voidtreckerexpress | (open) my heart is about to jump out of my chest

Entry tags:

(open) my heart is about to jump out of my chest

Who: Inigo and you!
Where: The upper level of the music carriage
When: Imagination 19/20
What: Inigo thinks he's having a private dance practice moment. Thinks.
Warnings: Probably nothing, will edit if necessary.

---

(open to all)

If you happen to pass through the music carriage today - as people usually do when moving through the train - you may notice something. Either you can hear music coming from the upper floor, drawing your attention, or if you have a good heart, you may instead see an odd little creature sitting on the stairs, swaying from side to side along with the music.

If you decide to go upstairs, the creature certainly won't do anything to stop you, if you can see it. In fact, it seems to happily bounce right after you, following you up.

And upstairs the carriage is mostly empty - except for Inigo standing on the stage, dancing. The music is even more audible now. Inigo is dancing along to the beat, eyes closed, yet he doesn't seem to even come close to falling off the stage, as if he knows exactly where to place his feet. Which he probably does, considering his movements seem to be very fluid, practiced. It's a pretty captivating dance, honestly, and it's easy to just keep watching it without realising the time is passing until the song stops.

It's then that Inigo stops moving too, finally opening his eyes..

.. and therefore finally noticing that he's not alone. He lets out an absolute shriek, staring you straight in the eyes, before his foot slips and he finally ends up falling on the stage.

Temporary elegance gone. There is only a miserable little pile of Inigo on the stage now.

(closed to taiki)

Okay, okay. Maybe he just needs to get used to dancing in front of people. He danced in front of Tidus before, and that was only.. only mildly mortifying, so maybe that's what he should do. Make sure to dance in front of people he feels a bit more comfortable with.

Hence why Inigo gently dragged (read: made puppy eyes at until he gave in) Taiki along here. He said it was fine if Taiki would just sit there and paint or something, do whatever he feels like doing! It's just that Inigo has to get used to having an audience, okay! And Taiki is just about the most gentle person Inigo can think of for this sort of thing.

But thinking of that is one thing. The actual execution of this plan is another thing.

Which is why they're both here now, but rather than dancing, Inigo just sitting there on the stage, slumped over, groaning. His face is buried in his hands.

"Why is it so hard to get started when someone else is looking.." Is he whining to Taiki? To himself? Who knows.

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Despite being good and not turning around to look at him, Inigo doesn't trust this. He doesn't trust this one bit. Tidus always finds a way to sneak in something that catches Inigo off guard.

And despite anticipating as much, he's still thrown off anyway by the other's last comment. Inigo was already blushing, but right now his face feels so hot that someone could probably fry an egg on his forehead. He doesn't even know what to say! What do you say when your bro-crush makes a joke like that at you, huh?!

And of course the answer to that question is to not think about the question at all and instead just blurt out--

"What, do you want a lapdance or something?!"

Whh--!!! "HEY!"

Nope, Tidus isn't staying faced the other way with that accusation. He's swift, almost too much so, legs knocking off their chair and as he turns, exclaiming, "I didn'--!" --

well, that doesn't get to finish coming out without Tidus first tumbling to the floor full body. But he's on his hands and knees, ready to continue, finish where he left off-!

"I didn't mean that! Guy-- guys can't give lapdances! What do you know about lapdances anyway!?"

Read: What does Tidus know about lapdances apparently, his brain maybe still out of place from the sudden drop. Or, more likely, he's just always this dumb.

"It was just a joke! Geez!"

Guess who is moving over towards where Tidus is on the floor. And sure, Inigo will probably help him up in a moment, since that's always how this goes, but there's first another moment where he still has to be offended at the other.

And the fact that he's - for once!! - towering over Tidus by standing there in front of him while Tidus is still on hands and knees helps with that. Even as Inigo still looks majorly flustered. You can't win them all.

