The Astronaut and the Ballerina

A/N: Inspired by Chapter 3 of A Small Dark Thing by mansiononahill

Jubal Valentine still could not believe it. All his hardwork paid off and he fulfilled his lifelong dream of being in space. After him completing his month-long mission to Mars, he and his colleagues were finally back on their home planet. He, a mechanical engineer from Columbia University, worked with math genius and systems engineer Addam, and Howard, an aerospace engineer from MIT. They weren't as famous as the earlier astronauts but their return made it to the news. The president even wanted to give a ceremony honoring them. They were on their way to that when some kids walked up to them and say that they want to be just like them when they grow up. They reminded him of his younger self. It made him smile knowing he could be an inspiration to youngsters.

The ceremony just lasted half an hour and after a few words, handshakes and photo ops, they were done. After the ceremony, they were informed that they got invited to the current production of Swan Lake featuring prima ballerina Isobel Castille. Jubal had heard of her and sort of followed her career.

He first saw her in an ad promoting Giselle, her debut in a lead role. He didn't understand but he felt a mysterious pull towards her, like he knew her somehow. Since then, he watched every video he could find about her.

One of his favorites was her interview detailing how her parents at first weren't supportive of her chosen career. Her dad wanted her to be a lawyer while her mom dreamt of her being in law enforcement. But she defended her passion for dancing - something he admires and definitely could relate to. She went to Juilliard and rose from the corps dancers to where she is today.

Ballet may not be mainstream but she became a household name because of her beauty and grace shown in her performances. She was said to be so enchanting on stage that some of those who witnessed her dancing sought her hand. But all of them failed to win the ballerina's heart.

"So are you going?" Addam interrupted his thoughts. "Howard already left to go to his girlfriend."

He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, I mean, it's an in-demand show. I heard people have to wait for weeks just to score a ticket."

Addam nodded. "So let's go." And off they went.

The whole show was incredible. Everything was flawless, from the set design, costumes and choreography. But his eyes were focused on her. He swore that at one point in the show, their eyes locked on to each other. He could see her eyes widen a bit before she turned for a pirouette. Could it be that she felt a connection too or was it just his imagination?

After the show, the manager approached them. "Would you like to go backstage and meet the company?" At the men's confused stare, he chuckled. "I mean, the dancers of the show." He couldn't help but say yes.

There were about fifteen or so dancers cramped in the room. His eyes scanned everywhere for her. A redhead tried to get his attention a couple of times - Trina or something. But Jubal's hope was dashed when he didn't see her.

"I'm a married man with two kids but this guy," Addam said, tapping Jubal's shoulder, "is still single."

Jubal smiled, trying to engage in the conversation. "Yeah, I was too busy focusing on my maths."

"Is that so?" A clear female voice heard from the back of the room.

The dancers part in the middle, giving way to the star of the show. And there she is. The Isobel Castille - still wearing her white leotard and skirt but her hair no longer in a bun, revealing her short wavy hair. If she was enchanting on stage, she's breathtaking face to face. Jubal stood there speechless.

Bless his heart, Addam took pity on his friend and spoke for him. "Yup, that he is."

She stood in front of Jubal and held out her hand. He was momentarily bewildered as to what earned him a handshake from her and for her to say, "Nice to finally meet you."

Isobel shouldn't have been surprised. After months of him trying, she was about to grant her ballet partner Ethan's request for a date. But then she found out that he's fooling around with Katerina, who also auditioned for her role.

In an attempt to change her mood, she turned on the tv. She switched channels until she found a news program, showing an interview with the three astronauts before their mission. One of them caught her eye with his hazel eyes and friendly demeanor. When it was his turn to answer, his deep voice filled her with warmth. Has she seen him before? He somehow felt familiar.

She found his name at the bottom of the screen - Jubal Valentine. She felt herself smile. Since then, she collected newspaper clippings of his missions and kept the magazine article detailing his life story. Raised by a single mother, his dream of going into space seemed impossible. But he persevered. She giggled when she read that his struggle in math made him wrangle his cousin to tutor him every weekend so he could pass.

After the Mars mission returned, she was ecstatic when rumors that the astronauts were going to be in attendance to one of their shows.

She felt butterflies in her stomach when their eyes met during the show. Almost forgetting what she's supposed to do but luckily, she's practiced and done the show so many times that muscle memory took over. It was just eye contact and it already left her unnerved. She wasn't expecting that he would have that effect on her.

The moment their eyes locked and their hands touched, he felt like he's known her from various lifetimes. Maybe in another universe where they're coworkers or something, probably giving each other coffee or going through paperwork together. And from her beautiful smile, he knew she felt the same. It could be possible.

Notes:

Kudos and comments are appreciated! Thanks for reading!