Maybe it was because of their childhoods, maybe it was because life could change on a dime and often did, maybe it was because they were all still young and trying to be carefree where they could but Shiho and the rest of the espers in the group she was a part of could never let things stay that serious for that long. Even while Tetsuo was on the ship he’d likely have noticed that despite the fact so many on the ship had come from less than ideal circumstances, many of them having been on the run, the atmosphere was hopeful and jovial for the most part. Practical jokes, game nights, good-natured ribbing was common among the mostly teenaged espers, all of them more like one big family than anything else.
So of course they made time to celebrate, as well. Even if said celebration was technically also still a job where they were security detail for some government bigwigs. But that isn’t going to stop them from having a good time and it definitely isn’t going to stop Shiho from putting Tetsuo’s name down for an invitation.
And it definitely, definitely didn’t stop her from ordering the boys in the group to help him get changed while she went off with the girls so that she can surprise him. It feels a little embarrassing, a little nerve-wracking as the rest of her group leaves one by one, Shiho hanging back specifically so the two of them can be last and so they don’t get teased just yet. And also because as she quietly knocks on the door to the suite where the rest of the guys had been getting ready, she can’t help but to think that she wanted him to see her first before anyone else did.
The dress is the same one as the one she’d worn to the first party they went to, white and form-fitting at the top, flaring out into a soft skirt. She’d changed up the accessories, made it less Heiress and more Shiho with a simpler necklace and heels that weren’t quite so high and so sharp since she wasn’t meaning to step on anyone. Her hair is also different, softer, framing her face with curls. All in all, she thinks she did a pretty good job but she’s looking forward to him opening the door, her smile brightening, her eyes appreciative when she sees him.
“...Hey, you.”
Edited (Added set dressing because I needed to /nodnod) 2023-04-20 00:22 (UTC)
Tetsuo had some pretty strongly ambivalent feelings about the group of espers. On the one hand, they kind of reminded him of the Hungry Wolves, and he was certainly relieved to know Shiho had so many people with amazing powers to watch her back; on the other, he couldn't help feeling like he didn't really fit in there. While the latter feeling tended to come out more during games and pranks and so forth using esper abilities, he didn't hold it against any of them--it wasn't their fault he couldn't fly or use telekinesis or whatnot. Also, it was hard not to feel at least a bit like part of the group with Shiho there, persistently making him feel welcome, cherished, trusted, and safe.
He really hadn't expected to be brought along on a security job, though, especially at a classy event. He hadn't objected, of course (besides quietly worrying Shiho was maybe being too indulgent with him), but it seemed even more the sort of place he wouldn't exactly fit in. Still, with Shiho really wanting him there (how was he supposed to argue with that???), he went along with it as best he could, only a little huffy about having the other guys assigned to dress him. Even if he wanted to be a bit indignant about his independence, he was well aware he had no idea about fashion at all.
He's sheepish as ever when he answers the door, feeling more than a little out of his element, but dressed in nice rather than tattery jeans, with proper shoes instead of sneakers, a dress shirt instead of a tee shirt, and a casual but classy blazer in place of his leather jacket.
...there really wasn't much anyone could do with his hair, but Shiho already knew that.
He blinks and pauses, stunned fire a second. He's not sure what he was expecting, but it wasn't Shiho in that familiar dress, managing someone to look even better than last time. He realizes he's kind of staring when she speaks, and laughs a little, ruffling his hair and reddening visibly. That's not just a going-on-a-date dress, it's her tempted-to-forget-about-everything-else-and-just-make-out-in-a-quiet-corner dress, and the association is absolutely not lost on him.
"...uh... a-eheheh, hey you.. y'look..."
He trails off for a moment, not sure what words would suffice. To say she looks amazing doesn't quite cover it, especially since she nearly always looks amazing.
"I, uh... yanno... yer gonna make it real easy not worryin'bout the party..."
After all, he can't worry about not belonging at the party when he's barely aware of anyone but Shiho, and she always finds a way to make him feel like he belongs with her.
If Shiho hadn’t already planned that at some point in this evening this dress would be coming off and Tetsuo would be the one taking it off, she would probably have helped more with planning his outfit. Besides there’s fashionably late for a mission and suspiciously late with a bright, blissful glimmer in her eyes and a flush to her cheeks that said she’d let herself get distracted at some point in the process of getting dressed with him. Really, she thinks, she deserves a lot of credit for how tactful and good about the mission she’s being.
And she wouldn’t trade the way he looks at her when he opens the door for anything. Just that way he has of staring at her like he’d never seen anything prettier, hotter or more amazing than the sight of her all dressed up for him. She looks at him with an appreciative tilt of her head and a full-blown smile, coming closer so she can have the excuse of gently combing her fingers through his hair to get it into some semblance of order but mostly because she knows he likes her touching him like that. Her other hand comes to straighten the seam of the blazer at his shoulder even if it doesn’t need it, wanting to read the feeling he had when he’d looked at her even if he can’t speak them with words.
“That was what I was hoping would happen.”
She smiles up at him and then gives the lapel of his jacket the gentlest tug so she can steal a chaste kiss, careful not to wrinkle anything. Not yet anyway, there was plenty of time afterwards to let him take this and her entire outfit apart if he wanted.
“We’re kind of on a date tonight, after all.”
A date that was also a mission. Slipping one hand into her bag she takes out a communicator in the shape of a lapel pin and carefully puts it on him, giving it a tap as a finishing touch so the light turns on.
“If we see anyone suspicious we’re supposed to coordinate with these.”
Hers is in the shape of a slim bracelet around her wrist, “But it should be an easy mission. They just like the look of having us all here to protect them.”
And they’d never say no to an invitation to a fancy party, pay and an easy job.
Tetsuo just blushes deeper as she steps up so close to him, reflexively ducking his head slightly when she reaches up to play with try and neaten his hair. As she already knows, his hair is kind of a lost cause, but however stubbornly messy it might stay, she certainly gets the desired result of him melting into her touch. With a touch, she can easily tell that, even though he's not sure how to put it into words more eloquent than an emphatic wow, she's basically up there at the limit of how attractive people can be. When she then goes to extra lengths, he doesn't really have a context to match her against--just that, somehow, she's above the top of the scale.
