AN: Inspired by the YouTube video "Lukas x Jesse - Kiss the Girl - Minecraft Story Mode" by GreyFox~.

Hope you enjoy!

Kiss the Girl

Jesse was bored.

Two seemingly endless hours had preceded her current circumstance. Two hours. And she didn't have a single dance to show for it. Not that she enjoyed dancing that much, but at least it was something to do. Her friends had kept her busy chatting for the first hour or so, but they'd all gone elsewhere since, and although the decorations in the room were interesting, they didn't really hold Jesse's attention. Beginning to question the wisdom of her coming, Jesse leaned against the wall, silently reassessing the situation. There's got to be something to do.

Olivia, who had been the first of the group to leave Jesse's side, now stood intently studying some glowing bulbs on a display table. Jesse remembered that she'd expressed interest in such shortly before leaving, but had stepped outdoors first. Petra had been quick to follow, claiming to need practice with her sword. Jesse guessed she really just couldn't wait to escape the crowded room. She'd reappeared since Jesse had last looked, though, and was steadily making her way toward the table Olivia stood at. Axel, strangely enough, had run into a girl he enjoyed talking to, and had walked off just under an hour ago to continue doing such. Scanning the room, Jesse realized he had just returned from dancing with said girl. I didn't even know he could dance, she mused. She felt a little pang as she considered that even he was outdoing her.

Where's Lukas? The thought came suddenly, startling Jesse a little. He'd found a few old acquaintances to talk to before, but now – Oh, there he is. Only a few meters from Jesse's own position, he stood looking at several paintings on the wall. He sure seems to have an appreciation for art, she thought admiringly.

Jesse realized suddenly that she hadn't seen him dance, either. Olivia had danced several times; even Petra had finally allowed herself to be led onto the floor, albeit reluctantly. But Lukas had been on the sidelines as much as Jesse herself. It surprised her to realize she'd been watching enough to know that, but she quickly brushed the thought aside. Well, hopefully he'll get a dance soon. A touch of curiosity hit her. Is he just too shy to ask anyone?

"Hey, Jesse." Petra's voice sounded behind her, interrupting her thoughts. Jesse turned to see her friend walking casually toward her, Olivia right on her heels.

"Hey, Petra. What's up?"

Petra looked like she hadn't come prepared with an answer for that question. "Well, umm..." Arms folded, she raised an eyebrow at Olivia, who, as expected, took over.

"Jesse, the people in charge of the dance asked Petra and I to do a number. We didn't want to just bail on you without letting you know what was going on."

A bit surprised, Jesse blinked. "Oh, okay." So that was why the two had been disappearing more frequently lately. "Petra, I didn't know you sang," she said curiously, turning in her direction. Petra shrugged, smiling.

"Well, I don't, usually, but..." Jesse couldn't help noticing the hint of a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Olivia interrupted, grabbing Jesse's attention once more.

"Why don't you ask Lukas for this one, Jesse?"

Jesse started. "Lukas?" Without really meaning to, Jesse turned to look in his direction. Surprised to see him looking back, she whipped back around. Only then did her mind register another interesting detail of what she'd seen. What's Axel talking to him about? Jesse had the vague impression she could be walking into a trap, but shook the feeling off. Oh, come on, that's ridiculous. Even if by some slim chance it was a trap of some sort, it couldn't be anything actually harmful.

Olivia's voice brought Jesse's attention back to the present. "Yeah, Jesse. Lukas. You think I haven't noticed how much you've been watching him?" Her face held a teasing smirk.

Slightly panicked, Jesse was instantly defensive. "Oh, come on. It's his first time in Redstonia; I just want to make sure he's having a good time." Her face, however, betrayed her true feelings on the matter. Her cheeks blazing, she looked quickly away, trying to think of any subject besides the present one.

"Hey, take it easy, Jesse," Petra broke in. "It's no big deal. But he could use a dance, and so could you." Jesse had the feeling the words weren't as innocent as she was trying to make them sound, but, knowing her friends would never give up until she'd given a satisfactory answer, she sighed, giving in slightly.

