Moon on the Lake

Silence.

No sound.

Nothing but the loneliness of the dead of night to accompany the padding of feet on firm carpet.

Then, a pair of notes rang out gently, emphasized in the once empty void of soundlessness.

Within one second's time, another duo followed, higher than the beginning.

As tenderly as the first tones had sounded, a serene melody began to echo through the quiet building. Despite how lonely the tune sounded, with its calm nature and lack of accompaniment, it carried a modest grace as it floated through the hotel lounge and whispered past the ears of any who cared to listen.

Suki slipped into the room without a sound, peeking around the edge of the piano. A smile crossed her lips as she saw exactly who she had expected to find pressing the keys with a delicacy that was unlike him. Fleeting memories tugged at the girl's mind. She felt a small warmth of nostalgia blossom within her as she watched the man she had grown so close to wrapped in the elegant piece his fingers wove, his eyes closed in deep concentration.

I don't wanna disturb him, the girl thought, as she felt her body carried to the far wall of the abandoned lounge by the sensitive tempo. Involuntarily, her arms began to sway from her body, as she brought her hands over her head and let her eyes slipped closed. Another memory swam into her consciousness, as she tiptoed tepidly, her gestures somewhat uncertain. The performance…went something like this, right…?

And so, the girl began to dance, slowly retracing the steps of a nostalgic performance in her mind. Even with the constraining nature of her choice of footwear, she still made quite an effort to balance herself on her toes just like the performer in her mind. As she let the music seep into her pores she stepped and spun in a dance only she remembered, stopping and swaying briefly if she didn't quite recall a specific gesture before picking her steps up once more.

Jotaro had not been immune to the presence of one other person being added to the lonely lounge, as he opened his eyes at the sensation of the smallest of breezes from someone passing. As he occupied his hands with continuing the tune, the delinquent allowed his gaze to drift to the dancing girl moving at a diagonal from the instrument. He was unsure what category her form of movement would fall into, until he observed her pull her leg in as she spun, then stand tall on one toe (or rather, give her best attempt to) and stretch her leg out behind her. It was only as the girl performing ballet to the song he played turned to face him did Jotaro realize that he had not recognized who was dancing up to that point.

Suki chose that moment to open her eyes to gauge her surroundings, ensuring she would not bump into anything. Her eyes flicked up as she noticed a cool gaze focused on her. Flushing red, she slumped into a more casual posture as her lips pulled into a pout.

"Warn me, if you're going to watch me dance…" She muttered, twiddling her fingers.

"You get stage fright?" The man questioned, his hands falling from the keys.

"I mean…" Suki sighed, scratching her cheek, "It's something I've gotta do for you guys, but, when we aren't fighting, then there's no reason to watch. It's just me moving around without any tact…"

"What was that just now, then?"

Suki gaped slightly, before casting her eyes away with a sheepish grin.

"I heard you playing Clair de Lune. My sister danced to that song, and…I felt like trying to recreate her performance."

…

"You were like a different person."

Suki looked up at this comment, meeting Jotaro's eyes. An unspoken question rested in his blue irises. The girl did not pride herself on being a master interpreter, but she hoped her answer would suffice. She began to explain, as she closed the distance between herself and her partner.

"Whenever my sister would dance…it was like time had stopped. She was so graceful and mature…And it didn't stop at dancing. Every move she made, every step she took had this elegance to it. It's like she always had this song playing in her head that only she could hear and move to.

"I feel like the way people interact with music says a lot about them. I don't always conduct myself maturely, while my sister always seemed to have her foot in the adult world, even when she was young… I'd be lying if I said I didn't envy her a bit."

The girl leaned delicately against the instrument, staring into her reflection in the polished ebony surface. A small smile turned up the corners of her mouth as she continued.

"You don't look out of place playing a soft song by Debussy, just like you don't look out of place playing a tune of strength like Stand Proud. Music…can say a lot of things words can't."

…

Suki laughed softly.

