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Oh, how she disliked these dance parties.
Amaryllis never liked balls and yet, she is here, forced to wear an uncomfortably long ballgown surrounded by a herd of other guests.
She could start naming everything she hated on the spot. Her puffed sleeves were itchy, the flounces on her dress were just making it kitschy and her shoes were stabbing her ankles. The loud music was giving her a headache. It was good music, of course it was, but mixed with the echo of the giant hall and people laughing made her head feel like exploding.
If it weren't for her family making her, she would've gladly stayed at home, make some tea and maybe finish reading the book she started.
Oh, why didn't she just say she was planning to clean her house today- or she was planning to sort and rearrange the books in the library? It was her job, after all, she should be allowed to use it as an excuse at least once.
She looked around, seeing so many unknown, yet familiar faces of members of all rich families, she could think of, of the town. The longer she stood on her place, not doing anything, only looking around, not knowing what to do or where to go, she felt more and more eyes locking on her. They were most likely as much surprised she was there as she was. She hated being on everyone's eyes like that. What if they stared at her because her dress was terrible and she looked ugly in it? No. No, no, she was just imagining things again. This was a ball. The guests were dancing and drinking and if not, then laughing at their conversations. They had better things to do than...staring at her.
Her shaky, gloved, hands tugged on her dress and her eyes fell down to the tiled floor. It was as if for a moment, all music disappeared. She felt everyone's eyes digging through her soul. People gossiped her a lot. She knew. She was sure they were gossiping her right at this moment as well.
She wanted home. She wanted home so much.
It felt difficult to breathe.
This dress was too tight she- she was going to slowly suffocate.
A single loud high-pitched laughter filled her ears and she couldn't take it anymore, it was too much.
A hand touched her bare shoulder, making her jolt in her place. Finally back to her senses, she quickly turned towards the person, a little terrified.
Her blue eyes met with brown and-
"O-oh dear!" his hand immediately pulled back.
"Forgive me, have I startled you?"
It was the library's frequent visitor - one of the sons of the Higgsbury family. Her friend.
"I didn't expect you to join." He chuckled. " I th- I believe you said you wouldn't be coming."
"I- I wasn't" finally she was able to speak again "It was my family."
"Oh, I see." his gentle and understanding laughter made her smile a little.
"Don't worry, now that you're here, you've finished the task. No one will force you to stay longer than you wish for."
"Yes, I suppose you're correct. But it would be rude to leave the second I step in."
"It can't be that terrible, can it?" They both laughed a little. Amaryllis answer with a simple nod looking behind him.
He surely didn't approach her just like that. But she didn't see any guests around that would be staring at them, or small groups of snobs that would be grinning at her.
When her attention returned back to him, she noticed him looking behind his shoulder. When his eyes met again with hers, his eyebrows narrowed a bit, his head tilted on side, and a small smirk found a place on his face, which immediately turned into an innocent smile.
"Is everything fine?" He asked her politely, looking down at her trembling hands, which were again tugging on her dress. She stopped, embarrassed, giving him a quick nod, sighing.
She was glad he was there with her. She was really thankful for him making her some company. It was truly as if he heard her cry for help and arrived for the rescue. She could never complain about his presence. It was he, who always knew how to brighten up her grayer days with the little things, either it be sparking up small conversations about interesting topics and his willingness to patiently listen to what she had to say, or just helping her around the library and bringing her a warm tea.
But she just couldn't simply completely lose all the nervousness.
She greatly appreciated their friendship and his kindness. She liked him. She liked him a lot. But who wouldn't like him? Warbucks Higgsbury could charm everyone with his incredible charisma. Which made her wonder; what was so interesting about her that would make him like her? Did he like her?
"Would it..." Warbucks spoke up abruptly, stopping himself and scratching his cheek with a small, hesitant grin.
"Say, would it be bold of me to ask you for a dance?"
She had to keep herself from shouting the answer in the small rush of excitement. Her mouth opened to speak but her sense and mind refused to allow her.
There were so many people around. She couldn't even dance, why would she happily agree to her own humiliation. She couldn't. She bit her lip and apologized, disappointed in herself.
She couldn't even decline properly.
His smile disappeared for a moment. But an idea struck him.
"And if I'd propose to dance outside?"
Amaryllis shyly smiled and nodded, lightening up his cinnamon eyes. With an elegant turn on his heels and a small bow, he offered his hand to her, which she was pleased to accept.
Warbucks led both of them through the crowded ballroom to the very back, to a big, glassed, pair of wooden doors that lead them out of the hall into the huge and beautiful gardens.
The music became faint and the night sky was already decorated with bright stars. The only misfortune was that it was already dark, so they couldn't see the gardens in their whole glory. The lights of the house allowed them to see only the first parts: several rose bushes with many other colorful flowers growing around in a pattern and an old, big fountain in front of them only very slightly covered in moss.
