Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable in this story. They are owned by Kore Yamazaki. I just play with her characters.
Author's Notes: I received over a thousand views now! Wow, when I started this little fanfiction, I never thought I'd achieve that because the fandom seemed small. Nonetheless, thank you for reading this little story. If you have waited for this update, thank you for continuing to read! This one still has a healthy dose of fluffy goodness, so I hope you enjoy it. :)
Chapter 11: Turning Saints into the Sea
"Now before we start, I'd like all of you to choose your own partners. And then we'll begin the dance lesson."
Professor Helga Ingrid announced before Chise's class and ignored the groans of protests she heard from the students. They were in the gymnasium about to start their practice for the annual Christmas Ball dance of the College, and Chise's class was picked to perform a Viennese waltz against all their will.
Noticing the grimace of the students, Professor Nile Walker stood beside Ingrid as his dance partner and chided them. "Come now, young ones, dancing Viennese waltz is not that hard. And it can even be enjoyable provided you know what you are doing. So go on, choose your partners now."
Amidst another bout of groaning and straggling from the students, Chise looked around her and wondered who would want her as a dance partner. She had never even danced before, and it worried her. Then her eyes met Lian's, who was across her, and he gave her a shy smile. He walked closer towards her, extended his hand, and bowed before her.
"I'd be honored to be your partner." He said, and then he raised his head and looked at her, his smile growing and indicating to Chise that his gesture was earnest though made in jest.
Still, she blushed at his formality and took his hand, feeling relieved knowing that at least her would-be dance partner was her close friend. At least there would be little awkwardness between them. "Thank you, Lian. But do forgive me if I step on your foot more than once. I've never danced in my entire life."
"Don't worry, it's easy. You just have to follow my lead." Lian assured her, and he guided her to the middle section of where the students who had finally chosen their partners began to arrange themselves.
"You know how?"
Lian nodded his head and frowned slightly. "One of the things I couldn't escape learning as an heir of one of the Seven Shields Houses."
"At least it has some use in times like these." Chise said with a smile, wanting to relieve him of the uneasiness she knew he gets whenever he alluded at his Seven Shields heir upbringing.
"True. Though I didn't know it at that time." Lian returned a smile of his own, appreciating Chise's words. Professor Ingrid and Professor Walker were already positioned in front of the class and began explaining the first proper form of the Viennese waltz. Lian readied himself for the male's stance, and Chise copied her form as presented by Professor Ingrid, after swallowing a big lump in her throat.
And so their dance lesson began. The class was drilled on the different steps the Viennese waltz comprised. They learned the proper hold, timing, natural and reverse turns, change steps, fleckerls, and contra checks. And though Chise couldn't admit it herself, it turned out to be quite fun for her, except for the countless times that she stepped on Lian's foot accidentally, or the times he stepped on hers instead because she forgot to follow his lead. Still, both laughed it off and enjoyed the unusual activity, perhaps more than their other classmates. There was just something beautiful and freeing in it as Chise felt herself moving across the gymnasium floor and being led by Lian.
If it was this delightful to dance waltz, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if she was dancing it with a certain someone.
xxxx
"So, what do you think? What should I get him?" Alice asked as she and Chise were eating breakfast in her dormitory cafeteria. It was a Saturday, a week before the College's annual Christmas Ball, and the day before, the two agreed to meet as they had not done so ever since Chise recovered from the illness the Research Labs' experiment did to her. When the subject of Christmas came up, it led to a conversation of what gifts to give to people.
"A Christmas present, you say? For Mr. Renfred?"
"Yeah?"
Chise bit her lip and thought hard. She pictured Mr. Renfred in her mind, yet she couldn't pinpoint exactly what would suit him. "Hmm. That's quite difficult. What do you think is he missing? He seems like a guy who already owns everything he needs."
"I know. I live with him, so I noticed."
"What did you get him last year? Or the year before that?"
"Nothing. He was always the one who gives me a present. So this year, I promised I'd give him something. I just don't know what to get, you know." Alice said, while stabbing her sausage with a fork as an outlet for her frustration. And then she remembered something and decided to ask Chise, hoping that it could help draw an answer for her predicament from the Sleigh Beggy. "Are you giving Ainsworth anything? He's your mentor, right?"
