(A/N)- Thiiiiiiis is what happens when I listen to to many Taylor Swift songs I guess. Inspiration goes partly to that, partly to Disney's Enchanted, partly to one the dates I had with my BF, and partly to the Scarborough Faire. And a lot of blame can also be placed on the fact that I'm a complete romantic sap and sucker for this kind of thing. You have been warned.
Disclaimer: Romeo take me somewhere we can be alo-huh? Oh right, disclaimer. Sorry, I was distracted with the song that's probably going to be stuck in my head now. Ahem! I do not own the Teen Titans.
Fairytale
Hot Spot led his girlfriend by the arm gently, careful to direct her around every obstacle in her path and warn her whenever she needed to step up or step down. Her eyes were shut, as he had directed her, and her expression was a bit flustered. He caught one of her eyelids cracking open.
"No peeking!" he scolded.
She clamped it shut again, a frown appearing on her face. "Will you please tell me where it is we're going?" she begged wearily.
"Nope!" he told her. He guided her around a parking meter, holding her elbow and patting her shoulder reassuringly. "It's a surprise." He led her down off the curb and back up onto another sidewalk.
"I abhor surprises…" she grumbled under her breath.
Hot Spot just smiled at her, looking ahead down the street to their destination. He brought Argent to a stop once they reached it.
"Okay," he said, "now you can open your eyes."
She did so, blinking a little bit to adjust to the dim light of the evening. When her eyes focused they lit upon the stand-up sign outside the hotel's door.
"'Dark Ages Society Ball'?" she read. Her gaze slid over to Hot Spot in confusion.
"You'll see." he said, taking her hand and pushing open the door for her. She followed him into the entryway and just before they got to lobby she gasped.
The wide hall had been cleared of most of its furniture, replaced instead by a few cushioned chairs around the edges, gleaming golden candelabras blazing with white candles, and, most unusually, a raised dais at the far end with two thrones on it. Seated on them was a fur and jewel-bedecked couple, wearing silver crowns, and swirling around the floor were dozens of couples in period dress, skirts swishing, light laughter drifting up from them. The lilting tune of a string band floated in from a corner.
Argent took it all in, her eyes wide, and made a sound like pure delight. She cupped a hand over her mouth in awe, watching the elegant dancers circle around the room.
"Wh-where… how did you find this?" she asked, turning to her boyfriend.
He stuck a hand in his pocket and said simply, "The internet can be a very helpful place."
She laughed happily, looking at the dancers again.
Hot Spot found what he was looking for and drew his hand out of his pocket again. "Here." he said, holding two paper tickets out to her. "These are the coupons for our costume rentals." he told her.
She stared at the tickets, taking hers slowly, as though in a dream. She looked at it a long moment, and then lifted her eyes to him.
"What?" he said, a little weirded out by her silence.
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Hot Spot grunted a bit as her sudden full weight on him tilted him off balance but soon regained his footing and relaxed into her affections. Argent pulled back with an excited squeal.
"Oh I take back every single mean thing I ever said to you!" she declared.
He rolled his eyes. "No you don't."
Ignoring him, she took her ticket and trotted over to the attendant in charge of costume rentals, who curtsied respectfully and escorted her to the ladies' changing room.
-TT-
A few moments later, Hot Spot emerged from his side of the dressing rooms, adjusting his tunic, and found Argent waiting for him. He let out a low whistle. His girlfriend was clad now in a soft lilac and blue frock, with sleeves that flared out from the elbow and a pinkish silk underskirt embroidered through with silver thread in intricate leafy designs. Her hands ran down the elegant material lightly, admiring it.
"Well?" prompted Hot Spot as he came up to her, sensing she had something to say.
She met his gaze, eyes gleaming. "I feel like a princess." she told him, soft smile on her lips.
"That's because you are one dummy." he teased, nudging her cheek with his fist playfully.
She stepped away from him and put her hands on her hips. "What's that make you then?" she challenged.
"I dunno. Your knight in shining armor?"
She threw a look at the ceiling. "Oh hardly! A gentleman such as that would never be so uncouth to his lady."
"I am not 'uncouth'!" he protested. "What does that even mean?"
Argent giggled and took his hand. "Never mind love. You can consider you'self my knight if you so choose." Pulling him towards the dance floor she added, "Your lady is a Lady of War though, I'll have you know."
He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "That's cool. I wouldn't want her any other way." he assured her.
-TT-
The couple rotated leisurely in slow circles, in no rush and feeling no need to keep up with the other, more experienced ballroom dancers in the room. Argent's skirt billowed out every time Hot Spot spun her, and since it tickled her so much he did it often.
At a lull in-between songs, the two slipped off to the hallways with the merchandise booths, which were selling all sorts of medieval and Renaissance era items. Articles of clothing, shoes, instruments, pewter figures, soaps and ointments, weapons, and jewelry were all available for purchase to raise money for the organization hosting the ball. Argent all but dragged her date along behind her as she touched and tried everything.
At a jewelry table she became quite besotted with the crystal necklaces and begged Hot Spot to buy her one. The pyro grimaced when he looked at the price.
"It's uh… a bit hefty, even for you Argent."
She crossed her arms. "If you could afford to get us tickets to this thing in the first place I highly doubt a little necklace is going to be much worse."
Well she had him there. That was certainly true enough. He still tried his hardest to dissuade the girl. She pouted, and then abruptly raised her voice.
"Fiend! Thou thieverous knave!" she spouted dramatically, jabbing her finger into his chest. "Hast thou not chivalry enough in thy body to purchase a paltry little trinket for thine lady?"
He stared at her a long, long moment after her outburst.
"…I think you're getting a liiiitle too into this Argent." he said finally.
She ducked her head, a slight blush on her cheeks. "This is the most fun I've had in ages. Can you really blame me?" she asked him.
He sighed. "I guess not."
He bought her the necklace.
They returned to the dance floor shortly after, and spent the rest of their evening there. Argent was positively giddy the whole time, especially when-after starting to complain of aching feet and needed a brief rest-Hot Spot picked her up, sweeping her off her feet quite literally and taking her over to one of the chairs, to sit while he gave her a foot rub. He warmed his hands up with his powers a smidge for her, which was very nice.
She hummed in contentment.
Hot Spot finished up and plopped himself into the chair next to hers. He slipped a hand into hers. "So…" he said hesitantly. "Was tonight okay?"
Argent squeezed his hand.
"You're a darling." she told him.
"Well, I try." he shrugged.
"Tonight was… wonderful." she continued, a sparkle in her crimson eyes. "I dare say even a bit magical."
He patted her hand affectionately. "Good. I'm glad." He looked off towards the dancers. "I thought it would be a nice shake-up from our usual kind of dates."
She chuckled. "Definitely a shake-up. I'm going to be talking about this night for months." She sent him one of her biggest grins. "Best date ever."
He leaned in and nibbled at her ear. "We'll see about that." he whispered.
She smacked at him until he maintained his distance, laughing. When her humor died down, the music drifted in to catch both their attentions. The tune the band was currently playing, surprisingly, was not a period piece but a string arrangement of a popular love song.
The silver-skinned girl smirked. "That's strangely appropriate."
Nudging her, Hot Spot said, "What do you say? One more dance?"
She nodded. "One more."
Argent slipped her shoes back on, let the pyro help her to her feet, and then the two rejoined the swirling ebb and flow of the dancers.