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The evening brought dimming skies of purples and glints of the first stars of the night, peeper frogs chirping their songs as the darkness was setting in.
Carriages pulled themselves up to the steps of a magnificent looking abode, the manor of a nobleman with blood that trails him in the shadows. People in clothes too fancy to wear while walking on meager town streets and too tight for long periods of time wandered through the grandiose doors and into the marble haven of the well lit entrance way. The crowds were routed to one place; the expansive ballroom decorated in golds and jewels, giant windows and balconies showed the fading light of the night, and the large table of festive foods, snacks, and drinks. Chatter filled the atmosphere as much and the wines and perfumes of individuals.
A small statured man who wasn't invited strode through the hall to the ballroom, knowing that this party that Lord Kaiser was throwing was open to those of high class, so he wouldn't be turned away. Besides, the lord had apparently been looking into him, so showing up was a small bonus for the night to start the connections needed for business. As he crossed the threshold of the doorway to the dancing and conversing class of nobility, his hand came up to adjust his collar and tuck stray light ginger locks behind his ears. His presence here brought whispers from observing ladies, wondering what brought him here.
"Why wonder about that?"
"You don't know about Noir?"
"Noir?"
The small man's attention easily found other things to tune in on. His golden eyes scanned the pockets of people as he made his own way past a butler, taking a drink off the silver platter on his way to a corner. No problem in being a wallflower for a bit.
Drinks flow, people swap around and mingle, dances begin and end as the moon climbs the starry staircase of sky. The atmosphere became as drunk as many of the guests, slow and swaying, until Lord Kaiser wandered back into the room with a few of his usual cohorts and another large man. His body was larger than old man Kaiser, with a long braid of dark ginger trailing behind him as he wandered in behind the group, looking like he was a bit lost as to what to do now that he was here.
The gossip girls around Noir started up again,
"Would you look at that! Kaiser has brought his only child in."
"What a sweet boy! What I wouldn't give to take him as my own."
Light giddy chuckles came from them.
The small man understood what they meant as he himself was rather drawn to this man. He watched him awkwardly stray away from his father, not taking any alcohol or food, only finding a water and drifting himself out onto a balcony to escape the strange eyes on him.
He couldn't help himself.
He slipped away from his wallflower spot, staying near the edge of the room as he let his eyes wander to the windows, catching glimpses of the intriguing man as he got closer.
He was soon greeted with the nippy air of the night as he stepped into the entry for this particular balcony. He closed his eyes for a moment and softly exhaled, enjoying the lack of confined odors that the ballroom had. When his eyes opened again, they sought out the big man, who was further down to the left, unaware of the strange little man coming to visit him. A small smile crossed Noir's face and his feet quietly carried him closer.
The man was taking claiming breaths, back against the solid wall that divided him from the people inside. His eyes peaked open, beautiful blue and brown heterochromia looking off into the distance like he wanted to leave all this behind…
".. The party life isn't for you, huh?"
The little man's voice was low and quiet, not wanting to be too startling to this timid lad.
The flinch he had before turning to see who was speaking to him answered Noir's question a bit. His widened eyes met the softened golden ones of the mini man, "A-Ah.. I-I supposed that's a way to put it.." He kept eye contact but was stuck between being awkward and being calm about a stranger actually coming over to him.
Noir let his body stay close to the rail of the balcony, hand lightly slipping over it, smooth marbled stone cooling him. He'd stop and lean his arms against it, hunching over while still looking to his side at the big man.
"Hm… the breeze is soothing out here.." He exhaled and relaxed into his new position.
"Not as suffocating and dense as the air in there.."
"O-Of course.."
The large man was sort of puzzled if this stranger was sent by his father or not, knowing that it had happened before. Noir could see it.
As another breeze swept up the balcony of the manor, Noir let his head turn to take it in, reveling in the cool air that chilled him softly. The petals it brought along brushed by, with one trying to tangle into his hair and make an escape to some new foreign place. His hand easily found it's way up to pluck it out and bring it forward to look at,
"Ah, the night bloomers. What a special night for them to be fully opened and showing off while the crowds are stuffed indoors.."
He gave a glance back to the windows and glass panes doors of the ballroom, where the party continued on.
The suspicions temporarily were put aside,
"You.. You know about them?"
"About nocturnal flora? I do know a little bit, but I haven't had any before. I'm actually surprised that they're here, since I didn't think of Kaiser as much of a gardener.." He stood up off the railing and half turned to keep talking to his companion a bit better, hand still playing with the flower in between his fingers.
"He doesn't really have much care for it, doesn't even take guests down to it or have any caretakers for it anymore…"
Noir looked to him, eyebrows raised,
"Is that so? Then… Would you perhaps be the one taking care of it all?"