She gets no resistance when she tugs at his lapel. He naturally assumes she's just adjusting his fancy clothes, and he blinks and flusters anew when she leans in to meet him, a hushed sound of surprise muffled against her lips. Reflexively, he leans with her, prolonging the kiss by a second or two before realizing it was probably meant to just be a quick peck. Also, that his hands wound up resting at her sides, just above her hips.
Shiho calling it (kind of) a date does nothing to get him less distracted with her, but he does snap out of it a bit more when he realizes she's pinning a device on his lapel, not just flirting.
"Mm-.. o-.. oh, right, aheheh... I, uh... I'll try an' make sure ta do that."
Meanwhile, he'll just quietly tamp down on the thought that all he's seeing right now is that she's suspiciously hot, which.. is clearly not what she means, and way too embarrassingly corny and ill-conceived even for him to say out loud.
"...tho I gotta feelin' y'ain't gonna make it too easy lookin' at nothin' else but you, Shichan."
Shiho does absolutely nothing to dissuade the gentle set of his hands at her sides and only just resists the urge to linger herself, fingers tracing the edges of his lapel. He really doesn't need to make it more eloquent than "wow" and "suspiciously hot", her lips curving into a smile because she doesn't just hear the words themselves but also the feelings behind them and that sense of what is almost awe at how good she looks.
They probably have to go soon so she does reach down to rest a hand at his elbow, gently guiding his hand down so they can link fingers. They can be fashionably late, she thinks, and that means fewer people to make him feel self-conscious.
"Isn't that fine? Tetsu can concentrate on me and I'll concentrate on you~"
And probably concentrate on doing her job too, while she was at it.
"Eheheh, I mean, I ain't got nothin'gainst that plan..."
She's the one who said they at last technically have an actual job besides just swooning over one another; really, he's mainly just concerned about the risk of getting her in trouble or disappointing her or her friends. How's he supposed to argue, though, when she makes it sound even more like it's really just a date?
His fingers lace with hers and he squeezes her hand, ducking nearer to steal another soft, quick kiss. ...quickish, anyway, lingering just a bit conspicuously. He huffs quietly at his own procrastination and gently tugs at her hand a little, in the general direction of where they're supposed to be.
Shiho is happy to do the work of two. What is psychometry for if not for spoiling her boyfriend? (Others would argue that it was for saving the world but as far as Shiho was concerned, they just liked being wrong.)
She's happy if he can think of it as a date, the look in her eyes as he pulls away from the kiss is just as soft, a smile lingering on her lips as she follows after him.
"I know."
Her smile is cheeky then as she leans to bump her arm against his, "And so are you."
The way to go is towards the elevators first and she definitely doesn't miss the chance to steal another kiss of her own once they're in front of it, waiting for it to arrive on their floor.
"...one of these days we really need to go on a proper date."
Tetsuo chuckles sheepishly at the compliment, squeezing her hand in answer to that bump of her shoulder.
"Aheheh, I mean... y'sure do make a guy feel pretty amazin', smilin' at'im like that..."
He blinks and huffs softly as she leans in for another kiss, taking an effort to resist the impulse to pull her closer, and to lean with her only a little as it ends, prolonging the kiss slightly. She gets a bright grin, his free hand resting lightly at her waist.
"...I mean, I ain't got no complaints 'bout the kinda dates you been takin' me on..."
Nothing wrong with Crime Dates and Work Dates, the way he sees it, especially when they involve her looking so damn good.
"But, uh... y'mean like... just hangin'out 'round town or uh.. like a picnic or somethin'..?"
That's what most people do for dates, right? ..probably?
Then, she thinks, she'd be sure to smile at him like this all the time. Her eyes curve into a smile as he leans into her, into their kiss, letting it linger for a moment. The smile on her face only brightens as he grins back at her and she lets the hand on her waist be an excuse for her to lean into his side.
"A picnic would be fun. Or we could watch a movie, or you could take me out on your bike."
There are any number of things they could do together on dates, and she enjoys thinking about them even as her eyes wander up to watch the numbers light up until the elevator arrives at their floor. With a gentle tug she pulls him in with her, tapping the button before she's leaning back into him again, unable to resist the urge to be close.
"We could take a long drive and go somewhere romantic."
To say the mission hadn’t gone according to plan was an understatement. It was supposed to be a straightforward one: figure out why people were going missing from a cruise. Shiho had volunteered to be bait and to be lead investigator, her appearance and her powers making her best-suited for both those roles. It should have been simple and Kaoru knew Shiho was strong and they were, as a team, unstoppable.
But instead she had to deliver the news, trying not to let her voice shake and not to let her emotions get the best of her, trying to be cheerful, to give him hope. Yes, they’d lost all contact with Shiho. Yes, Shiho had back-up at the time but she’d disappeared right from behind them without being able to make a single sound. Yes, she had her weapon with her and Kaoru believed, believed with all her heart that her best friend was trying to make their way back to them, to him. Aoi wasn’t present because she was trying to locate Shiho using her teleportation powers, they had every person possible on the job.
Shiho would come back to them. She had to. Kaoru holds tight onto his hands,
“...It would help if you were there with us, too. If she knows you’re there too, I bet she’d come running back faster.”
Kaoru tries to smile, “Shiho always says that she needs to get back to you first after a mission and if anyone gets in her way she would make them regret it.”
Which really was exactly what Shiho was thinking as she was wracking her brain trying to figure out how the pocket dimension worked, how she could overload it, that she couldn’t remember what day it is or how long she’d been here. Tetsu would worry. Kaoru would worry, everyone would worry but they had each other. And her mind keeps going back to Tetsuo, who had said he’d lay the world at her feet, who cherished her and put her on a pedestal more than she’s sure she deserves as she once again probes at the edges of the dimension. She needed to get back.
Tetsuo knows very well how swift Shiho is to get back to him, so he was already a bit puzzled that it was Kaoru who'd shown up to see him, instead. That surprise hadn't taken long to shade into dread once he'd realized she wasn't really her usual cheerful self, even before she'd brought herself to say anything about Shiho. At least her simply vanishing without a sound implies she's probably more or less okay, wherever she is--or at least she was when they lost contact. He does his best not to turn his scowl on Kaoru, since she's not the object of the anger that boils up over that initial spike of fear, and he runs a hand through his hair, almost palpably tense.
