It Takes Two To Tango

Epilogue

A/N: Sooo, this is the last chapter of It Takes Two To Tango! I hope you all enjoyed this, and thank you so much for sticking with me through my unreliable updating and general failings :P If you're not already reading it, my new story, Problems in Paradise is up on Wattpad, I would LOVE to have you read it too! :) Much love, and take care, Maddie xoxo

It’s gloriously sunny, not a cloud in the gorgeously blue sky, only a slight breeze ruffling my hair; ideal weather for the wedding. As Jude and I walk down the church steps, arm in arm, the bells ringing loudly to celebrate the union of a new husband and wife, I smile up at him, letting out a little sigh of contentment.

‘Alright there?’ he asks me, amusedly, reaching down to adjust the flower in my hair for me- the same colour as his own corsage.

I nod. ‘Just something about weddings makes me want to smile a lot.’

‘You’re a hopeless romantic, aren’t you, Foxy?’ he tells me, slinging one arm around my waist.

‘Of course I am,’ I reply, wrinkling my nose at him. ‘You are too though, don’t deny it.’

‘Me?!’ Jude acts the innocent, widening those beautiful eyes of his. ‘Not in the slightest!’

I raise an eyebrow at him. ‘So what word would you use to describe that enormous bouquet of my favourite flowers you sent me on my birthday, then?’

Jude frowns, looking rather adorable as he does. ‘Generous. I just like to treat my girl, that’s all.’

‘And that day when you came round with chocolate and a cheesy rom com DVD when I was ill?’

‘Caring. Or selfish. I wanted you to get better so you’d be back to your normal hilarious self. And so I could kiss you.’

‘Well, what about the other day when you-’

Jude puts a finger on my lips. ‘Okay, we’ve had enough examples, missy,’ he tells me. ‘I think there are other things we have to deal with.’

Following his gaze, I see that the photographer is starting to take pictures, so we wander on over, breathing in the fresh country air. It had to be a quiet wedding, of course, seeing as the groom was a major celebrity, and it looks like the paparazzi haven’t caught up with the happy couple yet.

I look over, to where Alex is lifting Roo in the traditional bridal style, her white dress contrasting gorgeously with her flaming hair as she laughs at her husband, who seems to be teasing that he’ll drop her.

Jude and I were very touched to be invited to Alex and Roo’s wedding, and it was probably the most adorable wedding that I’ve ever seen. Their expressions as they said their vows had me welling up, and the fact that they had such a modest wedding, when they could afford to get married on an exotic beach somewhere really made it moving- it was all about their love and devotion to each other rather than flashing their wealth at everyone.

They both look stunning as the photographer gets them to stand in different positions, posing with what must be Alex’s mum, judging by the resemblance. She looks so excited she can barely contain herself.

‘They look so happy,’ I muse, more to myself than to Jude, but he smiles.

‘Hopeless romantic!’ he teases me, and then, seeing my expression, gives me a squeeze. ‘I know what you mean,’ he continues. ‘It’s enough to make me want to marry you right now, Foxy darling.’

I roll my eyes at him. ‘So you kept telling me during the service, Callahan. I think eighteen’s a little young.’

‘Not long though,’ he teases. ‘We’ll be happily married with fourteen children before you know it.’

‘Fourteen?!’

‘Yep. All of them dancers. We can have our own dance troupe with that, actually,’ he explains.

‘You’ve clearly thought this through.’

He nods. ‘Oh, definitely.’

Before long, it’s time to go to the reception. It’s only a five minute walk, so the entire procession of wedding guests make their way along the winding countryside roads, walking through a little village. Alex tells us that this is where he filmed his period drama that came out a while ago, and I remember the wedding scene that took place at the church we‘ve just come from during the period drama, though he was ‘marrying’ Elisa Drage, the actress. Roo winks at him as he says that, which makes me wonder if they have some sort of private joke about the whole thing. Bless.

