A/N: It's almost midnight, and I finally felt like giving up that chapter. My sincere apologies for any mistakes caused by the fact that I'm tired beyond belief.
Well, it's time to add dedications again. Meanwhile, I have quite a list of extremely special awesome people I could really not have done without.
This chapter goes to a person that got several (much deserved!) dedications before: the one and only sphinxofthenile. She's not only a fellow creative mind, a constant source of inspiration and a wonderful friend; to me, she is THE writer. If you never read any of her stories before, you should really consider doing so soon. I predict you won't regret it.
The reason why I had to dedicate this specific chapter to her is that she once wrote a one-shot called "Skies Realigned", which has a very similar (mood) setting. Knowing that, I avoided re-reading that specific story before or while writing this chapter. Still, there are some similarities (I'm aware of that), which do, however, not stem from the fact that I tried to copy her (I will never be able to reach her perfection anyway). I'd like blame our slightly similar views on certain details and characters for the result…
What else?
Well, it's longish once again (even continues in the next chapter, which might or might not be shorter because of that), but a 'slightly higher action content' should make up for that fact. Introducing a few random minor background OCs at some point. Oh, and another Author's Note at the end, because I felt like adding something on a certain scene, but not here. All in all, it's something a bit more 'light-hearted' for a change… ;)
To all my readers, commentators and reviewers: You are amazing! Words can't express how much every single one of you means to me. Thank you, again and again.
For sphinxofthenile, I'd like to add: Sweetheart, thanks for being such an endless source of support and inspiration! Remember when you said that if I really got those guys into a specific situation, you would like to read it? Here you go…
~°oOo°oOo°oOo°~
Outwardly, Angeal appeared calm and at ease. His whole appearance successfully disguised the fact that attending a high class social gathering like this one always felt to him like balancing on a very thin rope. Ignoring his own recent promotion, a long time had passed since he had last attended an official Company event; and of course the former appeared like a children's birthday party compared to tonight's flamboyant extravagance.
Looking back, he had to admit that the last week had gone by surprisingly fast, as if his life had been caught in some 'fast forward' movement, only to stop all of a sudden in a moment he had really wished to speed up. Not even an hour after his arrival, he knew exactly why he had never taken the chance to visit one of those events voluntarily. Too loud, too cheerful, too fancy. This just wasn't his world, and he felt oddly out of place.
Taking the spotlight had never been Angeal's interest anyway. He preferred the sideline, being an observer rather than a performer, so this was the position he had automatically assumed when one of the higher ranking executives had tried to engross him in a conversation. That kind of small talk required the ability to pretend interest in absolutely uninteresting things and the talent to use a lot of words without really saying anything, both qualities Angeal had never possessed and successfully refused to acquire ever since they came to Midgar. Being his best friend for such a long time, Genesis had noticed the problem instantly. Knowing that dealing with such things was literally child's play to him, he had stepped in and distracted that other person long enough to allow Angeal a strategic withdrawal, but subsequently ended up caught in the conversation himself. Not that he exactly minded, by the looks of it. Although Genesis frequently complaint about events like this, claiming he hated them ever since his parents first dragged him along when he could barely walk, in the end, he blended in perfectly, as if he had never done anything else.
From his current position, Angeal had a pretty good view over the huge hall located in one of the top levels of the Shinra Headquarters. His glance drifted over the expensive decoration, and maybe out of habit, he started to calculate how many more useful things one could have bought with that money. Sadly enough, President Shinra was not known for his generosity in charity matters, more for exaggeration in everything concerning his private life or the Company. And most of his guests seemed to share the same mindset. Still, the formal suits and uniforms of the male attendants looked almost moderate compared to the abundance of exclusive dresses and jewellery most of the female guests were putting on display. Everything was shiny, sparkly, and all those dots of light flying around and reflecting over and over in thousands of different surfaces made Angeal feel extremely light headed after a while, not a pleasant sensation at all. As fast as he could, he focused his attention back to a group of people, mainly higher executives. Although they were standing too far away to get the details of the conversation, they were still close enough to study their expressions. And almost immediately, his eyes were drawn to one specific point. How can it be that facing this mass of people, I always end up looking at one single person?
