Work Text:
“Stop that thief!”
Shouts were heard in the midst of a party, the rush of guards running past the throng of dancers in the middle of the large hall. Wise held his sister close to him, trying to keep her safe when a dark figure clad in a suit and top hat rushed past him.
Their eyes meet; verdant forest and ocean waves.
The gentleman thief winked at him beyond his masquerade mask, a brief lingering interest before disappearing into the crowd with a stream of yelps and grunts from people being pushed aside. Curiosity got the best of him, letting Belle go as he ran towards the open balcony area outside.
The figure in suit stood over the ornate stone baluster railing, carrying a large bag over his shoulder as his dark cape lined in red underneath flowed behind him. Beyond him was an overlook of the city, in blinding lights that glimmer as far as the eye can see, shrouded in the cover of night and full moon.
When he sees Wise, he shoots a handsome smirk at him with a casual approach, presenting him a red rose with an indirect kiss between blooming petals.
“See you again, beautiful.” The masked stranger bids him.
Wise held the rose in his hands, watching the mysterious figure head back over to the railings and jump off with a twist of his body, saluting him with that same handsome smirk.
Everyone gasped, trickling over to the baluster only to see nothing but the streets below them. Guards ushered everyone back inside, trying to calm down the situation after such an exciting event.
“What was that all about?” Belle asked him with a hold of his arm.
Rose in hand, Wise shook his head, “I… don’t know.”
Whatever it had been, the suave figure had been in his mind, touching his lips as the warmth still lingers.
It was later they had found out a priceless antique item had been stolen from the artifact exhibition the party had been for, whispers of a calling card left at the scene of the crime and rose petals strewn about.
In the furthest corner of the grand hall, Wise hid himself like the wallflower he was.
Another night attending a boring party he had no interest in, accompanying his sister and mother figure to these events out of his responsibility as the eldest brother and sole male of the family.
His sister stood beside him, champagne glass in hand.
“Come on, big bro. Lighten up a little!” She tells him, playfully bumping their hips, “I know it’s another party but you could still dance and enjoy the food!”
Wise sighed, “I’m not interested in those, you know that.”
Belle appeared smug, smiling at him, “Mr. Phantom thief on your mind again~?”
Warmth descended on his cheeks, looking away from her with a pout.
“It’s not like that.” He argues, petulant.
His sister continues to giggle, not pushing it any further but knew it had been on his mind ever since the first time they had met. A string of thievery continued to land the news on their television; first a museum, then another exhibition, the next a highly secure mansion.
Though he tried not to care, the kiss continued to sit in his mind, in his room was the rose sitting in a vase of water to this day.
As he was deep in his thoughts, careful footsteps clacked on the marbled floor, approaching the two resting by the wall. A hand presents itself to them, gloved in black leather.
“Pardon my intrusion,” Their voice was husky and smooth, “but may I have this dance?”
Wise sighed, stepping in front of his sister as he always did.
“She’s not interested.” He tells them, looking up only for his eyes to widen.
The man in front of him stood tall, a mask over their dark green eyes and a twinge of familiarity to the upturned curve of their lips. They tilt their head to the side, unbothered.
“While the lady is very cute, I was actually asking for your hand.” He chuckles.
In his stupor, someone pushed him forward and he stumbled into the man’s chest, caught in strong arms hidden underneath the sleeves of his suit.
“He would love to dance!” Belle answers for him, smiling all innocent with a wave of her hand.
Before he could say anything, Wise was whisked off to the dance floor in the man’s arms, soon positioned into a stance where he was led by him. The man only smiled, the warmth of his hand on his waist leaving his face warm.
“Do you dance often?” The man asks.
Wise wasn’t sure what to make of this situation as they danced and twirled, shaking his head.
“N-No, not really.” His cheeks were further tinted red under the gaze of sharp eyes, “Usually with my sister but otherwise, no.”
“Really? A shame, I struggle to believe no one has ever asked you for one.” He laughs.
“No, I…” Wise trailed off, shy.
There was something about the man before him that was on the tip of his tongue, something which didn’t go unnoticed as he brought Wise closer, bodies flushed.
“Did you enjoy the rose?”
Wise gasped, lifting his head to finally properly meet eyes, a wash of realization hitting him.
“You’re—!”
He was shushed with a twirl and a dip, body only held by large hands while the man winked at him, pulling him back up to continue their dance. Wise now had his back to broad chest, comparing the sizes of their held hands and the soft whisper of a low voice to his ear.
“Told you I’d see you again, beautiful.” The masked gentleman says with a playful lilt, “Miss me?”
Wise couldn’t answer, a wave of shyness gripping his heart to know he was dancing with the notorious masked thief who has dominated the news in recent times. A handsome fiend, suave and smooth, leading him in their dance.
“Who… are you?” He finally found his voice again.
His eyes shut when he felt a brush of lips to his ear, amusement coloring their tone, “Whatever you want me to be tonight, sweetheart.”
