| Details for Dancing Fingers |
| Summary: | Ajax goes to Theodore's house. Theo makes him play the piano. Theo plays the flirt. |
| Date: | Jan. 1, 1938 |
| Location: | Dupont Residence |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Dupont Residence (#504R) London
Tue Jan 01, 1938 ((Sun Dec 02 02:31:58 2012)) (A,6 SW)
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The three story Dupont house is part of a block of upscale row houses built in the mid 1800s. With five steps up to a porch to enter the front door and a second floor balcony above, the pale blue outside looks majestic with its white framing and columns. Inside, the ground floor foyer opens to a small sitting room on the right and stairs leading upward on the left. A narrow hall leads a bit further into the house and opens into a formal dining room with seating for sixteen. At the rear of the ground floor is a deep but narrow kitchen.
Upstairs, the first floor is almost entirely a spacious parlor with various sitting spaces, paintings and a grand piano. Framed prints of several of the various stage shows the lady of the house has starred in also hang on the walls. The front windows are floor to ceiling, and casements that open to the small balcony. The second floor is divided into three bedrooms, all with four-poster beds and oak furniture.
Theodore is sitting on the couch in the sitting room. He's expecting Ajax any time, so he waits, lounging about. He has his new camera in his lap, checking the 8mm film cartridge, making sure it's loaded properly as he waits. Since he's at home, he's barefoot, wearing only a pair of Slytherin sweat pants and a wife beater.
At just about a minute past the agreed upon time, a knock sounds at the door. Ajax stands on the front step, bundled up against the cold weather and looking quite a mixture of curious and mildly nervous about being here.
Theodore stands and makes his way to the door, shouting, "I got it!" As he opens the door, he begins filming, pointing the camera out at Ajax, one eye closed as the other looks through the viewfinder. Behind Theo, a house elf in a sweater shakes his head, muttering, "I woulda got dat, Master Teddy…" Theodore smile, "It's okay, Heddy." He opens his eye, still filming, the camera making a quiet whir and clicking sound. "Hey Blue!" Then he closes his eyes again, watching through the lens, and he walks backward slowly, filming Ajax.
Ajax pauses, looking a bit startled by the greeting-by-camera, and then he gives a grin, picking up on what's happening. "Oh! Am I being filmed? Well, then, ah— I should say something profound!" He enters, closing the door behind him, and removes his cap, gloves, and overcoat, looking 'round to see what to do with them, as he ponders what to say. Finally, he admits, "I can't think of anything clever, so —happy new year's?"
Theodore smiles, "Happy New Years." He clicks the trigger, and the camera turns off. He lowers it, and shrugs, "I'm just trying to practice." He sits it on the couch and then moves to open the small closet door near the entry. "Here," he offers, grabbing a coat hanger and handing it to Ajax. "You find the place okay?" he asks.
Ajax hangs up his things in the closet, then turns back to Theodore with a grin. "Yeah! It's actually a fair night out—for, well, winter. I didn't mind it, anyhow." He looks around the house a bit, taking it in, and says, "I always liked townhouses. It seems like you're really living IN the city, if you know what I mean?"
Theodore nods and shrugs, "My parents like it here because it's the center of the French population in the city." And then he says something in rapid fire French, and rolls his eyes. "Mum's not home, she's performing tonight, but Father's in the study." He then adds quietly, "We'll leave him alone. He's grumpy."
Ajax nods emphatically at the idea of not disturbing grumpy Theo's dad. "Er, yes! So, um. Well, here we are!" He's obviously a bit nervous about being here, unsure what to do with himself. "Do, uh, you want to— er —do something in particular?"
"Red says you sing," Theodore offers, "Do you play the piano?"
Nodding, Ajax says, "Er, yes. I can!" He grins a bit, unsure of where this might be going yet—and silently hoping it doesn't involve showing a film of him to anyone.
Theodore smiles widely, and he grabs his camera with one hand and Ajax's hand with his other. "Come upstairs!" And with that, he begins to drag the other boy upstairs. "I wanna hear…"
Ajax laughs, stumbling along upstairs after Theo. "Okay, all right! I'm coming, but don't drag me up the stairs or I'll probably snap in half!" he laughs, though he actually keeps up rather well.
When they arrive at the top of the stairs, it's a spacious parlor with various sitting spaces, paintings and a grand piano. Framed prints of several of the various stage shows the lady of the house has starred in also hang on the walls. The front windows are floor to ceiling, and casements that open to the small balcony. The grand piano is clearly very expensive. Theodore lets his hand go when they reach the room and he notes, "Mum tried to get me to learn piano from the time I was two until yesterday." He shakes his head, "It's SO not for me…" He looks at Ajax. "I can't believe you're so talented!"
