#quick warning for misgendering and some very heavily implied abuse

[myselfinserts]

“More like stress season am I right?”

Dinner had been doing incredibly well. Marianne had finished the physical in no time flat, making sure to schedule an appointment to get blood work done later at the proper facilities. Sam and Chris were organizing paperwork, while Ceri and Étienne were finishing serving the main course. They’d never seen their apartment so lively. 

They could definitely get used to this. 

“I hope the meal is to everyone’s liking,” Ceri said. 

Luci nodded excitedly, waiting until they finished their bite before speaking. “I’ve had five star restaurant food that pales in comparison to your cooking, Mr. Aylward. I could eat this every day.”

Ceri blushed. “Just Ceri is fine. And thank you, but I’m sure it isn’t that high quality.”

“You need to stop that,” Étienne chided, smiling fondly. “You’re a wizard in the kitchen. Stop talking yourself down.”

Luci took note of the look. They had feeling they were watching something special between the two. Or something rather aggravating, if the unnoticed eye-roll from the others was anything to go by. 

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Everyone looked at Luci, who seemed just as confused. “What?” they asked. 

Marianne stared at them. “Are you expecting anyone?”

“No.”

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Sounds like you are,” Sam said.

Hesitantly, Luci went over and looked through the peep hole. They hoped it was just a mistake. That someone had knocked on the wrong door. It happened often enough. 

But the face on the other side sent a chill down their spine. Reluctantly, Luci opened the door and let him in. “Hello, Mr. Maddox.”

“Hello Adaire,” Maddox greeted, waltzing in with a slight bump. “Didn’t hear from you, so I thought I’d come by and check up. See how you’re doing.”

“I was just...uh...” Luci followed after him, their stomach twisting when Maddox saw the guests. “I-”

Maddox raised a hand in greeting, his presence filling the entire room. “Hello. I wasn’t aware Adaire had guests over.”

“Mr. Maddox, this-”

“No need to introduce all of them, my boy, I recognize a few of them.” His black eyes looked over to Marianne, going too low for her comfort. “Dr. Gladstone has quite the...reputation on and off the stage.” He ignored Marianne’s incredulous look, moving on to the blond. “And of course, who doesn’t know the great Étienne Allard.” He looked over at Ceri, a smirk growing on his smug face. “And Ceri Aylward? No one’s seen you since just before the accident. I didn’t know you were still involved in dancing.”

Ceri looked away, jaw clenched tightly. “I prefer to work behind the scenes now.”

“I can see why. If I looked as wrinkled and messed up as that, I wouldn’t want to be on stage either. Not a good look for a dance star, right?” 

“...right.” Ceri looked on the verge of tears, but remained calm and composed. Étienne wasted no time it jumping to his feet however, placing a reassuring hand on Ceri’s right shoulder and shooting a spiteful look at the intruder. Lucien was certain that if he could get away with it, Allard would have disposed of Boniface Maddox right then and there. 

Maddox looked at Luci, smiling sweetly. “My oh my, dear boy. You didn’t tell me you knew a ballroom dance legend.”

Luci winced, shoulders hunching. “Not a boy, Mr. Maddox.”

“Right, right, of course.” Maddox started looking around the apartment, hands dancing over the furniture. “So what brings all your friends over?”

Étienne stood tall, slowly following behind Maddox in an attempt to minimize his presence. “We were just discussing dancing over dinner. Nothing more.”

Maddox nodded. “I see. I came at a good time then.” He lingered over by a stack of mail, picking up one of the envelopes, one with a rather nice stamp and seal. “I actually wanted to discuss the same with Adaire.”

Luci snatched the envelope, shoving it into a nearby drawer. “Discuss what?”

Maddox was a little surprised, but didn’t waver. He simply shrugged, walking over to admire a piece of wall art. “India ink?”

“Yes. Mr. Maddox, what is it you need to talk about?”

“Such a hard material to work with. But this is a splendid piece, my boy. You have good taste.”

Chris glared at Maddox, clearly getting pissed off. “What is it you want to discuss with Adaire? We’re in the middle of something and you’re intruding.”

Luci looked at them in shocked. On the one hand, they were glad someone said something when they couldn’t. But this was their boss, and they still hadn’t finished the switch over to Mirage. If Maddox found out...

Oh god, did the thought make them sick. 

Maddox seemed to take no notice of Chris’s anger. “Oh, yes. We have a private parting coming that want a dancer like you to perform. It’s an all day thing, and you’d be performing every other hour. I want you to bring a new routine to show off, with a lot of flips and with your fancy aerial acrobatic ribbon stuff. It’s carnival season, but it’s more like stress season, am I right?” He laughed. “Anyway, dress rehearsal starts tomorrow morning at six. Check in is at 5:30am.”

Luci stared at him. “But that’s not a lot of time to get a new routine together.”

“You sure?” Maddox pouted. “I was so sure you could do it. You’ve managed in the past. And besides-” he walked right up to them, lightly holding up their chin with the tips of his fingers, his other hand resting on their shoulder “-I currently don’t have a headliner. Our last one just quit on me. I could really use. Your. Help.”

Stop touching me. You’re too close. Please stop touching me. Back off please. Get out of my house. I’m leaving the casino. I’m going somewhere I’m wanted and can be an actual lead act. An equal. I’m not staying Maddox. I...I’m going to...to...

“Check in is at 5:30. I expect you there.”

...dammit. 

