Quidditch League, Round 12 - Wigtown Wanderers - CAPTAIN: You don't know who your soulmate is until you touch them.
You're shaking my life up
Ted/Lucius
Stripper!AU. Clearly not canon compliant. Unless Lucius becomes a stripper in canon.
Warning: Lucius strips down to his pants. Dunno if it needs a warning, but here.
Ted has never been to a strip club before, but when you've been divorced for two years, sometimes you've gotta move on with life and stop moping away. That's what his friend, Frank, often tells him. He reminds Ted that his soulmate is still out there, somewhere, and he'll never meet them if he only ever goes to work and his house and very few places else.
He'd argue, but Kingsley fully agrees with the statement, and they've just ganged up on him. Again. But this time they're promising something different. And that's how they've ended up in a strip club with men winding themselves around the poles, their muscles oiled up so much, Ted isn't sure how they're not falling all over the floor. It just looks too slippery, and whilst Ted admires their muscular torsos, the oil isn't really his thing.
"We could get you a lap dance?" Kingsley says, leaning back in his seat and admiring the other men casually.
"No, that'll be fine," Ted says, but the other men share a glance and Ted's heart sinks. They've already paid for one for him, he just knows. "Which one?" he asks, with a sigh.
"That's for you to decide," Frank offers. "We've put the money down but haven't picked the bloke yet. Tell us who you like, and we'll go add that to the order."
Ted can only nod his head. His friends mean well, it's just that these guys aren't really his type. Plus, he's not really going to find his soulmate in a strip club of all places.
The change in mood is so sudden, it throws Ted through a loop. He's not sure what is happening, but people start clapping away in time with the current music. Kingsley and Frank join in, enjoying the evening.
"Do you think I'm going to come out on the stage when you're clapping at me as though I am a common penguin at the zoo?" The man speaking sounds so offended at the clapping, that Ted can barely contain his smile. His voice carries through the room.
The clapping stops and there's a loud sigh, and that's when the music changes. Ted straightens up as Billy Idol starts to play, because all of the other songs have been very much 'stripping songs' or what he imagines stripping songs to be, after all he's not an expert.
But Billy Idol is interesting, and his attention is peeked. He likes this song, 'Dancing With Myself'. It's an excellent song, and he quietly sings away as the words start.
The man strides out, and Ted's lips curve into a grin. His suit is white, and feathers trail up the back very much like a peacock. He's graceful as he moves, like a dancer, or a ballerina. He's almost at the pole and his last step is a slight leap. Before he hits the floor, his hand grabs the pole, and his leg wraps around it, and he swings with the pole at his side. He makes it look so easy, moving more gracefully than Ted has ever seen in his life.
Ted tries to get a look at his face, but there's a mask covering it. He realises this man looks like a peacock in his outfit.
Ted can't take his eyes off him. He can't look away. He's captivated by the stranger, the long blond tresses of hair falling as the man owns the stage. Then the man's eyes meet his, and they're a steely grey, and he inspects Ted. It only lasts a moment, but Ted has to know his name.
The man pulls off, taking his time. People chant at him to strip, and he tries to silence them with a haughty glare, which works on about half of the people. The shirt gets thrown off to the side, and the trousers are next to go. The man—now in his designer boxers—moves back to the pole again.
People are kicking up a storm to get him to remove his underwear. He accuses them all of being too thirsty, and his unimpressed tone has Ted completely under his spell.
But finally, the man sighs. "If I must," he concedes. "If it will calm you all down, I shall strip." And with that, the boxers are gone and there's almost nothing covering him, except for the smallest pants with peacock print on them.
"More," people call.
"You've seen enough. You can stack my tips in a tidy pile, I will not crawl across the stage like a beggar to collect them," the man tells them as the song draws to a close. Ted is shocked to see that everyone listens.
Another stripper comes out to collect them up for the blond peacock stripper, and hands them over, receiving an annoyed look in response.
He can't take his eyes off the man. He's only ever had eyes for Andromeda, and this is the first time he's been properly attracted to anyone else.
"No, I will not give him a lap-dance," Lucius says, as he walks past one of the rooms. The man looks like he hasn't bathed in a week, and Lucius isn't going to pretend like he wants to dance for this man. "I would rather put out a campfire with my face. You will find someone else for him."
"But, Lucius," Peter says, pleadingly, and Lucius narrows his eyes at his boss.