It’s fair to say Jude and I have a great deal of our own private jokes now too. After being together for about six months now, it’s all gone amazingly. We’ve gone on to win other competitions, even winning a national one. We’re going on to compete in the European version next month, so we’re working hard on three routines for that. And I’m loving every minute.

Being dance partners with Jude is something so amazing that I often find it hard to imagine I was ever reluctant about the idea. I spend so much time with him- at school, after school, and usually in the evenings too. Now that he’s very firmly part of our friendship group, I get to spend time with him and all of my friends without compromising the amount of time I get to spend with either group. Though I’m rarely to be found without Jude by my side, I don’t feel I’ve neglected my friendship group either; something I’ve always thought to be really important when in a relationship.

Speaking of our group, Jessie and Josh are going from strength to strength, actually consummating their relationship a while ago, which Jessie coyly alluded to the day after, thankfully not giving me too many details. Her happiness is adorable, I couldn’t be more thrilled for her.

It seems silly to want that happiness for everyone, including my parents, but I really do. Though my mum and dad aren’t going to get back together, by the looks of things, they aren’t getting divorced either, just waiting to see how things go. They’re meeting up frequently, and we see our dad a lot now, something I’m really grateful for, as is Molly. Both of our parents have made it clear that they don’t want us to feel pressured into anything, and that they both still love us very much- reassurance which I think we both needed.

Now that Molly’s stopped dance, she’s far happier. Now spending time with her friends, and, two weeks ago, getting her first boyfriend, she spends the whole time with a huge smile on her face. She’s still in contact with Dan, and apparently he’s getting on well too. I can’t see him ever being passionate about anything, thanks to his tree like behaviour, but who knows? Maybe he can actually show emotions!

As Jude and I keep walking, hand in hand, I can’t help but smile as I think back over all of the memories we’ve shared together. As soon as we started dating for the second time, I realised that this was something very special. Not only do we have an insane amount of passion bubbling away between us- enough to make every make out feel as chemistry filled as the first- but we’re extremely close friends. Always teasing each other, always making the other laugh, Jude and I are pretty much inseparable. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

We reach the reception room, and sit down for our meal. Jude and I are sat on a table with a man, a woman and a little baby with the beginnings of soft ringlets dusted across her head. She looks up with big blue eyes as I sit down next to her, and the mother smiles at me.

‘You must be Kyra and Jude,’ she says, nudging what looks like her husband, who seems lost in watching his baby daughter.

I nod, rather surprised that they know us. ‘Yes, that’s us. I’m afraid I have no idea who you are!’

‘I’m Danielle,’ she tells me. ‘This is my husband, Leo, and our daughter, Evelyn. We’re friends of Roo and Alex.’

‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ I say, genuinely.

‘You too,’ says Leo, and Evelyn gurgles at the sound of his voice, which makes him smile down at her, ruffling her hair with an affection that makes me feel immediately broody.

‘Roo and Alex have told us all about you- about how you’re performing,’ Danielle tells me, and I realise that the routine that they’ve choreographed must still be a secret.

‘Have they?’ Jude says. ‘Well, we are national champions,’ he puts in, with a saucy look at me, then laughing. ‘Not that I’m proud of that, or anything.’

Two men come and sit down at the table, one of them greeting Danielle with a big smile, telling her how well she’s looking.

‘Ollie!’ Danielle says, looking pleased to see him. ‘How are you?’

I suddenly recognise Ollie as another character from the period drama Alex was in, and realise this is another celebrity at the wedding. It’s all a bit surreal.

‘I’m great thanks,’ he tells them, and, motioning to his left introduces his companion. ‘This is Rob, my partner.’

‘Your partner?’ Danielle says, looking rather shocked.

‘Yes,’ Ollie says, rather proudly. ‘Have you not heard? Well, I finally figured out why I was scared of girls…’ he says, winking at Rob.

‘Congratulations!’ Leo says with a big smile, and as the food is served, we all chat away like life long friends, Evelyn providing some entertainment by being lifted onto her devoted daddy’s lap and tugging at his curly locks as he rubs noses with her, telling her how gorgeous she is.