They stepped before each other.
His left hand rested just a little above her hip and her's was placed on his side.
As much as she was excited, she was so, so very nervous. She never had any dancing lessons. She never minded but now she regretted it greatly. What if she would step on his foot or trip over him. What if he'd trip over her misplaced leg and both of them would fall?
He would be so angry with her oh- oh, she couldn't do it. She made a bad decision and-
"It's okay." She realized she was once again shaking a little from her anxiety.
"Everything's okay." Warbucks hummed softly, assuring her.
His right hand set up and she slowly placed hers on it.
"Amy" she looked into his eyes "it's just you...and me right now. Anything you are thinking of, that is making you lightheaded... or nervous, it's not here. This moment is ours." Words that she tressured.
She took a little deep breath to calm herself.
She would do this for herself and him.
Her eyes met with his and a smile was exchanged for a smile.
They didn't need any more words and finally began their dance.
He took the lead step and she followed. Slow and small steps by steps.
There was no rush.
Her eyes glued to their feet. Making sure she was careful with her moves. As soon as he noticed, he stopped. She stopped as well. They looked at each other and both started laughing.
They let go off each other and Amaryllis instantly swifted her hand and placed it on her mouth, to cover her laughter.
"No, no no!" He giggled. "Please don't cover your smile!"
"It's just a smile." she chuckled
"But you don't have to be ashamed of it."
"I've never said I was ashamed of it."
He stopped laughing and his expression softened. "Then why hide it?"
She gave him a little shrug and looked away, smiling.
The evening was beautiful. Clear night sky. Only a very light breeze that rustled the leaves of the nearby trees from time to time and a fairytale-like atmosphere.
"I must admit," he broke off the silence "I've taken a...certain liking to you."
She looked at him puzzled, but at the same time, she felt a little tickling in her stomach.
"I admire you...is what I'm trying to say." he gave a single nod as if he finally found his words.
"I... admire you as well," she admitted too, her face flushing "a lot."
He smiled in relief, but there was a little bit of shyness behind it as well.
"I admire you for...you; the way you speak, how you can always find a different way to describe everything, your passion for reading and learning new things and your kind heart..."
Her face began to burn and she couldn't push herself to look at him.
"I-" he grinned "I LOVE how when you talk about anything you care a lot about, you start talking really fast and then forget to catch your breath and you stop to take it and then you just continue right away in the same tempo as if nothing happened." He laughed, excitedly talking.
"O-or when you talk about an aspect of a story which you really didn't like and start criticizing it but you get angry about it and start rambling and eventually you end up talking about something completely else." Her eyes widened in embarrassment. She didn't even realize she was doing these things.
"A-and I love-" he looked into her eyes and stopped.
She stood at a perfect angle where the moon perfectly reflected in her eyes. He reached his hand towards her face and placed it on her cheek.
It was perhaps the first time has seen her eyes so clearly.
Brilliantly blue.
It was as if he was looking at thousands- no, an entire ocean of beautiful sapphires.
Shimmering under the moon and stars, as if they were the night sky themselves.
How did he never notice those eyes before?
He was completely lost in them.
She placed her hand on top of his and took it. They both looked at their hands and locked their fingers together.
"May I kiss you?"
And she nodded.
He leaned in and she closed her eyes. They moved closer and closer and his lips almost brushed against hers and...
he bursted out laughing.
Her eyes opened quickly as he buried his face into her shoulder to cover his laughing.
S-she fell for it, didn't she.
She watched the young man turn around, stepping away from her, placing his face in his hands and still laughing.
"I can't! I really can't!"
Of course...
She was too naive.
Of course, he only toyed with her.
Her eyes began to sting as they started to fill with tears.
She should've known he would never-
"It's-" he finally looked at her again "I just feel butterflies in my stomach I- I've never- I'm sorry I-" he wiped his eyes, but glancing back at her, noticing her teary-eyed and terrified in face, he stopped laughing and looked at her taken aback.
"What's wrong?"
She sobbed and tugged on her dress.
"A-Amy..." he stepped towards her "did I do something?"
"I thought" her voice cracked "that I was correct after all...that this was all a joke on me and that you were only leading me on..." she wiped her eyes.
"But you are only nervous just- just like I am." She sadly chuckled to herself, still a little shaky.
"What?!" Warbucks couldn't believe what she was saying, it sounded so ridiculous he couldn't help but crack up again.
"Why would I do such a cruel thing??" he placed his hands on her cheeks, giggling.
"I don't know! To make fun of me?" she giggled too, realizing how improbable this outcome would be. He was too dorky to do something like that, not to mention he wasn't exactly one to make diabolical plans. Was he?
"Well if that would be so, what would you do?"
Where did that question even come from? She looked at him raising her eyebrow. He was just smiling.
