wanted to say hello, then they would, and if not they wouldn't. It made very little difference to him.
"Thank you again for accompanying me tonight," he said to her, meeting her eyes with a smile.
Oh shit.
That was totally his sister over there. The red kinda... he wasn't sure if he could say it stood out, since red seemed like it had been a popular color choice, so maybe it was just that she stood out. She wasn't the tallest girl in the room, but she was pretty close. He knew who her date was, vaguely, but now that they were actually here he better recognized him. Yeah, they'd had classes together, talked a few times. He was a pretty decent dude, Dante thought. At least from their conversations. He had a bit of a reputation, but Dante had one too, so it was kind of hard to judge.
Alton's rep was maybe a little worse than Dante's, though. Maybe worth checking in on Vee. Even though she'd told him not to. Loudly and repeatedly. Still, she was his little sister, and his mom had insisted he make sure she not get into too much trouble. But she'd had an ultimatum when she talked to him that he couldn't really break. But...
Okay, he was overthinking, probably. He could say hi to her, that was fine, right? That wasn't being overbearing or anything. Just say hi, and maybe keep an eye on her from across the floor while he had a good time with his real actual boyfriend and didn't stress. Vee was a smart girl, she'd be okay. And if she was worried or upset at least she'd know he was here for her.
He glanced at Aurelien because man, he hadn't done that enough tonight yet. He'd been so nervous all night about the whole Hey Everyone I Have A Boyfriend And Do In Fact Like Guys, Don't Ask Me What My Sexuality Is Cause I've Got No Fuckin' Clue thing that he'd been kind of skittish around him, which wasn't fair of him in the least. They'd showed up together, that was the big moment for anyone who was gonna freak out to freak out, and now they were just here. Together. Dante gave him a smile, still a touch nervous, but he leaned in and kissed his cheek.
"Wait here for me, mia amina. I'll be right back."
Venetia Giulia Valerio wondered idly if it was too early to call this a good night.
They'd just gotten here, so by that measure, yes, obviously, it was too early. There was always time for something to go terribly wrong. Her dress could rip, or Alton could tire of her, or some jilted wannabe prom queen could decide to burn the place down, or her brother could be himself and attempt to interfere with her night. All more-or-less equally troublesome possibilities. But the very basic foundations of her night had gone smoothly.
The money she'd dropped on the dress—more money than she'd spent on any single thing in her entire life—had been absolutely worth it from the moment she'd pulled it on. Just modest enough to pass her mother's scrutiny, at least after she'd taped the leg slit closed. That leg slit, of course, was the centerpiece of the whole affair, and her mother would have killed her before letting her out of the house in it. Easy enough to hide, though. Her mother was terribly trusting, probably a relic of Dante having always been so trustworthy. Something to thank him for, she supposed. She'd taken care of it on the drive over, and it, along with heels tall enough to make her legs look even better but short enough to keep her a couple of inches shorter than her date, looked absolutely perfect.
Her date was pretty perfect, too. As confirmed by the shrieking of her girlfriends when she told them who'd asked her. She'd heard stories about Alton Gerow, who hadn't, but who cared? He was handsome, and charming, and had a nice car. All she had to do was not expect anything other than that, and she'd be golden. He'd been aces on all fronts so far, and while she was doing her utmost to act cool, this was not the time to show her age and embarrass herself, it was all a bit overwhelming, and she was making a concentrated effort not to collapse into a fit of nervous giggling.
"The pleasure's all mine," she said sweetly, and internally congratulated herself on how cool that sounded. They matched but not in a way that screamed "we chose outfits together, look how cute of a couple we are", since they hadn't, obviously; the shades of red weren't identical but complimented each other, or at least she thought so. They looked good together, which was like, probably the most important thing. They'd take a ton of pictures. Her sisters would probably freak out about them ... She'd have to retape her dress before then, though, she realized, or she could just hold it shut. Or she could just deal with being grounded after the fact, since prom would be over. She probably would be anyway, if Alton didn't get her home early enough, and if the night went how she hoped, he would not.
Her train of thought was interrupted by the person she least wanted to deal with right now.
"Excuse me for just a moment?" Venetia said with her voice just as sweet and level, before turning on her heels and taking the five strides that separated her and Dante, who stopped dead the moment he saw the look on her face.
"Uh, hey, Vee. Just wanted to—"
"Just wanted to what? Check up on me like Mamma told you to? Like you specifically promised you wouldn't?"
"Just wanted to... say hi. I know what I promised, I just thought—"
"Whatever you thought, you thought wrong. Ideally I don't want to see you for the rest of the night but since you're gonna be here I guess I don't really have a choice in that, so the very least you could do is not talk to me, okay? It's embarrassing."
"I, uh... sorry."
"Good. You remember our deal, yes?"
"Yeah. Of course. You... promise not to say anything, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. I promise. I don't wanna say anything, anyway." She glanced behind Dante, at Aurelien, still leaning against the wall. "Your boyfriend's cute."
"Uh... thanks?"
"Now go back and leave me alone, kay?"
"... Okay."
"Love you, Dante!" With comic exaggeration, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek before whirling back toward Alton and making her way back to him. The irritation read clear on her face, as much as she tried to hide it.
"Sorry about that. Mamma asked him to keep an eye on me, y'know? But it should be fine." The irritation quickly melted off her expression. She was at prom with a cute boy. A cute senior boy. It was hard to be unhappy. "Just you and me. Do you, um, wanna dance?"
Dante returned to Aurelien with a nervous smile on his face.
"That, uh, could have gone better!"
A short pause, and then—
"Do you wanna dance?"
That was totally his sister over there. The red kinda... he wasn't sure if he could say it stood out, since red seemed like it had been a popular color choice, so maybe it was just that she stood out. She wasn't the tallest girl in the room, but she was pretty close. He knew who her date was, vaguely, but now that they were actually here he better recognized him. Yeah, they'd had classes together, talked a few times. He was a pretty decent dude, Dante thought. At least from their conversations. He had a bit of a reputation, but Dante had one too, so it was kind of hard to judge.
Alton's rep was maybe a little worse than Dante's, though. Maybe worth checking in on Vee. Even though she'd told him not to. Loudly and repeatedly. Still, she was his little sister, and his mom had insisted he make sure she not get into too much trouble. But she'd had an ultimatum when she talked to him that he couldn't really break. But...
Okay, he was overthinking, probably. He could say hi to her, that was fine, right? That wasn't being overbearing or anything. Just say hi, and maybe keep an eye on her from across the floor while he had a good time with his real actual boyfriend and didn't stress. Vee was a smart girl, she'd be okay. And if she was worried or upset at least she'd know he was here for her.
He glanced at Aurelien because man, he hadn't done that enough tonight yet. He'd been so nervous all night about the whole Hey Everyone I Have A Boyfriend And Do In Fact Like Guys, Don't Ask Me What My Sexuality Is Cause I've Got No Fuckin' Clue thing that he'd been kind of skittish around him, which wasn't fair of him in the least. They'd showed up together, that was the big moment for anyone who was gonna freak out to freak out, and now they were just here. Together. Dante gave him a smile, still a touch nervous, but he leaned in and kissed his cheek.
"Wait here for me, mia amina. I'll be right back."
Venetia Giulia Valerio wondered idly if it was too early to call this a good night.
They'd just gotten here, so by that measure, yes, obviously, it was too early. There was always time for something to go terribly wrong. Her dress could rip, or Alton could tire of her, or some jilted wannabe prom queen could decide to burn the place down, or her brother could be himself and attempt to interfere with her night. All more-or-less equally troublesome possibilities. But the very basic foundations of her night had gone smoothly.
The money she'd dropped on the dress—more money than she'd spent on any single thing in her entire life—had been absolutely worth it from the moment she'd pulled it on. Just modest enough to pass her mother's scrutiny, at least after she'd taped the leg slit closed. That leg slit, of course, was the centerpiece of the whole affair, and her mother would have killed her before letting her out of the house in it. Easy enough to hide, though. Her mother was terribly trusting, probably a relic of Dante having always been so trustworthy. Something to thank him for, she supposed. She'd taken care of it on the drive over, and it, along with heels tall enough to make her legs look even better but short enough to keep her a couple of inches shorter than her date, looked absolutely perfect.