The speeches begin, and again, I’m blown away by the love and happiness that this couple have for each other. Not only is it so beautiful to watch, it’s really moving too.

As the speeches end, Jude and I slip off to get changed into our outfits. The Heart’s asked us to do a performance of one of our pieces after their first dance, as they love our dancing so much. Again, we were very flattered- they could have had any dancers for their wedding, as expensive as they liked, but no, they chose us. It’s touching, really.

We’re wearing the same outfit we wore when we won the last competition, both of us in white with one blast of red- in my case, a red rose in my hair.

When we slip onto the dance floor, merging into the crowd that has gathered to watch Roo and Alex do their first dance, Jude and I look at each other, biting our lips, hoping all of their hard work will have paid off. They’ve practised so unbelievably hard to make this routine as perfect as possible that they deserve it to go flawlessly.

The music to ‘Sway’ begins, making several people chuckle, and their performance starts. People watch, their jaws open, as Alex expertly catches Roo, and then dances her across the room, their feet moving exactly in time. They’re completely amazing.

I look at Jude, feeling all proud that we were responsible for it. He smiles at me. ‘We did a good job, didn’t we, Foxy?’

I nod. ‘I actually think we did.’

As the dance finishes, everyone bursts into applause. Breathless, and smiling ecstatically at each other, Roo says ‘Here’s the professionals who taught us that routine to show us how dancing is done!’

The music for our routine begins, and the floor is cleared for Jude and I to perform. Giving him one last smile, we get into position, and then begin.

It’s a dramatic, powerful piece that involves a lot of lifts and energy. We thought it would fit the energetic couple we’d been teaching rather well, seeing as it also ended rather soppily, with Jude and I touching foreheads, his arms encircling my waist.

As Jude twirls me around, every ounce of my body thrilling at his touch, I can’t help but melt into his arms. I could dance with him forever, and never get tired of the way he makes me feel. Being so close to him, so in sync, just makes the whole experience of dancing that much more real. As we’ve both improved since we started, getting to know each other better, our moves have become more complex, and we’re trying out new things. It’s so exciting, and so passion filled that often, we get a little carried away afterwards, letting the passion flow perhaps a little too much. But our relationship is far, far more than just making out. The bond that we share is so deep that I can’t imagine ever being with anyone else, and I love being like that. I completely love him.

The dance comes to a close, and the guests applaud heartily, especially Roo and Alex, who look delighted.

Then, the dancing really does begin, and everyone has a dance around to the music, Leo swinging his little girl up into the air, who then makes us all aww with her adorable little laugh. It’s almost as cute as when Alex takes Evelyn, holding her as if he’s dancing with her, one arm around her waist, the other holding her arm out, and twirls her around the room.

Jude and I dance along for a bit, ending up giving Danielle and Leo a quick lesson on how to dance the waltz, which they execute perfectly around the room, chuckling at each other, after asking if I could hold Evelyn for a bit.

So I do. She’s still very affable and friendly, even at this late hour when some of the adults are heading off to the hotel where they’ll be sleeping- and where Jude and I are going tonight. It’s too far away from our homes to get back at a reasonable hour, so we decided to book a room and sleep there.

As I sit with Evelyn on a chair at the side, she’s tugging at my hair, fiddling with the sequins on my dress, and just generally being adorable and curious. Jude comes and sits next to me, and watches the pair of us affectionately.

‘I think she likes you, Ky.’

‘She’s so cute, isn’t she?’ I say fondly, stroking her soft, curly head which makes her wrinkle her nose at me.

‘Yes, but not as cute as your babies are going to be,’ he tells me, with a cheeky grin. ‘I definitely want you to have my babies, by the way, Foxy.’

‘You do?’ I say, raising an eyebrow, and something in his expression makes all notion of this being another teasing conversation fly out of the window.

I pass Evelyn to Roo, who is stood by us, and who then swoops off with the baby, making her giggle at how fast she’s moving, and go over to Jude properly, standing between his legs, reaching out to gently touch his cheek, tugging his hair gently, teasingly.