Although Genesis was not leading the conversation, he clearly stood out in the crowd. Angeal had no idea why, but watching him at occasions like this was like seeing an exclusive theatre production. Despite the obviously rather dull topic, Genesis gave the perfect impression of an avid listener, including wide eyes and occasionally thrown in comments among the lines of 'Oh really?' and 'That's so interesting…'. Yet every single time the group's entire interest was focused on the current speaker, he would cast Angeal a meaningful glance basically screaming 'drop-dead-boring', followed by rolled eyes or another funny expression that made it difficult for Angeal not to break into hysterical laughter. Genesis had always been a multitasking talent, but the way he managed to entertain two completely different audiences at the same time was almost unbelievable.
Still, this was not the only reason Angeal was virtually unable to take his eyes off him. Trying to nail down what exactly created this fascination, he had to admit that it wasn't for looks only. They were stunning, true, but what made them unique and downright irresistible was something more subtle, something that could rather be felt than actually seen, an aura – for the lack of a better word. Whatever it was, it seemed to intensify Genesis' whole appearance in the way a masterpiece gets even more impressive when put in the right light. Here we go, another random artwork metaphor. Looks like I'm not really creative lately… Tonight, however, this subtle light surrounding him seemed to glow even brighter than usual.
For Gaia's sake, if you have to stare like this, could you please make it less obvious?, an inner voice remarked instantly. Well, it's not like anyone's going to notice. They are too busy staring themselves, another voice returned with a hardly disguised hint of jealousy. Truth be told, Genesis had always attracted attention, and when he tried to be charming, even more so. Not all of those looks he got were entirely innocent, and watching from the sideline, Angeal had always felt slightly worried. Nevertheless, like so many other things, the dimension of this sentiment had shifted recently, and turned into an almost anxious protectiveness.
In that very minute, another participant of the conversation stepped closer to Genesis, obviously to tell him something in a low voice. The addressed reacted with some sort of restrained laughter that sounded more polite than actually amused and a tiny movement of the head that was almost too innocent to be flirty. Nevertheless, it stung to see him like this, more than Angeal had expected. While he still tried to fight away this annoying sensation, something else happened. As if he had been aware of Angeal's thoughts, Genesis looked up and in his direction. That glance had such an unusual intensity that it successfully defied the laws of time and space. Instantly, it seemed as if the distance had been eliminated, and as if this moment frozen in time belong only to the two of them. Genesis showed him a knowing, perfect smile that made those brilliant blue eyes appear brighter than all the lights illuminating the hall. What are you worried about? Don't you know that I'm not interested in any of those people? All that really matters to me is you, you only.
Instantly, Angeal felt the urge to turn his head and look away. It hurt to break that contact, but an odd feeling told him that holding that glance just a second longer would have been even more devastating. Judging by the almost painful beating of his heart, it might have been close to deadly. Goddess gracious, you should really consider getting a weapon's licence for those eyes of yours. I had no idea that something could pierce through my heart more precisely than a bullet and more violent than a sword blade, but that's just what your gaze does. No matter how hard I try to find an explanation for what you can do to me with just a single glance, I fail every time…
Desperately trying to find another distraction, Angeal's gaze wandered over to the other guests once again. He recognized quite a few, but no one he had the desire to talk to. Of course Sephiroth wasn't anywhere to be found. Shinra's famous hero had better things to do, and doubtlessly loathed such events even more than Angeal did. He had pointed out once that too many people crammed into one place would make him feel first sick, and then downright raging, and of course no one wanted to find out if that statement was really true. Sephiroth's position at the top of the military hierarchy seemed to offer surprisingly few advantages, but that was a decided one.
Just a second later, Angeal registered a movement from the corner of his eye. Normally, unexpected close movements like this were bound to trigger an almost instant automatic defence reaction, but this was all too familiar, and instantly followed by a softly purred: "Did you miss me?"
Obviously Genesis had finally managed to free himself from that conversation, and now he had returned to Angeal's side with that bright bubbly smile Angeal hadn't seen on his face for quite a while.