Her date was pretty perfect, too. As confirmed by the shrieking of her girlfriends when she told them who'd asked her. She'd heard stories about Alton Gerow, who hadn't, but who cared? He was handsome, and charming, and had a nice car. All she had to do was not expect anything other than that, and she'd be golden. He'd been aces on all fronts so far, and while she was doing her utmost to act cool, this was not the time to show her age and embarrass herself, it was all a bit overwhelming, and she was making a concentrated effort not to collapse into a fit of nervous giggling.
"The pleasure's all mine," she said sweetly, and internally congratulated herself on how cool that sounded. They matched but not in a way that screamed "we chose outfits together, look how cute of a couple we are", since they hadn't, obviously; the shades of red weren't identical but complimented each other, or at least she thought so. They looked good together, which was like, probably the most important thing. They'd take a ton of pictures. Her sisters would probably freak out about them ... She'd have to retape her dress before then, though, she realized, or she could just hold it shut. Or she could just deal with being grounded after the fact, since prom would be over. She probably would be anyway, if Alton didn't get her home early enough, and if the night went how she hoped, he would not.
Her train of thought was interrupted by the person she least wanted to deal with right now.
"Excuse me for just a moment?" Venetia said with her voice just as sweet and level, before turning on her heels and taking the five strides that separated her and Dante, who stopped dead the moment he saw the look on her face.
"Uh, hey, Vee. Just wanted to—"
"Just wanted to what? Check up on me like Mamma told you to? Like you specifically promised you wouldn't?"
"Just wanted to... say hi. I know what I promised, I just thought—"
"Whatever you thought, you thought wrong. Ideally I don't want to see you for the rest of the night but since you're gonna be here I guess I don't really have a choice in that, so the very least you could do is not talk to me, okay? It's embarrassing."
"I, uh... sorry."
"Good. You remember our deal, yes?"
"Yeah. Of course. You... promise not to say anything, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. I promise. I don't wanna say anything, anyway." She glanced behind Dante, at Aurelien, still leaning against the wall. "Your boyfriend's cute."
"Uh... thanks?"
"Now go back and leave me alone, kay?"
"... Okay."
"Love you, Dante!" With comic exaggeration, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek before whirling back toward Alton and making her way back to him. The irritation read clear on her face, as much as she tried to hide it.
"Sorry about that. Mamma asked him to keep an eye on me, y'know? But it should be fine." The irritation quickly melted off her expression. She was at prom with a cute boy. A cute senior boy. It was hard to be unhappy. "Just you and me. Do you, um, wanna dance?"
Dante returned to Aurelien with a nervous smile on his face.
"That, uh, could have gone better!"
A short pause, and then—
"Do you wanna dance?"
"Well, Fenris, the King of Gossip. We meet again."
“Oh! Yeah, sure thing, no worries, blummen.”
Aurelien smiled as Dante headed off to talk with his sister, and kept that smile, more than a little dreamy and out of it, mind clearly elsewhere, far away from prom. He hoped this wouldn’t take too long. He knew Dante well enough to figure out why he wanted to talk to his sister, though; he cared a ton about his family, all of his little sisters in particular, and he probably wanted to make sure Vee was doing all right. No shade on Alton – mostly - the guy seemed perfectly fine most of the time, just that he had a biiit of a reputation as a flirt and a ‘player’.
Then again, that had been a label attached to Dante too. And things had turned out pretty swell in that regard.
Although Dante didn’t seem like he’d fit you a pair of concrete shoes if you crossed him.
Anyway!
Aurelien’s cheek was glowing, and he delicately brushed his fingertips across it, still feeling the sensation of where Dante had kissed him. He didn’t want the feeling to go away. It would keep him company whilst Dante was busy. He took another sip of his drink, and realised his foot was inadvertently tapping to the beat of the music, and felt the perfect, warm tingle of Dante’s kiss on his cheek, and before he knew it, his boyfriend was back in front of him.
“Oh, hey!”
He gave a sympathetic smile, and was about to say something when Dante popped the question and utterly threw Aurelien for a loop. He stammered, trying to restart his brain, which had completely short circuited and was only throwing fragments of thoughts at him. The warm tingling in his cheeks had been replaced with a hot, but not altogether unpleasant, flush.
“I… I, uh… Y-Yeah! Yeah, of course, I’d love to!”
He grinned at Dante, eyes wide and sparkling.
Aurelien smiled as Dante headed off to talk with his sister, and kept that smile, more than a little dreamy and out of it, mind clearly elsewhere, far away from prom. He hoped this wouldn’t take too long. He knew Dante well enough to figure out why he wanted to talk to his sister, though; he cared a ton about his family, all of his little sisters in particular, and he probably wanted to make sure Vee was doing all right. No shade on Alton – mostly - the guy seemed perfectly fine most of the time, just that he had a biiit of a reputation as a flirt and a ‘player’.
Then again, that had been a label attached to Dante too. And things had turned out pretty swell in that regard.
Although Dante didn’t seem like he’d fit you a pair of concrete shoes if you crossed him.
Anyway!
Aurelien’s cheek was glowing, and he delicately brushed his fingertips across it, still feeling the sensation of where Dante had kissed him. He didn’t want the feeling to go away. It would keep him company whilst Dante was busy. He took another sip of his drink, and realised his foot was inadvertently tapping to the beat of the music, and felt the perfect, warm tingle of Dante’s kiss on his cheek, and before he knew it, his boyfriend was back in front of him.
“Oh, hey!”
He gave a sympathetic smile, and was about to say something when Dante popped the question and utterly threw Aurelien for a loop. He stammered, trying to restart his brain, which had completely short circuited and was only throwing fragments of thoughts at him. The warm tingling in his cheeks had been replaced with a hot, but not altogether unpleasant, flush.
“I… I, uh… Y-Yeah! Yeah, of course, I’d love to!”
He grinned at Dante, eyes wide and sparkling.
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2565
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
"Don't worry about it," Alton said, inclining his head towards his date just a little. "And I'd love to."
Really he felt somewhat flattered that he was considered someone worth checking in on. He was very aware of his reputation, of course, and he'd earned it more or less honestly, but there was still something so classically patriarchal about snooping in the business of a younger female sibling. Had the genders been reversed, would anyone have batted an eye? Probably not. Nobody had really said much when Alton had come to prom on the arm of a girl two years his elder, but then he'd always looked a little mature for his age and he was sibling-free.
In any event, that Dante had been shooed away so quickly and easily spoke well of the boy. He was doing his due diligence and not an ounce more, trusting his sister to know what was best for her and treating her as an autonomous individual. That worked in the interests of all parties involved.
As to Dante's date, Alton had caught a glimpse and made a few surmises. They were on friendly enough terms, both on the track team, and he wasn't actually all that interested in Dante's orientation, aside from mild amusement given that the boy was also known as a bit of a player. Then again, had any of those girls in his wake ever actually hooked up with him? Something to investigate, maybe, if Alton decided it was of enough interest; they probably had some overlap in past trysts too, so it wouldn't be particularly difficult to put his ear to the ground.
But for now, he was more interested in the more interesting Valerio sibling, who had just shown herself to be delightfully forward. He extended a hand towards her, at the same time moving towards the dance floor, trusting that she would keep up.
Dance was one of those things that sat in an odd social spot for his generation. It was a skill that that a young man was simultaneously expected to be proficient in and inept at, or more accurately, the realistic expectation was that the average man would fail to meet the expectation set by cultural norms. Alton found this sort of game mildly tiresome, but dance itself fortunately existed beyond such concerns. He was, he thought, a decent dancer. Acceptable, in the grand scheme of things, but that meant good by comparison to the majority of his peers, who had never invested time or energy into anything more complicated than swaying to ballads and spinning each other once in a while when the beat picked up. He could see many doing just that right now, looking for all the world like children flailing to a boombox.
