Building a House part 9
Title: Building a House part 9: Floors
Universe: Young Avengers House of M AU
Rating: PG
Summary: “You didn’t used to mind when I touched you.” Discussions of culture, groping, and alien invasions. Guest Starring Victor Borkowski and Karolina Dean. And for the record, I really suck at writing action.
William kept smacking Dorrek’s hand away.
“You didn’t used to mind when I touched you,” the Emperor pointed out.
“You didn’t used to grope me in public,” William hissed back. “I don’t know why I agreed to this.”
“I appealed to your curiosity.” Dorrek said brightly.
William glowered, tugging at the collar of his tee-shirt, which was, in fact, Thomas’. As were the jeans, and the shoes. He’d borrowed them because he didn’t have anything that wouldn’t proclaim his princely status except for his gardening clothes, and he wasn’t about to wear those in public.
Someone jostled him as he moved through the crowds on the street, and he gaped at them for a moment.
He was the first to admit that there was nothing particularly memorable about his looks, but did nobody recognize him?
“It’s nice to be anonymous,” Dorrek murmured, a hand resting on William’s arm. His other hand made another attempt for his backside, and William slapped it away with a scowl.
“Stop that.”
“Why? Nobody will care about two hatchlings being affectionate.”
“I care.” William reminded him. “And on Earth, two boys don’t grope in public.”
“I fail to see how the gender matters.” Dorrek said, clearly puzzled.
“It’s a cultural thing.”
Dorrek made a decidedly derisive noise.
“I don’t find your culture to be all that enlightened, since it seems to involve not taking ‘no’ for an answer,” William said coldly.
“I am the Emperor,” Dorrek pointed out, as if this should make everything clear.
“You are my grandfather’s guest. This does not entitle you to take liberties.”
“You are the one who kissed me first.” Dorrek smirked.
“And if you had told me to stop, I would have.”
***
William’s heel hit the floor in time to the beat, his eyes on the writhing mass of bodies on the dance floor, barely illuminated by the flashing lights. Dorrek watched the floor with considerably more trepidation.
“What inspired this?” William shouted over the music.
“You like to dance,” Dorrek shouted back. He noted, with no small amount of pleasure, that the prince was smiling, and his body moving slightly to the rhythm. “This is where people on this planet come to dance, right?”
William looked away from the dance floor, offering Dorrek his hand. The Emperor held up both of his hands and shook his head, taking a step back. “I don’t dance. Go on. I’ll find a place to sit.”
William gave him a doubtful look. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure,” Dorrek said. “Respect my wishes.”
William gave him a disgusted look and descended to the dance floor. Dorrek leaned against a rail and watched, a grin tugging at his lips. The Genoshian prince looked over his shoulder and up, and Dorrek waved. He was reasonably certain William was rolling his eyes as he turned away. Dorrek settled against the rail and watched his intended slip into the sea of dancers. He flowed with them, finding the rhythm and following it.
He was graceful, every step and turn perfect. He’d dance with one person for a few minutes, then switch off to another. Dorrek felt only the slightest twinge of jealousy. Let the others dance with his Billy; it was Dorrek the boy belonged to.
A circle cleared in the center of the floor, around a girl that the Skrull Emperor quickly identified as a Majesdanian. She glowed like a rainbow, a trail of light flowing behind her with every move. She laughed and danced, floating above the crowd and pulsing with the beat. The song ended, a faster one taking it’s place. Blue sparks shot in front of the Majesdanian, and Dorrek’s grin grew.
William held a hand out to the girl, blue light flashing and sparking around him. She laughed, taking his hand, and they danced. People made room for them, watching and cheering as their brilliance filled the club. It was like watching two stars orbit each other.
They broke apart laughing, both fading back into the crowd. Dorrek blinked a few times, letting his eyes readjust to the dimness.
***
William was still laughing at the joke Karolina had told him as they had parted ways as he moved back through the crowd, feeling more than a little giddy.
Nobody knew who he was. Not one person on the floor. Someone had trod on his foot, and the only thing that happened was he was told to watch where he was going.
He stumbled over someone’s tail and crashed into someone else. “Whoops! Sorry, I-” William turned, and the words died on his lips. “Victor!”