"Sorry that I kept you waiting for so long. I still can't believe that office guy lectured me about ordering paperclips for half an hour straight…"
'That office guy' in question was one of President Shinra's private secretaries, and even if his work wasn't half as exciting as that of any given member of the military department, he was too high up in the Company's hierarchy to be simply ignored.
"Unbelievable. Your resistance to boring topic seems extremely high," Angeal returned with a smile.
"Not even close to sufficient, actually. When he started talking about the advantages of the new coffee machine he had personally recommended to President Shinra, I really had to bite my tongue not to tell him that I'm neither into coffee nor into technical details of state-of-the-art kitchen devices, which would still have been the polite version of what I was actually thinking." He paused, before he added with a teasing undertone: "Maybe I should have told him to talk to you about that matter…"
"Sweetheart, you know perfectly well that I don't care about the origin or fanciness of my coffee, as long as the caffeine level is high enough," Angeal returned, making the first word sound equally taunting, the rest more like a simple statement. Strange, how Genesis' low amused laughter was enough to completely drown all the other sounds in the huge hall, and his mere presence happened to make this evening bearable. More than bearable actually. Angeal caught himself thinking for the first time that this could even be entertaining. At least a little bit.
"Maybe I'm just too good at pretending. One of the few things I learned from childhood on. And believe me, those people are nothing compared to the shark pool that is Mideel's upper class society… Here, I don't have to try and make them believe we are best friends, only to backstab them as soon as they turn around."
Although they both often talked about their childhood, it was mainly about shared experiences and memories, not about that part Genesis had spend alone or with his parents. Occasions like this one, when he raised that topic himself, were quite rare, and the only real source of information Angeal had in that matter, the only way to back up all those rumours and his own tries to read between the lines. "That's another part of the fancy rich people behaviour I never really got…" he replied calmly.
"I'm happy you didn't. Seeing all those fake people made me appreciate your honesty even more. I guess in that part of society I unfortunately grew up in, gossip and slander is some kind of sport." Giving Angeal another mischievous glance, he stated theatrically: "The Art of Gossip, rule one: Starting a rumour, make sure it can never be traced back to you. Rule two: Never state a rumour plainly. Drop subtle hints and make your conversational partner spell it out, so you can always claim later you never said that in the first place. And rule number three: Faced with gossip about yourself, do never deny. Never. The more you do, the more people will think there's a point. The best way to counter rumours is to ignore them, or to turn them around to point back at the person who started."
"And I thought war strategy was difficult…" Angeal stated with an ironic undertone.
"That is war strategy. Only on a different level."
"Anyway, it's a battlefield that I gladly leave to you."
"Always at your service," Genesis replied in a mock tone. After a short pause, he added: "You know, actually, those lower ranks had their advantages, too. Etiquette states that having a lower rank, I can't address most of these people, but have to wait until they talk to me, which they are highly likely not to do, because it's not what they consider appropriate. That tended to save me from lots of tiring conversations. Being a First now made things much more complicated…"
"Shinra should really consider paying a bonus for surviving official Company events… Although I guess their lawyers would claim it's nothing but occupational hazard."
"Why don't you ask the President himself? Tonight is the ideal opportunity…"
"Maybe, but I don't have any of your charming skills. And besides, I guess he spend too much money on state-of-the-art coffee machines lately."
Looking at each other, they burst out laughing, until someone very audibly cleared his throat right behind them. Registering Marlowe's presence, both sprung to attention in the split of a second.
"Excuse us, Sir," Genesis hurried to add in a tone that sounded surprisingly guilty, although Angeal was sure that this sentiment wasn't heartfelt.
However, Marlowe ignored the apology completely. "Well, I'm happy to see you are having a good time." His tone indicated quite the opposite. "Let me remind you that you are not attending this event for your personal entertainment."
"How could I ever forget that?" Genesis added immediately in a low, yet very audible tone.
Not wanting to give Marlowe time to comment on that remark, Angeal inquired: "Another assignment, Sir?"
"Don't get your hopes up, Lieutenant. Chances are you might not really like it, and if you do, I sure as hell won't. As you might have noticed, President Shinra invited his niece and some of her friends for tonight, and he wants to make sure the young ladies will enjoy their stay here."