"...oi, 'course I'm goin'. Tch, couldn't keep me 'way if y'wanted to. ......an' if some sonovabitch hurt'er..."
He trails off at that, glaring off to the side, and shakes his head. Cheerful, friendly Kaoru probably doesn't need to hear the kinds of things on his mind at the moment. As much as he's usually an easygoing ray of sunshine eager to help out, there's another facet nearer the surface right now that matches very well with Shiho's ruthlessly protective side.
"...anyways, y'ain't gotta ask twice. Let's get goin'."
Kaoru smiles softly despite the situation, because there's something very "Shiho" about the way he looks to one side gruffly and she can guess that he's trying to take her feelings into account. And just like she would with Shiho, with a friend she gives him a supportive pat on the back. Pat, pat and then he'll feel a sudden weightlessness as Kaoru activates her powers and his feet leave the floor. Sure, she knows he could get them there fairly quickly on his bike but probably not faster than with psychokinesis. She gives him a moment to orient himself first,
"Let's go then. And if Shiho-chan doesn't kill them first, they'll have both of us to answer to."
Meanwhile Shiho is quiet, a frown on her face as she thinks. Since she wasn't where she'd been earlier, this must be some sort of teleportation. And the way her vision was fuzzy around the edges, the way the place she was stuck in didn't feel physically real meant that it could also be some sort of ESP power and something or someone was probably feeding this image directly into her thoughts. The fact that she was still alive also meant she was more useful to them that way.
He's startled for a second at the sudden levitation, but he huffs and nods curtly, just a little impulsively indignant at basically getting picked up and carried. There's no really obvious way to be tough and cool dignified while being flown about by someone else's psychokinesis, but he buries that grain of irritation, focused on the matter at hand.
"...kh... yeah."
He's really not sure what he's going to do to help, no matter what the details of the situation end up being, but he's damned well gonna do something. On the bright side, even is he's not especially used to dealing with espers, he has loads of experience with jumping into a hazardous situation without much of a plan and improvising his way out the other end with latent precognitive metakinaesthesia intuition, agility, stubbornness, and a fast-burning fear-to-anger metabolism. He's fine letting the others who know more point him in the right direction, and figuring out the rest on the fly.
Kaoru, who is more perceptive than most people give her credit for gives him a good-natured slap on the back after she sees his nod, then in a move that is not perceptive at all, says, "Don't worry, I'll tell Shiho you were really cool the entire time. And because I'm a level 7 just like her, she won't ever know the truth~"
Though Kaoru suspects Shiho would know because it's Shiho they're talking about. She also has no doubt though that Shiho would probably cuddle him into not worrying about how he'd looked while flying. Shiho is powerful in that way, she thinks as she picks them both up and starts flying them at high speed toward their destination: a cruise ship that's been cordoned off on all sides at an abandoned dock. There are other people that Tetsuo will recognize from the Catastrophe, the ship that Shiho lived on. They're alternating between discussing how they'd like to crack this ship open like a box and whether time and space really needed to be in one piece when Shiho's life was potentially on the line.
When he lands, more than one pair of eyes turn to him but it's Kagari who comes up first, "Well, Sannomiya will definitely get through this now that you're here."
It's well-known that whenever Shiho comes back from a mission, she always disappears to Tetsuo's place and spends if not a couple of days then at least a night. She's got a soft spot for him, and teasing Tetsuo (and by assocation, Shiho) is a kind of comfort in this situation. It was easier to think of a solution when everyone was hopeful.
That distinction just means she's calling him uncool! Rude! Anyway, besides being able to distract him very effectively, it's not like it'll take Shiho very long to read off of him anything she wants, so good luck keeping her from knowing about whatever happens around him. That, and she knows him well enough she could probably guess.
Tetsuo glances around at the others gathered there when he lands with Kaoru, and nods to Kagari as he approaches. Even with the serious mood he's in, he can't help but reach up to ruffle his hair, a bit flustered by the suggestion that his presence has that kind of effect, and runs a hand back through his hair.
"Yo. I, uh... I ain't no psychometer or nothin', but lemme know if there's anythin' I can do. Hell, even if it's just a fresh pair'a eyes."
She definitely just called him uncool but it's fine, she thinks. Kaoru is fairly certain Shiho doesn't just like him because he's cool. If anything, what Shiho is probably weak against is his honesty and straightforward personality. That's her best friend's type, after all.
Aoi is the first to speak up, pushing her glasses up, "...Want to take a look at the site?"
At this point, they were up for any kind of solution. Kaoru could feel that Shiho was still there nearby, so they were all certain that Shiho had to be trapped in some kind of pocket-dimension, somehow tacked on to their own current dimension. But finding the exact position had proven to be difficult and the dark circles under Aoi's eyes tells the story of someone who has been pushing herself and her teleportation powers to their limit.
The site itself is the atrium of the cruise ship, now eerily empty and quiet. Most of the decorations and furnishings have been removed after they'd been thoroughly examined and all that's left now is the big fountain in the middle surrounded by marble built-in planters which had also been emptied. There's a still stuffiness to the area but Tetsuo might notice a weird shimmer at the edge of his vision when he nears the fountain as the group of teenagers wander around, Aoi's brow furrowing as she once again fails to find even the smallest trace of Shiho.
Tetsuo nods in answer to Aoi, although he ruffles his hair sheepishly at that explanation of their working theory that kinda goes over his head, beyond "she's kinda here and kinda not." He looks around as he follows their lead, not really accustomed to the fancy environment and without any idea of what he should be looking for. What the heck does a "pocket dimension" look like??
As he gets closer to the fountain, though, something definitely feels off about it, and he scowls, looking puzzled and uneasy. It's almost like a phantom limb, or hearing something he can't see; the space around the fountain doesn't feel the same way it looks, somehow, although he's not sure how he'd put it into words, much less what it is he's actually feeling.
"...huh... izzat whatcha meant by 'pocket dimension'?"