"Uh, I know plenty about lapdances!" Now that's a bluff if Inigo has ever used one. But he does know quite a bit about dance, so whatever, it's just.. a creative extension of the truth! "And guys can also give those, don't be ridiculous! I'm a lapdance expert!"

He crosses his arms in front of him, huffing.

"Don't mess with a truth you can't handle!" Even jokingly!

....

"You can't even dance in front of me normal-like," Tidus points out flatly. Bewildered. Is he just arguing against him for his pride?? (bro did you turn into him)

Tidus hasn't even bothered to stand up properly, though he is going to lean off his hands so he can sit on his knees, at least briefly. Depending on where this goes.

(Maybe sometimes bros just start rubbing off on each other a little bit, who knows..)

"W-Well!" Inigo starts, bravely. But the protest soon dies in his throat, because he knows Tidus is just right. There's nothing he can say about it. He truly can't even dance in front of Tidus normally. Or in front of anyone. If there wouldn't already have been a blush on his cheeks, surely it would have appeared at this very moment at his realisation of shame.

He glances down, staring intensely at his shoes, as if it's their fault all of this is happening. Inigo kicks a little at the floor.

"I probably could do that sort of thing one day.." He mumbles, clearly embarrassed. "But it doesn't help when you say guys can't do that sort of thing."

Since that's part of what makes him so insecure about dancing as a whole to begin with.

...okay, Inigo has a point there. He sits there feeling back for a second or so, but then he rises, picking himself up off his knees.

"You're right; I don't actually know about guys and...lapdances," he admits sheepishly, even to just bring it up. But it's a brief shyness before he tries offering more positively:

"But that means you need to prove me wrong! Learn whatever dance you wanna dance!" Yeah!!! He makes confident fists, absolutely into this plan. Show him what you're made of, Inigo!!

...

...

"Uh," clarifies a note lower, "but you don't need to show me how to-- you know."

He opens his mouth, ready to say thanks for Tidus's sheepish, then more confident words, but then just.. has to add that last part.

So the blush on Inigo's cheeks? It's not disappearing quite yet.

"I'm not--" He sputters, a few unintelligible sounds coming from his mouth as his brain has to shut down and reboot for a second here. "I wasn't planning to!"

Are you sure, Inigo, because those words from a few moments ago sure were implying it.

"I couldn't just-- Sweet Naga!" He momentarily shoves his hands into his face before pulling them away again, like the very mental image of this is too much. "You don't even like guys that way, so there's no point!"

What would he think about a guy giving him a lapdance...?

... ... ... uhhh maybe he's going to stop thinking about that--

"Okay! Okayokay! No lapdances! For anyone! Cool!"

Cool cool this is all cool, Tidus puts up his hands palm flat. We're all good and cool and on the same page, there's no need for anyone to feel weird or awkward right now!

"I'm going here!" He gestures to the chair he'd been sitting on, deciding to let Inigo know all his actions first before he takes them. Plop, there he goes onto the sit! Look, he's a good and behaving Tidus!

"Pick whatever you want to! You been checking out any of the music in here? Let me hear what you like!"

"Ugh."

Inigo moves his hands over his face again, almost like he's scrubbing it this time. Trying to scrub the memory from his mind, the thought of lapdances. There it goes, it's gone. Forever.

(He's totally going to involuntarily imagine it again later and hate himself a little for it.)

But he sucks in a deep breath and tries to at least forget it for now. Not think about it while he's still in Tidus's presence. Instead he moves over towards the music console, starting on using it.

"I've been looking a bit.." It's hard to tell if he's just understating it because he's embarrassed or if he's still flustered by the mess from a moment ago. But there's something to Inigo's tone that does suggest it was more than just 'a bit'. "Since I thought you were right. About me having to find out what I like, even though this is all new to me."

Rather than just knowing what he doesn't like.

There's a few more touches on the console, and a song starts playing.

"I thought this one is nice.. though honestly, it's a little embarrassing to just show that to someone too.. Just don't tell me my taste is bad if you think so, alright!" Especially since Inigo has no idea what the general opinion or taste on music is like.

