Honestly, there were SO many possible titles for this chapter. I eventually settled on a "The King And I" reference. But, if you want the full playlist that inspired this chapter:
"Beauty and the Beast" (doi!)
"So Close" from "Enchanted"
"Can I Have This Dance?" from "High School Musical 3"
"It Only Happens When I Dance With You"
"Are We Dancing?" from "The Happiest Millionaire"
"Learn To Do It (Reprise)" from "Anastasia" (oh, ESPECIALLY this one!)

Due to this being a T-rated fic, I'll leave the beginning of this chapter open to interpretation...

"So, what do you think of the Knife-O-Matic?" Flug asked, pressing the red button to make a series of sharp knives retract into the metal box in his hand.

Black Hat and Lita stood a few feet away. He was smiling sadistically while she was trying in vain to wipe the blood stains out of her gray coat.

"Well, uh," she said, gulping down the vomit in her throat, "that thing certainly takes a…slice out of life, doesn't it?"

"Ooh, we could use that for a slogan!" Black Hat exclaimed, pointing to Flug. "Write that down!"

Flug picked up his clipboard and pencil.

"Now if only you could invent something that could get these blood stains out," Lita said, her arms flopping to her sides in defeat.

"How do you think I manage to keep my lab coats this white all the time?" the scientist replied with a wink.

"When you're done with all that," Black Hat said, slinking towards the airlock door, "I want you both in my office to discuss the ball preparations."

"What ball?" Lita asked.

"I'll explain later," the demon said, pressing the button to open the door. "Good job on the Knife-O-Matic, Flug."

"Thank you, sir." After taking a moment to process, Flug looked up from his clipboard, breaking the tip of his pencil. "Wait, what'd you say?"

Without looking at him, Black Hat said, "My office. Five minutes."

The door shut behind the demon, leaving Flug utterly flabbergasted.

"Either I'm dreaming," he said, "or the inter-dimensional portal malfunctioned again and replaced our Black Hat with another version of him from a parallel universe."

"What are you talking about?" Lita asked, taking off her jacket.

He looked at her blankly. "He just said I did a…a…a good job!"

"So?" She shrugged. "You did do a good job."

"Yeah, but he's never said anything like that to my face!"

Snorting, Lita playfully poked his paper bag. "He still didn't say it to your face."

"Point is," Flug said, gently pushing her hand away, "I never hear praise from him. Ever."

"Really?" She tapped her chin. "Cuz he's always saying that I'm—"

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Lita paused. "Nothing. Come on, we don't wanna keep the boss waiting."

"Right," Flug said, setting down his clipboard. "I'll, uh…take care of your jacket when I can."

"Thanks, mi amigo."

The scientist's mind was still trying to make sense of everything as they headed for Black Hat's office. Ever since Flug and Dementia had returned from camp over a month ago, the boss had been acting…strangely. He was still evil, of course, but lately he'd been doing things slightly out-of-character for him. For one thing, he'd been yelling a lot less frequently. Flug hadn't had to treat any more broken bones since the arts and crafts incident. And even when it seemed like Black Hat was about to incinerate him or something, the demon would hesitate and calm down after a minute or so. Flug couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

Then there was the unusual amount of time Black Hat had been spending with Lita, now Head of the Sales Department. In fact, Flug hardly saw one without the other these days. Which shouldn't be a surprise with them sharing an office space. But he'd even overhear them in the halls, talking about ideas for products. The other day, he'd found them playing chess in the library and laughing. Laughing.

And, as 5.0.5. had said, the two of them ate lunch together every single day. Flug had watched a few of their eating sessions on the security cameras, wondering what they could possibly be doing in all that time. It turned out they talked. A lot. Not just about the organization, but things as simple as bad work stories, the latest TV shows, the weather. Flug didn't know what to make of it, as he'd never seen Black Hat act this casually around anyone. But he didn't say anything, because questioning the boss was normally a death wish.

When Lita and Flug arrived in Black Hat's office, Dementia and 5.0.5. were there too, the former perched provocatively on the boss' desk. Sighing, Black Hat pushed the mutant off as he sat down in his chair.

"As I'm sure you're well aware, today marks the beginning of October," Black Hat said. "Which means that soon it will be Día de los Muertos."

