Blood+ Fan Fiction ❯ First Kiss, First Confusion ❯ Waltz: Part 2 ( Chapter 7 )

A/N: I dun own Blood+!

 

Alex: Here we go, I don't really know how much longer this story will go on for, not over eight more chapters I think although I have been outlining another Blood+ fic to semi-follow this one.

Sally: There you go putting to much on your plate again.

Alex: Nuh-huh! Now hush! *tosses her in the closet cage and all* On with the chapter!

 

Waltz:

Slow Moving Steps

 

(Haji's point of view.)

 

She was staring at the ruins of the burnt mansion again just as she had when they had first approached the place. They both had memories, some he cherished some he could only wish to forget for eternity, he watched her face seeing the inner pain she was feeling written on the smooth contours and felt pain for being the one who had brought her back here to live through those memories again. This was, after all, the place where it had all started.

 

He followed her as she wondered up the cracked white stone steps that led up to the door of the manor to peer into the dark recesses of the ruins. When she placed a foot inside the door on the charred floor his heart stuttered in his chest, “Saya, it's too dangerous to go inside.” The words left his lips before he could halt them or even think of a better way to put is so that it didn't sound so much like a scolding.

 

“It's okay, it looks solid enough, maybe…” She frowned slightly before she continued on, he followed not allowing her to stray too far away. The Shift were still around after all. He followed her watching her pause every so often a small smile coming to her face at times as she remembered past memories. Soon enough she reached back her fingers grasping the hem of his sleeve as she steered around unsafe looking areas.

 

Finally she came to pause in front of the large door that lead to the ballroom and he felt his own heart skip a beat as memories of their past came to surface in his mind. He watched as she frowned a little trying to remember before she turned up to look at him, “Um.. Haji… What room is this?” He blinked down at her, how could she not remember this room?

 

“The ballroom.” He answered steadily ever the perfect chevalier, she turned back to the door her frown still on her face.

 

“I hated this room, I didn't like learning how to dance.” He watched her nose crinkle slightly as she thought back, “All the dances that Joel had me learn were stuffy and complicated.” She put her small pale hands against the darkened door and pushed swinging them open with a loud groan, she looked down at her hand then dusted it off with the other as she slipped into the room.

 

The fire damage hadn't really gotten that far in this room, the wood paneled walls were a bit charred and the old paintings that had decorated the walls were gone. Stuff from the ceiling littered the floor, the old silver candleholders were missing yet pools of wax lay on the floor where the fire had melted the old white candles. The chandelier lay broken in the middle of the floor covered in cobwebs and soot, the floor itself was alright due to the marble it was made of. The wall of windows that faced towards the garden were busted some missing completely like the heavy velvet drapes that were hanging tattered and burned. Old instruments lay in a heap around the burned piano apparently ones that people had been unable to save.

 

“You know now that this place looks like this I feel kind of sad, I liked dancing after I learned how.” She moved farther into the room her shoes making soft sounds on the hard floors, he stayed where he was standing in the door watching her for a long moment before his mind started to drift back, his heart did a turn in his chest a soft warm feeling creeping into his body as he remembered happier times with her.

 

The room changed in his mind, the burns disappeared, the lighting changed to that of soft candle light, and the chandelier hung from ceiling. Couples whirled along on the dance floor, others stood talking and laughing, having a good time. All except one, she stood against a wall watching everyone else with a soft sad look on her face. She looked lovely in the soft silk pink dress that Joel had bought for her, the elder man was forever dressing her in pink it seemed. She had been standing in the same spot for an hour watching everyone else dance that dances that she had so painstakingly learned.

 

He had stood in the same spot himself for just as long, next to the doors in the shadow of one of the curtains and his heart lurched in his chest with each sigh she heaved. Finally he had had enough, he moved forward smoothly until he stood in front of her one hand outstretched, he had spent the last month watching her lessons committing each step and each rule to his own mind just in case he ever had this chance. Her wide red brown eyes shot up to his face until they met the blue of his own, her hand slid into his, he led her to the dance floor noticing the strange looks that some of the couples there gave them.

