"Figures you come home to go on a date," Wildwing couldn't help but tease as Heart tried to fix her hair.
"It's not...! I mean...! That's not the only reason!" she was too flustered to answer straight as butterflies seemed to be trapped in her stomach.
Nosedive leaned forward against the kitchen counter, sharing a laugh with their older brother, "Your feathers are turning pink there, sis! You've got it bad!"
"I just haven't seen him in a while! Not since I left to train," she insisted, "So of course I'm excited to see him!"
"I've been meaning to ask you about that," Wildwing mentioned, "How has your training been going? You've said so little about it?"
"I'm still starting out," Heart replied calmly, "I'm staying with my mentor so they can help me learn in close quarters. They like they're privacy though."
"Sounds like a typical magic teacher like in the movies, you have to go them to learn from them," Nosedive shrugged.
"Pretty much," Heart nodded.
"Well, you know you've got our support; and you can come home whenever you need a break. Date or no date," Wildwing rustled her hair, before taking the ribbon from her and helping her to fix it again, "Now relax."
"Where did you get the dress?" Nosedive then questioned, "It's a lot fancier than I've ever seen you wear before."
"Oh, it's from my teacher. She just has an eye for fashion and helped me out," Heart admitted a bit sheepishly.
The dancing dress clung to her thin, but curved frame rather snuggly with the help of Lucille's seamstress. The velvet black and lace covering her midsection, with a heart cut at the bust to hint at the deeper burgundy of the formal attire. The straps of it reached up behind her neck, joining as one tied bow, with off shoulder lace delicately placed with them. Tiered skirts of lace and burgundy shaded silk were puffed out gently from her hips. On her hands were a pair of fingerless gloves of matching lace that stopped at her wrists. Rather than dancing shoes, she'd opted for short velvet dress boots. Tied carefully into her long hair was a black silk ribbon that Duke had given her before she'd left. Around her neck was the sapphire he'd gifted her as well.
"Excuse me, Miss," Wildwing then asked as he stepped around to look her over, "Do you know where our little sister is?"
"She's growing up, Wing," Nosedive shook his head with a wistful smile, "I don't know if I like that or not yet either."
"Wing...Dive..." she tried to fight the tears misting her eyes.
Before they could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Heart nearly jumped out of her white feathers as she hurried over to the door. Gathering her composure, she took a deep breath and opened the door. Something in her chest skipped a beat when she looked up to find the drake standing before her. Dressed in a fine high collar shirt with a custom burgundy dinner vest coat over it and a pair of dark slacks to go with it. Up to his knees were a pair of dress boots. He looked as though he'd just stepped out of an adventure sitting from one of his movies.
He'd planned to give a charming smile and greeting; but found his own composure shaken from seeing her for the first time in so long. Especially with her dressed as she was. It had only been a month or so, and they'd been in contact since she'd left. So why was it this hard to say something.
Finally gathering himself, he gave that warm smile and a swift bow with a hand over his heart, "Ya look quite lovely, Miss Flashblade."
"Duke...you don't need to be so formal," she insisted while fending off how much she wanted to just hug him.
"Duke L'Orange, the famous star, at our doorstep to pick up our little sister," Wildwing shook his head, "Life's full of surprises, isn't it?"
"It sure is," Heart thought to herself as Duke offered a hand for her to accept.
"You'd better take care of her!" Nosedive scolded in jest.
"I'll bring her home safe an' sound," Duke assured with a respectful bow of his head to the brothers.
With that, the dark feathered drake escorted her from the house and to the car waiting in the driveway.
"This feels really strange after all that's happened," Heart admitted while he opened the door for her.
"Bein' home?" he asked.
"Among other things," she replied nervously as he helped her in.
Heart kept her trembling knees pressed against each other as she sat in the passenger seat. Waiting for him to get into the car with her, she looked around to fend off her anxities. Driving off helped a little, but she couldn't help but feel out of place.
"Are ya alright?" Duke picked it up quickly.
