Primeval fic: Starting Off On The Wrong Foot

[knitekat]

Title: Starting Off On The Wrong Foot

Author: knitekat

Word Count: ~1630

Characters: James Lester, Nick Cutter, Claudia Brown.

Rating: 12

Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.

A/N: Birthday fic for telperion_15 from the prompt Nick/Lester and Starting off on the wrong foot. Hope you have a wonderful day. Thanks to Fred for the beta, cheers m'dear.

Nick Cutter sighed as he stared at the memo. He shook his head in disbelief before strolling into Lester's office, the memo clutched firmly in his hand.

“Do come in, Cutter. So good of you to knock first,” Lester drawled. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the memo in Nick's hand. “And no, you can't be excused.”

“Come on, man. Do you really want me there?”

“Honestly? No,” Lester admitted. “But the minister does.”

“It says dancing.”

“I have read it, Professor.”

“I can't dance.”

“So don't.” Lester rolled his eyes. “I'm sure Ms Brown won't be terribly upset.” When Nick shifted his feet nervously, Lester sighed and demanded, “What now, Professor?”

“I...”

“Out with it, some of us are busy.”

Nick glared at Lester, then took a deep breath. “You can dance, can't you, Lester?”

“Of course...” Lester's eyes widened. “I am not teaching you to dance just so you can show off to Ms Brown.”

“Please.” Nick's eyes flickered around the office before meeting Lester's. “I'll be on my best behaviour. Scout's honour.”

“You were never a Scout.” Lester pinched the bridge of his nose. “And the answer is still no.”

***

Lester's eyebrow quirked when he noticed Abby hobbling into the meeting. His gaze moved to Nick when the man pulled out a chair for Abby and Lester noticed the guilty look on the professor's face. “Ms Maitland?”

“I'll be fine.”

“I do believe Lieutenant Owen will be the judge of that.”

Nick's sigh drew Lester's attention to him. “I trod on Abby's foot. Several times.”

“Rather clumsy of you...” Lester drawled with a raised eyebrow.

“I was trying to teach him to dance.”

“Ah.”

***

Lester sighed heavily when he spied Stephen hobbling towards him. “Don't tell me. Cutter.”

Stephen nodded. “Ditzy thinks I've got a fractured bone in my foot.”

“That man is a menace,” Lester muttered as he headed to his office.

***

Lester glanced up as he heard a knock on his door. “Congratulations, Professor. You've learned to knock.”

Nick scowled as he folded his arms. “You wanted to see me?”

Leaning back in his chair as he considered the man before him, Lester finally nodded and tossed a set of keys at Nick, who almost fumbled the catch before looking in confusion at Lester. “Those are spare keys to my flat. I'll expect you there at 8pm. Do not be late.”

“Lester?”

“I'll teach you to dance.” Lester groaned softly at the look on Nick's face. “Do not make me regret this, Professor.”

***

Nick shifted nervously from foot to foot outside Lester's front door. The door opened before he could decide whether to knock on it or just leave and Nick found himself face to face with Lester.

“Do come in, Professor, you're making the hall look untidy.”

“Er.”

Lester sighed. “Come in.”

Nick nodded and stepped past Lester into the flat's hall. The place looked as he expected it to – clean, organised to within an inch of its life and with several objects Nick assumed would be valuable. Valuable and fragile. He almost left then, remembering the smashed vase at Abby's and the damaged table at Stephen's.

“I don't have time for this, Cutter, so don't even think of wasting it.” When Nick nodded, Lester ushered the man down the hall and into his front room. “Now you are here, you can help me clear a space.”

“I can?”

“You didn't think I'd drag the furniture over my expensive flooring, did you?” Lester asked, before adding, “Scratch anything and the repairs will be coming out of your pay.”

Once the furniture had been moved to Lester's satisfaction, he nodded and said, “I've decided on the waltz. It's fairly simple, even you should be able to dance it without treading on Ms Brown's feet. Or, more importantly, on mine.” He paused for a moment and then added, “Take your shoes off, Cutter.”

“What?”

Lester quirked an eyebrow. “Shoes, Cutter. Take them off. I didn't think it was that hard a concept to understand...” When Nick just stared at him, Lester gave a heavy sigh. “Considering you will tread on my feet at least once, I'd prefer not to suffer a broken toe. Take your bloody shoes off.”