He assumes if he can feel something weird, the obvious espers must be feeling it even more clearly, right? Pacing around the fountain, he impulsively reaches a hand out to see if there's something he can touch or reach into, wherever it feels like the "wrongness" is centered.
Tetsuo grins and laughs sheepishly under his breath at the suggestion of her spending a whole night reminding him that she wants him to keep holding her close. His immediate thought is that that sounds fantastic, but before he can put words to it, he's startled by the interruption and blinks over Shiho's shoulder at Kagari.
He may find it hard to rationalize, but he can probably tell Tetsuo hasn't just chosen Shiho--he's head over heels for her.
Tetsuo chuckles, only not ruffling his hair because he's too busy holding Shiho. Flustered as he is at getting caught, somehow Shiho's protectiveness (and/or resistance to anyone interrupting them even in a public space) is heartwarming in a way he really can't complain about.
He does let her pull away from him with just a little reluctance and takes her hand, squeezing it softly and letting her guide him out of the elevator with a gentle bump of his shoulder against hers.
The look on Shiho's face as she guides him out of the elevator is definitely the face of someone Caught But Not Even The Slightest Bit Sorry, taking advantage of that gentle bump of his shoulder to lightly press her arm against his while they walk.
Kagari can definitely tell they're both head over heels for each other. As someone who loves his own girlfriend (and who had also chosen someone mildly terrifying to be said girlfriend) he gets it. But with his mission accomplished, he's sighing as he holds the elevator door open for the two of them so they can get out.
"Come on, Sannomiya. Sure it's just a party but you need to keep up appear-"
Whatever he was going to say is cut off as he turns around to notice that there's a red-haired girl sincerely chatting up a pretty bartender, Aoi and her date are already blushing up a storm but determinedly dancing together, both Bullet and Tim are enthusing about something something anime and that's when Shiho chooses to breeze past him with Tetsuo, giving Kagari a smirk,
"Come on, Hino. It's a party, try to keep up appearances."
Then her smirk is a grin and she's pulling Tetsuo into the party with her, "So? What should we do first?"
...as i just now notice i put that last tag in the wrong place... orz
Tetsuo huffs and chuckles sheepishly, walking close together with Shiho as they pass by the hesitating Kagari, and ruffles his hair with his free hand. Even if Kagari is just trying to be responsible, Tetsuo can't help but admire Shiho's sass playing off his own line, and the hand holding hers squeezes softly in a silent gesture of affection. Not that she needs one to know how he feels, of course.
"Eeh..? Idunno... I ain't really been ta parties this fancy before. ...I mean, yanno, 'sides that one we sorta crashed. But, uhh... th'party wasn't th'main thing I was thinkin'bout, then..."
Anyone else who knows about that job is free to assume he means his mind was on their objective, which isn't totally untrue. But Shiho knows very well that she was the primary focus of his attention then, too.
"So, uh.. what do ya do at this kinda thing?"
it's fine, it's fine~ what is place but a construct
Kagari sighs, used to Shiho just being Like This by now. Besides he's soon distracted by his own girlfriend coming up to take his arm and drag him over to the food so he only gives Tetsuo a "be the responsible one!!" look before he turns away.
Shiho though, is unbothered and cheerful, especially when Tetsuo is so clearly supportive.
"Hm, that's true~"
Especially near the end when they'd had to hide and she had dragged him into a dark corner for kisses as a Distraction in every sense of the word. But she's going to focus this time, not on just kisses which she would definitely, generously provide but on being a good guide for his first real party.
"Usually we dance and we get fed really good food."
The food provided does look delicious, an ice sculpture of a swan gracing the centre of a ring of buffet tables filled with a variety of finger foods, main dishes and desserts but Shiho pulls him over to the dance floor first as a slow song starts up.
"So... should we start with the dance?"
She lets go of him only briefly to step away and then presents her hand with a flourish and a bright smile, "Shall we?"
There's something a little bizarre to Tetsuo about anyone looking at him like he's supposed to be the responsible one--he really doesn't see himself that way at all, at least not as what polite society would consider responsible. Of course, he does try to keep up his own particular sort of responsibility, but even that's compromised when it runs up against whatever might please Shiho.
With his attention directed toward the food momentarily, he's briefly distracted with how super fancy a thing like an ice swan seems to him, but he blinks as she guides him off in another direction entirely. It takes him a second to realize what's going on, and he grins sheepishly as she clarifies at just about the same time. As usual, there's just a bit of reluctance as she pulls away, only to turn back to him right away, classy and dazzling as ever, leaving him flustered and entirely charmed.
"Aheheh.. I, uh, if y'don't mind, uh.. showin' me whatta do.."
He barely resists the impulse to fidget with his hair, instead reaching out to take her offered hands in his. He can't help being a bit nervous about dancing, which he hasn't exactly done a lot of, especially fancy party date dancing, and worrying vaguely about disappointing her by not doing it well. Then again, he's also perfectly comfortable trusting her to guide and take good care of him, and if she's pleased with him, he really doesn't especially care what anyone else at the party thinks about him. Tentatively, he gently pulls her closer, since he's pretty sure slow dancing is supposed to also be close, which he has no complaints about at all.
Of course, she also knows he's more than agile enough to pick up dance moves pretty easily, and all the more so if it's the sort of dance where he doesn't have to do much more than sway with her and admire her. Even he's confident he can manage that effortlessly.
Kagari can only hope that someone, someday will just become responsible if he looks at them hard enough. Or at the very least maybe someone will feel bad for disappointing him? But he knows as well as any person here that Shiho can't be stopped when she has her mind set on something and she could not care less about the idea of responsibility.
Or so she'd say but even as she's taking his hand she's using some of his latent precognition to check once again that nothing is happening, that nothing might happen before she smiles and lets him pull her close. Her skirt swirls in a whisper of soft fabric as she steps in, resting one hand against the warmth of his jacket while the other squeezes his. A thumb smooths over the fabric as she smiles up at him.
"Just follow my lead."
It's not fancy party date dancing because she's here to have a good time. Sometimes that involves showing off (or more often than not showing up someone that had annoyed her) but today she's focused on him and on making him comfortable and she doesn't need more than just swaying together to the music.
