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Mia’s at Michael’s bedroom door way too early, gnawing on her lower lip, contemplating if she should raise her hand to rouse him or not. He’s been in Genovia for two days. Two days isn’t enough time to get over a six hour time difference, however, Michael can’t really spend his entire time sleeping off the jet lag when there are things to do. When he was younger, he would have been able to spend the day with his sister, wandering the halls of the palace, but he has business to do here.
Sure, he’s here to see Mia. That’s a bonus, but the real reason he’s here is to check on the CardioArm at the Genovian Hospital and make sure things are running smoothly. He has a press conference scheduled for later in the week, not to mention a handful of interviews to do. He’s going to be making the front page so he needs his rest to look his best, but it’s nearing 11am and he’s yet to get up.
A staff member passes by the room, giving Mia a funny look. Mia thinks about it then. She must look pretty weird in front of her boyfriend’s room with a concentrated look. Finally, she raises her hands to tap her knuckles against the door gently. She’s being far nicer than the staff are when waking her up. She really just doesn’t want to alarm him.
“Michael?” she says, leaning into the door. They’re really heavy and all the noise gets absorbed if you don’t talk loud enough. “It’s pretty late. You gotta get up now or I’ll be forced to send the Royal Genovian Army soon.”
Mia doesn’t get a reply for a while. She’s about to turn away when Michael opens the door, pressing his palm to his eye. “I’m awake. Sorry.” He’s dressed, probably just coming out of the shower, hair dripping onto his shirt. He’s freshly shaved too, throat bare, face soft and kissable. “I already told the kitchen staff they don’t have to worry about my breakfast.”
“Oh,” Mia says, taken aback, both by his appearance and statement. “Well, you should come down in time for lunch.”
“I’ll be there.” He drops his hand from his eye and leans against the doorframe, taking in her attire. “How early do you have to get up? I swear you were asleep until 8 yesterday.”
“Right, but that’s because I didn’t have anything scheduled until 10. Today I had to be up by 7.”
Michael’s eyebrows raise. “What did you have to do?”
“Had to attend a meeting with my dad, grandmother, cousins, and all. Boring country ruling stuff. You know what I mean.”
His lips spread into a smile. “Do I? I’d like to be a part of those meetings. I can’t help but be a little curious about what world leaders talk about.”
Mia shakes her head. “They’re pretty boring. We just talked about taxes and stuff.”
“Taxes and stuff,” Michael echoes. “Sounds pretty serious.”
“Well, if I’m honest, I don’t know how all that works just yet, but I take notes and when I have time, I look over them. There was just a lot of math today so I may have tuned out a bit.” She shrugs her shoulders. “It’s alright. It’s just one meeting.”
“Do you get nervous at them?”
“I used to. But now I don’t.”
“Because you know what a great leader you are.”
Mia’s eyes brighten as she crosses her arms over her stomach, her lips twitching into a timid smile. “You’re not allowed to say that.”
Michael pushes himself off the doorframe and steps closer, glancing over her shoulder twice. Before she’s able to ask him what he’s looking for, he takes her wrist and swiftly pulls her into his room, shutting his door with a push of his foot. He bends down and places his hands on her jaw, pressing a firm kiss to her mouth. Her hands grab onto his shirt as she steps closer, craning her neck to meet him halfway. He tastes like minty toothpaste and his aftershave, smelling like his usual Michael-y smell that threatens to make her crumble to the floor. He doesn’t let her, dragging his hands down to her waist to keep her upright.
When he pulls away, he says, “Please tell me there are no cameras in this room.”
Mia shakes her head, reaching for him to get another kiss out of him. “No,” she mutters against his lips.
“Good,” he says, kissing her again, a bit more gentler than the first time. His hands dip a bit lower, squeezing softly. “Have time to spare?”
“I wish,” she sighs, stepping back to look at him better. “I’ve got a meeting with the cabinet.”
“Can I come?”
He’s grinning so she knows he’s joking, but she really does wish he could come. Instead of answering him, she buries her face in his neck and tightens her arms around him. His hands return back to the middle of her back. “Fine,” he says. “I’ll see you at lunch at least?”
