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Of the handful of dates they had been on over the past couple of months, Harry couldn't deny this was the one he was most excited for so far. And nervous.
There was no reason to be nervous. He certainly didn't care what others thought and their dates had been nothing but enjoyable.
The ones that were dinners were pleasant, quiet affairs away from prying eyes, able to talk quietly with his dear Eggsy or simply enjoy his company without the threat someone knocking on his office door. Once was the novelty of seeing a movie in theaters, dressed down to sweater and slacks and hands greasy with popcorn, a stolen kiss or two in the dark; Eggsy's work and then as revenge, his own. The walks didn't count as dates, where they would have the cab drop them off away from their homes at night and take time looking at the city and how it glowed.
Tonight, though.
Tonight had been Eggsy's idea.
It had been after a dance lesson Harry, as Arthur, insisted on between missions, refining Eggsy and Roxy's waltz. As had become customary, Eggsy stayed behind and once again requested Harry put on 'some of that jazzy shite' and dance with him. Harry obliged, naturally, thrilled not only to have someone to dance with but that Eggsy was picking it up so quickly. He had no qualms admitting to himself that these times were why he was so insistent about the waltz lessons. Eggsy's dancing had seen dramatic improvement, from the elegant twirls he and Roxy made to the new swing steps Harry threw at him every chance he got.
His progress was astounding, truly.
It was clear he practiced his waltz with Roxy outside of their scheduled lessons and the swing steps as best he could, even trying to learn new ones at the same time if him asking Harry for steps by names Harry didn't recognize until physically shown were any indication.
Harry wasn't sure if Eggsy was that enthralled with dancing or if he was more interested in how it made them both laugh and smile. And kiss. Eggsy always made sure to give him a kiss at the end of each dance as his own way of thank you.
Or maybe it was Eggsy trying to get a rise out of Harry while they were both breathing hard and susceptible to turning the kisses into ones that were a little more than proper for the HQ ballroom. Eggsy was impatient with the 'slow' wooing Harry was intent on so Harry let these little shows slide.
He was almost impatient with himself at this rate.
As it were, after a particularly fast dance and left them both grinning and leaning on each other for support while their hearts calmed down, Eggsy swatted Harry's hip and declared "I want to go out dancin'."
At the time it had taken Harry by surprise, though in retrospect it was entirely in Eggsy's nature to want a chance to show off for or with him. What really surprised him was that Eggsy already found the locations and times for various social swing dances they could attend. Premeditated.
In the end Harry chose this particular event for the large space and how popular it was. It would be much easier to blend in with the throng of dancers on the floor than it would be at a smaller studio with only a few people dancing at any given time.
The throng of dancers moving in an organized chaos that made up the dance floor put the lazily spinning ceiling fans to shame. Warm air enveloped everything despite the multiple fans on various surfaces and by the open back door. Another smattering of people sat on benches chatting with flailing hands and gathered around the water fountain, either cooling off or waiting for someone to invite them to dance next. The collective atmosphere was just as Harry remembered it and though he didn't grin, he did feel himself smile involuntarily, earning him a knock in the side from Eggsy.
"So we gonna dance?"
Eggsy stared up at Harry, something hiding behind his easy smile. Something eager.
The nerves of dancing in public with Eggsy eased just enough.
Now there were only the nerves of not having danced at a social swing in years.
Harry settled his hand on the small of Eggsy's back and lead him around a set of dancers spinning near the edge of the dance floor. Just another moment to calm himself. "As soon as the next song starts, yes." He eyed the way Eggsy hooked his thumbs in the front of his suspenders and tugged. "I still can't believe you decided to wear those."
"What d'ya mean?" Eggsy grinned, wolfish, and snapped the suspenders off his thumbs. "Looked classy in them instruction videos." He leaned close so his chin was nearly brushing Harry's shoulder. "'Sides, since I look so tempting in holsters, thought you might--."
Harry shoved his hand into Eggsy's back harder than was necessary to get him moving, taking solace in the way it made his partner jerk and bite back a curse even if he did still retain his shit-eating grin.
Serves him right.
Harry placed those particular thoughts to the side (and swore that was last time he would tell Eggsy something like that until they were further along) and took his time watching other dancers. The talent ranged varied but every person was enthusiastic and that was infectious in its own right. He spied one lead executing a set of moves he had forgotten about and wondered how Eggsy would react to it being sprung on him.
It would probably be delightful. For Harry, at least. No doubt Eggsy would eat it up. His surprised laugh would make it more than worth it.
The current song came to a close and Eggsy bounced on the balls of his feet. Another one started and people shuffled about for new partners or went to rest. Harry stepped onto the dance floor, holding his elbow out and raising his eyebrows and getting the exact reaction he wanted. Eggsy straightened his back and hooked his arm in Harry's, grinning like he has just won an award and strutting along like he was on a runway.
If Eggsy wanted to make tonight about showing off Harry was going to give him every opportunity available to do so.