The song that had been playing was fading. Alton hadn't paid it too much mind; his personal musical tastes were of the sort that did form a partial overlap with the Venn diagram of school-sanctioned songs, but a slender one mostly focused on the retro, and one that had to truly be engaged. But he could work with anything. He was adaptable and flexible, so all there was to do was smile softly as he looked into Venetia's eyes and waited for the new beat to set the pace he'd follow as he led.
Really he felt somewhat flattered that he was considered someone worth checking in on. He was very aware of his reputation, of course, and he'd earned it more or less honestly, but there was still something so classically patriarchal about snooping in the business of a younger female sibling. Had the genders been reversed, would anyone have batted an eye? Probably not. Nobody had really said much when Alton had come to prom on the arm of a girl two years his elder, but then he'd always looked a little mature for his age and he was sibling-free.
In any event, that Dante had been shooed away so quickly and easily spoke well of the boy. He was doing his due diligence and not an ounce more, trusting his sister to know what was best for her and treating her as an autonomous individual. That worked in the interests of all parties involved.
As to Dante's date, Alton had caught a glimpse and made a few surmises. They were on friendly enough terms, both on the track team, and he wasn't actually all that interested in Dante's orientation, aside from mild amusement given that the boy was also known as a bit of a player. Then again, had any of those girls in his wake ever actually hooked up with him? Something to investigate, maybe, if Alton decided it was of enough interest; they probably had some overlap in past trysts too, so it wouldn't be particularly difficult to put his ear to the ground.
But for now, he was more interested in the more interesting Valerio sibling, who had just shown herself to be delightfully forward. He extended a hand towards her, at the same time moving towards the dance floor, trusting that she would keep up.
Dance was one of those things that sat in an odd social spot for his generation. It was a skill that that a young man was simultaneously expected to be proficient in and inept at, or more accurately, the realistic expectation was that the average man would fail to meet the expectation set by cultural norms. Alton found this sort of game mildly tiresome, but dance itself fortunately existed beyond such concerns. He was, he thought, a decent dancer. Acceptable, in the grand scheme of things, but that meant good by comparison to the majority of his peers, who had never invested time or energy into anything more complicated than swaying to ballads and spinning each other once in a while when the beat picked up. He could see many doing just that right now, looking for all the world like children flailing to a boombox.
The song that had been playing was fading. Alton hadn't paid it too much mind; his personal musical tastes were of the sort that did form a partial overlap with the Venn diagram of school-sanctioned songs, but a slender one mostly focused on the retro, and one that had to truly be engaged. But he could work with anything. He was adaptable and flexible, so all there was to do was smile softly as he looked into Venetia's eyes and waited for the new beat to set the pace he'd follow as he led.
Venetia's smile was genuine but a bit strained as she took Alton's hand and stepped onto the dance floor. She had done her utmost to stay away from being intimidating on this night of all nights—the trait served her well with her friends but seemed less desirable for guys, and had kept her away from the pair of six-inch-heels she had her eyes on—but unfortunately that plan was liable to hit a snag here. Some part of her was tempted to dumb herself down, fuck up on purpose, but 11 years of dance classes were going to be difficult to repress, and she might well just end up looking like an idiot, and that would be even worse. Well, Alton didn't seem like the type to be intimidated easily, so maybe she'd be okay?
Honestly she was probably still pretty traumatized from when she'd asked out Joey Cole back in January and he'd turned her down and his friends told her she'd freaked him out by asking instead of waiting for him to ask and now she was stuck in this awkward limbo where she had no idea what level of assertiveness made her unacceptable.
Oh no, should she not have asked him to dance? Should she have waited? But he'd led her by the hand, so it was fine, right?
God, boys were complicated.
Once they actually started dancing, though—was it weird that she was kind of impressed? She didn't want to say so out loud, cause honestly it would probably sound a little condescending when she clearly knew exactly what the fuck she was doing and he... didn't, so much. But he was doing a hell of a lot better than she had expected. Jeez, he just kinda felt like the sort of guy who was somehow good at everything. Something else to brag about later, she figured. They felt each other out in the least literal sense; Venetia had already seen teachers breaking up more than one couple too close together on the dance floor, and if that happened to her she would just die on the spot.
And then the song—she'd barely noticed what it was, she was pretty distracted by how nice Alton's eyes were—faded out, and a new one began. Kinda risque for prom, wasn't it? She wasn't complaining, though. The change in tempo gave her an idea.
She spun on her heels, facing away from him, moved in a little closer... not too close. Because, again, dying on the spot. Would kind of be a bummer end to the night. They didn't quite touch, weren't quite breaking the rules, but she'd been gone dancing in less-supervised situations before. She knew the moves. If she was gonna be assertive she might as well turn it up, she figured. Seemed like he didn't mind it so far. And if he did she could just die on the spot, again. This was turning into a minefield of a night, huh?
Somehow the not-actually-touching was kinda hotter, actually.
Dante was sadly not blessed with eleven years of dance practice. Literally all of his sisters had been forced into dance classes when they were like five. Dante spent his elementary school years telling girls they were pretty mostly, which wasn't really a skill that helped much on the dance floor. He'd picked up a little over the years, he wasn't totally uncoordinated, but his general failure at doing anything harder than an ollie on his board was a pretty good testament to him being pretty uncoordinated. He swore he'd get better at it someday, but he'd been swearing that since he was like 12, and he hadn't, so maybe sucking less was kind of a pipe dream.
He liked dancing anyway though. It was fun in the sort of way where being bad at it didnt make it any worse. Girls hadn't seemed to mind it too much in the past, anyway. He was hoping Aurelien wouldn't, either, but he was having a hard time imagining Aurelien judging him for anything. Aurelien was the sort of dude who might laugh or make fun of you, but he'd stop the moment he realized that you didn't think it was funny. But if you did think it was funny, you could just keep on laughing together, and he had the sort of laugh that was super hard not to catch even if you were trying to be quiet or whatever.
This was all pretty gay, wasn't it.
Anyway, it didn't matter because it turned out Lion was a pretty shitty dancer! Well, that sounded mean when he said it in his head like that. He was pretty bad just like Dante was pretty bad, which meant they were both falling over themselves laughing pretty quick, but they kept going anyway, cause it was fun, and that was the important bit. If anyone was judging them it didn't really matter to him all that much. The song faded out into another one that he also didn't recognize (Dante didn't keep up with new music much) that was a little bit faster, so he... moved a little bit faster, which probably made him look dumber, and he just ended up laughing again.
He happened to glance to his right, and he just happened to look through the crowd and spot his sister dancing a hell of a lot closer to her date than their mother would have approved of.
Dante looked away immediately because wow did he not want to see that and looked back at Aurelien, slowing down a little cause it was hard to talk and dance fast at the same time. He grinned wryly, scratching the back of his head.
"You don't have siblings, right? I don't think. Not like I've met your family, or anything, I guess you've sorta met mine, now? Like that seems like a—"
Oh shit, was he gonna say it? He was totally gonna say it.
"—a boyfriend-y thing to do. Right?"
Honestly she was probably still pretty traumatized from when she'd asked out Joey Cole back in January and he'd turned her down and his friends told her she'd freaked him out by asking instead of waiting for him to ask and now she was stuck in this awkward limbo where she had no idea what level of assertiveness made her unacceptable.
Oh no, should she not have asked him to dance? Should she have waited? But he'd led her by the hand, so it was fine, right?
God, boys were complicated.
Once they actually started dancing, though—was it weird that she was kind of impressed? She didn't want to say so out loud, cause honestly it would probably sound a little condescending when she clearly knew exactly what the fuck she was doing and he... didn't, so much. But he was doing a hell of a lot better than she had expected. Jeez, he just kinda felt like the sort of guy who was somehow good at everything. Something else to brag about later, she figured. They felt each other out in the least literal sense; Venetia had already seen teachers breaking up more than one couple too close together on the dance floor, and if that happened to her she would just die on the spot.