Making a face at Theo, though a silly one, Ajax says, "This coming from YOU? You're the poet and what-all!" Even so, he blushes a bit from the praise. He approaches the piano with a respectful air, looking it over, and pronounces, "Well, I'm no expert, but it looks quite impressive to me. May I…?" He gestures to the keys, apparently reluctant to touch them without asking first.
Theodore nods, "Of course." He grins, and leans against the railing above the staircase. "So… if you're such a great singerer and stuff, why don't you think about doin' that when you graduate?"
Making a face, Ajax says, "I'm not THAT good! I've just had some lessons. I'm not— you know —TALENTED, or anything!" He laughs a bit, hesitantly reaching out to dance his fingers across a few keys, experimenting with the piano's sound.
The piano is exquisite, kept in perfect tune and definitely well cared for. Theodore laughs, "Well, Red talks like you're the next Bing Crosby." He walks over to stand at the end of the piano, absently scratching his stomach as he moves.
Making a face, Ajax says, "She's way too kind. I'm just— well, like I said, I'm not bad." He pauses a moment, and then he launches into a fair off-the-cuff approximation of "Auld Lang Syne," just playing without singing.
Theodore grins, listening for a minute. "Hey," he asks, nodding his chin at Ajax. "You gonna sing that?"
Laughing a bit, Ajax says, "Well, if you like!" He starts over, then, and works up to it. Then, he joins his voice, a clear but hardly perfected tenor, and sings, "Should auld acquaintance be forgot, / And never brought to mind? / Should auld acquaintance be forgot, / And days o' lang syne!"
Theodore's eyes widen just a little at the singing. Maybe he didn't expect Ajax to be any good. Maybe he's just surprised because he has no singing talent himself. Either way, he's pleasantly surprised. He saunters over and sits down on the bench next to Ajax, listening and watching.
Ajax continues, carrying the tune well if not professionally: "For auld lang syne, my dear / For auld lang syne, / We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet / For auld lang syne!" He trails off, then, his fingers lingering on the last notes, to glance sheepishly at Theo sitting beside him. "Er, sorry. I'm not really properly warmed up or the like."
As Ajax plays, nearing the end of the song, Theodore lays his hand on Ajax's thigh. It's a subtle move, there's no other indication he's done so, it just ends up there as he watches the blue-haired boy's fingers play the keys. When Ajax is finished, Theodore looks at Ajax with a sort of goofy grin. Softly, he says, "It was aces, Blue."
Theo's hand on his thigh works a number of effects on Ajax, some of them quite obvious— such as the deep blush he sports —others, probably blessedly, are less so, like the explosion of butterflies in his stomach. "Th-thanks," he says awkwardly, offering a completely goofy grin. "Guess I should thank Mum for the lessons, then."
Theodore leaves his hand there. "What else can you play?" he asks, a little excited, making no note of the blush. "Do you know Sweet Leilani, that new one Bing Crosby does in Waikiki Wedding?"
Ajax shakes his head a little. "Er, no. I know, um— I know a few by Cole Porter? I really like that song of his, 'Anything Goes.' It's really clever and fun to sing."
Theodore leans over and gives him a peck on the cheek, though his hand remains on Ajax' thigh. "Do that one!"
Nodding, Ajax leaps rather enthusiastically into the opening notes of the song. He plays for a few moments to collect himself before he leads into the opening vocals, starting with that classic line, "Times have changed…."
Theodore continues to just watch and smile as Ajax plays. He moves a little, his shoulders swaying just a bit as the music plays. He bites on his lip for a moment, looking sidelong at Ajax, and then returns his gaze to the piano keys. And then his hand moves just a bit, moving a bit further inside and higher. It's not inappropriate yet, but he definitely just moved into a bold zone.
Ajax's voice hiccups just a bit at that moment, turning "When most guys today / That women prize today" into "When most guys today / That WHOA-men prize today," but he recovers pretty well. Of course, at this point, it looks as if there's serious risk of his blush becoming a permanent facial feature.
Theodore smiles a little, and he gently withdraws his hand, "Sorry…" He rolls off the bench and wanders over to the window, looking out as the song finishes. Then he looks back at Ajax and he claps. "Okay, so… Fine… You're not Al Jolsen. But I think it was brilliant, just the same, Blue."