Chise's eyes widened upon hearing Elias's name on Alice's lips. Not only that, but the fact that the blonde-haired knew that he was her mentor without Chise telling her about it. She surmised that Tory Innis must have spilled it to her. Still, she decided to let it go because the problem that she didn't know what to give Elias as a Christmas present escaped her. Gift-giving wasn't a Christmas tradition in Japan, and she completely forgot that it was the opposite in England. "I don't really know what to get him too."
"I know! Let's go to a shopping district today! You're free, right? We can search for our gifts together." Alice exclaimed after wiping her mouth with a table napkin. "You can also buy your dress for the Christmas Ball. You've still got nothing to wear, right?"
"Yes, that's a great idea. But can I stop by my dorm room first? I've got to do something before we leave." Chise agreed, but she remembered she needed to inform Elias about where she would be just in case he looked for her.
"Not a problem. I'll drop by the Research Labs first to get you your extra stipend for your dress. Let's meet at the College entrance in thirty minutes?"
"That's kind of you, Alice." Chise said, appreciating Alice's effort to keep the Sleigh Beggy from spending her own allowance for a dress which might blow a hole in her savings. "Sure, I'll meet you at the College entrance."
Chise then finished her breakfast and headed to her dorm room. She wrote a note to Elias telling him that she would be in the shopping district with Alice today to buy a dress for the Christmas Ball. She didn't add anymore that she would also be buying a gift for him. She wanted that to be a surprise. When she was done writing her note, she performed the spell to make it an encrypted flying letter. And then she prepared the things she would bring for their shopping. After fifteen minutes, Elias's reply magically slipped through underneath her door. She opened it and read it.
Be careful. It's cold out. Bring a coat with you.
Chise smiled at his thoughtfulness and kept the note inside the drawer of her desk, where she kept all of Elias's letters to her. She then grabbed her coat and headed to the College entrance to wait for Alice there.
After ten minutes of waiting, Alice appeared in the College entrance with a big smile on her face. She handed Chise a white envelope, and the Sleigh Beggy's eyes almost popped out when she looked at the inside of it. She was given three-hundred pounds which was more than half her regular monthly stipend. Chise looked back at Alice with an astonished and confused face. "Are you sure…?"
"Hey, don't ask me. The three of them gave a hundred each." The blonde-haired shrugged her shoulders.
"Now my shopping list for Christmas gift-giving just grew." Chise ruefully said, though she was grateful for the extra money she would now carry. A nagging feeling in her gut though was telling her that this was some sort of apology from the Research Labs for what they did to her weeks ago. They never did discuss what happened openly. Oh, they took care of her and daily monitored her condition, but an official apology was never given. And Chise found that she never cared for their apology whether they give it or not.
"Alright, I think we should check out Oxford Street first." Alice grabbed Chise's hand with a smile, and together they walked, looking forward to an exciting day of shopping.
xxxx
Elias sat uneasily at a table in the farthest corner of the College's great hall. It was the night of the annual Christmas Ball, and though he never did like attending, for the past ten years, it became mandatory for him as it was part of his duty as one of the staff members. Usually on these nights, he mostly used to sneak at the back and slip away as soon as Headmistress Quillyn finishes her opening remarks, just enough to make his presence known to his colleagues and then he would retreat to the confines of his quarters.
But tonight was different. He took a sip of his punch as he pondered why and found that there was only one reason: Chise. Yesterday night, during one of their nighttime rendezvous, she shyly told him that she will be dancing as part of the students' intermission number, and she wanted him to come and see. That prompted him to rethink his attendance to the said ball. If Chise was there, he could at least endure the whole thing. Any place always did become better if her presence was in it.
Headmistress Quillyn now finished her opening remarks, and Elias found that he wasn't able to register any of it. He fidgeted in his seat. How would Chise react when she saw him? Since tonight was different from all the other Christmas Ball nights he had before, he took his time to even transfigure his normal attire to something more suitable to the occasion. He didn't know why he did when he never bothered before, but he wanted to at least look more presentable to her. Sure, he was still in his human glamour, but even he was surprised at the change in his appearance when he looked at himself in the mirror when he was getting ready. How would Chise look? She had hinted yesterday night that she would be in a formal dress. He never gave any thought to it when she had said it, but now that he was in the Christmas Ball and he saw females, students and teachers each in their unique dresses, he couldn't help but wonder.
