Eames & Felix, backdated to Halloween (Late party)

[om_ghost]

Eames convinces Felix to dance, and through clever conversation regarding Remus, gossip, and promises of future adventures, keeps him dancing (and blushing) for rather a long time.


In that regal white outfit, perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect everything, Eames had been too beautiful for Felix to approach while in female form. Even when, later in the party, Felix caught sight of him as a boy in similar regalia, he looked like perfect porcelain, almost unreal. So he trailed around the older boy for a minute or two until a moment when he was alone, before daring to come closer.

"We match, a little," Felix noted shyly once he was within audible range. Everything Eames had taught him about re-inventing himself had been poured into making a ghost costume that both fit Felix's meager budget and his massive imagination. His red curls had been powdered and sprayed until faded to the barest hint of crimson, his skin was paled even more than usual with makeup, and his clothes were white and silver with ragged edges tinged with age. Only Felix's unusual eyes stood out in color against the monochrome whiteness.


Eames smiled at the sight of Felix. "Well, that's because you and I have the best taste. I always knew, and you prove me right yet again." Eames gave Felix a little bow. "I love it, darling. You've transformed yourself excellently."


"I had some help," Felix was quick to say, though his pleasure at Eames' assessment was evident in his smile. "I told Ellie about the ghosts, and she somehow made it into something real. I'm not even sure how." He moved a slow, dancing step or two, side to side, making the tatters of his long coat and trousers sway. So much of the music during the party had been weird and ethereal; Felix adored it.

"But you're a Snow Prince, aren't you? Like Kai in the story, except there's nothing in your eyes."


"Yes," Eames enthused. "Exactly that." He loved that Felix knew exactly his muse. "I admit my heart has already been melted, but winter can be beautiful. Mostly with many layers." He grinned and waved an arm, letting his sleeves ruffle. "Would you dance with me, Felix?"


Felix looked curious, more than he looked nervous, though there was a twinge of the latter in his chest. He hadn't done much dancing with people, though Blaine had showed him how and Allison had helped him learn. "Are you sure? I might get powder on your hands or step on your feet." Felix glanced down. "And those might actually be your feet and not shoes."


"I am very durable, and I can handle a little powder. Everything you see before you is adjustable." Eames presented his hand. "How can we look this good, and not flaunt it?"


This was not a point that Felix could easily deny. He was terribly pleased with his ghostly look, which had startled and spooked a good many of his classmates in the haunted house. Straightening his shoulders, Felix very gingerly placed his hand in Eames'. "Well, if we're showing off, how could I resist?"


Eames beamed. "We will be haunting and spectacular." He led Felix out to dance, taking the lead, while carefully accommodating Felix's movement. "I do wonder if anyone has convinced Remus to dance," he commented. "Last I checked he was still shying about. Have you poked him yet this evening? One of us must be able to coax him."


It was strange to let Eames touch and lead him, but as long as Felix could see him, maybe it was all right. Still, Felix watched Eames carefully, and let the older boy take the lead. If anyone else was watching them, he didn't notice. Eames was beautiful, and Felix had his attention, and that was all that mattered. "We said hello, but that's about it. Do you think... he would want to dance? He's so self-conscious."


"I think like many things, once he tries he will grow into it." Eames was always very aware of Felix's reactions. He didn't want to handle him like delicate china, but he would always be careful of his comfort zone. It was nice that he was willing to dance and push those limits right now.


Eames didn't grab him tightly or get too close, didn't try to turn Felix around or get behind him, and all of this helped Felix to stay relaxed and mostly confident. "Maybe in private?" he suggested. "I know Remus likes to be a part of things, but he doesn't like being stared at. Even though he has such a cute face."


Eames' smile softened. "Give him a year or two and I think sentiments like that may coax him to sunlight. Maybe a smaller gathering first. He does more confidence after he's learned something."


"I'm not good enough at it to teach anybody," Felix confided, even though he seemed perfectly capable of following Eames' lead without, as he feared, stepping on anyone's feet. "But... it might be nice? To dance with Remus?" He peeked up at Eames, questions forming out of his statements, as if he weren't sure it was proper.


"I think he'd like it too," Eames assured. "There aren't many people he is truly comfortable with, but you are one of the few."


