Luck Be a Lady (Feat. Black Severin and Keira Robinson)

[DSX93]

"Basic human decency". You'd be surprised. It goes out the window so quickly when people decide that you don't belong. And unfortunately for him, that was the experience for much of his life thus far. And that experience was one of the things that would form his appreciation for nerdy, alternative, or just plain weird people in general. He hadn't met many before coming to LAW, but with few exceptions, those he did meet were wonderful people to know. And it sucked that they all ended up leaving Milwaukee.

And speaking of wonderful...man. He didn't have a verbal response -- not immediately -- but for a few good moments there...She'd be able to see it in his tender smile.

This relationship has felt like the best kind of whirlwind, already starting with a strong, skyward gust that would temper down at just the right time, keeping things afloat and well-leveled. Nothing crazy, being like something out of a novel, sans the nonsense that either would've been settled with a five minute discussion or been entirely non-existent with two rational minds playing the leads. The sort of romance he would love to see on the big screen, but nobody ever writes for it.

It was a lovely dinner, and the occasional glance over at the people grooving to the old school tunes at the nearby space gave him an idea for what they could do next.

"Wanna dance?"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Terrell was silent for a while after that. Keira's words clearly had an impact, but the way he was smiling at her, she knew it was a good, positive one. She smiled right back, pride swelling inside at her ability to make him happy. Even if it was likely more the mention of his old friend that did the heavy lifting. The exact cause didn't really matter, anyway. She was just glad to see him happy.

And it was because of that that, when Terrell asked her to dance, Keira answered "Absolutely," without even a second thought.

She was very much not a dancer, much less so to this kind of music. The pace was a bit faster than a slow dance, but it wasn't the headbanging punk rock she was used to. But after that brief moment of panic, she realized she didn't care. This wasn't about skill or talent. This was about having a special moment with her man, and if he wanted to dance, he'd get a dance. There was, however, one itsy bitsy problem that being unconcerned would not remedy...

"You've got to lead, though, I haven't a damn clue how to dance."

Well, not to this music, anyway, but she was sure he'd know what she meant. She entertained a brief mental image of herself standing on his feet, but she was a bit heavier than a child. Frankly, she'd rather look goofy anyway. She took his hand, put her other around his waist, and tried not to step on his toes.

[DSX93]

Terrell, in contrast, loved to dance. It was easy to get him moving and grooving, with stuff from the early 2000's and earlier appealing to his old soul. But still, he didn't mind.

"You've got to lead, though, I haven't a damn clue how to dance."

"Don't gotta have one." He said with an easygoing smile, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You could be stepping on my toes the whole way through, but it doesn't matter to me. Really." And surely enough, the lovers maneuvered about the dance floor at a slower pace than the other pairs, and with less grace. The speed was intentional on his part: He wanted to create as much room as possible for Keira to keep up with his steps. Ease her into the rhythm.

He looked around, and was not only unbothered, but filled with a sense of wonder. "Cause look at this place! It's like something out of a fairy tale! That one big scene in a love story where the main characters forget all the nonsense going on in the plot and have their moment, you know?" When he returned his gaze to her, it would be clear: She was his fellow lead in that fairy tale. "It's the stuff of dreams, yet here we are. I've gotta have a dance with you."

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Without missing a beat, Terrell dismissed Keira's concerns effortlessly. Not out of hand, but because they didn't truly matter. She got the message; he was just happy to dance with her, regardless of whether or not they were doing it correctly. She should have known that. She did know that. He had a habit of knowing just what to say, and it melted her anxiety away. And now that it was mostly gone, she found that she agreed; there may as well not have been anyone else here, tonight belonged to them.

But there was no further need to talk after that; it was time for action. And so she shifted her focus into swaying with the music. It was difficult; even trying to follow Terrell's movements, she still found herself largely unaware of where she should be stepping. If not for his arms around her, she'd have twisted an ankle and toppled over a dozen times already. It was a far cry from the headbanging that she normally considered dancing.

But Terrell was having a good time - it was clear on his face. So Keira did her best to not worry about what she looked like, and more on what she felt like. And if he was happy, she was happy. She held him close, enjoying the warm feeling of his body against her - not too tight, not too intimate (thoughts began to surface, but she shoved them back down; there would be plenty of time for that kind of intimacy later.) They swayed together quietly for a very brief while, Terrell looking around and Keira resisting the urge to rest her chin on his shoulder, before he broke their sloppy silence.

"I'll be honest, I don't know a whole lot about fairy tales. But if this works as a substitute for a big fancy ball, I'm all for it. It does certainly have that feel like we're the stars of the show tonight."

She almost -almost- said 'you'. But his expression left no room to argue that he fully expected her to shine right alongside him. And, truth be told, she couldn't deny that something about this experience so far just felt surreal.

[DSX93]

"Feels like?"

Terrell got a quick chuckle out of that. Nah, there's no "feels like" here. "You're damn right, we're the stars." Spoken like the fact it was to him, with an air of "we earned this." And with all the time they spent apart as they went through their respective challenges, he'd say they have.

