Only when he wants to show me off, but I've messed that up tonight.
( He replies β evidently resigned to the idea of being a jewel on Deklan's arm as opposed to a person in his own right. That much has been made perfectly clear by the way Deklan treats him both at home and in public: he's largely to be seen and not heard unless he's asked to sing or make sparkling conversation, and Deklan must be able to rub him in the faces of his peers whenever he so wishes.
Tonight would have been one such night β but Yuri has already managed to spoil it. With little to look forward to beyond a tense carriage-ride home and a slap before bed, why not let himself indulge a little? )
You wanna dance with me out here? Just the two of us?
( Not being flaunted, not simply a status symbol, not someone Alexandre has essentially bought and paid for. Yuri's lips quirk into a smile as he fits his hand against the soldier's properly, then shifts his stance just enough to sink into a playful curtsey. )
[Careful not to aggravate Yuri's already-bruised wrist, Dimitri moves into position himself as well, returning the curtsey with a perfectly noble bow — suspiciously noble for a commonplace soldier, even a highly observant one — before drawing his partner carefully against him. In Faerghus, such proximity would be astonishing even among spouses and lovers; their dances are more reserved, more reliant on the eroticism of enforced space.
But in the south, where the climate is warmer, the passion in their dancing burns freely as well, and a spectacle like this would only be questionable — or even merely playful — rather than a scandal. And so he guides Yuri close, taking full advantage of the moment to let him feel the rippling muscle hidden beneath the finery of his garments, then fits their hands and arms into position and begins to guide him to dance.
He doesn't just lead well; he leads perfectly.]
I must confess something to you. I hope you'll forgive me for being presumptuous.
[His voice turns light, almost teasing, as they sway through steps that set them slowly turning around the expanse of the balcony.]
But it's my intention to make you forget there's anything beyond those curtains right now, save light and music. I hope you don't mind.
( Yuri is surprised, to say the least, that a soldier from the north would not only have no qualms in adapting to the more intimate style of dancing from the south, but that he's able to arrange them into the correct position with the same ease as a man at least party raised in the ballroom. He moves Yuri into space effortlessly, andβ
Oh.
Oh.
He swallows just the once as he's given a taste of what Alexandre might feel like beneath his clothes. The press of his body is as hard and unyielding as if he were carved and smoothed from marble: there's strength in him, moreso than Yuri realised, and a frisson of heat ripples through the lowest part of his core as he clears his throat just the once.
Saints, but it's been a while since Yuri touched someone other than Deklan. )
... Yeah?
( Realising he's being spoken to, Yuri takes a moment to pull himself together as he settles into the light embrace. Alexandre sways them towards the balcony without missing so much as a step: he's confident, at perfect ease in the role of lead, and Yuri lets himself settle into the flow of movement as they slip in and out of the ballroom's light. )
It might take more than a dance to make me forget where I am, handsome.
( It's perhaps a little more flirtatious than he intended, but Goddess, it's hard not to be. Yuri chuckles softly as they move together, his face tilting up towards Alexandre: )
But it's a good start. You're really spoiling me tonight, you know?
As I said, I'm committed to my intentions. If it takes more than this, then so be it.
[But Yuri laughs. He laughs, and it's warm, and it's real. And whatever else Dimitri does or doesn't do for the rest of this evening, or even for the rest of his stay in Enbarr, at least he's done this much. He's set right the heartache that Yuri's intended — whatever his name was, he'll bother with it later — had caused earlier in the evening, and now look at him. Look at him, awash in gold and silver light both, between the glitter of the candles and the glow of the moon.
He's smiling without realizing it, himself. How rare and wonderful; usually at functions like this, he has to remind himself to pull a pleasant expression onto his face. Not so when he's got Yuri Leclerc in his arms, and they're winding slowly in circles to the rhythm of the music from within.]
It's worth it to know I returned a smile to your face.
[Coming from most people, that would be the most obvious line in the world. Only the way Dimitri says it, it's hard not to think he really, truly means it.]
