It was fairly common knowledge to everyone that Delirious couldn't dance. Despite being a year shy of thirty, Jonathan had never taken dance lessons even in his youth and had two left feet, capable of butchering any piece of choreography one dared to throw at him within moments. He tried, there was no doubt about that, but finding the beat was something he had always struggled with. It was even the reason why he gave up playing the drums in band during middle school and switched to piano, where hardly any footwork was required.
Yet Delirious never let that stop him, and took great pride in his expertise in random arm motions and hip swaying whenever his favorite tune came on. It was only when he was forced to learn an organized dance number that Jonathan let his insecurities rise, choosing to back out and save himself the embarrassment when he would inevitably trip and fall while everyone else completed their perfect spins, tapping their shoes in melodious harmony. He envied Luke's natural talent for dancing and only felt comfortable learning when he had his childhood friend as his tutor. That way if he failed, only his best friend would be the one laughing at him and not a crowd of people that he didn't even know.
Jonathan's lack of confidence in his capability to dance was something Brock was vaguely aware of, but wasn't exactly well-versed in. Brock would be the first to admit that he was no Michael Jackson, but he did know a fair knowledge of ballroom dancing, courtesy of his mother when he was a teenager who had been adamant that as he was a gentlemen, Brock had to know how to waltz. He brushed it off as 'a mother thing', not choosing to believe that in the long run it would hold any value. After all, when would he ever have to dance when his job was to play video games on the internet?
Little did Brock know that specific skill would come in handy on a certain date night with his eccentric, competitive mass of a boyfriend.
The weather had been particularly bad that week, and unfortunately the Friday evening the two had planned a pleasant night out had to be cancelled because of how horrible the traffic had become. At the rate the traffic was cruising, the restaurant Delirious had planned to bring Brock to would be closed long before they arrived at its doors. Brock reminded the initially crestfallen Jonathan that there was always next week for a Friday night out, and kindly suggested they simply head back to their shared house and continued their date in the comfort of their home (complete with heating and plenty of warm blankets to spare).
Together, Brock and Jon quickly made use of their kitchen and made a simple meal of spaghetti, Jonathan's signature meat sauce, and a few slices of garlic toast. Then came the dessert, where it took an extra twenty minutes than it normally would have because Delirious continued to sneak bites of the brownie batter every time Brock turned his back to the mixing bowl. Eventually the small tray of brownies were baked and ready to eat, but before they ate the gooey morsels, Jon suggested they got into their pajamas and complimented the delicious, diabetes-filled brownies by snuggling on the couch and playing some games.
So that's where the two ended up and was where they were currently situated, with Jonathan's legs resting over Brock's knees, now dressed in his treasured navy blue dinosaur onesie. Brock had even gotten into his matching, coffee brown bear onesie, and pulled one of their warm blankets over his legs to keep himself warm as quiet background music played in the speakers around the room.
Mortal Kombat X was the game the two had decided on, but Delirious was quickly realizing that it had been a bad decision on his part. Despite all of his practice playing the game, Brock had been on a winning streak all evening and was absolutely obliterating him with every passing round. His irritation was rising to a peak, and every time his health bar dropped another fraction, he gripped his controller even tighter.
Brock on the other hand was having a ball. As much as he loved seeing the joy on Jonathan's face when he won, seeing him lose was so much more satisfying. The way he crossed his ankles and squared his shoulders in an attentive motion made Brock smirk as he knew he was getting under Jon's skin. The way he always pulled his gray beanie down over his head whenever he got embarrassed or aggravated was absolutely adorable, and his tongue poking out by a fraction at the side of his mouth only added to the positively lovable image he was unconsciously portraying.
"No… No!" Jonathan yelled bitterly, slumping back against the couch cushion as Brock defeated his Jason Voorhees character yet again, the male voice echoing 'Finish him' through the TV's speakers. Brock cackled with mischief and quickly pressed the familiar combination of buttons to complete D'Vorah's finishing move. Delirious set his jaw as he saw his beloved horror icon become a five course dinner for a swarm of insects and casted Brock a wrathful glare.
"You're cheating!" Jonathan accused with a harsh jab into Brock's chest with his index finger.
Brock chuckled and looked down at Jonathan with a cheeky smile. "I don't think using my character's moves to my advantage could be considered cheating," he said with an innocent tone in his voice.
Jonathan huffed and gestured to the screen with distinct indignation. "You used her damn stinger attack every other move! I couldn't even land a hit on you most of the time, you're a cheater!"
"Whoa, take it easy Delirious," Brock advised gently, overdramatically putting his hand over his heart. "Your words really sting."
Jon's eye twitched as Brock gave him a sly grin after delivering his pun, and watched his boyfriend sigh heavily and slide down into the couch cushions after clumsily tossing his controller on the coffee table. Delirious crossed his arms and sent Brock a small side glare to indicate that he was still upset at Brock's cheap tactic to winning. Brock pulled his onesie's hood back so it rested behind his head and began setting up another game.
