I was asked to do a Prom/Dance theme as a request! Again, not sure if it meets all the requirements, but I did try! Although I decided on Winter Formal, since most of my snippets seem to take place in fall or around there...and it makes more sense for the story. :D

I actually had this written a few days ago...but...yeah. Nerves. Hopefully y'all like it!

MRS. KENYON OWNS EVERYTHING! 'CAUSE SHE'S AWESOME!

Related Stories Time!

I Can Dance. I Just Don't Want To.

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"Do you have to go?"

Nick rolled his eyes at Caleb's strained voice. You'd think the apocalypse commeth...and since they had already been through multiple together, Nick had that tone of voice down to a T.

"Dude, it's just a dance. Kody and I have both been looking forward to this. A chance to act normal and pretend that I don't sprout wings whenever I'm pissed." Caleb pushed the grocery cart as Nick moved down the candy aisle, tossing in another bag of Hershey Kisses.

"Look. If you go, I go. And no offense? Caleb don't wanna go. Helping setting up for the dance? Fine, I can do. Participating? I have better ways to spend my nights."

"Look, it's only for one night. I'm sure you can find a date."

"Of course I can find a date. That's not an issue. Finding one that's school appropriate, though..." Nick covered his ears.

"TMI. That's more than enough of your Night Life I need to know about, Cay!"

Caleb rolled his eyes.

"Sooner or later, you will grow up...By the way, what's with all the Kisses?" Nick batted his eyes at him.

Oh, Gods-

"Why, don't I always shower you with love and affection, my darling little Caly-Boo?" Nick chirped in that horridly high-pitched voice.

Caleb had no trouble shoving the shopping cart into his legs.

"OW! Geez..." Nick patted down his legs, feeling for bruises.

"Harsh, much? They're for Kody. I thought up a cute way to ask her to Formal, and since my Mom's always gushing about romantic, sappy stuff...thought I'd give it a try." Nick grinned in triumph.

"Riiiiight. But back to the earlier discussion-"

"I'm going, Caleb. You're gonna half to suck it up and find a date."

Great. Just what I was looking forward to.

They went to the check-out counter so that Nick could pay for the Hershey Kisses and miscellaneous groceries. But then Nick started shifting from foot to foot, his face morphing of one if displeasure.

By the time they got out of the store, he looked completely depressed.

"I'm probably going to regret this...But what's going on? I'm a telepath, not a mind reader. Although I can be on occasion when I'm in the mood to snoop." Caleb leveled a gaze at Nick that said share or be invaded.

Nick opened and closed his mouth, as if trying to frame the words. Then finally spoke.

"You know how Winter Formal is normally...they have more slow dances?" Caleb nodded.

"Yeah. So what, you don't know how to dance?" Nick nodded.

"Yeah, and I don't want to embarrass Kody."

"Well, why don't you just ask your Moth-"

Oh.

Oh, shit.

This was treading into the evil no-mans land where Caleb remembered Nick didn't exactly have the most perfect and regular childhood.

"...Your Mom never let you learn, did she?" Nick sped up.

"It's not that she forbid me, or anything dumb like that. I just didn't want to learn before. My Mom actually encouraged me to learn different dances, so that I would know there was more to dancing than what she did."

But it obviously bothered him quite a bit, or he wouldn't bring it up.

Okay, Malphas. Think fast.

"Look, I can teach you how to dance, but I'm not exactly the best dance teacher. If you really want help, Kyrian's your best shot. As a Greek prince, he would have been required to learn at least a few when they threw parties and had visiting dignitaries. You could also ask Kody herself. She probably knows. Or Mark or Bubba." Nick shook his head.

"I want to surprise her." Nick leaned his head back in thought.

"And I just can't imagine Mark or Bubba knowing how to dance. Bubba, maybe. But Mark?...Other than The Chicken Dance, I can't see it."

"Kyrian it is then."

Learning How to Dance:

Nick, Caleb, and Kyrian stood in the old Ball Room of Kyrain's house (Which is actually a mansion, but who's splicing the details?) starting their impromptu dancing lesson.

"Now, I'm going to start you off with a waltz. It's one of the most basic dances to learn, and the one used most frequently at weddings, parties, and anywhere there's slow music. As a box step, it's also one of the simplest to learn."

"Box step? Uhm..like a square dance? 'Cause I know the square dance. Had to learn it in fifth grade."

