"If you dance with your heart, your body will follow."
Loke shut the door to the bathroom after putting away the towels, approaching the living room now until he caught movement from the corner of his eye.
Lucy was pacing around the coffee table, hand on her face, eyes furrowed with concern.
Loke made his presence know. "Lucy?" he observed the way she twitched and tensed up, immediately trying to mask her worry with a poorly concealed cheerfulness.
"O-Oh, Loke! Hello." Lucy quickly sat down on the couch and poured herself more coffee, as if that would help calm her nerves.
Loke grabbed the milk pot from the kitchen and a mug for himself as he sat down at the table, the clock reading 9pm.
"Isn't it a bit late for coffee?" he frowned when he saw Lucy's hands shaking, Loke gently set down her mug and poured a generous amount of milk into it. "You'll upset your stomach if you drink so much black coffee, Lucy."
"Oh, yes, t-thank you Loke." She accepted the mug meekly and sipped from her beverage, her posture still rigid.
It reminded their one year training back when he had been a rookie. A involuntary shiver raced down his spine at the thought.
"Is there something bothering you? You can tell me." Loke waited patiently for Lucy to gather her courage, nursing his coffee and observing plue slowly shuffle his way forward to lay down in-between them, plue's head facing Lucy.
After much consideration, Lucy finally relented, her eyes staring into the milky brown liquid of her coffee. "There is this… party at work, Mr. Barnes wants all the employees to attend."
Loke nodded, bending down slightly to absentmindedly pet plue, his tail wiggling happily at the touch and hitting Loke's leg.
Lucy gripped her mug tighter. "I tried to excuse myself on being busy that evening, but the chief insisted everyone attend." Lucy finally glanced up to meet his eyes. "With their spouses."
Then, it dawned on Loke.
The last time they've been to a formal gathering, Loke had mistakenly introduced himself as her husband. Lucy's colleagues had been there as well.
He also remembered the incident with Camilla and her rude comments towards Lucy. Her other colleagues hadn't been any nicer either.
Loke grimaced at the memory. "We don't have to go if you don't want to. If you like, I can call Mr. Barnes and tell him wendy is sick or something." Twilight was certain chief Barnes hadn't forgotten him, if he had, perhaps it was time the spy paid him another visit after work hours.*
Lucy firmly shook her head. "Please don't, I don't think he'll listen to you either… it's alright if I go alone, you don't have to come with me." She offered him a small, reassuring smile but the persistent sting of concern stabbed at his heart.
Loke knew Lucy would become the center of attention if she were the only one attending the party without her spouse, it would give way to unpleasant rumors and her colleagues would ruthlessly bully Lucy.
No, he had to attend.
"No, Lucy, of course I'll come too. We can ask to care for wendy for the evening until we get home. plue will be here too, won't you?" the dog in question heaved a sigh as if in agreement and Loke couldn't resist petting his back again, his tail thumping against Loke's leg again.
The barest hint of tears filled Lucy's eyes and the smile she bestowed him with was brighter than the lamp above their heads. "Thank you, Loke."
plue's ears perked up at the sound of Lucy's sniffling, he got up from his position flat on the floor and jumped on the couch, a reprimand was on the tip of Loke's tongue until he saw plue rest his head on Lucy's lap and nudging and licking her hand, as if to offer comfort in the only way he knew how.
Lucy laughed, wiping away her tears before she petted plue and cuddled his big head. "Thank you too plue. Too bad you can't come with us." She giggled when plue whined, thumping his tail as if to protest.
Loke smiled at the scene, before he remembered an important question. "Oh, you said this was a formal party with your colleagues from work, right?"
Lucy nodded in agreement and Loke inquired further. "Is dancing required?"
Lucy jumped as if she remembered something. "Oh, yes! Sharon was telling me about it the other day, she said she'll likely stick to the buffet because her husband can't dance to save his life." She giggled at the memory.
Loke felt himself sweat. "…Can you dance, Lucy?" he didn't want to assume anything, of course.
According to the confident smile on her face, there was a 50% chance she could, in fact, dance.
"Of course, I can. Here, let me show you Loke." When his wife grabbed his hands and pulled him up to his feet with so much force he didn't even need to use his own strength to get up, Loke had a sinking feeling about it.
The churning sensation in his stomach got confirmed as soon as Lucy started nearly dismembering him on the spot. Or as she called it "dancing".
Her movements were quick, but brutal and wild, her arms and legs twisting and turning in a fashion Loke was sure wasn't was considered the classic definition of dancing in any country he'd heard of. Unless Lucy had took up dance lessons from a knife thrower or an assassin.
Putting all the strength he had, Loke tugged Lucy so her wild movements stopped, least she accidentally hit him in the face and sent him flying against the wall with a concussion as she had done with her brother.
"W-Wait Lucy!" Lucy stopped, looking up at Loke quizzically. "I think the dances at formal work parties are more…slower." Loke took the liberty of sliding his hand from her wrist to her hand, gently grasping it into his own. His other one encircled her waist. "It's called a slow dance or if we want to get technical, a waltz."
Once Lucy became acutely aware where Loke's hands were positioned, her face turned vermillion with the rush of blood. Why did she feel so light headed?
"You with me, Lucy?" she snapped out of her internal panic at Loke's words and nodded vehemently.
Loke smiled and directed Lucy's hand towards his shoulder. "Alright, typically the waltz is a slow dance and has 6 steps that form the shape of a box with your feet. Our feet are apart in line with our hips. First, we move with our left foot a step forward."
Lucy's lips wobbled nervously. "I-I don't know if I can do this!" they were so close! Was this appropriate for formal dances?
Loke smiled calmly. "Trust me, I know you can do this. Follow my lead." Lucy had already said his goodbye's to his feet in case Lucy got too nervous.
