Authors Note: This fic is part of a "series" I'll be doing where I write fics based off songs on Retro's Spotify playlist. This first one is based off "Dancing With You" by Jane Inc!
Dancing With You
Synopsis: Astro + Reno get invited to a 70s themed costume party!
Tonight, it was all about the glitz and glamour. The groovy, and irresistibly danceable. Pant legs so wide, and "masculine" fashion so flamboyant; the notion of "we're all born naked, and the rest is drag" starts to make a lot more sense. For the first time, in such a long time, Astro, Reno, and their friends are all invited to the 70s throwback costume party of their dreams.
Everyone wants to make a good impression. With things having been… a bit hectic, a night away to serve their best looks was just what the doctor ordered. But out of all of them, no one was more committed to the role than Astro themselves.
In the weeks leading up to the party, they spent hours scrolling the World Wide Web, scouring for as much information as possible— ordering anything and everything they thought they might need.
Finally, it's the end of the workweek, and the fly back to their apartment was probably the fastest they've done yet. They fumble trying to unlock the front door, stumbling inside and taking their shoes off in a quick but still very haphazard manner. It wasn't a race against the clock, but they knew there was no chance of them making it on time if they weren't at least halfway done by the time Reno came over to put his look on.
Scurrying into their comically tiny bathroom, they take one good look at themselves in the mirror and sigh. Secretly, they're filled with agony over all the makeup they'll need to apply, but they recognize the irony in such a statement. "Robots are always about precision," they think, "how could I possibly screw this up?"
And, as expected, they finish their look in less than thirty minutes, a true feat, they suppose. But now's not the time to gloat! Well, they review themselves one last time, just for giggles. Nevertheless, they immediately afterwards head back into the "studio" part of their "studio apartment" and fish out their outfit from the shipping box it stayed in for the past two weeks.
When almost everything's come together, all that's left is to wait for the knock on their front door from Reno. They sit on the couch, brushing the wig they probably didn't need to spend so much money on. Taming it, so it looked to be at least half decent (in their eyes), was quite the feat. But thankfully, they no longer had to worry about it, when Reno finally knocked.
In excitement, they race over to the door and open it to see he's… in costume already? He was missing his wig, but for the most part, he was ready to go. They planned to say something to him when they went to let him in, but now they're completely smitten by him, their brain practically sputtering and becoming an incomprehensible mush instantly. They hope he won't notice the newly apparent red in their face because now isn't the time for them to be surprised by their boyfriend. Both of them have a party to get ready for!
Reno takes a seat on the couch while Astro runs around to make sure they aren't forgetting anything, putting everything on their bed and pushing things on the floor aside to make room. He was happy to know that at least his place wasn't the one that needed to be cleaned the most.
After making all the arrangements, they walk over to him, brush in hand, and offer to smooth his wig. For a moment, he thinks to himself. As far as he knew, the wig was fine. But he agrees anyway, perhaps Astro knows something he doesn't.
They smile in response, waiting for him to hand them his wig, so they can help him put it on. The fibers feel rather interesting in their hand, they weren't sure if it was human or synthetic, but it had a nice quality to it. Once they had both the cap and wig on, they stood back and laughed at how goofy he looked. Reno tries his best not to blush, but fails. Astro, on the other hand, couldn't help but laugh even harder when they looked at him again. Shaking their head, they decide it's best to get back on track, so they get to work on his hair.
"So you bought this at the party store? I'm surprised, it's actually not that bad," they say after a while of brushing.
"Well…" Reno looks up at them, "I was going to buy it online. But I, of course, waited until it was too late to get it shipped here in time, so I just went to a random store and hoped for the best."
They pull away to get a better look at his face, saying, "You look like a long-lost member of The Beatles."
He chuckles, "I'll take it…"
"What do you mean you'll 'take it', is that not sufficient of a compliment for you?" They laugh back at him with a sarcastic tone in their voice, "okay, fine…. You look like… hmm… you look like someone I'm really excited to go to this party with."
"Pfft, don't patronize me," he jokes.
"Oh you little stinker," they finish up with his hair, and again, lean back to get the full picture. "I'll have you know, it's not patronizing when you're my boyfriend, and it's the truth," they lean in and kiss his forehead before getting up and grabbing their things, "you're welcome."
The car ride to the party was undoubtedly the most fun they had been on in a long time. Of course, they both want to get into the mood, so they're grooving along (as best they can) to the music.
The songs compliment the light of Metro City buildings at night. Astro stares out at them from time to time. But the real beauty was the one who was driving the car. So, when they thought he wasn't looking, they undoubtedly ogled at him for as long as they could before he'd notice.
At a stoplight, Reno takes a final look at himself in his pull down mirror, adjusting his fake glasses and rubbing his beard. He sighs, looking at Astro after speaking, "I do look like John Lennon, don't I?"
Astro smacks their lips together and looks away as they scratch their nape, jokingly, not wanting to assume responsibility for telling him that earlier. He lovingly rolls his eyes in response, as the two then break out into laughter.
