#jfc. as if it's not enough to have the actual car payment every month. and pay to get it fixed when it fucks up

[umemiyan]

having to dish out hundreds of dollars just for car insurance, registration, and personal property taxes this month. like sorry everyone your christmas present is going to be the warmth of my love <3

[rainbowwhimsyart]

TELL ME WHY I CAN’T STOP SEEING THIS AS DAMEN, NIK, AND PALLAS.

TELLLLLL ME!

(It’s because I’m garbage and these characters won’t leave me tf alone)

AND HOLY SHIT PLEASE WATCH THIS SECOND LINK, TOO!

https://youtu.be/WGGDv9X-nvc

Because JFC, that blond dude looks nothing like Laurent, but it was seriously enough for my brain to do the Captive Prince AU thing.

Because IMAGINE.

Imagine ballet dancer Laurent. Imagine Laurent growing up and deciding to learn ballet so he can be like his big brother, Auguste, who is a professional dancer and runs the non-profit organization that their parents had started before they died which funds the creative arts for underprivileged children. Imagine Laurent becoming as good as (maybe even better, some people whisper) Auguste. Imagine Laurent getting a full ride to go study dance at a prestigious university. Then, imagine Auguste and his wife dying in a horrific car accident, but leaving their 13 year old son, Nicaise, alive.

Imagine Laurent giving up on his dream dance opportunity to fight to gain custody of his nephew from his uncle. Laurent taking over at the studio that Auguste ran his ballet classes out of. Laurent struggling to run a business that he never trained for, with students who honestly annoy him, and fighting for custody all at the same time. Imagine Laurent finally getting custody, but not before Nicaise has suffered at the hands of Laurent’s uncle just like Laurent suffered.

Imagine Laurent’s uncle, the man who had wrested control of the non-profit from Laurent. The man who has control over the studio that Laurent dances in, who holds it over Laurent’s head every day that the only reason he can do what he loves is because he has so kindly let him use the space (which had been Auguste’s dance studio, and was left under Laurent’s name, but through the non-profit, so Laurent is forced to interact with his uncle to use the space).

Imagine Laurent biding his time, trying to figure out a way to get out from under his uncle’s thumb. Imagine him saving and scheming to try to get the money for a down-payment on a new studio space, a better one, and as fate would have it, the property right next door would be perfect. Imagine him being ready to make his move, only to find out that the space has already been bought by a HIP HOP dance studio of all things.

Now imagine Damen, Nik, and Pallas opening their hip hop dance studio. But the place they found just happens to be right next door to a ballet studio.

Imagine Damen getting all excited thinking about collaborating with other dancers, thinking about working with other dance styles. Imagine Damen going over to introduce himself to the owner, professional ballet dancer Laurent. Imagine Laurent shutting Damen down HARD. Bitching about the volume of the music. Sneering at hiphop as a dance form. Saying that the only real dancing is ballet, and that he’d like to see Damen try dancing en pointe.

Imagine Damen just smiling and inviting Laurent to the studio later that week for their rehearsal. Imagine Damen going back to the studio and telling Nik and Pallas that now, not only would they be performing, but they’d be doing it IN HEELS. It might not be en pointe, but he’d bet A LOT of money that Laurent wouldn’t be able to dance in five inch stilettos. Imagine the look on Nik’s face. Just IMAGINE it. But Nik agrees once Damen explains what a pompous asshole the ballet dancer next door was, and how he basically said that hip hop was EASY.

Imagine Laurent being dragged along by Nicaise, who witnessed this first interaction. Imagine Laurent’s jaw drop when Damen, Nik, and Pallas start dancing. Think about how Laurent would work so hard to bring his face back to neutral, to keep his expression bored and impassive (After the performance, Damen would approach Laurent, still in those stilettos. Laurent would NOT be staring at those thighs. He would NOT be watching how Damen’s body moved in those heels. “What did you think of our performance? Think you could do something like that en pointe?” Damen would ask. “It was…adequate.” Laurent would reply.) He would try to play it off like it wasn’t all that impressive, but Nicaise would already be begging Laurent to sign him up for an intro to hip hop class. Laurent would argue against it, but since Nicaise rarely actually asks for anything outright, he let’s him sign up.

Imagine Nicaise begging Laurent to take the class with him. Laurent would say no way, but Damen would overhear them arguing about it one day on his way out of the studio and he’d impulsively (suuuuure, Nik would say later, it was *impulsive*…it has NOTHING to do with the fact that he’s beautiful and Blonde) tell them that he wanted them to come check out the class this session, his treat.

Imagine Laurent deciding that he’ll go just to humor Nicaise, and staying to prove to himself that he can best Damen in this form of dance just like any other form of dance.

And then think about how Laurent’s uncle tells Laurent that he has to perform at the yearly dance fundraiser, at least, if he wants to keep his studio, he does. Imagine his uncle never specifying what KIND of dance he wants Laurent to perform. Imagine Laurent getting an idea about a petty way to get back at his uncle and show Damen what he’s capable of all in one go.

Imagine Laurent TELLING (not asking, TELLING) Damen that they will be performing together. Imagine Damen agreeing (Imagine Nik’s bitch-face. Imagine his suspicion. “He’s going to try to EMBARRASS YOU, DAMEN! HE WANTS OUR STUDIO TO FAIL! HE *SAID IT HIMSELF*! HE HATES YOU! HOW CAN’T YOU SEE THAT!?” “That was before…” “Before WHAT!!?!” “Before we DANCED together!” “ GOD you’re fucking hopeless. I give up. ….. Show me what you’re thinking for the break down at 1:15”) Imagine them working for months on the choreography. Imagine Laurent pushing Damen to make it more racy, more suggestive. Damen would be confused, but eventually he’d coax the story from Laurent, the terrible history behind Laurent’s uncle and the years of abuse. Once he understands what’s actually going on, he wants to kill Laurent’s uncle, but Laurent convinces him that this way is better. Damen gives in and commits himself to Laurent’s plan, and that second video clip is the result.

Of course they would fall in love during the months of rehearsal. (I *DESPERATELY* need there to be a scene where rehearsing for their performance just turns into them finally hooking up. Seriously watch that second link and tell me that the end of their choreography wouldn’t be the perfect place for all of that sexual tension to explode. Just imagine Damen staring up at Laurent, already on his knees, and realizing that Laurent is hard…JFC KILL ME NOW. Laurent of course would INSIST that Damen keep the heels on. Damen doesn’t argue.)

They would ultimately figure out a way to get control of the non-profit back from his uncle, and end up combining their dance studios. Laurent would teach ballet, but would collaborate with Damen on fusion performance pieces. Damen would keep dancing in stilettos, and if he wears them for other activities, well that’s between him and Laurent. Nicaise would study both ballet and hip hop, and go on to win a scholarship to study dance.

Nicaise would be so busy between class and rehearsals that it’d be difficult for him to take time off to come home for Damen and Laurent’s wedding, but there’d be NO FUCKING WAY he’d miss out on the dance party reception, so he’d find a way to make it work. 😆 .

SO YEAH THERE ARE THE BARE BONES OF THIS FIC SOMEONE GO WRITE IT PLEASE!