Steeling her resolve, Lucy gripped Loke's hand tighter and followed suit, taking a step back.
"Now, forward with the other foot." Once they were standing in line again, Loke placed his feet together and moved a step back with his right foot.
Lucy followed suit, her movements slightly wobbly and her death grip on Loke's hands ground his bones together painfully. Loke exhaled, "Okay, move your left foot back so its parallel to your right one, like me." Loke did the motions and Lucy followed.
"Now place your right foot next to your left foot to end the "box"." This time, they were in sync as their feet mirrored each-other. "Good job Lucy! I told you, you can do this."
At his praise, Lucy beamed happily. "Thank you Loke, you're a great teacher!"
Loke felt Lucy's death grip on his hands relax, thankfully saving his bones from getting crushed to dust. "Now, let's try moving a bit faster in circular motions instead of the box pattern. It's the same principle, just a smoother movement. Ready?"
Sea blue locked gazes with ruby red, and Loke suddenly felt uncomfortably warm under his collar. When Lucy nodded, now straightening her back and appearing more confident, Loke took the lead. "1, 2, 3… turn, 1, 2, 3… turn." Each time they moved in a semi-circle, Lucy giggled, a sound capable of ending all wars this world had to face, a sound that seemed to loosen the iron vice Twilight's heart had been locked in ever since he shed his birth name and identity for the sake of world peace.
Sometimes, just sometimes, Twilight liked to imagine a world where Westalis and Ostania weren't in conflict, where political leaders and diplomats would achieve what weapons and intimidation did instead, a world where children didn't have to grow up too fast and parents didn't have to bury their young returning in caskets from the war front.
Sometimes, Twilight liked to imagine what it would've been like had he met Lucy, wendy and plue earlier, under different circumstances, with his own identity, in a peaceful time with a peaceful job.
Loke's internal musings got interrupted by Lucy's laughter and her smooth but firm motions, as if she was leading him in this dance this time. He allowed himself to relax and follow her lead, eliciting a genuine smile on his tired face.
It felt like their feet were weightless, steps landing on clouds and bodies moving in a rhythm unknown yet familiar all the same.
The occasional laughter was the only sound that disturbed the silence, not even plue dared make a noise least he disturbed the odd trance his owners found themselves in. He sighed deeply, enjoying the quiet comfort of his home.
They had practiced hugging and holding hands, somehow all the novelty of coming into this close, prolonged physical contact had worn off, shedding its nervous exterior to give way to something much more welcoming.
Comfort.
Familiarity.
The couple practiced like this until the clock struck eleven, plue's soft barking interrupting the little bubble the Leos found themselves trapped in.
Not that they seemed ready to leave the world that bewitched them with its spell, a spell so cruel to promise a fading hope of a possible future.
A future wasn't sure could exist.
They belong in different World.
Not in this life.
Lucy stopped and glanced at the clock in shock, "Oh, it's already so late." she yawned as if on cue, "All this dancing must've made me tired, I can't believe we had been dancing so for long. I'm sorry Loke, you must be exhausted!"
Loke shook his head, smiling down at Lucy. "Not at all, I guess time really flies when you're in good company."
The couple smiled at each-other, still in a dancing stance until plue once again captured their attention by his wagging tail, which struck their legs.
Loke chuckled, glancing at their joined hands and slowly releasing Lucy's, their fingers lingering at their tips before parting ways, mirroring the closeness their hearts seemed to yearn for.
Lucy placed her hand on her beating heart, a smile so serene Loke genuinely believed it could bring upon world peace. At least, it brought peace to his heart. She bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you Loke, I think I feel confident enough to show up to the party. I don't have anything to fear with you by my side."
Loke didn't know what affected him more; her words or the sincerity in her eyes, which didn't waver from his.
He took a breath, "Of course Lucy, you're much better at dancing than in the beginning, you learn fast. The party will be a success, there's no doubt in my mind." Loke added it as an afterthought. "I'm sure evergreen won't have anything to say anymore after she sees our stunning performance."
Lucy laughed and it was the sweet lullaby Loke fell asleep to that evening.
Bonus:
Camilla's disgruntled countenance was not lost on her boyfriend. "Um, dear, why don't we dance too-"
"Ugh! This is just- how can Lucy dance?! She's always such a klutz at work! Look at them!" evergreen took another larger sip of red wine, Sharon smirking beside her.
"They sure look radiant, don't they." Sharon's normal disinterest seemed piqued, reverently taking a sip from her drink as her eyes stayed on the Leos.
Millie seemed as bubbly as ever, a contributing factor to the half empty wine glass in her hand. "Mhm, Lucy sure has a handsome husband and she's really rocking that dress! When will she introduce me to that brother of hers…" she nudged Camilla's shoulder, who stormed off, with Dominic running after her.
The dance floor was filled with many dancing couples, but it seemed like the dim lights only focused on one.
Mr. and Mrs. Leo not only took to the dance floor, they took the gazes of each person in the room with them, their elegant aura and imposing presence commanding the attention of each individual.
Lucy's lashes lifted. The blood red on her lips made her eyes seem like twinkling rubies, framed by charcoal tresses of hair that complimented the razor-sharp earrings and hair ornament she wore, a golden rose catching the light.
Loke didn't know where to look, but he didn't need to, his gaze simply held captive by her own. Her heart gave a jolt as she stared into his sea blue eyes, which were filled with reassuring warmth.
Holding her gaze, Loke drew her into the waltz, using the momentum of the first turn to bring her closer to him. Soon they were lost in the midst of the dancers, circling with the lazy grace of a swallow's flight.
Entangled only in each-other's presence, the world around them was lost, the buzz of the party and the whispers of people a mere white noise.