AN: This is just a story from the prompt "Imagine person A of your OTP teaching person B to waltz." From imagineyourotp on Tumblr. It may have a second chapter, I'm not sure yet. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Feedback would be awesome. Thanks.
Roy settled himself on the couch and patted Henry's ribcage. "Hey, boy." He cooed. The dog lifted his head and panted, but otherwise didn't move.
Roy smiled, patted him one more time, then opened his book to read the same page he'd started on earlier, but had been interrupted when a false alarm about hit-and-run came in. The "patient" turned out to be a dog that had its paws run over by a bike.
Roy grinned as he remembered the well-intentioned kid nodding earnestly at the advice of calling a vet next time.
He lazily flipped a few pages, wondering where the next chapter was. He found it, then paused when music floated from the kitchen. It was a soft classical piece he liked but couldn't name.
He settled back, enjoying the violins at the foreground of the piece and started on his book again.
A few pages later, Roy looked up to see Mike wandering into the kitchen, then back out again with a cup of coffee.
"So the music's not yours, Mike?"
Mike's attention snapped to Roy and held for a second, startled. "Uh...No? Johnny's in there doing...something. Hell if I know what."
Roy set his book down, then silently cursed himself for not marking the page number.
Whining, Henry tracked Roy walking towards the kitchen and stop before he entered he entered, cocking his hip and leaning on the doorway.
Johnny was stumbling around, almost in time with the music. Easy-apply colored footprints with numbers printed on them littered the floor in an organized chaos.
"Whatcha doin' there, Johnny?" Roy asked in slight competition with the music.
John stopped and turned to Roy, then reached to the table next to him to pause the music.
"What's that?"
Roy smiled and shook his head. "This. What's going on with all this?" he motioned towards the clutter of footprints and crossed his arms.
Johnny gave a grin. "Remember Rose?"
Roy nodded. "Yeah. The new nurse at Rampart?"
Johnny's grin spread. "That's the one. Anyways, Rose and I are goin' to a dance hosted by her parents. One of those really nice ones, y'know? So she asked if I could waltz—"
"And you said you could, right?" Roy predicted.
"Yeah. But I'm figurin' I could learn it. Nothin' to it."
Roy sniggered. "Not quite, Junior. Judging by what I just saw, it's gonna take you a while. When's this date of yours?"
"Friday." John replied seamlessly.
Roy tilted his head up in thought, "That's in three days, Johnny. How're you going to pull this off?"
Johnny's face fell, taking the grin with it. "I was going to teach myself, like I said."
Roy straightened himself and moved from the doorframe over to where Johnny stood and glanced at the table. "What's this?" he inquired, picking up a book titled Waltz your Way to Wonderland with water-colored children in pastel clothing stuck forever holding hands and dancing.
Johnny reddened as Roy turned and looked at the spine, where a sticker proclaimed Children's. "Er, yeah. It's all the library had."
Roy tossed it back on the table. "I'll teach you."
"Huh?"
"I said, I'd teach you, Junior. But first we gotta move this." The older paramedic moved to one side of the table, the younger to the opposite side before he was asked.
With the table out of the way, Roy began to scoot the footprints away with his shoe, bending down occasionally to remove particularly belligerent ones.
Roy stepped to the center of the floor and motioned for Johnny to come closer.
"When did you learn to waltz?" John asked dubiously.
"Joanne wanted me to waltz at our wedding, so I learned. Now give me your hands."
Johnny bit his lip to keep from laughing, then weighed his options.
Finding no better alternative, he stepped up to Roy and set his hand on his partner's shoulder, then found Roy's hand raised and waiting for his own.
Roy's mouth crooked upwards. "no, no. Unless you're the girl- which I think Rose will be- then your hand goes here," Johnny's right hand was gently redirected to Roy's waist, "and your other one goes here." Johnny's found Roy's and gripped it.
"There you go." Roy beamed. "Now step forward with your right foot and I'll move back."
Johnny did as he was told, ecstatic when Roy took the lead and guided the pair. When he understood what to do, John resumed the lead and Roy followed.
"Now you got it! Just stop staring at the floor and look at me."
Johnny's gaze moved from his feet to his partner's face. "You have really nice eyes- really blue."
Roy scrunched his nose. "Sure, Junior. Thanks."
Footsteps approached, causing the dance to stop. "Wow, Gagey-baby, I didn't know this was a dance studio in here. Where do I sign up?" Chet's voice cut through the music, followed by a laugh.
"Oh, shut up, Chester. I have a date Friday. What are you doing? Going to drink a few beers, I suppose?" By this time, Johnny had pulled himself from Roy and turned to look at his foe.
Chet's face took on an expression of mock insult and hurt. "Of course not! Marco and I are going to see Mama Lopez and help fix her roof."
Johnny sniggered. "Uh-huh. Only woman you can get on a weekend?" he taunted.
Everyone jumped at the voice booming from the common area. "YOU LEAVE MAMA LOPEZ OUTTA THERE, AMIGO!"
Chet stuck his tongue out at Johnny. "Yeah, Gage. Leave that poor, sweet woman outta this. Just how rude are you?"
"WATCH YOURSELF, KELLY!" Marco hollered again from the common area.
Johnny scowled at Chet and then looked at Roy. Can you believe this guy? He mouthed. Roy simply shook his head, and walked out. "Where are you going?" the younger paramedic asked after him.
Roy didn't turn back, but simply pointed towards the locker room as he replied. "Dwyer and Brice are here. I'm goin' home to my wife. Feel free to stay and aruge with Chet if you want."
Johnny sputtered indignantly. "Me? Argue with Chet? That man couldn't win an argument with a tree, much less with me!" Johnny watched Roy shake his head, then jogged after him. "Wait up! What about the waltz?"
Roy paused and turned around. "You'll do fine, Junior." He reassured before returning to his course.
"Are you sure? I mean, we didn't practice that long and…" Johnny started.
"—And you'll waltz her to wonderland." Roy finished for him. "Anyways, I'm going home to my wife. Have a nice date with Rose. Like I said, you'll be fine."
Before Johnny could say more, the definitive click of Roy's car door cut him off. He could only wave, then head to his Rover and make his way home.