Summary: Bilbo is tricked into attending the cabaret show Fire by Moonlight by some friends. Not that he holds it against them for very long, at least not until the last dancer slides himself across the bar and locks eyes with Bilbo.
Author's Note: This is actually my first fic, I was a bit hesitant about uploading it and it's taken me about a year to convince myself to actually post something. So here it is, please feel free to give me any tips or helpful criticism, I'm always open to improve my writing… I hope you like it!
Bilbo began to feel panic flare through his anger and annoyance, as his group was called over to move into the next room.
"Come on Bilbo, it's just a little cabaret show. Completely harmless!" Bofur said, patting Bilbo's shoulder as he walked past him.
Bilbo, silently cursed all their names as he shuffled into the dark room with the rest of his group. The music was the first thing he noticed as he entered the room, it was pumping loudly through some speakers that sounded like they were on their last legs. The second thing was a pole, about two feet away from the stage that was placed in the centre of the room. It had a large sign on it reading: PLEASE DO NOT USE. Bilbo scrunched his face up as he thought of what sort of imbecile would purposefully make a fool of themselves by attempting to use the pole.
Bilbo felt a frown stretch across his face when he heard several muffled laughs coming from the direction of his friends. Obviously they thought his discomfort was amusing, he still couldn't believe they hadn't told him where they were going! They found a booth with a low table placed in the centre, which had an excellent view of the whole room, but mainly, the stage. The booth filled pretty quickly with their numbers, and Bilbo gulped as he and a few others had to move a high table and some bar stools closer to the booth. Bilbo didn't like this, he felt much too exposed from this spot and he felt extremely vulnerable.
Bilbo heard giggling to his left and he looked over to find Fili and Kili staring at him with humorous looks on their faces. He gave them a frown before looking away from them. He would not give them the satisfaction of a conversation or anything to fuel their humour. Especially after not telling him about this, Bilbo swore to himself that he would forever hold this against them.
"Bilbo," a voice called out from behind him over the music.
But Bilbo was stubborn, he refused to turn around and acknowledge anyone at this point. Or most likely, for the rest of the night. He focused all his attention studying his surroundings, the room was darkly lit with only the house lights on over the bar that was placed directly behind the stage. The bench top of the bar was the same height of the stage, if it weren't for the difference in colours, it would have been hard to tell where one ended and the other started. Bilbo thought it a little odd as it must hinder the patrons from being able to purchase beverages. Although, judging by the line that was forming at the small section of the bar that wasn't blocked off, it would appear that it didn't.
Bilbo was just thinking to himself that he may need at least one drink to get through the night, when he jumped out of his skin as soon as a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to see Thorin standing beside him, Bilbo said nothing and just shrugged Thorin's hand off his shoulder.
"Please don't be like this, Bilbo" Thorin said with a grin on his face, "try to have some fun! I think you'll enjoy it!"
"That's not the point Thorin," Bilbo stated irritated, frowning once again. "You lied to me, you said this was just a night out on the town with the lads! You deliberately kept the real reason of why we came out tonight and lied to me."
"I didn't lie, we ARE out on the town, and we ARE with the lads!" Thorin's laugh was cut short as Bilbo's frowned turned into a deathly looking glare. Thorin's face fell slightly as he realised that Bilbo wasn't in the mood to be joshed with. "I am sorry my friend, but I didn't think you'd actually join us if we told you, and I thought you'd like it. Even if you were a little shy about it at first." Thorin gave Bilbo a small smile at the latter statement.
"I'm not shy," Bilbo grated.
"I wouldn't say that," Fili chimed in which made his brother turn his head away, as he tried to hide his snicker into his hand. Bilbo snapped his head in their direction and gave them an equally deathly looking glare, shutting them up instantly.
Before anything else could be said the lights in the room dimmed, red and pink stage lights illuminated the room. A loud voice began to speak over the music, making Thorin's last chance to reply impossible.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you are all sitting comfortably," a few squeals were let out around the room as a confirmation before the commentator continued. "Without further ado, I give you Cabaret Fire by Moonlight!"
The room was sent into darkness as the lights dimmed to nothingness and excited chatter hummed around the room. Bilbo wiggled in his seat, butterflies fluttering in his stomach as he was still unsure what to expect. A spotlight to the right of the stage revealed a fully clothed man in a hat, with a cane in his hands. Bilbo let out a small sigh of relief when he saw that he was fully clothed, from his black hat and coat, down to his shoes. Music began to play once more and a few cheers went out as the man broke out in a hip hop dance. Bilbo was just beginning to calm himself when the man started to remove his coat.
Bilbo was soon beyond his comfort zone as the man's clothes kept shredding off, piece by piece until he was dressed in some very tight and colourful underwear. The room erupted in whoops and cheers as the dancer began to go through the crowd, stopping to grind on one person, gyrating on the next, even placing his hat on a woman's head. Bilbo felt his cheeks burn red and his blood pump harder as he realised the dancer came closer and closer towards their booth. He sighed in relief when the dancer made his way back to his starting point in time to pull a pose with his cane resting against one of his shoulders, for the end of the song. The room once again erupted into cheers and applause, as the room went dark, presumably to evoke anticipation for the next act.
