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Lorenz caught himself from falling out of the old library chair, “This must be some kind of mistake! How clouded was the professor’s judgement when he selected you, Claude von Riegan, to represent us in the White Heron Cup?”
Looking up from her work, Hilda tittered, “Don’t take it to heart, Lorenz. I’m sure he had his reasons.”
It made him even more offended. “Reasons!? Is he not aware that I stole the hearts of all of those who attended the bi-annual House Gloucester gala with my waltzing prowess?”
“Relax. I’ll make us proud,” Claude leaned his chair back, “All it’ll take is brushing up on a few steps, and I’m good as golden.”
“The nerve to quantify the art of ballroom dancing to ‘a few steps’ is the most disheartening thing to be uttered from a noble’s mouth,” Lorenz shot him an unimpressed glance.
Hilda leaned into the table’s center and kept her voice low, “I’ve heard Dorothea and Dimitri are the other two house reps.”
“We will most certainly lose now,” Lorenz was defeated.
Claude fiddled with his pencil, “That is some stiff competition.”
The three sat in the vacant library on a chilly afternoon and considered their options. If their house won the White Heron Cup, they would celebrate with a wonderful feast and a free weekend. It was a coveted prize by each house.
Whatever it takes to win.
“Fine. It is clear you all are wanting me to lend my knowledge and time in order to refine Claude’s dancing technique,” Lorenz suddenly stood from his seat.
Hilda was exasperated, “Literally no one said anything.”
“No, no, no. This is clearly a job meant for a teacher with an incredible aptitude for the ballroom arts. I humbly accept one such post in our dire situation.”
“I wouldn’t call my dancing dire,” Claude rolled his eyes.
Hilda shoved her elbow into his chest, “Come on, just do it! We’ve been so busy lately that a free weekend will save me from totally keeling over.”
With a long sigh, Claude shrugged his shoulders, “Sure.”
Lorenz gathered up his things, “Excellent! Please meet me outside our classroom tomorrow morning. Come prepared for a rigorous training!”
He left the room in haste, and Claude grinned.
_____
If the previous afternoon was chilly, the morning of their “training” was even colder. Claude dashed from the resident quarters to the classroom in a thick golden sweater and scarf. And, right on time, he opened the doors to the Golden Deer classroom to find Lorenz already there.
He was wearing the same house-issued golden sweater and sipping on a piping cup of tea near their classroom’s fireplace.
“Good morning,” Lorenz sat down his cup and closed his book. Something seemed different to Claude. Was it the way he sounded so unguarded? Or the way in which he lazily sat down his cup?
“Good morning. I hate to ask, but is there an extra cup? I am completely frozen solid from my run over here.”
“Ah, of course.”
He walked over as Lorenz started to pour him tea. The steam rose into the air with its intoxicating herbal aroma. Claude hung up his scarf and thanked him for the cup.
“Now, shall we get started?” Lorenz got up and started moving some tables aside.
After finally warming up, Claude finished his tea and pulled his sweater over his head, revealing a white tank top, “Ready as I’ll ever be.” Lorenz followed suit after he finished moving the tables.
Claude watch Lorenz straighten his hair and approach him. In addition to his angular frame, he had gained more muscle tone over the past year of training at the Officer’s Academy. Not that bad looking, either.
“Since we have no musical accompaniment, I will hum a tune that we can follow for a beat,” Lorenz straightened up.
“Take it away, Teach,” Claude snickered and winked. It would typically annoy Lorenz, but there was something about the way he said it, like he was still waking up. His heart got a little warmer.
“We’ll start with your posture first. Please, hold yourself up as if your partner was in front of you,” Lorenz crossed his arms.
Claude held up one arm to his shoulder height and the other at his waist height. There wasn’t anything exceptional about it, but it was strong.
“Your strength aids you, but there is simply no character to it,” Lorenz shook his head and then demonstrated, “See, you must add more. Lift up your chest, tilt your head and neck slightly, shoulders down...Yes, just like that!”
