For what seems like hours, Hilbert can't hear a thing. It's not silent, certainly not, but the only thing he can hear is the thumping of his own heart and the constant rush of air on the back of his ear that makes him shudder a little because of the rich voice that comes with it, the familiar tones making his stomach perform amazing flips. Surprising to think, he doesn't mind the hands gripping his hips and moving him all kinds of ways as much as he does the tingling feeling at comes with it, to feel the brush of the person behind him moving as well. As one. He feels dizzy for a moment, and feels disappointed when the wind ceases and the motion stops. It's only then that he realized that the other is waiting for an answer, and Hilbert never heard the question.

"Sorry, can you repeat that? I, er..."

The man behind him shook his head and smiled, leaning down again to whisper softly in his ear.

"I said, you're a very good dancer. Have you taken lessons before?"

Hilbert shook his head and concentrated on actually breathing, and trying not to let the taller trainer see his blush. It must've reached his ears though, because he heard a quiet laugh from behind him and all of a sudden he was twirled around to face his dance partner, N. To be fair, he was blushing a little too - from exertion, Hilbert thought to himself, not from dancing with him or anything - , and he removed his hands from Hilbert's waist.

"I'm sorry. Even if I'm not very comfortable being around other people, I enjoy dancing a lot."

"It's... It's fine, really. It's fun to dance with friends."

There was a bit of a silence. N looked down at him intensely with a spark of curiosity in his green eyes and Hilbert felt the blush threatening to rise up again. He cleared his throat and tried again, clarifying.

"I mean, why wouldn't it be, right? Even if you have a poor dance partner..." He trailed off, looking at the ground where his two left feet were. Well, one right and one left, but they just felt like lumps of lead at this point.

N shook his head again, taking Hilbert's hands and placing them on his own hips. "It's your turn to lead. Just do as I did."

The only problem was that Hilbert actually hadn't been paying attention to how they moved, just how he felt N move against him. As weird as that sounded, the thoughts just made him feel embarrassed again, so he pushed them from his mind. Awkwardly he tried a few steps, seeing if they'd jog his memory, and wondered how N could be so patient and not complain about the sore feet he was sure to have. Hilbert stepped on N's feet twice, apologizing each time, and when he finally gets some sort of rhythm going into his steps and is actually enjoying himself he resists the urge to cheer in joy, instead letting go of N's hand and trailing it upwards across the other's chest, liking the way N shudders at his touch, and finally stops to grip the other's hand. His fellow dancer was obviously uncomfortable, but Hilbert tried to smile and pretend that it hadn't happened. N opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but then pursed his lips and shook his head. They were only dancing and a cold draft had blown through the cracked window of the abandoned warehouse they stepped fluidly through as if it was a ballroom. That's all. If it was a ballroom, Hilbert let his mind wander, then would N be the lady? He chuckled at the thought of the older man trying to fit into a dress, and N leans down to touch their noses together as they continue their dance.

"What are you laughing at, Hilbert?"

The touch surprised him and he forced himself not to let go, swallowing before he replied.

"Nothing, just thinking. Why are you so good at dancing?" He changed the topic from himself to the other abruptly, and though N looks at him puzzled he answers.

"I learned many styles of dance growing up, in case I were to wed. Married couples dance a lot in the court, you know."

"Oh."

"It isn't that big of a deal, since... I'm king and all. Just important to know, I guess."

"That's right, you're royalty of Team Plasma. I just thought it was a title."

"They take it very seriously."

That simple remark made Hilbert shut his trap, which for some reason N took as an opportunity to press their lips together, and suddenly the world stopped and his stomach started to flip again. N's eyes were closed, but Hilbert's were wide. Neither moved. For the second time that day, hours passed, and N moved back, hesitantly meeting the other's eyes with a strange mixture of emotions in his own. Hilbert swallowed, feeling a lump in his throat and his heart pounding once more, and wished there was music that could distract them. Finally he stood on his tiptoes and kissed N softly on the lips, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the reaction, whatever that would be. He certainly felt it though, the other tensing, and finally relaxing into the kiss and returning it, hands escaping Hilbert's and wrapping around the younger's body tightly. It was a sweet kiss, no mouths opened and yet it felt as if a hundred things flowed between them at that single, tingling touch.

They broke apart and N stepped back a few steps, touching his lips lightly. "I..."

But Hilbert cut him off. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"That was nice."

A pause.

"What?"

"I said, that was nice. It... wasn't with whom I expected it to be, but." N was blushing now, looking at the ground with a smile, licking his lips almost nervously. "But I thought it was very nice."

Hilbert felt like he had some kind of - of reverse fever, where you feel hot and clammy instead of cold and clammy and he unzipped his jacket as nonchalantly as he could manage, holding it weakly in his grasp. His mouth felt unusually dry, but he spoke anyway.

"You're the one who kissed me first."

N laughed and stepped forward, taking Hilbert's jacket from him and tossing it onto a dusty crate.