Lita's face lit up. Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, was a big deal on Hat Island, with most of its residents being of Mexican heritage. It was one of the few holiday celebrations Black Hat didn't attempt to sabotage, being centered around death. And the trick-or-treating that would occur on Halloween night before the Day of the Dead festivities was something he greatly encouraged. Especially the "trick" aspect.

When she was a child, Lita used to go trick-or-treating with her parents, insisting each year that they wear the spookiest costumes! Then the next night, they would paint their faces and go to the Day of the Dead parade downtown! After her mother had passed away, Lita and her father would light a candle by her picture on the mantel every year, as their own little makeshift ofrenda. It was the only thing remotely religious they'd ever done.

"Which means," Black Hat said, addressing Lita especially, "it will be time for my annual Day of Death Ball."

"It's a sort of party we throw every November 1st," Flug explained. "You know, since villains usually have their own plans on Halloween night."

"Is it a costume party?" Lita asked.

"No, no." Black Hat shook his head. "I tried holding a masquerade once, only for a few heroes to infiltrate it. Which, in hindsight, was made easy for them, as they were allowed to wear masks!"

"Ah." Lita nodded. "Makes sense."

Black Hat snapped his fingers, causing one scroll to appear in each of his subordinate's hands. "Here are your lists of duties in preparation for the ball. I expect you to follow them to the letter."

Everyone unfurled their scrolls and began reading. Lita's tasks involved a lot of cleaning, decorating and heavy-lifting.

"Why's mine always the longest?" Flug grumbled, gazing down at the folds of parchment at his feet.

"Bao!" 5.0.5. exclaimed happily.

"You're in charge of the food!" Lita said, peering over at his list. "Thank goodness."

Dementia's scroll was the shortest. "'Make sure Dementia doesn't mess everything up?'" She crumpled the paper. "Aw, come on, honeybun! I can be helpful! Let me handle the decorations or something!"

"You'd just destroy them all," Flug said flatly. "Or you'd just forget to do them entirely!"

Lita glanced at the length of hers and Flug's lists. "We…could use all the help we can get." She looked at Black Hat. "Surely there's something Dementia can do?"

The demon locked gaze with Lita for a moment before turning back to the mutant. "You want a task, Dementia?" He paused to think. "Very well. You can be in charge of…silverware."

Dementia brightened up. "Including the…knives?!"

Lita immediately regretted defending her case.

"Yes," Black Hat said with a grin. "Including the knives."

"Sir," Flug said nervously, "are you sure that's a good—?"

"Thank you, baby!" Dementia cried, leaning forward onto the desk.

"Yes, yes, whatever." Black Hat pushed her face away. "Why don't you go pick out what you're going to wear, or something else that gets you as far away from here as possible?"

"Oh, right!" the lizard-girl exclaimed, not catching the insulting part of that sentence. "Just let me see if any of them are in one piece!"

She was out of there like Speedy Gonzales.

"5.0.5.," Black Hat said, dropping his grin, "make sure to only serve finger foods at the ball."

Looking at each other, Flug and Lita simultaneously uttered, "Ohhh."

"Wait." Lita glanced at her boss unsurely. "When you say 'finger foods,' you're talking about food people eat with their hands, right?"

The demon smirked. "Sure."

She chose to pretend he was only messing with her. "So…will we be acting as servers, or…?"

"Leave the serving to the Hatbots." Black Hat pointed to her list. "Your tasks are focused on preparations. During the event itself, your duty is to represent Black Hat Organization by entertaining the guests."

She blinked. "What exactly do you mean by 'entertain?'"

"You know, mingle, pitch new products, dance with any guests who ask—"

"Dance?" Lita said in a small voice, crinkling her list slightly between her fingers.

Flug sensed her uneasiness. "It's customary. Don't worry, you won't be required to flirt with anyone."

"Certainly not!" Black Hat said gruffly. "It's just a mere courtesy for the guests, and good for business. After all, you can't have a ball without dancing."

Lita looked down at her feet. "I'm, uh…not sure I can do that."

The demon frowned. "This isn't a request, Miss Ladrona. I expect all of you to be pulling your weight for this—"

"That's not what I meant! It's just…you see…the thing is…" She bit her lip in embarrassment. "I…I can't dance."

Flug turned to her in surprise. "You…can't dance?"

