runningred | to Berlin with love.

Jared sets it to beginners mode and, with a grin, selects Bad Romance.

"Watch the screen. The instructions will scroll up the screen and light up as you hit them."

Emcee has never heard this song before, but he likes it.

At once the screen begins to scroll and the tiles light up in sync with the beat. With a flustered yelp, Emcee laughs as he misses the first few beats.

"I'm usually better with hand-eye coordination, but foot-eye coordination is something else!"

He hops from foot to foot, left to right, forward to backward. And in reverse. And in all sorts of sequences and combinations. But at least some patterns repeat, and he can get the hang of those. It also helps to let the song move him.

"Oh my god, it's like playing manic electronic hopscotch," he chuckles as he tries to keep up.

"You got it." Jared encourages with a warm smile. The sort of smile known to make people melt. "Watch the screen rather than your feet."

They have quite a crowd watching now, clapping along.

Jared would make Emcee lose his concentration with that smile but he remains as focused as possible, wanting to get through the song without messing up. He missteps a few times, each mistake punctuated with a hollered obscenity, but he gets back on track and finishes with a flourish, raising his arms in victory!

"I want one of these!" he laughs.

Well, it's a small victory. He makes the very bottom of the scoreboard, but he did the thing!

Jared laughs and shows him how to enter his name next to his score.

"Hey!" Simon calls, laughing with his arms round Lana. "He's part of the Stage team! His score counts with us!"

Someone at the back of the room calls back. "You need all the help you can get!"

Everyone laughs and another round of shots are passed around.

Stage Team? Team? He already belongs with them?

He doesn't quite know how to process that, but-- he'll go with it.

"Oh, really?" he retorts toward whoever called out. "Stage Team it is!" he proclaims with an easy grin.

"And Kitchen Team had better watch out, you ought to see me go when I only have half the drinks in me than I do now."

Alice clears her throat, hushing the whole group to silence as she struts toward the dance machine.

"Emcee." She nods to him. "Do you mind?" She gestures to the machine. "I do believe my brother needs to be schooled."

Jared flashes her a dangerously sweet smile. "You really want to do this, sis?"

"Uh oh," Emcee trills as he hops off the machine.

Someone almost instantly hands him another drink, and he turns to watch brother versus sister with intrigued delight.

Jay walks up behind him, an arm wrapped loosely around Emcee's waist. "This should be interesting."

The siblings grin at each other, seeming to be deciding something without speaking. Whatever it was, Alice won and set the song - a techno remix of Temptation by the Tea Party. A song Jay tends to use when he's DJing Bar parties.

The music is slow, sensual as it rises and Alice and Jared move in tandem. Unlike the beginners mode where there was one button per pad, the floor buttons now include eight directional sensors each. These allow for complex slides and shifts from heel to toe.

Jared's style is balanced and smooth whereas Alice moves with a decisive sensuality that's hard to look away from.

Emcee leans into Jay as he enjoys the dance-off. His gaze shifts from their bodies to their feet, marveling at their accuracy and finesse. But Alice really is truly exquisite to watch.

"They've obviously done this together before," Emcee murmurs into Jay's ear, implying that they've done other things together as well.

Jay chuckles and kisses Emcee's neck, his voice low. "They know each other very well." He leaves his own implications in the air. "Being twins and all."

Emcee's eyes widen at that.

"Mein Gott," he mutters, a laugh in his voice. "Really?"

Twins. Somehow that makes it even more erotic.

"You kinky bugger." Jay chuckles, sucking a soft mark to the side of Emcee's neck.

A moment later, the song finishes, both of them bowing deeply with a flourish. To volumous cheers and wolf whistles.

Emcee doesn't applaud or even cheer. He just catches Alice's eyes and subtly runs the tip of his tongue around the mouth of his beer bottle, as his gaze flicks over to Jared and then back again.

Alice watches his lips and answers with a predatory smile. She rests a hand on Jared's sleeve as he accepts high fives from his kitchen team.

He leans back to her, following her eyes. He blushes warmly but doesn't look away.

Alice struts over to Emcee and Jay, her hungry gaze raking them. "I think it might be time to take this party elsewhere, don't you?"

Jared already appears to be saying goodbye to his team.

"If you like," he says coyly, leaning against Jay, but looking up at Alice.

"You're the boss."

Alice's eyes flick to Jay, the corner of her lip curling in an evil little smile.

He turns on her heel without answering and starts working her way around the room, Jared doing the same without prompting.

They work their way around the groups of staff, thanking them for their hard work, giving quick notes on the evening's events and laying plans for the next day.

Alice stops at the counter to pay the Wonderland tab, making sure there's plenty for everyone.

They both meet back at Jay and Emcee, ready to go with them.

When Alice leaves to speak to the staff, Emcee turns to Jay, an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his lips.

"I wonder what that meant," he murmurs, knowing full well that he's probably gotten them into trouble.

And then both Alice and Jared return, eyeing them expectantly. Emcee grabs his coat and hooks his hand around Jay's arm.

As they make their way through the bar, Emcee can't help but gleefully call over his shoulder, "Bye-bye, everyone! See you next time!"

He isn't sure when the next time will be, but he's fairly certain that it will happen.

Everyone calls back a thanks and goodbye, Simon dashing over to shake Emcee's hand before they go.

Alice walks confidently ahead as Jared stays at their side. The sun is full up now and the day promises to be warm and pleasant.

"It was a good night." Jared nods, his thoughts with his team and his kitchen more than where they're going.

Simon running over to shake his hand makes him feel like a celebrity. He laughs with surprise, but appreciates the gesture all the same.

Once outside, Emcee squints up at the sky. Milliways has thrown off his internal clock a bit, so it was a good thing that he and Jay took that nap before coming to the party.

"It was!" he chirps in reply to Jared. "It was such marvelous fun. I can't wait to do it all again some time."

"You'll be very welcome, you know." Jared adds softly, his voice warm. "Simon would really enjoy having someone to work with and it seems like you'll fit in well with our little family."

Family.

Emcee feels a twinge of-- of something.

"I know, Simon told me as much."

He then smirks up at him, lightly swatting him on the arm.

"Alice, would you please tell your brother to not be so sappy? He's too adorable for his own good as it is."

Alice turns to look at them as she reaches the door of their building, arching an eyebrow at her brother. "Sappy, hmm?" She gives him a long, arch look.

To which Jared laughs and steps aside to let Jay unlock the door.

Jay chuckles and holds the door open for them all. Once in the lift, Alice backs Emcee against against a corner and kisses him hard.

It's only now in the daytime, and when some of the alcohol has made its way through Emcee's system, that he notices exactly where Wonderland is in proximity to the penthouse. He can't believe he missed it before. Jay was very good.

Once everyone has filed into the elevator, Emcee finds himself pressed into a corner with Alice attacking his mouth.

He kisses back, sliding his tongue between her lips, his hands going for her hips and thighs.

They'll be busy for the duration of the ride.

Jared and Jay talk normally, happy to ignore the way Alice has Emcee pinned. Jay steps around them and unlocks the penthouse door.

"I was going to offer people drinks but Alice looks like she has a snack sorted out." He comments playfully as Jared cups his sister's shoulder to draw them out of the lift.

Alice purrs darkly and breaks off the kiss, turning to enter the penthouse, kicking her high shoes off on the plush carpet. "Martini nightcap." She orders, sprawling cat like on the oversized couch with a flash of pale thigh.

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