He feels her nod against his shoulder and then she inhales. Michael bites back a smile, pressing a quick kiss to her hair.
She’s very happy to be in his arms and everything is heavenly until she hears a staff member calling her name. Slowly, she pulls away and sighs. “I have to go.”
“Duty calls,” he chuckles, placing one more kiss to her lips. “Go on, Your Highness.” Mia gives him a tired smile and takes a deep breath, fixing her hair and outfit. “Lilly’s coming tonight, right?”
“Yeah with Kenny, er, Kenneth. Boris and Tina too. I think they’ll be picked up at the same time before dinner. I’ll see you later.”
The staff outside keep calling her so she needs to hurry and leave, promising she’ll be there for lunch. She creeps out, shuts the door behind her, and then flags down the staff member.
“I’m here.”
***
Mia really doesn’t know what she’s thinking inviting everyone over to the palace for summer break even though she knows how they act. This isn’t exactly directed at Boris and Tina as much as it is a jab at how Lilly drags Kenneth around to show him everything even though Mia’s offered to give them a tour. Although Lilly’s been here before, there have been many renovations that she’s excited to show them.
They arrive during dinner and after washing up, they join Michael, Mia, Mia’s dad, Mia’s two cousins, and Grandmere at the table. There aren’t enough words to describe Grandmere’s sudden disgust at all the people at the table, and she mutters into her soup, “I don’t recall this palace now being a dormitory for children” even though nearly everyone at that table is 18 and older. The only child there is one of Mia’s cousins who is only 15, and he picks his head up to glance at the Dowager Princess to check if the scathing words are directed at him, but Mia just nudges him under the table and shakes her head, pointing at his food.
Boris and Tina have never been at the palace, much less Genovia, and like the tourists they are, they begin drafting a plan to visit all the monuments and parks. Mia likes seeing them so excited and she offers herself as a tour guide.
They look tired as hell by the time dinner is over, and Grandmere’s story about wooing the dictators during WW2 certainly doesn’t help. Michael’s the only one who listens intently, and that’s only because he’s trying to make it seem like he’s trying not to laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of the story. The math just doesn’t add up, but Grandmere is only just warming up to him and he doesn’t want to ruin it. Particularly because he’s going to be around the palace more that usual now and she’s gotta get used to him before he can start cracking jokes.
Mia sees his tight jaw and the sparkle in his eye as he listens to the stories, giving him a small kick under the table and a look that says I totally see right through you , but it makes his lips twitch so he makes it a mission to not look at his girlfriend or he’ll laugh.
Right after dessert, everyone stands up and mumbles how tired they are, and Mia gets up as well, leading them to their rooms.
Tina and Boris’s rooms are next to each other. Lilly’s and Kenneth’s are too. Tina asks where Michael’s room is and Mia points out that it’s right next to him.
“That’s so unfair!” Lilly complains. “You guys share a balcony! It’s so obvious that you’re always with each other. I want that room.”
“Well,” Mia explains patiently. “Even if you had that room, you’d share a balcony with me and not Kenny- uh- Kenneth because I can’t be moved from my room.”
That shuts her up and then they break apart. Mia calls after them the time that breakfast will be ready and then it’s just Michael and her in front of their room.
“I think I’ve slept off my jet lag,” Michael says. “Am I allowed to see the inside of the princess’s chamber?”
“You shouldn’t be after what you did at the table. Don’t think my dad didn’t notice.”
Michael laughs, placing a hand on his chest. “That was way too fucking funny. I mean come on. How have you never called her out?”
“She’s an old lady!” Mia protests, crossing her arms. “If I call her out, she’ll croak or something. If the cigarettes don’t do the job before. I’m already a disappointment to her, I don’t want to make it worse, you know.”
Michael wraps his arms around her tight. “I don’t think you’re disappointing anyone. Except maybe me if you don’t let me in.”
Her scowl slips off her face, a look of fondness replacing it. “It’s not that I don’t want you to come in. It’s that, like we established before, there are cameras in the hallways.” Her eyes flicker to one behind his head. “And if you come in through my front door, my dad will send the Genovian fleet into my room to kill you.” Michael’s eyebrows raise, a look of humor crossing his face. “So the best thing we can do is meet on the balcony.”