Felix had not yet caught on to what Eames was doing. It simply seemed like a lovely conversation about one of their mutually favorite people. The smile brought to life on Felix's lips lit up his eyes despite his pale makeup. "He makes me feel comfortable, too. He's so kind, he sort of makes you want to be better just so you don't let him down."


"I strongly agree," Eames had to admit. "He brings out my better side. It's nice to have someone to take care of. He reminds me a bit of my sister, honestly--aside from the fact that he is very much male, and he never calls me ridiculous pet names."


Try as he might, Felix couldn't imagine a female version of Remus, so his small smile took on a perplexed cast. "So you'll be meeting his potential dates at the dorm room door with a shotgun?" Felix ventured to tease. There weren't many people he felt comfortable joking with; he'd never quite learned the line between a tease and an insult. Best not to risk it.


"Oh, you bet. It'll depend on who shows up, and if I've vetted them first. I have a very intimidating body I can use." Eames grinned. "So they'd best show up with chocolates and good intentions."


Without thinking, Felix laughed lightly, trying to imagine Eames as an intimidating bruiser, and failing. "I will!" he promised breathlessly, before realizing what he said. The make-up hid the sudden blush, but his eyes went wide as he tried to stumble back over his words, stuttering, "I-I mean, I'm sure they will!"


"You have my full blessing if you want to try your lot," Eames mentioned, not letting it go but also not forcing the issue. "If I had to play matchmaker for both of you... well I'd have a very hard time picking out suitors that I felt were worthy on both accounts. Which reminds me that I've been utterly lazy getting to know the new people."


Felix's gaze drifted down toward his shoes, even though Eames was kind and didn't tease him at all. The older boy had a knack for getting things out of Felix that he didn't really mean to say. It was a little much for Felix, but Eames didn't dwell or linger. That was a blessing.

"Do you have to comb through them all to find proper boyfriends for Remus?" he managed to ask without utterly expiring of embarrassment, though his teasing was a bit lopsided and awkward.


"I can make some exceptions," Eames promised softly with a smile.


"The girls, at least," Felix agreed, not sure if that was what Eames meant at all. The idea of Remus having a boyfriend left him feeling decidedly unsettled.


"Ah, yes, that would be a small waste of time, hm? Don't worry, I don't think Remus is leaping out his shell anytime soon. He would probably throw a pillow at me if he knew I was discussing this."


Soberly, Felix promised, "I won't say a word. Remus should be able to do things in his own time. I'd be very upset if he felt any pressure to change before he wanted to."


"Pressure is bad," Eames agreed. "But a nudge might not be."


Then, Felix looked a little guilty. To someone else, he might not have said anything, but Eames was one of the only people who knew that Felix was constructing his life based on comfortable lies, and not only didn't discourage him, but actively tried to help him reshape himself. Maybe that was worth a little truth. "I don't know if it's fair for me to nudge," he admitted, "when just dancing with somebody is so hard to do."


"Felix, my darling," Eames said gently. "As adamant as I am that Remus one day finds his feet, I hope just as fervently that you will take whatever happiness you find--with as small steps as you need, but small steps are a good start. Also, you ever try something and it doesn't work out, you get do overs."


Felix would have been pink by the end of Eames' reassurance if the white make-up hadn't been quite concealing. "You mean, if I screw something up, it's not the end of the world?" he asked, attempting to sound light-hearted about it, but not quite getting there. Perhaps he really did need the reassurance.


"Precisely. Doing everything perfect the first time is overrated anyway." Eames grinned warmly, knowing full well that Felix probably wanted to hide under a rock after talking so directly about feelings, but figuring he'd let Eames get away with this line of conversation.


"Easy for you to say," Felix rejoined, without heat or any vehemence. Really, he was only trying to keep up in the conversation. Eames was good practice for that. "If you fail spectacularly, you never have to be that person again."


There was more, though. As little as Felix wanted to talk about it, he couldn't always keep everything inside forever. Nevertheless, the things he wanted to say came out in a manner that sounded more annoyed than he meant them to. "Everyone here moves so quickly. Hooking up or pairing up, either way. And those of us who don't have to sit at the children's table."


"You're not a child to me, Felix," Eames said simply. "As much I sometimes might wish it. Honestly, half of the hooking up around here is so messy that I have more respect right now for those who wait for what they want. There's a great deal of drama in the rushing around."