The pair did have their share of eyes on them. Gazes that spoke of differing opinions. Some were merely curious. There was one other couple that turned their noses up at them. One saw the missteps and laughed to themselves. Terrell flipped both the bird. Others, still, saw their faces and clued in on what was unfolding.

The music faded out, bringing the dancing to a halt. There was a hiccup on stage. Some seeming misunderstanding between Elvira and a stagehand. But nothing major, nothing that lasted for long. The beautiful redhead gave her shoulders a shrug and let her body sway to

A classic that came right out of the soundtrack to Terrell's dream dance. He understood the delay now: This hit came out thirty years too late for the era this event had traveled back to. Not that he gave a damn.

"Oh!" His eyes flashed with delight. He was beaming now. "Yeah, this is perfect! It's gonna be calming down here; this is a slow dance kind of song." He guided the hand he held to the back of his neck, holding her close, at the waist, with both arms now.

"♩Earth Angel, Earth Angel, will you be mine? My darling dear, love you all the time...♩"

There wasn't much to it here. Just a bit of swaying. Any steps they took wouldn't go anywhere, circling them around in place. The movement was even less important now in comparison to the intimacy. Looking deep into this beautiful woman's eyes. Into her soul, with all of the love that was being put into song.

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

She had to hand it to him; Terrell really knew how to treat her right. She'd witnessed it time and time again; he always seemed to know exactly what to say, what to do, where to touch, whatever was needed in any given moment to lift her up. It was all she could ever do to ensure that he got the same treatment. Thankfully, this time at least, there was a 'we' in there, and it made the smile she shot back at him all the more genuine.

The notion that they were the center of attention made her cast her curious gaze around the room. Unwarranted, perhaps, given that it wasn't meant literally, but she did spot more than a few other couples looking their way. And, much to her own surprise, Keira found she didn't care. She wasn't bothered in the slightest that she was tripping over her own feet and Terrell's. She did, however, attempt to choke back a laugh as Terrell flipped someone off. She wasn't sure why, but now realized it didn't matter anyway.

The music faded, and Keira almost, -almost- pulled away. They'd had their dance, and there was surely more to see and do tonight. But being in his arms felt so proper, so right after her time away and the longing she'd endured for his touch, and she found it impossible to detach herself. Instead, she stared into his captivating eyes - for all of a second and a half before something happening on-stage drew their curiosity.

When he turned back again, there was something bright in his expression, and it didn't take long for Keira to find out why. She simply nodded and let him guide her hands where they needed to be; a slow song was something even she could do. Rock gently back and forth, stay close, and hold on tightly to her man.

Again, she held his gaze, and this time he didn't turn away. Part of her wanted to just rest her cheek on his shoulder, but she couldn't bear to sever the connection their eyes had made.

Instead, her grin turned sly. She jerked her head lightly towards the stage and she said, "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you planned that."

[DSX93]

"I wish I could say I did. But hey, serendipity's cool too."

It was starting to feel like he was just floating there with her. Their eyes locked, staring into each other's souls, and then he just starting moving on autopilot.

"Speaking of serendipity...I, uh...Man..." Terrell let out a coy little laugh as he took a moment to find his next words. He was beyond being embarrassed about that now. There was never any need to be. Instead, it was a showing of just how comfortable he's come to be with her. Those little slip-ups, those imperfections that often proved socially costly in the past, driving to him silence outside of those trusted few...He thought nothing of it, even in public.

Because hey, there was a lot to sort through! What was the best way to put such powerful emotions into words?

"I know we haven't been together for long, but...That's exactly how all of this feels to me: The ultimate serendipity, right from hello. These last seven months have been the best seven months of my life. Everything you've given me, everything you've done for me, it's...it's everything I've ever wanted from a woman."

And that's when it hit. That's when the nerves made their appearance, for the first time in a good while. Seven months.

"Uh, that's not too much is it? I mean, I'm not trying to lovebomb you here, but...Damn. It's been amazing. You have been amazing."

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Her tease had been just that - a tease. But once Terrell responded, Keira found herself somewhat surprised that he truly had no part in the music change. It was the kind of thing he'd do to surprise her with. Perhaps he knew that and why he didn't, leaving this an amusing coincidence-

-and now she was overthinking it. Absolutely not necessary, especially tonight. She shook her head lightly, playful smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

She waited patiently while Terrell gathered his thoughts. By now, she knew he was comfortable talking with her about things he wouldn't have dreamed of in the past, but sometimes it still took him a moment to sort them into words. That all, at least, was something the pair had in common.

Yet somehow, Keira wasn't prepared for what he'd confessed. They were close, in more ways than one, but they didn't often get... sappy like this at each other. That wasn't to say she had a problem with it; quite the contrary. She was flattered that he felt safe enough to reveal these thoughts to her. She couldn't be more glad to be able to be that person for him.

It had, put bluntly, left her speechless.