Well, she might make him twirl her at some point but right now she uses her psychometry to carefully steer them, to sway with ease that comes from ESP and to match every step of his perfectly. And others are watching as they do, seeing that gentle confidence, watching the way she smiles up at him with a warmth that she's never given to anyone else. Behind Shiho's head, Kaoru has turned to give Tetsuo a wink and a thumbs-up, mouthing "doing great!" at him before she turns her attention back to the bartender who still refuses to pour a drink for her.
Shiho though, is squeezing his hand again, "So... did you want to learn fancy party date dancing? I'll teach you."
Tetsuo's spider senses certainly don't seem to be picking up on anything drastic, although they're also relatively short-ranged. She'd definitely pick it up through him if anything significant were about to happen.
As she steps closer, his free hand rests just above her hip and eases around her waist, gently encouraging to get as close as she likes. He's perfectly happy to let her guide him, especially since it's so easy to get totally absorbed in her like this. The closeness and smooth, unhurried motion just lulls him even more into practically forgetting about the rest of the party, to the point he nearly misses Kaoru's less-than-subtle encouragement, but it gets a puzzled blink and a sheepish grin at realizing they're very much being watched.
Even then, Shiho retains the greatest part of his attention, and the rest returns to her promptly. Surely she also notices they're at least a bit of a spectacle, through him if not on her own, and he beams right back at her, fond, warm, and sunny as ever.
"I, uh.. I mean.. if y'like that kinda thing..."
Really, he never would have thought of liking it, before. It's hard to not like something if it makes Shiho happy, though, and the idea of getting to show off a bit in public while also doing something together as a couple is frankly almost hard to resist. At least, he imagines her being super sophisticated and showstopping, even if he's not entirely sure how to fit himself into that, and he's definitely on board with showing everybody how awesome she is.
Perhaps moreover, the thought of glamorous, magnificent Shiho deliberately going out of her way to pull him up onto the pedestal he puts her on her level is beyond heartwarming. That alone keeps him flustered and a bit giddy with affection--really, it's probably for the best that Kaoru gave him that little reminder that they're very much not alone.
"...it does.. sound pretty cool, tho.. learnin' ta do somethin' like that with ya..."
Shiho sees Kaoru's absolutely-not-subtle-at-all encouragement through her psychometry and can't help but smile to herself though that smile turns right back to him.
"I like sharing things with you."
Because she knows from experience that he wanted what she wanted and she, in turn, wanted what he did. So for him she's honest, something he'd taught her to do over time through the sheer sunny force of his personality, through giving her the desire to be good not just to him but for him. She won't be able to do anything very sophisticated and showstopping, especially because she's never seriously practised how to do too much fancy dancing but just from how he stares she knows that probably won't matter much.
What he'll remember is this shared moment, their hands linked, his hand around her waist as they sway gently to the music.
"Just step with me. When I go backwards, you come forward. Ready? 1, 2, 3..."
And she takes a step back, hand giving his an encouraging little tug forward. Then as she steps to the side, another little tug until the first three steps of a waltz are successfully completed. They're not matching the music at all but that can come with time.
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The HAPPY one
So of course they made time to celebrate, as well. Even if said celebration was technically also still a job where they were security detail for some government bigwigs. But that isn’t going to stop them from having a good time and it definitely isn’t going to stop Shiho from putting Tetsuo’s name down for an invitation.
And it definitely, definitely didn’t stop her from ordering the boys in the group to help him get changed while she went off with the girls so that she can surprise him. It feels a little embarrassing, a little nerve-wracking as the rest of her group leaves one by one, Shiho hanging back specifically so the two of them can be last and so they don’t get teased just yet. And also because as she quietly knocks on the door to the suite where the rest of the guys had been getting ready, she can’t help but to think that she wanted him to see her first before anyone else did.
The dress is the same one as the one she’d worn to the first party they went to, white and form-fitting at the top, flaring out into a soft skirt. She’d changed up the accessories, made it less Heiress and more Shiho with a simpler necklace and heels that weren’t quite so high and so sharp since she wasn’t meaning to step on anyone. Her hair is also different, softer, framing her face with curls. All in all, she thinks she did a pretty good job but she’s looking forward to him opening the door, her smile brightening, her eyes appreciative when she sees him.
“...Hey, you.”
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He really hadn't expected to be brought along on a security job, though, especially at a classy event. He hadn't objected, of course (besides quietly worrying Shiho was maybe being too indulgent with him), but it seemed even more the sort of place he wouldn't exactly fit in. Still, with Shiho really wanting him there (how was he supposed to argue with that???), he went along with it as best he could, only a little huffy about having the other guys assigned to dress him. Even if he wanted to be a bit indignant about his independence, he was well aware he had no idea about fashion at all.
He's sheepish as ever when he answers the door, feeling more than a little out of his element, but dressed in nice rather than tattery jeans, with proper shoes instead of sneakers, a dress shirt instead of a tee shirt, and a casual but classy blazer in place of his leather jacket.
...there really wasn't much anyone could do with his hair, but Shiho already knew that.
He blinks and pauses, stunned fire a second. He's not sure what he was expecting, but it wasn't Shiho in that familiar dress, managing someone to look even better than last time. He realizes he's kind of staring when she speaks, and laughs a little, ruffling his hair and reddening visibly. That's not just a going-on-a-date dress, it's her tempted-to-forget-about-everything-else-and-just-make-out-in-a-quiet-corner dress, and the association is absolutely not lost on him.
"...uh... a-eheheh, hey you.. y'look..."
He trails off for a moment, not sure what words would suffice. To say she looks amazing doesn't quite cover it, especially since she nearly always looks amazing.
"I, uh... yanno... yer gonna make it real easy not worryin'bout the party..."
After all, he can't worry about not belonging at the party when he's barely aware of anyone but Shiho, and she always finds a way to make him feel like he belongs with her.
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And she wouldn’t trade the way he looks at her when he opens the door for anything. Just that way he has of staring at her like he’d never seen anything prettier, hotter or more amazing than the sight of her all dressed up for him. She looks at him with an appreciative tilt of her head and a full-blown smile, coming closer so she can have the excuse of gently combing her fingers through his hair to get it into some semblance of order but mostly because she knows he likes her touching him like that. Her other hand comes to straighten the seam of the blazer at his shoulder even if it doesn’t need it, wanting to read the feeling he had when he’d looked at her even if he can’t speak them with words.
