Work Text:
It was one of those nights. Everything felt right, and Zander could feel by the energy from the other dancers that they were having a good night, too. The music and the mood and the energy built up in a positive feedback loop, filling the air in Locus Pocus with a mob euphoria that seemed almost tangible.
Zan was out in the thick of it, right in the middle of the floor, abandoning his body to the pulse of the rhythm, and dancing right beside him was Star. They weren’t dancing together, just individually, by themselves, next to each other, and every now and then they would flash each other a grin from the sheer joy of it all. The music was good, and dancing was fun, and it was easy to see by looking at the faces around them that everyone felt the same.
Zan thought to himself that it had been a long time since he’d felt like this.
As the night progressed, no one seemed to get tired. Each song that played only increased the energy of the dancers in the room. And with each song that played, Star drifted a little closer to Zan- or was it vice versa?- until the two were dancing face to face. The rhythm of the music swelled, grew stronger, filling the senses until the whole world was just Zander and Star and the beat.
Star’s eyes were locked on Zander’s, and both of them were smiling. Zan couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun. It felt good, dammit! Star was so close, and the beat throbbed under Zan’s skin, stronger than his own heart, and the music washed over him, warm and timeless. Zan felt like they had been dancing for hours, all night maybe, but neither he nor Star wanted to stop.
Having Star so close to him was intoxicating, and mixed with the beat and the euphoria and the smell of sweat, it went straight to Zander’s head. Feeling confident, invincible even, Zan put his arms around Star as they danced. Without a moment’s hesitation, Star wrapped his own arms around Zan. And then-
And then the sun was shining into Zan’s eyes, hot and blindingly bright through the blinds in his bedroom window, left open just a crack. He groaned, throwing an arm over his face and turning, but it was too late. He was awake, and the dream was gone.
“Nnnnnngh,” groaned Zan, replaying what he could remember of the dream. He sat up, blinking blearily. “...Oh my God, what a stupid dream.” He felt embarrassed for himself. The dream was so- obvious, and- saccharine! He got out of bed, trying to ignore Z’s soft chuckle at his thoughts.
Fumbling open his bedroom door, Zander zombie-shuffled to the kitchen, and toward the smell of brewing coffee. Star was there, mug in hand, looking slightly more awake. “Yo,” he said, pouring Zan a mug and handing it to him. Zan grunted in reply, accepting the caffeine with as much joy as he could muster in his sleep-addled brain.
As he sipped his coffee, Zander slowly became more fully awake. He watched his roommate putter around the kitchen, trying to make a filling and tasty breakfast for himself while expending the least possible amount of energy. Zan mused that if he had even that much energy to spare, he must be on his second cup already.
Star seemed to accept Zan’s staring as a side-effect of morning fogginess, and Zan took advantage of this and just kept on staring. His mind drifted back to his dream. Sappy though it was, he couldn’t deny the feeling of longing that crawled under his skin and settled in his chest. He wished that a dream like that could come true. Not so much the dancing, although truthfully, Star on the dance floor would be damn hot and that was something he would very much like to see.... But Zan just wished there could be some way to get Star to loosen up a little. His partner had erected a cold, rocky shell around himself, and Zan was damned if he knew how to get him to drop his defenses. What Zander wouldn’t give to have an honest, straightforward conversation with Star, without evasions and misdirections... or, yeah, to get him on the dance floor.
Zan realized that Star was staring back at him, one eyebrow raised. “Something wrong with my face?”
Zan blinked, coming more fully back to himself. “...Oh, is that what that is? I thought your head had developed some sort of infected lesion.” Zan smirked.
Star narrowed his eyes. “Pffft. Fuck you.”
Zan smirked wider. “Charming, but you’re going to have to try harder than that. Try taking me out to dinner first.”
Star smirked back, eyeing him critically. “I dunno, I’m not sure you’d be worth the five bucks at the drive through.”
“Ouch, this coming from you? Pasty-ass.”
“Nerd.”
“Pervert.”
Zan rattled off insults, only half-minding what he was saying. He decided he was determined; he would make that dream come true.
He’d get Star to open up. He’d get through to him... somehow.