You're an excellent partner. If I didn't know better, I'd doubt your feet were even touching the ground, so light are your steps.
( Yuri chuckles at the line, of only to disperse a little of the air of sincerity coming from the other man. It's impossible to imagine that Alexandre is lying β he's so earnest, so committed to each word that leaves his mouth β but Yuri isn't used to being spoken to like he's someone who truly matters. If he lets himself think too hard about how sweet this man is, well ...
He could end up spoiling this for the both of them. )
You did. Single-handedly, I should say.
( The smile remains on his lips β grows wider as Dimitri spins him out and draws him back, their palms finding one another as they settle against each other again. )
I learned to dance when I was learning to sing; you can't expect to get much work on the stage without being at least half decent at both.
( The tail-end of an eyebrow ticks up just a little. )
[He can't help but indulge the mental image for a moment, fantasy though he knows it is: some sort of rehearsal on the wide stage of the opera, all the corps in comfortable, breathable warm-ups instead of the elaborate costumes they wear for their performances, seated in rows while a dance master pounds a cane against the wood to keep time and guides them through the steps. Yuri must have stood out from the crowds even then; he's as birdlike in his grace as he is in his song.]
You won't believe me if I claim I learned from watching others, will you?
[This time, when they circle back, he doesn't maintain the distance between them as he has with other quarter-turns. He lets the movement draw Yuri briefly against him, before the placement of their steps returns the space a moment later.]
I learned from my cousin. We were both young, and she was quite the taskmaster. She wouldn't accept even the slightest mistake out of me, wouldn't let me leave until I had mastered it to her satisfaction.
[Heads of state rarely dance with each other at social functions; the political ramifications always carry too much magnitude. It's really a shame; glass would shatter and jaws would drop if anyone were ever permitted to witness the sight of he and Edelgard winding their way around a floor.]
Will you now tease me for being a common soldier with such hidden depths?
Not exactly β but I'll tease you for claiming to be a "common soldier".
( Yuri replies, amusement sitting on the bow of his lips as he looks Alexandre in the face. He's known commons soldiers in all sorts of different ways, and not one of them has ever been as evidently wealthy, polished, precise, or good at dancing as the man in whose arms he's currently held. Shaking his head just the once, Yuri lets their palms slide together just briefly as they continue to turn around the balcony: )
I know you're lying to me, Alexandre. There's nothing about you that isn't a little suspicious ... but the dancing?
( He chuckles softly, his expression as warm as it is shrewd. )
Talk about the last straw.
( Yuri gives his hand a gentle squeeze. )
But, I'm willing to look the other way if that's what you need. If you've gotta keep being "Alexandre the soldier", then I can work with that. It's not like ... I mean, this is just a dance, right?
( Right? Never mind how good it felt to have his hand kissed, or his wishes respected, or to feel the momentary press of their bodies as Alexandre pulled him in to that quarter-turn. )
[Well. Perhaps he should have seen that conclusion coming, after all — it speaks well to Yuri's own cleverness and capacity for observation, and perhaps serves as a charming critique of Dimitri's own deficiencies when it comes to carrying on a facade. Some might be angry to have their deception called out so plainly; for his own part, Dimitri can't help but chuckle under his breath, sheepish in his concession to Yuri's point.]
My friends tell me often that I am an open book, with no aptitude for deception. They're insufferable when they're right.
[And yet something in him seems to have relaxed, in the wake of Yuri's conclusion — as though he's released some subconscious tension in himself, now that he doesn't have to try to stay one step ahead of his own excuses anymore. A veil seems to lift, and the Dimitri who twirls Yuri out and back again is a little more himself than he'd been before.]
Do you...know who I am, then? What I mean is — I'm only wondering if you've already guessed, clever as you are. Not because I'm seeking to impose anything upon you. Quite the contrary, I've enjoyed being Alexandre quite a bit.
[He pauses, then grins, lazy and warm.]