"Not exactly. How you step is similar to the shape of a square. Now-" Nick perked up as Ash's presence filled the house. A second later he opened the door to the Ball Room.

"Well, this odd. Why's everyone gathered here?"

Caleb answered.

"Nick's learning how to dance the waltz." Ash's eyebrow shot north in mirth.

"Really? What for?"

"Winter Formal. I want to impress Kody with my awesome dancing poweress!"

"Figures. That sounds about right." Ash took a seat next to Caleb.

"What? You gonna watch me fail?"

"I have things to discuss with Kyrian, but they can wait until after your lesson is finished." Ash smiled.

"And yeah, I wanna watch. If you're going to be doing this up on the dance floor, you'll need to get used to an audience." Nick groaned. Now he could officialy embarrass himself in public, and he was going to humiliate himself a second time when he danced with Kody.

How'd he even forget that little tidbit?

"Make fun of me, and I will go out of my way to annoy you." There wasn't a lot of ammo Nick could use against the Ancient God. Being a Pain-In-The-Nick was pretty much it.

"Nick, I'm the last person who'd embarrass anyone." Ash motioned for Kyrian to start.

The irritated Dark-Hunter continued from where he was cut off.

"Now, the Man normally leads the dance. Since you're a beginner, you're learn the woman's part first. Once you're good at it, we'll switch. First we face each other, and the Man puts his hand on the Woman's left shoulder blade, or more often than not the waist, like so-"

"No offense Boss, I'd don't want to be this close to you." Kyrian rolled his eyes.

"There's a foot of space between us."

"And that's a foot closer to you than I want to be."

"For the love of the Gods, pay attention and keep your smack to a minimum. At least your dance instructor isn't an old fogey who'll give you demerits if you trip."

"Well, if we're talking age-" Kyrian glowered at him.

"As I was saying. Then the Man's right arm goes at a 90 degree angle- yes, that's where your hand goes. Don't give me that disgusted look, Cajun. You're the one who asked for help. However, your left hand goes on my shoulder. Correct. Now, we'll do the basic steps without music, so you can get the general motions down. Now, your right foot goes back, not forward...Your other right. 1,2,3...Now step to the side- left, I mean. A little farther-"

Nick tripped over Kyrain's feet.

"Oops."

"It's okay. We'll start again." A few minutes later and they still weren't progressing past the first few steps. For some reason, Nick kept tripping over Kyrain's feet or misstepping.

It's official. I am the crappiest dancer to ever crash-land to the earth, 'cause I do not have ANY grace. At all.

Caleb sipped on his Coke while Ash sighed as Nick made yet another mistake. Ash couldn't believe he was going to say this, but...

"It might be you're to close together in height. If Nick knew the steps, the height difference wouldn't matter. But for learning, the extra height might help him out." Ash stood and set his backpack down.

"Let me try."

Nick gaped at him, while Kyrian switched out.

"What? I know how to dance."

"Seriously!? Since when?"

"Oh, I don't know...since 10,000 years ago? 9,753? Give or take a few centuries? Not like I had time, or anything."

Ash got into position and started them on the motions again.

Nick stepped on his toes.

"Uh-"

"Don't worry. Goth boots have cores of steel. Now, the other part of your problem is that you're thinking to much. Stop that, and watch me."

"You say that like it's- What the-" Ash sped up their dancing pace, and called for Kyrian.

"General? Would put in the music please?" Nick panicked.

"What? NO!"

Kyrian, ignoring his squire in favor of listening to his boss, played the music at a slightly faster tempo. Nick growled.

"You're not an Ash, You're an Ass!"

"Right. I walk around on four legs and slower than molasses. Good thing I have a thick skin, or that might have insulted my feelings. Now spin."

"Wha-? No spin, No spin! Since when is there a spin?!"

Kyrian looked over Caleb's shoulder.

"...You're recording this?"

"For posterity's sake. Someone has to look out for the children."

Nick blanched.

"Caleb! Turn that thing off! NOW!"

"Ah, but Nickyboo! Your Mother needs to see this!"

"NO, she doesn't! She has plenty of baby photos to sustain her for the rest of eternity!" Ash nodded as he listened to Caleb and Nick argue back and forth.

"So, Nick, do you think you have it?" Nick looked at Ash in confusion. Until he realized that from the moment he stopped thinking about what he was doing, Nick graduated from fumbling fool to expert dancer.

In fact, didn't the same thing happen with the Band tryouts? Once he went with the flow and let his Malachai powers do the work, everything started making sense.