"I'm not gonna say anything!" Tidus insists, before the music really starts to play. But Inigo is getting nervous before it gets anywhere either, so-!

So Tidus waits, allowing more of the song to get going. Wanting to make some comment about the tune, the lyrics- something about sexy, but he doesn't want to fall into that mistake a second time! Saying as amicably and non-provoking as he can, "It's good. I like it."

It's not his kind of music, but it's not bad to listen to.

"Do you have a...dance already? Some idea for one?" Well, if you were to ask him- "It sounds like a two person dance."

Doesn't it?

Thank god for Tidus seizing hold of that one shared braincell enough to not escalate this all over again. What a good, tactful boy. And it works, because his comment is simple and neutral enough that it doesn't startle Inigo all over again. Instead he just hums a little in response, thinking, especially when Tidus starts on that last part.

"It does, huh?" So obviously that even Tidus managed to pick on that, despite dancing not being his speciality. But.. "I think I could probably dance on it alone though. Mother was always good at that, finding ways to turn anything into a solo dance if necessary.."

His voice trails off a little at the memory, though Inigo doesn't really want to linger on it too long. This is no time to get all sentimental. (As if he doesn't get sentimental all the time already.)

"I mean, it's not like I have someone to dance with."

"You can ask," he says, and then right away, "I know why you don't, but - what about Taiki? Or another friend? Someone you're comfortable with this. Do you..."

How to phrase it. The music is still ongoing as they speak, an easy to follow melody.

"Do you get moves in your head and remember them? People do that, there's a word... music that has a fixed dance to it." Ah, what is it? He's snapping his finger and thumb, but it's not coming. "I don't remember what it's called - but you can make something like that. It'd be fun. A dance you can plan out and learn with someone."

"I mean, if I'm already not comfortable with you watching me, I don't know how I'm going to get comfortable about the idea of dancing together with someone."

Because he trusts Tidus, no matter how many dumb antics they get up to. And he is comfortable with him, yet he still doesn't even dare to dance knowing that the other is here watching. He's pretty sure he'd feel similarly about it with Taiki, even though he also trusts him with his whole heart. And watching is still a step down on the embarrassment ladder compared to dancing together!

It's already visible on Inigo's face. Just how much he dreads the very thought of it. Like he's getting shy over a mere hypothetical.

"I think I've still got a long way to go before I could do something like that."

Tidus can't see Inigo's face, whatever state it's in, respecting his whole adamant privacy of 'don't even see a strand of my hair while I'm in dance mode' -- but he can hear his reluctance. And more than that, the dread induced by this conversation. Tidus wishes he could change it, tell him it'll be alright - but he knows words alone won't do anything.

"Well-" Action. They need action. "Why don't you teach me a simple dance? I don't know anything about dancing, and it'd be like dancing with someone -- we'll both be moving!"

His hands raise up, in that animated way they do whenever he speaks in earnest. Head turning a few times in Inigo's direction, but never fully.

"We can learn a dance together even!" Oh, oh-- he's flapping a hand here, and now he's turning around, upper body and all, leaning on the back of his chair. "You ever seen a dance movie? In the cinema? I bet there's some in there. We can find something and copy it! What about that?"

Is this any different from the idea he just had? Not really, but Tidus sure sounds more optimistic about it.

Inigo's mouth opens and closes a few times, mostly since he really wants to tell Tidus that he doesn't have to keep looking away while he's not dancing yet, since watching his back talk is pretty awkward, but then quickly thinks better of it and doesn't say it. And that cycle repeats a few times.

Until Tidus himself turns around instead, practically bursting at the seams with enthusiasm, leaving Inigo unable to do much more than stare at his friend with a blush on his cheek.

"Uh.."

Nothing about this plan is much different than what Tidus suggested a moment ago.

But what kind of party pooper would Inigo be if he'd just shoot it down when Tidus seems to be so much for it? Even if it's being a party pooper born out of shyness.