Well, I've enjoyed it when I've not been poked from all sides by the insistent spears of your questions, picking apart my every word. I've never been interrogated in such a manner; it was really quite unnerving. And refreshing.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
( Yuri smiles wryly. )
Only when he wants to show me off, but I've messed that up tonight.
( He replies β evidently resigned to the idea of being a jewel on Deklan's arm as opposed to a person in his own right. That much has been made perfectly clear by the way Deklan treats him both at home and in public: he's largely to be seen and not heard unless he's asked to sing or make sparkling conversation, and Deklan must be able to rub him in the faces of his peers whenever he so wishes.
Tonight would have been one such night β but Yuri has already managed to spoil it. With little to look forward to beyond a tense carriage-ride home and a slap before bed, why not let himself indulge a little? )
You wanna dance with me out here? Just the two of us?
( Not being flaunted, not simply a status symbol, not someone Alexandre has essentially bought and paid for. Yuri's lips quirk into a smile as he fits his hand against the soldier's properly, then shifts his stance just enough to sink into a playful curtsey. )
I accept.
no subject
[Careful not to aggravate Yuri's already-bruised wrist, Dimitri moves into position himself as well, returning the curtsey with a perfectly noble bow — suspiciously noble for a commonplace soldier, even a highly observant one — before drawing his partner carefully against him. In Faerghus, such proximity would be astonishing even among spouses and lovers; their dances are more reserved, more reliant on the eroticism of enforced space.
But in the south, where the climate is warmer, the passion in their dancing burns freely as well, and a spectacle like this would only be questionable — or even merely playful — rather than a scandal. And so he guides Yuri close, taking full advantage of the moment to let him feel the rippling muscle hidden beneath the finery of his garments, then fits their hands and arms into position and begins to guide him to dance.
He doesn't just lead well; he leads perfectly.]
I must confess something to you. I hope you'll forgive me for being presumptuous.
[His voice turns light, almost teasing, as they sway through steps that set them slowly turning around the expanse of the balcony.]
But it's my intention to make you forget there's anything beyond those curtains right now, save light and music. I hope you don't mind.
no subject
( Yuri is surprised, to say the least, that a soldier from the north would not only have no qualms in adapting to the more intimate style of dancing from the south, but that he's able to arrange them into the correct position with the same ease as a man at least party raised in the ballroom. He moves Yuri into space effortlessly, andβ
Oh.
Oh.
He swallows just the once as he's given a taste of what Alexandre might feel like beneath his clothes. The press of his body is as hard and unyielding as if he were carved and smoothed from marble: there's strength in him, moreso than Yuri realised, and a frisson of heat ripples through the lowest part of his core as he clears his throat just the once.
Saints, but it's been a while since Yuri touched someone other than Deklan. )
... Yeah?
( Realising he's being spoken to, Yuri takes a moment to pull himself together as he settles into the light embrace. Alexandre sways them towards the balcony without missing so much as a step: he's confident, at perfect ease in the role of lead, and Yuri lets himself settle into the flow of movement as they slip in and out of the ballroom's light. )
It might take more than a dance to make me forget where I am, handsome.
( It's perhaps a little more flirtatious than he intended, but Goddess, it's hard not to be. Yuri chuckles softly as they move together, his face tilting up towards Alexandre: )
But it's a good start. You're really spoiling me tonight, you know?
no subject
[But Yuri laughs. He laughs, and it's warm, and it's real. And whatever else Dimitri does or doesn't do for the rest of this evening, or even for the rest of his stay in Enbarr, at least he's done this much. He's set right the heartache that Yuri's intended — whatever his name was, he'll bother with it later — had caused earlier in the evening, and now look at him. Look at him, awash in gold and silver light both, between the glitter of the candles and the glow of the moon.
He's smiling without realizing it, himself. How rare and wonderful; usually at functions like this, he has to remind himself to pull a pleasant expression onto his face. Not so when he's got Yuri Leclerc in his arms, and they're winding slowly in circles to the rhythm of the music from within.]
