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"You want to dance?" The question comes as a surprise from Vil. The last thing he expects from Epel is to do something he constantly complains about. And dancing has always been on the top of that list.
"Yeah! I mean...yes," Epel answers with a sweet smile. "I've got to practice, right?"
Vil narrows his eyes as if trying to find the reason behind this. His shining apple would never suggest doing something like this unless he had something in mind. Revenge, perhaps? A plot to show off? Whatever it was, it seemed more important than running around to blindly build up muscle.
Or perhaps he's finally rubbing off on his boyfriend in the right way. It would be nice to see if he's finally thrown away such frivolous expectations about his body.
Unfortunately, even Vil doesn't think he would have a change of heart that quickly. It's still nice to think so.
"Practice won't hurt, you're correct. I assume you have something coming up then?" He asks, deciding to prod anyway.
"Uhh..." Epel falters, looking away. He was never great at lying when under his scrutinizing gaze. "Maybe...? It's just something I want to work on."
Vil falls silent but decides not to press it. For now. Instead, he gets to his feet.
"Very well, come with me."
His hand is offered and Epel would be a fool not to take it. His smaller hand slips into his. Vil's hands are always soft, practically perfect to the touch. It almost feels like a crime to be able to hold his hand. The perks of dating the Queen of Pomefiore meant he didn't have to worry about staining him with his touch, not that he would anyway.
The ballroom is devoid of people. With no events coming up, even spontaneous ones produced by the Headmaster, there is no need for this place to be filled. It would allow for some privacy, a room meant only for two.
"What shall we prac-"
"I want to lead!" Epel interrupts. He freezes when he sees the annoyed look Vil gives him.
"You never give up, do you?" Vil sighs.
Perhaps he should toss that earlier thought out the window. Leading is defined as a more masculine role, but it is one that Epel will have trouble with. At least when it comes to the trickier moves. Sure, leading could be easy, but to truly dazzle others, the difficulty would be amped up.
He considers denying him this chance. Although, he has to give him credit for suggesting this in the first place.
"It wouldn't hurt to try," Vil sighs once more. "Fine."
"What?"
"I'll let you lead."
Epel stares at him, dumbfounded. It takes a moment for him to realize that Vil agreed.
"Thanks!" He chirps out before eagerly getting into position.
It is, admittedly, a little awkward to try and get into the leading role. Epel has practiced plenty of times with Vil. He knows the angles, the positions, hand placement, and everything by heart. He's watched him dance and danced with him. Every move is executed flawlessly. And now, he has to do the same.
If only he wasn't so damn short. It takes everything in him to hold back from clicking his tongue. Doing so would definitely catch Vil's attention.
Once in position, Epel looks up to Vil. With a nod, he signals that he's ready.
The dance is fairly simple. Step after step, Epel takes the first, ensuring each one is never too big. He's learned that no matter the height, one shouldn't overstep a move. The most obvious wrong movement could cause him to step on his partner's foot, which is something he definitely wants to avoid. The last thing he wants is to be scolded and have the lead role stolen from him.
Vil hums to the beat. It's not necessary but he likes to keep track of it. Perhaps it's an old habit of his he couldn't quite shake. Despite being in the follower role, he finds it easy to fall in line with Epel's lead. His precious apple seems to have mimicked his movements when he leads. It makes him proud to see that the practice has paid off.
"So, are you going to tell me the real reason behind this?" Vil asks as he looks down at him. His hands grip him a little tighter, as if telling him he can't escape.
"Huh?" Epel blinks. He couldn't recall if he let anything slip. Honestly, asking him to practice dancing and not having a good excuse was probably the most suspicious thing to do. Then again, even if he did have a good excuse, he was certain that Vil would see through him regardless of any excuse he could come up with.
Epel nearly takes a misstep. Vil allows him a moment to pick up from his moment of surprise.
"If you want to surprise me with a dance, that's fine," Vil replies.
He doesn't hate this, not in the slightest. While he does want everything and everyone to be at their best, a moment like this is welcomed. He can be with Epel, alone and in close proximity.
Dancing requires a certain amount of delicate intimacy with bodies nearly touching as hands are placed to steady one another. A misstep could cause one to crash into the other. Depending on the dance, a quick movement could easily close the space between them.
"Well, like I said, I do want to practice." It wasn't a lie. He just couldn't expose the entire truth to him.
In his mind, Epel had the perfect vision for his plan. Executing it is the real problem. There isn't an opening and if he can't get Vil to compromise, it might be harder than he thinks.
The thought of asking crosses his mind, but he fights against it. No, it had to be a surprise. He had to show off to him, to show him that he was capable of being a lead despite the odds stacked against him.
And maybe, just maybe , he wanted to impress Vil.
He never thought the day would come when he would want to do such a thing.
"Just trust me," Epel says with eyes full of determination.
If there's one thing Vil can truly admire about his boyfriend, it's the way he gets when his heart is dead set on something. His stubbornness is a blessing and a curse. It can lead him astray, but it pushes him forward. And with the right assistance, he can get what his heart desires.
Without a word, Vil allows him to continue to lead.
It doesn't take long for him to notice the signs. This type of dance isn't uncommon to those in Pomefiore. It's almost mandatory to learn some sort of waltz. So, Vil knows the moves, the steps, the changes that would lead up to it. He doesn't question Epel. Vil knows the part he has to play and he'll execute it flawlessly.
Epel gulps down a bit of nervousness. He can't back down now, not when he already has Vil in his grasp. If he falters now, he doubts he'll get another chance to do this for a while.
With nothing to lose, he decides to make his move. His hands move from their original position, sliding to Vil's back. This move takes two and he's certain that his partner knows what to do. As he bends his knees slightly, he does everything in his power to hold onto Vil.
Vil, as expected, dips with grace and beauty. Even without an audience, he intends to achieve perfection. His head tilts back and he manages to balance himself to appear lighter in Epel's hold. The moment doesn't last long as the move doesn't allow much time for either of them to remain in place. Vil is pulled back up, moving closer to Epel as his feet are firmly planted on the ground now.
"Is that what you wanted to do?" Vil asks, slightly amused.
"Yeah," Epel admits. Dancing may not be his favorite thing in the world, but even he had to admit some moves looked cool. Vil made it look cool.
Yet, he couldn't help but pout even after having accomplished such a task.
"I did want to do something else..."
Vil hums in thought. Epel had accomplished his goal, to dip him, so what else was there? There is one thing in mind. He almost chuckles at how silly the thought is.
"You mean this?"
Before Epel can question him, he feels Vil's hand against his cheek. His hand holds him in place as he leans down to press his lips against his cheek. It's a gentle one that leaves his heart fluttering.
"You really should just have asked," Vil says, yet he doesn't sound as annoyed as earlier. It was sweet of him to try and surprise him. "You've been practicing. I'm proud."
That last bit seems to catch Epel's attention. He looks up, his mind snapping from trying to figure out how he can steal a kiss from him.
"Yeah?"
"Your form does need some work and you shouldn't let conversations during a dance stop you." Epel nearly rolls his eyes. Of course, Vil would find a way to criticize him. "But I can help with that. I hope you know you shouldn't try doing this with anyone else. They wouldn't be as...compatible as us."
"No way am I going to practice dipping anyone else!" Epel huffs out.
The only person he wants to dance with is Vil. And the only person he's going to kiss while doing a cool pose during a dance is Vil too.