Disclaimer: I cannot draw for my life, so therefore there is no way in the universe that the characters Aelita and Jeremie belong to me. Also not mine is the song "But It's Better If You Do" by Panic! at the Disco. D-d-dance on.

Peach and Lime Daiquiri
-by magicalfairy12-

"Where are you going?"

"Huh?" Jeremie said, slicking back his blonde hair in a nearby mirror. After making sure every hair was in place, his hands fell to the black bowtie around his neck, adjusting it a little as if it would make a big impact on his looks.

"I said, where are you going?" Aelita repeated, a little more firmly and loudly. Jeremie looked nice. He always looked very nice when he tried. He looked especially nice in a tuxedo like the one he was wearing…for what reason, Aelita still couldn't figure out.

"Oh, some friends from work and I decided to go to a late night musical performance at the nearby theater." Jeremie now stepped back from the mirror and smoothed down his collar and lapels. He didn't see Aelita in the background of the mirror frowning, her frizzy pink hair a mess, as usual.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she persisted, still thinking something wasn't right. They'd been married for a while now and the marriage was perfect…that was, until recently. They had moved closer to Paris and had a quaint little house that wasn't too small or too big. Just enough for the two of them. They both brought in plenty of income to keep the two of them happy. And they used to always go out on dates, acting as if they hadn't been married already for a couple of years. I mean, Aelita used to always think, at least we are doing better than Ulrich and Yumi. It was true, Ulrich and Yumi had a more passionate relationship than she and Jeremie did, but Ulrich and Yumi screamed at each other much more often than was healthy for them. Aelita and Jeremie would know, since as soon as Yumi and Ulrich had gotten into a fight, Aelita's cell phone would ring and Jeremie's cell phone would ring exactly five seconds afterwards. Always.

"Well, we just made the plans today at work. Sorry, sweetheart." He finally turned and really looked at her. She just stared back at him, unseeing and uncomprehending. He softened and went up to her, cupping her chin in one of his hands. "This is the last time, okay? I'll always call and tell you if this happens again." Even as Jeremie said it, he knew it was a lie. And he felt even worse when he saw Aelita's eyes melt with love for him.

"Okay," she said, smiling and gently pulling away from him, "but I still don't see how you guys managed to get the tickets on such short notice."

"Oh, one of them had bought the tickets long ago. He just didn't have anyone to go with." Jeremie bent a little to check himself in the mirror one last time before he went to get his coat and put on his shoes. Aelita trailed after him as he went to the door. "I might be late coming back, so don't wait up for me, all right?" he told her as he pecked her lightly on the lips.

"Be careful," Aelita called after him as he walked out the door. It was her customary warning. Jeremie turned, nodded at her, and then continued on walking. Aelita shut the door softly and then locked it again, turning around to lean her back against it. What was happening with them? They used to be so…in love. One part of her was telling herself not to doubt him. To trust him. That's what a relationship is based on. Trust.

But she knew inside that right now, he wasn't going with his work friends to a musical. In fact, she was pretty sure he didn't even like musicals.

She pushed herself off from the door and walked to the kitchen. She had just finished cleaning it from after dinner. Satisfied with the job she'd done, she smiled and started for the stairs. She was going somewhere tonight if Jeremie was going somewhere tonight.

Now I'm of consenting age
To be forgetting you in a cabaret

Jeremie ran the whole way to the old apartment complex that had conditions that were almost too horrid to live in. He stopped to walk and compose himself when he entered, looking around cautiously as his shiny dress shoes clacked on the floor. He went to the elevator and pressed the up button, loosening his bowtie as he waited and stuffing it into one of his pockets in his coat. As the elevator dinged its arrival, he unbuttoned the first few buttons on his white dress shirt. Now he was more comfortable.

Once inside the elevator, he viewed his floor choices. Although on the outside the only button available was up, inside the elevator there was also the basement option. Jeremie smiled to himself and pressed the basement button.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Aelita rummaged deep into the recesses of her walk-in closet before she found what she was looking for. Strappy, three inch high heels that were a bright seductive red with subtle glitters in the coloring. She hadn't worn these things in a long time. She hadn't thought she needed to for a long time. Now she was going to have another go.

She slipped into them, wobbling unsteadily at first but almost immediately getting back into the groove of them. She walked out of her closet and confronted herself at the full-length mirror. Right on, she thought, Tinka is back in business.

Still on the heels so that her feet could get used to them, she went into her bathroom and looked at her face closely in the mirror. She had practically forgotten what she looked like with make up on. Well, tonight was going to change that. She pulled open a drawer and reached directly into the very back, pulling out a red bag. Then she unzipped it, pulling out a sparkly rose-red eye shadow. Oh yes, this would be great fun.

Somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen
May even ask my name

Jeremie knocked on a thick door that practically blended into the walls of the basement. A little window slid open, revealing a man in a golden mask. Jeremie watched as the man's eyes slid up and down Jeremie's body. Then the window slid closed again. Jeremie hated this bit, but he was pretty experienced in not looking too nervous. He smoothed back his hair one more time before taking out his own fancy golden mask and placing it over his face.

The door opened and music, laughter, smoke, and talk filled the silent hallway. Jeremie looked around quickly one last time before he stepped into the strip club.

As she sheds her skin onstage
I'm seated and sweating to a dance song on the club's P.A.

"Tinka!" the manager of the strip club greeted Aelita. She gave him a wane smile. She hated this guy. Just him alone would drive her running and screaming all the way back to her house. "I'm so glad to see you again. Looking stunning, like always. Come in, come in and we'll get you dressed. Your spot is, like always, open. Tell me," he said, suddenly quiet and conspiratorial, "why are you back?"

Aelita widened her fake smile a little. "I just am ready for a night of fun."

"You got it!" the manager boomed, leering at her and opening the door wider for her to pass. "You know where to the get the costumes and where the dressing rooms are."

Oh yes, "Tinka" knew. Aelita had to giggle a little at her alias. Tinka was exactly the name a part-time too-good-to-be-merely-a-stripper should have.

The strip joint veteran sits two away
Smirking between dignified sips of his dignified
Peach and lime daiquiri

Jeremie sat himself at a table near the front of the club, near the stage. He watched as all the stunning and beautiful women in skimpy, sparkly red tops and bottoms danced in time to the music playing from the speakers. They were dazzling. He smiled and slid further down in his seat. He would go get a drink in a minute, as soon as he could unglue his eyes from the performance.

And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance
And paying in naivety

Aelita had a variety of wigs to choose from in every imaginable color. She smiled, picking out a mess of platinum blond curls. Once that was on her head nice and securely, she picked up her glittering red mask sprouting a bunch of long red feathers on the right side and some dangling red beads on the left. After she tied it into place, she straightened out her short black halter dress with red ruffles at the end and reapplied some lipstick. She could feel the adrenaline and excitement coursing through her veins as she stepped out the door, also draping a red-feathered boa over herself.

Tinka was back and hotter than ever.

And as soon as she stepped out into the club, men noticed.

Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance
And paying and naivety

Aelita's job was to make men feel at home, especially newcomers (they were easy to pick out with their nervous smiles), and entertain them as they waited for girls or drinks or such. Aelita never did anything too physical unless the man she was flirting with really interested her. Long ago she had worked her way up from a regular dancing stripper to her position now.

As she strolled leisurely through the club, she watched masked men's eyes follow her. This brought a smile to her red shining lips. One man that was obviously drunk caught sight of her and whistled. "Hey, baby, my lap's feeling a little cold right now," he slurred at Aelita. Aelita smiled politely while inside she gagged. "You wanna warm it up for me, gorgeous?"

Aelita hated drunken men and so she chose never to deal with them. But, always, always, she had to be polite while shunting the men she didn't like. "You wouldn't be able to handle it," she tossed at the man over she shoulder, giving him a wink and then walking on her way. Her eyes traveled through the crowd, searching for someone that was hopefully a little more dignified.

Oh
But I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place

"Honey, you wanna drink?" a barely clothed woman said, brushing up to Jeremie at a too-close-for-comfort range. She leaned forward and put a daiquiri in front of Jeremie anyway, even though he hadn't said anything. Then she turned her head and looked at him. He blinked back, unsure of what to do. She was only inches from his nose. Jeremie felt uneasiness rise up in him.

"Um…I think I'm…"

"Hey, Sissi," a man called from behind them, "get me one of 'em drinks there."

"All right!" the woman responded cheerfully, smiling at Jeremie a bit pityingly and backing away. Jeremie took a deep breath when she gave him space to breathe again. He realized that actually he had no idea what he was doing. The first couple times he'd come, he'd pretty much secluded himself in a corner table, watching the going-ons of the club. Attention made him nervous. He hoped and prayed he wouldn't get anymore of it.

Well, I'm afraid that I
Well, that's right, well, I may have faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place

There's no one interesting. This sucks, Aelita thought as she made her way toward the stage area, watching the girls flash their smooth bare skin. She had done that once. But now she was above that. At her level, she could chose whether to look like a slut or not, a slight comfort for where she worked. She scanned the men in the audience, watching a big group of them guffawing slovenly at the girls onstage. Disgusting.

Aelita looked to the other side of the audience and immediately her eyes zoned in on a blonde haired man, looking awful lonely sitting at a table by himself. Although he too was gaping at the girls rudely, he was silent. Aelita smiled, smoothed down her fake hair and walked forward.

And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance
And paying in naivety

Jeremie jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. And it didn't just stay on his shoulder; it slid across his back and then it was gone. He twisted in his seat and saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was just smiling at him, her lips bright red and perfect, her skin white and smooth. "Would you like to get a drink with me?" she asked him politely, waiting for him to respond.

