Work Text:
"And give it up for the happy couple everyone: Mr. and Mrs. Ooki!"
Ukyo winced slightly at volume of the cheers and applause but clapped along all the same as the emcee introduced his newly married friends. Taiju and Yuzuriha strode into the banquet hall hand-in-hand, both beaming brightly at their reception. Once they were both inside, upbeat instrumental music began to play and Taiju took his new wife into his arms, dipping her gently and kissing her proudly. More shouts and clapping rang out, along with a loud wolf whistle that Ukyo knew damn well came from his boyfriend at the wedding party's table.
Speaking of his boyfriend, the white haired man turned to the side to try and catch a glimpse of him. Ryusui stood alongside Senku and Chrome at the head table, a bright beaming smile on his face as he clapped. Gen had given Ukyo shit for seeming to pay more attention to the blonde than to Taiju and Yuzuriha during the ceremony, but who could blame him? He looked downright sinful in that perfectly tailored navy suit and with his normally artfully messy hair slicked back. And besides, Ukyo knew well enough that Gen's eyes strayed to his own boyfriend at Taiju's right side more than once, too…talk about the pot calling the kettle black…
Almost as if Ryusui could feel the older man's eyes on him, he angled his head towards the table where Ukyo sat alongside Gen and Kinro. He let his own gaze flit quickly up and down Ukyo's own frame and a smirk teased at the corner of his lips. Ryusui gave him a quick wink that had heat rushing to Ukyo's face before turning his attention back to Taiju and Yuzuriha, who were finally making their ways to the long table in front of their guests.
"And now," the emcee, a tall redheaded man announced, "the bride and groom wanted to share some words with you all before dinner was served!"
Everyone took this as their cue to retake their seats. He approached the head table with a microphone in hand, passing it over to Yuzuriha first. She accepted it with a grateful smile and smoothed down the skirt of her dress as she cleared her throat to speak.
"Hello everyone," she began in that soft voice of hers. "Thank you all so much for coming out tonight to celebrate Taiju and myself — it really does mean more than either of us can put into words." Another polite smattering of applause interrupted her and the tall brunette beside her grasped her free hand in his own with a grin. "We're just so thankful to have such loving and supportive people in our lives, and we love each and every one of you so much —"
"Not as much as we love each other, though!" Taiju's booming voice carried without even needing the microphone. Laughter rang out around the room and Senku, his best man, gave a none-too-gentle elbow to the man's hip as if to remind him to behave.
" — I think what Taiju means to say," continued Yuzuriha, an amused smile at her own lips, "is that while our love for each other is pretty apparent, you all still hold special places in our hearts. And we're so happy to have gotten the chance to celebrate our marriage with you."
She leaned to her side and planted a gentle kiss to Taiju's cheek to more applause from the guests. To Taiju's right, Ryusui lifted the flute of champagne that had rested beside his place setting and stood to his feet.
"To Taiju and Yuzuriha!" he declared triumphantly.
Ukyo rolled his eyes but followed suit alongside everyone else, the toast echoing around the room. The happy couple didn't seem fazed in the slightest, aside from a faint pink dusting across Yuzuriha's cheeks. They both took up their own glasses, Taiju insisting wordlessly to intertwine their arms before taking their sips and earning good-natured chuckles from their friends. Ukyo felt Gen's gentle hand on his forearm and he instinctively leaned to the side closer to the dark haired man.
"Was Ryusui-chan still bitter about not being asked to ive-gay a speech?" whispered Gen.
"Ten billion percent," Ukyo snorted, adapting Senku's turn of phrase. "I'm willing to bet this was his idea of an innocent act of rebellion. Speaking of speeches, your dear Senku-chan was asked to give one, right?"
Gen let out a soft chuckle. "He was. He's so lucky I love him enough to be hard on him, he totally would have orgotten-fay to write one had I not hounded him about it last week."
"He didn't remember?"
"On the contrary, he insisted he could wing it."
"Pardon me Master Ukyo, Master Gen," a smooth voice cut between their conversation. Ukyo righted his posture and glanced up, smiling at the familiar face of the Nanami family butler, whose arms were currently laden with dishes. "Dinner is served."