She nodded her head, "Y-Yeah...It's just funny being home like this and going to a party...I mean, thank you for inviting me; but wouldn't another star be..."
"I wanted to see ya," he answered as she began to falter from nerves.
"Aren't you worried after last time we saw each other?" she asked.
"If anythin' it's made me want to see ya even more to make sure you're okay," he told her, "An' the order's had to find a new place to oversee things here in the city. The two that were in the fire didn't remember what had happened durin' the report, at least that's what the paper wrote it as. They aren't goin' to admit why the fire happened. You've got family that would come lookin' for ya, an' a fairly well known one at that. The order isn't goin' to openly admit they took somethin' from the Flashblade Family, regardless of intent. So you should be safe visitin' from time to time."
"Y-You found all of this out before inviting me, didn't you?" Heart realized, a bit stunned as she did.
"I wanted to make sure you'd be safe, Heart," he stated.
"Duke, you don't have to do all of this! You don't owe me anything!"
"Whether I do or not, I'm not goin' to let them get their hands on ya," he stated firmly.
He then pulled off to a side street, parking the car and bewildering the woman with him, "This isn't the place, is it?"
He shook his head, before turning to look over at her, a gentle pleading look in his eye as he spoke, "Heart, please stop tellin' me to look out for ya. Don't tell me not to worry when you've been gone the last couple o' months 'cause of what I partially dragged ya into. Even if I hadn't, Heart, I care about ya. You're one o' the few true friends I've got, an' I'm goin' to do what I can to keep ya in my life. Okay?"
"Duke?" Heart breathed, stunned by this.
It was then that she noticed how tightly his hand was gripping the top of the gear shift. Fighting against her jumping nerves a bit, she reached over and closed a mostly steady hand over his this time. Brushing her thumb gently over his dark feathers, she finally broke down and admitted, "I've missed you, Duke."
Smiling, with a soft chuckle escaping his throat, he replied, "I've missed ya too, sweetheart."
Not too much longer after this they arrived at the formal being held for the stars of Anaheim. Among the faces there were many actors, singers, and other performers known from over the last decade. Some Heart recognized, others she didn't. The lion from the last party they'd danced at was there putting on a show for the crowd, with another guest singer beside him, both of them rocking out together. For a moment, Heart felt an odd pang hit her chest when Duke noted, "You should be up there singin'."
Before she could say anything, someone else had already seen the two ducks together and was making her way over. Duke rolled his eye when he saw her coming as well, "What do ya want DeCoy?"
The lavender haired duck batted her eyelashes up at him, "Why L'Orange, fancy seeing you here? You've not been to a party like this in months? I was worried you were thinking of retiring?"
"Nah, jus' needed some time away with all that's been goin' on," Duke shrugged.
"It's a shame what happened to you," the duck mentioned in a somewhat sympathetic tone, "You had such a handsome face."
"He still does," Heart stated in an oddly defensive tone that she tried to stifle.
Duke's feathers were slightly fluffed up from the shy remark. As he looked to Heart, he would see her looking away, rubbing her arm a bit nervously. The other duck raised a brow, "Oh, I thought you'd thrown in the towel, little duckling? I haven't heard you singing around town since the attack? You're still not. Too scared after seeing the risks being a star brings?"
"Will ya back off?" Duke rose to Heart's defense a bit now, "Heart's here as my guest, an' my friend. Somethin' you wouldn't know much about, would ya?"
If looks could kill, Heart would have to resesitate Duke again.
"What exactly do you see in this little songbird that doesn't even sing anymore? Or is she just a charity case to make yourself look good? Dating some nobody for a while until you get bored?"
"Duke wouldn't use someone like that! Now would you back off?!" Heart finally snapped.
The duck looked at her a bit thrown off from the outburst. Then her long lashed eyes narrowed into a disgusted glare, aimed at the lady beside the drake.
"Listen you little wisp of a woman, don't think him paying you any attention will last? Duke doesn't let others that close to him. You won't be any different than any other girl he's lead along by the beak! Once you get too comfortable, he'll run away from you too! If I couldn't keep his attention, what hope do you have?"
