TIMELINE: Post-canon; pre-relationship. This is also a continuation to "Sorry I'm late".

"Can I have this dance?"

All good things will eventually come to an end.

As much as Parad would like for the day out with Emu to last forever, he knows that'd be both unreasonable and impossible. Oh, well...at least they'll finish their game massacre off with a boom.

Dance Dance Revolution style.

The pop music is loud and booming in the arcade, with people crowding around the machine like a mob. Smirking, he looks at the crowd as they wait in anticipation for him and Emu to step onto the game. It takes him back to years ago when he and Emu were Genius Gamer M, and being surrounded by crowds of people cheering and screaming for them like they are now.

Emu is the first one to step onto the platform, token already between his fingers before he raises his head and their eyes meet. The doctor inclines his head to the game with a challenging smirk.

"Can I have this dance?" Emu asks, eyes bright with excitement.

Returning the smirk with his own, Parad steps onto the platform and readies a token for Player 2. "But of course."

Tokens in, they stand at ready as the din in the arcade gets louder.

Emu rolls his shoulders before he drawls out. "Ready to eat dust?"

"Ready to be left in it?" Parad retorts, cracking his knuckles.

The song starts and they move.

As soon as his feet hit the floor, he's off, letting muscle memory take over. Hop, step, jump! His hands grip tightly at the metal bar behind him, driving his heels into the ground faster than he can think.

At a break in the music, Parad glances at the second screen, finding Emu at the same exact combo. A quick glance to the side and their eyes meet with identical feral grins. Neither he nor Emu ever miss one single arrow, and when a Freeze arrow gets on the screen, he stops and looks beside him to where Emu is frozen as well, chest heaving with his breathing after the insane combo they both scored.

His profile is highlighted by the dark red and purple of the machine, and there is something...otherworldly about him in perfect stillness. Sensing eyes on him, Emu turns his head and the grin on his face softens to something that Parad is starting to realise is especially for him.

And Parad can do nothing but smile back at the human who is his home.

Then the tail of the arrow hits the Step Zone and the moment is gone as they move to the beat. But considering how competitive they are, it's not exactly easy to determine a winner in a simple 'Versus' mode, so once they reach a stalemate, they switch to 'Battle'.

And, oh, how things take a turn. Parad has to wonder how those from the hospital would react if they can see how good Emu is in playing dirty just like Parad. It excites him that Emu never holds back on him as he throws modifiers his way, quickly picking up on the ones more likely to throw Parad out of his game.

Too can play it that way!

How thrilling that he never has to hold back against Emu either as the human matches him move to move; predicting and countering Parad with a grin on his face.

Minutes turn into an hour, and their scores are still the same. Parad observes his best friend and sees his movements are still clean and rhythmic; likely the result from countless battles as Ex-Aid. As he does a spin, Parad feels a tinge of delight when he spies the pure, absolute joy on his best friend's face.

Their troubled past and animosity made Parad think that he'd never be allowed to see that kind of expression on Emu's face. The fact that he can though makes him feel incredibly humbled.

Once they clear 'Battle Mode', Parad stares at their scores that beat every single past high scores within the list by a mile with a smug smirk. Although, if they battle it out anymore than this, they might end up breaking the machine.

To his left, Emu leans against the bar behind him with a happy sigh. "Evenly match as always."

"Yup." Parad blinks when Emu reaches up to push Parad's sweaty curls away from his eyes. Leaning into the touch, Parad smiles when Emu's fingers linger at his jaw. "Wanna end it with a co-op?"

"Wouldn't want it in any other way," Emu says, grin lighting up his face.

At this point, the noise level within the arcade rises; almost to a deafening height as he and Emu get ready for their curtain call.

The beat comes in and the machine never had a freakin' chance.

Synchronising their movements together has always been laughably easy even when they were enemies. In fact, trying not to mirror each other is kinda like going against a waterfall; difficult and unnatural.

They jump and spin, colliding and coming together to bring out perfect combos; losing themselves to the beat. The sensation almost feels like how whenever he and Emu merge; not knowing nor even caring where they end or begin. It's the sort of synergy that Parad revels in as he burrows within the comfort, safety and freedom of home.

The song builds up to the climax, and all thoughts vanish; moving as one.

The arrows speed up, and both of them are practically flying. Their feet are blurs on the pads as they both let go of their tight grip on the railings behind their backs to meet each other in the middle so they can perform their finisher.

Hands clasped between them as their feet go through the motions for a moment before Parad wheels them around, switching their places on the surfaces— Emu's face lighting up in wonder as they move.

The crowd goes wild.

Parad shifts to have Emu flip over his back and land on the other pad perfectly. It's almost too easy, dancing with Emu as they fall into a routine that seems like it's choreographed, hands still linked as they perform more and more complicated passes, jumping over each other and flowing through the motions. The music thumps in their bodies as they dance with wild abandon.

Emu flips over to land in a split on the other side of the platform as Parad follows by dropping down to slide between his legs on the upswing, trading places again. And sure, Parad has a feeling they may look silly, but to hell with that when they're having a damn good time!

Beyond the music and the roaring crowd, one sound drowns out all the rest.

Emu is laughing.

And it's not a modest chuckle or a stifled laugh. Emu is laughing, bright and happy and clear; the sound bursting from the doctor without restraint. The lights glitter on Emu's hair, his face lighting up with every movement, every breath. And Parad takes a moment to burn that image in his mind as his heart thumps in his ribcage at the aching joy that he feels.

Heart full, Parad lets his own laughter join in with Emu's and hopes; fervently prays that such happiness will never be a stranger to Emu ever again— that his smile will forever come from a place of having a life lived full.

PERFECT!

A maniacal grin spreads across his face when Parad catches the score as he and Emu hit the panels for the final notes— a triple S; the highest points on the game.

He and Emu really are invincible together.

As the song comes to an end, the two of them stand in tableaux with one of his hands gripping the back of Emu's neck while Emu has a hand buried in Parad's hair. Their free arms are wrapped around each other's waists, pulling their fronts flushed against each other as their legs tangle to hit those last notes.

And they're left staring at each other with identical bright smiles on their lips; faces mere inches from one another as they breathe the same air.

They're so close and their bond thrums between them; beating in time with their hearts. It's like the rest of the world has ceased to exist, like all there is left is Parad and Emu. He thinks he could be content like this for the rest of his life; together with the person who shares his heart and soul— his very home.

"Game clear," they murmur with their sweaty foreheads pressed close— close enough that their lips are almost touching as they share a laugh.

As he thought, only Emu can make his heart dance this way.