"Ah, thank you, Francois-chan!" crooned Gen. "I'd forgotten that Taiju-chan and Yuzuriha-chan had hired you to cater. Knowing how well you cook, I can't ait-way to try it!"
Francois delicately placed a plate of food at each seat around the table before giving a polite bow at the waist. "It's my pleasure, Master Gen," they replied with a soft smile. "Please enjoy."
Heeding the blonde's direction, Ukyo picked up his fork. He couldn't help the soft smile that rose to his lips at Francois wordlessly giving him the vegetarian option, nor the delighted hum that escaped him at just how delicious the meal was. Conversation over dinner broke out as everyone at the table tucked in, but Ukyo couldn't help the surreptitious glances he kept shooting up towards the head table. He was having a good time with his friends, and he knew it was irrational to miss Ryusui, but part of him wished his boyfriend were at the table with them.
Dinnertime naturally gave way to dessert and the traditional cake cutting. Ukyo laughed along with everyone else at how, after goading and cheers from the audience, Yuzuriha hesitantly smushed a piece of cake into Taiju's face. The brunette took it in stride, laughing before pulling his new wife close and kissing her soundly, smearing frosting all over her nose and mouth as a result. Ryusui's laughter seemed to boom the loudest at the display and cut through all the cheers and other peals of delight. Ukyo's eyes crinkled as he smiled at his boyfriend's antics.
Right after the cake was cut, the emcee (who Ukyo learned from Ginro was named Yo, of all things) put on soft instrumental music and declared that it was time for the couple's first dance. Taiju led Yuzuriha to the center of the dance floor with one of her hands resting delicately in his own. Once there, both of his hands went to her waist, and Yuzuriha placed both of her own at Taiju's shoulders. Piano music swelled as the pair slowly swayed on the dance floor, foreheads resting against each other as they exchanged soft words meant just for the other's ears. A subconscious smile came to Ukyo's lips at the sight.
Yuzuriha looked so beautiful, and Taiju cleaned up a far lot nicer than his usual joggers and t-shirt. But beyond that, they looked so happy, so in love with each other…
Taiju spun his bride in a graceful circle, letting the full skirts of the white dress she'd made herself catch momentum and fan out in a beautiful display before pulling her back securely to his chest. This time it was Yuzuriha who initiated their kiss as the last notes of their first dance song came to a close. A flash of Ukyo himself doing the same in a white suit to Ryusui in a tux of his own came unbidden to his mind before he could stop it, and he shook his head minutely as if to physically dispel the thought.
What was that..?
"Alright everyone!" called Yo over the celebrating and the now-thumping dance music. "The dance floor is now officially OPEN! Get on out there and have fun!"
Almost like a dam had broken, a few of their friends like Ginro and Chrome heeded the call and crowded around the couple. They moved their bodies to the music and Taiju laughed before joining in, Yuzuriha giggling along as she too got swept up into the moment. Ukyo opted to hang back. He wasn't really the dancing type, and he knew he'd get more enjoyment out of watching his friends dance than attempting to do it himself.
"Not going out there, Ukyo-chan?"
"Nah," replied Ukyo. "I've got two left feet. What about you?"
The dark haired man let out a hum. "I rather ike-lay dancing…I'm just trying to figure out how to convince Senku-chan to go out there with me."
Hearing whoops and shouts of glee drew Ukyo's attention to the dance floor, and he couldn't help a shit-eating grin from crossing his lips.
"Looks like you won't have to do much convincing," he laughed, gesturing towards the commotion.
Sure enough, Senku was presently smack dab in the middle of a small circle as a group of their friends encouraged him to dance. He looked more annoyed than anything, arms crossed against his chest. But at the twin thumps of Ryusui's and Taiju's hands to his back, Senku seemed to let out a deep sigh and acquiesced enough to simply shift his weight rhythmically back and forth between his feet.
"You wanna go rescue him?"
"I guess I should go capitalize on the situation if nothing else," smirked Gen. He rose to his feet and nodded at Ukyo before making his way towards his trapped boyfriend.
The white haired man was more than happy to sip at his drink and watch his friends dance. Ryusui especially seemed to be having a blast, pulling different partners to him for each new song and laughing loudly, head thrown back in delight. Through his exertion, his carefully coiffed blonde hair began to fall loose and resemble its normal disheveled style. Ukyo still couldn't help but marvel at just how handsome he looked.