Angeal realized that Genesis' had assumed his famous 'I don't like where this is going' expression. "So what do you want us to do? Have a little chat with them?"
"Not really. There are more than enough people around to take care of that part, but only a very limited number of these guys have actual dancing skills."
"Dancing skills?" Angeal suddenly had a vague idea what this was all about. One of the requirements to be promoted into an officer's rank included obligatory courses in supposedly outdated subjects such as etiquette and decorum, and dancing came as part of it. Those skills were hardly ever necessary, but tonight's battle was obviously fought with unusual weapons.
"You heard me, Lieutenant. The president thought it would be nice if we could find them some decent dancing partners, at least for the opening dance, and he was more than pleased when I recommended some of my Firsts. It's an honourable task, and of course I expect you not to take advantage of the situation."
Before Angeal could add anything, Genesis voiced a surprisingly tame "Sir, I'm sure there are more than enough volunteers for that task…"
"Volunteers I don't trust in that matter. In case you forgot what I repeatedly told you before, I'm not discussing my decisions. To make it perfectly clear: I don't care if you consider that inappropriate or simply stupid, it's not a request, it's an order, and I expect according behaviour. Is that understood?"
The instructor didn't even bother to wait for the obligatory 'Yes, Sir.' He seemed far too determined to continue his search for other possible 'volunteers'.
Angeal and Genesis exchanged a long glance. Apparently, Genesis hadn't made up his mind yet if laughing or cursing was the more appropriate reaction.
"Hey guys. Did you just receive your personal dancing order, too?"
They both turned around at the same time to face a group of other Firsts, almost the entire rest of tonight's 'stand-by' team.
"Unfortunately," Genesis returned in a tone that might have been a tad too cold for the occasion.
Angeal instantly realized why. The person who had addressed them was a tall, dark-haired guy named David Garcia, and although he was generally easy-going and quite likeable, he had a temper similar to Genesis', and the two had recently been involved in a really bad argument. As a matter of fact, Genesis could be quite unforgiving if he felt someone had wronged him.
"I bet that's not even legal. I can't remember a single passage in my contract stating so," another voice joined in. It belonged to Adrian Bishop, a friend of Phil Harvey and therefore another person on Genesis' personal black list.
"Considering that your whole contract states Shinra basically owns you, I think there's not a lot you can do about it," Genesis pointed out. It actually sounded more matter-of-fact than know-it-all. Still, it earned him a pretty dark look.
A third SOLDIER in that little group slightly shifted his position closer to his comrade. Obviously he was taking precautions to avoid any possible escalation. Ryuu Takashi generally despised arguments, a trait that on the first regard didn't seem to suit a SOLDIER at all. As one of the few 'Wutaians' in the unit, he had a difficult position anyway. Not that Shinra tried to keep the sons of their declared enemies from joining the forces. After all, they had supporters even on the island of Wutai itself, and people with local knowledge or language skills always came in handy. Still, because of their heritage, those few had a hard time to prove their loyalty, and an even harder time fighting for acceptance. Takashi had accepted that burden from the very first day on with an almost stoical indifference, but meanwhile, he was an established and trusted member of the unit. Now he looked at Angeal with a slightly concerned, questioning expression, and Angeal shook his head almost unnoticeably in return. Nothing to worry about. Not yet.
"Truth be told, our friend here is quite happy about this unusual order. Do you think anyone would have considered dancing with him deliberately? He's not really a ladies-man, is he?" Garcia announced, patting Bishop on the back. That statement was instantly followed by insinuating laughter.
Genesis rolled his eyes. "Didn't Marlowe tell you that this it not about personal entertainment?"
"Depends. You can always find a way to make things more entertaining. By the way, did someone mention betting before?"
"I don't think so," Angeal answered slowly. "Why?"
Bishop returned his glance with a slight smirk. "Considering that you are not exactly famous for your dancing skills, I betted with Michaels that you would sneak your way out of it, for it's either that, or adding to this evening's entertainment."
"You did what?" For a moment, Angeal was unsure what else to say in return.
"Just what I expected. Such a bet suits you, completely childish and tasteless," Genesis came to his aid.
"Now isn't that cute… 'Tasteless', what a refined expression."
"Shut up."