"I…never learned." Her shoulders sagged, allowing her long parchment to brush against the floor. "I never went to any of my school dances and…didn't really go out after that so…I never had the opportunity…there was never a need to…"

Black Hat stared at her as she trailed off. Then he stood suddenly from his seat, startling everyone with the noise.

He turned his head sharply towards 5.0.5. "Leave."

The bear knew better than to argue. Once he was gone, Black Hat walked around his desk and went over to the gramophone he kept on a small round table by the window. Placing one hand behind his back, he mentally cranked the contraption and then took the needle between his fingers, lowering it onto the record. A classical waltz began to play. Lita recognized it as "Tales from the Vienna Woods" by Johann Straus.

"Flug," Black Hat said, turning towards them. "If you would."

"Huh?" Flug didn't know what was going on, until his boss gestured towards Lita. "Oh! Right now, sir?"

"Yes, right now."

The scientist quickly rolled up his list and then stuffed it into his lab coat.

"Once you've accepted someone's invitation to dance," Black Hat said, suddenly appearing behind Lita and snatching up her scroll, "you start with a bow."

As Black Hat set the parchment down onto his desk, he darted his eye at Flug. Catching on, the scientist quickly bowed. Lita was about to follow his lead when Black Hat gripped her shoulders.

"A lady curtsies," he said shortly, taking off her wide-brimmed hat. "You do know how to curtsy, don't you?"

"Uh…" Lita looked down as she crossed one foot over the other. "Like this?"

Her legs wobbled awkwardly as she bent them. Rolling his eye, Black Hat took her arms in his hands.

"Hold your arms out for balance," he said, bringing them up, "as you hold out your skirts to the sides. Now, as you bend your knees, lower your head, and arch the back ever so slightly as you bow."

The next attempt wasn't exactly graceful, but she at least didn't wobble this time.

"Good enough," Black Hat grunted, moving in between Flug and Lita. "Now, traditionally, the male leads."

"But, uh, that doesn't matter so much these days!" Flug interjected, holding up a finger. "You know, since not all men are into women and not all women are—"

"But since Flug," Black Hat said sharply, "is more experienced, he'll be leading you in this one."

"You waltz?" Lita asked Flug.

He shrugged. "I dabble."

"Take his left hand in your right." Black Hat circled the two of them as he guided them into position. "Place your left hand on his shoulder. Feet shoulder-width apart. Eyes up. Stand up straight, you oaf!"

Flug cried out as he was smacked hard on the spine.

"Now," Black Hat said, stepping back to give them space, "Flug will be leading you in a circle to your right. Waltzes tend to be in three counts. Eventually, you will be able to feel them, but for now, I will count them out for you. Ready?"

"No," Lita said quietly.

"One, two, three, one, two, three…"

As the demon counted, Flug gently pushed his right hand against Lita's waist, pulling her right hand in his left. This was meant to urge her in the correct direction, but she was a little late to start moving. She hastened her step to catch up with him. This resulted in her stepping on his toes.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry," she whispered.

She looked down at her feet, trying to follow the direction Flug was going. In doing so, she wasn't paying attention to where her head was moving and ended up butting him in the chest.

"Ow!"

"Sorry!"

Thinking it would get them back on beat, Lita pushed against Flug's left hand. He toppled back from the unexpected pressure.

"One, two, thr—you're supposed to let him lead!" Black Hat exclaimed.

"I'm trying!" Lita shouted.

"It's okay! Just rel—AH!" Flug cried out as his foot was stepped on again.

"Sorry!"

Black Hat facepalmed himself. "Oh for the love of… Must I do everything around here?!"

Taking off his coat, he stomped over to the dancing pair.

"Step aside, you idiot!" he shouted, shoving Flug out of the way. "I'll show you how it's done!"

Lita was caught off-guard as Black Hat took her right hand and placed his other hand on her waist.

"First of all, it's a lot easier," Black Hat said as he pulled her closer, causing her to squeak, "when you're this close to your partner."

Her cheeks flushed at the intimate contact. She lowered her head in hopes that he wouldn't see.

"Flug," Black Hat said, "keep time for us."

"Oh!" Flug said, still shocked that Black Hat had taken over. "R-Right, uh…one, two, three, one, two three…"

Again, Lita wasn't ready. She quickened her step to keep in time with Black Hat. He didn't cry out as she stepped on his foot.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, pulling herself away.