And then the song—she'd barely noticed what it was, she was pretty distracted by how nice Alton's eyes were—faded out, and a new one began. Kinda risque for prom, wasn't it? She wasn't complaining, though. The change in tempo gave her an idea.
She spun on her heels, facing away from him, moved in a little closer... not too close. Because, again, dying on the spot. Would kind of be a bummer end to the night. They didn't quite touch, weren't quite breaking the rules, but she'd been gone dancing in less-supervised situations before. She knew the moves. If she was gonna be assertive she might as well turn it up, she figured. Seemed like he didn't mind it so far. And if he did she could just die on the spot, again. This was turning into a minefield of a night, huh?
Somehow the not-actually-touching was kinda hotter, actually.
Dante was sadly not blessed with eleven years of dance practice. Literally all of his sisters had been forced into dance classes when they were like five. Dante spent his elementary school years telling girls they were pretty mostly, which wasn't really a skill that helped much on the dance floor. He'd picked up a little over the years, he wasn't totally uncoordinated, but his general failure at doing anything harder than an ollie on his board was a pretty good testament to him being pretty uncoordinated. He swore he'd get better at it someday, but he'd been swearing that since he was like 12, and he hadn't, so maybe sucking less was kind of a pipe dream.
He liked dancing anyway though. It was fun in the sort of way where being bad at it didnt make it any worse. Girls hadn't seemed to mind it too much in the past, anyway. He was hoping Aurelien wouldn't, either, but he was having a hard time imagining Aurelien judging him for anything. Aurelien was the sort of dude who might laugh or make fun of you, but he'd stop the moment he realized that you didn't think it was funny. But if you did think it was funny, you could just keep on laughing together, and he had the sort of laugh that was super hard not to catch even if you were trying to be quiet or whatever.
This was all pretty gay, wasn't it.
Anyway, it didn't matter because it turned out Lion was a pretty shitty dancer! Well, that sounded mean when he said it in his head like that. He was pretty bad just like Dante was pretty bad, which meant they were both falling over themselves laughing pretty quick, but they kept going anyway, cause it was fun, and that was the important bit. If anyone was judging them it didn't really matter to him all that much. The song faded out into another one that he also didn't recognize (Dante didn't keep up with new music much) that was a little bit faster, so he... moved a little bit faster, which probably made him look dumber, and he just ended up laughing again.
He happened to glance to his right, and he just happened to look through the crowd and spot his sister dancing a hell of a lot closer to her date than their mother would have approved of.
Dante looked away immediately because wow did he not want to see that and looked back at Aurelien, slowing down a little cause it was hard to talk and dance fast at the same time. He grinned wryly, scratching the back of his head.
"You don't have siblings, right? I don't think. Not like I've met your family, or anything, I guess you've sorta met mine, now? Like that seems like a—"
Oh shit, was he gonna say it? He was totally gonna say it.
"—a boyfriend-y thing to do. Right?"
"Well, Fenris, the King of Gossip. We meet again."
Whatever deity had done Aurelien a solid and made everything work out with Dante had, disappointingly, not gone the extra mile and gifted him the feet of Fred Astaire. He was trying to remember the last time he’d done any sort of dancing at all, and the only memory he could dredge up was at his Uncle Stefan’s wedding from last year, where he’d tripped over his own feet and spilled an entire cup of vodka and lemonade over his cousin’s girlfriend.
God, that had been a good night.
Tonight was looking like it was on an even better trajectory, but the level of dancing on display was pretty much the same. Well, that wasn’t entirely fair; there were some people who obviously had some rhythm, here, Dante’s sister had clearly had lessons and stuff. But in terms of the only two people Aurelien was currently concerned about? Yeah, they were both dreadful. Dante was ever so slightly better, but that really wasn’t a compliment; a cinderblock would be a better dance partner than Aurelien was.
None of that mattered, though, because he was having a great time, laughing at every misstep or movement out of time or tangling of legs or whenever they sneakily moved closer together when they didn’t think the teachers were looking, and whenever he caught sight of Dante’s eyes sparkling under the neon lights, he could tell that the feeling was mutual. He didn’t recognise any of the songs playing, mostly because he really didn’t keep up with any music trends, but again. It didn’t matter. He was having a wonderful time regardless.
Dante slowed their little façade of dancing down a little, and Aurelien did the same, wiping his brow with the back of his hand, grinning at his-
Boyfriend. Dante had just dropped the ‘B-Bomb’, and man, it felt so perfectly natural and fitting and so right out loud. He’d been thinking it ever since their text conversation weeks ago, had already upgraded their relationship to that status in his mind, but there was just something really special about hearing Dante saying it out loud. Confirming it for him.
It took a moment for Aurelien to adjust, the surprise clear in his expression, but as soon as he did, the beaming grin quickly made its way back to his face, even broader than before.
“It does, doesn’t it?” Aurelien said, momentarily trying to play it cool, before remembering that he’d just happily made a fool of himself in front of Dante, and that he wanted to show his boyfriend just how excited he was at the fact that, fuck yeah, they were dating, they were boyfriends, they were boyfriends at prom, holy fuck this was everything he could have wanted.
“Meeting the family and stuff, I don’t have any siblings or anything like that, just my mom and pops, oh, and my granddad and grandma, we kinda all have to live together at the moment because of money reasons, but it’s fine, they’re super nice and…”
Aurelien took a deep breath. His face had gone slightly flushed with his excited rambling, but the wide, earnest grin was still there.
“I think they’d really love to meet you.”
God, that had been a good night.
Tonight was looking like it was on an even better trajectory, but the level of dancing on display was pretty much the same. Well, that wasn’t entirely fair; there were some people who obviously had some rhythm, here, Dante’s sister had clearly had lessons and stuff. But in terms of the only two people Aurelien was currently concerned about? Yeah, they were both dreadful. Dante was ever so slightly better, but that really wasn’t a compliment; a cinderblock would be a better dance partner than Aurelien was.
None of that mattered, though, because he was having a great time, laughing at every misstep or movement out of time or tangling of legs or whenever they sneakily moved closer together when they didn’t think the teachers were looking, and whenever he caught sight of Dante’s eyes sparkling under the neon lights, he could tell that the feeling was mutual. He didn’t recognise any of the songs playing, mostly because he really didn’t keep up with any music trends, but again. It didn’t matter. He was having a wonderful time regardless.
Dante slowed their little façade of dancing down a little, and Aurelien did the same, wiping his brow with the back of his hand, grinning at his-
Boyfriend. Dante had just dropped the ‘B-Bomb’, and man, it felt so perfectly natural and fitting and so right out loud. He’d been thinking it ever since their text conversation weeks ago, had already upgraded their relationship to that status in his mind, but there was just something really special about hearing Dante saying it out loud. Confirming it for him.
It took a moment for Aurelien to adjust, the surprise clear in his expression, but as soon as he did, the beaming grin quickly made its way back to his face, even broader than before.
“It does, doesn’t it?” Aurelien said, momentarily trying to play it cool, before remembering that he’d just happily made a fool of himself in front of Dante, and that he wanted to show his boyfriend just how excited he was at the fact that, fuck yeah, they were dating, they were boyfriends, they were boyfriends at prom, holy fuck this was everything he could have wanted.
“Meeting the family and stuff, I don’t have any siblings or anything like that, just my mom and pops, oh, and my granddad and grandma, we kinda all have to live together at the moment because of money reasons, but it’s fine, they’re super nice and…”
Aurelien took a deep breath. His face had gone slightly flushed with his excited rambling, but the wide, earnest grin was still there.
“I think they’d really love to meet you.”