The great hall of the College erupted in applause as the dance number of the College's very own dance club finished their performance. It was a quickstep, as introduced by the master of the ceremony. It had an upbeat music coupled with dynamic syncopated steps. It had certainly been entertaining to watch especially for someone who did not know anything about dances like Elias was, but he just couldn't wait for it to be over. All the while, he kept looking at the program card situated at the center of his table, repeatedly checking and making himself certain that it was Chise's performance that would be next.
When the master of ceremony introduced the next performance, Elias braced himself on his seat. He turned his gaze to the entrance of the great hall where the students would start their short parade first at the center aisle before settling themselves on the dance floor in front. There he spotted Chise standing third in line with the Scrimgeour heir by her side. His heart skipped a beat as he eyed her all over. She was wearing a lovely pink, sleeveless, lace and chiffon formal dress that ran down up to her ankles. Her strawberry-colored hair was done up in a simple bun with a braid, accented by a white, flower hair comb. She was in every way very beautiful to him, so much that it sent shivers to his spine. And then as if it was commanded by fate itself, she turned her face to his direction and they locked eyes. For a brief moment, it seemed like space and time bent, and they became the only persons present in the great hall. Chise smiled at him, as bright and warm as the sun, and she waved her hand. Elias was in too much of a daze to even return the same gesture.
Chise's class then began their parade and placed themselves on the dance floor afterwards. The music started, and the male students did their bow and the females their curtsy. They readied themselves to their proper form, and, when the music picked up, started their Viennese waltz. They performed their steps with practiced perfection, gliding across the dance floor while turning naturally, or changing steps and doing the reverse. Everything was synchronized as they matched the music's beat, from the stance of the male leads to the follow of the females. The crowd showed their appreciation for their dance's elegance with repeated applause. But Elias's eyes were only fixed on Chise.
She looked so graceful as she moved her body in time with the music's rhythm. Her face was radiant and her smile was wide, even as she twirled skillfully on the dance floor and stopped for a second to hold her stance. She seemed so happy, and all these were happening because she was dancing—Elias's eyes unintentionally turned to her partner—with Scrimgeour. She was dancing blissfully… dancing with another. And Elias wished that it was him instead, him holding her hand and spinning her round and round. Him almost embracing her body close at every step. He suddenly felt an ache in his gut, as if he was punched by an invisible heavyweight boxer. He clenched his fists hard at his sides. He didn't know what he was feeling, but he didn't like it. And for some reason, he knew that he couldn't watch both Chise and the Scrimgeour boy dance any longer. He wanted to be away from them both. Far, far away.
So, without even finishing watching the performance, he turned his heel and headed for the exit of the College's great hall, the pain in his gut intensifying with every step.
xxxx
The audience in the College's great hall gave a big applause as Chise's class bowed after the end of their performance. Chise felt relief wash over her, and she was glad that their whole dance number was over. Her nerves were eating at her right from the very start even while she was lined up at the entrance of the great hall. It was a good thing that she had caught sight of Elias before the dance began. Somehow, seeing his human face had calmed her enough to concentrate and not forget her steps. She scanned the audience again, searching for his black form at the table she had last seen him. But he was no longer there. Did he watch everything? Did he know that she had danced for him and for him alone?
Lian beamed at her after they made another bow. "No mistakes?" He gladly boasted, as he took her hand and led her away from the dance floor. There was another performance after them, and they now had to clear themselves.
"None." Chise shook her head and returned a smile. Yes, their dance was perfect in every step. They never missed a beat, and their coordinated movements were beautiful and freeing to her. Almost akin to what she felt every time she performed magic. Yet a part of her wished that her partner was someone else.
"Now, didn't I tell you we'd be fine?" Lian chided, amused because he was the one Chise had vented her nervousness to mere minutes ago right before their performance.
"Yes, you did. Thank you, Lian. For helping me again." She said with sincere gratitude, noting that she wouldn't have enjoyed performing the Viennese waltz half as much if her partner had not been him.
