You and I [Completed!]

Waves

In the sun-filled room, Hanami stood leaning against a table watching Arata peer into his phone. He swiped a finger against the screen allowing snippets of song to seep out. Repeatedly, he muffled the music with an abrupt press on stop, and went for another song. Classical, all of them. Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt. Violins, piano, cello.

Finally, settling for some soft melody he called, 'Spring waltz', Arata placed the phone on the center of the coffee table.

He held up a hand to her.

Her arms crossed and she felt every grain of her body go stiff.

Arata did not seemed fazed. On the contrary, he smiled. "I won't bite."

She sighed. Stepping forward, Hanami placed her hand in his. He held it firmly. Beneath her palm, she sensed the warm calloused skin, the deep lines and the maleness of them.

He guided her hand to his shoulder, and placed his on the small of her back. "See? This is all we have to do. Stand like this. Move a little, and we are done."

"Move how?"she asked, half distracted by the closeness.

"Like this."

He tugged her along, slowly, showing one step at a time. As they moved together, he barely managed to evade her foot that repeatedly landed on his. When she stumbled, her forehead bumped against his. He stopped to rub his head and returned back to the position. The entire affair made Hanami feel like an awkward marionette. She didn't have the natural fluidity, or an ear for rhythm. She was tight and wooden. Bumping into him for the third time in a row made her step back with an irritated expression. Her cheeks were flushed and shoulders tensed as a piano wire.

"What's wrong?"he asked.

Her eyes were downcast.

"Hanami?"

She remained silent.

The audible, exasperated sigh that left his lips made her more angry. She looked up at him with a cutting glare. "Why don't you take someone else? What does it matter?"

"What do you mean 'why'? Because you are my wife."

"They don't know that,"she answered, knowing well her argument was childish. "And do people really dance at these functions or are you just making fun of me? How come I've never heard of this? Why couldn't you tell me sooner? I don't even have a proper dress–"

He placed a hand on her head. She stilled. Then melted.

"You just need to relax a little."

"I'll embarrass you,"she whispered.

The hand moved, tangling the fingertips through her hair. It made her eyes half close with a warm fluttering.

Arata did not notice. "I embarrassed someone too,"he said. "Look at me. Do I look like a person who would know anything about dance? I fell, slipped, stumbled but I learned it for–" He left the words unsaid and gently turned her around by the arm. "Flaws can be forgiven, don't you think so?"

She nodded.

In the background, the score neared to its end. The next one played. Canon. Pachelbel.

Arata bent down to look into her eyes. She stared back, a little shyly.

"...Let's give it another try,"she replied.

❀❀❀❀❀❀

"Will you please stop laughing?" Hanami stepped after him, cheeks colored with embarrassment as well as a light dust of pink-gold blush. "Arata!"

Arata shook his head and continued on his way towards the car. She saw his shoulders shake. She stopped, gloved hands balled into a fist, heels firmly planted on the concrete. He opened the door.