Here, we get the fluff you all really want from this arc. There's later.

Ad-Jacin-t to You: Part Five

"Hurry up," Wolf says right as a slow song starts playing.

"You try walking in heels," Scarlet snaps back.

Her playful grin grows as Wolf leads her to dance. She thought she would be the one dragging him onto the centre floor where couples have started to slow dance. They claim a spot, unsure what to do with their arms and hands.

They've danced at parties and Wolf used his inability to dance as an excuse not to come. He can't dance, yeah right. Their definition of dance when he would grab her from behind and she'd grind on him to party music. That's not something to do in this setting to this song and with chaperones softly yelling at couples to make space for the shooting star.

But they figured it out. Scarlet reached up for his shoulders as he held the small of her back, not too high or too low to get reprimanded.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Scarlet whispers just loud for him to hear.

"I still think we could've been doing other things instead," Wolf argues.

"Oh, shut your spades. You nearly dragged me out here."

"You're in a dress. I'm seizing the opportunity."

Wolf laughs as Scarlet rolls her eyes, even attempting a spin which makes her laugh.

-o-

Even when he was slow-dancing with Winter, girls were looking at him suggestively, winking and gossiping charmingly to their friends. Obviously, Jacin doesn't flirt back but sometimes he wishes he could shout that he's already happy and in love with someone else. He can't deny that the reception of him and Winter, more so Winter, is much more positive here than back home. Shortly after Winter's father's death and then Orion's Beach, people would call her crazy and wonder why Jacin would want to be with her, and stay with her when she moved to The Earthen Union.

A popular assumption was that she had a lot to offer. He hated his classmates aside from Iko and Kinney. Iko always sought vengeance while Kinney cussed them out.

Here? Winter wasn't considered crazy. She's the smart and beautiful Lunar. The new girl in town who has her handsome, long-talked-about cadet boyfriend from back home. A face to the name and stories. A moving body to the photos she's shown.

"I see you picked up some grace from Andromeda Academy," Winter comments, noticing how smooth they're swaying compared to other couples stepping on each other.

"I pay attention in class, even the lame ballroom dancing class that only has use for future military balls."

"Your parents have fun at those. Mine did."

Jacin scoffs, hiding a smile at the memories of her, Winter, Cinder, Iko, and Kinney as children. When there would be a military ball they couldn't attend, they would spend the nights at one of their houses with a babysitter until they were old enough to stay home alone. All those nights at the mall or the movies, whatever the town had to offer.

"What are you thinking of?" Winter whispers when she notices Jacin's mind going elsewhere.

"If you don't win Star Queen, then I'm staging a coup," Jacin responds.

-o-

"Dance with me," Kai says.

He isn't sure if it sounds like he's begging but he's holding her hand and lightly tugging her towards the dance floor. The slow music fills the room, almost pushing them towards the dance floor like a compulsion.

"Fine," Cinder responds as she holds his hand and they walk over to an empty spot between other couples, "but don't step on my toes."

"Noted."

Cinder has been holding herself rigid that she'd be standing upright. When Kai holds her, she stops that and relaxes in his grip. She lets her arm slide over his shoulder and touches the back of his hair because she wanted to. Kai spins her around, firmly positioning her waist against his body when the chaperones aren't looking. She feels his body start to move in circular motions against hers so she follows, keeping her waistline in sync with his.

"You know, before I left, the twins told me to send a picture of you in your dress," Kai whispers, his voice vibrating against her. "They didn't even care if I was in the photo or not."

Cinder laughs a little, looking down at her one-piece. "Aces, they must've been disappointed at the lack of a billowing skirt."

"Actually, no. I sent a photo of us to Torin to show them and the twins say it's better than any dress they could think of. They wanted me to go home and change."

"The night is still young."

"Funny," Kai states with no amusement. He kisses her quickly before they make space between them for the shooting star. "But I was serious when I said you didn't have to wear a dress for me."

-o-

"Crescent Moon, follow my lead."

Back when Cress was yearning for Thorne and had countless daydreams of him asking her to dance. He'd hold out his hand and everything around them would pause, blending into the background. His eyes would lock with hers and she'd stop breathing, heart racing unable to answer as he would ask. May I have this dance? A simple question. The happiest of dreams.

This time beats all her imaginations. Thorne told her to dance with him and nearly whisked her there. Her feet didn't touch the ground so she can't imagine dancing with him.

"Jacin isn't the only one with Andromeda Academy's ballroom dancing skills," Thorne mutters.

"You took ballroom dancing?" Cress asks. Aces, that opens up her dreams even more.

"For a mandatory semester. I'd say I retained my skills. As I said follow my lead."

Thorne holds the small of her back and an arm out to the side, resting one of hers on top. Cress isn't sure what's about to happen since this isn't the same pose as everyone else and she doesn't know how to dance let alone the one semester of Andromeda Academy's ballroom dancing from years ago.

She feels weightless as Thorne winks at her. When the music picks up, Thorne takes the lead and whisks her across the floor. She trails him, her head spinning with euphoric glee at every step.

Other couples have cleared the way during their travel. She catches glimpses of cellphones and hears cheers, but her focus is on Captain Carswell Thorne with his arms around her. If he didn't tell her that he only had a semester of ballroom dancing, she'd think he was a professional.

He leads her the other way, spinning with each stride. Cress accidentally takes an extra step and almost loses her stride but he holds his arm out to catch and reel her back in. Her back is to his front and he holds her by the waist.

"Your heart's pounding," Thorne mutters.

"We just flew across the room," Cress responds, catching her breath. "Thorne-"

"Hold that thought."

The music picks up again and Cress is light on her feet as Thorne holds out her arm and has a secure grip on her waist as he brings her to the other ends of the gym again, spinning with each step and beat. Her skirt flowing at their feet with their movements. They peruse back to the centre where he spins her like a ballerina in a music box and he scurries around her, her arm arched up like a pirouette as he holds that hand. When they face each other again, the music stops and they only hear their own breathing as a spotlight focuses on them.

"I've never loved you more," Cress whispers to him.

"I've never wanted to do that with anyone more," Thorne responds, kissing her forehead before hugging her.

Cress thinks about how everyone will send her that video, the photos. It'll be on people's stories and in the yearbook. Cress would love to watch it (on loop for the rest of her life) despite not wanting to see herself fumble compared to Thorne's immaculate lead. All she cares about and will remember was how Thorne held her, spun her, cradled her so gently that she felt like she was dancing on a cloud.

Her dreams got nothing on this.

"Thank you for that performance, Cress and Thorne!" The student body president announces as the room breaks into another applause. "And now, the moment you all have been waiting for. It's time to announce our Star Kings or Queens!"

Cress leans into Thorne, her arms wrapped around his neck like a hook. "Oh my stars, you got this babe."

"If I win, it's because of you," Thorne kisses the side of her head.

"Stupid Thorne and his stupid ballroom dancing," I thought at 3:44 AM as I typed this chapter because I couldn't spell immaculate.

But we're getting our Star Kings and/or Queens next!