"Hey, you practiced a lot too. Never forget that." Lian replied with assurance. They were now standing on the sides of the great hall, straggling as their other classmates started looking for their respective tables. Chise took advantage of her position and scanned the whole place again, hoping to spot Elias. Where could he be?
"Chise?" Lian softly called out, noticing that her eyes darted everywhere in the great hall. "We have to go to our table now."
"I—I'm sorry, Lian. You go ahead. I'm just looking for someone." Chise said as an excuse. Her gaze turned again to the table where she had last seen Elias before her dance number. There were now various staff members she was not familiar with sitting there. Still, she decided to go there and ask around to see if they had seen him. When she was near the table, she spotted a kind-looking, middle-aged woman dressed in a blue gown. She mustered the courage to walk up to her.
"Excuse me, ma'am," Chise addressed the lady politely. "But have you seen Professor Ainsworth?"
"Ainsworth? Oh, he never sits through the whole ball, child. He usually leaves right after the Headmistress' opening remarks. A bit rude I would say, but that's how he is." The lady answered gently. "I reckon he already left."
Chise's heart sank at the lady's answer. Elias always left right after the Headmistress' opening remarks? Didn't she just see him right before her performance? Was that just an apparition she conjured out of nowhere because of her nervousness? But she saw him in his human glamour wearing a black tuxedo which she had never seen before. Try as she might, surely, she couldn't have just imagined that. Didn't he promise that he would come see her dance? Where was he now then? Somehow she already knew the answer to that. So she exited the great hall and headed to the hill in the gardens.
But he was not there at all, and she didn't know what to feel. She had exited the hedge maze hoping to see his dark silhouette atop the hill, but she found none. Still, she headed there, carefully investigating the shadows around the lone tree, hoping that he was just hiding. Though for what reason he would do that, she didn't know. Nonetheless, her effort was futile. Elias was not truly there. Where was he? Why would he leave the Christmas Ball when he promised her he would be there? She now felt frantic, and a certain panic crept up inside her. All she wanted was to see him tonight and maybe talk to him too. Perhaps he was in his quarters now then? She wasn't sure, but she decided to walk back to the hedge maze again and this time head to his quarters.
However, when she was at the very center of hedge maze, she noticed something, a gazebo that she didn't pay any attention to before. It was decorated with green Christmas garlands, wreaths, plastic mistletoes, and red poinsettias around its columns. Yet in the middle of the space inside it, a dark shadow was present. Finding it odd, she made her way to it slowly, and, when she reached it, was surprised to find herself suddenly in a reverse embrace, with Elias in his wolf-skull form behind her.
"E-Elias?" She uttered softly, though in complete shock. He was holding her in a crushing grip around her waist with his arms, and he remained silent as he settled his skeletal jaw over her shoulder. Yet Chise didn't mind the tension in his arms, feeling even relieved that she had now found him after much searching. She rested one hand over his and decided to ask the questions on her mind. "How come you're not in the great hall?"
"…I didn't want to be there." Elias answered, after a good twenty seconds of silence. He just stood there behind her embracing her torso in the middle of the gazebo. His hold of her never loosened, and Chise thought she detected a certain desolation in his voice. What happened to him? She wanted to probe him further, but she knew she should take her time and not do it so suddenly.
So with a little more cheerfulness in her voice she asked instead, "Did you see me dance?"
"…Yes. You were… so graceful and…" He answered in broken phrases with frequent pauses, as if he didn't know what else to say, or as if he was having difficulty with his memory. Yet all the while, his grip on her tightened even more, and Chise noticed black vines with blunt thorns sprouting out of his dark form. They started to coil around her body, on her neck, chest, and thighs, pulling her even closer to his body.
"E-Elias? W-What's wrong?" She asked, suddenly feeling anxious, as this never happened before. Normally, when she would ask about his feelings, he would answer and describe it all at once. But this time, he remained adamantly silent. His black vines were wrapping around her now constantly, that it was starting to feel very constricting, especially on her neck.
"Please tell me… E-Elias?" She pleaded once again, though in a choked breath this time. If she didn't stop him, she knew she would be strangled by him, and the memory of her own mother doing that to her once flashed on her mind. She didn't want that to happen, so with all her voice and might, she leaned back to him, pushed him backwards with her body, and screamed his name.