“I...I’ll be there early, sir. I’ll get started on the new routine right away.”

"Splendid.” He stepped back, walking towards the exit. “I'll see you at work for the dress rehearsal then. Good night, Adaire."

Maddox gave everyone else in the room a polite nod before heading out the door. As soon as it closed with a click, everyone immediately turned their attention to Luci. They were shuffling on their feet, arms hugging themself tightly. Their eyes seemed faded somehow.

Ceri step forward slowly. "Luci? Are you-"

"I have to see about booking a room at the studio," Luci interrupted, hurrying over to the phone. "I don't have much time to put together a new routine. If I don't get a space to practice-"

Étienne shook his head. "Lucien, you only have twelve hours. That's an unreasonable amount of time to put something that complex together. You'll exhaust yourself."

"Golden Boy's right," Marianne said. "You don't have enough time. Trying to do this could put yourself at far too great a risk-"

"It's fine," they insisted. "It's not like I haven't done it before. I'll be fine. What's one more twisted ankle?"

Étienne and Marianne exchanged a look before storming over and unplugging the phone. "No."

"Yes. I have to. Now gimme back the phone."

Marianne looked at Étienne, quickly tying her hair back. "You're the gentler one, so you're on arms."

"Very well." Étienne rolled up his sleeves, quickly walking behind Lucien with a firm step.

Luci looked between them. "What? What do you mean by-HEY!"

They felt their arms being pulled behind them as the doctor grabbed their legs. They lifted them off the ground, easily holding off Luci's attempts to kick and swat them off. They set them back in their seat at the table, quickly gesturing to the others. 

“Alright, get the contract ready,” Marianne said. “Lucien, do you have a copy of the one Maddox has you signed on?”

“Yeah, it’s in my room in the top drawer. I keep all my papers in a lock box there.”

“Good,”  Étienne said. “Then after dinner you’ll go get it. And you’ll pack enough clothes for a week. You’ll be staying at the country house while I work on finding you a new place.”

“Wait, what?!”

“Did Maddox know how to find where you live? Did he ever come over before?”

“N-no, he’s never been over. And he’s never made it known he knew how to find me, but it’s not like it’s that hard-”

Chris put a hand on their shoulder. “Mx. Adaire, it’s pretty clear what’s going on here. Don’t try and make excuses for what we just saw.”

Luci wanted to argue. They wanted to say otherwise. That they were just jumping the gun. But with a sigh of defeat, they resigned themself to their requests. They finished dinner in silence, and once Ceri and Marianne started in on dishes, they all made their way to the bedroom. Luci got the lock box out, unlocking it and swiftly getting the contract out, making sure not to let them see anything else in it. Chris made a call to someone asking for a lift back to their place. Luci would stay the night at the theater’s living area, and come morning head to the country house with Chris and Ceri. 

Étienne folded the clothes Luci pulled out from the closet, setting them in the suitcase carefully. “How long have you been working for Maddox?”

“Long enough to know saying ‘no’ to him is a bad idea,” they mumbled. “...I gotta say, when I set out on my own, I never expected my dance career to take such...turns...”

“It happens. I honestly didn’t expect to be part of a troupe like this myself. Sometimes life happens for the better.”

“I suppose.” Luci paused. “ Étienne, can I ask you something a little personal?”

“I’d prefer you don’t.”

“...Right.”

He let out a disgruntled sigh. “Fine. One question only.”

Luci smiled a little. “How long have you and Ceri been dating?”

Étienne blinked. “We’re not. What made you think we were dating?”

“You’re not? I mean...it seems kind of obvious there’s something going on. Unless I’m mistaken.” 

“Regardless if there was anything, what made you want to ask that of all things?” He continued helping with packing. “I half expected a ‘how did you get into Mirage?’ type question.”

That isn’t a no, so he probably feels something. “Well,” Luci chuckled. “Figured I’d hear that story eventually from everyone anyway, and you’ve probably gotten that before, so might as well change it up? And besides, the way you jumped to your feet after what Maddox said, I just assumed you were protecting your boyfriend.”

“...I suppose that’s a valid assumption. But no. We’re not dating.” 

Luci shrugged. “Too bad. You’d make a cute couple.” 

“Why the sudden interest in my love life?” Étienne asked. “Are you genuinely interested or are you just trying to distract yourself from what happened?”

“I suppose a little of both really. Is that bad?”

“No, I guess that’s fair. Just don’t expect any more answers on the subject. I’m not interested in continuing this conversation.”

“Fair enough.” Luci smiled. “And Étienne?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you. For coming to scout me in the first place. You and the others are my heroes.”

Étienne rolled his eyes, but a soft smile graced him. “Be sure to say that to the others.”

They finished packing the suitcase, double checking to make sure they had everything else they’d need before locking the apartment and heading back to the van. The ride to the theater was uncomfortably quiet, with everyone who wasn’t driving keeping their eyes glued to the windows. 

The arrival to the theater was even more awkward. Marianne headed in first, carrying the suitcase while Sam and Chris bolted for the offices to tear apart the old contract. Ceri hurried off to the showers.

“Is he going to be okay?” Luci asked. 

“I don’t know,”  Étienne admitted. “But I’ll talk to him in a bit. Let’s get you settled.”

Luci followed him and Marianne to the living quarters, but their mind kept wandering back to Ceri. They weren’t sure why, but they had a feeling that talk wouldn’t happen tonight.