It was a quick assumption, based on the soft personality this man radiated and the way he seemed to dislike his father's abandoning of the garden below.
He was proven right by the look of surprise the dual eyed man got,
"I-I do. It's a sort of side project that I work on."
"Well, you must be doing well! The Chocolate Daisies are fragrant enough and plentiful enough that I can smell them from here," he smiled sweetly as his hand held up that petal of yellow that had flowed up from the bed of daisies.
Those contrasting eyes widened and a gentle flush of pink crossed his pale cheeks, "Th-Thank you. It's n-not really much work, if I'm being honest, a-and I enjoy it, s-so.."
"Heh, seems like you might have a calling for it," Noir let his hand go over the railing and finally released the golden petal to float back down and be carried on the breeze to somewhere else. His eyes scanned the neat rows of trimmed and maintained flora, "I only really know a few, if I'm being honest. But it's really fascinating that they only bloom at night."
He glanced over his shoulder once more to the man,
"Would you mind telling me about them while I point them out?"
The flustered man wandered over from the walls of the building to join Noir next to the railing, leaning down to better see and look at the flowers being pointed out and asked about.
There was a hidden excitement that was surfacing as they talked. He was excited to be talking about these flowers he tended to, as if he never got to chat like this before about anything.
Noir was sucked in instantly, hanging on every word the soft boy said, taking in all the information about the flowers below and the smaller things he happily does around this manor. It was easy to tell that he was more of a trapped bird in a cage being in this place with his father, whom he didn't mention even once. It tugged on strings inside the smaller ginger man's chest.
The night was slowing behind the two in their own world, the ballroom winding down as the night waded on. The final drinks served and the final dance almost upon them.
As Noir heard the lack of chatter, he looked over his shoulder to see the party coming to its end and that last song beginning to play. He brought his sight back to the son of Kaiser, an idea having come to him just then,
"The night seems over here. Would you like to dance with me before it's all done?"
That adorable fluster returned to the big man as he stuttered a little,
"I-I think that would be lovely, I-If you don't m-mind… Ah! I just realized, I never got your n-name."
He chuckled softly,
"It's Daniel, Daniel Noir."
"Daniel.. I like it," the smile on his slightly reddened face had melted Dani's insides more. "I'm Lucien!"
"That's a very pretty name for a very pretty boy," Dani smiled as he stretched out a hand.
Luci would take the smaller man's hand shyly, "I- W-Well th-thank you.."
It was easy for Dani to pull Lu in and place his other hand on the bigger man's hip, and to gently start their little steps in the methodical circle of the dance they began. He kept it slow, having no need to rush it and not wanting to push Lucien too far if he didn't know how to slow dance like this.
Luckily, Lu kept up just fine, even with the 5' man leading the steps and circling them around on the balcony.
They quickly got lost in each other, going round and round with the music fading into the background. They watched each other, let their eyes meet, exchanged smiles and blushes, even simply letting their eyes close and just swaying along like a natural breeze guided them, just so they could take the other in. It was a moment that felt longer than it actually was, and much more peaceful, like they were alone in a little pocket dimension of their own.
As the last notes played, Dani slowed their steps. He didn't end up dipping the very much larger man, as he wasn't sure it was a good idea. But he did stretch himself away, taking up one of the big man's hands as he did and kneeled himself before the lörge lad when the last held note was played. His head bent down to place a gentle kiss on the knuckles of Lucien's soft hand, his golden eyes peering back up to him once he slowly pulled back.
Lu's face was that beautiful flourish of bright red, his free hand covering his mouth out of surprise and embarrassment and his dual colored eyes soft as he stared down.
Dani smiled and stood back up, still hold his partner's hand,
"Thank you for dancing with me, Lucien. I know it's technically over and wrapping up, but I hope this made your night a little better."
"I-It d-did, Th-Thank you…"
Dani chuckled lightly, ".. I'll have to be going… but the next time I'm around, I'll see if I can find you again, as long as you'd like to see me too."
His eyes lit up a little, "Y-Yes please.. I'd like t-to see you again.."
"Wonderful," the small man lifted that soft hand up to his lips again, giving it another little kiss before letting it go, "I'll see you then."
His smile was warm and heart melting as he gave Lu a last look, before he stepped back.
The remaining guests were filtering out through the grand hall and Noir soon trailed behind them, a new internal fire flickering. His steps held some pep in them as he went down the front stairs to this mansion, his mind already planning when he'd be able to go through the hall to that ballroom again to see that sweet man, unable to wait until they could have yet another dance.
A first dance that led to many more, bringing two together to be one, as their meeting began their story down a joint path…