Lorenz watched Claude adjust himself to his instructions. He would lead their house to victory in no time. The first few lessons were flawlessly executed on Claude’s part, with only a few adjustments from Lorenz.
It was the actual dancing part Lorenz found himself flustered.
“No, Claude, you are still missing several critical steps.” Lorenz hummed the waltzing tune and demonstrated the movements to him again.
“I see that, but it still doesn’t make any sense. It’s like my feet don’t want to do that at all, actually.” Claude tried mirroring Lorenz’s steps, but his feet hesitated.
“Let me just show you then,” Lorenz huffed, taking Claude’s hand in one and placing the other at his waist.
A thought crossed both their minds. It was the first time they made any physical contact. Strange, but it felt surprisingly fine.
“Like this,” Lorenz started to hum and moved his feet slowly so Claude could mirror him. With each step Claude caught on. The warmth of Lorenz’s humming guided his movement to the point they were dancing around the classroom together.
They would continue to speak, and laugh, without missing a beat. Holding onto each other tighter, it felt like something would break if they let go.
“You could really wow the judges with this closer. I am quite proud of it myself,” Lorenz spun Claude one last time before lowering him into a controlled dip. They held their breath as their eyes met. Blushes washed over them in the close proximity of their faces.
Lorenz lifted Claude back up, and they continued to stand close to one another. Their chests ached to hold the other, to continue dancing. It felt as though if the moment were to end, it would be shattered forever. They each had their own reservations about the other, Lorenz more so than Claude, but it was like dancing found the crux of the matter.
Their feelings were no longer in question. They had absolutely fallen for the other. In all of their flaws and imperfections, they could not deny the other person made them a better human each and every day.
It seemed like such an easy thing to come out and say, but the words never came. The shuffled back from each other, looking away trying to find their sweaters.
“Thank you again, Lorenz. I’m really in your debt,” Claude finally spoke after pulling his sweater back on.
Lorenz thought for a moment.
“Dedicate your win to me, and consider it repaid,” he hummed.
_____
It was a unanimous decision among the judges: Claude was the winner. When sharing the news, the Golden Deer erupted in cheers that could be heard outside in the courtyard. Hilda nearly tackled him to the ground on learning she could finally have the weekend off. All that was left was the celebration—the annual Garreg Mach Ball.
Lorenz stood in front of his floor-length mirror in his room. He adjusted the flower on his lapel of the Golden Deer’s formal wear. He felt like a fool paying extra attention to detail. Keeping up looks was one thing, trying to impress someone like Claude, of all people, was another.
He fixed his hair one last time before leaving his room. Balls like the one tonight typically made him feel exhilarated. The nobility, conversation, and dancing was enough to fill his heart, but, instead, there was a queasiness. Why did he care what Claude thought?
Guards opened the door to the hall as Lorenz approached. The light poured outside, illuminating the rest of the way. Loud chatter and music reached his ear, making him somewhat more at ease. You could at least hide in a crowd if you wanted to.
The hall was lively with students and faculty alike. Chandeliers of crystal illuminated the room with its shimmering glory among the old, flying buttresses of the ceiling. Lorenz had seen better, but it wasn’t his foremost concern. It was seeing Claude, flanked by Edelgard and Dimitri. He just had to look absolutely magnificent in his formal wear.
Lorenz approached and overheard Dimitri speak, “I must say, you really outshined us at the competition. I still cannot believe you did it.”
“Agreed. I was certain Dorothea would lead us to victory, but...it was you,” Edelgard shook her head.
Claude spotted Lorenz and gestured to him, “Well, here comes the real secret to my success.”
Lorenz actually became embarrassed at the spotlight. Why did Claude have to be so...genuine? “Not at all. You have quite the talent for dancing already.”
Dimitri bowed, “Lorenz, if it’s too much to ask, I would enjoy training from you. You seem to know what you are doing, and I could really use the polishing.”
