#Kingo's phone isn't anywhere to be seen right?

[softquietsteadylove]

Kingo is trying to make Gil jealous to see if he cares about Thena and uses some interesting methods.

For the fake wedding one!

"Please, Thena?"

She looked up at Kingo, "I don't understand why you need me for it."

"Because Makkari and Sersi both said no, and I have to send in this video of me by today!" Kingo pleaded with her, pressing his hands together and wobbling his lip.

"What about Ajak?"

"I don't wanna dance with my mom!" Kingo faked sobbing, although it still did nothing to move Thena in his favour, "plus, she's way too busy and I'm way too scared to ask her. I'm pretty sure she'll break out the chancla on me."

Thena had already seen what the threat of la chancla could do for keeping her children (plus Kingo) in line. The woman clearly had mastered her weapon of choice. Thena sighed, "it's just a video of you dancing?"

"Yes!" Kingo bounced with glee, "and I know all the steps and everything. All you have to do is sway and follow my lead--and look like you're in love with me!"

Thena rolled her eyes but stood from her patio chair, "I'll try."

"That's all I ask," he grinned at her, holding his hand out like a true gentleman. "There isn't any sound for it either, so I can talk you through things too."

She had no idea how these things worked for an actor of Kingo's level, but if he had to send in a video of himself dancing with no music, who was she to question it?

Besides, Gil was busy making croissants - or something - so it wasn't as if she had anything better to do with her time.

"Madame," Kingo schmoozed as he pulled her into position with him. His expression screamed a rich and entitled dandy, or whatever his character would be for this project. But it was definitely Kingo saying, "is it okay if I put my hand on your waist?"

Thena shrugged. She hadn't known Kingo for long, but there was something undeniably unthreatening about him, at least to her. Maybe it was the same warmth Gil and the rest of the family exuded. Or maybe it was the complete lack of physical interest he had in her. It was a refreshing break from most of the creeps at work back home.

Kingo began trotting them around in boxes within circles. He was surprisingly skilled with his dancing, leading her smoothly. "Hey, you're not so bad at this."

Thena wasn't convinced by the flattery, "don't be fooled, it's not as if I'm going to be able to do this on my own."

"Are you ready?" he asked more quietly, his face coming closer as their twirling slowed down to a gentle swaying from side to side. "For your first dance?"

Thena gulped, "I...suppose."

"Have you guys had lessons for it?" Kingo asked, the side of his head hovering close to the side of hers. "I heard some people do that."

If she had known about this more than a few weeks in advance, she might have considered it. "Gil said he didn't want to worry about stuff like that, and I'm inclined to agree."

"Well, you can consider this kinda like practice, right?" Kingo chuckled, his hand squeezing hers faintly.

"I suppose so," she murmured, not really thinking of Kingo as he swayed them to some imaginary beat. He was tall, maybe even a little taller than Gil. But he wasn't as warm, and his muscles were harder--more wiry. Gil's felt so natural on his frame, as if he had been born with them. Every time she felt them close to her, it was reassuring.

"I gotta admit," Kingo nearly whispered this part, bringing his head even closer to hers for it. "I was a little surprised when Gil told us about this shotgun wedding."

Thena held her breath.

"He's not really the impulsive type, and between you and me," he paused to snicker, "Ajak asked me if I thought he had, uh, knocked you up, as it were."

Honestly, it was a fair assumption on poor Ajak's part.

"But you guys seem really happy," Kingo concluded with a lighter tone. He pulled his head away so he could look at her as he said it, but they were so physically close her eyes blurred a little to really look at him. "I'm glad you found each other."

Thena turned her head, preferring to stare into/just barely over his shoulder rather than be nose to nose with her cousin-to-be. A breeze rushed around them and she felt the warmth in her cheeks. "I couldn't find anyone better than Gil."

Of all the lies she had told since arriving here with Gil, this was true.

"Okay," Kingo whispered, giving her waist a squeeze, "i have to dip you now. Have you ever done one?"

"No," she hissed at him, but he was already picking up speed and twirling her around again.

"It's okay, just relax and let me hold you as I lean you back," he continued to grin like that was so easily done. "Just trust me."

There was only one person in the world she trusted like that.

"Kingo, wait," she bit her lip, more nerves building up as Kingo spun her again. He wrapped his arm around the back of her shoulders, half lowering her down with her eyes squeezed shut like he was dangling her off a cliff.

"Kingo!"

"Oh, hey Gil," he smiled, still holding Thena in one arm and spreading the other for dramatic effect. "We-"

"Let go of her!"