"I-I would like to get a drink with you. I would love to," Jeremie said, finally finding his ability to speak. He got up and smiled at her, hoping his mask was on correctly and that it wasn't crooked, that he didn't have anything in his teeth, and so on. She just smiled back and slipped an arm through his slowly. Jeremie felt a shot of excitement go up his spine.

Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance
And paying in naivety

Aelita let him linger at the bar for a while. He bought her drinks, which meant he was a gentleman, and as far as she could tell, he was very handsome, although a bit nervous. He also wasn't a heavy drinker, as when Aelita was ready to bring him somewhere more private, he'd only drunk half a glass of his daiquiri. Aelita liked him.

He was in the middle of taking another tiny sip of his drink when Aelita got up from her stool and went closer to him, one of her hands finding his. "Come with me," she whispered into his ear, pulling him away from the bar. He came easily, totally smitten with her.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A masked man waiting at the door was busy trying to entice a woman to come in his direction instead of busy waiting to hear if their were any knocks coming from outside. So he didn't hear when there was a rather loud collection of thumps coming from the door. And then the word, "POLICE!" yelled rather violently, although to the masked man it would have been muffled. If he had heard.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The goddess was dragging him to a rather remote corner and when he saw there was a single chair there, he knew what it was for. And for some reason, he knew that he was going to sit in it. He did. As soon as they were close enough, she pushed Jeremie into the chair lightly and then, smiling, came forward and brushed her lips against his cheek.

"Tell me, what's your name?" she asked softly. Jeremie's heart thumped loudly as he couldn't help but smile.

"Patrick," he lied easily. He knew that she knew that it probably was a lie, but he didn't care.

"That's a nice name," she breathed. Then she lifted his face a little up to hers and kissed him. And Jeremie kissed back.

Well, I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place

The connection was all too short. When Aelita drew back, she did it with reluctance. It was amazing how much she wanted to keep kissing him. She ran her hands over his shoulders and leaned forward again. "Take off your mask. I want to see your face," she said, smearing her lipstick again on his cheek.

"It's nothing fantastic," "Patrick" said.

"I don't care," Aelita replied and stepped back. She watched as "Patrick" lifted the mask slowly from his face.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"POLICE!" the police shouted one last time before the whole squad burst into the strip club. Screams erupted and a mix of other noises of chaos followed as the police started to arrest everyone in sight that they could get their hands on. After all, this was an illegal strip club.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

And he was still smiling. Jeremie was still smiling. How dare he still be smiling, that little jerk. Aelita gasped and before she knew what she was doing, she had torn off her own mask and watched Jeremie's expectant smile turn into a look of amazement and horror. "Oh my god!" Aelita screamed and then she slapped her husband.

And with that, she headed for the exit. Someone would have had to kill her to make her stay.

Well, I'm afraid that I
Well, that's right, well, I may have faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place

Jeremie sat there stunned for a couple seconds, not able to make sense of what was going on. After those couple of seconds, the impact hit and he practically jumped up. "Aelita! Wait!" he yelled as loud as he could, racing from his chair to the commotion without. What the heck is going on? he thought, scanning the chaos for some sign of pink hair. And then he saw her…in the restraining arms of two policemen.

"Let go of me, you pervert!" she was screaming and fighting, looking more beautiful than Jeremie had ever seen her. And yet the whole situation was too ironic.

And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance
And paying in naivety

"NO!" Jeremie yelled and charged into the fray, punching and hitting. A policeman lunged at him too, and he lost sight of Aelita as he tried to free himself.

"Come on, young man, time for you to come with us too," the policeman said gruffly, trying to keep a hold on Jeremie's arms as he dragged him out the door into the hallway.

Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know

There was a whole squadron of police cars outside on the dark street with flashing lights on. Jeremie now was only half-heartedly struggling as he knew his fate was sealed. He was screwed, seriously screwed.

Praying for love in a lap dance
And paying in naivety

Aelita was gone and he was going to jail. And so was she for that matter. So who's fault was it? His wife had caught him at the club, and yet he had also caught his wife. And they had thought their marriage was oh-so perfect.

Praying for love and paying in naivety

"In the car, young man," the policeman said gruffly, in classic policeman style. Jeremie sighed and bent his head, allowing himself to get stuffed inside the back of the car. As the door closed behind him, he realized there was someone beside him that looked awfully familiar. A someone with pink hair.

He smiled.

Praying for love and paying in naivety
Oh

And so did Aelita.

THE END

A/N: Oh, those two troublemakers. Anyway, the idea for this fic is not entirely mine either (gosh, I am such a stealer). It is based on the music video for this song (which is kickass, so check it out on Panic! at the Disco's website). I encourage you to go watch the video, as it would be like watching this fic in action. Except for, of course, Aelita and Jeremie actually aren't in it (boo hoo). Now, I'm done talkin'. Until next time...!