He pulls me into his lap so I‘m straddling him almost, touching one hand gently to my stomach. ‘I do. This sounds stupidly cheesy, okay, but I want to watch you blossom with our baby inside of you, Foxy. I want to see you holding our first child and smiling that smile of yours when it looks up at you with it’s big eyes. I want you to have my babies.’

I feel all emotional all of a sudden, and, flinging my arms around his neck, I hug him tightly, whispering into his neck the words ‘Now that is hopelessly romantical.’

‘Of course it is, babe.’

‘I love you,’ I respond, instinctively.

His hand, which had previously been stroking my hair, stops, and he looks down at me. ‘You do? Really do?’

I nod fervently. ‘Of course.’ Slightly puzzled, I add: ‘We’ve said this to each other countless times before, silly.’

‘I know,’ he says. ‘But sometimes I just can’t believe it’s true, Foxy.’ He winks at me, raising an eyebrow in expectation of my response. He rather likes our banter, it would seem; his expression always gives away just how much he likes teasing me, and being teased back.

‘Well you better believe it if you want me bearing your children, mister,’ I tell him, and he laughs.

‘Oh I definitely want to procreate with you, babe,’ he replies, and I feel a funny sensation in my stomach, almost as if I want to procreate with him just as much. Desire? Because let’s be honest: I do. I do want to procreate with this young man.

‘I don’t suppose you want to start practicing before we actually do?’ I say, before I can stop myself.

Jude looks at me in disbelief. ‘You what?’

‘You heard me, mister,’ I tell him, biting my lip a little anxiously at my own audacity. It feels so right… it has to be right… and the look in his eyes wipes all argument against it from my mind.

Slipping one arm under my legs, he sweeps me into his arms, standing up and twirling me round, a look of delight on his face. ‘I’m ready alright, Foxy. In fact, I’ve never been readier.’

‘Where are we going?’ I ask, laughing at how strange this is, yet how perfectly normal it feels.

‘Somewhere private,’ Jude says, rather dashingly. ‘The things I want to do to you right now can’t be done in a public place, my darling Foxy.’

And with that roguish statement, he whisks me off.

In that one moment, I know this is all I’ll ever want in life. I see the future lying before us… Jude there every step of the way. I want to bear his children. I want to walk down the aisle into his arms. I want him in my life forever.

And, as he drops me softly onto the bed in our hotel room a few minutes later, hovering over me, one hand rather naughtily sliding up my thigh, under the material of my outfit, making a cheeky growling noise which makes me giggle in response, I can’t help but think of how inconceivably lucky I am as our lips meet, the passion erupting between us.

When you think of what a rough start we had to dating, it’s a wonder we ever ended up so crazily in love together. I tried to convince myself that he was the one making all the effort, that I couldn’t care less; but the saying is right- it does take two to tango, and I couldn’t be happier that I finally let myself go, and accepted that this was meant to happen, that I was meant to tango with Jude, and that he really was the boy of my dreams, my other half, the one I’ll always want to be with. We fit together far too well for anyone to ever question that, and the way he makes me feel never fails to send butterflies into my stomach- especially the way he’s making me feel now, as he gently slides my dress off, his eyes raking over my exposed skin as he smiles at me. Our lips meeting once again, my fingers quickly undoing the buttons of his shirt, I can’t help smiling against his mouth, despite the sizzling heat and chemistry between us.

It’s so clear. Jude and I were meant to be, no matter what I said, and I’m over the moon that I accepted that eventually, and that now, I can look forward to a life of tangoing with him whatever happens, wherever we are.

Jude pauses, stopping to meet my eyes. ‘You alright with this, gorgeous?’ he asks, his fingers playing with the catch on my bra, reminding me of that moment all those months ago, at the first competition.

Entirely convinced, I nod at him. ‘Most definitely.’

‘I love you,’ he says, kissing my forehead. ‘I love you.’

‘I love you too,’ I whisper, and as his kisses trail down my jaw bone to meet my lips, and our mouths move together in perfect harmony, I know it’s true. Quite simply, we were made to tango together.