When he mentions dancing again, you turn towards him- by your own design, now two people away. He's smirking again, like he expected it, but there's some sort of interest in your eyes that scans you up and down and processes you too quickly for your comfort. Dancing is the only thing that connects the two of you- despite the fact that until now, you never knew you wanted to dance. You never had anyone to dance with, but somehow there's nothing to prevent that from sounding nice to you.

He shrugs, as though he expects no one to care. Maybe like most of the men in the village he's never mentioned this before, as though it was beneath them. Maybe when he admitted that he learned, he expected more to be surprised. Maybe he's surprised that no one seems to have noticed. Maybe no one caring isn't like no one judging- maybe even worse than everyone glaring at him for breaking a cardinal rule of society.

You admit that you've always wanted to learn. Immediately you duck away like you've said too much, even though (despite being surrounded by people) he seems to be the only one who's heard you. He grins, validated, and offers to teach you- if you want to, he adds too quickly.

Before you even have the parka back over your head to disappear back into the void, you look back at him and nod quietly. You imagine you're smiling too, but you've never been that presentable. The next thing you know, he's tossed you a business card, because of course he has those. They're an easy way to delay talking to people, of course, so you accept it. He tells you to call him up when you want a lesson, and you nod before you realize that at that rate he should expect a call right about never.

You lean back into your parka, unusually hot, imagining steam billowing from your jacket. You manage to look restful to whoever's next to you. Still, you can hear him musing "Goddamn, I just became a dance teacher." He's trying to sound amused, but instead he sounds like he'd been waiting for someone to ask him his entire life. You wonder if he's had as little experience as you.

It doesn't scare you enough to throw out the card.