“That was what I was hoping would happen.”
She smiles up at him and then gives the lapel of his jacket the gentlest tug so she can steal a chaste kiss, careful not to wrinkle anything. Not yet anyway, there was plenty of time afterwards to let him take this and her entire outfit apart if he wanted.
“We’re kind of on a date tonight, after all.”
A date that was also a mission. Slipping one hand into her bag she takes out a communicator in the shape of a lapel pin and carefully puts it on him, giving it a tap as a finishing touch so the light turns on.
“If we see anyone suspicious we’re supposed to coordinate with these.”
Hers is in the shape of a slim bracelet around her wrist, “But it should be an easy mission. They just like the look of having us all here to protect them.”
And they’d never say no to an invitation to a fancy party, pay and an easy job.
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play withtry and neaten his hair. As she already knows, his hair is kind of a lost cause, but however stubbornly messy it might stay, she certainly gets the desired result of him melting into her touch. With a touch, she can easily tell that, even though he's not sure how to put it into words more eloquent than an emphatic wow, she's basically up there at the limit of how attractive people can be. When she then goes to extra lengths, he doesn't really have a context to match her against--just that, somehow, she's above the top of the scale.She gets no resistance when she tugs at his lapel. He naturally assumes she's just adjusting his fancy clothes, and he blinks and flusters anew when she leans in to meet him, a hushed sound of surprise muffled against her lips. Reflexively, he leans with her, prolonging the kiss by a second or two before realizing it was probably meant to just be a quick peck. Also, that his hands wound up resting at her sides, just above her hips.
Shiho calling it (kind of) a date does nothing to get him less distracted with her, but he does snap out of it a bit more when he realizes she's pinning a device on his lapel, not
justflirting."Mm-.. o-.. oh, right, aheheh... I, uh... I'll try an' make sure ta do that."
Meanwhile, he'll just quietly tamp down on the thought that all he's seeing right now is that she's suspiciously hot, which.. is clearly not what she means, and way too embarrassingly corny and ill-conceived even for him to say out loud.
"...tho I gotta feelin' y'ain't gonna make it too easy lookin' at nothin' else but you, Shichan."
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They probably have to go soon so she does reach down to rest a hand at his elbow, gently guiding his hand down so they can link fingers. They can be fashionably late, she thinks, and that means fewer people to make him feel self-conscious.
"Isn't that fine? Tetsu can concentrate on me and I'll concentrate on you~"
And probably concentrate on doing her job too, while she was at it.
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She's the one who said they at last technically have an actual job besides just swooning over one another; really, he's mainly just concerned about the risk of getting her in trouble or disappointing her or her friends. How's he supposed to argue, though, when she makes it sound even more like it's really just a date?
His fingers lace with hers and he squeezes her hand, ducking nearer to steal another soft, quick kiss. ...quickish, anyway, lingering just a bit conspicuously. He huffs quietly at his own procrastination and gently tugs at her hand a little, in the general direction of where they're supposed to be.
"...y'really are amazin', Shichan."
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She's happy if he can think of it as a date, the look in her eyes as he pulls away from the kiss is just as soft, a smile lingering on her lips as she follows after him.
"I know."
Her smile is cheeky then as she leans to bump her arm against his, "And so are you."
The way to go is towards the elevators first and she definitely doesn't miss the chance to steal another kiss of her own once they're in front of it, waiting for it to arrive on their floor.
"...one of these days we really need to go on a proper date."
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"Aheheh, I mean... y'sure do make a guy feel pretty amazin', smilin' at'im like that..."
He blinks and huffs softly as she leans in for another kiss, taking an effort to resist the impulse to pull her closer, and to lean with her only a little as it ends, prolonging the kiss slightly. She gets a bright grin, his free hand resting lightly at her waist.
"...I mean, I ain't got no complaints 'bout the kinda dates you been takin' me on..."
Nothing wrong with Crime Dates and Work Dates, the way he sees it, especially when they involve her looking so damn good.
"But, uh... y'mean like... just hangin'out 'round town or uh.. like a picnic or somethin'..?"
That's what most people do for dates, right? ..probably?
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"A picnic would be fun. Or we could watch a movie, or you could take me out on your bike."
There are any number of things they could do together on dates, and she enjoys thinking about them even as her eyes wander up to watch the numbers light up until the elevator arrives at their floor. With a gentle tug she pulls him in with her, tapping the button before she's leaning back into him again, unable to resist the urge to be close.
"We could take a long drive and go somewhere romantic."
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The Not as Happy But I Promise It Works Out One
But instead she had to deliver the news, trying not to let her voice shake and not to let her emotions get the best of her, trying to be cheerful, to give him hope. Yes, they’d lost all contact with Shiho. Yes, Shiho had back-up at the time but she’d disappeared right from behind them without being able to make a single sound. Yes, she had her weapon with her and Kaoru believed, believed with all her heart that her best friend was trying to make their way back to them, to him. Aoi wasn’t present because she was trying to locate Shiho using her teleportation powers, they had every person possible on the job.
Shiho would come back to them. She had to. Kaoru holds tight onto his hands,
“...It would help if you were there with us, too. If she knows you’re there too, I bet she’d come running back faster.”
Kaoru tries to smile, “Shiho always says that she needs to get back to you first after a mission and if anyone gets in her way she would make them regret it.”
Which really was exactly what Shiho was thinking as she was wracking her brain trying to figure out how the pocket dimension worked, how she could overload it, that she couldn’t remember what day it is or how long she’d been here. Tetsu would worry. Kaoru would worry, everyone would worry but they had each other. And her mind keeps going back to Tetsuo, who had said he’d lay the world at her feet, who cherished her and put her on a pedestal more than she’s sure she deserves as she once again probes at the edges of the dimension. She needed to get back.
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"...oi, 'course I'm goin'. Tch, couldn't keep me 'way if y'wanted to. ......an' if some sonovabitch hurt'er..."