"That must've sounded unbelievably corny," She admitted with a shake of her head.

Jotaro met her eyes for a moment, before casting his gaze to the side and scooting over on the bench. His large frame left little room available on the seat; however, just enough room was left for someone of Suki's stature, if she didn't mind the close quarters. The girl accepted the silent invitation with a gentle smile, as she quietly sat down beside him, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap.

Jotaro resumed playing the song.

As Suki allowed herself to wash away with the tune, finding comfort in the presence and warmth of the man right beside her, she noticed the song had a subtle undertone that she hadn't heard before. The melody was the same, without a doubt; however, she almost didn't notice that, at this moment in time, under Jotaro's dexterous fingers…

"…It sounds tense…" Suki murmured.

The man's hands stilled on an unfinished half note, allowing it to ring out into the silence. The girl met his gaze with a concerned expression.

"You're letting your stress get to you again."

…

"I want to help you again, if I can. Is there anything I can do?"

Jotaro shifted his gaze back to his hands, moving them to rest on his knees.

A long pause ensued.

Finally, he spoke.

"What do you see, when you hear that song?"

…He wants me to keep talking? Suki wondered, before pondering the question he had just posed.

"Well, if you were asking my sister, she'd say she sees the moon's reflection on the water. Granted, the song is called "Clair de Lune," so I get where she's coming from," The girl mused, as she folded her arms, her smile growing wistful, "For me, though…I see a waltz in the stars. It's a pair of shadows dancing in the night sky. I feel…at peace, watching them."

Suki grinned sheepishly and scratched her cheek.

"You gave me a corny question, so I gave you a corny answer. It's beyond that, but it's true."

"You act like I should be surprised."

"Alright, then let's hear what you see, then!" Suki shot back with a tiny pout.

The delinquent pulled the brim of his hat down as he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Come on, fair's fair!" The girl goaded, smirking.

"…A ballroom."

A ballroom? Suki parroted inwardly.

"People are dancing together," He continued, "That's about it."

"Are you dancing with them?" Suki asked with a tilt of her head.

"Why would I be dancing with them?"

"I dunno, why would I dance with those star people?"

"You mean you wouldn't want to?"

"If I'm going to dance in front of other people, I'd rather…do it with another person…" Suki trailed off. With a shake of her head to dismiss the thought, she spoke with renewed confidence, "I never did get to ask you: what made you want to play the piano?"

The man's expression grew contemplative, as he absentmindedly brushed his thumb along the white keys, seemingly admiring the instrument.

"My dad's a jazz musician. He didn't teach me much, but what he did teach me made me want to learn more."

"Is he…around anymore?"

"He left on tour a while back. We haven't seen him since. He calls, but that's about it."

Jotaro's voice contained no hint of wistfulness, or desire to reconnect. All it held was acceptance that this was just how things were.

Suki's face fell in response.

"You don't need to be sad about it."

"I know," Suki pursed her lips, "I know, but…Don't you ever miss him?"

Jotaro was silent for a few long moments, before speaking up.

"I won't say no, but my mom and I get along well enough, even though he isn't there."

"Hm," The girl responded, folding her arms. Her brow furrowed as she closed her eyes.

It makes me wonder…Will Mama be okay, if I just bring my brother back? Whenever I've brought up bringing Dad and Aoi back, she's always been more concerned about my own safety…Even so, I know how lonely she is. How she's dealing with that is a mystery to me, now that I've seen what she never showed Kyuu or myself…What should I-

"Don't hurt yourself."

The intensity of her expression was broken as she opened her eyes to see Jotaro staring back at her. A smile returned to her face.

"Heh, I'm being careful with my brain space, don't worry."

A blush rose to her cheeks as a previously buried fact became readily apparent to the girl once more.

"You know, I can really think more clearly when I'm around you. I feel…calmer, when you're around."

As she looked up at her partner, he seemed to pause for a moment, before he pulled his hat over his eyes, a dusty red tinting his cheeks.