"I told you," Black Hat said, pulling her back. "Let me lead."

"Sorry!"

"And stop apologizing, it's pathetic."

"S—" She winced. "Yes, boss."

She looked down, only to see that her feet were moving in the opposite direction as his. Sighing heavily, Black Hat stopped their dancing for a moment.

"Pay no attention to your feet," he said sternly.

"But what if I step on…?"

She trailed off when she felt his cold finger on her chin, gently lifting it so that she could meet his gaze.

"Do you look at your feet when you're fighting?" he asked.

"N-No," she said. "I look at my opponent."

"Exactly. Dancing and fighting are very similar. Only when dancing, you're engaging with a partner, not an opponent. Instead of struggling against me, move with me."

Her eyes followed his hand as it went back to her shoulder.

"What did I just say?"

She looked back at him. "But how will I know what to do if I'm too busy looking at—?"

"You don't need to see what I'm doing," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. "You should just feel it."

The electricity shooting up her arm didn't help her nerves. "I…I don't know if…"

A lump caught in her throat as leaned closer and he whispered in her ear, "Just mimic me like you always do."

Lita did not respond, only stood there staring as he drew back.

"I don't hear any counting, Flug!" Black Hat barked suddenly, causing the other two to jump.

"ONE!" the scientist squeaked, coming out of his distraction from listening to them. "Two, three…"

They began moving again. Lita followed her boss' advice and kept her eyes locked to his. He could feel the stiffness of her body beneath his right hand.

"Relax," he whispered. "Don't even think about it. There's no battle for you to win here. We're on the same side."

Taking a deep breath, Lita loosened her desperate grip on his hand and tried to relax.

"That's right," he said with a nod. "Just focus on me."

Keeping her gaze on him, she tried not to think about their movements. After a while, she grew accustomed to stepping around with him in a circle.

"Now, let us try a turn," Black Hat said.

"What?" she said, gripping his shoulder in panic.

"It's very simple. When I lift my hand, I will loosen my hold on yours. Then you will go under my arm. Ready?"

With a gulp, she nodded. He lifted his hand slowly, taking hers with it. She felt his hold on her loosen and took this as the cue to move under his arm and twirl around. She gasped as he brought her back into their previous position.

"Wow," she uttered.

"See?" Black Hat said with a smirk. "You're a natural."

After a few more turns, Lita started feeling more comfortable. Once it was apparent that she had found the tempo, Flug stopped counting and leaned back against the desk to watch.

"Where'd you learn this?" Lita finally asked her dance partner.

Black Hat shrugged. "One must know all the standard dances for social events. I picked up the waltz specifically while in Vienna."

"Explains the Strauss," Lita said, glancing at the record. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"He can't work a touch screen to save his life," Flug blurted without even thinking.

The demon sent him a death glare while Lita laughed.

"You try operating one of those blasted things while wearing gloves!" Black Hat shouted, his cheeks darkening.

"How do you even send us those texts?" Lita asked, still giggling.

"Simple! I own a BlackBerry!"

She snorted. "You are old!"

"Well, excuse me," he said as led her into another turn, "but you are twenty-five years old, and have never danced in your life!"

"Touché, boss," she said as she was pulled back in. "Why don't you just take your gloves off when texting?"

He opened his mouth, but found no argument, causing Lita to laugh harder. Bent on revenge, Black Hat grinned mischievously as he snaked his arm further around her waist and scooped her up. Lita cried out as he spun her around, but then laughed at the rush it gave her. When he set her back down, they continued without another word.

Flug watched in bewilderment as they danced, their eyes not leaving each other. Black Hat took unexpected care with every movement, giving Lita's hand a small squeeze whenever he was about to introduce something new. Lita did not fight against him, but submitted to each step. Even when she stumbled, Black Hat did not scold her, but subtly redirected her motion.

The picture before Flug confused him greatly. Lita showed no signs of fear, and Black Hat, no signs anger. Their movements were slow, relaxed. And on Lita's face was the small trace of a smile. And Black Hat…Flug had never seen his boss so calm.