"Look, if he asks me, I'll dance with him, okay?" She folded her arms and raised her eyebrows.

Petra smiled. "Good enough. We'll see you later, okay?" She in turn raised an eyebrow at Olivia, and the two walked off, exchanging a few whispered words as they went. Jesse rolled her eyes. Okay, maybe I was wrong. It could be harmful. Honestly, what's up with those two?

Unexpectedly, she found herself worrying at the thought of dancing with Lukas. What if he actually did ask her? She wasn't a great dancer. Why does that matter? she tried to reason with herself, attempting to brush it aside. But, for some reason, it did matter, and she found her apprehension growing. Internally, she groaned. What have I gotten myself into?

"Uh, Jesse?"

The music had just started up again. Warily, she raised her eyes to see who was speaking, and her heart fluttered a little when her gaze landed on Lukas's clear, blue eyes. Obviously uneasy, he looked away, rubbing at the back of his neck with his hand. Polite as always, though, he didn't leave her hanging. "Would you like to dance?" He smiled a little, clearly trying to calm his own nerves. "Not that you don't make a beautiful wallflower, but..." His eyes widened as he realized how that could be taken, and he backed up slightly, holding his hands up in a defensive way. "I mean... I didn't mean..."

At his nervousness, the smile came unbidden to Jesse's lips, and any question she may have had regarding accepting flew. "It's all right, Lukas. I'd love to stop being a wallflower." Pushing off from the wall, she took a step forward. His face was still slightly red, but he smiled gratefully, offering his arm and leading her onto the floor. Only then did Jesse catch the words Olivia was beginning to sing, and she groaned.

"There you see her..."

"Seriously? They chose this song?" she muttered under her breath. By this point, Lukas had guided her into a waltz position, and looked to be silently assessing the music. He hadn't begun moving yet.

"What's wrong? What song is this?" He began leading her into a slow four-beat step, and she stumbled a little. "Oh, I'm sorry," he murmured, quickly pausing his steps.

"No, don't be. And please don't stop because of me," she pleaded. "It always takes me a few minutes to catch on." Her face warming slightly, she began focusing on her feet as Lukas stepped back again.

"Just follow my lead," he said gently. "You're getting it. It's just a slow-quick-quick rhythm." He smiled, but she was too focused on her feet to see. "There, you've got it. Now don't be afraid to look up. I'll lead you the best I can with my hand."

Cautiously, she raised her eyes, hoping she wouldn't step on his feet too hard. He seemed to be pretty good at handling less-experienced partners, though, and soon the two were moving relatively smoothly together. Finally relaxing her features a little, she smiled apologetically. "Thanks, Lukas."

He returned her smile. "No problem."

There was silence for a moment, and despite her initial reaction to the song, Jesse began listening to the words, her gaze resting just over Lukas's shoulder. Petra has a good voice, she mused.

"Yes, you want her... Lukas, yeah, you know you do..."

Her gaze jerked back to Lukas's face. He looked just as startled as her. "Did I just hear..." Jesse's comment cut off almost as soon as it had begun as she heard the next phrase.

"Jesse thinks she wants you, too; there is one way to ask her..."

A tiny yelp escaped her lips, and in a matter of seconds, Jesse's face went from pink to bright red. "Petra..." she groaned. I can't believe you guys would do this to me...

"Should we make a run for it?" The question was posed almost casually, and Jesse's surprised gaze flew once more to Lukas's face. Somehow she guessed he was only half joking. She let out a short laugh.

"We could, but then everyone would know who they were singing about." Lukas shrugged, looking somewhere between amused and mortified.

"If they caught it, they probably already know. But it's close enough to the original, it could have been missed entirely," he added hopefully. With a chuckle that sounded almost breathless, he briefly removed his hand from her back to run it over his hair. "Oh man. The effort they put into this... no wonder Axel was so pushy."

