I walk into Kagome's studio the following Tuesday roughly twenty minutes after her last clients have left. She is hunched over her laptop on a chair she pulled over, her back to me, as she opens several new tabs on her browser, muttering to herself. I make my way over to her, suppressing a smirk at her apparent frustration, and tap her shoulder with my finger, careful not to jostle the drink in hand. She startles, meeting my gaze in the mirror with wide eyes. I watch as she visibly relaxes upon seeing my face.
"Trying to give me a heart attack?" She asks, chuckling lightly to herself as she runs her hands over tired eyes. "Sorry, I didn't even hear you come in." As she turns around, I raise my hand showing her the sugary drink. Her eyes widen once more, a smile tugging at her lips. "And you come bearing gifts?" I nod once, passing her the disgustingly sweet concoction. "How'd you know?" She asks before taking a sip and nearly sighs in content.
"I smelt it on you one evening when I picked you up. I simply asked the barista what the sweetest, most caramel-filled drink on the menu is and added a shot of espresso to it," I explain, watching her eyes close in satisfaction.
"I swear, there is nothing better than a caramel ribbon crunch frappuccino." I raise an eyebrow in silent disagreement.
"There is so much sugar." She nods her head, turning back to her computer screen.
"Yeah, it masks the espresso. Too bitter. I just need caffeinated candy," she admits, laughing to herself. "What'd you get?" I hold out my own drink, offering her a sip. She smirks as she takes the drink from me, taking the smallest of sips before her eyes squeeze shut and her face takes on an expression of complete disgust. "Is that just black coffee?" She quickly passes back my cup and takes a very large sip of her own. I chuckle at her reaction with a shrug.
"Indeed." She stares at the offending cup as though it verbally assaulted her.
"How can you drink something so disgusting?"
"I will admit, it is no Costa Rican coffee, but it suffices when this one is out." She takes one more look at the cup in my hand, watches as I take a drink, and shakes her head. "What will we be doing this evening, Ms. Higurashi?"
"Research!" She turns back to the computer in front of her, gesturing to the multitude of tabs at the top of the browser window. "I figure it'll be easier to teach you if you have an idea of what moves are supposed to look like, so I've found a few different routines for each dance -"
"That will not be necessary," I interrupt. "This one has already done the research." She looks up at me with shock in her eyes.
"Really?" She asks, her voice portraying her disbelief. I nod, pleased at the smile pulling at her lips. "Well, that means we can start practicing basic moves tonight. Do you remember which one's the foxtrot?" At my nod, she smiles. "Great! The most important thing to remember is the rhythm. Steps will either be slow, slow, quick, quick, or slow, quick, quick. The extra slow just adds a half measure to the tempo. Make sense?" I quirk an eyebrow at her, almost offended at her lack of faith. She chuckles, grabbing her computer. "Alright, Mr. Know-It-All, try to copy this." She starts a video of another couple dancing.
"Are we not meant to be doing original choreography?" I ask, watching each step the man takes, his posture, how he holds his partner.
"We are, but I need to know how much needs to be taught and how much you pick up on by watching. This will also give me a rough estimate on how long it will take you to learn a section. Need to see it again?" I take her computer from her and set it on the chair, holding out my hand to her. She chuckles again, playing "Call Me Irresponsible" on her stereo, before placing her hand in mine. I quickly spin her into my arms and replicate the steps I'd seen, dancing her across the floor. Her eyes widen, again, as I dip her slightly while she lifts her leg, and allow the smallest of smirks to take over. Shortly after, she grins up at me, eyes narrowing in amusement once I spin her out and allow her to "push" me backward before taking her hand once more. Rolling my eyes at the frivolity of the choreography, I easily replicate the slight kick and footwork, keeping up as she glances down to check my work, but grinning the whole time. I pull her back in, a bit closer than necessary, and allow a grin of my own at her suddenly rosy cheeks. I easily spin her off the floor and, as the routine's choreography in the video had ended, pull her back into me and dip her low to the floor as the song ends. Her breath comes in shallow pants as she clearly fights to keep a smile off her face. I bring her back up to her own two feet but keep my arms around her, one eyebrow raised in inquiry.
"Well, Ms. Higurashi? How did this one do?" She smirks at the slight smugness in my tone, avoiding any and all eye contact.
"Well," she begins, glancing up at me coyly. "That dip at the end was more of a tango move than foxtrot, and you were a little close at times." I watch as she bites her bottom lip, losing the battle to remain inexpressive. "But I think we'll make a dancer out of you yet." I smile down at her, releasing her from my hold. "Did you listen to the song?" I nod, watching as she quickly moves back to her computer. "There's a lot of emotion in dancing, but you don't have to necessarily show it with your face. It's more about showing it through your body and movements. This one is about longing, loving someone with so much of your being that you can't contain it. It's giving yourself so wholly and completely to someone else that nothing else matters. Loving them so completely that the things that should be wrong are right and you love them all the more for it," she trails off, traces of a smile pulling at her features as she is lost in her thoughts before she quickly shakes her head to once again face me. "Have you ever had anything like that?" She asks, voice barely above a whisper and full of whimsy.
"I have not," I confess. Though I believe I am beginning to.
Hi there ! If anyone is interested, I'm leaving a link to the video that inspired their practice foxtrot in my bio on my page since I can't seem to attach it here. I am planning to do so whenever there is a dance routine/scene for anyone that might want to see what it is I'm talking about, but I know for a fact that there is one a video doesn't exist for because I choreographed it myself. I hope everyone's having a good week !