"What'cha gonna do about it, cutie? Challenge me to a duel?" As if to underline the hidden threat, Bishop stepped closer.
Genesis remained unimpressed. "I don't challenge people hardly able to stand upright. Not worth the effort. Now get off my face, before you regret it." Each of those words sounded like the verbal equivalent of a sharp, pointy metal object. Truth be told, Bishop might have had a few drinks, but he surely wasn't drunk yet. Still, his current state made him quite unpredictable, a fact that Genesis deliberately ignored. "You don't really deserve it, but I'll lower myself to give you a good advice: go and get that money together. For you are guaranteed to lose."
Angeal and Takashi exchanged another long glance and reached a non-verbal agreement. Tonight of all nights was the wrong occasion for an open confrontation.
"Stop that, both of you. No one here is keen on spending the rest of the night being questioned by the Turks or by Internal Security," Takashi pointed out calmly before dragging his comrade back to establish a safety distance.
"Indeed. We got better things to do, don't we?" Garcia joined in. He was the one Bishop finally listened to. With a last disapproving glance, he turned around and left.
Once the others had followed him, Angeal voiced a reproachful "Gen, was that necessary? You know what certain people are like…"
"Offer them free drinks and that's what you get? Sorry, but that's a petty excuse." Genesis' eyes showed those well-known electric sparks again. "They made you the subject of one of their stupid bets. It's damned disrespectful."
"Things like that happen. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last. And besides, they have a point. Ever since Marlowe first issued that order, it has been clear that I can't comply with it."
Genesis looked at him with wide eyes. "What's the problem?"
"The problem?" Angeal laughed bitterly. "The problem is that I can't dance. Full stop."
"That's not true. You did quite well when we had those obligatory lessons."
"'Quite well' is definitely a question of definition. And even if, that's a while ago. Over two years, to be precise. I can't remember any of those steps for the life of me."
"In that case… Give me ten minutes," Genesis returned with a suddenly charming smile. Before Angeal even had the chance to try and refuse, he had taken hold of his arm.
Angeal had a vague idea where this might lead. "Gen, that's not going to work. If we had ten days, ok, maybe; but ten minutes… impossible."
"Don't be so pessimistic. You weren't born with two left feet, were you?" Genesis announced, still dragging his friend along.
Angeal sighed. "When it comes to dancing, I guess I was."
"No retreat, no surrender. Ever since Marlowe came up with this idea, I was trying to find a way to get you out of that charade. However, the plan has just changed." When he looked up at Angeal again, his eyes had assumed that stubborn, determined expression that gave them an ice blue edge, resembling a solidly frozen lake.
I know that expression. Once you set your pretty mind on something, there's no way to talk you out of it. Should I feel honoured that you take it that personally?
They finally arrived at an empty smaller room. It was a lot quieter than the main hall, but the music could still be heard in a pleasantly muted way.
"Dancing is actually quite similar to fighting stances, you know?"
"What is that, another random image for illustration?" Angeal returned in an effort to sound cheerful. It came out a tad too nervous for his taste.
"Not at all. It's the truth. And besides, what are you worried about? It's not like you never learned those steps. We both did, and if I can still do it, so can you."
As far as Angeal remembered, he had indeed learned most standard dance routines shortly after they both joined the SOLDIER unit. During those classes, he had been surprised to see how advanced Genesis' skills in that matter really were. For him, the whole thing had been a more or less unnecessary repetition of something he had obviously learned ages ago.
"Do the words 'natural grace' mean something to you? 'Cause that's the difference between us: you have it, I don't."
Genesis looked at him partly affectionate, partly reproachful. "First of all, that's official ballroom dancing, not ballet, so you don't need grace or anything close to that. And second, as I said before: absolutely not true anyway." He paused a while, as if to ponder on something, before he continued: "The opening dance is usually a waltz. So let's play it safe and stick with that, but not necessarily with the standard version."
"Why not?"
"Because it's closed figures only," Genesis returned, as if this was explanation enough. Noticing Angeal's slightly questioning look, he added: "That translates as: absolutely boring."