Malachai Genetics! Cutting down learning time every chance they get!

Order now and get yours today!

"Sweetness!"

"Yeah, teach you how to drive, teach you how to dance. You can't learn anything without me."

Kyrain and Caleb scowled at the Atlantean.

"Hey! I've been teaching him Sword techniques!"

"And I teach him how not to be a flaming Moron. Pretty much every day."

"What is this? Battle of my Instructors? Do I need to buy tickets?"

Ash laughed at Nick and called out for Rosa, who was doing some cleaning in the hallway.

"As the only person in this house who is shorter, we would appreciate your help with the second half of Nick's waltz lesson." She grinned.

"Of course, mijo. I know all kinds of dances, including la Salsa and Tango. Just say the word, and I'll teach you!"

Now used to the motions, Nick pined down the second half without any trouble, and he and Rosa were spinning across the floor to music in no time.

"Hey, Caleb! Wanna dance?!" Caleb gave him an immediate thumbs down.

"Not on your life, Gautier!"

"Ha! Well, now that I actually know what I'm doing...this is kinda fun! Thanks you guys! Now, to go finish preparations!" Caleb's smile faded.

"What? There's more? I thought that was it!" Ash laughed at his misery.

"Have fun, Malphas."

Tux Shopping:

"Nick...I could have just conjured the tuxes." Caleb glared at the mirror. Hadn't he already discussed his dislike for the Mall? 'Cause Caleb was pretty sure he mentioned it somewhere. For that matter, he knew for a fact Nick didn't care for it and avoided the place like the plague.

"My Mom would get suspicious if I just conjured an expensive looking suit from no where. I at least need to buy one, get the receipt, return the tux and get my money back. Then conjure one. Or at least rent one. Then I have proof, I lose no money, and my Mom's none the wiser. Not to mention I might not be talented enough to conjure a tux with my exact size." Caleb raised a brow.

"I'm impressed. You actually thought that all out?"

"You know, I do have a modicum of intelligence."

"Marginally." Caleb stared at himself in the mirror.

"But screw the bow-tie. If I'm going, it's with a real tie."

"Ah, come on. You don't want one a these neon blue and purple polka dot ones? I think they'd be a winning match for your red complexion!" Caleb threw his hand out and set the bow tie on fire.

"Ow! Jerk! You're gonna pay for that!"

"What are you going to do? Bleed on me?"

"No, I mean you're actually going to pay for that!"

"Sure. Why not? Not like I don't burn things on a regular basis."

Actually Asking Kody To Formal:

"Okay, is she gone?"

Caleb looked at Nekoda's front door, while simultaneously shielding them from her line of vision/power as she walked down the street.

"Yeah, she just left." They hightailed it to the front door, slipping inside before she could look around.

"Okay. Now will you tell me what we're doing?" Nick screwed up his face.

"You're going to laugh. So no. Just keep an eye out." Nick bee-lined for Kody's bedroom. After about 20 minutes, Caleb got fed up and went to go find out what was taking him so long.

Caleb pulled up short at the door in shock.

On the ground, Nick had set different flavors of chocolate Hershey Kisses on the floor in a trail from the door to the bed, and on the bed was a cute, stuffed Demon plushie (With little stubby horns) holding a paper that said:

"Now that I've kissed the ground you walk on, will you go to Formal with me? -Nick"

"Ooh, my Gods. You are such a sap. I don't know why you're blaming all of this on your Mom, because you are just-"

"OUT! Out! Did I say you could come in here?! No, No I did not. MUSH! AVAST!"

Finding Caleb A Date:

"Simi, no."

"No, no, no. The Simi don't like that word. That's not what the Daeva says. What Malphas say is "Yes, Simi, I would love to take you to Formal. Here, let me buy you one of them tasty flowers the Simi always sees on T.V that them pretty young woman wear and take you out to eat with the Simi's friends Akri-Nick and Akra-Kody so that we can all have fun together!"

Caleb backed up over his couch as the insistent Female Charonte followed him.

"May I remind you that your father would kill me? No, he wouldn't just kill me. He'd torture me first. Then he'd laugh hysterically while I screamed in pain because I dare take you out anywhere, even as friends."

"What Akri don't know won't hurt him."

Caleb paled and looked for an escape.

"Aeron, Nashira, get the hell out of my way!"

Aeron pressed his lips together and shook his head, doing his best not to laugh.