He trails off at that, glaring off to the side, and shakes his head. Cheerful, friendly Kaoru probably doesn't need to hear the kinds of things on his mind at the moment. As much as he's usually an easygoing ray of sunshine eager to help out, there's another facet nearer the surface right now that matches very well with Shiho's ruthlessly protective side.
"...anyways, y'ain't gotta ask twice. Let's get goin'."
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"Let's go then. And if Shiho-chan doesn't kill them first, they'll have both of us to answer to."
Meanwhile Shiho is quiet, a frown on her face as she thinks. Since she wasn't where she'd been earlier, this must be some sort of teleportation. And the way her vision was fuzzy around the edges, the way the place she was stuck in didn't feel physically real meant that it could also be some sort of ESP power and something or someone was probably feeding this image directly into her thoughts. The fact that she was still alive also meant she was more useful to them that way.
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He's startled for a second at the sudden levitation, but he huffs and nods curtly, just a little impulsively indignant at basically getting picked up and carried. There's no really obvious way to be
tough and cooldignified while being flown about by someone else's psychokinesis, but he buries that grain of irritation, focused on the matter at hand."...kh... yeah."
He's really not sure what he's going to do to help, no matter what the details of the situation end up being, but he's damned well gonna do something. On the bright side, even is he's not especially used to dealing with espers, he has loads of experience with jumping into a hazardous situation without much of a plan and improvising his way out the other end with
latent precognitive metakinaesthesiaintuition, agility, stubbornness, and a fast-burning fear-to-anger metabolism. He's fine letting the others who know more point him in the right direction, and figuring out the rest on the fly.no subject
Though Kaoru suspects Shiho would know because it's Shiho they're talking about. She also has no doubt though that Shiho would probably cuddle him into not worrying about how he'd looked while flying. Shiho is powerful in that way, she thinks as she picks them both up and starts flying them at high speed toward their destination: a cruise ship that's been cordoned off on all sides at an abandoned dock. There are other people that Tetsuo will recognize from the Catastrophe, the ship that Shiho lived on. They're alternating between discussing how they'd like to crack this ship open like a box and whether time and space really needed to be in one piece when Shiho's life was potentially on the line.
When he lands, more than one pair of eyes turn to him but it's Kagari who comes up first, "Well, Sannomiya will definitely get through this now that you're here."
It's well-known that whenever Shiho comes back from a mission, she always disappears to Tetsuo's place and spends if not a couple of days then at least a night. She's got a soft spot for him, and teasing Tetsuo (and by assocation, Shiho) is a kind of comfort in this situation. It was easier to think of a solution when everyone was hopeful.
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That distinction just means she's calling him uncool! Rude! Anyway, besides being able to distract him very effectively, it's not like it'll take Shiho very long to read off of him anything she wants, so good luck keeping her from knowing about whatever happens around him. That, and she knows him well enough she could probably guess.
Tetsuo glances around at the others gathered there when he lands with Kaoru, and nods to Kagari as he approaches. Even with the serious mood he's in, he can't help but reach up to ruffle his hair, a bit flustered by the suggestion that his presence has that kind of effect, and runs a hand back through his hair.
"Yo. I, uh... I ain't no psychometer or nothin', but lemme know if there's anythin' I can do. Hell, even if it's just a fresh pair'a eyes."
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Aoi is the first to speak up, pushing her glasses up, "...Want to take a look at the site?"
At this point, they were up for any kind of solution. Kaoru could feel that Shiho was still there nearby, so they were all certain that Shiho had to be trapped in some kind of pocket-dimension, somehow tacked on to their own current dimension. But finding the exact position had proven to be difficult and the dark circles under Aoi's eyes tells the story of someone who has been pushing herself and her teleportation powers to their limit.
The site itself is the atrium of the cruise ship, now eerily empty and quiet. Most of the decorations and furnishings have been removed after they'd been thoroughly examined and all that's left now is the big fountain in the middle surrounded by marble built-in planters which had also been emptied. There's a still stuffiness to the area but Tetsuo might notice a weird shimmer at the edge of his vision when he nears the fountain as the group of teenagers wander around, Aoi's brow furrowing as she once again fails to find even the smallest trace of Shiho.
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As he gets closer to the fountain, though, something definitely feels off about it, and he scowls, looking puzzled and uneasy. It's almost like a phantom limb, or hearing something he can't see; the space around the fountain doesn't feel the same way it looks, somehow, although he's not sure how he'd put it into words, much less what it is he's actually feeling.
"...huh... izzat whatcha meant by 'pocket dimension'?"
He assumes if he can feel something weird, the obvious espers must be feeling it even more clearly, right? Pacing around the fountain, he impulsively reaches a hand out to see if there's something he can touch or reach into, wherever it feels like the "wrongness" is centered.
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who has opposable thumbs and posts tags before they're done? meeee
almost as eager for your tags as i am <3
Sorry for the lateness!! <3333
no worries at all ever <3
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He may find it hard to rationalize, but he can probably tell Tetsuo hasn't just chosen Shiho--he's head over heels for her.
Tetsuo chuckles, only not ruffling his hair because he's too busy holding Shiho. Flustered as he is at getting caught, somehow Shiho's protectiveness (and/or resistance to anyone interrupting them even in a public space) is heartwarming in a way he really can't complain about.
"Aheheh, it's uhh, it's fine, we're comin', Kagari!"
He does let her pull away from him with just a little reluctance and takes her hand, squeezing it softly and letting her guide him out of the elevator with a gentle bump of his shoulder against hers.
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The look on Shiho's face as she guides him out of the elevator is definitely the face of someone Caught But Not Even The Slightest Bit Sorry, taking advantage of that gentle bump of his shoulder to lightly press her arm against his while they walk.
Kagari can definitely tell they're both head over heels for each other. As someone who loves his own girlfriend (and who had also chosen someone mildly terrifying to be said girlfriend) he gets it. But with his mission accomplished, he's sighing as he holds the elevator door open for the two of them so they can get out.
"Come on, Sannomiya. Sure it's just a party but you need to keep up appear-"
Whatever he was going to say is cut off as he turns around to notice that there's a red-haired girl sincerely chatting up a pretty bartender, Aoi and her date are already blushing up a storm but determinedly dancing together, both Bullet and Tim are enthusing about something something anime and that's when Shiho chooses to breeze past him with Tetsuo, giving Kagari a smirk,
"Come on, Hino. It's a party, try to keep up appearances."