It's worth it to know I returned a smile to your face.
[Coming from most people, that would be the most obvious line in the world. Only the way Dimitri says it, it's hard not to think he really, truly means it.]
You're an excellent partner. If I didn't know better, I'd doubt your feet were even touching the ground, so light are your steps.
no subject
( Yuri chuckles at the line, of only to disperse a little of the air of sincerity coming from the other man. It's impossible to imagine that Alexandre is lying β he's so earnest, so committed to each word that leaves his mouth β but Yuri isn't used to being spoken to like he's someone who truly matters. If he lets himself think too hard about how sweet this man is, well ...
He could end up spoiling this for the both of them. )
You did. Single-handedly, I should say.
( The smile remains on his lips β grows wider as Dimitri spins him out and draws him back, their palms finding one another as they settle against each other again. )
I learned to dance when I was learning to sing; you can't expect to get much work on the stage without being at least half decent at both.
( The tail-end of an eyebrow ticks up just a little. )
What's your excuse?
no subject
You won't believe me if I claim I learned from watching others, will you?
[This time, when they circle back, he doesn't maintain the distance between them as he has with other quarter-turns. He lets the movement draw Yuri briefly against him, before the placement of their steps returns the space a moment later.]
I learned from my cousin. We were both young, and she was quite the taskmaster. She wouldn't accept even the slightest mistake out of me, wouldn't let me leave until I had mastered it to her satisfaction.
[Heads of state rarely dance with each other at social functions; the political ramifications always carry too much magnitude. It's really a shame; glass would shatter and jaws would drop if anyone were ever permitted to witness the sight of he and Edelgard winding their way around a floor.]
Will you now tease me for being a common soldier with such hidden depths?
no subject
Not exactly β but I'll tease you for claiming to be a "common soldier".
( Yuri replies, amusement sitting on the bow of his lips as he looks Alexandre in the face. He's known commons soldiers in all sorts of different ways, and not one of them has ever been as evidently wealthy, polished, precise, or good at dancing as the man in whose arms he's currently held. Shaking his head just the once, Yuri lets their palms slide together just briefly as they continue to turn around the balcony: )
I know you're lying to me, Alexandre. There's nothing about you that isn't a little suspicious ... but the dancing?
( He chuckles softly, his expression as warm as it is shrewd. )
Talk about the last straw.
( Yuri gives his hand a gentle squeeze. )
But, I'm willing to look the other way if that's what you need. If you've gotta keep being "Alexandre the soldier", then I can work with that. It's not like ... I mean, this is just a dance, right?
( Right? Never mind how good it felt to have his hand kissed, or his wishes respected, or to feel the momentary press of their bodies as Alexandre pulled him in to that quarter-turn. )
no subject
[Well. Perhaps he should have seen that conclusion coming, after all — it speaks well to Yuri's own cleverness and capacity for observation, and perhaps serves as a charming critique of Dimitri's own deficiencies when it comes to carrying on a facade. Some might be angry to have their deception called out so plainly; for his own part, Dimitri can't help but chuckle under his breath, sheepish in his concession to Yuri's point.]
My friends tell me often that I am an open book, with no aptitude for deception. They're insufferable when they're right.
[And yet something in him seems to have relaxed, in the wake of Yuri's conclusion — as though he's released some subconscious tension in himself, now that he doesn't have to try to stay one step ahead of his own excuses anymore. A veil seems to lift, and the Dimitri who twirls Yuri out and back again is a little more himself than he'd been before.]
Do you...know who I am, then? What I mean is — I'm only wondering if you've already guessed, clever as you are. Not because I'm seeking to impose anything upon you. Quite the contrary, I've enjoyed being Alexandre quite a bit.
[He pauses, then grins, lazy and warm.]
Well, I've enjoyed it when I've not been poked from all sides by the insistent spears of your questions, picking apart my every word. I've never been interrogated in such a manner; it was really quite unnerving. And refreshing.