"ELIAS!"
They landed on the floor of the gazebo on their buttocks. Elias's black vines immediately vanished from Chise's body, but he was still embracing her waist, though a tad more loosely this time. Chise took the time to catch her breath. Elias though was still silent and didn't even offer an excuse for what he had just recently done to her. But when she twisted her head to look at him, she saw that the light in his eyes were gone and his skeletal jaws were agape. So even he was shocked by his moment of unrestrained impetus, Chise mused.
Something had happened that clearly bothered him. With another deep breath, she reached out her hands to his wolf-skull of a face to make him look at her. He let her guide this motion, but the light in his eyes never returned. He was refusing to look at her, perhaps out of his shame from his previous abnormal outburst. "Tell me, please." Chise implored, her voice soft and unassuming, conveying to him silently that she forgave him for his recent actions.
Upon hearing her plea once more, the crimson orbs slowly returned, though fazed and unfocused. His eyes darted everywhere yet not on her. He was very uneasy, and Chise brushed her hand along his jaw to calm him. Elias took two deep breaths and afterwards began, "It doesn't seem fair… that he already has everything and he also has you."
Chise furrowed her eyebrows in return, not understanding what he was trying to say. Who was the 'he' that he was talking about? The 'he' that had her? She wanted to interrupt and ask but decided to let him continue instead.
"When I saw you two dancing… after a while I couldn't watch it any longer. I wanted to be him, yet I know it can't happen… so I wanted to be far away instead and left. Forgive me, Chise… I—I don't know why… I don't know what came over me." He finally explained, his voice filled with regret and remorse, not only for his very recent transgression of almost strangling her but even for the emotion he was feeling and struggling to deal with.
Understanding finally dawned on Chise as Elias confessed the reason for his strange actions. The 'he' he was referring to was Lian. Elias saw them both dancing, and he felt the ugly green-eyed monster rear its head inside him. But he didn't understand what it truly was. So she knew that it was time for her to teach him about human emotions again. "That may be what you call 'envy', Elias."
"Envy?"
"The feeling that you want what others have. It makes you feel unreasonably resentful at the unfairness of things… as to why you are singled out and are different. And then sometimes, it makes you feel so scared at the thought of losing what you do have… that you hold on to it so tight, just because you feel you are so different compared to others." Chise explained as best as she could, drawing from her own experience of feeling envious of others. She felt this prominently in her heart when she would watch families come and go together at the parks she would go to in her home country, just to escape the despair she would feel whenever she was staying at her distant relatives' houses. Those were the times when she would wish that she was normal, that she would have what these happy families have. Yes, she deemed that she once was the most envious of all.
"But you know, Elias, that is one emotion you should not throw at people. You have to work it out in yourself. Or else you'd end up hurting someone, even when you don't mean to." She added, her tone light and not accusing.
But Elias immediately took the hint. He saw the marks his black vines did on her and suddenly felt guilt lodge in his stomach like a block of lead. They were not bruises, only a reddening of the pigmentation of her skin, but the fact that he was so close to actually hurting her made his heart sink in a mire of regret. "I'm so sorry, Chise." He apologized sincerely once again and raised his gloved hand to touch her neck, yet he stopped short when it was a hair's breadth away.
Chise only shook her head, discerning what Elias was trying to say. She took his gloved hand and placed it on her neck, covering it with her own. And then she looked straight into his crimson eyes. "You didn't mean to. But I want you to know that you have nothing to be envious of. And you don't have to be so scared. You won't lose me, whatever happens. As long as I live, as long as you want me to, I'm staying by your side. I promise you."
"Chise…" Elias breathed out her name as if it was an earnest prayer. He felt like his whole heart was taken out from the muddy mire it was drowning in and was washed clean and pure just by her simple promise. He didn't know what to say as a reply to her. He couldn't even speak from the feelings that were building up and threatening to overflow inside him. So he just held her body closer to him, keeping the reverse embrace, and nuzzled his wolf-skull head on hers, hoping that this would convey the things he couldn't say. Chise never once resisted, and she let her head rest on his chest as they sat on the floor of the gazebo in silence.