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2565
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
The new song was poppy, bouncy, fun, and probably dirty. Alton was half listening to the lyrics just out of habit, picking out not only the whoops of the chorus but snippets of the verse. He was pretty sure it was about masturbation, but with just enough plausible deniability and euphemism as to slide by under the generic umbrella of party music. Not that he particularly cared; what mattered was the pace and the vibe. It was functional music, less art and more tool. Had the lyrics been in French, or some entirely fabricated alien dialect, it would have made no difference whatsoever to the here and now.
And what was going on here and now was where his attention really was, mostly, or at least he did a passable enough job keeping it as one of the top contenders.
Venetia surprised with her grace and skill, her movements confident and flowing, her steps light and calculated. She could, he knew, outpace him easily if she so desired, which caught him off guard in a most pleasant way. Alton held little interest in the gender norms that obligated the man to be the assertive one in a dance, though he knew that a certain level of respect for tradition was required to avoid throwing off a traditional game, something which he didn't care to do right now. But he knew enough at least to follow from the lead sometimes, especially as the dance evolved quickly into a form he was familiar with indeed, and one that was less a surprise.
There was this certain something about a younger woman on a date that left them, more often than not, itching to prove their maturity, to show that they were worthy of the attention bestowed upon them, and this manifested often enough as aggressive flirting. Alton enjoyed it as an end unto itself, a subtle build of tension and suggestion, communication through implication, whether the promises offered were to be fulfilled or not.
He moved rhythmically behind Venetia, close but not too close, not actually touching, not making any moves to push their situation further but also not taking one single step to turn down the heat or lighten things up. He doubted they'd get into any real trouble no matter what they did, judging from what he'd seen of others and the rather unenthusiastic slaps on the wrist they'd received for blatant displays of attraction, but that wasn't the point. To get busted would dampen the mood, would damage the game they were now playing, and that just wouldn't do. And besides, it wasn't his style. In the public eye, he maintained a certain level of class and decorum, at least most of the time.
She really was quite attractive, he mused as his eyes drifted up and down the back of her dress, enabled to do so unobserved by her now that she was no longer facing him. Yes, he preferred to gaze into a girl's eyes, not out of any sense of romance but because there were so many more interesting reactions and suggestions to be read there, but he could appreciate a nice body as well as anyone. Probably better than most of the boys in class, really.
And what was going on here and now was where his attention really was, mostly, or at least he did a passable enough job keeping it as one of the top contenders.
Venetia surprised with her grace and skill, her movements confident and flowing, her steps light and calculated. She could, he knew, outpace him easily if she so desired, which caught him off guard in a most pleasant way. Alton held little interest in the gender norms that obligated the man to be the assertive one in a dance, though he knew that a certain level of respect for tradition was required to avoid throwing off a traditional game, something which he didn't care to do right now. But he knew enough at least to follow from the lead sometimes, especially as the dance evolved quickly into a form he was familiar with indeed, and one that was less a surprise.
There was this certain something about a younger woman on a date that left them, more often than not, itching to prove their maturity, to show that they were worthy of the attention bestowed upon them, and this manifested often enough as aggressive flirting. Alton enjoyed it as an end unto itself, a subtle build of tension and suggestion, communication through implication, whether the promises offered were to be fulfilled or not.
He moved rhythmically behind Venetia, close but not too close, not actually touching, not making any moves to push their situation further but also not taking one single step to turn down the heat or lighten things up. He doubted they'd get into any real trouble no matter what they did, judging from what he'd seen of others and the rather unenthusiastic slaps on the wrist they'd received for blatant displays of attraction, but that wasn't the point. To get busted would dampen the mood, would damage the game they were now playing, and that just wouldn't do. And besides, it wasn't his style. In the public eye, he maintained a certain level of class and decorum, at least most of the time.
She really was quite attractive, he mused as his eyes drifted up and down the back of her dress, enabled to do so unobserved by her now that she was no longer facing him. Yes, he preferred to gaze into a girl's eyes, not out of any sense of romance but because there were so many more interesting reactions and suggestions to be read there, but he could appreciate a nice body as well as anyone. Probably better than most of the boys in class, really.
Dante couldn't help but smile at Lion's obvious surprise. Like, okay, they hadn't discussed the boyfriend thing in advance, and okay, he had kinda dropped it on him out of nowhere, and okay maybe—oh, shit, wait, did this make them actual boyfriends now? Like, Lion hadn't said no. Not that it had been a question. But he probably would have said something if he didn't like the way it sounded, right? Like he wouldn't have just let it go if he wasn't okay with it? Well, the words that came out of his mouth after that made it pretty clear, anyway. And so did the giant smile on his face.
He'd been in a few relationships before. Never anything super serious. Definitely not "meeting the family" serious, besides the few times he'd needed his dates to pick him up because his dad was using the car and his mom had gotten way too excited about it, which was less serious and more kind of embarrassing, as much as he loved his mom. He and Lion had officially been together for like, thirty seconds now, and less officially for like a month and a half, so calling them super serious felt like a stretch. But still. He liked the thought. Aurelien's family had to be pretty cool if they'd raised him.
"Yeah." His smile was kinda nervous, but very real. "Yeah, I'd like that. You can meet my family more officially-like too, my mom would—"
Oh, wait. Dante's face dropped.
They couldn't do that, could they? Not ever.
"I, uh... sorry. Nevermind on that one. S'too bad, my mom's cooking's pretty amazing, I'd love to..." He scratched the back of his neck. "Dunno where I'm going with this. Sorry."
A new song came on, one even Dante knew, but he wasn't sure he felt up to much more dancing.
As the last notes of Solo faded out, Venetia spun on her heels to face her dance partner, beaming.
Was her smile too big? It probably was. Venetia had never liked her smile, the one that naturally formed on her face when she was really, actually excited, the one she only saw in candid photos she asked to be untagged from. It stretched out her face and made her eyes look all squinty and made her look, for a lack of better words, like a little kid. Not the look she was going for, and definitely not tonight. Her hands clapped over her mouth in what she hoped was a cute, coy sort of gesture, but the music had moved her to joy, and her eyes sparkled regardless. Her hands dropped again after she had a moment to breathe, her smile having shrunk to what she'd consider an acceptable size.
The next song came on and she clapped her hands delightedly, and with a breathless "I love this song!" grabbed Alton's hands and began to move again.
"You're stuck here with me until I wear you out," she said, giggling a little at her own forwardness. She was better at this than she'd expected.
He'd been in a few relationships before. Never anything super serious. Definitely not "meeting the family" serious, besides the few times he'd needed his dates to pick him up because his dad was using the car and his mom had gotten way too excited about it, which was less serious and more kind of embarrassing, as much as he loved his mom. He and Lion had officially been together for like, thirty seconds now, and less officially for like a month and a half, so calling them super serious felt like a stretch. But still. He liked the thought. Aurelien's family had to be pretty cool if they'd raised him.
"Yeah." His smile was kinda nervous, but very real. "Yeah, I'd like that. You can meet my family more officially-like too, my mom would—"
Oh, wait. Dante's face dropped.
They couldn't do that, could they? Not ever.
"I, uh... sorry. Nevermind on that one. S'too bad, my mom's cooking's pretty amazing, I'd love to..." He scratched the back of his neck. "Dunno where I'm going with this. Sorry."
A new song came on, one even Dante knew, but he wasn't sure he felt up to much more dancing.
As the last notes of Solo faded out, Venetia spun on her heels to face her dance partner, beaming.
Was her smile too big? It probably was. Venetia had never liked her smile, the one that naturally formed on her face when she was really, actually excited, the one she only saw in candid photos she asked to be untagged from. It stretched out her face and made her eyes look all squinty and made her look, for a lack of better words, like a little kid. Not the look she was going for, and definitely not tonight. Her hands clapped over her mouth in what she hoped was a cute, coy sort of gesture, but the music had moved her to joy, and her eyes sparkled regardless. Her hands dropped again after she had a moment to breathe, her smile having shrunk to what she'd consider an acceptable size.
The next song came on and she clapped her hands delightedly, and with a breathless "I love this song!" grabbed Alton's hands and began to move again.
"You're stuck here with me until I wear you out," she said, giggling a little at her own forwardness. She was better at this than she'd expected.