Thena opened her eyes when a different set of hands grasped her shoulders. She was pulled up to stand properly again, and rather than Kingo's deep purple t-shirt, she was met with Gil's green sweater, and the scent of his aftershave.

"What the hell are you doing, man!" Gil barked at him, holding Thena to his chest as if Kingo had been about to feed her to the wolves.

"Sorry Gil, I needed help recording a dance for my next audition tape," Kingo laughed through his excuse, carefully avoiding the gravity Gil brought to the situation. "Thena was the only one free."

Gil's hand moved from Thena's shoulders to the small of her back, trailing down with a light touch, "you're doing stuff like this an awful lot, lately."

"Like what?" Kingo shrugged. If Gil wanted his answers, he was going to have to come out and say it.

"Gil," Thena interrupted before the two could really get their tempers up and flaring. She pressed her hand into the divet of chest between his pecs, "it's okay. He asked me to help, and I said I would."

Gil sighed, clearly wanting to stay angry at Kingo, even as she tried to talk him out of it. He was still holding her. "I know, Thena, but that's not-"

"It's good practice, right?"

Both men looked at her, shocked by her sudden outburst. Gil tilted his head at her, "practice for what?"

"Well," she sighed, feeling the warmth in her cheeks re-emerge. "We'll have to...right? After...the wedding?"

Gil blushed faintly, and she could see in real time as he realised that he too would be required to execute a very romantic first dance with her in front of the rest of his family. "Oh."

Thena nodded, her own embarrassment worsening as Gil's added to it. "So, I agreed because I figured I could take all the practice I could get."

"Uh, well," Gil floundered, looking between Thena, sheepish in the crook of his elbow, and Kingo, who had his arms crossed at him with a petulant expression. His anger fizzled out and he gave Kingo a miserable little look, "sorry."

"I should think so," Kingo turned his nose up, although they could both see him grinning, lavishing in the drama of the moment. He held up his hands as he moved to side step them. "Never mind old Kingo, just trying to help-"

Gil grasped Kingo's sleeve before he could move on completely. He looked him in the eye, still holding Thena in his other arm. "I know you don't mean anything by it. But...it's the woman I love, Kingo. I need to know you really understand that."

Thena stayed silent through the exchange between brothers. Gil said it in a very convincing way (and her stomach was still in knots).

Kingo looked at Gil, and then at the hand grasping at him. He removed his grip before bumping his knuckles against Gil's gently. "I do, man. I really do--I wouldn't do anything to get in the way of that."

Then what was all this?

Kingo continued into the house, completely unbothered by the little scuffle.

Gil looked at her again, frowning, "sorry. A-Are you--I didn't mean to..."

She smiled, though. Fake-fiance or not, everything Gil did was out of sweetness. At least with her, it was. She nodded, "it's okay, Gil. You know he doesn't mean any harm."

"I know," he sighed, looking like a puppy getting a scolding. She had to laugh, tipping his chin back up (but it didn't stop him from pouting). "I just...I feel like every time I've got a good thing going for me, Kingo swoops in and--he doesn't mean to. I know he doesn't, but let's just say that when we all went to camp together, the girls weren't really asking him to pass their numbers on to me."

"Aw, poor Gilgamesh," Thena pursed her lips at him. He did roll his eyes, but he was smiling again! "You were a diamond in the rough--just needed more time for people to see your brilliance."

He smiled as she un-rumpled his sweater from when he came out in a huff. He was still holding her. "So, dance practice?"

"Hm," she hummed, not really wanting to dwell on it any more than they already had. "I admit I was intrigued by the idea that he could help."

"Well," Gil said quietly, still holding her waist and now grasping her other hand in his, "I'm here now. And I'm the one you're gonna be dancing with, right?"

He was. Thena drew in a breath as Gil started moving them. It was a little less smooth than Kingo had been, clearly a basic step he had learned some time in their youth.

"I probably need some practice myself," he mumbled, some of his usual shyness returning as he moved her hand his side up his chest to his shoulder.

"I-" she cut herself off before she could say something stupid, looking away from his deep brown eyes to stare into his chest instead, "I didn't want to interrupt you."

"Interrupt me anytime, Thena," he corrected her immediately, swaying them a little more easily the longer they maintained their proximity. "Especially for something like this."

She leaned closer, loosening as if their shared body heat were melting frost at her joints. "You're not half bad at this."

"Well," Gil smiled against her cheek, "I better get half good before our wedding, huh?"