The song was still winding up, a lot of drums in it, good for staying in rhythm, probably fast. Harry reached around Eggsy and palmed his shoulder blade, comfortable with the weight Eggsy put against his hand. Eggsy draped his arm along Harry's, hand curled on his shoulder, expectantly searching for Harry's other hand with his own. Harry didn't bother covering his laugh while he made space for Eggsy's hand to rest on his, giving it a squeeze. They got a bounce into their knees as Harry felt the beat in his body and Eggsy joined the motion. Harry counted them in, five, six, seven, eight, and they took off.
Immediately Harry lead Eggsy forward and stepped around, triple step, rock step, then swung him out, connected only by their hooked hands while Eggsy flipped his other hand up in a flourish and used the momentum to come back in, Harry catching him by the ribs to spin them around again. Harry grinned and Eggsy grinned right back as his hands were pushed behind him and Harry wound him up made him unfurl like a yo-yo while letting him swing out.
Eggsy loved the spins and Harry loved the way it made him smile.
Harry also loved the feeling of catching his partner and the press of their hands and how the smallest twist could send them into completely different moves. Like now, how he had Eggsy lifting an arm in the air twisting into him, arms crossed now as he nestled into the crook of Harry's arm for the briefest of moments before undoing the motions. Maybe later Harry would tell him the move was called a sweetheart.
From the private smile Eggsy wore, Harry guessed he might have already known.
"Harry?"
It wasn't hard to hear Eggsy as they spun around. "Yes?"
The glimmer in Eggsy's eyes should have been warning enough. But it wasn't. Eggsy dropped their clasped hands while they kept moving and Harry felt a slight grip on his shoulder where Eggsy's hand normally draped. All at once Eggsy was ducking under that raised arm and Harry turned to face him again, eyes going wide as he realized what Eggsy had just done.
Harry barely had enough time to process it as the momentum of their hooked hands was bringing him towards Eggsy and Eggsy was the one catching him and pushing him into a spin. And spin he did, crouching a bit so their arms cleared his head, and laughing in bewilderment while Eggsy grinned on.
Their tempo definitely changed after that. Eggsy was going a terrific job leading, hands pressing Harry's ribs with confidence, putting him exactly where he should be, but Harry, for all it was worth, was simply trying to remember how to follow.
It didn't matter. His boy was doing a marvelous job after such a devious move as that switch and Harry barked a laugh, feet shuffling more than once in an approximation of steps he half remembered. He was thankful when Eggsy spared his pride and brought him in close, letting them settle into some basic steps which Harry definitely knew. "You, Eggsy Unwin, are trouble."
"That's why you like me." And Eggsy winked at him before twirling him around twice.
Harry couldn't help another laugh. Even if he didn't know his exact steps there was a comfort in the way Eggsy moved him. It was certainly the most handsy Eggsy had ever gotten to be with him and oh that was a particular joy in itself. Maybe he now understood why Eggsy was impatient with him.
And Eggsy would be even more impatient with him after the move he had planned.
If he could remember how to steal back the lead, damn it all to hell.
---
The song ended before Harry could exact his revenge.
He held his shoulders square, refusing to let Eggsy see how ruffled his pride was among other thoughts. It was only proper that now he lead Eggsy off the dance floor to have a chance to dance with someone else. It was a social event, after all. Maybe he would enjoy watching Eggsy dance with others, see how his swing skills had improved from a distance.
They were barely to the benches when another young man hurried up to them. Well. To Eggsy.
"You know how to do switches? Wanna dance?"
And Harry certainly did not have a pang of possessiveness at how eager the stranger offered his hand and Eggsy looked for approval for only the briefest of seconds before agreeing. "Sure thing, mate!"
Eggsy squeezed the back of Harry's arm before moving away and Harry sat on the bench a little heavier than necessary to watch. He distantly heard Eggsy say something to his dance partner about wanting more practice and yes, Harry nearly muttered about how he'd give Eggsy more practice but it came out as a controlled huff instead. These events were much different feeling when he was on his own, looking to dance with anyone.
A presence at his side drew his attention and there he found a young woman holding her hand out, wearing an easy and confident smile that came from the pleasant atmosphere. "Would you like to dance?"
Harry looked back out to the dance floor and saw how Eggsy was grinning and laughing, his entire focus on the dance. Something in Harry's chest loosened and he stood, offering his elbow as he did for Eggsy on the previous dance. "It would be my pleasure."
---
The single-minded focus of dancing cleared his head. More than cleared it. It gave him ideas.
Ideas were a dangerous thing.
The woman he was dancing with, she was skilled and the way she moved had Harry leading moves he didn't know he remembered until the moment they happened. It was almost like watching himself from a distance, physical memory taking over for a few precious seconds while he was back to back with his partner, stomping with a clap then spinning. The brief moment let his eyes wander, searching for how much room he has to dance, avoiding people, making sure he didn't run his partner into anyone else.
Maybe a second was devoting to looking for Eggsy but he was nowhere to be seen.
He pulled his partner around in a slingshot motion and realized why he didn't see Eggsy a moment earlier. As he turned for the motion, the woman wrapped in both of their arms before rebounding back in a sharp U, he came face to face with Eggsy as Eggsy was in the middle of spinning his own partner.
