Mizuki stared down at her CD collection in frustration and sighed; she couldn't decide which music to use to practice her dancing. Some were too fast and others akin to a funeral march, some too sweet and others too sad. Quickly, she skipped past the American rock and Country. The next set were purely emo songs and her alternative CD's, nothing danceable.
Ah ha! She held up the CD in triumph; Johann Strauss! Suddenly feeling as if she needed to rush, she hastened to the boom box on Sano's desk and put the CD in, switching to track fourteen. Tugging on her PE clothes over her freshly showered legs, she threw her school uniform onto her bunk and cleared the floor of the dorm.
She walked to the very center of the room and cleared her mind and heart. Pushing the play button on the remote , she got into her waltz position, more natural to her than any other stance, and waited for the first beats to begin.
--
Sano pushed open the door of the dorm room quietly, in case Mizuki had decided to lay down for a nap. The first thing he noticed was soft and delicate music playing. The second was his roommate twirling gently, arms outstretched to an invisible partner. A small smile graced her lips, her eyes closed, and her hair ruffled in the breeze from the open window. PE shorts hugged her slim hips and waist, the shirt clinging slightly. Her bare feet moved in a studied way and he realized that she was waltzing with herself, her arms held in the girl's position.
Gently, he laid his bags by the bed and slipped out of his shoes, removing his jacket. Tapping to the music, he prepared his mind and body to dance. He let himself smile as he took one step to the left bringing him directly into her arms.
--
Mizuki's eyes shot open in surprise as her ghost partner became very, very solid, And tall, she realized . And handsome. They didn't miss a step, twirling gently around the small room. In the back corner of her mind she realized that he was leading and that was why they hadn't fallen. She also knew that she was blushing a fiery red.
"Do you do this often?", he asked her, a smile on his lips, as one song led to another. He kept them moving effortlessly as he waited patiently for an answer.
Mizuki looked down at her small bare feet, moving between his large ones, and blushed a darker shade. "Only when I have too many thoughts in my head. It helps me to gain control."
Sano looked slightly concerned, a small frowm forming from his smile. He forced her chin up with two fingers, then swept the hand back to her waist gracefully. "Is something wrong?, you can tell me."
To his surprise she laughed, "No, no!", she cried, "I just got fed up with my homework. I didn't think you'd be back so soon."
He gently shrugged off the question in her voice by twirling her several times and dipping her to the floor as the song ended and the player fell silent. His strong dark arms brought her gently back to a standing position.
With a smile, she tried to pull back, but he held her firmly against him. Confusion spread over her pert face and into her large eyes. She gave another gently tug backwards, attempting to look up into his face.
It was, unfortunately, this tug that cost them both their balance and Mizuki soon found herself lying on the floor, Sano on top of her, legs straddling her waist. His large hands were on either side of her neck, his face dangerously close to her own. For a precious moment she thought he would kiss her, and he stared fixedly at her lips.
Within twenty seconds, however, they were both bright red and had sprung apart, Sano tumbling backward in his haste. He stood in the corner, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and staring at the ceiling. Mizuki sat on the floor her eyes trained steadfastly to the carpet.
"I'm gonna shower", Sano mumbled, "Sweaty from practice". He hastened to the bathroom, closing the door rather less gently than was necessary.
Mizuki stared at the bathroom door in shock and a slow smile spread across her face. Climbing to her feet, she dusted off her shorts and tugged her shirt hem straight. She crossed the room to Sano's desk and restarted the CD, pulling her limbs back into position, she relived the moments in Sano's arms.