Nick toed his shoes off before looking at Lester. “Now what?”

“I've never taught another man to dance.” Lester pinched the bridge of his nose before muttering, “Why the fuck did I agree to this.”

“Do you want me to go?”

“No.” Lester shook his head. “I don't go back on my promises, Cutter.” He took a deep breath. “Watch what I do and then we'll see if you can copy me...”

Nick nodded and then watched as Lester slowly moved through the steps of the waltz, his movements precise and graceful as he seemed to become lost in the music. Once the music finished, Lester stood still for a moment before turning around, almost jumping when he noticed Nick watching him.

“Forgot I was here?” Nick asked, with a slight smile.

Lester didn't bother answering, instead asking, “Do you think you could do that?” At Nick's expression, he sighed. “The first set of steps are called the 'left foot change'. Start with your feet together, like this. No, Cutter, stand opposite me. Back a bit, I'd prefer not to have a mid-dance collision. Good. Step forward with your left foot, as so.” Lester waited until Nick had repeated his step. “Now, move your right foot in an L-shaped move to this position. Good, Cutter. Now, bring your left foot so the two are together again.” Lester nodded. “Right, try that a few times, I want to see if you have it right.”

Nick looked self-conscious as he tried the steps again under Lester's critical gaze.

“Now, try it with the other foot.”

“Lester?”

“Same steps, but start with your right foot.” Lester nodded. “Good.”

***

Lester called a break an hour later and made them both coffee. “Not too bad, Cutter.”

“You think I'm ready to dance?”

Lester snorted. “You can dance the steps, I suppose.” He added some whisky to his mug and at Nick's slight cough, Lester sighed and added a dash to his. “Next step, to see if you can dance with a partner. I'll lead first to show you what to do.” He drank his coffee and waited for Nick to finish his. “Come here, Cutter. Face me.”

Lester reached out his right hand and placed it on Nick's waist, sliding it slightly around the man's back. He quirked an eyebrow when Nick shivered under his touch. He reached out to grasp Nick's right hand with his left, before extending their hands out to the side. “Now, put your left hand on my shoulder. Good, now, follow my lead. When I step back, you step forwards. Likewise, if I step to my left, you step to the right. Got that?”

When Nick nodded, Lester led him around the room at a slow pace. “Let's try it at the correct speed.” The two moved around the cleared floor space, with Lester only wincing a few times as Nick trod on his toes. “Not too bad. Now, you can try leading.” At Nick's confused look, Lester added, “You will be leading with Ms Brown, remember.”

***

Lester and Claudia glided smoothly across the dance floor. As Lester spun Claudia around he smothered a smile when he noticed Nick weaving his way towards them. His voice low, Lester murmured to Claudia. “I think your date wants to dance.”

Claudia frowned at him and then followed his gaze. A slight smile flickered across her face. “Nick's not my date, James.”

Before Lester could ask her to clarify that comment, Nick's hand touched his arm. Smiling at Claudia, Nick's voice was confident as he asked. “Can I cut in, Ms Brown?”

As Claudia stepped back and allowed Nick to take her place, she added to Lester, “He's your date.”

Lester was stunned into silence and only his years of coping with the unexpected had his hand finding the correct position on Nick's waist when Nick's hand squeezed his shoulder as he guided Nick through the dance.

“This must be a first, Sir James Lester lost for words.”

“If this is some elaborate joke...”

Nick cut Lester off by pressing a soft kiss against his lips. “No joke, James.”

“Why?” Lester's feet still followed the steps of the dance, even though his mind was rather preoccupied. “I thought I was a civil servant pen-pusher?”

“I was wrong.”

Lester's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hair. “Professor Nick Cutter admitting he's wrong. I believe that would be another first.”

Nick's lips twitched. “I am wrong. Occasionally.” He sighed. “And you were being difficult. I... can we start again?”

“Why would I want to do that?”

“You're still dancing with me and you didn't thump me when I kissed you.”

“Ah. There is that,” Lester admitted. “I suppose we both started off on the wrong foot with each other.”

“And now?”

“Well, you haven't trod on my toes yet.” Lester smirked before lowering his head so he could whisper in Nick's ears, “I do believe you still have the keys to my flat. Tomorrow, 8pm sharp.”