“I’ve told you I’ve always enjoyed a challenge, but this is just nuts.”
“Hey! It’s the price you have to pay when you’re dating a princess.”
“Hmm,” he hums, gently grazing his lips over her cheek. “Alright. I’ll meet you there in 5?”
“10.”
“Fine. 10. Don’t be late or I’m knocking on your door, got it?”
She stands up a little straighter. “Got it.”
He unwinds his arms and goes to his room, shutting the door behind him. A few seconds later, she hears the lock.
She brushes her hair and her teeth, dressing in something a little more comfortable but not completely ridiculous. She still has to look good for her boyfriend, even though he insists she’d look good in anything. Clearly he’s never seen her in her pink and purple stripes underwear. She changes them to a nicer pair.
Michael’s on the balcony when she steps out, the breeze blowing through his dark hair. He looks so cute. “Hi,” he says, reaching for her.
“Hi,” she replies, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Come to my room?”
Michael chuckles. “She has sex with me a few times and now she thinks she’s a master at seduction.”
Mia shrugs, pressing kisses to his jaw. “I don’t think I need to seduce you. I mean, you’d do anything I say.”
“I love this confidence. Do you know that?”
“Isn’t it true? I mean, you were gone for 2 years and came back still in love with me.” She draws back a bit to give him a smile. “It’s enough to make a girl confident.”
“Well I can say the same for you, can’t I? I came back and you were all over me--”
“I was not!”
“Especially on the carriage ride. I swear you were feeling me up--”
“I wasn’t!”
“And in public too! Like jeez, horny much? What, did you have a boyfriend who gave you minimal attention or something?”
“Okay! You win.”
He grins, bringing his lips down to hers. “You’re right. I do win.” And then he kisses her breathless, pressing her up against his door, hands wandering all over her body as if it’s the carriage ride all over again. She steps up onto her tiptoes, tangling her fingers into his hair, kissing him repeatedly as if she can’t get enough. She can do this for the rest of her life, inhaling his scent, his taste on her tongue, the feel of his body pressed against hers.
It’s all very overwhelming and intoxicating.
She pulls away from him just for a moment to say, “It’s easier if you come to my room because they’ll be concerned when I don’t open the door in the morning if I’m over at yours.” He’s nodding before she can finish the sentence, reaching for her door, gently pushing her in.
She walks backwards until her calves hit her bed, working on the buttons of her shirt, but Michael reaches out to stop her, grabbing her wrists, pushing them into the mattress. “No,” he says, mouth pressed against her neck. “I want to do it.”
So she lets him, giggling when he trails kisses right after his fingers. He pushes her further into the neatly made bed with the purple satin sheets.
His shirt is discarded before he can even blink, her hands moving quickly. Can she really be blamed? It’s been ages since she’s had privacy with him.
Michael raises his head for air and slides his hands into her hair, pressing kisses upon kisses onto her face until she’s quietly laughing, gently kicking him away. “Tickles!”
The mattress dips when he places a knee on the bed, leaning fully into her until her entire body is covered by his. She scoots back to give him more room, wrapping her arms around his neck, arching her back when his hands wander again, warming up against her hot skin. She loves feeling his heavier body pressed up on her, knocking the air out of her. He does it in every other situation, why would it be different right now?
Her fingers press into his shoulders, feeling the firm muscle. He pushes her back until she lies on her back, holding him tightly. His hands wander over her torso, lips bruising kisses over and over.
It’s when his fingers reach the button of her jeans that there’s a knock on the door and they both freeze. Michael opens his eyes and shifts off of her, giving her a look of confusion. Nobody bothers her after dinner. Not unless it’s an emergency.
“Should we ignore it?” Mia whispers, glancing at his chest rather than his face. “We can ignore it. That’s a good idea.”
“Are you sure?” he whispers back, breathing heavily. His hair is ruined, flopping over his forehead. “What if it’s important?”
They stare at each other for a moment, contemplating it.
The person outside knocks on the door again, and then a voice rings out. “Open the door! I know you’re in there, Mia.”
Michael groans and drops his head to her pillow, burying his face in there. “I’m going to die of blue balls, aren’t I?”