"I, um, I guess that's fine?" He even sounds shy, just in tone, even if you wouldn't look at Inigo's very red face. But he's trying as much as he can here. Despite the way his heart is pounding more and more rapidly in his chest by the moment. "I-If you wouldn't mind either..?"

"No way! It was my idea." So there's no way he can turn around and change his mind now. He's committed, even more so with Inigo conceding despite every apparent bone in his body wanting to do the opposite. Look at that strength! Tidus has to support it!!

"I'll look up some movies later - after training. We can watch some then." Is he sure there's dance movies? Not completely, but given the library both that car and the music car has, it doesn't seem unlikely.

"But for now, I wanna see you dance!" A pause. "Or...you know. Have you dance. Behind me."

This is the part where he should be turning around, right? Tidus is taking looks and moves like he might, but there's a reluctance. But look, look, he'll be a good boy and face the other way eventually...!

Tidus says those last two words - 'behind me' - and then it's silent.

Because Tidus is still sitting there, staring at Inigo. Not turning around yet. And Inigo, in turn, is just standing there. Staring at Tidus as he's not turning around.

The awkward pause hangs in the air for a moment, gears turning somewhere in some brain, though who's to say which of the boys has seized hold of their single shared braincell right about now.

But whether it's braincell-powered or not, Inigo speaks up after a moment of the silence.

"I'll dance in front of you."

Whatever. WHATEVER. He'll just do it. If Tidus is here anyway, then Inigo might as well just dance without him being turned around. How big of a deal could it be, really? His head is probably just making it bigger than it really is!

Inigo walks over to restart the song, then walks back onto the stage.

He looks over at Tidus. Meeting the other's gaze, and immediately realises that he is making a capital M Mistake.

"J-- Just give me a second! No, ten! At least ten!"

puppy eyes puppy eyes

Look, can Tidus be blamed that he doesn't exactly want to be rushing to face a wall? That's mainly it - that for once, he isn't trying to trick or deceive Inigo into doing anything. It just happens!

But when Inigo does concede, Tidus lights up: a genuine surprise morping into delight. Because really, even if he knows zilch about dancing, any other alternative was both dull and weird.

No - watching Inigo was bound to be way more fun. Tidus is initially quiet in his seat -- though, that ready energy has its own volume, really -- beaming when their eyes meet.

"Okay!" No problem! Oh oh oh- "What if I do this?"

This being his hands going up on his face. Palm heels at the bottom, but then crossing over, so Tidus can easily peek an eye out by lifting a hand.

Hiiiiii.

"I can't believe you're somehow making it worse."

But it's a protest without any real energy behind it, let alone venom. It's mostly just said to try and channel all of his shy and nervous energy into something, even if it's just a weak form of their usual banter.

Besides, something about the way Tidus's gaze lights up.. It's a little cute, and also touching that just the idea of watching him dance is enough to do that. Though Inigo is pretty sure he'd be able to appreciate it much more if he didn't have that cloud of shyness hanging over his mind like right now.

But he isn't going to go back on his word now.

So after saying that, he closes his eyes. Breathes in, breathes out. Tries to clear his head as well as he can - which isn't very well at all - and then, when he opens his eyes again, he starts moving.

At first the movement is awkward, maybe even a bit clumsy. Especially when compared to the other time he danced in front of Tidus. But it's the nerves he's still trying to shake off, and after a few moments, once the music starts leading him more than his thoughts, the movements start becoming more fluent again. More carefree. His eyes fall closed again, as if it's easier for him that way, when he at least doesn't have to look, doesn't have to see Tidus right there.

And it's only then that a bit more sneaks into it. Because Tidus was right about the song having a sexy edge to it - and that much is visible in Inigo's movements too. It's an odd contrast with Inigo's usual shyness, especially since there's a weird kind of confidence about the moves. Like he's much less disturbed about the idea of displaying that when he's so caught up in the dance. When he's moving, rather than thinking.