"Well, Fenris, the King of Gossip. We meet again."
The music carried on, washing over Aurelien’s head, mingling with the sound of the couples and friends and lovers dancing around him, building up until it became nothing but white noise. Flashing lights, sparkles, glitter and neon surrounded him, doing their damnedest to drag him away, but he only had eyes for Dante.
He put his hand on Dante’s shoulder, looking into his boyfriend’s eyes, shimmering in the glow of the dancefloor. The teachers could come and berate them from being too close or whatever, he didn’t care. He had more important things to worry about.
“Hey…” Aurelien said. He tried to keep his voice low, soft, soothing, but it was drowned out by the ocean of noise surrounding them, so he tried again, louder this time.
“Hey, it’ll be okay.”
He didn’t know how it would work, but it would have to. He’d move mountains to make it work. There wasn’t anything more in the world he wanted than to be with Dante. He could tell where Dante’s sudden worries had stemmed from, the sudden revelation that he’d only discovered a few months ago, and right now, he didn’t have any answers, any way of guaranteeing that nothing bad would happen if he told his parents his real relationship with the boy who’d picked him up before prom. But they had time, plenty of time to find those answers. Right now, they were together, and happy, exactly where they should both be.
“It… I know. I understand. But… we’ll find something.”
Aurelien gently slipped his hand off of Dante’s shoulder and into his hand, squeezing it softly.
“It’ll all turn out okay. I’m certain of it.”
He put his hand on Dante’s shoulder, looking into his boyfriend’s eyes, shimmering in the glow of the dancefloor. The teachers could come and berate them from being too close or whatever, he didn’t care. He had more important things to worry about.
“Hey…” Aurelien said. He tried to keep his voice low, soft, soothing, but it was drowned out by the ocean of noise surrounding them, so he tried again, louder this time.
“Hey, it’ll be okay.”
He didn’t know how it would work, but it would have to. He’d move mountains to make it work. There wasn’t anything more in the world he wanted than to be with Dante. He could tell where Dante’s sudden worries had stemmed from, the sudden revelation that he’d only discovered a few months ago, and right now, he didn’t have any answers, any way of guaranteeing that nothing bad would happen if he told his parents his real relationship with the boy who’d picked him up before prom. But they had time, plenty of time to find those answers. Right now, they were together, and happy, exactly where they should both be.
“It… I know. I understand. But… we’ll find something.”
Aurelien gently slipped his hand off of Dante’s shoulder and into his hand, squeezing it softly.
“It’ll all turn out okay. I’m certain of it.”
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2565
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
Venetia's smile was alright, Alton supposed. Not good, not bad. Adequate, taken in isolation, but the gestures and emotions it was paired with, now those were something special. He always appreciated a good genuine reaction, particularly one due to something he did, and his date provided him not just one but several. Her eyes gleamed, her teeth showed, and then she tried to cover up just how delighted she was, showing a little moment of self-consciousness, and then she put on a more polished expression. He was mildly flattered, if unsurprised, that she was trying so hard to play it cool for him.
In a few years, she'd probably be very good at that sort of thing, just in time to go off to college and start her real life properly. Here and now, Alton saw no reason to do anything but play along, matching her expression with one of his own equally pleased and restrained, kept from seeming too stiff or proper or chaste with a quick raise of his left eyebrow as she took his hands, brimming with still more unforced enthusiasm over another song, once again something Alton didn't know.
She moved, swayed to the evolving beat and held his hands and said something that left him wondering what level of innuendo she intended to convey, and more than that what level she truly meant.
"Well," Alton said, "I suppose I'll just have to accept my fate and hope I make it out alive."
He'd rejected a few other lines before speaking. "Actually, I believe you'll find you're the one stuck with me," was his style rather often, but he hadn't felt her out quite enough to go there yet, didn't want to come on too hard, and besides, Dante was floating around somewhere. Maybe he could veer down that road later, depending on how their chemistry developed. "I can think of far worse fates," was alright, but sounded so unenthusiastic; it would convey that she was acceptable rather than extraordinary, and if there was a measure of truth to that assessment it had no place at this stage of the evening's proceedings. Right now, he would play it classic and charming. After all, he had the whole night to figure out just where exactly they stood.
In a few years, she'd probably be very good at that sort of thing, just in time to go off to college and start her real life properly. Here and now, Alton saw no reason to do anything but play along, matching her expression with one of his own equally pleased and restrained, kept from seeming too stiff or proper or chaste with a quick raise of his left eyebrow as she took his hands, brimming with still more unforced enthusiasm over another song, once again something Alton didn't know.
She moved, swayed to the evolving beat and held his hands and said something that left him wondering what level of innuendo she intended to convey, and more than that what level she truly meant.
"Well," Alton said, "I suppose I'll just have to accept my fate and hope I make it out alive."
He'd rejected a few other lines before speaking. "Actually, I believe you'll find you're the one stuck with me," was his style rather often, but he hadn't felt her out quite enough to go there yet, didn't want to come on too hard, and besides, Dante was floating around somewhere. Maybe he could veer down that road later, depending on how their chemistry developed. "I can think of far worse fates," was alright, but sounded so unenthusiastic; it would convey that she was acceptable rather than extraordinary, and if there was a measure of truth to that assessment it had no place at this stage of the evening's proceedings. Right now, he would play it classic and charming. After all, he had the whole night to figure out just where exactly they stood.
Dante kissed him, then.
Not for long, he just leaned forward and let his lips brush Aurelien's, quick enough that none of the teachers could complain. Cause he was right. It was gonna be okay. He honestly couldn't imagine telling his parents, maybe not ever, it felt like there was no chance of that going well, but, but. They loved him very much, he knew. He didn't think they'd abandon him for anything, even this. Vee hadn't really cared; his little sisters loved him more than anything in the world. It would probably be a long while before he could work up the courage to say anything, but he could work up that courage, eventually. The alternatives were too sad.
They'd find a way. It might be a while, but they'd find a way. They had all the time in the world.
"You're the smart one." He grinned. "I believe you."
Time passed.
Venetia couldn't reliably say how much time, because she was making a point of not looking at her phone, because that would be rude and make Alton think he was boring her, which he assuredly wasn't. There were plenty of emotions she could ascribe to this evening, but boredom definitely wasn't one of them. She was having fun, yeah, but that fun was spiked with worry that she kept having to shake off. Was she doing a good job? Was she pretty enough? Was she dancing too well? Should she have picked a sexier dress? Or a less sexy one, maybe? And what the hell did "I suppose I'll just have to accept my fate and hope I make it out alive" mean, anyway? She'd smiled and gone right back to dancing, but it kept on bothering her.
Their time together started to blur a bit; there wasn't a whole lot to do, here. They danced, a lot, enough that she'd worn herself out, and she wasn't exactly lacking in stamina. They'd eaten, not that the school had exactly provided them much. They'd talked, a little. Not much, which was for the best, since she found herself overthinking every sentence that came out of her mouth. But still. She'd had fun, really, honestly. Something about spending so much time this close to a guy (a guy who, in her and her friends' approximation, was undeniably hot) who at least sort of maybe seemed to be into her while all dressed up and dancing all night was just... electrifying. She couldn't explain it. But it wasn't only the one time she had to hide that stupid smile of hers behind her hands.
She excused herself for a moment to use the bathroom, also a convenient excuse to touch up her makeup, and it was only then she dared to check her phone and realized just how late it was.
Prom would be over pretty soon. Technically in a bit under an hour, though the place was already starting to empty out as people packed up for after parties or whatever else they had planned. ... Was she going to an after party? She hadn't actually discussed that, she had no clue at all what Alton wanted to do after this, but she sure hoped it was something. Not that she wouldn't have another prom experience, hopefully next year and definitely the year after, but still; it seemed to her like ending the night being driven directly home from prom was lame as hell.
Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he thought she was lame as hell. She hoped not. She hoped he had plans. An after party, or... well, she could consider other possibilities if they came up, right?
