"Y-you want to learn to d-dance?" The lithuanian woman asked, her eyebrows knitting together into a confused expression "B-but why? And why ask m-me?"

"Because, I want to know how. And big sister won't teach me" He stated coldly. She didn't look completley satisfied with his answer but he ignored it. He didn't have any other reason, so she had no more to know anyhow. "So?" he asked glaring at her expectantly. "Are you going to teach me or not?" She looked surprised

"R-right now?" Why would have to she ask that?

"Of course" Honestly

"W-well I guess I c-could... B-but I think I would need to know hat type of dance you wanted to learn first. Not to mention-"

"The waltz" He said blandly, at the words 'waltz' he saw her cheeks pinken,

"W-well Alright, b-but we still need M-music..."

"You can teach me without it" He irritably. She looked up at him, surprised

"A-are you sure-" He cut her off with a sharp glare and she sighed.

"A-alright, come here..." She said, sounding stiff. "H-here" She spoke unsteadily, proffering her hand. He took it, still glaring. It was warm, and small, his face suddenly felt very warm. She guided his hand to her waist and then placed her own hand on his shoulder. Suddenly he realized how small she was in comparison to him. Her head was barely above his shoulder and she was refusing to look him in the eyes. She coughed awkwardly and he realized he had been staring 'she probably thought I was glaring'

"N-now, since you're the m-male you should be the one leading, so..." she continued to instruct him in how to move his feet relative to his partner. Eventually he began to feel distant, bored, distracted. So he began to look over the young lithuanian woman. Her cheeks were red as she spoke to him and the braid she always so vigilently kept her hair in had loosened, Allowing stray hairs to fall in her face and cover her eyes. Her eyes were tired and dirt smudged her cheek, Her eyes-

"D-do you understand?" He blinked, surprised. He had forgotten what he was there for

He nodded decidedly and she began to hum a soft tune. At first, he stumbled through the dance, clumsily stepping on her toes and making a general mess of it, but as it is with most things. He improved. As the dance went on Nikolai found himself concentrating less on teh dance, and once again more on the young woman that was his partner. Her face was calm now, eyes shut, all the fear and emberassment had left her features, leaving her smiling happily as she hummed her tune. As he watched her features a small thought crossed his mind. No, more like an idea. A small tingle in the back of his brain seemed ot be telling him to do something. What it wanted him to do of course, was a mystery, but there was one thing he knew for sure he needed to do

he found himself pulling the lithuanian closer, as she realized what was happening her face reddened, as did his. then he stopped.

'what am I doing?' he thought irritably, Letting go of her hand and waist and glaring down at her. She wasn't humming anymore, she looked up at him curiously

"I-is there soemthing wrong M-mister Belarus?"

He glared at her, something was wrong. He wanted her to be closer to him and he dind't know why.

"No." He lied, turning away from her and hurrying out of the room. He felt her boring into him as he left. When he was finally a few rooms away he stopped, leaning again a wall. He placed a hand on his chest, his heart had been beating rapidly and he hadn't even noticed. His cheeks felt hot and he felt light and warm inside.

'Why'

He wondered, staring off into space. As a young woman sat alone, tihnking the exact same thing.