"I would probably just walk away." She shrugged.
"Oh no, you would not! Stand up to yourself, come on, make me pay up!" he smirked playfully. He was so silly.
"Okay well-" she tried to think of something, playing along, "then I would drag you back in and spill some wine on your expensive suit." He giggled and nodded his head, signaling her to continue.
"A-and then I would um...I would humiliate you!" Oh, she could never. But he was amused.
"Afterall, how could I get toyed with by someone who collects rocks- and, and who has such ridiculous hair and someone so blowhard!" she giggled, doing a little too dramatic voice. "Sigh. How could a Higgsburry think he could make fun of me."
And she received silence from the other side.
He stared at her dumbfounded.
Oh no did she go too far? She wasn't good at these things. She was only kidding.
"You think I am a vazey?"
"What- no! Of course not, I've never said-"
"But you think I am weird."
"I- no, I don't but..." she sighed, trying to find words, not to sound harsh, "some people might find your interests a little strange."
"Am I a blowhard?"
Yes, he was. She nodded a little, with an apologetic look.
"Do you...resent my family?"
"Absolutely not. I am so sorry." she gasped. "But- but people do not speak usually very highly of your family's name. I shouldn't have said- I'm such a loudmouth, I didn't even think before-" she was cursing at herself in her mind.
"You said you like me."
"I do."
"Why?"
"Because I admire these things about you."
He shook his head, not understanding her reasoning.
"Why would you admire me for being weird?"
"Why do you like me?!" She yelled. "People think I am weird too. We're both weird. But you- you don't care and stand up to yourself and everyone respects you!" She might've been getting a little emotional. "Look at you, you're Warbucks Higgsbury. Your family has always been the black sheep of the town, but you're a gem. You could be speaking about a leaf on a stick and people would still listen to you and nod and agree with the most ridiculous thing you would say. You are always wanted among communities, at parties, and big gatherings...I'm just jealous of that." She covered her face in shame.
Warbucks approached her closer, placing his hand on her shoulder, giving it a small rub.
"Why would you want to be wanted by people you don't like? You don't owe them anything. They only cause you stress."
She couldn't look at him, she hated herself at the moment and didn't want him to see her crying like this.
"Amy," he took off his hand his silver glove and gently lifted her face. "You don't have to be liked by society to be happy."
He wiped her tears with his thumb and she leaned her head into his hand, closing her eyes.
"But how can I be happy if I don't even like myself?" She sobbed. "There are times I very much disklike myself, do you ever feel this way?" Her eyes sadly locked on him and he sighed, chuckling.
"Of course not, I love myself!" He exclaimed with a confident smile, though his eyes looked away for a moment. "...But I do admit... there are times I don't so much."
"What do you do when you feel like this?"
He hummed, "Well let's see..." His eyes glanced above at the sky. "I go visit the theatre...or I make some earlgrey tea to myself or I go on a walk..." he named a few examples.
"But what do you do long term?"
"I do talk to myself aloud sometimes." She giggled weakly. Of course he would.
"You'd be surprised! It actually helps!" He laughed. "I also enjoy quite a lot spending time with people I am close with, people...like you." He said the last words softly and tugged some of her hair behind her ear, giving her his most genuine smile.
"Do you really?"
"Of course," he chuckled "didn't you listen to the whole speech I had?"
A shy smile formed on her lips.
"Does it work?"
He shrugged. "I don't know, does it?"
It did. She couldn't deny not feeling better every time she was with him.
Her answer was a nod.
He pressed his head against hers and gave her a little nuzzle.
He looked deeply into her eyes as she did into his and he pressed a single, small kiss on her lips.
The kiss was quick and quite clumsy, but she loved every second of it. Feeling the warmth of his skin against her and the taste of his lips- heat arising to her chest and her fast-beating heart made her feel like in a dream.
"I think you gave me your butterflies." She murmured, jokingly into their kiss. If there were words to describe how much she was in love with him at this exact moment, they still wouldn't be enough.
"Would you like me to take them back?" He asked with a soft whisper back.
She didn't even need to speak, her eyes and smile spoke for her. They leaned in for another kiss and it didn't even matter it wasn't any more graceful. Neither of them cared. For them, it was the most delightful and perfect and the most wonderful moment and kiss both of them ever had. Their first kiss. Their both first kisses. And there was nothing that would make them wish for a better or a different one.
They didn't even realize it and they began to slowly dance again. Swinging from side to side in each other's arms.
She closed her eyes and listened to the faint sound of violins, violoncellos, flutes, and a piano, and other instruments that blended all into one, unforgettable melody.
They danced, perhaps for a longer time than it seemed as.
Her head laid on his shoulder and his was brushing against her hair, pressed close.
This was their dance.
This was their ball.
This was their night and nothing in the universe could take it away from them.