"Is there? No one really ever tells me anything," Felix admitted. He understood why, of course, and for the most part, he was grateful. And, he understood why Eames didn't see him as a little kid -- as much as he might like to deny that. Eames had seen too much truth in him, but he'd never asked Felix to confirm it. "Of course, rooming with the Incredible Monk of Xavier's doesn't help me participate in the gossip in the least."


"Okay, I offer you one of the following: a bit of gossip you can share, or a bit of gossip no one else knows." Eames reconsidered. "Actually, amendment--Pietro will inevitably know all my gossip, even if he hasn't figured it out yet."


Felix pursed his mouth at Eames; that was hardly a fair choice! Gossip was no fun if you couldn't tell anyone, even if the secret one was probably better. He gave an exaggeratedly exasperated sigh, and seemed to have stopped noticing that he was still dancing with Eames. "Well I have to tell Caius, so tell me the one that I can talk about."


"Okay, enough time has passed that Remy can't be cross at me for passing along this secret. So, when our fair Cajun first came to the school he wasn't aware of the extent of my powers, and we happened to run into each other when I wasn't exactly myself. Needless to say, he romanced one of my female forms, and juicy gossip--there's was a thrilling, bodice ripper snogging session on one of the campus cars before I had the chance to tell him that he didn't have all the details. I would like to claim some responsibility for him stumbling into his bisexuality, but I'm pretty sure he's so easy going that it would have happened either way." Eames grinned. "And just look at him and Pietro. They're darling. It's like a messy, brilliant idea conjured by some debauched god."


Felix actually gasped, because that was delightful, and it elicited a couple of sotto-voce echoes of disbelief, such as "On a car?" and mostly "Oh, Eames! You're awful!" in a tone of absolute approval. That it was probably the sort of gossip Caius wouldn't care about -- they were good friends largely due to their lack of romantic inclination -- didn't bother Felix in the least. He could chew on this for weeks.

"It does seem like a messy idea," he agreed, faux-solemn. "Pietro's darling, really, and I know you adore him, but do you really think he's going to stick with Remy? He's terribly popular."


Eames smiled warmly, all fondness and pride. "He's popular, but I think that Remy can keep up with him. I don't think he'll need the popularity."


Eames' feelings about Pietro were not something Felix quite understood, but that expression on Eames' fine features was entirely intoxicating. He wondered, vaguely, if he could ever get anyone to look at him like that, and didn't realize he had been staring until Eames finished speaking and Felix had no idea what he'd said.


Eames caught Felix's expression and took the opportunity to lead him a more flourishing turn. "You know, I never expected to be here this long, especially thinking that I don't want to go far, because of the people I've met. The lot of you have certainly inspired me."


Doing his best to keep up with Eames' more complicated step effectively tugged Felix out of his silent daydream, and brought a smile to his lips when he didn't fall over his own feet and even managed to do so somewhat gracefully. "You're not going to leave us? I don't know what I'd do without my big sister."


"If I travel I will come back to you," Eames promised. "I only have to wait 3 years or so before I can take you with me, right? Or maybe one vacation you can come see the sights with me. Tessa can arrange the dodgy details."


Felix blinked rapidly a few times, white-powdered lashes aflutter. He had never seriously considered the possibility of going any further from the school than the city, and certainly not overseas -- though not for the reasons of legality and identity that Eames had mentioned. "Two," he answered, with a tiny breathless laugh. "Two years and two months. Plenty of time for Tessa to make me a fake birth certificate."


"Oh, absolutely," Eames enthused. "There's so many places I would love to show you. The food and the decor, absolutely to die for."


Though Eames had never lied to him or given him a reason to distrust, Felix had spent his whole life learning to never hope for things, and that was a hard habit to break. He wanted that fantasy, quite desperately, but experience had taught him not to take it as reality. "Oh, darling, I can't wait," he laughed.


Eames made a mental note to contact Tessa immediately. Felix's birthday was December. That would give him plenty of time to make some plans.

Comments

[om_quicksilver]

Their friendship/mentorship is quite the sweetest thing. I cannot wait to see what Eames shows Felix.

"It's like a messy, brilliant idea conjured by some debauched god."
... Yeah, says Pietro, the god's name is EAMES. >.>

[om_red]

Eames is spectacular like that. I must start pondering beautiful places for them to visit!