At the party, they're both one of the few to barely make it on time. Since the elevator was broken, Reno had to struggle up the long flight of stairs to the large party room. He was worried that he might have sweat through his costume, but they made it to the room in time.
Colorful lights illuminate the room, bouncing off the walls and emblazoning the dance floor. It's loud and boisterous, with disco music playing and a DJ up front who's grooving along in a period-accurate costume. People of all ages are giving it their all on the floor, while some are meandering around the food table to the left. Tables are set up throughout, and they see their friends get up from one of them to greet them both by the door.
"Wow, Astro! You really turned it out tonight, huh?" Kennedy looks them over in shock.
They say, "Well, you can't call this a costume party and not expect me to show up in full drag," as they follow their friends to their table. Continuing, they sit down in a chair they had to pull up, "I just wanted an excuse to dress up. I never get to dress queer because I'm so busy with work."
"Hey hey hey, any outfit is queer if you try hard enough," Reno interjects.
Astro sighs, "I suppose…" they make circles on the table with their finger, "but this feels different, you know?"
"Abercrombie told me he wanted to dress like ABBA, but I told him he'd look better as Willie Nelson now that his hairs grown out," Alejo says, looking at the two of them. "I swear he's out to get me, just you wait," he puts both hands on his face and sighs dreamily, but with a hint of worry that prompts them both to laugh.
"He's not getting you if you're already together, Alejo," Astro jokes, "that'd be like if I feared how attractive Reno was— I mean is— or was? Oh, boy…" they look over in fear that he's probably given them the stink eye, but instead they find him laughing even harder, and in relief, they laugh back again.
"Regardless, Astro does have a point, Alejo. Besides, if he was really acting out of malice, I think I'd know too," Kennedy replies before turning to Astro and continuing, but at a much lower volume, "sometimes I think he forgets we're a throuple."
"I do not!"
"Oh yeah, well then why did you forget…"
At this point, the conversation has become awkward, and Astro's interest in participating has diminished. Thankfully, the man of the hour shows up, long blonde hair and all, and seemingly diffuses the argument quickly.
"Okay, what are we talking about here? Ken, do you need me to bring you food?" Abercrombie gestures to both Kennedy and Alejo.
Kennedy replies, "No… but you can have a seat, Astro and Reno finally showed up."
Abercrombie waves to the two of them after sitting, "Oh, hey Astro, Reno! I almost didn't recognize you, Astro, you look like a girl."
They chuckle and reply with a hint of awkwardness in their voice, "hmm, well, can't help it, I said goodbye to the gender binary 7 years ago… ha ha…."
"Oh yeah, you're turning 22 in a couple of months, right?"
"I think so, yeah," they turn to Reno, "maybe we should plan our own costume party? We could do like… space stuff. Or career day! Career day sounds fun!"
"You sure you wouldn't wanna do somethin' more interesting? We could go catch a rocket-ball game?" He replies.
"Ooh, I'd definitely do rocket-ball. The season starts around that time anyway," Kennedy comments.
"Mmm… I don't know… not as much into rocket-ball now compared to when I was a teenager. Suppose that times come and gone," they sigh and rest their head on their hand.
"Well, you can figure that out some other time. I don't know about you all, but I'm going dancing, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Abercrombie gracefully rises from his chair and walks over to the dance floor, as if he's above everyone else in the room, even though it's only his ego talking.
The other two throuple members take their leave in response because they of course all wanted to bop along together to the music, leaving Astro and Reno finally alone to talk among themselves.
"Gosh, is it really going to be like this the whole night? Seesh."
Reno shrugs and says, "Don't sweat it. I understand your frustration, but at some point you just have to let it roll off your back."
"Uck, if only," Astro folds their arms, "you want any food? I can go get you something if you'd like."
"Nah, don't worry about it. I didn't come here for the food," he gestures dismissively, "I just came to have a good time with you, is all."
Again, they find themselves blushing instinctively, and they try to hide it. But Reno is forever and always going to be Reno, and reach over out of humorous consolation. Astro and Reno lock eyes almost immediately, and Astro is forced to acknowledge the truth— Reno is very attractive. In response, they can't help but find they'd rather spend their time taking him dancing than anything else.
After standing up, they approach him and hold out their hand, "Well, if you would rather not eat, would you like to dance with me?"
It's been too long since the two have been able to spend time together like this, and neither is going to waste it. Certainly not when there's a driving groove practically begging them to boogie.
The two of them dancing along to the very groovy tunes was the most exhilarating experience they had had in a long time. From hip bumps to hand holding to twirling and synchronized pointing, they couldn't keep their eyes off of each other. Every move the two of them made felt natural, but still intentional, and it was almost as if other party-goers were jealous that they weren't as coordinated as the two of them.
"Hey, you're pretty good at this," Reno compliments Astro.
"Thanks! It's not for nothing, though, I did put in some practice."
He finds it impossible to not laugh at their enthusiasm. Something about their commitment makes his heart sing a song of everlasting love and affection. It's goofy, he knows, but looking like a total fool has absolutely nothing on the way he feels.
They can't help but chuckle at his silliness. Of course, neither went into it intending to be serious, but it still caught them slightly off guard just how goofy he was being. It was, undoubtedly, a much-needed change of pace from their stressful life.