Victor’s hands, which had been steadying the prince, quickly withdrew. “Sire,” he squeaked, “I-”
William silenced him with a gesture. “Not here!”
Victor nodded, checking over the crowd quickly. “This way,” the reptilian Crimson Guard trainee said, threading his way through the crowd. William followed without complaint. That part of his mind that wasn’t fretting over his cover being blown noted that this was the first time he’d ever seen Victor out of uniform, and that he looked… cute. “What are you doing here?”
“Dancing.” William held up both hands to fend off Victor’s annoyed look. “The Skrull Emperor wanted to see more of the city.”
“I’m surprised your escort let you come in here,” Victor said with a grin and a snort. “It would be simplicity itself to sneak an assassin into the crowd.
William scratched the back of his head and grinned.
“You don’t have an escort,” the trainee said flatly.
“I can take care of myself.”
“As a member of the Crimson Guard, my duty is to protect the Royal Family.”
“You’re just a trainee.”
“It’s the first oath I-”
Whatever Victor had been about to say was cut off by an explosion at the westward wall, sending chunks of concrete and people flying. The reptilian mutant knocked the prince’s feet out from under him, protecting him from the flying wreckage. “Go!” he shouted as people in strange armor came pouring through the hole.
“We’ve got to find Dori!” William shouted back, using his powers to force his way through the crowd. His eyes scanned for the Emperor, but in the confusion…
He spotted Dorrek as he was being swarmed by the oddly armored invaders. The Emperor shifted his shape, growing scales and claws to better defend himself, but he was swiftly being overwhelmed. “There!” William flew up, his power pulsing around him. He heard Victor swearing as he followed as best he could. William couldn’t care less. “Get away from him!”
The attackers went flying in a burst of blue light, leaving Dorrek blinking up at him. “I have got to remember that you can do that,” he rumbled.
The Emperor’s distraction nearly cost him his head to one of the soldiers, but a well placed kick from Victor sent the enemy flying into the wall.
“You,” William accused, “have been holding back when we spar.”
The look the Crimson Guard trainee gave the prince was almost comical.
Universe: Young Avengers House of M AU
Rating: PG
Summary: “You didn’t used to mind when I touched you.” Discussions of culture, groping, and alien invasions. Guest Starring Victor Borkowski and Karolina Dean. And for the record, I really suck at writing action.
William kept smacking Dorrek’s hand away.
“You didn’t used to mind when I touched you,” the Emperor pointed out.
“You didn’t used to grope me in public,” William hissed back. “I don’t know why I agreed to this.”
“I appealed to your curiosity.” Dorrek said brightly.
William glowered, tugging at the collar of his tee-shirt, which was, in fact, Thomas’. As were the jeans, and the shoes. He’d borrowed them because he didn’t have anything that wouldn’t proclaim his princely status except for his gardening clothes, and he wasn’t about to wear those in public.
Someone jostled him as he moved through the crowds on the street, and he gaped at them for a moment.
He was the first to admit that there was nothing particularly memorable about his looks, but did nobody recognize him?
“It’s nice to be anonymous,” Dorrek murmured, a hand resting on William’s arm. His other hand made another attempt for his backside, and William slapped it away with a scowl.
“Stop that.”
“Why? Nobody will care about two hatchlings being affectionate.”
“I care.” William reminded him. “And on Earth, two boys don’t grope in public.”
“I fail to see how the gender matters.” Dorrek said, clearly puzzled.
“It’s a cultural thing.”
Dorrek made a decidedly derisive noise.
“I don’t find your culture to be all that enlightened, since it seems to involve not taking ‘no’ for an answer,” William said coldly.
“I am the Emperor,” Dorrek pointed out, as if this should make everything clear.
“You are my grandfather’s guest. This does not entitle you to take liberties.”
“You are the one who kissed me first.” Dorrek smirked.
“And if you had told me to stop, I would have.”
***
William’s heel hit the floor in time to the beat, his eyes on the writhing mass of bodies on the dance floor, barely illuminated by the flashing lights. Dorrek watched the floor with considerably more trepidation.
“What inspired this?” William shouted over the music.