"Give me a break."

Suki rolled her eyes playfully, before turning back to the instrument.

"Do you want to try playing again?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath, appearing to stifle a yawn, before placing his hands on the keys once more. Suki raised her hand and placed it over Jotaro's. With a gentle intimacy to her movement, she lined up her fingers over his. Her hands were much smaller, certainly unable to reach his fingertips if their palms were aligned; however, she was able to sense the relaxation of the muscles in his hand from the simple touch, even coupled with the coarseness of his skin.

"Hah, so being around me does make you relax!" Suki grinned, pleased with her small victory.

Jotaro was silent.

Surprising the girl, he turned his hand over and wove his fingers between hers, resting their intertwined hands on the keys despite the dull, quiet note that sounded. Suki studied his gaze out of the corner of her eye. With the pieces in place, she tightened her grip in his hand, as she sidled closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

The two sat silently in the quiet lounge for a longer period of time than they had intended, before returning to their room and obtaining what little sleep they could.

Despite the bombastic orchestrations that had filled the opulent hall beforehand, a much more serene tune was not found to be unwelcome. As only the notes from monochrome keys danced in the spacious ballroom, couples found themselves slowing their pace to match the new, gentler tempo.

A man in a dark suit leaned inconspicuously against the wall near the back of the room, quietly observing the pairs that swayed to the song, folding his arms. He allowed his eyelids to slip closed, giving his eyes a much-needed break from the flashy decorations that threatened to overwhelm any who stared too long.

"Are you waiting on someone?"

The man opened his eyes and looked to his side. He laid eyes on a smaller woman, wearing a lacy periwinkle gown and a matching ribbon in her hair. Her smile was gentle and quiet, matching the tone of the song.

The man merely shook his head and turned his gaze back to the dancing couples.

"Do you…Do you mind if I stand here with you?"

The man turned and looked at the woman with a raised eyebrow. Her expression was sheepish, but sincere. She seemed to have no ulterior motive.

After a moment, he shrugged and let his gaze drift back to the dance floor. With a small relieved sigh, the woman leaned against the wall, separated from the man by about a yard.

The two watched the couples silently, drifting into the river of the music that emanated from the piano and touched every pair of ears in the room.

Chancing a glance at the woman beside him, the man saw a hint of wistfulness in her reflective brown eyes, as she continued her unbroken stare towards the middle of the ballroom.

"You aren't going to dance?" The man asked.

The woman laughed softly.

"If I'm going to dance in front of other people, I'd rather…do it with another person…"

She shook her head.

"My time here is limited, but I'm perfectly fine with watching the others have fun. That's enough for me."

The man turned his gaze back to the couples after hearing her response tinged with a near imperceptible hint of melancholy.

…

…

…

"…One dance."

"Hm?" The woman turned towards the man at his glib statement.

"You said you didn't have much time, right?"

The woman nodded slowly, as she watched the man take a few steps from the wall. He took a deep breath and turned towards her.

The man offered a hand to the woman.

"Then, I'll dance with you. Just once."

The woman's eyes darted between the man's hand and his face, as though disbelieving of his offer.

Then, she smiled.

She extended a silent message of gratitude as she met his gaze, gently placing her hand in his.

The two approached the dance floor, hand in hand.

The dream ended there.

But the warmth of an accepting hand and the sugary sweetness of a mutual wish for companionship remained in his memory.

-END-

-TO BE CONTINUED-

Happy Valentine's Day, all!

I hope the year has been treating all of you well, and I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this series of oneshots! For this, I'm hoping to have an upload schedule of one chapter every month or two. I also would like to know what oneshot you want to see next! I've posted a link on my tumblr page (just eliminate the spaces), where you can decide between one of the choices I've come up with, or you can ask for a custom subject with the third option. The survey will be open until the last day of March. Let me know what you think, and I'll see you in the next chapter!

-BlueBow

Link to tumblr page:

bluebow501 . tumblr . com