Jesse's eyes grew wide. "Wait a minute... he was trying to push you into asking me to dance?" Lukas nodded, looking completely unsure what to think. Jesse could relate.

"And while he was at it, Olivia and Petra were trying their hardest to get me to ask." She shook her head and let out another groan. "You're right. That is a lot of effort." She felt like burying her face in her hands, but, unfortunately, that wasn't currently an option.

Silence again. This time it seemed heavier, and Jesse was about to say something to break it when Lukas spoke up.

"So, why have you danced so little?" His voice indicated that the thought had only just come to him, and he sounded genuinely confused. Jesse sighed.

"I'm not exactly a great dance partner, and I guess since no one here really knows me personally..." She shrugged. "They just don't ask." Lukas surprised her with a laugh.

"Given how many people have been watching you, I'd say a lot of them would like to ask, but you're kind of a big hero." Her startled green eyes met his, and he shrugged, his gaze wandering as he continued, "Plus, you're so beautiful tonight..." He shrugged awkwardly. "They probably just don't dare."

Thankfully, Jesse was too stunned to blush again. Her color had almost returned to normal, and she planned to keep it that way. There's been enough impersonating a fire monster for one evening. Still, she wasn't quite sure how to respond. Her dress wasn't really that amazing; it was just the first one she and Olivia had come across that fit her style. Most dresses covered far too little for her taste, and she couldn't believe how scarce ballgowns with sleeves seemed to be.

"Uh, thanks. You're not too bad-looking yourself."

It was true. All evening, she'd been trying and failing to keep her eyes off him; his sleek black tuxedo suited him well. No pun intended, she thought with a little smirk.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Oh, nothing." She gave him a reassuring look and redirected the conversation. "Why haven't you been dancing?"

"Well, uh..." Lukas let out a nervous chuckle and was silent a moment. Oh, great, I made him uneasy. Why had she said that?

"I don't really know that many people here, you know. Petra and Olivia have been dancing or busy... and, well..." He met her gaze again, and Jesse got the impression he was trying to figure out how to explain not asking her before. Finally, he shrugged again, dropping his gaze. "Well, like I said, you look so good... I guess I felt a little intimidated."

It was silent again.

"Go on and... kiss the girl."

Oh, great, bad moment to stop talking.

And here came Lukas to the rescue once again. "So, how long have you known they were going to do a number for the dance?" He gestured with his head toward the platform Olivia and Petra were standing on, now singing in harmony with each other.

"Only since they came over to try and force me to dance with you." She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Guess they didn't want to risk me figuring out their plan."

Great. Did I just make it awkward again? That fear was almost immediately assuaged as Lukas spoke again.

"Ready to try something more complicated?"

Jesse's eyes widened. "As in, more complicated dancing?"

Lukas shrugged. "Why not? You're moving pretty smoothly now." And without further warning, he spun her around, dipped her, and spun her the other direction.

It took a moment for her to catch her breath once he brought her back into a modified waltz. Once she did, a startled laugh escaped her lips. "Whoa. With moves like that, I'm surprised every girl in the room hasn't asked you to dance."

Lukas chuckled. "Like I said, no one here really knows me." Staring over her shoulder, he continued, "And I guess I feel... ill-qualified to recommend myself to strangers." His voice took on a slight British accent with the last phrase, and Jesse couldn't help laughing.

"Nice accent."

"Thanks."

A more comfortable silence settled this time. By now, most of the lyrics were just the words "Kiss the girl" over and over. Lukas surprised Jesse with his next words.

"So, should we give them what they're asking for?"

Jesse was pretty sure her eyes had never been so wide. "Are you serious?"

Lukas didn't answer in words, but his eyes more than made up the difference. Jesse smiled.

"Well, I guess I'll let you decide, since you're the one they're singing to."

Once again, she was rewarded with his laugh – and then his lips met hers.

She barely even noticed the applause that erupted from all directions.