It was a comfortable five minutes of quietness when Chise remembered something. It would be two days early, but she knew that now was the right time to do it. "Wait, I have to give you something." She said to Elias. He released his hold of her, and then she sat straighter and recited the incantation for Conjuring. A navy blue box wrapped with a silver ribbon appeared. She turned around to Elias and handed it to him. "I know it's a little early, but I want to give it to you now. Merry Christmas, Elias."
He took the box from her reverently, finally understanding her gesture. "Then I guess, I should give you your Christmas present now too." He said to her in return, and then he stretched his arm and flicked his gloved hand, and in an instant, a white box with a red ribbon appeared. He handed it to Chise with a clumsy smile. "Merry Christmas, Chise."
Chise straggled in opening her gift, wanting to see Elias's reaction to her Christmas present for him first. He unlaced the silver ribbon, uncovered the box, and found a wristwatch inside. It had a fine, brown leather strap with a silver metal bezel and white hands and dials. He took it out from the box completely and turned it over to see its back. There, engraved in a beautiful cursive was his name, spelled out as 'Elias Ainsworth'. Everything about it was screaming that it must have cost quite a sum of money, and Elias was completely in awe that she would spend that much for him.
But Chise mistook his silence as dissatisfaction, and so she began to ramble, "I… I noticed you don't wear one, so I thought I'd get you one. I-If you do not like it, then I could just have it exchanged for something you would lik—"
Elias immediately reached out his hand to touch Chise's cheek, stopping her from her nervous rant. His thumb brushed her skin tenderly. "I do not wear a watch because I do not wish to be reminded of time. The sorrows of the past, the uncertainty of the future. But now, the present… it can remind me of the time I have to meet you to mentor you, or talk to you, or be with you at the hill in the gardens. This is… a wonderful gift. Thank you, Chise."
And then he withdrew his hand and she watched him fasten the watch carefully on his left wrist. Elias looked at it fondly one more time before returning his gaze back to Chise who still had not opened his Christmas present for her. "Go on. It's your turn now." He urged her so she would open it now.
Chise slowly unlaced the white box's red ribbon. When she uncovered the lid, she saw a smartphone-looking device. She never had one, but she knew enough about them to recognize one. "A mobile phone?" She wondered out loud as she took it out of the box and observed it further. It was around five inches long and three inches wide. It had a glass screen too, and when she flipped it to look at its back there was even a camera. What caught her eye though was a green stone with a hole in the center embedded at the bottom. She was intrigued, but she looked back at Elias not knowing what to do.
"Switch it on using the button on the side." Elias advised, and Chise did as told. The phone lighted up and there were now icons present on the screen. There were icons for messaging, calling, and other tools like maps, notes, calculator, and many others. A normal smartphone as it is, but as she looked at the top of the screen, she found no icons that indicated signal strength nor battery power. Her confusion was apparent, and so Elias decided to enlighten her.
"It's powered by the magic stored on the adder stone at the back. It doesn't need a battery to work, or a signal to be able to call or send messages. It works like a normal smartphone, nonetheless. You can call anyone or send messages. And then," Elias paused from his explanation to reach into his pocket. He fished out an exactly the same device and held it up for Chise to see. "I also have one. This way we can communicate to each other now without using encrypted flying letters. I made sure our connection is secure too. No one will be able to read what you send to me or what I send to you. And one more thing, the adder stone lets me know where and how you are. Vice versa, it works the same for you too."
Chise marveled at the mobile phone in her hands. It was a incredible fusion of modern technology and magic, and she wondered where Elias found such device. It must have been made by top Artificers and must have cost a lot of money. Curious, she decided to ask then, "Where did you get these?"
"I made them." Elias answered her with a clumsy smile, though he shyly scratched his wolf-skull head as if his admission was a little embarrassing.
"Y-You made them?" Chise repeated, finding it incredulous. She looked at the magical smartphone again and somehow couldn't fathom how one could make it from scratch. This led her to being amazed again at Elias's sheer genius.
"Yes. Didn't I promise you that I'd find a way for us to communicate even when we are apart? Encrypted flying letters are fine, but they take time. This way, you can let me know anything instantly."