After a few more songs, Ukyo stood to refresh his drink. His eyes flitted across the dance floor as he sipped at his punch. Already he saw a few pairs of people he knew grouped off and dancing together: Taiju and Yuzuriha seemed lost in their own little world. Chrome, Ginro, and Kinro seemed to be having their own small dance battle off to the side as Ruri and Kohaku watched on. Even Senku was still out there with Gen, slowly rocking to the music as they just talked. But no matter where he looked, that familiar shock of blonde hair seemed to have disappeared.
"Looking for me?" Ryusui's deep voice seemed to materialize right next to Ukyo's ear, causing him to jump.
"Damn it, Ryuu," Ukyo chastised softly. "You know it scares the crap out of me when you do that!"
The blonde chuckled. "How else am I meant to surprise you with that hearing of yours?" He stepped in front of Ukyo and held out a hand to him. "Would you care to dance with me?"
"You know I'm not big on dancing…" Ukyo muttered in spite of the way his stomach swooped with warmth at the gesture.
"Aww, come on, Uyko. Just one dance? Pleeeaase?" Ryusui batted those big brown eyes at his boyfriend in the way he knew would make the older man's resolve buckle.
"You really don't have any shame with begging, do you?"
"HA ha, not in the slightest! If it gets me what I desire, I'll gladly do it every time!"
God, he was adorable. And he really had missed seeing him all day because of the wedding prep and everything…
"Fine," sighed Ukyo. He rolled his eyes in a display of mock annoyance that was undercut by the amused smile on his lips. "One dance, Ryuu, you hear me?"
"I hear you!" he replied gleefully. He gently plucked Ukyo's cup from his hand and set it down on the refreshment table before leading him to the middle of the dance floor. "And I also love you!"
Ryusui took hold of the white haired man's hands and shifted them both forwards and back, not doing much more than moving the both of them along to the beat. Ukyo's smile got marginally bigger and he began to shift his hips a little bit, following his boyfriend's lead. He still felt rather silly 'dancing' like this, but the beautiful grin on Ryusui's face made it all worth it.
"Alright everyone," declared Yo. Ukyo heard the previously upbeat music dwindle and shift to familiar trumpets, rhythmic drumming and a piano, giving way to a much softer and slower melody. "We're gonna slooowwww things down a little bit now! If you've got a special someone here with you tonight, go on ahead and bring 'em out for a dance…"
All around the room, Ukyo watched as couples began pairing off and migrating beneath the large disco ball in the center of the dance floor. Yuzuriha snaked her arms around her husband's neck and pulled him closer, both of his hands eagerly finding purchase at her waist again in turn. Gen seemed to shoot Senku an inquisitive look and the scientist let out a huff that made the stray hairs in front of his face flutter before nodding his head. Even Chrome extended a nervous hand to Ruri in invitation to join him.
"Hey Ukyo?" Ryusui's voice drew the white haired man back to the present and turquoise met chocolate.
"Yeah?"
"I know you'd said one dance, but would you stay for just one more?"
One of the things that Ukyo loved most about his boyfriend was how honest he was, especially with his reactions. There was equal parts anticipation and nervousness written across the blonde's face. Something about the sight made Ukyo's heart clench in his chest at the idea of Ryusui thinking he'd deny him outright, and he squeezed one of the other man's hands.
"I do love this song…" he remarked noncommittally, making no moves to go back to his seat. A tiny, shy smile spread across his face. "I think I could be convinced to stay for one more."
The relief and joy were almost palpable in Ryusui's eyes. He gently used his grasp on Ukyo's hands to pull him closer to his chest before moving his own hands to the smaller man's hips. Ukyo mirrored the stance he'd seen Yuzuriha take with Taiju, looping his arms around Ryusui's neck. For a few moments, Ukyo wasn't quite sure what to do, and it must have been plain enough on his face for the blonde to see and snort at.
"It's not hard," assured Ryusui in an uncharacteristically soft voice. "Trust me."
"Don't I always?"
"Just follow my lead, dove…"
Ryusui used his hold on the white haired man's waist to gently guide him to sway his hips to the beat. He followed suit, moving his own hips and slowly coaxing Ukyo to spin in a lazy circle at the same time. Ukyo couldn't help but still feel a bit out of place, but with a quick glance around, it seemed like the rest of the couples around him were also doing some variation of what he and Ryusui were doing.