"If 'boring' means 'easy', I don't mind…"
Genesis gave him a half-smile: "Come on. Don't downgrade yourself, it doesn't suit you. Besides, I'm pretty sure those girls never even bothered to learn the classic version." For a very brief moment, he seemed hesitating, almost lost. Maybe it was the unusual situation. "Remember the basics?"
"Not really…"
"Ok, the combination is called box-stepping, because the outline created on the ground is something like a square. Or two combined L-shapes, if you like. Unlike most other dances, the waltz has a three count, like this…" He demonstrated the six single steps, slowly, concentrated. "See? Front – side – close, back – side – close. That's all it is really."
Angeal shook his head. "How come it looks so easy when you do it?"
"It is easy. Just try."
After another brief moment of hesitation, Angeal decided to give in. Nothing to lose anyway… Although Genesis was right and didn't look too complicated, for some reason, it just wouldn't work out.
"Not like that. You are trying to use the wrong foot after you finished the first three steps. It's right, not left. Should I show you again?"
Angeal returned a defeated sigh. "You are wasting your time."
Genesis stepped closer nevertheless, and suddenly, Angeal felt a strange sensation taking hold of him, completely out of the blue and without warning. He wasn't even sure what it was exactly, but in the very first moment, it felt surprisingly close to pain. Confused, he tried to turn away from his friend, with an almost harsh "I told you, I'm not good at such things. Why don't you give it up?"
"Wait. It's not like you to give up that easily, is it?" Those words sounded strangely warm and soothing, and right in the next moment, Angeal felt a hand reaching out for his own. In the very moment their fingers met, the strange feeling had changed completely. It didn't fell like pain anymore, not at all…
"Maybe it was just the wrong technique," Genesis continued lightly. "Remember that rule from war strategy? 'If your first approach is not successful, reconsider your methods'. Let's try something else."
Before Angeal had time to refuse, Genesis dragged him back into the middle of the room. To Angeal's surprise, he assumed a position right opposite of him and gently placed Angeal's arm around his waist while putting his own hand lightly on his shoulder.
When he reached out for his other hand, to entwine their fingers, Angeal managed a confused: "What exactly are you doing?"
"What does it look like? Advanced learning by doing, I guess," Genesis answered. "Less theory, more practice." His voice still sounded mainly amused, but carrying an additional undertone Angeal could not exactly put down. And he had no time to ponder about it.
With a bright smile, Genesis added: "Ok, in case you still don't recall the basic step, you just do what I'm doing, just inverted, meaning when I go left, you go right, and so on. You'll see, it's easy…"
In the beginning, Angeal had still serious doubts about this new approach, but much to his surprise, it seemed to work. After a while, Genesis stopped counting the steps out and tried some minor variations, including the obligatory counter clockwise turns, which Angeal found unexpectedly easy to follow, as long as he concentrated entirely on the steps and not on the fact that they were so unusually close to each other.
"There you go. Now let's try something a tad more complicated," his partner interrupted Angeal's thoughts with a cheerful tone. "You let go with one arm," he gently removed Angeal's hand from his waist, "and lift the other one up like this. Remember, you have to lead. Nothing you haven't done before, have you?" The soft chuckle following that statement made Angeal feel strangely warm and fuzzy again. He realized only now that the almost unnoticeable weight on his shoulder had disappeared when Genesis had removed his hand from there. For a brief moment, it felt oddly wrong, as if a connection between them had been broken.
"How come you know the lady's steps so well?" Angeal asked, trying to ignore that strange emotion completely. However, silence seemed to intensify it for some reason.
"Actually, I don't know them at all. For the most part, they are just mirror-inverted, and for the rest, I'm improvising." From his current position, he showed Angeal another one of those beautiful addictive smiles. "However, don't tell anyone, unless you have a serious death wish…" With a tiny nod, he lifted their joined hand up again and finished the figure by an inward turn back into the original position.
Without even thinking, Angeal placed his arm back around him.
"Exactly. You are picking up fast. Now let's try again, shall we?"
For some minutes, they just repeated the steps in different variations, while Angeal tried his best to focus on the movements and not on the person he was dancing with.
"You got it. See?" Genesis interrupted the silence again. "That's the part where dancing is like fighting, you just have to know exactly which move to make in the right moment. But there is a second part which is equally important."