"Thank you, Elias. This is… this is perfect." Chise replied to him, happy that she now had an easier method to communicate with him. To further show her appreciation, she embraced him once again, and he gladly returned it as they continued to sit at the floor of the gazebo. Another few minutes of comfortable silence passed between the two, but then Chise's stomach began to rumble unexpectedly, causing both of them to chuckle at the sound.
"You are now hungry. I suppose we must head back to the great hall. They say the Christmas Ball always has great food, though I've never tried it myself." Elias suggested as he brushed his gloved hand over Chise's strawberry-colored hair.
"Hm." She mumbled as her face was buried against Elias's tuxedo jacket. She was very comfortable where she was and didn't want to move, but she was indeed hungry now. A question suddenly popped in her mind, however. She raised her head and decided to ask it. "When I was searching for you, I asked a lady if she knew where you were and she told me that you never sit through the whole ball and that you immediately leave after the opening remarks. Why is that, Elias?"
"I just don't like crowded spaces and socializing, I suppose. But more than that, I could only take so much indifference towards me in one night."
Chise's eyes widened at his explanation, especially at the latter part. How could she have forgotten? Not everyone treated Elias the way she treated him. In their eyes, he was still a feared criminal Magus, not her dearest mentor and friend. "You should have told me. I wouldn't have asked you to stay just to come see me dance."
Elias rested his wolf-skull over her head. He knew he had said that they should go back to the great hall and eat, but he too felt comfortable where they both were and decided to stall it for a few moments longer. "No, I truly did want to see you dance, Chise. I just never anticipated… what I had felt. Rest assured, now that you've taught me what it is, I will work it out in myself."
"Just promise me not to go off on your own whenever… you feel something strange or different. I'm here. You can always tell me anything, Elias." She said to him, not adding anymore how she was in such a state of panic when she couldn't find him in the hill in the gardens and had no idea where to look for him. She didn't want to know what would have happened if she didn't notice his dark shadow in the gazebo at the center of the hedge maze.
"I promise, Chise." He told her gently, mentally taking note that there should never be a repeat of what just happened to both of them all because he couldn't understand his own emotions.
Chise smiled at him then, knowing that he will make good on his promise. He returned a clumsy smile of his own which turned into a wide grin as her stomach growled loudly again. They both laughed at the sound, a welcoming feeling of warmth soothing their souls.
"You are truly hungry. We must really return now, I suppose." Elias stood up slowly, bent down, and extended his gloved hand to help Chise stand. She took it and stood up, before smoothing the skirt of her dress as well. When Elias straightened his back though, one of his horns hit the hanging wreath of plastic mistletoe above them and a stem with two leaves and a berry fell on top of Chise's head. She noticed it and picked it up, observing it curiously as she held it.
"Ah, a mistletoe. We've been under one all along." Elias uttered in surprise as he took the piece of mistletoe from Chise. He held it up in the light to gaze at it more closely, and then looked back at Chise. "They say it is customary for a male and a female to kiss when under it, or else bad luck will befall the female. I know it is made of plastic, but would you like to try?"
"A… kiss?" Chise's heart instantly hammered at the thought. She had never once thought of kissing Elias before, and the idea unintentionally sent a flutter in her stomach. How would she kiss him and where? She looked back at Elias who became a bit flustered at his own suggestion and her lack of response. He cleared his throat then to ease the tension, but before he could even take back his words, Chise entreated, "Can you crouch for me?"
There was surprise in Elias's crimson eyes but he did as she asked. Now that he was easier to reach without the height difference, she held both sides of his jaws with her hands and surveyed the expanse of his wolf-skull, looking for an appropriate spot to kiss. She then remembered her dream of Rahab kissing him in the forehead and thought to do the same. Tenderly, she pressed her lips to the top of his wolf-skull, between his eyes, and stayed there long enough to feel him exhale a breath and say her name.
"How was it?" She shyly asked after pulling back, desperately trying to contain the blush she felt spreading on her cheeks.
Elias stood up and tilted his head upwards, pondering on what he felt from Chise's kiss. There was a certain childlike innocence in his crimson eyes. "I feel… all tingly in a good way. Especially on my spine and belly. Why?"
