Patsy's breath came fast and heavy, and she knew her cheeks were bright red, but seeing the joy on Delia's face made the exertion more than worth it. As Delia spun away from her in what felt like the millionth rendition of the chorus, the smile on her face lit up the room and Patsy laughed. As soon as she had seen the poster in the hospital advertising the charity ceilidh to raise money for the new entertainment room in the children's hospital, Pasty had known that it was an event that would be right up Delia's street.
As the final merciless, shrill note escaped the bagpipes being played in the corner, Patsy released a deep sigh of relief. Opening her arms wide for Delia's approaching figure, she gathered her up into a massive hug.
"Well done Pats," Delia giggled into Patsy's shoulder, "you only stood on my feet twice that time!"
"Oh Deels, did I really?" Patsy asked, shocked, holding the smaller woman at arm's length searching for any sign of injury or lasting hard feelings.
"I'm only joking!" Reassured Delia, lifting her hand to Patsy's face to brush her fringe away from her eyes, "I have to say, we may have finally found a type of dancing that suits your particular...erm...lack of skills."
"Excuse me!" Scoffed a defiant Patsy.
"Don't worry, you're excused," Delia commented cheekily, casting a wink back at her love over her shoulder as she left to get her drink; abandoning a bemused Patsy who was standing trying to shoot a reproachful look back at her. Instead she barely managed a mildly annoyed stare before the grin overtook her features.
"Just as well I love you Miss Busby."
"Yes it is just as well, isn't it," Delia's face took on a serious note, "who else would keep you from becoming a hermit?!"
"You're on thin ice Busby, look at the bruises I'm acquiring just so that you can have a night out!" Feigning a hurt expression, she pointed, wide eyed, at the forming patch of purple on her inner arm. There had been a rather wild rendition of a dance which Patsy now knew to be called 'Strip the Willow', in which she had been thrown from person to person like a sack of potatoes.
"Your sacrifice is noted and very much appreciated Nurse Mount; I assure you that it is earning you a very large number of brownie points too." Delia's voice turned sultry as she turned and pressed a kiss to Patsy's lips.
"Oh well in that case," Patsy grinned, murmuring against Delia's mouth in between kisses, "what dance am I going to have to suffer through next?"
"One that is very apt, I promise," Delia said pulling her onto the dance floor, "it's called the 'Gay Gordons'."
Suppressing laughter the two girls danced the night away and Delia made sure to repay Patsy tenfold later that night for all of her selfless sacrifices.