"And that is?"
"Dancing is also a lot like quoting poetry. Even if you know every word by heart, if you just voice it, it does not sound good at all. It's the intonation, the feeling that makes poetry beautiful."
"You are talking in riddles again."
For one brief moment, he doubted that Genesis had heard him at all. His eyes had assumed an absentminded expression, and he tilted his head almost unnoticeable as if he was concentratedly listening to something, before he looked up again with a satisfied smile: "Now isn't that perfect timing? You just started to get the idea of it, and the band finally decided to play something that actually has the right beat."
Angeal realized only now that he had completely forgotten about the fact that there was any background music at all. His thoughts had obviously been too focused on other impressions. Now that Genesis had pointed it out to him, it was as if someone had turned a switch back on. Still, for a brief moment, he felt rooted to the spot, unable to move.
"The whole point is that you have to stop thinking and start feeling," Genesis added in a low tone, as if he had read his thoughts.
I think the problem is that I'm actually feeling too much at the moment… Trying once again to derail that train of thoughts, Angeal returned with a slight hint of irony: "I knew there was a part left I would have major difficulties with…"
Genesis lowered his eyes for a moment and chuckled again. It was a soft, beautiful sound that made Angeal's heart beat faster.
"So how am I going to do that?" he asked, another effort to still those scattered thoughts running through his head.
"Stop being rational. Don't concentrate on the steps, more on the music. And the most important point: Stop trying to look at your feet."
The hardest part of getting scattered thoughts into order is to avoid voicing them while you are still trying to sort them out. So before Angeal could help it, he had asked this absolutely stupid question aloud: "Then, what should I look at instead?"
A smile so beautiful that one could die for still playing on his lips, Genesis lifted his gaze up and replied softly: "At me, stupid."
As if I was ever able to look away from you. Never was, never will be. Tonight should have made me realize just how different we are, but instead, it made me understand how much I have fallen for you already. How much you fascinate me. How much I actually want you... –Wait. I didn't just think of that again, did I?
A/N – the second: Just a little comment on that dancing scene.
The basic idea came from one of those 'real life creates odd inspirations' moments every writer experienced before. Whenever I write about something I know from own experience, I like to add a detail or two (not more, because to many details are often slowing things down or making them too complicated), not to boast, but to make it more real.
Anyway, I might have to mention that I'm a 'not really good but passionate' dancer myself. Thanks to several classes, I acquired more or less basic skills in most Standard (ballroom) and Latin dances. However, I always preferred the slightly more modern routines like Jive and Disco Fox (my favourite!). Subsequently, I attended some ball occasions myself, including one where I had to find out how difficult it is to try and lead from the lady's/follower's position (and that – in general - I can't lead for the life of me), and one where I ended up dancing with a close (female) friend, due to a severe lack of male volunteers. (Just a random by-the-way: Did anyone out there also realize that modern dance-instructions no longer read "The man leads" but "One person has to lead while the other one follows. It is customary for the man to lead while the lady follows.", and no longer feature the terms "man" and "lady", but "leader" and "follower"? Interesting development.)
One final remark on Waltz: not really my favourite dance, but fairly easy to learn (as long as it's the slow version) and still a classic (most balls are indeed opened with a waltz, at least over here in Europe). Waltz has a fast version called Viennese (careful when doing too many turns too fast; I had to find out the hard way) and a few slightly more modern varieties like American Style Waltz (which was the model for what I tried to describe here), which include 'open figures' (Standard waltz is danced in the closed position almost exclusively, meaning the partners keep contact with both hands most of the time. For those of you who are familiar with Final Fantasy VIII, think of the cutscene with Squal and Rinoa dancing: the start is very classic in the 'closed position', but towards the end, you'll see them doing 'open figures', so it must be some more progressive style of Waltz – although I never really analyzed that scene to see if the steps are all 'correct'). Still, it is a bit difficult to find 'modern songs' to dance to, as Waltz has – unlike most other dances – a three count (might not be the ideal thing for club dancing anyway ;). To give just two examples of 'chart material' that could be used for a waltz (if you wanted): Seal, "Kiss from a Rose" and Kelly Clarkson, "Cry".