Chise shrugged, not knowing the answer herself. She, on the other hand, felt like her tummy was doing somersaults when she had done it, and she couldn't explain why. Still in her daze though, Elias suddenly bent down and nuzzled her left cheek with his skeletal snout.
"Another for you too." He stated, clumsily smiling as he drew back. Chise touched the spot he had kissed and realized she felt the same way as he had described, all tingles in silly places. Nonetheless, she found that she liked it and that it was pleasant.
Elias then straightened up and extended his gloved hand and invited, "Shall we go?"
Chise nodded in agreement, but when she was about to hold Elias's hand, she remembered something, a certain wish she had wanted to happen. Could they…? She looked around her surroundings and deemed that the gazebo was away enough from prying eyes. "Wait. Before we go back, I—I want something." She started, finding it a little difficult to voice out her request. Elias looked at her quizzically, silently awaiting what she would say.
Chise took a deep breath to still herself, mentally finding her courage. "Dance with me."
"A… dance?" Elias repeated, dumbstruck and uncertain about her unusual request. He looked around them, finding it unbelievable that she would ask it. "Here?"
"Yes." Chise nodded her head adamantly, feeling a little more braver than she was mere moments ago.
Elias though was the opposite, anxious by the fact that what she was asking was something he didn't know how to grant. "Chise, I—I'm afraid I don't know how…"
"Don't worry. I'll guide you. Please, Elias?" She pleaded once more, and Elias knew he couldn't deny her any longer. He could never deny her anything after all. She gave in to his request for a kiss earlier, and it was only fair of him to grant her her desire for a dance now.
So with a deep breath filled with trepidation, he walked closer to her and asked, "Tell me what to do."
Chise finally took in the whole sight of him for the first time in that night. He was not in his normal everyday robe. He was wearing a black tuxedo jacket, a black vest, a black tie, and a white dress shirt. The lapels of his tuxedo jacket were embroidered with black thread, its design an intricate overlay of vines. It was both simple and stylish at the same time which suited him so much. She then realized that he looked very handsome in his own way.
"Chise?" Elias called out softly, knocking her out of her reverie about him.
"Like this." She gave him a shy, embarrassed smile before moving closer in front of his body. She took his right forearm and draped it over the small of her back, and then she took his left hand and clasped it with her right, raising it to the side. Afterwards, she tucked her left forearm around him and then began a slow swaying motion.
Initially, Elias kept stepping on her foot accidentally, making him utter 'sorry' again and again, to which Chise only brushed off with a smile. But after a minute of swaying, Elias was finally getting a hang of her silent rhythm and was even starting to enjoy himself. He found that there was somehow something more intimate with what they were doing. It was different from what he would feel when they would embrace, or even from the kiss he had received earlier. He felt like there were only two of them on earth. More importantly, he felt like he was coming home after a long time of travelling alone.
As for Chise, dancing with Elias was everything she had imagined and more. Sure, it was no Viennese waltz, but it was more beautiful and freeing to her, as if she was suddenly unshackled from the trivial things in her life and nothing else mattered. She rested her head on his chest and wondered why that was. Only one answer came to her mind.
With Elias, Chise felt like she belonged again.
xxxx
Additional Notes: I hope you did not drown but are swimming happily in the sea of fluff I created. Don't worry, the next chapter will be more plot-driven as we advance the story. As always, little notes for here and there:
The title of this chapter was not made by me, but it is a lyrical line from the song 'Mr. Brightside' by The Killers. The whole line goes like: 'Jealousy, turning saints into the sea...' As I was writing, I remembered the song and decided to make it the title for it seemed apt.
Viennese waltz is a rather faster version of the normal waltz, at least that's what I gathered from watching videos of it. You could try looking for it on YouTube. For me, it is somehow more entertaining to watch than a normal waltz.
'Oxford Street' is one of the shopping districts in London. I've never been, but I just learned about it through a quick Internet search (like most of the places I write about here, lol).
What do you think about this chapter? Feel free to share your thoughts by dropping a review. I'd really appreciate it. :)
AL-AB93, BlueNachturne: Many thanks for your wonderful review on the last chapter. You two really inspire me to keep writing. :)