It was barely a fraction of a second but Harry managed to wink and satisfaction sat low in his gut at the way he thought he saw Eggsy's eyes widen.
---
Four songs later and Harry was on a bench declining another dance so he could catch his breath. And watch Eggsy with undivided attention.
The song playing was marginally slower than the first one they had danced to that evening. It was giving Eggsy the chance to settle into the moves with the young woman he was leading. She looked to be the same age as him, at the very least.
The pang of jealously Harry felt earlier was nowhere to be found. He found himself enjoying watching Eggsy dance. Feeling the way his... (Boyfriend? Significant other? When would he find a word that felt right?) Feeling Eggsy dance was different than watching. Now he could appreciate exactly the way Eggsy's arm flipped out in a spin and how he used his entire body to exaggerate the dance. More than anything Harry found himself thinking about how it felt for Eggsy to lead and if his own impatience was anything compared to the few months he had been putting Eggsy through. Maybe they should figure out what the both wanted to do next, where their relationship was headed.
Then he saw Eggsy dip his partner fully while grinning directly at Harry.
Never mind.
He needed to show Eggsy exactly what he was capable of first.
---
"May I have this dance?" Harry held his elbow out expectantly, staring down at Eggsy with the mildest of smiles while the young man in question was bent over a water fountain, water dripping all over his chin from tilting his head to look up.
The way Eggsy eyed him it was as if Harry had materialized out of nowhere. It was true they hadn’t spoken since the first dance but the judgement in Eggsy’s eyes screamed his belief that Harry had been avoiding him simply to sneak up on him on moment exactly like this one. That would be entirely childish and Eggsy could never plausibly expect him to do such a thing.
Which is exactly why he did it.
He held his elbow out again, insistent. He couldn't ask for a dance again. It was strange already to not have Eggsy already on his arm before having the words even part way past his lips.
Maybe Eggsy already figured out his ulterior motive.
Or maybe not, seeing as Eggsy took one more gulp of water then nodded, still a bit winded from all the dancing. "Not upset about that switch back there?"
Perfect.
"Why would I be? It simply shows how much you've taken to dancing and truly," he leaned down enough to nudge Eggsy with his arm and lower his voice into a tone bordering on suggestive, "I couldn't be happier."
Yes, excellent. He had Eggsy preening, hiking up his suspenders and making sure his hair was still coifed.
And finally, finally, Eggsy took his elbow. “Lead the way.”
Only a few more steps to the dance floor, to a clear spot for them, and Harry had to clarify one last thing: “Eggsy, if you can get through this song without giving me any surprises I will gladly let you lead the next one. How does that sound?”
“Like a piece of cake.”
---
With Eggsy as a solid weight on his hands and the drums of a new song starting, Harry was already soaring. These things made him content, happy even, but with what he had planned he was nearly gleeful. Oh, but he would have to prepare himself. It wasn't going to be easy. He could already hear this physical therapist reading him the riot act.
But it would be worth it. Every fiber of his will screamed for it to work.
"You okay there, bruv?" Eggsy asked and Harry smiled, slinking away from his thoughts.
"Never better. Now..." Harry got the bounce into their knees, satisfied to feel Eggsy lean back into his hand a bit more, and set them rocking.
Their movements came naturally, one flowing into the next.
Spins. Tucks. Kicks.
Far. Around. Close.
Hands. Ribs. Pressure.
Right there. It was time.
Harry had Eggsy at his side, a hand on his back, their others still clasped.
Without warning he stepped out in front of Eggsy and planted his foot in a strong stance, causing Eggsy to tense as he naturally kept going forward.
But Harry was ready for that.
He put all of his strength into bumping Eggsy's hip up and lifting, arm clamped around his back.
His physical therapist was going to be livid.
Eggsy, unsure what to do most likely, tensed further and pulled his legs up while Harry used some of the momentum, mainly brute strength, to bring him around, not touching the ground, making his feet draw an arc in the air on the way to his other hip.
He could feel his shoulder protesting already. Merlin would probably oversee all of their dancing to make sure he didn't pull this stunt again.
The small of Eggsy's back, more like his hips, really, landed on Harry's opposite thigh and Harry pinned Eggsy there with his elbow, caging his hips on his leg, leaning back a little to counterbalance Eggsy being horizontal now.
Horizontal with eyes wide and a flushed face, tongue nearly knotted in surprise. It must have gotten untied during their few seconds of staring. "Fuckin' hell, Harry."
And for his shoulder being angry with the weight it just slung around, Harry could only pay attention to the young man he currently had pinned in a bit of a compromising position. He knew the grin he was sporting was sharp and cocky. He leaned forward to dip Eggsy more. "I see your switch and raise you a cherry bomb."
"Fuck me," was all Eggsy breathed out, all disbelief.
"Maybe later."
And that sent Eggsy into a sputtering laugh while Harry righted him and kept them dancing, Eggsy flushed a bit more around the neck than usual and staring at Harry's lips more than over his shoulder like he usually did.
Harry made a mental note to revise his idea of a slow courtship.