1-shots

Fancy a Dance (Part 2)

“Communications are down,” Hal said trying the intercom.

Every time he hit the button, a small piece of classical music started and stopped. Stepping out of the room, the two heroes started to head towards the main control room. It would be the first place that needed defending, their computer systems and data all stored there. If something had happened to everyone else, it would be up to them to secure the area. Stepping into what might be called the foyer of the Watchtower, there were a bunch of panels set up on the ground and a strange man standing at the far end of them, heading into the medical bay.

“That’s...that’s the Fiddler…” Barry said.

“Who?”

“It’s one of Jay’s old villains, though I haven’t heard about him in a long time. He looks kind of old, doesn’t he?” Barry said.

“Step right up, Flash! If you don’t, all of your friends will hear their last,” The Fiddler said.

The threat certainly put Hal and Barry at attention, and they made their way to, up close, what looked like a raised dancing platform. The Fiddler explained that the only way to cross the room was to dance a Swing, failure to do so, or stepping out of turn would force them back to the opposite side of the room, away from the Medical Bay.

“Wonder Woman loses herself more and more the longer you take. Do you have the skill to make it across the room?” The Fiddler said as he dragged his bow across the strings and skipped away into the Medical Bay.

“I don’t know how to swing,” Barry said.

Hal took his hand, twirled him gently, and Barry felt the man’s hand on the small of his back, stopping him from getting dizzy. The corners of his mouth dragged to his cheeks as Hal gave a little wink.

“You can dance?”

“Cotillion, five years. Mom thought it’d help me get over some things,” Hal said, dipping Barry and then looking up when music began to play over the loudspeaker.

“Begin, or she dies!” the Fiddler shouted.

First Song

A fast tempoed swing started playing, and immediately Hal started to tap his feet, showing Barry the basic steps before pulling him onto the floor.

“Now step back, and pull with the weight of your body,” Hal said, dipping Barry and then spinning him out from a crouched position and towards the next square.

Barry, thinking he got the hang of it couldn’t help but smile at the way they moved, despite the fact that their friend’s life may hang on them failing.

“Watch your back foot, Barry,” Hal said before the part of the platform they were on sprang up and threw them back across the room to where they started. The song continued and the Fiddler laughed over the loudspeaker.

“I thought we were doing well,” Barry said, a look of worry growing on his face. “I’m sure I’m faster than the platform,” he said, dashing across only to be hurled back across the room and next to Hal.

“Looks like we have to dance across it, and you were doing well, just stop worrying about your feet, and start feeling me,” Hal said, pulling him up while Barry looked pasted him blushing at his comment.

Again they started, left, right, back-step, forwards, again, into a twist, pretzelling their way across the floor. After a quick dip, Hal slung Barry over his shoulders, helping him to land on his feet. Another move had Hal stepping over Barry, pulling him between his legs, and then dipping him one last time, deep, near parallel to the floor and planting a small kiss on his cheek. Barry didn’t even realize that they made it all the way across the room, and he certainly didn’t notice Hal pulling him into the Medical Bay. He just floated, feeling the tension of his body, of yesterday, the fear of falling for Hal floating away behind them, into the bass, the trumpet.