A quick and fluffy piece done for the Hetalia kink meme prompt "Any nation/Japan - dancing". There are also some references to Germany/Italy, Belarus/Russia, and Austria/Hungary in here.

With that said, my muse seems to be trying to make up for three fic-less months; I've already completed two lengthier kink meme fills that I will upload later on here after some self-editing. Yay for having a ridiculous amount of free time during the first half of summer!

Japan's mouth was set in a line of grim determination as the music started. His arms were as stiff as a mannequin's against Greece's and his feet shuffled around like one of the mini-robots he kept in his room. He wasn't even looking directly at Greece but at his shoes, as if one little slip-up on the dance steps would be a permanent stain on his honor.

After several minutes of this, Greece couldn't keep quiet for any longer and spoke up gently with, "Japan, you don't need to look at your feet all the time."

"I'm concentrating on trying not to step on your feet, Greece-san," Japan replied, keeping his eyes fixed on his shoes.

"...Thanks," Greece said after a brief pause. "I'd like to at least be able to see your face, though."

Japan did look up at Greece after that statement. "Sorry about that." A guilty expression appeared on his previously blank face. "I've been treating this dance like a military march, haven't I?"

"You don't need to," Greece said, sliding his right hand from Japan's elbow to his left palm and feeling the sweat gathered there. "Dancing is supposed to be fun."

"I know, but I've danced very few times with a partner before," Japan confided. "I don't really know how to get into the mood like other nations can," he said, glancing over to where Germany and Italy were happily dancing away, their attention focused solely on each other, even if Germany did have an uncharacteristically fierce blush on his face.

"I don't know about that," Greece said, looking around the room and seeing Russia visibly sweating and keeping his teeth fixed in a rictus grin as Belarus kept one end of his scarf clasped in one of her hands as she swept him around the dance floor. "Some other nations here seem to be having trouble getting into the mood too."

Japan caught sight of Russia and Belarus and gave a slight chuckle. "Point taken. I'm most likely still the most inexperienced nation you've ever danced with, however."

Greece raised an eyebrow at that before deciding not to say anything about the possible entendre there. "Don't say that. You're actually doing a much better job of dancing than you were at the beginning."

"I am?" Japan said, surprised.

Greece nodded. "You're looking at me now and you're much more relaxed than you were at the start of the dance."

"I think it's because you're distracting me from thinking too much about something and working myself up into an anxiety over it," Japan said, letting a small smile touch his lips. "You usually do a good job of that."

"Should I keep on talking, then?" Greece asked, smiling back.

Japan was about to reply when the music suddenly died down. Greece glanced over at the stage to see that Austria had stopped playing the piano and was currently flexing his fingers together while Hungary was adjusting her violin-playing posture next to him.

"I think the slow-dancing portion is about to begin," Japan whispered to Greece as the couples around them began stepping closer to their partners. Sure enough, Austria and Hungary began playing a slower tune on their instruments in perfect harmony that seemed to shift the mood of the room to something more nuanced and romantic. Even nations like America and Poland became more subdued in their chatting to their partners as the new tune unfolded like a blanket over them.

Greece felt Japan's palm begin to sweat again in his hand, and he gave it a light squeeze. "It's fine," he whispered back to Japan. "Just pretend that you're hugging a giant Hello Kitty plushie throughout all this."

"That's a bit difficult to do in this situation," Japan said wryly, but he did seem to relax slightly as Greece drew him closer to his chest and began gently guiding them around in a circular dance.

A tune as slow as this would have normally lulled Greece to sleep in two minutes flat, but the tentative touch of Japan's right hand to his shoulder and the wavering of his facial expression between nervousness and contentment kept him alert as he gently guided Japan around in a circular dance.

Japan must have known they would have to do this when he asked Greece to be his dance partner, but it didn't mean that he was completely at ease with it yet. What it did mean was that he was willing to ease himself into this unfamiliar situation in a manner similar to how he had eased himself into being more open or expressive with Greece. This was tantamount to him saying to Greece, "I may not be the best at things like this, but I'm going to learn how to do them with you because I want to do them with you."

"Am I doing it right?" Japan spoke up quietly after they had danced like this for some time.

"You're doing it wonderfully," Greece assured him.

"I'm not acting like a soldier being given orders to march in formation?"

Greece smiled and leaned his forehead against Japan's as they continued dancing. "No. You're acting like a man who's enjoying dancing with his boyfriend."

Reviews and constructive criticism are just as welcomed as always!