She headed back out, makeup expertly reapplied, sweat wiped from her brow, smiling her practiced smile as she walked back up to Alton. The music had gotten lower key, changed to something or other she didn't recognize, and she didn't really care about it anymore, either.
"Hey," she said, hoping she didn't sound nervous. She sounded pretty cool to her own ear, but he was probably better at telling these things. "It's later than I thought. Looks like people are heading out?" She glanced around; the thinning of the crowd was self-evident. She could have left it at that, a hint, but she wanted an answer.
"Did you... wanna go somewhere, after this?"
It was a good night.
Honestly, Dante couldn't have been much happier if he tried. They'd danced like idiots, chatted away at the snack table, kissed a few times when teachers probably weren't looking. Nothing crazy, but it felt special, doing it here. This was supposed to be this big important night, but what it really was was a chance to show everyone he knew how much he loved Aurelien Valter. He vaguely remembered he was supposed to find a girl to take pictures of to show his mom later, but he couldn't bear to pull himself away from Aurelien for long enough to actually bother. He'd just tell his mom he forgot, and she'd be upset, probably, but she'd believe him, cause that was the kinda thing he'd do. He did remember to get a couple of shots of him and Aurelien, though. He'd just have to hide those somewhere. No big.
He kept a half-eye on Venetia as the night progressed, cause he kinda felt like he had to, but also if he came any closer she was going to strangle him. He didn't see any real reason to say anything, anyway. She maybe was dancing a little too close for big brother standards but apparently not for chaperone standards, so he probably should mind his business. She seemed happy. That was the important thing.
He wasn't really keeping track of the time, cause that was the sort of thing you did when you weren't having fun, but he did start to notice people heading out of the building. Fishing his phone from his pocket, he checked the time. ... Later than he expected. Time flies or whatever.
"S'getting late," he said to Aurelien, pocketing his phone again. "Uh, I dunno if you wanted to hit a party or anything after this? I didn't really..."
He trailed off, glancing at his sister on the other side of the dance floor.
"Oh, shit."
His mom was gonna kill him if he let Vee go anywhere but directly home. But Vee was gonna kill him if he interfered with her night. Vee was the one with a secret she was holding over his head. But still.
"... Vee's gonna be okay on her own, right? Alton's a good guy. Yeah?"
Not for long, he just leaned forward and let his lips brush Aurelien's, quick enough that none of the teachers could complain. Cause he was right. It was gonna be okay. He honestly couldn't imagine telling his parents, maybe not ever, it felt like there was no chance of that going well, but, but. They loved him very much, he knew. He didn't think they'd abandon him for anything, even this. Vee hadn't really cared; his little sisters loved him more than anything in the world. It would probably be a long while before he could work up the courage to say anything, but he could work up that courage, eventually. The alternatives were too sad.
They'd find a way. It might be a while, but they'd find a way. They had all the time in the world.
"You're the smart one." He grinned. "I believe you."
Time passed.
Venetia couldn't reliably say how much time, because she was making a point of not looking at her phone, because that would be rude and make Alton think he was boring her, which he assuredly wasn't. There were plenty of emotions she could ascribe to this evening, but boredom definitely wasn't one of them. She was having fun, yeah, but that fun was spiked with worry that she kept having to shake off. Was she doing a good job? Was she pretty enough? Was she dancing too well? Should she have picked a sexier dress? Or a less sexy one, maybe? And what the hell did "I suppose I'll just have to accept my fate and hope I make it out alive" mean, anyway? She'd smiled and gone right back to dancing, but it kept on bothering her.
Their time together started to blur a bit; there wasn't a whole lot to do, here. They danced, a lot, enough that she'd worn herself out, and she wasn't exactly lacking in stamina. They'd eaten, not that the school had exactly provided them much. They'd talked, a little. Not much, which was for the best, since she found herself overthinking every sentence that came out of her mouth. But still. She'd had fun, really, honestly. Something about spending so much time this close to a guy (a guy who, in her and her friends' approximation, was undeniably hot) who at least sort of maybe seemed to be into her while all dressed up and dancing all night was just... electrifying. She couldn't explain it. But it wasn't only the one time she had to hide that stupid smile of hers behind her hands.
She excused herself for a moment to use the bathroom, also a convenient excuse to touch up her makeup, and it was only then she dared to check her phone and realized just how late it was.
Prom would be over pretty soon. Technically in a bit under an hour, though the place was already starting to empty out as people packed up for after parties or whatever else they had planned. ... Was she going to an after party? She hadn't actually discussed that, she had no clue at all what Alton wanted to do after this, but she sure hoped it was something. Not that she wouldn't have another prom experience, hopefully next year and definitely the year after, but still; it seemed to her like ending the night being driven directly home from prom was lame as hell.
Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he thought she was lame as hell. She hoped not. She hoped he had plans. An after party, or... well, she could consider other possibilities if they came up, right?
She headed back out, makeup expertly reapplied, sweat wiped from her brow, smiling her practiced smile as she walked back up to Alton. The music had gotten lower key, changed to something or other she didn't recognize, and she didn't really care about it anymore, either.
"Hey," she said, hoping she didn't sound nervous. She sounded pretty cool to her own ear, but he was probably better at telling these things. "It's later than I thought. Looks like people are heading out?" She glanced around; the thinning of the crowd was self-evident. She could have left it at that, a hint, but she wanted an answer.
"Did you... wanna go somewhere, after this?"
It was a good night.
Honestly, Dante couldn't have been much happier if he tried. They'd danced like idiots, chatted away at the snack table, kissed a few times when teachers probably weren't looking. Nothing crazy, but it felt special, doing it here. This was supposed to be this big important night, but what it really was was a chance to show everyone he knew how much he loved Aurelien Valter. He vaguely remembered he was supposed to find a girl to take pictures of to show his mom later, but he couldn't bear to pull himself away from Aurelien for long enough to actually bother. He'd just tell his mom he forgot, and she'd be upset, probably, but she'd believe him, cause that was the kinda thing he'd do. He did remember to get a couple of shots of him and Aurelien, though. He'd just have to hide those somewhere. No big.
He kept a half-eye on Venetia as the night progressed, cause he kinda felt like he had to, but also if he came any closer she was going to strangle him. He didn't see any real reason to say anything, anyway. She maybe was dancing a little too close for big brother standards but apparently not for chaperone standards, so he probably should mind his business. She seemed happy. That was the important thing.
He wasn't really keeping track of the time, cause that was the sort of thing you did when you weren't having fun, but he did start to notice people heading out of the building. Fishing his phone from his pocket, he checked the time. ... Later than he expected. Time flies or whatever.
"S'getting late," he said to Aurelien, pocketing his phone again. "Uh, I dunno if you wanted to hit a party or anything after this? I didn't really..."
He trailed off, glancing at his sister on the other side of the dance floor.
"Oh, shit."
His mom was gonna kill him if he let Vee go anywhere but directly home. But Vee was gonna kill him if he interfered with her night. Vee was the one with a secret she was holding over his head. But still.
"... Vee's gonna be okay on her own, right? Alton's a good guy. Yeah?"
"Well, Fenris, the King of Gossip. We meet again."
There had been a little niggle, in the back of Aurelien’s mind since this morning, that this would all be clouded with an air of disappointment. Not the going to prom with Dante part, because he was deeply in love with this boy, and he knew that would be wonderful and he wanted nothing more than to make that work no matter what. No, he was just a little concerned that prom itself would turn out to be a bit of a dud. Maybe it was the fact it had been hyped up as this big event to cap off the year, but he’d worried that it wouldn’t live up to expectations, especially when compared to something like Swiftball. This was his and Dante’s first real ‘thing’ together as a couple, and he’d been worried he’d just end up wishing they’d gone for dinner and a movie or something.
But as he stood as close as he could to Dante without the teachers interfering, off to the side of the dance floor, he had a big, broad, exhausted smile on his face, because tonight had been just as magical as he’d hoped. Just being here with his boyfriend – god, they were boyfriends and he was pretty sure he’d never get tired of hearing that – was practically enough, but being able to dance and talk and share in this experience with him under the dazzling mix of light and shadow made it even more wonderful.