Mia looks at him sympathetically. “We can ignore her.”
“Ignore my sister? Mia. Come on.”
Lilly knocks on the door again. “Open the door! I need to talk to you! It’s an emergency.”
“What are the chances it’s an actual emergency?” she whispers to her boyfriend. Michael’s already forcing himself up, reaching for his shirt. He messily puts it on and adjusts himself before motioning he’s going to hide in the bathroom. Mia purses her lips and nods, reaching for her own shirt.
She clears her throat, fixes her shirt, and then opens the door. Lilly stands there with her green hair and her hands on her hips. “I’m not even going to ask what you were doing because Michael isn’t in his room either. The hot water in my shower isn’t working.”
Mia feels a small prick of irritation. “If you knew what we were doing, why did you interrupt?”
“Because I’m trying to shower and the hot water isn’t working.”
Mia opens her mouth to remind Lilly of what privacy means and how if she were in this situation, she’d politely wait until Lilly and Kenneth were done canoodling. A text message would also suffice. But she remembers her desperation to get Michael out of his clothes, so she answers quickly, wanting to get back to the important task at hand.
“We renovated the bathrooms. You have to turn the dial all the way to the right and then adjust it.”
“Oh. Alright, cool.” But she doesn’t leave. She lingers for a bit, leaning in. “Do you need protection? I’m not quite sure I trust Genovian condoms. They have a crown on the packaging! The government wants you to have children so they can take more money from you.”
Mia’s eyelid twitches. “I am the government.”
“And is this true?”
Deep breaths. Resist the urge to slam the door. Adults don’t slam doors or have tantrums. “No, Lilly. It is not true.”
Lilly grins at her and shrugs. “Just making sure. I bought a pack at the airport anyway. It sucks how expensive they are. Can you pass an order that makes them more, like, affordable?”
“Bye, Lilly.”
Lilly continues to grin, turning away. “Bye.” And then she walks away with Mia staring at her incredulously. The slam of the door is a little harsher than she intends, but it perfectly captures her mood.
She sits on the bed and leans back onto her palms. “She’s gone,” she calls to Michael who peeks his head out suspiciously.
He looks fucking ruined and hot. His hair is a mess (he didn’t try to fix it!), falling into his eyes like it used to in high school. He walks over to her and gently kisses her, cupping her face with his strong hands. Then he sits beside her and gathers her into his arms. “You know, when I said I enjoyed a challenge, that didn’t mean to challenge me in everything.”
“You’re dating a princess after all.”
“I am,” he sighs, kissing the corner of her mouth. “Now get your clothes off before I explode, Your Highness.”
No more taking their time? She’s all for that.
***
It’s the next day. Things have been pretty easy today, but of course that won’t last, even though it’s 6pm.
Grandmere called her room to tell her to be in the ballroom in exactly 3 minutes and then hung up. A little annoyed, she trudged down two flights of stairs to the ballroom where she is now.
Mia picks her head up when Tina and Boris walk down the stairs holding hands, giving them a perplexed look. They look happy and glowing, smiling at Mia when she comes into view. “Hey!” Tina yells across the ballroom. “I’m excited. What is this about?”
She stops in front of Mia, standing against the wall as if it’s gym class all over again. Grandmere walks in with Rommel and sits in her large purple chair in the middle of the room, smiling evilly at the three of them.
“What is all this about?” Mia says, crossing her arms.
“Let’s be patient and wait for everyone to come down, Amelia.”
This sucks. She wants to take a nap.
Lilly comes down with Kenneth. And then Michael follows after, running a hand through his damp hair. He looks so good in his dark jeans. She’s so happy he’s ditched the suits. Not that he doesn’t look good in them. She’s definitely excited for his attire tomorrow night at the party.
Grandmere stands up and tightens her hold on Rommel who tries to squirm away. Nobody bats an eye, too used to it. Lilly shoots Mia a look as Grandmere walks closer and assesses the people in front of her. The tattoos around her water lines look even more frightening into the light.
