Title: Dance lessons
Prompt: Prompt 9—There's no place like home
Character/Pairing: Reim, Break, Sharon
Word Count: 530
Summary: It's a warm night, perfect for dancing.
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"You're a horrible dancer," Sharon announces, loud enough for Reim to hear. He's sitting nearby on the balcony, watching them under the night sky.
"You'll break my heart with those lies," Break replies, twirling her around slowly. Emily's not on his shoulder for once and his body feels lighter for it.
"As if," Sharon retorts, snorting.
"My, that's not ladylike at all." Break dips her and watches her glower from close up. So unlike her mother, at least when she's angry. She's up in a moment and they continue to sway to the music.
It's quiet, of course, considering it's coming from further within the ballroom.
Giving him a demure smile, Sharon stomps on his foot twice as they continue. The same foot. "You're a bad dancer considering how good you are at everything else," she clarifies.
Reim laughs as Break grimaces in pain. Her heels aren't as long as they could be, he's thankful for that, but that doesn't make the pain any less.
"You should have known better," Reim warns, still chuckling. He reaches up to wipe his eyes, his glasses rising above his hands and glinting in the pale moonlight.
"Would you like to dance with our lady instead?" Break offers.
"Oh, he's a much better dancer than you," Sharon interrupts. "I've already trained him. It's you who needs the help."
"I can't fight our lady." Reim's controlling his amusement much better now, but it's still not enough.
Break will just have to dump some more reports on him to make up for this insult.
"My lady, I thought I didn't need that much help."
Sharon looks away for a moment, then back at him. There's something serious in her expression, something he's unused to seeing from her. Maybe she is growing up after all, slowly but surely.
"I might not be able to do this again with you," she whispers, soft and low. Reim can't hear this, he's sure. "You don't have much longer, do you."
"No," Break replies, his voice just as quiet. Her concern requires honesty in return. "What I told Oz was the truth."
"I thought so." Sharon smiles, and it's not as broken or sad as he thought it would be. It's strong, strong and determined and when had he missed this change in her? "So," she continues, loud enough that Reim can hear now, "I need to make sure you know how to dance properly. You can't be in the Rainsworth household without at least this much skill."
What other changes has he missed? And just how many changes will he miss in the future? His lady was no longer a child, no longer a girl. A woman, as great as her mother, as strong as her grandmother.
Before he goes, he should acknowledge as much.
"Of course, my lady." Break adjusts his grip on her, correcting his position minutely. "I'll do my best then."
"I know you will," Sharon replies, a broad smile on her face. "You've never done anything but."