"Maybe he saw what you're really like before you could get that close to him!" Heart bit back to his surprise, "Now I'd like to spend time with my friend without you bothering us if you don't mind?!"
This time LuCretia's jaw had dropped. Then, with her hands balled into fists, she stormed off, but not without getting one last jab, "I guess you've pushed everyone that would matter back so you would have to spend time with this nobody! Have fun with your little songbird, L'Orange!"
They just let her go, not caring to humor her any further. Instead the two looked to one another in awkward silence for a bit. With him seeing her not recoiling this time as she had before, but still trying to face the other way to calm herself down. He didn't say anything just yet, and instead just took in the sight of her more confident step forward. After a few long moments like this, he mentioned again, "You should be singin' up there on that stage. Had I been given more notice, maybe I could have brought up your name for the host."
"It's okay," she replied while glancing up at the stage, "I'm not sure that sort of attention would be good anyway."
"I'm sorry, Heart..."
She looked to him, her eyes telling him something far different than he thought they would. There was a light that had sparked to life in those sapphires, he'd seen it when he'd arrived to pick her up. It was something she wasn't even sure how to express yet.
"As weird as it sounds, I'm not disappointed by how things have turned out," she then admitted while looking out over the crowd of stars, "For some reason, this world seems so much smaller than when I first tried to join it."
"Ya think so too?" Duke found himself asking.
"Ya know, when I asked ya to come...I jus' wanted to see ya, an' thought you'd like to be here...but if there's somewhere you'd rather be, I'd be happy to take ya there?" he then offered.
"Don't you want to be here?" Heart asked in surprise.
The drake shrugged, "Even before the incident that cost me my eye, I found I was growin' tired of these things. You helped with that for a while, but I sorta used it as an excuse to hear ya sing. Now you aren't, an' you're here next to me for the first time in months...so maybe...?"
"What did you have in mind?" Heart's curiosity was tugged at, fending off how flustered she'd become.
Duke gave a playful smirk as he took her by the hand and lead her back out of the room. Neither of them bothered to look and see if anyone noticed this, for they simply didn't care.
Not long after they found themselves approaching a long forgotten building; with it's boarded up windows and doors, unkept walls, broken down sale signs from the large three story store it had once been, and faded paint. Duke strolled up to it rather casually, before slipping around the corner with her right behind him.
"A few months ago this probably would have been a bit odd," he chuckled as he proceeded to lead her up a fire escape, it's iron railing creaking.
Heart thought over this comment and then replied, "I'm not so sure it would have been?"
Hiding a surprised smile, Duke found an unlocked window and shoved it up. One free of the wood planks that were secured to the others. With the opening provided, he hopped inside and then offered a hand to help her do the same. She hesitated briefly, but not for the reason he began to wonder about, Instead she gently brushed the sapphire heart, summoning a change of clothes better fit for the tasks at hand, "I don't think Madame Lucille would be thrilled if I tore up her dress."
The drake gave a bit of a chuckle, before catching the name, "Madame Lucille?"
Heart quickly covered her beak, "Oh! Uh...!"
He didn't push further, and instead waved for her to follow him now, "Ya comin'?"
She nodded, this time taking his offered hand. He then closed the window after them. With that he began leading her through the abandoned shop, trying to guess at what had been what along the way.
"Do ya think that was a jewelry display?" he prompted.
"Maybe?"
He walked over to it, looking it over with feigned curiosity. It was a glass case with a few rows for showing off merchandise locked inside. Or at least they were before he slipped a toothpick from his inner vest pocket and played with the lock a bit. With a click he was able to slide the case open, "Amazin' what you can do with a toothpick, huh?"
Heart couldn't even pretend to try and hide her smile. Duke proceeded to look through the empty cases, nodding as he did, "Figures they made sure to clear it out, but it's still fun to keep my skills as sharp as possible."
He glanced up to see her watching him rather quietly. With a slight sigh, he asked, "Ya alright?"
