The Iudex's day off

Side Story 16 - One step forward, one step back (1)

A request for sexual tension and the prelude to the bane of my existence I was asked to write.

This is a two-parter together with Side Story 17, but can also be read as a standalone.

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It should have just been a normal evening. Well, as normal as a ball can get, but it had been a more regular occurrence, and as Neuvillette's husband, Wriothesley found himself getting invited and being forced to attend more of these events than he would like.

 Still, there was always a light at the end of the tunnel, and for Wriothesley, that was his beautiful husband.

 Furina insisted that Neuvillette couldn't just wear his regular attire to events like these, and so Wriothesley got to witness the process of Furina getting more and more daring on how elaborate she could make Neuvillette's clothes before he shut it down.

 Chiori had been her most willing collaborator in her quest, with Navia closely behind.

 The clothes Neuvillette wore tonight weren't that different from his usual ones, or at least, that was the way Furina described them to the Iudex to convince him to wear them. When Neuvillette discovered the deception, it was already far too late to change it.

 Well, to be fair, Furina hadn't exactly lied. The design was about the same, the only difference being the color scheme. The tones were much darker, and if you looked from just the right angles, you could see they held a red undertone.

 It was when he saw that Wriothesley realized why Furina had been telling him to thank her later.

 The reddish hues of Neuvillette's clothes matched Wriothesley's own suspiciously well.

 And now there he stood, smiling in Wriothesley's colors as he chatted away with the hosting older couple.

 Had he not been scolded and banished to the couch for the exact same thing just last week, the duke would have already dragged his husband off to some hidden corner to explore just how many layers Furina and Chiori's newest creation held.

 There was still one legitimate way he could steal his husband away from formalities.

 He made his way over, making his presence known with a quick greeting to the hosts before bowing slightly to Neuvillette, extending his hand.

 "May I have this dance, Your Honor?"

 The small blush that made its way onto Neuvillette's cheeks caused the hostess to chuckle behind her fan, wispering something to her husband that made him sigh fondly.

 "Since Monsieur Neuvillette will be otherwise occupied, shall we dance as well, my love?" The host held out his hand to his wife.

 "My, my!  Your silver tongue has not lost its shine."

 "Just for you."

 As the host couple left, Wriothesley threw Neuvillette a look.

 "Shall we as well, Your Honor?"

 "Wriothesley..."

 At his husband's exasperated sigh, Wriothesley just continued grinning.

 "Madame Mary and her apparently silver-tongued husband can't be the only ones dancing."

 "For you to speak of another's silver tongue..."

 "Oh, you have yet to hear the best of it."

 "You mean the worst of it?"