There were a number of explanations for all the time they'd been spending together. Black Hat was probably humoring Lita, in a way to keep her in line. They could've been working on some secret evil project. Hell, Black Hat could've just been bored! But none of that explained the familiarity between them.

Now, seeing them dance while gazing at each other so intensely, Flug came to a panicking conclusion. One he'd dismissed for too long.

They can't be…? No! Black Hat would never! It would break his rules! And even if he did, there's no way that Lita would… She's too smart for that!

But the electricity between them now was enough to be seen even in the dark.

I'm imagining things! I've been hanging around Dementia too much!

But if it was true, and Black Hat did favor Lita more than he let on, Flug worried for her. Black Hat wasn't the kind of creature to take no for an answer, which was why Flug had always been relieved the demon didn't have a romantic partner. Black Hat cared for no one but himself. Even what he might call love could prove to be dangerous. Not even Lita, who was the strongest person Flug knew, would be able to survive.

The scientist shook these thoughts out of his head. It would never happen. Black Hat had never expressed any interest of a romantic or sexual nature before, and there was no reason for him to start anytime soon. Then again, he'd never acted this close to anyone before. But he was also stubborn, and would never break his own rules.

Flug just hoped Lita understood that.

Meanwhile, Lita was surprised at how easy this was. While dating Paolo, she'd always been too nervous to try dancing with him at the nightclubs he took her to. She'd always thought she'd goof up somehow. After all, she'd never trusted anyone enough to hold her in such a manner, to keep her from falling. Even when she did trip, Black Hat quickly caught her before any disaster could happen. He certainly knew what he was doing. As he'd said, it wasn't that much different from their sparring sessions.

Except this time, she wasn't blindly hoping that he wouldn't hurt her in the process. She was certain he wouldn't hurt her.

After he had spun her out and pulled her back in again, something in Black Hat's expression changed. Lita couldn't quite explain it, but the second she locked gaze with him again, she started feeling dizzy. Her smile faded, and her face became warm. Which was strange, because she was usually freezing around Black Hat. Perhaps she'd adapted to his abnormal body temperature. As he spun her again, her heart pumped with adrenaline.

Black Hat had danced with dozens of women. All out of courtesy, not from any legitimate interest. All of them had cowered in his arms, too afraid to refuse him. While Lita had been nervous at first, she had eased into the waltz beautifully. She still needed much practice, but this proved to be one of the smoothest dances Black Hat had ever engaged in.

When she stopped smiling and her cheeks took on a pinkish color, the demon felt an unfamiliar lurch in his chest. He'd been staring into her blue eyes for several minutes now, and they seemed to grow bigger and brighter by the second. How could someone who'd committed several crimes in the past have such innocent eyes?

And why did he suddenly not want to look away from them?

When Black Hat spun her again, Lita's mind was in too much of a haze to pay attention. Her fingers slid out of his hand and she fell backwards. With the speed of a cheetah, Black Hat swung both arms around her waist, catching her in a dip. Lita was breathing heavily as he slowly brought her up, his eye watching her carefully.

They stood like that for a long while, his arms not moving from her waist. Even after the record had ended.

The sound of Flug clearing his throat broke the spell between them. As if just remembering that the scientist was there, Black Hat released Lita and took a step back. Blushing hard, she turned her face away.

"I, err…" Black Hat tried to think of what to say as he looked her over. "I don't suppose you have anything…suitable to wear to the ball?"

Lita glanced down at her black shirt and pants. "Not unless you want me wearing my uniform."

"Flug," the demon said, snapping his fingers and producing a wad of pesos. "Take Lita into town after lunch and find her a gown." He paused to think. "And take Dementia with you."

Black Hat didn't want to be left alone with that insane girl.

"Boss," Lita said as Flug took the money, "y-you really don't have to—"

"Don't be ridiculous." He waved his hand at her. "I can't have my employees embarrassing me by coming underdressed to a high-class event such as this."

"We'll bring 5.0.5. along too," Flug said, taking Lita's arm as he led her out. "He has a good eye when it comes to dresses."

The small glance Lita sent Black Hat as they exited his office did not escape either man's notice.

Black Hat stood there for several minutes, staring at the doors she had just left through. He raised his hand to his chest, trying to comprehend why it was feeling warm again.

I was hoping to get to the Day of Death Ball plot point done in time for Halloween, but sadly that was not to be. Oh well.