"This really doesn't feel all that strange to me...I know it should, given where we are; but it almost feels natural now," she admitted.
She walked over to one of the support beams helping to hold the upper floor in place, slipping behind it so she could return from the other side of it. He hopped over the display, using just a flick of his wrist to get over it without so much as grazing the glass on top.
"Considerin' the jobs ya told me about, I imagine this would be a little more normal?" he realized, "Then again, maybe I wanted to see that for myself?"
"What do you mean? Did you not believe me?"
"I wouldn't have sent that fake gem if I didn't," he pointed out.
"I hope that didn't cause you any trouble?"
"Heart, I told ya if ya needed help to jus' let me know. I'm the only one that knows what you're doin', where you're goin', or anythin'. Why keep worryin' about whether it's troublin' me or not?"
They proceeded to venture through the long ago abandoned building. At one point, Duke would wave her over to another case, "Have ya had to do this yet?"
Heart shook her head, "One of my partners tends to handle locks like that."
"So ya haven't used the set that I sent ya yet?"
"No."
"Want some practice?" he asked while scooting over while crouched down for her to take a place beside him.
She paused at first, but then found herself following his lead as he handed her a set of picks and tumblers, "Here?"
Heart would attempt to work the lock, but fumbled a bit. With a sharp inhale, she nearly dropped them when her wrists tensed up. However, Duke was quick to slip his arms around her and close his hands over hers. Before taking the pick and tumbler and showing her closely how they worked. Heart would watch carefully as he worked with her hands to get the feel of how to shift her hands so not to tighten them up so much. With a few more tries she started to get the hang of it, until she heard a strangely satisfying click. Releasing a delighted breath she'd been holding, she looked over her shoulder to see him smiling. He'd pulled his hands away by this point, letting her figure out her style.
"Not bad," he encouraged as she slid the case open.
After practicing on a few more locks, the two continued their venture through the abandoned shop. Finding other doors to find ways inside of, or an escalator to make their way up or down with. With every passing few minutes, Heart felt more and more comfortable with what they were doing.
"Have ya gotten some control of your magic?" Duke then asked curiously as they found a darkened corridor to walk along, one leading to a sister shop across the street.
"A little," she replied, "but I've still got a lot to learn. That's why Madame Lucille invited me to live at the mansion with her, so she can mentor me closer."
"That's kind of her," Duke replied in some surprise.
This brought something to mind, as Heart would mention, "Madame Lucille told me she's dealt with the Brotherhood of the Blade before, and their leader. It had something to do with a piece she was trying to acquire?"
"The paintin' of a Saurian Overlord," Duke confirmed, "We were after it the same night, an' we had it in hand when Falcone fell behind an' got caught. I followed them an' found the mansion you now seem to call home. I didn't go in, but I was able to contact them from the outside to make the exchange, the paintin' for who I thought was my friend at the time. It was this decision that landed me the position of bein' the leader, as Kasim saw I wasn't willin' to trade a fellow thief for a treasure. That's also when I was sorta awakened to the possibility of magic in this world, as Madame Lucille was quite insistant that she keep the portrait so it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands."
"So you started stealing enchanted treasures to keep them safe too?" Heart inquired.
"Over time, yeah. We still did normal jobs from time to time, but as things went on we started shiftin' our goals a bit," Duke admitted, "An' I guess Falcone wasn't pleased about that, or the fact that I was now the leader."
Heart slipped behind another support column, and Duke picked up his pace to meet her from the other side. With his hand catching the rounded side, he was able to smoothly wrap his arm around to where he could slip along it like a cat. Causing Heart to bump into him as she was rounding it. He gave a playful smirk as she blushed a soft pink through her white feathers.
"She said you seemed to be the honorable type," Heart then mentioned with a shyer nature showing.
"I try to be," he replied.
Then he asked, "What would you say, sweetheart?"
He watched as her feathers puffed up slightly from being caught offguard with this question. Though after a quick attempt at gathering herself, still standing right in front of him, she answered, "I'd say..."
