Dance (or rather, The Lighthearted Happiness the Writers Felt JT & Liberty Weren't Entitled To)
A/N: Warning: Completely pointless Jiberty fluff. 'Cause they deserve it, and I can't bring myself to write angsty Liberty fic yet. It's snapshotty and random, takes place at prom, during "West End Girls." Also features a creepy Toby, a semi-clueless JT, and hopefully accurate details on the episode.
Reviews are always appreciated. Especially concrit, since I feel like this ended abruptly?
000
"Her leg was twisted like she was Cirque du Soleil chick – she's not!"
"So, we'll vote for her for Prom Queen, okay? We'll send the tiara to her house. Now, I'm going to ask Toby to dance for extra penance."
As Manny hurries away and Darcy follows, Liberty exchanges glances with JT.
"I can't believe they broke Paige's leg," she exclaims. "That's so – "
"High school?" JT finishes, and she sighs.
"Exactly."
"Yeah, so glad we're above that," he adds.
She laughs. "Says the person who made a fart joke when the leather of the limo seat made that funny noise when I sat down."
"Hey, I just call it like it is."
"Yeah, well, he who smelt it, dealt it."
He pokes her in the sides as more people came up to the table to fill out ballots.
000
"How much you wanna bet we get a full on catfight before the night's over?" JT asks, after Paige hobbles over in crutches and his 'bookends' joke goes amiss. He thought he felt Liberty smiling next to him, though, so maybe it didn't go totally underappreciated.
"You're on, but that'd be a little harsh, even for Manny. Paige's got a slight disadvantage."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, how long 'till the cheese buffet?"
Liberty checks the time. "Half an hour."
"I love cheese," JT comments, leaning against Liberty a little.
She leans against him, too. "Who doesn't?"
He thinks it may be the first time he's ever considered himself lucky to have found someone like her.
000
"It's really loud in there," Liberty observes, looking towards the gym.
"Well, it is a dance."
She rolls her eyes. "No kidding."
Another couple comes up, scribbles a name on the ballot and puts it in the box.
Then he gets it.
"Oh. Do you wanna dance?"
She stares at him. "Gee, JT, how romantic. Besides, we have to watch the ballots. And they're announcing the King and Queen in a little while anyways."
"Okay, but don't say I never asked you."
She punches his arm, hard, and then tells him she's going to get something to drink.
000
"Way to leave me standing here all alone forever," JT says when she returns. Twenty minutes later.
She shrugs. "Sorry, I was dancing with Toby."
"You were what?"
"He asked me to." Okay, that part's a lie. Truthfully, Emma just got sick of him dancing so close, she passed him off to Liberty. But JT didn't have to know that.
"I'm going to murder him."
"Don't be threatened, JT. It's not my fault Toby knows how to treat a lady," she says with a wicked grin.
"Are you even hearing the words that are coming out of your mouth?" he asks, and she just stands there, amused.
She keeps the charade up the whole night, thinking his jealous glares make up for being so oblivious. It also helps that Toby comes up to the table later on and winks at Liberty.
000
"Last slow dance before they announce the King and Queen," Liberty says.
"Uh-huh," he deadpans. "Why don't you go find Toby?"
She laughs. "You're such an idiot. Come on, let's dance."
"Now, why couldn't you just say that the first time?" he asks.
"I forgot that, with you, chivalry really is dead," Liberty teases. "Let's go, the song's almost over."
"But what about the ballots?" he asks, gesturing towards the boxes. "We're supposed to watch them."
"It's just a couple minutes, I'm sure they'll be fine."
He doesn't really get to see the impulsive side of Liberty very often, so he shuts up and grabs her hand.
000
Manny's gets named Prom Queen, thanks to Paige. Paige, spiteful about being in a cast on prom night (because of Manny), manages to make her way on stage and rip off Manny's hot pink dress, the one identical to hers, in front of everyone.
Not too many people find out about the voting being rigged, so JT and Liberty don't feel too bad about ditching that slow dance, and, in turn, their ballot-collecting duties, to make out in the resource center.
000
They get one dance the whole night, after the Manny-and-Paige debacle.
"You know," Liberty says boldly, her arms around his neck, "I never thought this would be us."
He doesn't like thinking of the older days, so he laughs a little, nervously. She pretends, instead, to hear regret at missed chances long ago.
"At least we have now," he tells her, spinning her around, and she understands.
She doesn't hold it against him anymore.
000
"We should've put money on the catfight bet," Liberty says with a grin, as they get ready to leave the dance.
"Yeah, but you know if Manny weren't so embarrassed, she totally would've kicked Paige's ass."
As they step outside, Liberty says she's cold, and JT takes off his jacket and wraps it around her shoulders. So maybe the words JT and chivalry aren't antonymous.
"Best prom ever?" she half-asks, because she knows, no matter the reply, it always will be.
"Best prom ever," he replies, pulling her close.
END