The next few acts continued much like the first, every act had a different theme and style of dance and always leaving a prop behind with a patron. Each time a dancer came into the crowd Bilbo would tense up with anxiety, and each time he was missed for the audience participation part of the routines, Bilbo blew out a sigh of relief. The room darkened once more for the next act, Bilbo had become too tired to sit ramrod straight any longer and relaxed a little into his chair.
A spotlight came on centre stage to reveal… nothing. There was no one on stage, Bilbo was beginning to think they had made some sort of mistake, until some jazz music began playing over the speakers. As soon as the piano began playing, a figure shot out from the left side of the stage, and slid on his knees, half way across the bar where he stood up abruptly as the voice began singing. The man was tall, handsome and wearing a suit, Bilbo could not take his eyes off him. The man moved like the spotlight existed only for him, he dominated the room with his presence. The dancer soon removed his jacket in one fluid motion and flicked it behind him, a bartender catching it with ease.
Bilbo watched intensely as the man continued to dance without pause. He moved effortlessly, even as he bent over backwards until his hands reached the floor, legs following after to land in a splits. Bilbo's mouth opened slightly and cheers broke throughout the room to show the crowd's appreciation and amazement. The dancer shifted his weight to his hands as he swept his legs out and underneath him to leave him standing on his feet again. Bilbo's heart stopped beating for a split second and his breathe caught in his throat as his eyes somehow seem to lock with the dancer's.
Heat flooded to his cheeks and his stomach twisted a little as smirk that seemed only for Bilbo, flash across the dancer's face. Quick as it happened, the moment disappeared and the dancer was back into his routine. When the he made his way down the steps to the stage, several whoops and cheers sounded throughout the room. Even though the dancer was on the other side of the room from him, Bilbo's heart began to beat erratically as he watched on eagerly.
Cheers erupted from one of the tables to the left as the dancer did a body roll against one of the other patrons before turning around to do a slow drop. The patron in question looked like they were torn between cheering and passing out, the decision was made too late as the dancer moved on. The dancer moved on to the next patron, straddling one of their knees, and used their hand to slowly loosen the tie around his neck. But before they could fully remove it, he did a quick slide backwards to the beat of the song and danced his was across the room and didn't stop until he was directly in front of Bilbo.
Bilbo didn't know what to do, it was like time had slowed down, and he could barely breathe as those eyes locked on his again. Bilbo thought he could get lost in those ocean eyes. That was of course, until the dancer slid forward on his knees until he reached Bilbo, placing both his hands on Bilbo's knees. Bilbo was sure he let out a startled squawk but it was lost within the music. Several whoops and cheers went out from his left and behind him and his friends all applauded extra loud.
Bilbo's focus turned fully onto the dancer when he felt the pressure of his weight on his knees as the dancer slowly raised himself, barely leaving an inch between them. When he was standing upright, Bilbo raised his gaze to keep them lock on the dancer's eyes. Bilbo felt his own eyes widen when he felt the dancer straddle his knees and began grinding on him. Heat was sent flying throughout Bilbo's body and he felt as if electricity was dancing through his veins.
The dancer's hands went to his own neck, and pulled the loosened tie over his head, and pulled it over Bilbo's before tightening it. Perhaps a bit too tightly, not that Bilbo seemed to mind at the time. Bilbo was sure the dancer must have felt him swallow thickly as his knuckles brushed against the bottom of his throat. The dancer bend his head down to Bilbo's ear, blowing in it a little and seemed to smirk for but a moment as he felt a shiver travel through the man under him. Bilbo felt as if he should be doing something but wasn't sure of what when the dancer said in a deep, velvety voice, "Take off my shirt."
Bilbo was sure he had heard wrong, "w-what?" he stuttered as he looked up at the dancer with a dumb founded expression on his face.
"My shirt," the dancer repeated a little louder and got closer to his ear, "take my shirt off."
Bilbo nodded, speechless as he turned his focus to the buttons on the dancer's shirt at his eye level. Bilbo fumbled over the top button as his fingers shook with either adrenaline or nerves, he still wasn't quite sure. A couple seconds later of more fumbling, he heard a deep rumbling laugh come from the dancer before they said, "What's the hold up? Have you not done this before?"
Bilbo felt his cheeks flame up, but finally managed to get the first button undone. The others quickly followed as he made his way down the shirt, when he undid the last one the dancer breathed heavily in his ear as he said, "take it off." Bilbo eyes widened and he took a quick glance up through his eyelashes at the dancer's face before pushing the shirt off his shoulders. As soon as it reached the dancer's elbows, he gave Bilbo's knees one last grind before gracefully stepping back and danced his way around the room once again.
The dancer ended his routine back of the middle of the stage with his shirt tucked on the back of his pants by the collar. When the lights dimmed and the room was plunged into darkness, some faint music began playing as the commentator's voice came back on over the speakers.
"And that concludes our show for this evening folks! The bar will be open until 2am and the dance floor, and stage, are open for business!" The crowd cheered as the lights came back on and music began playing. "Any patrons who have a prop from one of the shows, the dancers will come out in the next twenty minutes to come find you." A few whoops were let out, and Bilbo startled out of a slight daze, as Kili and Fili patted his shoulder and let out some hearty laughs.