"How about one more round, then we can watch a movie or something? We can pick each other's characters?" Brock suggested warmly, but Jon only let his scowl deepen. Brock glanced over at him and tilted his head to the side. "C'mon Del, you know I'm just messing around…" Jon eyed him silently, but didn't speak and instead chose to turn on his side, then bury his head deep into his shoulder, not responding to Brock's attempt at beginning a conversation.
Brock smirked at Jon's stubbornness, and chewed his lip as he tried to figure out how he could cheer up his boyfriend's sour mood. After taking a moment to think, Brock lit up as an idea struck him and reached over to quietly set his controller on the coffee table and pick up the television's remote.
Jon lifted his head slightly as the TV turned off and the gentle background music was amplified by a few bars to make up for the sudden silence that loomed over the living room. The cushion beside Jon shifted as Brock moved, and he quickly looked away, focused on keeping his head facing towards the backyard, watching the rain pelt the windows and drip down the back patio's roof.
A presence made itself known directly behind Jon and he heard Brock's familiar, mirthful laugh directly behind his head. "I think someone is a bit grumpy that they lost," Brock sang with a teasing lilt in his voice. Jon kept his jaw firmly set to keep a smart remark from escaping, but shuffled so he was turned even further away from Brock.
However, this was not in his favor as it was exactly the window of opportunity Brock was looking for.
"Well I'm no doctor, but I do know the cure for a sour mood," Brock hinted wittingly, moving his hand so his fingers grazed over the side of Jon's hip.
Jon immediately tensed and Brock felt it. The latter grinned mischievously, moving his fingers in a walking motion across Jon's side. "I wonder what would happen if I were to try it…"
"Brock," Jon finally spoke up, a hint of caution in his voice. Brock smirked and slowly moved his hand until his entire palm was resting on Jon's side.
"I wonder if it'd work?" Brock asked innocently, having a joyous time as Jon began to shift uncomfortably beneath him.
"Brock, don't do it!" Jon warned quickly, finally turning to face Brock. There were hints of a smile threatening to surface as he tried to keep a stern expression, but Brock knew he was winning in this final battle.
"Don't do what?" Brock asked in confusion, tilting his head to the side curiously. Jon watched him cautiously and slowly moved to back off the couch, but before he could Brock lit up and a sinister expression stretched across his face. "Oh! Do you mean… This?!"
Brock's hand moved sharply down and his fingers dug into his stomach. Jon let out a loud exclamation of fear as Brock began mercilessly tickling him and squirmed as he attempted to scramble away. He reached up and tried to grab the edge of the couch to pull himself out of Brock's iron grip, but once Brock's hand shifted to his most sensitive spot- the soft patch of skin near his waist- Jon had to stop and attempt to shove Brock's hands away with a loud uncontrollable giggle.
The couple wrestled on the couch in a mess of blankets and pillows, Jon's incessant giggles and Brock's maniacal laughter echoing through the empty house as the rain stormed on outside.
"Get… off… me!" Jon got out between laughs as Brock continued to tickle him.
"Say the magic words!" Brock urged with a massive grin on his face, not faltering for a moment.
"N-No!" Jon gasped as he tried to wriggle out from beneath him, his cheeks turning red from his non-stop laughter. "...That's playing dirty! I'm not saying it!"
Brock dramatically gasped and smirked. "In that case, I think you need some more persuasion," he raised his hands and wiggled his fingers mischievously. "Time for two hands!"
Jon shrieked and took the miniscule window of opportunity to roll off his half of the couch and run away, laughing excitedly as he dashed out of the living room. Brock grinned and was quick to push himself to his feet and chase Jon around the house. Jon was small and faster than him, but Brock had the advantage of having longer legs than Jon, and the padded feet on Jon's onesie that was worn with age caused him to slip a few times on the smooth wooden floor.
It didn't take long for them to run a full lap around the small home and Brock finally felt his feet reconnect with carpet, giving him the extra amount of friction he needed to burst forward and catch his boyfriend mid-step.
Two strong arms wrapped around Jon's waist and he let out a terrified laugh as Brock lifted him off his feet and into the air. Brock giggled as Jon swung around in his arms just above his head when he twirled them around the living room carpet. "Put me down!" Jon demanded with a shrill cry.
Brock looked up at Jon and smirked at the way they were positioned together. "Are we dancing?" Jon burst into another fit of giggles at the notion, and paused to catch his breath. Brock closed his eyes and began humming a melodical tune as he spun them in a circle, provoking more laughter from both of them. Brock smiled as Jon slowly began to calm down, absolutely breathless from his never-ending spiel of laughter.
The two slowed down and Brock carefully lowered Jon until his feet were firmly planted on the floor, but didn't remove his hands from his waist. The soft, rubato music played through the house's speakers and Brock smiled as he recognized this next song as a waltz. Brock hummed along to the melody as he got into the proper dancing position, still fresh in his memory after years of practice, and began swaying Delirious across the room as a joke, although the idea of slow dancing did not seem necessarily unappealing.
Jon tensed as he realised what Brock was attempting to do and quickly pulled away. "Wait- no. I'm sorry, but I..." he whimpered, turning away and crossing his arms in front of his chest. Brock watched Jon step away with confused eyes and tilted his head to the side he observed his body language. Jon's shoulders were tense and he was refusing to make eye contact. "I… I can't waltz." Jon admitted hesitantly.