All they had to do was look him in the eyes and follow his moves like tunnel vision— where no one else was around, and the only thing they see is his handsome face and charismatic demeanor.
…
Slow songs usually mean even the most stubborn couples get on the floor to cuddle, and Astro and Reno were no exception. Reno obviously took the lead, as he was just a smidge taller than Astro. But, they didn't seem to mind, the more they got to be close to him, the better.
He kisses the top of their head for the umpteenth time since the song started and swings them from side to side, arms wrapped around their waist as they kept eye contact. There is a sense of kinship between them that is unparalleled by any relationship of the past. Neither of them necessarily believes in soulmates, but surely times like these leave them at least somewhat aware of just how powerful their bond is.
There's something about him that's so alluring. Maybe it's just his costume tonight, but they still can't keep it together. Like a dam about to burst, they give him one more look and just have to confess their feelings. "I'm sorry… but you are just so cute…" they say.
He snickers in response and wants to facepalm, but he can't. Instead, he shakes his head and replies, "oh my god…"
"Whaaatttt? It's true, though. Even if I said it a little cringy…"
"No, no, I believe you. It just… it did sound a little cringe, if I'm being honest."
They turn red with embarrassment and press their face into Reno's chest, attempting to muffle a scream. This only makes him laugh even more pitifully. When they pull away, he smiles sympathetically at them while running his fingers through their hair. All they can do is shake their head and turn around, walking away from his embrace.
However, in their attempt to do so, they stumble and fall. Reno accidentally holding his foot over the edge of their pant legs. In a surprising turn of events that no one predicted, from the only hyper-coordinated couple there, everyone moves out of the way so Astro can collect themselves and get up from the floor.
"You know what, Astro, it's the thought that counts, don't worry about it…" he says to them afterwards, "Why don't we go sit back down?"
Regretfully, they sit back down at their table, greeted by friends who luckily didn't see it all happen.
"All danced out, huh?" Kennedy asks.
Astro sighs, "Pretty much…" they glance over at Reno with a look that could surely kill even the most durable of people, and he awkwardly laughs it off in response.
Both of them can hear that the slower songs have ended and that everyone is ready to sit back down and call it a night. The two are not prepared to stop any time soon. Even though there was a bit of embarrassment that Astro had to work through, they don't mind it at all.
After they sit down again, they talk to their friends some more to fill the time before one of them says, "Well, we've been here for a while, so we're thinking of leaving to get some dessert. You guys in?" A quick glance at each other gives them both all the information they could ever need.
"Nah…" Astro begins, "I think we're going to go back out dancing." they grab Reno's arm and quickly scurry out of sight.
The rest of the friend group looks at each other and shrugs, considering it an interaction ended. Astro and Reno, however, are shaking everything off and going back to having a great time. Again, their coordination is spot on, especially now when there wasn't as many people in their way, something they saw as less of a bug and more as a feature this late in the game.
Eventually, though, even the two hyperactive lovebirds found themselves all pooped out and ready to head home. Thankfully, they had no one to rely on, so they were able to take their exit without worry. Walking back down the same stairs as earlier, they make it out of the building and back to their car, where all they want is to just sit with the A/C blasting for a little while.
"Did you have a good time," Reno looks over at Astro, putting a hand on the steering wheel.
"Yeah!" They exclaim, "except for the part where you made me trip on my pants…"
"Aw, don't worry about it! I doubt anyone remembers."
They fold their arms, lean back in their seat and laugh, then look back at him "I know… I was just… umm…"
He tilts his head, confused, "You were just what…?"
"I… I um…" At this point, they're scratching their head, trying not to get flustered. However, he's caught on to their mysterious daze, and he can't help but laugh in response.
"Astro…" he can barely get their name out of his mouth, "don't think I don't know what you're up to…"
"Whaaaatttt? Pfftttt… no… no… I… I'm not…" They play with their seatbelt, then their hair, "I just…"
"You just what?" He says with a chuckle. They can't look at him any longer now that their face had practically become a tomato. Shaking their head, they laugh back and say, "I… I'm not worried about that anymore…"
"I didn't think you were, but thanks for letting me know."
When they think the coast is clear, they glance back up at him, but completely crack once more. This time, however, he's come prepared, holding them up by their chin with an affectionate smile that surely 100% definitely didn't make them want to immediately melt like a wax candle. At least the air conditioning made things feel... less hot.
"I know whatcha' wanna say, so don't even bother."
"Hmm?"
"You're here for the 11 o'clock replay where you tell me I'm cute. Well, I'll have you know, I'm not the only one that looked great tonight. Besides, looks aren't everything… you gotta have good charisma. Lucky you, you had both," he boops their nose, which makes them pull away with a laugh.
"Aw, but you have good charisma too, Reno," They say.
"Well, it's not for nothing, I'll tell ya that!" he takes his hand off the steering wheel to cup their cheek, "but thanks, mi amor."
Instinctively, he leans in, which prompts them to meet him halfway, resulting in a kiss that was undoubtedly the best way to end the lively and far out night.
xx