"Methinks you should court the lass for a night. She even came here to properly ask."

And Simi had. Apparently, she had questioned either the Peltiers or Nick for pointers, because she carried a large, Overly-fluffy bear with demon horns attached carrying some BBQ Sauce in it's hands.

"Simi, look. I can't go out with you. We both know that would be a horribly bad idea across all boards." Simi's wings drooped in disappointment.

She started sniffling.

OH, CRAP!

"Then again, living dangerously is basically my past time. Who wants to live forever?" Simi perked up immediately and threw hers arms around him.

"YEEEAAAHH! THE SIMI GONNA GETS SOME EATS AND DANCIN'!"

I am so screwed...

Caleb whimpered.

Getting Flowers:

"Uh, what color is your dress again?"

"Shouldn't you have asked me that question BEFORE you got your tux?"

"It's alright, the shirt I'm wearing is just plain white."

"The color is amethyst purple."

Nick looked at the rows of the different shades of purple corsages.

"Um...Can I look at the dress?"

"Nope! Not until the dance! :D."

Well then. Right. Soo...

"Light purple, or Dark purple?"

"Light."

"Excellent." Breathing a sigh of relief, Nick choose a corsage that he hoped looked close to a light purple/amethyst color.

He really should have brought his Mom for this...

Dinner Reservations:

"Wait, what do you mean you're full? Look, I just want a party of four, and I'm wiling to pay top dollar-"

"Ooo, ooo! The Simi can help pay!" Simi pulled her Black American Express Card and waved it in the air, watching as Dagon and Aeron pummel each other via video games.

"-So put me on the list-" Caleb should have never agreed with Nick to get them the stupid dinner reservations. Forget this shit. Caleb was-

"Hellooo? Mr. or Mrs. table people? My name's Simi Parthenopeous, and the Simi wants her table. You makin' Malphas get all frustrated and bloaty, and he such a handsome demon when he not yelling or you makin' his face red. I needs Malphas to be a handsome demon, and that means you gonna needs to give us the table, or I'm gonna go call Akri and tell him you didn't give the Simi what she wanted."

"Simi Parthenopeous? Who's-" Some voice in the background answered the guy manning the phone. "Oh, Dear! I'm so sorry, Ma'am! I didn't realize it was your boyfriend-"

Caleb smacked his face, bemoaning his approaching death. He'd leave the house to Nick in his will. Nick would be left to Kody. Aeron, Nashira and Dagon could all go to the highest bidder.

"-who was trying to reserve a table! No reservations necessary, just walk in and we'll have a table ready!" At the side of his mouth, the guy manning the voice whispered. "Why didn't anyone tell me she's free to walk in?!"

Simi hung up the phone with a click.

"Now the Simi can go gets her eats! Whoo-Pee!"

Caleb stared at the phone.

"I've been arguing with them for an hour! Why didn't you do that earlier?!" Simi shrugged.

"The Simi finely gots tired of it."

Going to the Dance:

Nick couldn't help it. When Caleb had called him and morbidly told him he had found a date, Nick had thought his tone of voice was from his lack of desire to go. Not that Simi had basically forced him to.

So yeah, Nick laughed hysterically at Simi, who was dragging the poor demon down the street and through the restaurant lobby despite the fact she only wore a form-fitting red dress with black roses and high heels, foregoing her normally black goth attire for the night. She aimed right for their table.

Kody laughed at Caleb's hopeless look.

"Come on, Cay! Lighten up! Tonight's a night to be enjoyed!" Caleb shook his head.

"If I don't die from this, it's going to be a miracle."

"WAITER! THE SIMI WANTS HER MENU!"

-At the Dance-

Nick tapped his fingers nervously on the table before finally standing up. Caleb was over by the punch table- typical wall flower, while Simi chatted with La Shonda, her boyfriend, Brynna, and Byrnna's date.

Which happened to be Xev.

How that came about when Xev never left the house and to his knowledge had never met Brynna, Nick had no clue. The ex-god hadn't even told him he would be attending.

But Nick was sure it had something to do with Aeron and Nashira patrolling outside of the dance building. After the Halloween stint-with Dagon constantly having to avoiding the Were-hunters lest they kill him-the old Akkadian God had opted out for this event.

Not that Nick blamed him, but he really didn't need to be distracted by those bits of information right now.

Nick held out his hand to Kody as they called for couples to go to the dance floor. His face blushed red.