Brock slumped his shoulders in relief that he hadn't done anything to upset him- which was what he had been concerned about- and walked over to Jon until he was standing next to him. "It's never too late to try," he assured helpfully. Jon looked up at Brock with uncertain eyes, and he gently smiled down at his dinosaur-clad boyfriend. Brock tucked one arm behind his back and bowed politely to Jon, extending his hand in a way that was courteously requesting for him to take it. "Would you care to dance?"
Jon had to smile at Brock's storybook-worthy charms, but chewed his lip as Brock's outstretched hand was seemingly drawing him to his doom. What if he stepped on Brock's foot, or couldn't keep up and fell? He looked up nervously, but with Brock's warm eyes were gazing at him with such reassurance and kindness, he couldn't find it within himself to refuse him. After all, it was Brock, and he trusted that Brock wouldn't laugh at him if he were to fail.
A toothy smile stretched across Brock's face as Jon took his hand, and carefully led him out to the center of the living room. A few quick button presses raised the music's volume even louder, drowning out the heavy rain outside their warm, cozy home. Brock made sure they had plenty of room to move around before gently pulled Jon towards the center of the room.
"Take my hand," Brock instructed. Jon intertwined his fingers with Brock's, who held their hands out to the side, around the same level as their shoulders. "Your other hand rests on my shoulder," he smiled softly and lowered his other hand and curled it around Jon's waist. "And my hand goes here." Jon squeaked slightly from the sudden contact in the place Brock had mercilessly tickled minutes before, which Brock seemed to realise at that same moment. "No tickling this time, I promise,"
Jon only nodded, still nervous about dancing. Brock told Jon that he would lead so Jon would just let Brock carry them while he practiced following, but he was still scared out of his wits. Brock decided it would be best for them to take each step one at a time, then do them all together once Jon knew the steps.
"Just watch our feet, and follow my lead," Brock explained, slowly moving in the steps of a proper ballroom dance. Jon bit his lip and hesitantly mirrored Brock's actions, stepping back as Brock stepped forward, and moving to the side when Brock moved to the side at the same time. Then they moved backwards as a duo to complete the dance, and Jon barely missed stepping on Brock's unsuspecting foot as he rushed it near the end. "You're doing great, Del," Brock complimented warmly, causing Jon to smile softly. "Just take it a bit slower, there's no rush."
Jon nodded quickly and to his horror, Brock began to speed up in his steps. "Brock, wait!" Jon exclaimed, moving faster to keep up with Brock's footwork.
"You're doing fine, don't stop!" Brock laughed, enjoying the small flashes of panic wash over Jonathan's face. "Just follow the same steps, they don't change as we do this."
"What do you m- ahhhhh!" Jon let out a small terrified yell as Brock turned, now taking even broader steps and moving them in a circle around the room. "Brock, I'm gonna mess up; slow down!"
"You won't mess up, you're doing great so far," Brock replied with a tender smile. "Just look at yourself!" Jon looked down and was shocked to see that his legs were moving fast to keep up with Brock, both of their feet perfectly in sync with one another.
He was dancing. Jon was waltzing.
A small giggle of disbelief escaped him as Jon flashed Brock an open-mouthed smile. Brock grinned and kept leading them around the room, deciding that they could try mixing things up as they went along. Jon pulled away as Brock raised his arm, twirling Jon in a small circle before they reconnected as they waltzed across the room. Delirious looked like he was having the time of his life at Brock's side, looking so happy and alight that Brock was sure the sun couldn't even compare to Jon's smile.
"I'm waltzing…" Jon breathed in awe. His smile grew and he glanced up at Brock before letting out a small laugh. "I'm waltzing!" In his moment of happiness, Delirious broke free of the dance and wrapped his arms around Brock's neck giggling with joy. Brock laughed and spun Jon in a circle as he let Jon bury his face into the crook of his neck.
"I told you that you could do it," Brock spoke tenderly, smiling down at Jon with pride. Jon clung to him like he was his lifeline and continued to smile until his cheeks were sore.
He beamed up at him and after a mere moment's hesitation, stood up on his tip toes and pecked Brock on the lips. "Thank you," Jon said gratefully.
Brock's eyes had widened in surprise at the action and was frozen for a brief moment before breaking into a illuminating smile and bending down slightly to capture Jon's lips in a kiss. Delirious closed his eyes and lightly gripped Brock's shoulders as the latter dipped him back and held Jon's body securely in his arms. Delirious felt his dinosaur hood fall off his head, but couldn't care less as all he could think of was Brock and how amazing his lips felt pressed up against his own. Jon's lips tasted of brownies and Brock couldn't help but smile at his boyfriend's seemingly boundless sweet tooth.
The need for oxygen ended up forcing them apart far too quickly for their taste, but did what their bodies pleaded and broke apart with a barely audible gasp. Jon's eyes were half lidded as he peered up at Brock, who looked like he had been struck with Cupid's Arrow and was positively lovesick.
The corners of Jonathan's mouth lifted as he chuckled softly to himself. "I think I found my new favorite dance."