james phelps » [ oneshots. ]

reverie. » [ j.p. ]

[ Six men. Six dances. Six dreams. All with the same question: "Shall we dance?" ]

[ Loosely (very loosely) based on "Fly Me To The Moon" by Claire Littley. Highly recommend listening to it while reading. ]

[ Please note that this oneshot is about James's characters and not James himself, despite the tag saying [j.p.]. Sorry if that confuses anyone. ]

[ START. ]

Reverie. A state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts, as though in a rose-tinted haze separated from the monotony of reality. The mind is a blank slate for the heart's deepest desires, blurring the line between realism and fantasy with a kaleidoscope of vivid imagery and a whirlwind of heartfelt emotions. And yet, as you drifted within the haze of your subconscience, you couldn't help but feel completely dazed and confused. Where were you? What just happened? Is this real? Your mind crackled like static, coursing with a million curious thoughts yet simultaneously suspended in a mind-numbing state of silence. You wandered on the edge of consciousness, eyes nearly fluttering open, until you stopped. Like a reverbed echo, you faintly recalled a voice. No, six voices. All speaking at once, almost harmonically, with the same heart-fluttering question:

"Shall we dance?"

You slowly opened your eyes and found yourself staring at...nothing. Well, it appeared to be nothing at first, until your eyes adjusted to the low lighting and registered the clipped blades of grass nestled under your feet, stretching far beyond the horizon from what you could gather. Minute stars flickered into view, adorning the night sky and peeking ever so slightly behind looming, copper hoops. In the expanse of nature's twilight, you felt relaxed and free, breathing in the fresh air with an audible sigh.

Then you remembered hearing something and blinked. "Huh?"

You suddenly heard a deep yet buoyant laugh beside you, followed by a playful scoff. "Pfft! Don't tell me you already dozed off on me, love!"

Your cheeks flushed, embarrassed. "Well..."

He laughed again, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well then, allow me to jog your memory."

In a flurry of motion, he swiftly grabbed your hand and twirled you towards him, one arm securely draped across the small of your back while the other held onto your outstretched hand. Even in the vast darkness, you could distinguish his fiery hair as you gazed up, the silver moonlight casting a faint, burning glow upon his characteristic locks. A wicked smirk curled on his gleaming face as he leaned down to your level and whispered with a husky drawl:

"Shall we dance?"

You blinked once again and you were suddenly blinded not by light, but by rain. Light raindrops enveloped the foreign atmosphere in a pale haze, stray drops lightly misting your face. The ambiance of its steady rhythm gradually calmed your nerves as you registered the unexpected change from a clear night to a dreary day. In some stroke of fate, you somehow shifted to a new setting, the spirited stranger from before now a distant memory.

And yet, you could still feel someone's arm holding you up as you precariously teetered back on one foot, a firm hand grasping onto your wrist as someone towered over you and shielded you from the rain. You slowly glanced up and instead of flaming marigold hair, you noticed disheveled auburn hair peeking underneath the hood of a forest green raincoat, slightly matted against his forehead in the wet weather. Your eyes trailed down to his hazel eyes, hardened into a glare that failed to mask his shock. He quickly averted his stare, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. You then landed upon his lips, tightened into a thin line as he subtly bit his cheek in...nervousness? You weren't sure, but it was admittedly quite endearing...