Chapter Text
"C'mon Shadow, dance with me!"
Shadow looked at Maria in confusion. "Dance?"
"Y'know, move your body! To the music!" Maria said, swaying her hips and moving her arms all around.
Shadow knew what music was. Maria played it all the time. She often would sing along, but he had never seen her do anything like this before.
"Why?" Shadow asked, eyeing the strange way she was moving her feet.
"Oh Shadow, does everything have to be business with you?" Maria pouted for a moment before laughing. "There's no reason! It's just fun! You know, like singing or drawing. You just do it to feel good."
Shadow nodded, even though he still felt slightly lost. "Well. Then have fun."
"No, c'mon! Dance with me!" Maria said, grabbing his arm. He shrugged her off.
"No thank you."
Maria sighed overdramatically and turned around. "Fine. Then I guess you can just watch me dance by myself."
Shadow did just that. It seemed random at first, but gradually he noticed the way that her movements seemed to match the beat of the song, and felt himself slowly be enraptured by this… "dance".
"Can you… teach me how to do that?" he said meekly.
Maria's face lit up.
"Shadow, you're a natural!" Maria laughed.
"Really? I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing." Shadow said as he did his best to follow Maria. He kept tripping over his (and her) feet, but it seemed like Maria wasn't that focused on how well he was doing - it was sort of relieving. He was so used to the scientists observing his every move, testing him on everything he did - it was sort of nice to be able to mess up with no consequences for once.
Maria let go of his hand and spun around and around, her dress flying up and spinning around her like a saucer. Shadow watched in awe as she lifted one foot up and twirled her arms around as she kept rotating. She didn't stop until the song was over.
"What was that!?" Shadow asked as she came to a halt. He had never seen anything like it - it was so graceful and delicate, unlike even the dance moves that she had just taught him.
"It's ballet!" Maria said, blinking at him with happy eyes. "It's a type of dancing. I could teach you that too if you want!"
Shadow's eyes widened and he nodded enthusiastically. He wasn't the biggest fan of the ballroom dancing, but this looked…. "fun".
Maria shifted so that she was facing him and began to talk him through a few of the moves that she had just done. Shadow watched and listened intently, doing his best to copy her motions. It took a bit, but he started to get pretty good. Maria looked impressed.
"You're a natural at this!" she said, surprised. "And I mean it this time!"
Shadow snorted. "You didn't mean it before?"
Maria looked guilty, like she hadn't meant to let that slip. "I may have… slightly exaggerated."
Shadow just laughed. "It's fine. I didn't think so either."
She chuckled before resuming her pose. Shadow followed suit. They danced for a bit longer before abruptly the music cut off. Maria stopped and turned to the record player.
Professor Gerald was stood by the device, looking angry. Shadow's face fell.
" This is where you've been Shadow?" he said, exasperated.
"I-"
"You are supposed to be in the lab. Not… dancing around with Maria!" the Professor chastised. His eyes softened as he turned to his granddaughter. "Maria, I've told you this before - lab time comes before play."
Maria frowned and lowered her head ashamedly. "Sorry…" she mumbled.
Gerald huffed before turning back to Shadow. He grabbed the biohog's arm and said quietly, "Come now Shadow. There's work to do."
Shadow didn't want to "work". He knew what that really meant - experimentation. He didn't want to be tested on. He wanted to keep dancing with Maria.
But if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to do anything with Maria ever again.
He sighed and nodded, letting the Professor pull him back to the lab. The time for fun was over.