A/N: Hi, everybody! This is my second Paperman fanfic, thanks to the suggestion from superfan44. It's based off of a fanart (here's the link: deviantart .com /art/Let-s-Go-Dancing-Tonight-357409942)
'Cause lovers dance when they're feeling in love
Spotlight's shining, it's all about us
It's all
About us
Every heart in the room will melt
This is a feeling I've never felt
It's all
About us
-"All About Us", by He Is We feat. Owl City
George Litwak was sweating profusely, pacing back and forth inside his shabby apartment in New York. It was a chilly Friday in February. As a matter of fact, it was Valentine's Day. A day where he normally sulked in his small abode, listening to sappy love songs on the radio, his only companion being his tabby cat, Tiggy. In other words, his least favorite day of the year.
Until now.
Just one week before, George had finally mustered up the courage to invite his friend-no, girlfriend, George reminded himself-to the annual Valentine's Day Lovers Dance, held in a ritzy hotel near Times Square. George recalled Meg's reaction quite vividly, in the small cafe where they first rendezvoused after their "paperman encounter" as Meg liked to call it.
George had been sitting across from Meg, in a cozy corner of the hole-in-the-wall Cardinal Cafe. Removing his hands shakily from his lap (where they'd been fidgeting and shaking in nervousness,) he slowly drew them onto the table, clasping his hands in hers. Meg looked up from her coffee mug, and her warm, hazelnut eyes made contact with George's.
"Meg..?" George started. He blinked skittishly. "Yes, George?" Meg inquisited sweetly, almost expectantly, in her Texan drawl. George inhaled, daring himself to speak.
My gosh, George! You've never been this jittery, George argued with himself. He cleared his throat again and continued. "So..Meg. I've been meaning to ask you for a while now.."
Meg leaned forward, intrigued at how flighty George was behaving, and he could almost count the very faint smattering of freckles on her rosy cheeks. When George halted again, Meg settled back into her sofa chair, quickly becoming concerned. "George, you're not dying or something, are ya?" Meg's eyebrows creased upwards in worry.
"No!" George exclaimed, and Meg exhaled in relief. "No. I've been meaning to ask you..ask you.."
"By golly, George Timothy Litwak! I've never seen you this-" Meg started, and George took a deep breath, for he knew Meghan Kittinger long enough to know that she never used the word golly unless she was pretty exasperated.
"-WouldyoupleasegototheLover'sDancewithmeMeg?" George finished, almost shrilly, in a single breath. Meg lifted an eyebrow in curiosity.
Once she deciphered the question, Meg broke into a huge, toothy grin-something rather uncommon, as George noted that Meg only smiled demurely with her red lips-and squeaked, "Yes! But of course!" She got up from her stuffy chair and scurried over to George, wrapping him in a hug, taking George by surprise. He laughed, relieved, and returned her embrace warmly.
Recalling that evening, George realized there was one huge setback.
He couldn't dance.
Meg was in her room, chatting on her telephone with her sister, Darlene. It was Valentine's Day, and Meg couldn't be any more euphoric.
"Oh, it's going to be the bee's knees! I haven't been to a dance since I courted Chester, and he was such a bore," Meg exclaimed merrily to her older sister, who still lived back in Meg's hometown of Katy, Texas. Meg had the phone in one hand, some curlers in the other, and the song "Day by Day" played softly on the radio by her nighttable.
"I know, Meggie. I was there, your chaperone," Darlene replied in a monotone. She was seven years older than Meg and had a husband in the army and two twin boys.
"Oh, I remember now! But George, oh, George, he's so much better than Chester! He's tall, funny, charming, and-"
"Has a huge schnoz," Darlene countered, "I've seen the pictures you've sent us."
Meg huffed, tired of her sister'sdroll responses. "What I was going to say, Darlene dear,
was that he cares. He's so gentle, but he's not a pushover or a tool or a, a, a wimp like Chester! And I bet he knows how to dance well!" Meg fawned over George, envisioning her and George later that evening, dancing by themselves, virtually gliding over the dance floor. Then, during a slow song, George would dip her, leaning in for a-
Darlene cut off Meg's fantasy as she responded, "Mmhmm, he's quite the charmer. Hey, did you ever get the dress I sent you?" Meg smiled, noting a hint of interest in her sister's tone when she referred to the dress. Meg turned around in her chair, looking at the hand-me-down dress her sister had sent for the dance, as Meg was still jobless and could afford much. Darlene had been gracious enough to lend it to her for the evening, and Meg felt especially blessed that she and her sister were identical in size and stature.