"I suppose you're right about that, Hilbert. I wanted to see what it was like to kiss someone." He was quiet for a moment, and his voice became soft. "Was that your first? I'm sorry if it was. It would be mine as well."

It seemed kind of silly to Hilbert that N would ask something like that, but the latter was being rather attractively shy about it.

"It was, actually. My first kiss I mean." Hilbert turned his eyes upward, watching the sunlight filter in through the holed ceiling and wondering just how old is this place, anyways?. "Cheren and Bianca had each other as their first, I think, because of a mistletoe one Christmas. And Hilda's was Cheren under the same circumstance."

"What's a mistletoe?" That made Hilbert look up, and it was his turn to be confused.

"What do you mean, what's a mistletoe? It's like... It's something you hang up over doorways during the holidays to ward off evil spirits or something like that. A lot of people just use it as an excuse to kiss people under."

N was quiet again, and he stepped forward to grab Hilbert's hand in his own, squeezing it a little.

"I think I'd like to see one of them, around the holidays. All we did for that time of year was exchange gifts and have a feast."

"A feast doesn't sound too bad."

"A feast meant for ten people, with only two at the table."

Hilbert opened his mouth, and closed it with a frown. No one should have to spend Christmas like that, he decided.

"Then it's settled."

"What is?" N was staring at him now, moving even closer and leaning down until he was eye-to-eye with the other trainer.

"T-that you're going to spend Christmas with us!" Arceus, how much closer could N get before it was too much for either of them? A peck on the lips told him just how much.

"Thank you. I would love to join you and your friends." After studying Hilbert's expression for a moment, he added almost apologetically, "I like kissing you, it's very relaxing."

Wow.

There was no other word in Hilbert's mind, just Wow. N wasn't being shy at all anymore - or maybe he was, but Hilbert was too flustered to realize this - and began to, seemingly boldly, guide Hilbert's hand to his own cheek, nuzzling against it with a small smile.

"You're a very relaxing person to be near, Hilbert. I'm sorry if this sounds weird, but I'm not one to hide my feelings." N admitted, the light pink rising to his cheeks matching Hilbert's own.

"I... I can tell." He managed to stumble out weakly in reply, stroking N's cheek with his thumb. Even if the teen had lost all his baby fat by now, there was still an inexplicable smoothness to it that made Hilbert believe that maybe, maybe N really was royalty. "I just didn't think you would do something like that, not liking humans very much."

"I surprised myself with the very thought of it, actually." Hands were placed back into their original positions: One of Hilbert's hands holding N's, the other on his waist, and N's free hand likewise on Hilbert's shoulder. But N led this time, moving forward and curving to the side gracefully. "I didn't think you'd return it like that."

"Yeah."

To the invisible music they danced, and N started to hum something that went to the steps they made. Hilbert closed his eyes and let himself be guided, enjoying the feeling and slipping his hand from N's hip to the small of his back, causing a small break that was quickly remedied in the middle of the song. If Hilbert opened his eyes then, he would've seen the reaction caused by the simple movement, being that N was now flustered red and trying to not let it affect him. It went on like this for a few minutes, the soothing sound of some kind of lullaby, maybe, or something N had been taught as a child.

However, he stopped abruptly at one point, jarring Hilbert out of the trance, staring at the entrance of the warehouse. Hilbert looked down at the light that shined in at his feet and felt himself beginning to become embarrassed as Hilda strolled in, smirking a little.

"So this is where you've been hiding out, Hilbert." She teased, walking up to the two of them. "And N, I'm guessing you're the one who kidnapped him?"

N shuffled a few steps away from Hilbert, shaking his head. "No, I..."

"Don't worry about it, he needs to get out more."

Hilbert rolled his eyes at that, grabbing N's arm before he could get too far away. "I get out enough already."

"Yeah, but there's only one person you're out with every time you're actually out."

The two guys thought about this, Hilbert flushing when he realized who she meant and N wondering who it was himself.

"It's not like that!"

Hilda laughed and waved her hand dismissively, first grabbing Hilbert's jacket and then the actual owner of said clothing, leading them both boys out of the warehouse.

"What were you two doing in there, anyways?"

"We were-"

"I was teaching Hilbert to dance. He's got natural rhythm." Both stopped to look back at N, who was smiling. Hilda turned her gaze to Hilbert and laughed a little, and Hilbert hit her softly in return. Despite his words, N sounded anything but serious. "I'm serious, Hilda. He might be able to join one of the Musicals with talent like that."

Hilbert hit N too, who chuckled.

"Besides," he added in a low voice that, for some reason, made Hilbert's throat tighten, "I have much more to teach him, and he has much more to teach me. It would be wise to use our time efficiently, yes?"

Hilda began to grin and, while Hilbert didn't full understand, he knew that grin well enough and let go of N's arm so he could drag Hilda away.

"I'll talk see you tomorrow, okay N? Same time and place." He called back, Hilda's laughter turning into unladylike snorts. N nodded and waved back, still smiling. Tomorrow would be fun.