She thought over the few times he'd stood up for her, while dealing with the Order or otherwise.
"I'd say she's right," Heart finally replied.
Duke nearly reached out to her, but hearing those words made him wish to hold back to prove them to be true. Thus allowing her to step back as they continued venturing through the hollowed out buildings.
"So did you know I was heading to Madame Lucille?" Heart asked.
Duke nodded, "When ya told me the address I remembered pretty quickly."
"What is she like? I only got to meet the business side o' her," Duke inquired.
"It's hard to say too much yet. She's been very generous with inviting me to live in the mansion. She's fun to watch shows with, even if I don't understand them-" she slipped.
"What sort o' shows?"
Heart rubbed her arm a little nervously as she replied, "Apparently she's a big fan of soap operas? I don't really get the appeal, but she just eats them up? Though, it did give me a chance to see you the other day."
Duke quickly recalled the guest appearance he'd performed the other day and tried to laugh it off, "I tried to tell my manager I wasn't too interested, but he pushed for it. He's trying to help me push past any loss of confidence since losin' my eye-"
"You've lost confidence?" Heart picked up quickly.
Duke shrugged, "Well, not entirely, but I guess it's taken some time to get used to it."
Heart thought back to LuCretia's comment on how handsome Duke had been before the fight.
"Some ladies get scared off when a guy comes in with a scar like this, it can be off puttin'," he added, "but then again it makes me look dangerous, which is another sort o' draw accordin' to Phil. So he insisted I go on an' try to go with that angle. I think it worked?"
Heart recalled her reaction to when she was watching the show beside Lucille, and tried to shake it off.
"Somethin' wrong?" Duke noticed her awkwardly trying to shy away.
She shook her head, "I don't think so?"
"Do ya think it worked? Ya said you were watchin'?" Duke couldn't help but pull at the thread a little.
"I-I wouldn't know much about soap operas or what's appealing like that. It's just sorta fun listening to Lucille trying to fill me in on a show that's been going on for decades apparently," Heart replied a little nervously.
Though she did admit in a shy voice, "Still, it was nice to see you were okay- Wait! How's your arm?"
Duke looked to her a bit taken aback from her sudden directness.
"My arm?" he asked.
"You were being really careful with it that day on the show? Was it just for the role, or were you hurt? I can look at it if it's still bothering you?"
"Easy there," Duke chuckled through the pang in his chest, his hands held up as he tried to think back, "I pulled it durin' a climbin' exercise an' jus' needed to be careful with it for a day or so. It wasn't a big deal, Heart."
"Are you sure?"
"Heart, I think you'd know if I was lyin' to ya," he insisted.
With a bit of a huff from her throat, Heart settled down a little, "Alright...but, this thing of not shutting one another out works both ways, Duke."
His expression softened as he listened to her, "You can talk to me too. If you're hurt, or just need someone to talk to, please...I want to hear from you too. I want to know you're okay so I don't have to worry about you being hurt. You're my friend, and you've been doing so much for me...let me return that care and consideration."
Unable to argue, Duke sighed in reply, "Alright, sweetheart. You win."
"Is that why you were so insistant on me taking a way to contact you, by the way? Because you knew about Madame Lucille?"
"It was part of it. I didn't think she would hurt ya or anythin', but I was worried about what might happen once you were there. I know ya can't really tell your brothers too much yet either, an' I wanted ya to have someone that you could. Someone that understands doin' somethin' wrong for the right reason, probably more than anyone?"
"Wildwing's feathers would somehow become whiter if I told him I was stealing artifacts from around the globe for a mostly mysterious employer," Heart said rather flatly, "And Nosedive would try to keep me from leaving again. They already are worried about me being away like this."
"I don't blame 'em. I didn't want ya to go either," Duke slipped.