That is, until his nerves made a sudden reappearance with his final line, and all Keira could do was shake her head in disbelief that, once again, somehow, he managed to find exactly the right thing to say.

"Too much?" she replied, her voice soft, gazing up into his face with visible affection, the kind she usually reserved for their less public, non-sensual time together. "I could have told you the same thing at least four months ago. I..." she trailed off, brow furrowed as she raced to put her own thoughts in order. Then she chuckled briefly before continuing; "At the risk of sounding like a parrot, you've given me everything I ever needed, too - everything I never even knew I wanted until I had it. Meeting you has quite literally changed the direction of my life. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I have..." Another pause. "A path. Direction. I don't think I could ever go back to that aimless drifting through life. I don't know what I'd do without you."

[DSX93]

Terrell was still very new to relationships, navigation-wise. He didn't know all of the unspoken rules and regulations. Though he'd never wanted to be some seasoned dater to begin with: This man plays for keeps. Rings. The ceremony. Families coming together. The exchange of vows. The nice house with the black picket fence -- goth it up! With some kinky shit mixed in, of course. Peaceful walks, being led along with a leash. Making friends in some BDSM club or something. Still keeping it adventurous.

That said, he wasn't crazy with it: There was never a desire within him to get hitched mere months into a relationship. But still...

He was well aware that Keira likely just needed a moment to gather her own thoughts. But there was a part of him that was thinking "Oh no." Had he made a mistake? Should he have waited a while longer before he said that?

And then she finally spoke, with that special tenderness that he'd normally see when they're out of the public eye. It would then be his turn to be struck speechless. But this time, he wouldn't have to think about what he'd say next. His heart would take care of that.

"That's the most...beautiful, powerful thing that anybody's ever said to me." And that was the word right there: Power. That he could have such an effect on somebody, to bring about such a change in their life -- it was...Wow! For that, there were no words. None that he could think of that could properly describe the feeling.

And he understood the sentiment well. He hadn't been a wrestler for even a year, but that path, that direction...He got it. They were both on it.

"And I'm right there with you." He said with a nod of solidarity, a fire of resolution sparking to life in his eyes. "When I get back in that ring, I'm gonna do it right this time. And me and you, we're gonna own it all."

It was just two words, but that phrase has resonated deeply with him. It was simultaneously a motivator, advice, and a means of support, all in one: Adding a couple extra bars of weight? Walking into some new, grand contest that he's never done before? Keeping it pushing. Give it that one hundred percent. Own it. Make mistakes? Come up short? Own it. Learn from it. And when you succeed? Yeah, own that too!

One of Terrell's struggles was finding the balance. He didn't want to become the dick his brother is. But he has yet to hear any complaints, so he must be doing it right.

"LAW? Ours. And just...life in general. Because I'm feeling like, with you in my corner, I can take on anything. Get up and come back from anything. This feels like it's just the beginning. We've got this!"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

And again. Without hesitation this time, Terrell had an answer ready. Astounding how they played right into each other's hands. But this time, it was more of a confession.

"That's the most...beautiful, powerful thing that anybody's ever said to me."

She didn't doubt it for a second. In a way, it was a little sad; with everything this man's told her he's been through in his past, and those he's kept to himself, it was clear from their very first meeting that he wasn't used to opening himself up, nor had many open up to him in turn. That she'd managed it on their very first meeting had been no small feat, unintentional though it began. But though she wished things had been different for him, she was also grateful; it'd allowed her to be the one to achieve that privilege and be for him what no one else would, or could.

"I believe it," she said immediately. "And I meant it. Every single word."

A brief pause. Not awkward, just the two of them, letting each other's words take root.

"And me and you, we're gonna own it all."

Keira offered no verbal response; she simply grinned at him, flashing her teeth in a rare overflow of emotion. The way he'd adopted her words, adapted them to his everyday life, applying them to everything he did... he'd owned it, the very phrase. He'd made it his own - their own. A part of her that she'd shared with him from the very beginning, and he'd taken and nurtured it expertly.

"You're god damn right," she said, punctuating every word, but grinning the whole while. "Just remember who owns you," she added, her voice dropping lower, her head leaning close to his, planting a quick kiss on his lips.

It was then, when her voice had risen juuuust a touch too loud, that Keira sheepishly glanced around - and spotted more than one pair of eyes on them. Subconsciously, she thought she may have felt some of those closest to them watching or listening in as they danced and talked, but in the moment, she didn't care. Now, though, that they'd laid their inner thoughts bare and the intimate moment had passed, Keira was starting to feel self-conscious about her gleeful outburst.

"S-so, uh," she turned back to Terrell, mischief in her eyes. "You ever been gambling? I swore there's supposed to be a casino here somewhere. What say you we can this sappy shit and have a go? I'm not much of a poker player, but damn. am I good at knowing which numbers the little ball in the spinning wheel is not going to land on!"

She followed up with a playful chuckle, meant to let him know that she didn't give a damn if they ended up in the negatives. They were riding a high tonight, and there was nothing else to do but own it.