"I will leave," he threatens, lowering his voice. "They all come here for me, and me alone. Without me, your club is doomed. I suggest you find someone without a sense of smell, because this man could do with a bath."
"Okay, there's another guy," Peter says. "Look, his friends say that he's been moping a bit since a divorce a couple of years ago. Can you be nice?" Peter hesitates. "He looks cleaner, if that helps." He points to three men talking outside of another room. "The one in yellow."
Lucius looks him over. The man looks too nice to be there, and there's something sweet about his smile. He's handsome, Lucius will give him that, and he's dressed well, even if his clothes aren't designer. Not everyone can have impeccable taste like Lucius does.
"I'll take the full fee," Lucius decides.
"Look, I can't—"
"We agreed that I wouldn't have to do these menial, hokey tasks. I am willing to do one dance out of the kindness of my heart, but I would imagine that you aren't attempting to break contract with me, are you? I don't have to get a lawyer involved, do I?"
Peter pales. "Not at all. We can discuss this all tomorrow. You have a good evening, I'll have the money waiting for you when you leave."
"Am I needed for anything else?" Lucius asks.
Peter shakes his head. "Just this dance, and then you're welcome to go."
Lucius nods his head. He's tired of this. Dancing for money is beneath him, but he has a sex appeal and confidence that people love. They like being insulted and bossed around. Perhaps he does take a thrill from the way strangers worship him, but once he can afford to, he's going to find another job. One where he can keep his clothes on. Maybe then he can start looking for his soulmate. He will never find that person here, because these people are all beneath him.
He strides over to the group. He does recognise this man. This is the man that caught his eye when he was on stage. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Peter grab one of the other strippers for the private dance, and is again shocked that Peter would ever think he'd strip for someone like that.
"You. Go and sit in the chair. If you feel me up, I will punish you, and it won't be in a way you enjoy." He points at the room and the stranger moves quickly, his friends giving him a thumbs-up. Lucius glares at them both until they head back towards the bar.
This is a private show.
He heads to the corner and selects his playlist. The other songs are so tacky and cheap. It's hard to find good music to strip to. But this man isn't as much beneath him as the usual riff-raff that frequent the place. In fact, he looks very out of place here.
He has to settle on Billy Idol, though it's not as much his tastes, but it's the most suitable he can find that he'll tolerate.
Rebel Yell starts up.
"Keep your grubby fingers to yourself," he says, though this man has very nice hands. "You may admire me as much as you like, but only with your eyes." And with that, he approaches, the music spurring him on as his body moves.
"I'm Ted," the man says, his gaze darting over Lucius.
A horribly common name. Lucius says nothing. Dances with him are expensive, and the guy is clearly caught up in Lucius' perfection and may return. Perhaps Lucius will grant him the privilege of another dance when he returns, unless Lucius has gotten his shit together and gotten a better job.
Ted behaves. His fingers clench into the ugly teal-coloured chair, but his breathing is erratic, and Lucius loves this. Ted has nice eyes, and he looks quite sweet actually, but too soon the music draws to a close, and for the first time, Lucius is a little disappointed. Ted looks crestfallen.
"Thank you," Ted murmurs quietly, and he moves to stand, but lingers. Lucius should tell him to leave now, but he kind of doesn't want to be alone. He liked dancing for Ted. He likes Ted's dopey smile, and wouldn't hate having him stay around for another ten minutes.
"Is it your birthday, or are you celebrating?" he asks, wondering if Peter gave him a reason why Ted was here. He rarely listens to Peter, because Peter bores him.
"Oh. I was married, got divorced, and threw myself into work for two years. My friends wanted to get me back into the dating world, and somehow they think that a strip club is the place for that."
Lucius isn't impressed. Does Ted think himself above Lucius? Like a stripper is unworthy to date?
"I'll have you know that I am very eligible to date," Lucius snaps. "I don't like what you're trying to insinuate."
"Oh, I didn't… I didn't mean to offend. I… I just meant that it's not like a club, and…"
"Tomorrow at eight," Lucius adds, crossing his arms. "Write your number down and I'll text you my address. If you're late, do not bother showing up. My time is valuable."
"You want to… to go on a date with me?" Ted is shocked at this. "Yeah. I… here." He fumbles for paper, finding an old receipt. Lucius provides a pen and Ted scribbles his number down. "Call me, or text. Whatever you want. I'm free tomorrow. I have a car. I drive, I'll pick you up."