 

He had led her right hand to his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her waist and caught her left hand up before he began moving them around the floor easily avoiding the other dancers. He took his steps carefully the steps he had memorized running through his head, in truth he was a bit tense as he tried not to mess up and step on her feet. His stomach lurched when she smiled up at him and his heart picked up a faster paced tempo. And so he danced with her song after song until finally another man asked her to dance, as she was led away his heart did a funny flip and a sense of loss shot through his stomach, sadness that he head to let her go. She turned slightly to peer over her shoulder at him, her smile had faded as she tried to smile at him again.

 

She turned to look at him, he could see the memories that were passing behind those red brown eyes. Her head tilted just slightly as she watched him, a small thoughtful frown on her face and he glanced away staring at the broken chandelier behind her, “Haji?” his eyes turned to focus on her, “Where did you learn how to dance, I don't remember you taking lessons like I had to.” He felt it then, the warming in his cheeks that signaled that he was actually blushing.

 

“I watched during your lessons.” Her lips tilted down again.

 

“Oh… I always wondered after that party. Joel did too, he asked if I had taught you.” She walked back towards the door a thoughtful frown still on her face. Finally she stopped directly in front of him and held out a small pale hand, he stared at it for a moment before he took it the white bandages on his hand a stark white against the pale flesh of her smaller hand. She smiled up at him and pulled him back towards the center of the room. She turned to face him snagging his other hand to bring it to her waist before sliding her hand up his arm to rest lightly on his shoulder.

 

She let him lead and they moved slowly about the ballroom a melody drifting slowly to mind, it felt odd to be moving around the silent ballroom only the soft clicks of their shoes marring the silence. He moved them smoothly around the broken chandelier, “It's kind of scary at how familiar this is, the only things missing are the dresses and the people that used to stare at me.” She stared at his shoulder where her hand rested for a long moment before looking up at him, his dark blue eyes were locked on her face and due to her looking up her red brown eyes locked with his. He felt his heart skip a beat and faintly wondered if she had felt it, his eyes stayed locked with hers.

 

He couldn't help but take the slow simple dance and turn it into a sweeping waltz that carried them lightly around the room, any excuse for how fast his heart was beating. He was enjoying having her back in his arms of her own free will and the temptation of pulling her closer tugging at the back of his mind.

 

"Haji is something wrong?" he blinked at her for a moment.

 

"No, nothing is wrong." Her eyes stayed locked with his, they were asking questions that she wouldn't voice. She shifted her right hand moving it to rest over his heart. He knew she could feel his heart's pounding beat, could tell that she knew he was hiding things.

 

"You're not telling the truth Haji." he blinked at her and she smiled just slightly up at him, "It's alright though, I'm just glad that you're here with me." His slid his arm around her back holding her closer as he had the night under the tree, he had to it was an urge he couldn't deny he needed her to be close to him if only for a little while. She only smiled again and moved forward tilting her head to rest it on his chest, his heart stuttered in his chest and her small smile softened as she closed her eyes, and for a while he would feel whole again. He wished they would have been able to do this the first time they danced but the priorities back then wouldn't allow it, Joel would have had his skin. He peered down at her watching her contentedly.

 

She tilted her head just slightly to peer up at him, he stomped down on the blush that wanted to surface and watched her smile her slight smile again and she nuzzled her cheek against his chest. His heart thumped in his chest again, and he tried to relax and enjoy the moment yet he couldn't let his guard down least they be attacked. He hadn't even seemed to realize that he had stopped moving and just stood holding her.

* * * * *

 

A/N: Okay guys I'm really sorry that this took so long, I really didn't mean for it to. I'm afraid I've been a little over worked lately so when I'm not at work I'm asleep, please forgive me!