Training the future king of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus to dance would be a nice conversation starter, but Claude butted in.
“It’s all about training with you, isn’t it? Can you at least relax for one night?” He laughed, making Edelgard crack a smile.
“Claude has a point. Gentlemen, I take my leave to join the rest of my house. Perhaps save a dance for me,” Edelgard bowed and walked away.
“The offer is still open, Lorenz. Have a good evening,” Dimitri bowed his head and walked over to Dedue.
Claude sighed, “Why must they be so stiff?”
“No, it is your own remiss attitude for formalities.” Lorenz chided.
It made the Golden Deer leader smirk, “Say, I don’t believe I properly repaid you for your instruction.”
“This is true. I have yet to receive any public declaration,” Lorenz straightened his shirt cuffs. They heard the crowded hall quieten as Seteth approached the center floor.
“Thank you all for attending tonight’s festivities. We’ve reached the point in the night where, as per tradition, the winner of the house cup is given one dance to their partner of choice,” Seteth signaled Claude to join him.
There was no way he would do it, Lorenz thought.
“Claude von Riegan of the Golden Deer was this year’s winner,” a few cheers interrupted Seteth. He waited until they finished and cleared his throat, “Who will dance with you, Claude?”
No way, Lorenz reminded himself.
Claude took a deep breath and spoke with loud clarity, “Lorenz Hellman Gloucester.” His name echoed in the room.
“You fool,” Lorenz whispered, completely dumbfounded, as his body forced him to walk toward the center. Eyes watched him carefully, one of which was Hilda whose mouth was being covered by Marianne.
“I dedicate my win to you, Lorenz. And with that being said, may I have this dance?” Claude bowed with all the theatrical grandeur he could muster.
He was a complete and utter fool...that Lorenz could not help but adore. He returned the bow with an equal magnitude of pomp, “I humbly accept.”
The musicians struck up a bouncing waltz, and Claude took Lorenz’s hand. They both took a breath and smiled before taking their first steps.
A crowd of students around them cheered as they spun, twirled and stepped together as if they were one unit. Their poise and precision was unmatched, but there was something else. It was the two were focused on each other. A smile here, a laugh there, they were enraptured in each other. They hardly noticed when a new song started and other students started to join in. They only cared about each other in a moment thought to be gone.
It was in the middle of a movement when Claude whisked Lorenz away outside the hall. The cool air was refreshing after spinning each other around for so long.
“What are we, Lorenz?” Claude turned on his heel and stared. Those dark green eyes of his were mesmerizing.
“Rather forward, but, in this moment, I find it endearing,” Lorenz smiled and looked at the nearby garden. “Claude, I do not know ‘what we are.’ Before just yesterday, I found you to be an insufferable fool who I could at the very least tolerate.”
Claude scratched the back of his neck, “And I’m the forward one? Sheesh, you don’t hold back-”
But Lorenz held up a finger, “Do listen carefully, Claude, because I would rather say this once in order for your head to not grow any bigger than it actually is.”
Another breath.
“I like you.”
Claude’s eyes doubled in size, “So...I was right.”
“You...you are impossible!” Lorenz threw his hand over his face, trying not to burst out laughing at the nonsense of it all, “Now is not the time for score-keeping!”
“No, it’s not like that! I wanted it to be true, and I’m so happy that it is because now…I’ve really just wanted to kiss you since then.”
Lorenz closed the gap, taking Claude’s breath away. It was full of tenderness and warmth. Their hands moved over each other’s chest as their tongues met. They continued brushing their lips until finally catching their breath.
“Claude...this may sound absolutely ludicrous, but may I dance with you? Here?”
“People will start to wonder where we are,” he poked Lorenz’s chest, but they were already slow dancing. Claude lazily wrapped his arms around his partner’s neck. They could hear the music from outside the hall, allowing it to guide their footsteps as they lost track of time.