"Um...would you like to...dance?" His voice got quieter with every word. Geez, how hard can this be? He already asked her here for Christs' sake! And this was Kody, his girlfriend! She wouldn't laugh at him!

...Right?

She looked up at him in surprise before smiling wide.

"Sure! I'd love that!" They walked out the dance floor, and Nick did his best to remember all the details Kyrian, Ash, and Rosa taught him, before he remembered that as long as he relaxed, everything would be fine and he would turn into a dancing boss. Which is exactly what happened.

The couple spun around the floor, going with whatever tempo was present, laughing and having fun.

"CALEB! YOU SHOULD JOIN US!" yelled Nick, to where Caleb leaned against the wall by the Punch table.

"Umm, NO. You see, I'm rather fond of the punch here, and I need to guard it from-" Simi grabbed his arm and pulled him to the dance floor.

"Come'on Malphas! Lettuce dance! The only thing ick rabbit food good for-Puns!"

"Wait, Hold on-" Too late, the Charonte was spinning him around the floor way past the tempo, doing her own thing and not giving a damn.

Byrnna tugged on Xev's Sleeve.

"Do you want to dance?" Xev smiled softly at the girl. For whatever reason, Aeron had dragged him over to Nick's school, insisting he needed to join society. As if the hulking Celt wasn't doing the bare minimum of healthy human interaction himself. Regardless, Brynna had graciously offered to be his date for the evening since hers had canceled last minute.

"It would be my pleasure."

-Outside the Building, on the Roof.-

Aeron looked down through a sky light to see everyone dancing, before turning and to look at Nashira.

"No, Aeron."

He continued to stare at her.

"Celts were known for their dancing."

"I'm pretty sure Celts were known for a lot more than that." Aeron shrugged.

"Aye, but since everyone else is dancing, why not take some share of the fun?" Nashira thought about it.

"Oh, what the hell? Thousands of years in a book, why not do something ridiculous?"

...So basically, Simi had me dancing for nearly every song after that point. Worse, she refused to keep to the tempo or beat, saying she had a song stuck in her head that she wanted to dance to more, and that I was going to dance with her. Period. End of discussion. We looked like two lunatics on the dance floor, and Nick- that son a bitch- wouldn't stop laughing. Kody didn't help matters by telling Simi she was doing great.

Traitors, the lot of them.

And why the hell was Xev there? I saw him with Brynna! How the hell did that happen? At least Aeron and Nashira kept to the roof. Gods forbid I see them more places than at home.

Dagon, the lucky bastard, had the house to himself for the entire night. Definitely the smartest one in the group.

Gah, my head hurts. Hell, my feet hurt.

-Caleb Malphas

Caleb yawned and loosened his tie, to tired to even toss his journal back on the bed-side table. He fell asleep then and there, with the book still open and picture of him, Nick, Simi, Kody, Xev, and Byrnna from Winter Formal lodged inside.

-A few days after the dance-

Cherise Gautier came home to her apartment from work with the couch and side tables pushed up against the wall, with Nick actually vacuuming the carpet.

"Boo? Are you alright?! What did you do with the furniture?" Nick looked up from his work and started putting the vacuum away.

"Oh, yeah! I was just making some room!" Cherise put her keys on the table and frowned.

"Room? For what?" Nick turned on the CD player he had borrowed from Kyrian.

"Wanted to dance with you! Kyrian, Ash, and Rosa taught me how, so I figured I'd show you what I learned!"

Cherise blinked for a few seconds as she realized what her son was asking. She giggled.

"Of course I want to dance with my Baby Boo! But I might step on your toes!"

And thus they danced, laughing and enjoying the music.

Author's Note:

I might have skipped a few steps on how exactly to go about planning for a dance, let alone Winter Formal- like paying for a Limo, getting the proper Identification forms from invited students who don't attend your school and the like. But seriously, going to either Winter Formal or Prom is a serious business, especially depending on what US state you live in and what County/City School District you're under. As for the dancing...I had to look most of it up. I do not know how to waltz. But I think the idea got across.

And the the idea Nick used to ask Kody to formal was something my older brother did for his at-the-time-girlfriend. I thought it was cool, so I used it. I'm not sure I made this chapter as funny as the others, but that's okay. I loved writing it! -RS

P.S Also, class is starting soon, so I'm not sure how fast I'll be able to update. But I. AM. GOING. TO. If it's the last thing I do...

P.S.S Point out Spelling mistakes and Review! Please?