Their kisses had been kept as brief as possible; no time for anything as intensely passionate as the ones they’d shared in Forrest’s spare room a couple weeks back, not with the teachers patrolling. And even then, it wasn’t like he was gonna just start making out with his boyfriend in front of all of his classmates. That would be… kinda weird, and kinda rude for all the people around them. But despite that, they’d felt even better and even more electric, his heart thudding against his chest each time their lips brushed together.
He turned his smile towards Dante, studying his face, something that had very quickly become one of his favourite hobbies. Dancing with Dante, or, more accurately, ‘dancing’, had been fun, but it had very quickly gotten exhausting, particularly with his suit restricting his movement. Aurelien could feel the coat of sweat sticking to his back, which was really kinda gross, but also something for future him to take care of. All he wanted to do now was stay with Dante, maybe grab a couple more snacks and drinks and kisses before heading off. People had already started to file out, either to afterparties or back home and to bed, some alone and some with dates on their arms.
Aurelien hadn’t really had any plans for after prom either, and he was scratching his chin trying to think of what he wanted to do when he realised Dante’s attention had shifted elsewhere. He followed his boyfriend’s gaze, looking at Vee and Alton on the other side of the dance floor, and he let out a gentle laugh, before giving Dante’s arm a quick squeeze.
“Yeah, she’ll be fine,” Aurelien said soothingly, looking back at Dante. “Alton’s good people; wouldn’t trust him with my wallet, but I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about with him and Vee. Honestly, from what I’ve seen of her, ‘m pretty sure she’s the one in control, here.”
He laughed again, giving Dante a quick kiss on the cheek.
“I dunno if I’m up for more partying, though. I kinda just wanna spend some time with you and you alone.”
But as he stood as close as he could to Dante without the teachers interfering, off to the side of the dance floor, he had a big, broad, exhausted smile on his face, because tonight had been just as magical as he’d hoped. Just being here with his boyfriend – god, they were boyfriends and he was pretty sure he’d never get tired of hearing that – was practically enough, but being able to dance and talk and share in this experience with him under the dazzling mix of light and shadow made it even more wonderful.
Their kisses had been kept as brief as possible; no time for anything as intensely passionate as the ones they’d shared in Forrest’s spare room a couple weeks back, not with the teachers patrolling. And even then, it wasn’t like he was gonna just start making out with his boyfriend in front of all of his classmates. That would be… kinda weird, and kinda rude for all the people around them. But despite that, they’d felt even better and even more electric, his heart thudding against his chest each time their lips brushed together.
He turned his smile towards Dante, studying his face, something that had very quickly become one of his favourite hobbies. Dancing with Dante, or, more accurately, ‘dancing’, had been fun, but it had very quickly gotten exhausting, particularly with his suit restricting his movement. Aurelien could feel the coat of sweat sticking to his back, which was really kinda gross, but also something for future him to take care of. All he wanted to do now was stay with Dante, maybe grab a couple more snacks and drinks and kisses before heading off. People had already started to file out, either to afterparties or back home and to bed, some alone and some with dates on their arms.
Aurelien hadn’t really had any plans for after prom either, and he was scratching his chin trying to think of what he wanted to do when he realised Dante’s attention had shifted elsewhere. He followed his boyfriend’s gaze, looking at Vee and Alton on the other side of the dance floor, and he let out a gentle laugh, before giving Dante’s arm a quick squeeze.
“Yeah, she’ll be fine,” Aurelien said soothingly, looking back at Dante. “Alton’s good people; wouldn’t trust him with my wallet, but I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about with him and Vee. Honestly, from what I’ve seen of her, ‘m pretty sure she’s the one in control, here.”
He laughed again, giving Dante a quick kiss on the cheek.
“I dunno if I’m up for more partying, though. I kinda just wanna spend some time with you and you alone.”
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2565
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
"Mm," Alton said, "I'd love to. If it won't get you in trouble."
He gave Venetia a wink. Of course, he was laying out a challenge more than anything. He had a pretty good idea that she likely would get in all sorts of trouble if she was tardy in returning home, but that was in no way, shape, or form his problem. She was, he felt, plenty old enough to make her own choices after weighing the pros and cons, and fully capable of deciding whether or not any potential consequences were worth it.
As for any repercussions he might himself face, well, his family and the Valerios didn't move in the same circles, and it was almost graduation anyways, and he was pretty sure both that Dante wasn't the sort to take a swing at him and that, even if the boy found it in himself to try, he lacked the sort of edge and instinct to make it count.
But all of that was really no more than mildly-intriguing diversionary musing. Here and now, Alton had a date whose company he'd enjoyed enough to not want to disappoint, and while the dance was over the night was still young. One of the big benefits to driving himself was that he wasn't held to anyone else's schedule or itinerary, and thus they could go wherever they wanted. Another was that it made them a whole lot more difficult to locate if they didn't want to be found; there was no group of classmates whose phones could be blown up if theirs happened to be switched off. And of course a third thing having his own ride had going for it was that he had a liter of Scotch in the trunk, as well as a couple pretty dismal canned cocktails that might be more to Venetia's taste.
The music was fading into the background, and all around them other dance-goers were filtering out, some bound for late dinners, other for hotels booked in hopes of an illicit rendez-vous, and still others for some of the countless parties surely popping up. Alton hadn't really scoped those out in advance, this time, though he figured he could probably work their way into anywhere if he truly wanted to. But tonight had been nothing but a whirl of familiar faces and loud music and close scrutiny, and any party Venetia might enjoy was likely to be more of the same, granted with the pleasant addition of being outside the purview of teachers and their artificial authority. Had he been alone, he might have made his way to one of those things, or he might have sought out some of the geeky kids, maybe stayed up all night failing to learn Magic. But right now, he actually had a pretty good idea what sounded like at least a promising first step.
"What say we take a little drive and see where we end up?"
He gave Venetia a wink. Of course, he was laying out a challenge more than anything. He had a pretty good idea that she likely would get in all sorts of trouble if she was tardy in returning home, but that was in no way, shape, or form his problem. She was, he felt, plenty old enough to make her own choices after weighing the pros and cons, and fully capable of deciding whether or not any potential consequences were worth it.
As for any repercussions he might himself face, well, his family and the Valerios didn't move in the same circles, and it was almost graduation anyways, and he was pretty sure both that Dante wasn't the sort to take a swing at him and that, even if the boy found it in himself to try, he lacked the sort of edge and instinct to make it count.
But all of that was really no more than mildly-intriguing diversionary musing. Here and now, Alton had a date whose company he'd enjoyed enough to not want to disappoint, and while the dance was over the night was still young. One of the big benefits to driving himself was that he wasn't held to anyone else's schedule or itinerary, and thus they could go wherever they wanted. Another was that it made them a whole lot more difficult to locate if they didn't want to be found; there was no group of classmates whose phones could be blown up if theirs happened to be switched off. And of course a third thing having his own ride had going for it was that he had a liter of Scotch in the trunk, as well as a couple pretty dismal canned cocktails that might be more to Venetia's taste.
The music was fading into the background, and all around them other dance-goers were filtering out, some bound for late dinners, other for hotels booked in hopes of an illicit rendez-vous, and still others for some of the countless parties surely popping up. Alton hadn't really scoped those out in advance, this time, though he figured he could probably work their way into anywhere if he truly wanted to. But tonight had been nothing but a whirl of familiar faces and loud music and close scrutiny, and any party Venetia might enjoy was likely to be more of the same, granted with the pleasant addition of being outside the purview of teachers and their artificial authority. Had he been alone, he might have made his way to one of those things, or he might have sought out some of the geeky kids, maybe stayed up all night failing to learn Magic. But right now, he actually had a pretty good idea what sounded like at least a promising first step.
"What say we take a little drive and see where we end up?"