"Yes, it's right here, and it fits like a glove! Oh, thank you again for it, Darrie!" Meg wished she could give her sister a hug at the moment, but as they were several hundred miles away, she was not so fortunate. Darlene accepted the thanks, and she soon hung up. Meg, now thinking about her sister and her family that she'd left behind in Texas, became sullen. That was one of the pitfalls of making spur-of-moment decisions. Even though she loved her freedom and independence, she loathed the solitude.
Then again, you have George by your side, Meg reminded herself, and she managed to cheer up once more. If she hadn't met George so early on, the past few months would've been much different for her. Meg then recalled the "paperman encounter," when George and Meg had met for the first time, when she was on her way to an interview. He'd told her later on, at the Cardinal Cafe, how she was so, well, beautiful that he couldn't let her go. That encounter had become the birth of their friendship, something that they both cherished and cared for deeply. Meg smiled to herself, in her apartment, and finished readying herself up. The song on the radio was finally coming to a close as she put on her dress.
"I'm yours alone, and I'm in love to stay, as we go through the years, day by day..."
It was six p.m., and George was walking up the flights of stairs to Meg's apartment, a location that he'd memorized the directions to by heart. When he arrived, he rapped on the door, and Meg almost instantaneously opened.
"Hi, Meg," George greeted happily, his salutation casual and friendly as always. He looked at Meg, taking her outfit in. Her dress was black, with a sweetheart neckline and modest straps that were quite flattering. Her hair was in her trademark style, but he noticed that she took extra time to add some curls. Meg was so beautiful, George didn't consider himself worthy to be in her presence.
"Hello, George," Meg smiled, her lips stretched out in a toothy grin. She took his hand, and they walked out, side by side, ready for a Valentine's day dance on the town.
George, keeping a gentle grip on Meg as they walked out of the apartment to the ballroom, was restless. How was he going to tell Meg that he couldn't dance?
At a dance?
In front of everyone?
"Meg, dear," George began, keeping pace with Meg down the busy street. Love songs were tooting from the stores, and little boys on the street corners were selling red roses. Meg looked up, her eyes twinkling. "Yes, Paperman?" That was her favorite nickname for George, a thing between the two. George smiled, not wanting to burst her bubble.
"Oh, nothing Meg, you look beautiful tonight," he said. By that time, the couple had arrived at the ballroom.
Walking inside, the two noticed the elaborate decorations, hearts emblazoned all over the walls, and a local band played the latest tunes on the stage directly ahead. George and Meg sat down at the nearest table, sitting awkwardly for the other to suggest dancing.
The music played on, and Meg looked down at the table, combing through her curls like a mermaid. George, on the other hand, was whistling to himself, oblivious to Meg's body language.
Meg huffed to herself. Is he going to ask me to dance? It is a dance, after all, Meg thought. She looked up, making eye contact with George. George gulped, realizing that he was going to have to face the music. Quite literally.
He gulped. "Wanna dance?" he croaked. Meg brightened, nodding vigorously. They stood up simultaneously, and George grabbed Meg's small hand, leading her to the dance floor, where several couples were already dancing.
They made their way in, George weaving through people to get near the center. He put his hands on her waist as she put hers on his shoulders. She barely reached, and stood on the tips of her toes. It was awkward, but neither seemed to mind. A new song began, a fast one, and Meg began to move.
"Carpe diem," George muttered as he moved with the music.
His dancing was clumsy, occasionally stepping once or twice on Meg's feet. George, openmouthed, began to utter an apology, but Meg simply laughed. "It's okay, George," she assured him. George then began to laugh along with her.
As clumsy as they-well, George-were, the two danced the night away, to fast and slow songs, even after most couples left.
The night was drawing to a close, and Meg and George finally stopped dancing. They sat down at their table. Meg took a deep breath, and smiled at George.
"Thank you, George." Meg said, brushing her hair behind her ear. George smiled back in response. "You're welcome, but I guess I should say I'm sorry for stepping on your feet and all that jazz," George looked down, "I wanted to tell you I couldn't dance, but I didn't want to burst your bubble."
Meg laughed. "It's alright! I would've stopped long ago if I minded." George exhaled no relief, amd they exited the ballroom. It was ten, and a chill swept throughout the streets of New York. The two walked to Meg's home in comfortable silence.
George stopped at the entrance of Meg's building, taking Meg's hands in his.
"Thank you for letting me take you out tonight, I've had the greatest time," George said. Meg smiled demurely as a response. Then, in the spur of the moment, enveloped George in a warm hug. George reciprocated the hug, letting his chin rest on the top of Meg's head.
"I love you, Paperman," Meg whispered into George's chest.
George's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. Then he laughed.
Looked down warmly at Meg, he whispered back, "I love you, too." Meg grinned ecstatically, her eyes shining.
And right then and there, George leaned down slowly, and he closed his eyes. Meg followed suit, and they shared their first kiss.
Yeah, George could tell that he was going to look forward to Valentine's Day from now on.