Then her smirk is a grin and she's pulling Tetsuo into the party with her, "So? What should we do first?"
...as i just now notice i put that last tag in the wrong place... orz
"Eeh..? Idunno... I ain't really been ta parties this fancy before. ...I mean, yanno, 'sides that one we sorta crashed. But, uhh... th'party wasn't th'main thing I was thinkin'bout, then..."
Anyone else who knows about that job is free to assume he means his mind was on their objective, which isn't totally untrue. But Shiho knows very well that she was the primary focus of his attention then, too.
"So, uh.. what do ya do at this kinda thing?"
it's fine, it's fine~ what is place but a construct
Shiho though, is unbothered and cheerful, especially when Tetsuo is so clearly supportive.
"Hm, that's true~"
Especially near the end when they'd had to hide and she had dragged him into a dark corner for kisses as a Distraction in every sense of the word. But she's going to focus this time, not on just kisses which she would definitely, generously provide but on being a good guide for his first real party.
"Usually we dance and we get fed really good food."
The food provided does look delicious, an ice sculpture of a swan gracing the centre of a ring of buffet tables filled with a variety of finger foods, main dishes and desserts but Shiho pulls him over to the dance floor first as a slow song starts up.
"So... should we start with the dance?"
She lets go of him only briefly to step away and then presents her hand with a flourish and a bright smile, "Shall we?"
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With his attention directed toward the food momentarily, he's briefly distracted with how super fancy a thing like an ice swan seems to him, but he blinks as she guides him off in another direction entirely. It takes him a second to realize what's going on, and he grins sheepishly as she clarifies at just about the same time. As usual, there's just a bit of reluctance as she pulls away, only to turn back to him right away, classy and dazzling as ever, leaving him flustered and entirely charmed.
"Aheheh.. I, uh, if y'don't mind, uh.. showin' me whatta do.."
He barely resists the impulse to fidget with his hair, instead reaching out to take her offered hands in his. He can't help being a bit nervous about dancing, which he hasn't exactly done a lot of, especially fancy party date dancing, and worrying vaguely about disappointing her by not doing it well. Then again, he's also perfectly comfortable trusting her to guide and take good care of him, and if she's pleased with him, he really doesn't especially care what anyone else at the party thinks about him. Tentatively, he gently pulls her closer, since he's pretty sure slow dancing is supposed to also be close, which he has no complaints about at all.
Of course, she also knows he's more than agile enough to pick up dance moves pretty easily, and all the more so if it's the sort of dance where he doesn't have to do much more than sway with her and admire her. Even he's confident he can manage that effortlessly.
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Or so she'd say but even as she's taking his hand she's using some of his latent precognition to check once again that nothing is happening, that nothing might happen before she smiles and lets him pull her close. Her skirt swirls in a whisper of soft fabric as she steps in, resting one hand against the warmth of his jacket while the other squeezes his. A thumb smooths over the fabric as she smiles up at him.
"Just follow my lead."
It's not fancy party date dancing because she's here to have a good time. Sometimes that involves showing off (or more often than not showing up someone that had annoyed her) but today she's focused on him and on making him comfortable and she doesn't need more than just swaying together to the music.
Well, she might make him twirl her at some point but right now she uses her psychometry to carefully steer them, to sway with ease that comes from ESP and to match every step of his perfectly. And others are watching as they do, seeing that gentle confidence, watching the way she smiles up at him with a warmth that she's never given to anyone else. Behind Shiho's head, Kaoru has turned to give Tetsuo a wink and a thumbs-up, mouthing "doing great!" at him before she turns her attention back to the bartender who still refuses to pour a drink for her.
Shiho though, is squeezing his hand again, "So... did you want to learn fancy party date dancing? I'll teach you."
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spidersenses certainly don't seem to be picking up on anything drastic, although they're also relatively short-ranged. She'd definitely pick it up through him if anything significant were about to happen.As she steps closer, his free hand rests just above her hip and eases around her waist, gently encouraging to get as close as she likes. He's perfectly happy to let her guide him, especially since it's so easy to get totally absorbed in her like this. The closeness and smooth, unhurried motion just lulls him even more into practically forgetting about the rest of the party, to the point he nearly misses Kaoru's less-than-subtle encouragement, but it gets a puzzled blink and a sheepish grin at realizing they're very much being watched.
Even then, Shiho retains the greatest part of his attention, and the rest returns to her promptly. Surely she also notices they're at least a bit of a spectacle, through him if not on her own, and he beams right back at her, fond, warm, and sunny as ever.
"I, uh.. I mean.. if y'like that kinda thing..."
Really, he never would have thought of liking it, before. It's hard to not like something if it makes Shiho happy, though, and the idea of getting to show off a bit in public while also doing something together as a couple is frankly almost hard to resist. At least, he imagines her being super sophisticated and showstopping, even if he's not entirely sure how to fit himself into that, and he's definitely on board with showing everybody how awesome she is.
Perhaps moreover, the thought of glamorous, magnificent Shiho deliberately going out of her way to pull him up onto
the pedestal he puts her onher level is beyond heartwarming. That alone keeps him flustered and a bit giddy with affection--really, it's probably for the best that Kaoru gave him that little reminder that they're very much not alone."...it does.. sound pretty cool, tho.. learnin' ta do somethin' like that with ya..."
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"I like sharing things with you."
Because she knows from experience that he wanted what she wanted and she, in turn, wanted what he did. So for him she's honest, something he'd taught her to do over time through the sheer sunny force of his personality, through giving her the desire to be good not just to him but for him. She won't be able to do anything very sophisticated and showstopping, especially because she's never seriously practised how to do too much fancy dancing but just from how he stares she knows that probably won't matter much.
What he'll remember is this shared moment, their hands linked, his hand around her waist as they sway gently to the music.
"Just step with me. When I go backwards, you come forward. Ready? 1, 2, 3..."
And she takes a step back, hand giving his an encouraging little tug forward. Then as she steps to the side, another little tug until the first three steps of a waltz are successfully completed. They're not matching the music at all but that can come with time.
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