He turns to leave, and Lucius can't help himself.
"Some people have little choice when it comes to work. If I had a choice, I'd be elsewhere."
"I'm not judging," Ted says softly. "It's not my place to do so."
Lucius nods briskly and walks to the door, Ted at his side, and they reach for the handle at the same time, their fingers brushing.
And that's when he feels it.
Lucius has only read about soulmate bonds. From the family he grew up in, people didn't choose their partners based on soulmates. It was all about connections. Marrying the right families. It was a business transaction. He himself was to marry a woman of his father's choosing, but then everything went upside-down and here he is, a stripper of all things.
But the warmth spreads from his fingers throughout his body, leaving him feeling breathless, and Ted feels it too, because his eyes widen. After a moment of them staring at each other in shock, Ted reaches out, his hand stopping inches from Lucius' face, and he pauses, waiting for permission to remove the mask.
Lucius nods. He's lost now. Always so confident, he's never considered this situation and is unsure how to proceed. This may change everything. Or Ted might walk away from him, ashamed that his soulmate is a stripper. He hides behind this disguise, not a single person here (except Peter and the other strippers) ever getting to see the man underneath. This is new for him.
"How about we go to dinner now?" Ted says instead, as he lifts the mask from Lucius' eyes.
"I'd like that," Lucius admits softly. "If you're still interested…"
"I am," Ted admits. "Very much so, and I don't want to wait until tomorrow to know everything about you. I'll wait around if you want to get ready. I'll be out front." His gaze moves over Lucius' revealed face before he leaves the room, and Lucius feels panicked.
What if Ted is saying this so he can leave? Lucius rushes to get ready, almost forgetting to grab the money from Peter on his way, but finally he's in his designer jeans and shirt, with a waistcoat over the top. His long hair is pulled back with a ribbon, and he hopes that Ted appreciates how he looks. He steps out of the building just in time to see Ted's two friends getting into a cab.
Lucius watches from the doorway for a long moment, until it's clear to him that Ted has no intention of leaving without him, before striding over.
Ted's gaze moves over him and he still looks interested. Lucius relaxes a little.
"There's a place around the corner that does good food, and the wine is… suitable," he says, and Ted grins, approaching. Ted takes Lucius' hand in his, and Lucius shifts closer.
"Glad I found you," Ted admits, and it's quite endearing that Ted is so shy. "I've only ever been attracted to my ex-wife before. I never thought I'd feel something for someone else… well, until I laid eyes on you, that is."
"I'm good at what I do," Lucius replies, but Ted shakes his head.
"I mean, it's hot. But it wasn't the stripping which caught my attention. It was everything else. Made me want to know you, and I'm glad now that my friends got me that dance, because now I've found out who you are. I'm very happy."
Lucius smiles. Probably for the first time that night. Or in a long time actually. He moves a little closer. "I'm happy too," he admits, though it's quiet in case anyone else is listening. He leans up, and he lets his lips brush Ted's lips, and Ted tries to follow as Lucius pulls away.
"So… do I get to know your name now?" Ted checks.
"Lucius," he replies, reeling ever so slightly from the kiss. He felt something in that which he's never felt before and wants to know more. Suddenly this evening is the most important thing to him, and he takes a moment to look Ted over once more. This is his soulmate. Lucius will have to help him buy better clothes. "Dinner?"
Ted nods, heading to the driver's seat of the car. Lucius relaxes into the soft seat and allows the warmth to settle in. He contemplates the sudden change. He has a soulmate now, and his soulmate wants him.
It's not how he envisioned his life a year ago, but he's not going to complain (just this once).
2602 words :)
Also written for:
Hogwarts - Assignment 2 - Oceanography - Task #4 - Red Sea Whip: Write about someone longing to be free (of someone, something, etc).
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Showtime - 15. I Love You Like a Table - (color) White
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Elizabeth's Empire - 1. Chameleon: (word) disguise
Angel's Archive - 6. Teal
Amber's Anime - 8. (object) waistcoat
They Said What? 28. [The Challenge] "I'd rather put a campfire out with my face." - Johnny Bananas
Lyric Alley - 16. Hold my head up high
Artist Appreciation - 23. Put A Little Love On Me: Prompt - (action) dancing
Revolution Evolution - Writing 7. Stripper!AU
Buttons - Word: crestfallen
Fight Club - Heal: (Word) Hokey