Tidus knows he's being goofy, or must look goofy, though there's more sincerity in his movements than a ploy to get Inigo to laugh. Some way of coming to a compromise, even if there's no way of getting Inigo out of that fright. No matter how they might try to meet in the middle.

Except, it can't be that bad. This isn't the first time Tidus has watched him, so why should this be any different? So he thinks, and life hasn't changed that much between the last time and now. As Inigo lives in his resignation and the music starts to play and reveal its beat, Tidus's hands slip from his face; whether they would have being able to stay there anyway, a mystery. He doesn't judge the slippery beginning, or anything else particular to come. He's open eyes, open ears.

--though, that's some pretty raunchy looking dance moves, bud.

Is it? Tidus wonders; if Inigo thinks about it in the moment, that fingers barely trailing from chest to belly pushed out in display, a head tipped back, hold the same meaning as a person looking from his life and someone from Ylisse. Inigo never seems to falter, to think however, once he begins; if the world does truly melt away for him, or if in the midst of a dance, he can find his conviction. Do and be who he wants to be.

Whatever it is- whoever it is- that Inigo becomes, Tidus makes sure that once the music seems to be coming to some kind of end, to be looking away. Or eyes darting off to the side, but then still taking peeks, wondering if Inigo might finally remember he's there. Does he want him looking once he comes down from his dance high? No?? Should Tidus speak first?? He can speak first!!

It really is like snapping out of something, the moment the music stops. It's not like it comes sudden, since the progression of the music makes it very obvious that the song is about to end, but it's still like being dragged down to a different level. Suddenly much more aware of his surroundings again, other background noises slipping back in that were lost to the music before.

Inigo opens his eyes again, and that's the moment he catches Tidus mostly looking away.. but sneaking some really, really obvious glances his way. Absolutely anyone would notice what he's doing.

And it's a little embarrassing, sure, but.. dancing feels so nice, and that's the feeling Inigo tries to focus on here, as it still lingers in his chest. Trying to not let it get overtaken by the mortifying ordeal of being known.

He slumps to the ground, sitting down on the stage, drawing his knees up to his chest.

"What are you doing?" Inigo probably intended that to sound a certain way. Maybe grumbly, maybe even scolding in some sort of sense.

But instead it almost sounds amused, his cheeks vaguely pink as he stares over his knees at where Tidus is sitting.

Tidus is caught in the act -- a hard to miss act. But there's no scolding, no terrified demand, so he gives up the pretence of wanting to do anything but look at his friend. And to see that expression, so delightful, so warm. It creeps a goofy smile up on his own lips, and while he could answer, he doesn't.

He rests an elbow on his legs instead, leaning forward. Propping his head, fingers a line along the side of his jaw, his cheek.

"That's a nice face," he comments, a praise and compliment in a tease. Features scrunching together as he brightens that smile, the tickle of a chuckle coming up his throat. "Want another song?"

Inigo doesn't avert his gaze, despite his shyness. Despite it only growing stronger the longer he looks at Tidus - when he sees the other smiling back at him like that, and then saying those words. Despite the teasing edge to them, Inigo feels butterflies twirling around inside of his stomach all the same, and it's taking pretty much everything he's got to not hide his face by burying it against his legs.

One day he might learn how to deal with praise, especially coming from the people who mean the most to him. But today is not that day.

"A-Already?" He instead stammers out in response to the question that follows it. Something that's a tad easier to focus on, everything considered. "Are you sure you're not getting bored just watching me?"

"When you sit like that after? Y'know," he says with a sly slip, "I'd almost say you're looking cute over there, Inigo."

His goofy smile turns into a grin, the flash of teeth as he gets up onto his feet. Heading to where the music controls are, so Inigo doesn't have to get up and do anything himself. After all-

"How about I find you something? You tried listening to more music by those two? I can bring up their names."

It might be part a music session as well as dance session, but this gives Tidus something to do too. And maybe he's got a song or two he thinks Inigo might like...!

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