With a flourished spin, easily picking up Wise by his thin waist and twirling him with practiced ease, he was set down with his arms around the man’s neck. Their steps never faltered, Wise thankful he had danced enough times with his sister to know the songs and the gentleman before him was brilliant at leading.
“Then,” Wise paused briefly before pulling him down till there was only an inch of space left, “can I at least have a name?”
That left the thief even more amused, the music picking up into a faster beat.
“I’ve been called a lot of things,” He begins, taking Wise’s hand to spin him around, “a scoundrel,” He pulls the small figure close, “a crook,” They swerve and sway through others with ease, “and a thief.”
Although they were surrounded by other partygoers, their eyes only saw nothing but each other, a world for them only as they danced.
“But are you not?” Wise asks him, more curious and perplexed than anything.
The man laughs, hardly offended.
“Like I said, I’m whatever you want me to be tonight.”
With another lift and twirl, placing him back down carefully and the lingering touch of gloved hand on his waist burning through his tailored suit, the music slows down to a stop as they pull back and bow to the other.
When Wise lifted his head, he saw the masked stranger reach over to hold his hand and pulled him back close, all with that confident grin.
“Although I’m known by many names,” The man tucks a strand of silver hair behind his ear, followed by a kiss to his hand, “You can call me Lighter.”
Wise blinked, blushing to his ears.
“Lighter.”
The next song starts but the thief — now called Lighter — presents a rose to him, as vibrant and fresh as the one he received last time. Wise holds it in his hand, with a kiss on a petal by the older man who winks at him flirtatiously.
“While I’d like to stay longer, I must be off but before I do,” They lean in close, only separated by the rose between them, “mayhaps I can learn of the fair maiden’s name?”
Wise narrowed his eyes though it betrayed the yearning it held, their lips pressed through the softness of the rose petals in an intimate moment unique to them.
“I’m not a fair maiden,” He answers with a pout, “and my name… is Wise.”
“Wise.”
The way his name flowed through his lips like music, as if they were lyrics to a beautiful song. There was a soft press of warmth to his forehead, watching Lighter pull away from him with that same grin and a lingering touch of their hands.
“Be seeing you then, Wise.” He bids him for a second time.
“Wait for me, I’ll find you again.”
As the tall figure finally disappears in a blink of an eye, melting into the bodies before him, Wise stood alone on the dance floor as he looked on with the rose still in his hand.
They had danced and kissed through a vibrant red rose but the warmth never fades, only burns more all over his body and his lips.
For now, Wise wonders when they would see each other again.
Yet another boring gala to attend, this time without his sister who had prior plans, leaving him alone this time while their mother figure had to socialize with other important guests.
Trying to avoid other people, Wise had no interest in interacting with anyone else, much less to dance with them. Almost all of them were only interested in his status rather than himself, tired of shallow compliments and hidden agendas.
With another shake of his head in refusing another invitation to dance, he finally had enough and placed down his champagne glass, deciding to head over to a restroom for a breather.
And yet, therein comes another problem, the building huge and winding enough for him to get lost.
Most of the halls were dimly lit, accompanied by the moonlight gleaming from the large windows. As he tried to maneuver around corners, trying to figure out where he was, various footsteps echo through the marbled hallways lined with long carpets.
Wise stops himself when a dark figure in a mask and long cape rounds the corner, accompanied by a familiar grin and laugh.
“Lighter…?” He softly calls, catching the other’s attention.
He couldn’t help the blush forming on his cheeks when Lighter lit up in his presence, more so when he grabs his waist and hides them inside a nearby room.
“Shit! Where’d he go?!”
“Search the premises, don’t let him get away this time!”
Many heavy stomps run past them, until it muffles off in the distance.
Wise felt the pace of his heartbeat quicken, pressed up to the masked man’s chest with a large hand over the smalls of his back. Lighter peeked through the cracks of the door, seeing no one else around before he closed it shut and turned his attention to Wise with a smirk.
“Good evening, my darlin’.” He greets like he hadn’t just been chased.
The room was dimly lit just like the hallways outside, only able to pick up the faint outline of his handsome face. Warm lips lay kisses on his face, something Wise lets him do with a soft content hum.
“Are you getting into trouble again?” Wise questions, grasping the front of his suit.
Lighter switched their positions till Wise was trapped between his arms and the wall, grinning down at him with interest and charm.
“Sweetheart, you think so little of me?” He teases.
Wise narrowed his eyes, “You were being chased just now.”
The older man laughs with a press of their foreheads together, thin arms winding around his neck as they inch closer and closer.
“That is true, but at the very least it led me to you again so it was worth the trouble.”
Tilting Wise up by the chin with a gloved finger, he swoops down to capture his lips, with Wise gasping but soon melting into the kiss with a hum. Their tongues swirled with need, heated in their desperate touches as they made out in the dim room. Somebody could walk in at any moment to find them but Wise found he didn’t care all that much, so long as he had a taste of the man before him.