Too late, Heart looked back to him in surprise. With a sigh, and his hands tucked into his pockets, he answered her confusion and concern, "I didn't want to get caught up in somethin' like that. I don't want someone takin' advantage of your magic either, or you. However, I also know I can't tell ya what to do. Jus' like others couldn't tell me not to become a thief-"
"Who?" Heart asked.
"My mother, for one," Duke shrugged, "but here I am. I've never regreted my decision; but it has come with things that are hard to talk about."
"Duke...?"
"I know this is somethin' ya need to do, no matter what anyone says. However, that doesn't mean ya have to go through it alone. If ya need somethin' like ya did that first job, contact me an' I'll do what I can. Tell me what you're goin' after so I know not to become your competition. Jus' don't shut me out, okay?"
That last part caught Heart very much off guard. They'd been walking back down the long corridor to get back to the first shop. At this, though, with the moonlight cast over them from the hallway sized windows, she could see the uneasy expression he was trying to hide.
"Duke, I couldn't do that," she replied with a sudden pang in her chest, "If anything...I...I was hoping...?"
He waited patiently, curious about what it was she was trying to ask. He never thought she'd say what she did, "Perhaps, when I've gotten better control of this," she looked at her hands to emphasize the electricity she felt running through her veins, "Maybe we could work together?"
"Heart, ya want...? I can't ask ya to do that..."
"Now that I've had my eyes opened to what's deep in this world, I want to use my magic to do something about it. I can't go back to the life I thought I was going to have, because it wouldn't feel right anymore. It might not be what I was expecting, yet it still seems to make sense somehow. You're the one that let me into this world, and I want to help you so you don't have to go through it alone."
"I have my gang," Duke pointed out with an attempt at a chuckle, "An' not all of 'em are out for my blood."
"I know that...but still, I just want to do what I can to help you, and protect others from the same things you've been," Heart pushed carefully.
"So you're lookin' to become part of the Brotherhood?" Duke asked.
"I...I think I am? I'm still figuring things out, and I have Madame Lucille giving my partners and I jobs for now...I just know that I want to help you somehow...I can't turn away now that I know..." she tried to explain, but clearly sounded tangled up as she walked through her thoughts aloud.
Picking up on what she was really saying, Duke offered a calm smile, "Hey, one thing at a time for now. Focus on the jobs ahead with your partners for your mentor, an' know that ya have my support. Don't worry about what's to come right now." Though he did admit, "I am quite touched, Heart. Thank you."
"I want to help you too," she insisted softly.
"Ya already are," he assured her.
As they now walked along the way to the ground floor, they would come across a left behind jukebox. Duke, looking it over, mentioned, "Been a while since I've seen one o' these."
"Do you think it still works?" Heart asked.
"Don't know without- Hey," Duke smirked as he looked over at her, "Why not give this a shot?"
"Oh! I guess I could try?" Heart quickly realized what he meant and walked over to it.
"So how does it work?" Duke asked encouragingly.
"Well, from what I've been able to do so far, if I focus on the waves of electricity, I can kick things on and off. So if I focus on where it's supposed to draw energy from, and allow the energy to flow from me into it-" she began to demonstrate, focusing on the outlet they'd plugged it back into.
In moments Heart would feel a bit of a jump rush from her to the device, and the jukebox lit up instantly! They'd both jumped back slightly in surprise to see the music player come back to life. Heart's feathers were slightly raised from the left over static, settling as she took another step back.
"That's amazin' Heart!" Duke laughed in encouraging delight.
He looked to her, "How does it feel?"
Looking at her hands again, Heart would answer, "It's almost like I can feel the energy racing through my veins, almost like a current. It doesn't hurt at all, though it does cause some static to mess with my feathers." She began smoothing them back down.
Duke stifled his chuckle a bit to see some of her hair standing up as well, "I imagine it'll take some time to get used to it."
He then began searching through the song list, until he found one that caught his attention. Tossing in the coin and pressing the button, he pulled it up and the tune began to trickle into the air.
Look around you, look up here
Take time to make time
Make time to be there
Look around, be a part
As the lyrics began to weave themselves through the air, Duke looked to the woman standing near him. No longer tense, or worrying over whether she was bothering him or not. Not only that, but understanding of the world he'd been walking through for quite some time now.
