KLW: Dance Lesson

Dance Lesson

"Hahaha, look at all the colors Sis! And how come they don't trip on those tall shoes?" Patricia Thompson questioned from where she laid sprawled on her stomach on the floor of the left-wing parlor of Gallows Manor. The sisters and their meister were currently scattered about the cozy room watching what Kid had described as a 'classic' movie made just after the advent of color movies. The girls had been unsure at first, but Kid's fondness for the old films had grown on them as well and had become the highlight of their weekends, particularly the rare rainy ones like this one.

"Well, they're really good dancers with good partners, right Kid?" Liz answered from where she was stretched out on the couch, sighing wistfully. The whole idea was rather romantic. But like some guy would ever sweep her off her feet like that... Particularly not the one she wanted to.

The reaper nodded, attention drifting between the girls as he slouched in his favorite wing-back chair. He'd seen the movie before after all and honestly, he was far more interested in watching his weapons' reactions to each film than movies he'd watched a thousand times before. He smiled fondly at Patty, noting the way she kicked her legs in time to the music and laughed. She loved musicals in particular, especially those in color.

His attention switched to Liz, the elder weapon sighing and clutching a throw pillow. She tended to enjoy the sweeping romances most, gasping and swooning as if she were the heroine in her own film. However the sighs always started when the onscreen couple danced. He got up as the cast danced away and the screen went black, moving to pull the disk from the DVD player and turn off the tv. Patty bounced up as well, cheering about cleaning up the popcorn and candy wrappers littering the room. Liz however remained seated, lost in thought.

"Dollar for your thoughts?" Kid asked softly after it became apparent Liz wasn't going to snap out of it, dodging Patty as she swept through the room to grab more wrappers.
"I think the saying starts with 'A penny'." Liz smirked, eyes finally coming back into focus.

"Your thoughts are worth much more than a penny. You missed one Patty! In any case, you must have something you're thinking about, to sigh so heavily like that." Kid smiled slightly and sat down as the blonde made room for him on the couch.

"I was just thinking... Um, how nice it would be to be able to dance like that, that's all." Liz blurted out, staring at the floor. Kid for his part didn't seem to notice, frowning for a moment before smirking, "Is that all? Why didn't you say anything? Come with me. Patty, make sure this room gets cleaned up and the movie put away, alright? Liz and I have something to do."

"Sure thing Kiddo!" Patty smiled, watching the young reaper pull her sister up from the couch and lead her out the door. Maybe he'd finally gotten a clue? She'd only been sighing at every romantic movie for months. Silly reaper boy, how could anyone be so smart and yet so stupid? Although Liz was just as bad... Maybe if she hurried she could go spy on them?

****

"Where are you taking me?! Are you having another symmetry fit?" Liz snapped, disgruntled at being interrupted from her romantic fantasies only to be dragged through hallway after hallway.

"A room I never had occasion to show you and Patty. It's never gotten any real use after all." Kid answered cryptically. He knew he was pissing her off and yet... She'd like the surprise, he knew it. He just had to get there without her killing him. Luckily the room in question was at the end of their current hall, concealed behind twin ebony doors inlaid with gold.

"I've never seen those doors before." Liz murmured, intrigued despite herself. Okay, maybe this...whatever he was doing wasn't something out of a movie, but it was at least interesting.

"There hasn't been any reason for you too. Now though..." Abruptly he let go of her wrist, leaving her standing a few feet from the massive doors to stand directly in front of them, a smirk playing on his lips. A twist of shadows and fushia light born from his powers and the doors were slowly creaking open behind him as he bowed, "Welcome to the Grand Ballroom of Gallows Manor."

Taking a step forward Liz gasped, eyes wide as she took in the room beyond, a cavernous space of columns and windows that looked like something out of a fairytale. Black and white marble floors competed for attention with ebony columns trimmed in gold, white walls inlaid with the same metal opposing banks of windows two stories tall displaying the mild storm outside. The chandelier above, candles flames bursting to life with another hint of light and shadow, was a masterpiece of crystal and gold hanging beneath a ceiling painted with the most beautiful mural of a night sky she'd ever seen. The ballroom was absolutely magnificent.

"I take it you like it?" Kid smirked again, taking her hands to lead her forward considering she seemed to be rooted in place. "As you can see it doesn't get many visitors, however I thought it would be the perfect space for your lesson."
"Lesson?" Liz asked faintly, awe still bleeding into her tone.

"Yes, you wanted to learn to dance right? It just so happens dancing is something I know a thing or two about." The reaper dropped her hands, smiling as she looked over at him in mild shock.

