Disclaimer: Nope, TRC and all related awesomeness is the soulful property of CLAMP. It's possible they own mine and many other fangirl's souls as well but that's another story.

Author's Note: You can look at this one as a sequel to 'dance' if you'd like though it feels farther along the manga than that one did. Either way, enjoy.

Side note, if I didn't respond to your 'last' reviews- mind you I have them all saved and I plan on it but not right now... I have a day job after all.

Gentleman

~ Fai's Viewpoint ~

"Beautiful!" With the young princess' exclamation I can't help the honest secret smile that teases just the corners of my lips. She was right on the mark with that one word but I don't think it could possibly do the effort before us the justice it deserved. Not even if she added ten more on top of it.

Everything was dressed in tinsel and ivy. White and green with flecks of plum blossom winding over every surface. At the first mention of festival I thought briefly of the winter solstices of my own homeland. Similar in nature but now quite obviously different in mood as I took in the warm summer air wafting through the night, stars glittering overhead through skyline windows and dancers swaying to and fro- some against the music when they became too caught up in their partners gaze. Cold-lanterns, glowing with the green blue magic of this world, hung from willow branches like little glossy baubles pulling at the dark whilst they lit the steps of younger ones only just braving the floor with timid steps.

Thinking of younger ones, my secret smile escapes just a little more as I look back on our own preparations for this night...

We'd been invited to this ball at the local palace, courteously of another sweet princess and some well timed heroics on our arrival. Having agreed we all needed to recuperate after the last rather violent world we'd been in we decided to stay until the celebration and maybe a night or two after.

That was seven days ago and for seven days our group had been working toward this night. Kurogane and Syaoran off doing whatever young men need to do and Sakura and I... practicing the most basic of steps hoping she could learn to waltz in just one weeks time.

At first, I wasn't sure I should. It wouldn't due to make more ...cherishable... memories with people I'd only end up leaving further down the road but when I heard her half gasp and saw the life in her eyes as her boy-knight rounded the corner I knew that this time, if only just this once, it was worth the potential heartbreak waiting in my future.

She was lovely, true enough, her natural curves gently accentuated by flowing cream fabric and paisley green ripples. Her hair was pinned back from her face, only catching the light now and again when bits of gold powder caught it just right. Syaoran though, being a boy who'd never had to dress up for such an occasion, made an even more impressive sight as he stepped forward and bowed shyly. Gone were the terrain colors he seemed to hide himself in, always falling into the background until needed, to be replaced with a pearl tinted suit and dark silver dress shirt.

He looked so,... so grown up in that moment.

A shame it was ruined with the adorable flushed to cover cheeks, nose, and even his ears as soon as Sakura smiled at him.

Of course, it was just as rosily returned when he managed to ask her for the next dance. Too cute, a perfect little lady being accompanied by her perfect little gentleman hand in hand though they were worlds apart.

"You did well to take him to your princess-Tomoyo-chan friend, Kurgy." I said without bothering to look over my shoulder. Of course the ninja would be there. He was always there.

"'Che, hours of childhood torture had to be worth something." He shrugged as if giving up a bit of his dignity was an everyday occurrence. Then again... "So what were you two doing sneaking around all this week?"

I chuckled, wondering if he'd missed the nickname or gotten used to it, coy reply already waiting on the tip of my tongue. "Sneaking, of course. Silly, Kuro-chan, asking questions when you already know the answer."

Red eyes rolling the ninja grunted a low "Whatever," before turning to make his way through the throng of people.

"Ne, Kuro-cha-cha-" Fending off the usual glare I forced a different sort smile to my lips assuming words would them quickly... only to let my mind wander away from me when I realized his Tomoyo-chan really had taught him a thing or two about presentation.

Hair neatly combed back from his face and deep crimson collar pressed smoothly against a silky black dress coat. Everything, even his shoes, seemed to have a polished shine to them. Not the shine of new and classy but the shine of something someone put a lot of care and effort into.

"Cat got your tongue, mage?" Kurogane asked with narrowed eyes, waiting. When no reply came to me, either because the words couldn't find me or I was too distracted to spit them out, he smirked. "Good. Thank him for me if he holds on."

He turned again and I don't know why...

"Wait."

But I caught his sleeve and asked...

"Would you dance with me?"

Too quickly adding...

"If I was someone else?"

Immediately the ninja frowned, shaking out my hold and leaving me with a simple, "No."

When he's gone, red eyes no longer boring a path through the crowed, I feel safe enough to grant my secret smile a return. So I'm not a lady and he's not much of a gentleman. None of it matters because be it through words, swords, or steps, we were already moving to a dance all our own.

Author's Note: So I'm not dead! Surprised? So am I. After some well needed 'me' time and a lot of moving forward in my writing life I'm ready to make time for fanfiction again. :)

Another note, soon, due to the RedBooton issue and my disapproval of how it's being handled you will be able to find a copy of all of my fics on AO3 (archive of our own). I'll add a link to my profile for those interested. I'm not leaving but I don't plan on sitting by while younger writers are plowed over for stepping out of someone else's 'idea' of what fanfiction should be and I've seen what happens to those who 'make a big stink' about it. It just seems like a good idea to have a back-up place and AO3 is so pretty… I digress. :) Hope you enjoyed the fic. Not my favorite drabble but it's NaNoWriMo season and I'm distractible.