"In the moonlight," Ryusui's voice carried the tune softly from the speakers, singing along to Elton John's crooning vocals. "You just shine like a beacon on the bay…"
"Ryusui," hissed Ukyo, cheeks burning.
"What's wrong?"
"You…you're singing to me…"
"Is it bad?"
"No!" Ukyo assured him hurriedly. "It's nice, I promise. You've just never…serenaded me before. And with everyone around us —"
"I can assure you that nobody around us cares in the slightest." The blonde planted a soft kiss to Ukyo's forehead. "They're all in their own happy little worlds…and I'm beyond happy that we're in our own, too. My incredibly attractive boyfriend actually agreed to dance with me for once, and I intend to capitalize on this as much as I can."
The flush on the older man's face got deeper and he was thankful for the dimmed lights in the venue. "You know I'm no good at dancing, Ryuu…"
"I think you're doing amazing, dove. Just let go for a minute and give yourself over to the music…"
Ukyo's eyes met Ryusui's own again as they swayed and he felt overcome with the emotion. Adoration, humor, love and joy all seemed to swirl in equal measure within those deep brown depths.
"With a smile," sang Ryusui softly. "You pull the deepest secrets from my heart…In all honesty, I'm speechless, and I don't know where to start…"
The white haired man subconsciously tightened his grip around his boyfriend's neck as his heart began to beat faster in his chest. The longer they stood there, intertwined and moving along with the music, Ukyo felt the rest of the world around them slipping away until it just felt like they were the only two people in the room. All that mattered and all that registered for him was Ryusui.
"And I can't explain…but it's something about the way you look tonight…"
Ryusui kissed Ukyo's forehead again before resting his own against it, continuing to hum the tune of the next lines under his breath as they danced. It was clear that he was enjoying himself, and Ukyo would be lying if he said he didn't feel a lightness in his own chest. In a moment of boldness, Ukyo let out a soft chuckle and continued the song.
"And I can't describe," he sang, voice barely above a whisper. He was half worried that Ryusui couldn't hear him, but from the way strong fingers flexed at his hips, Ukyo knew he'd heard. "But it's something about the way you look tonight…" he continued, "It takes my breath away…"
"You're one to talk, dove," remarked Ryusui in a low voice. He wordlessly lead Ukyo to spin underneath one arm, much like how Taiju had done with Yuzuriha earlier, and the white haired man complied. "It's been so hard being away from you all day, especially with you looking like that."
"Maybe we'll have to do this again sometime then: dress up real nice, put on some slow music, and just sway back and forth like we're the only people in the room."
Ukyo hadn't realized the potential double entendre until after it had already left his lips. He'd more or less just verbally described that fleeting image of him and Ryusui dancing together at what could be interpreted as their own wedding. From the widening of the blonde's eyes, he must have picked up on it, too, but he recovered quickly with a warm smile.
"Is that you saying you'd dance with me again if I asked?"
Another double-ended question — did he mean if he asked Ukyo to dance again? Or if he asked something more? Whichever meaning Ryusui meant, after this unexpectedly tender moment, Ukyo knew the answer was the same for him either way.
"Hmmm…I think could be convinced…" he murmured, repeating his previous statement with a smirk on his face.
As the song began drawing to a close and the last repeating lyrics started to fade, Ryusui took a half step backwards to properly look down at Ukyo again. It was hard to know which one of them moved first, but when their lips met, neither one of them really cared to think about that. One of Ryusui's hands found its way to the older man's upper back, pressing Ukyo closer to his chest as they gently kissed each other. Over the course of the nearly two years that they've been dating, the blonde was always quick to remind Ukyo of just how much he loved him, but never before has Ukyo felt so cherished before. So seen.
The sound of applause from those that hadn't participated in the last dance drew Ukyo back to the present. He slowly drew back from his boyfriend's lips, peering up at him. The fondness that he felt for Ryusui was mirrored right back at him on the taller man's face. Ryusui gave him another tiny peck to the tip of his nose and a radiant smile before drawing him in for a tight hug.
Maybe Ukyo could learn to like dancing more often…