“You like to dance,” Dorrek shouted back. He noted, with no small amount of pleasure, that the prince was smiling, and his body moving slightly to the rhythm. “This is where people on this planet come to dance, right?”
William looked away from the dance floor, offering Dorrek his hand. The Emperor held up both of his hands and shook his head, taking a step back. “I don’t dance. Go on. I’ll find a place to sit.”
William gave him a doubtful look. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure,” Dorrek said. “Respect my wishes.”
William gave him a disgusted look and descended to the dance floor. Dorrek leaned against a rail and watched, a grin tugging at his lips. The Genoshian prince looked over his shoulder and up, and Dorrek waved. He was reasonably certain William was rolling his eyes as he turned away. Dorrek settled against the rail and watched his intended slip into the sea of dancers. He flowed with them, finding the rhythm and following it.
He was graceful, every step and turn perfect. He’d dance with one person for a few minutes, then switch off to another. Dorrek felt only the slightest twinge of jealousy. Let the others dance with his Billy; it was Dorrek the boy belonged to.
A circle cleared in the center of the floor, around a girl that the Skrull Emperor quickly identified as a Majesdanian. She glowed like a rainbow, a trail of light flowing behind her with every move. She laughed and danced, floating above the crowd and pulsing with the beat. The song ended, a faster one taking it’s place. Blue sparks shot in front of the Majesdanian, and Dorrek’s grin grew.
William held a hand out to the girl, blue light flashing and sparking around him. She laughed, taking his hand, and they danced. People made room for them, watching and cheering as their brilliance filled the club. It was like watching two stars orbit each other.
They broke apart laughing, both fading back into the crowd. Dorrek blinked a few times, letting his eyes readjust to the dimness.
***
William was still laughing at the joke Karolina had told him as they had parted ways as he moved back through the crowd, feeling more than a little giddy.
Nobody knew who he was. Not one person on the floor. Someone had trod on his foot, and the only thing that happened was he was told to watch where he was going.
He stumbled over someone’s tail and crashed into someone else. “Whoops! Sorry, I-” William turned, and the words died on his lips. “Victor!”
Victor’s hands, which had been steadying the prince, quickly withdrew. “Sire,” he squeaked, “I-”
William silenced him with a gesture. “Not here!”
Victor nodded, checking over the crowd quickly. “This way,” the reptilian Crimson Guard trainee said, threading his way through the crowd. William followed without complaint. That part of his mind that wasn’t fretting over his cover being blown noted that this was the first time he’d ever seen Victor out of uniform, and that he looked… cute. “What are you doing here?”
“Dancing.” William held up both hands to fend off Victor’s annoyed look. “The Skrull Emperor wanted to see more of the city.”
“I’m surprised your escort let you come in here,” Victor said with a grin and a snort. “It would be simplicity itself to sneak an assassin into the crowd.
William scratched the back of his head and grinned.
“You don’t have an escort,” the trainee said flatly.
“I can take care of myself.”
“As a member of the Crimson Guard, my duty is to protect the Royal Family.”
“You’re just a trainee.”
“It’s the first oath I-”
Whatever Victor had been about to say was cut off by an explosion at the westward wall, sending chunks of concrete and people flying. The reptilian mutant knocked the prince’s feet out from under him, protecting him from the flying wreckage. “Go!” he shouted as people in strange armor came pouring through the hole.
“We’ve got to find Dori!” William shouted back, using his powers to force his way through the crowd. His eyes scanned for the Emperor, but in the confusion…
He spotted Dorrek as he was being swarmed by the oddly armored invaders. The Emperor shifted his shape, growing scales and claws to better defend himself, but he was swiftly being overwhelmed. “There!” William flew up, his power pulsing around him. He heard Victor swearing as he followed as best he could. William couldn’t care less. “Get away from him!”
The attackers went flying in a burst of blue light, leaving Dorrek blinking up at him. “I have got to remember that you can do that,” he rumbled.
The Emperor’s distraction nearly cost him his head to one of the soldiers, but a well placed kick from Victor sent the enemy flying into the wall.
“You,” William accused, “have been holding back when we spar.”
The look the Crimson Guard trainee gave the prince was almost comical.