Liz couldn't do anything but stare. First he brings her to the most beautiful room she's ever been in then offers to teach her to dance? She had to be dreaming. And yet there he stood with a hand held out for hers patiently, smile in place. Lightheaded and stunned she took a step forward, placing a hand in his gingerly. "You know how to dance? I mean, like that?"

"Of course. It's something every gentleman should know. Haven't you guessed that by watching Black*Star flail around?" Kid joked, smile widening into an almost-grin at Liz's stifled giggle. He liked her giggle, it was unfortunate she hated the reaction so, but then he supposed the way it softened her appearance and showed her natural warmth would be a liability on the streets.

"Okay, good point. So where do we start?" Liz questioned, still trying to shake off the rather persistent notion she was dreaming. Stuff like this didn't happen in real life, not to girls like her and not instigated by guys like him. She was going to wake up disappointed any minute now, Patty laughing at her like always.

"You place your hand here and don't look down." Kid pulled the free hand that hung limply at her side to his shoulder, adjusting his grip on her other hand. His free hand moved to her waist hesitantly, the young god hoping she didn't notice the faint trembling in his hand. Clearly he hadn't thought this through all the way, hadn't thought about the fact that teaching her to dance would bring the older blonde closer than he'd ever dare get to her before. Calm, he just had to stay calm and collected and hope she didn't notice the pounding of his heart and the way he pulled her just a little bit closer than strictly necessary.

"Why shouldn't I look down?" Liz frowned lightly, puzzled and mildly annoyed at herself. The fog in her head should have lifted by now and yet... Of course, being this close to him would obviously have an effect on her nerves. Internally she laughed at herself. Like he knew what this was doing to her.

"Trust me, just keep your eyes on mine." As if she could look away. It was all she could do to remember how to breathe as they took one step, then another, and another, a low-level soul resonance forming that turned her stumbling hesitant steps into something a little more steady, if not exactly graceful.

"You're thinking too much. Just follow my lead." He meant to speak the words confidently, but they came out in an intimate hush, voice taking on a tone unfamiliar to his own ears. He couldn't begin to imagine what she was thinking. Luckily enough she didn't seem to notice, nodding carefully before taking a deep breath and letting her mind go blank.

He smiled and began to hum quietly as her steps became more fluid, following him naturally  instead of praying she didn't step on him. A graceful turn under his arm made her smile, eyes lighting up but lips remaining silent. "Just like that."

A few steps later he noticed she'd drifted closer, their pace slowing to match the beat of the rain on the window panes. Almost absently he let go of her left hand and let it join the other on her waist, hers traveling to lace fingers with its mate behind his neck. The resonance swelled as they drifted even closer, the reaper finally noticing the faint stain of pink across her cheeks. Why was she blush... The resonance swelled again, farther than they'd ever pushed it, and suddenly he knew.

Oh. He let his forehead rest against hers as her blush intensified and her eyes finally left his, slipping closed with a rush of utter elation. Oh. He felt like his brain had been frozen, the same thought repeating over and over. Oh. She didn't care about being able to dance at all. She'd just wanted to dance with him.

Liz smiled a little, feeling him through the link as a quiet joy overcame his shock, blending in with the steady affection she'd only recently become aware of. Maybe guys like him did sweep girls like her off their feet. Or at least wanted to. And he'd certainly succeeded. She felt like her heart should have been pounding, but instead her whole body seemed to stay content with just quietly spinning around in his arms, blind and deaf to the outside world. The twin impulses of wanting to shout what had just happened -was still happening- from the rooftops and wanting to stay forever, just like this were warring. But shouting could happen another day. "So we just keep doing this?"

"Always." Kid muttered, pulling her closer as her head came to rest on his shoulder. Who would have thought a woman like her would ever consider someone like him, who would have guessed she was hiding feelings like the ones glimmering at the other end of the resonance link, feelings strong enough to steal his breath and ones he wholeheartedly returned. Who would have guessed...

A flicker of affection reached across the link and he shelved the shock for another time, resolving instead to lose himself in the resonance, in her, bouncing the flicker back and forth in the almost-silence broken only by the muffled slide of their socks and his humming and the rain. One by one the candles above guttered out, leaving only the dim grey light from outside, and the shimmering pale blue glow of two souls bound as one, time forgotten.

Liz smiled brilliantly at him as she lifted her head and rested her forehead against his once more, "You know, dancing like this is more symmetrical." He grinned and closed his eyes.  He hadn't even noticed.

Patty smiled to herself as she watched them from behind one of the ballroom doors, stifling a giggle behind her hands. It was about time, the silly love birds. She giggled again and snuck out the door and back toward the parlor, Lord Death would want to know all about it. And there was no way she was interrupting them now that they finally understood. Humming to herself and giggling as she dialed Lord Death's number into the parlor mirror, Patty wondered whether her nieces and nephews would have gold eyes or blue.