A thick leg pushed between his own, trapping him further with a mewling moan.
“L-Lighter…” He sweetly called.
Large hands picked him up and held him, legs loosely wrapped around his hips, “I got you, beautiful.”
So there he was, in the arms of the infamous thief, lips locked in a passionate make out all while the other was still being chased by guards for whatever item he had stolen this time. His hands card through dark tresses, hat having long fallen off and their sighs melded into each other with every press of their lips.
When they pull away, a trail of saliva follows them, their chest heaving with a lock of their eyes taking in each other’s form. Wise felt his cheeks flushed red, hands cupping the man’s cheeks and leaving butterfly kisses on his lips, chaste and quick.
He was slowly placed back down, both of their suits wrinkled and hair tousled, a hand combing his silver hair carefully with another kiss to his lips.
“I’ll have to depart for now, sweetheart.” Said Lighter, placing a kiss on his hand next.
Wise tried not to look disappointed but knew he couldn’t hide it either, “Will I see you again?”
“I know where to find you.” Was all the answer he received.
Sharing one last kiss, Lighter picked up his hat to place on his head and the bag he had been carrying, heading over to the large window to open it with a push of his hand.
Wise stood beside him, catching the wink before he jumped off into the night, disappearing like a ghost. Staring off into the glittering city lights beyond the view, he’d hoped to see the gentleman thief again soon.
When he had arrived back home with his mother figure, returning to his bedroom for rest, on his large bed laid a single red rose and a calling card.
“— so-called cat burglar is still at large, with hundreds of antiques and paintings still missing. New Eridu Public Security has made a statement —”
The television turned off with Belle whining, turning to her brother with an annoyed puff of her cheeks.
“Hey, I was watching that!” She huffs.
Wise tossed the remote to her, getting up from the couch while their mother figure only nodded at him.
“I’m going to bed. Good night.”
He waves at them, his sister only huffing at him more before turning the television back on. Walking back to his own room, the hallways were dark with the only light coming from the full moon. It reminded him how he had only ever met the masked thief at night, their encounters brief but passionate.
It may not be a good idea to get involved with someone like him, yet Wise couldn’t find it in himself to stop either, their attraction growing with each time they met.
Closing the door behind him, he took off his jacket and sat down on his lavish dark blue armchair.
His curtains billow in the night breeze, swaying and dancing to a silent rhythm. On the small round table to his left lay a crystal vase with roses, kept fresh with water and the only red in a room filled with blue. With a gentle touch of crimson petals, his thoughts were filled with their brief encounters, short and sweet.
Wise wouldn’t be able to explain it to anyone, how quickly he had fallen for a handsome criminal. Not even how the other was also just as enamored, making time even in his heists to talk to him.
As the wind continues to pick up, the white curtains flutter noisily as a figure steps inside, quietly approaching the smaller man who sits on the chair and stares back at him in mild interest.
“Lighter.” He calls.
Dressed in that pristine suit and cape lined in red, he kneels down before Wise with a hat over his heart and a bouquet of roses in his arm.
Lighter lifts his head back up to meet his ocean gaze, presenting the bouquet to him as petals flutter in their wake.
“My beloved Wise,” His smile was dazzling, how filled with love it was, “although I may be but a scoundrel who is up to no good, you are the only one who has ever stolen my heart.” Words left his lips with sincerity, Wise taking the bouquet into his arms then sees the hand offered to him, “If I may be so bold, I would like to court for your hand and heart.”
The butterflies dance within him, still seated in his chair as he slowly reaches past the offered hand and cups the man’s cheek instead. His fingers trace over chiseled features, a soft gasp when Lighter leans into his touch.
Gulping, he brushes over the mask on his eyes, seeing no resistance from the other when he unravels the mysterious identity of the thief known as Lighter, who smiles up at him.
Placing down the mask on the table, finally able to meet the man properly without a mask, Wise placed a hand on the offered one finally who leaned down to kiss it.
“I’ll allow it.” Wise answers him, shy.
The moonlight shines down on them bright and beautiful, bathing them in their quiet moment. Lighter gets off his knee, pulling Wise up as well and embraces him in his warmth till their lips landed in a kiss, softer than their previous time together.
Silver hair drapes over gloved fingers, spilling between them when Wise tilts his head up for him with a soft sigh. The bouquet of red roses was held in his arms, a promise to love and cherish him sweetly.
Wise fluttered his eyes open after they pulled away, turning timid as he hid himself within the bouquet only to have Lighter chuckle at how adorable he was before he held out a hand once again.
“May I have this dance?” He asks.
Although no music played that they could hear, Wise put down the bouquet and took his hand with a smile, positioning themselves until he was led into a careful sway of flushed bodies. They had no need for music anyway, able to hear it with the beat of their hearts.
And so, in the darkness of his bedroom lit only by the moon, they dance the night away.