Midnight Wonders

6.0.6. Midnight

Kay came back. Luc almost hadn't expected him to, though he'd said he would. Luc sat up as he approached. The fanners had moved on from him a while ago (which he was somewhat grateful for, as he'd been getting rather cold), and he had been alone on the sofa for some time, dreading that a dancer might come by and steal him away before Kay came back.

But Kay had come back. He was holding something: a flask. He gave it to Luc. "Water."

"Thank you," Luc said, taking it and drinking. The water was cool. He glanced at Kay, who was just standing there limply in front of him. Kay looked lost. "Do you want some?"

Kay shook his head, but he took it anyway. He put it into his pocket (a pocket miraculously appeared in his clothes; or maybe he just stuck it inside the folds of fabric like Luc had done to his pouches). Quickly, he looked around. "When are you going?"

"Do you want me gone so quickly?" said Luc, half a genuine question.

Kay just looked at him. Or, Luc thought he did, since Luc couldn't actually see his face. He wanted to. He wanted to rip off the mask, see Kay's eyes, at least.

"We're waiting until midnight," Luc said. "I'm just going to wait for a cue from Emma or Annabel. Or Tristan. Are you..." He wasn't sure what more he even wanted to say. The silence was just deafening.

"Do you want to dance again?" Kay said skeptically.

Luc looked around at the couples still whirling about them. "If it's with you."

Kay didn't move again for a long moment. Luc just stared at him. Then, slowly, Kay reached out a hand. Luc took it, and Kay helped him to his feet.

"But I don't know how to dance, so you'll have to lead me," said Luc.

"You seemed to be doing quite well earlier." Kay tightened his grip on Luc's hand and drew him in closer. Luc couldn't tell if it was getting darker or his vision was just getting more tunneled.

"Because I was getting thrown around. Don't do that to me," he added quickly.

"I do as I please," said Kay.

"Except when it comes to me," said Luc. "Right?"

Kay looked at him. "I do as I please," he said again.

Luc didn't know how to dance. He didn't know what he was doing. He was getting whirled round and round again and he could barely keep up with what was going on. Everything was chaos, yet everything seemed to fall in line. One, two, three; a waltz? It didn't matter. He felt the beats more than heard them; he knew the steps but not from his mind.

It was better that way, he thought. And worse, for his unoccupied mind had to fill itself with something, and unwanted thoughts were always its top choice. His thoughts didn't even seem to want to be in his head as much as he didn't want them there: they ran in and out endlessly, trying to escape before getting pulled back in by his own self-torturing brain.

"Why do we have to dance?" Luc asked, trying to think of something else.

"They think it's fun."

"You don't think it's fun?"

"Do you?"

"I'm just old and tired."

"No, you're not."

"I'm at least tired."

"Who isn't?"

Luc looked around at all the other people dancing nearby. "Maybe them."

"They'll get tired out."

"That's bleak. I know you like misery, but let's keep it nice."

"I don't like misery."