A number of memories fluttered their way through his head as he looked about the echoing room, the words reaching through the hollowed space.
Feel for the winter
But don't have a cold heart
Until he found himself looking to her once again. Catching sight of her giving herself to the rythem of the song a bit, swaying to the tune a little.
And I love you best
You're not like the rest
You're there when I need you
You're there when I need
I'm gonna need you
"Care to dance, sweetheart?" he then asked, catching her a little off guard.
He offered that smile and an open hand to her, "It be a shame to waste that dress you were wearin'."
A soft pink shade was noticed through her white feathers as she placed her hand in his. Allowing her costume to change back to the dancing dress she'd been wearing earlier.
"Ravishin'," he assured as he lead her into that dance.
A long time ago
I had a lady to love
She made me think of things
I never thought of
Now she's gone and I'm on my own
A love song has come into my mind
A love song
It was there all the time
In that dance, Duke found himself carefully placing his hand at Heart's side. While his other kept hers held firmly to continue leading her. Stepping together in and out of the moonlight searching for them from the windows.
So lady
Let me take a look at you now
You're there on the dance floor
Making me want you somehow
Oh lady
I think it's only fair
I should say to you
Don't be thinkin' that I don't want you
'Cause maybe I do
In his chest, Duke could feel something pounding hard. Causing the drake to nearly faulter as he looked over Heart dancing with him. Briefly thinking back on their encounters those months ago. He'd tried so hard to keep anyone from finding out who he really was, keeping the world at bay. Running from any possibility of a relationship, good or bad. He'd been so careful.
Yet somehow, she'd stumbled into this world. With every meeting she'd gotten closer to finding out more, until he couldn't hide it from her anymore. Instead of running from him when she found that truth, she'd stayed in his life. Not only that, but she worried over him; whether he'd slip away from her or not, whether he was injured or not, whether he was alone...or not.
"I wish I could help ya more, Heart...through all o' this you're goin' through," he mentioned softly.
Look around, come to me
I have no answers
But know where I wanna be
I look around, play a part
I was born in the winter
And cooled by a warm heart
"You already are," she echoed back to him as they danced, looking up at him as he lead her still.
"I feel like I've pulled ya into somethin' I wanted to keep ya from-"
"Please, Duke...don't push me away this time. I chose to do what I'm doing for myself...but also to maybe help you one day. Now that I know about all of this, I don't want to pretend it- you aren't there. I know you have your gang, but I want to be there for you too...to keep you from feeling like you're alone in this. I don't regret this change, I don't mourn my desire to sing...I've just found a new song to sing, if that makes sense?" she shyed away slightly at this last bit.
Duke found himself giving her a warm smile, "It does, darlin'. An' I can't wait to hear more of it."
And I love you best
You're not like the rest
You're there when I need you
You're there when I need
I'm gonna need you
Heart smiled back up at him, relieved to hear this from him. He then proceeded to lead her through that dance, twirling her under his graceful grasp. Allowing the tiered skirts to move with her like a spinning rose beneath the moonlight. Before he set his hand carefully at her side again, and pulled her against him. As he did, he knew exactly what he wanted to tell her, but held back...knowing there was too much going through her head, and he didn't want her to try and hold back with how new everything still was. Instead, he assured himself that it was better to wait. When the time was right, perhaps the next time he saw her...?
Though he would at the very least settle with leaning forward and brushing her cheek with a quick kiss. As he whispered to her, "Please let me know if ya need me, sweetheart."
"If you promise to do the same?" she managed to say through a now shaking voice and pounding heart.
Finishing that dance with her was his sincere answer to her.
So lady
Let me take a look at you now
You're there on the dance floor
Making me want you somehow
Oh lady
I think it's only fair I should say to you
Don't be thinkin' that I don't want you
'Cause maybe I do
Don't be thinkin' that I don't want you
Lady I do