Ajax, still blushing though rather less now, nods. "Well, thanks— thanks, I'm quite glad you liked it!" He coughs a bit, adding, "And, um. I didn't mind the— other bit, either. It just surprised me is all." He's still crimson from the roots of his hair down, of course.
Theodore tilts his head a bit, and walks back to the piano, leaning on the lid. "Why did that surprise you?" He grins, "I like you." He shrugs, "And I can't do that when we get back to Hogwarts without losing points."
Blushing still, though far less mightily, Ajax admits, "Well, your dad's here and all. If— if, say, my mum caught me up to that kind of thing, she'd make Dad thrash me to pieces for it. I don't think he'd mind so much, but— well, Mum's the proper sort. I just— I don't know how your parents would feel, I guess?"
Theodore shrugs, "Mum would probably applaud. She's kind of a free spirit." He leans his elbows on the piano top, his thick biceps balling up as he lays his chin in his hands. "Father's not talking to me right now, so…" He shrugs, "I can't imagine he'd even notice." He smirks, "It's okay, though. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just…" He shrugs, "I dunnow."
Laughing softly, Ajax says, "Well, if— if they don't mind, then I don't, either. I just— it gave me a thrill, you know? That was— new." He glances down for a moment, coughing softly, and then looks up again with a more restrained smile.
Theodore smiles, "You don't mind?" He laughs a little, "That's… That's great." He stands up straight then and walks back over to the bench. This time, he straddles it, one leg on each side, so he's sitting sideways, facing Ajax, his knee pressing against the side of Ajax's knee. "So have… you um… Have you done much snogging…?" And there's a little, mischievous upturn of one corner of his mouth.
Grinning a bit, but also still looking fairly shy, Ajax says, "No, can't say that I have, but, um… I'd quite like to try! I think I could get good at it with practice. Y'know, um… with someone who, er, inspires me." He tries his best hopeful expression. "Like you."
"I'm inspiring?" Theodore asks, softly. He smirks, a little cocky, "I like that." He leans forward a bit. "It's hard to inspire a guy with blue hair, you know…" A little closer. "Puts me under a lot of pressure…" He's very close, and then that hand is laying over Ajax's thigh again, the fingers awfully close to Ajax's crotch this time. And then he gently lays his lips on the other boy's.
All sorts of things are happening at once, here! Ajax's head swims with the wild array of sensations. He has no idea what to do with most of them, not in any immediately practical sense, but he DOES know what to do with the kiss— at least in theory. He leans into it, returning the kiss with an eager firmness, mostly just reacting to what Theo does as, honestly, Jax is pretty unused to this whole business— just happy to learn.
Theodore closes his eyes a bit as Ajax returns the kiss. His hand squeezes Ajax's thigh, and his finger gently play there, though remaining on the inside of his thigh, not traveling further up. He seems to like Ajax's eagerness, his head rocking a bit up and down as he meets the other boy's kisses. His free hand takes Ajax's hand, and he lays it on his thick chest, easily felt through the tight, thin wife beater he wears. And then he slips his tongue across Ajax's lips, a hesitant test at something he's tried twice before with a girl, but never really figured out.
Ajax sighs softly into the kiss, and his fingers flex lightly against Theo's chest. At the swipe of the tongue, his lips part a bit, almost involuntarily. His eyes, too, have drifted shut as he descends into a heady kind of blissful oblivion, losing all track of what's happening around them.
Theodore takes the parting of Ajax's lips as approval, and in his tongue goes. He's not well-practiced at French kissing at all, but he does dance his tongue against Ajax's, exploring just a little as he kisses. He lets this go on for nearly a minute before he finally separates from Ajax. This time, he opens his eyes, looking right in Ajax's, and looks rather serious. All he manages, is, "Brilliant."
Ajax isn't blushing anymore— he's now legitimately flushed for rather different sorts of emotional reasons. He stares back, reaching up to touch his lips sort of dazedly, still reeling from the feeling of the kiss and looking quite happily dazzled. "Completely brilliant," he echoes, also quite seriously. "Aces," he adds, borrowing the word from Theo's vocabulary.
Theodore smiles then, and he nods a little, just repeating, "Aces." He tilts his head, and then quickly steals one more fast kiss. And then, like the easily distracted teenager he is, he blurts, "Mum left pound cake. Let's have some!" He stands and begins to head towards the stairs.
Ajax takes a moment, heaving a deep breath, and then he rises to follow Theo downstairs, happy at the thought of pound cake—but rather lost in the moment, still, that they're just leaving, for the moment, behind them.