In a loud voice, she announces, “As you all know, there is a royal ball being hosted by the palace for Amelia’s birthday. We celebrated in New York, and now it’s time to celebrate here and I understand it’s a little late, however, Amelia insisted we wait for your arrival. You understand that there are certain etiquettes that must be upheld in a royal gathering, and it’s my duty to teach them to you.”
Oh, hell.
“Princess lessons?” Mia groans, slapping a palm to her forehead. “You’re giving them princess lessons?”
“Oh,” Grandmere says evilly. “I am not. I don’t have time for that. There’s much to do right now. You will be helping them out.”
“Me?! What makes you think I can teach them anything?” Mia glances at them. “No offense. She is right about the etiquette part.” Her friends don’t say anything back because it’s a very valid thing to say, although Lilly’s face shows she’s offended.
“You’ve been getting lessons for years now. You have enough knowledge and now is the time to show me what you’ve learned.”
“Grandmere! It’s just a ball! I don’t think the royals care much about my friends.”
“Amelia, I don't expect you to teach them every single thing. Just the necessary things. If your Lana friend was here, she’d understand.”
“Lana is used to big events! This is ridiculous. Nobody really cares.”
“There will be photographers. I do not want anything messy.”
Mia has to pull the card. “I want my birthday to go how I want it to go.”
There’s a bit of a silence where nobody knows how to react. It’s similar to her outburst in front of her peers during the Braid! auditions. Everyone’s holding their breath.
Finally Grandmere’s eyes narrow and she says, “Amelia. The behavior of the guests reflect on the palace itself. I will not negotiate on this. Teach them.”
She begins to leave, but Mia stalks after her, stopping her in her tracks.
“Grandmere. I promise you nobody cares. Everything is going to go fine.”
“Like how it went at your party in New York? Are there any more secret surprises you want to happen at your party? Perhaps another young gentleman would like to get on his knees and ask for marriage. Is that what you’re hoping for?”
Oh, God. “No, of course not. That wasn’t even my fault. I didn’t know he was going to-- okay, look. My friends are great. They’re going to be fine. You don’t have to worry about them.”
“Be diplomatic and teach them Amelia. You are a princess. Act like it.”
Mia calls after her, but Grandmere leaves the room, Rommel looking sadly over her shoulder. And then Mia is left with her friends.
She turns to look at them with wide eyes and says, “Uh. Okay. Hi.” She walks back to them, ignoring the amused look on Michael’s face. He’s had to have heard the mention of J.P. He always finds it very funny and tries to bring it up often, but Mia always shoots it down. He particularly likes the part when Mia answered J.P.’s question.
“This is going to suck,” Lilly groans loudly, turning around to hit her forehead against the stone pillar.
“No. No it won’t. I get that everyone’s tired, so uh, let’s just do this really quick and we can go back to our rooms. Okay? Let’s just go over a few things?”
“I’m excited!” Tina chirps, grabbing Boris’s hand a little too tight. “I’ve never been to this kind of dance! There will be celebrities right? Just like last time?”
“Yes. But mostly royals so it’s a bit of a big deal.” She looks helplessly at Michael who looks back at her, equally as helpless. “Okay. We all know how to dance right?”
They all nod. “Okay,” Mia continues. “We all know how to waltz, right? Like with the steps and all?”
There’s a passing look of unease so Mia takes it as a hint that they need to brush up on it. “Well, before we do that, let’s talk about how we greet royals. At a Genovian ball, nothing officially starts until the royals who are hosting the party arrive. So… that would be me.” Mia walks away from them and then stops. This needs to be quick. She just wants to go to her room and sneak Michael in and make out with him and rip his clothes off. Is that too much to ask for?
“Let’s pretend this is the grand staircase. There will be music playing and food and all that, but nobody’s actually dancing until my father, grandmother, and I come. My cousins and distant family are an exception to the rule since they’re not immediate.” She slowly walks back. “We walk in and then the party formally starts.”
“Great,” Lilly says dryly. “And then what?”
Mia goes a little pink and her shoulders drop. “Well, then everyone bows.”
Tina’s eyes are wide. “At each other?”
“No,” Lilly says. “At the royal family, dummy.”
“Oh,” Tina says sadly. Kenneth shoots her an apologetic look.
Mia interjects, “Nobody is going to be rude to anyone. We’re all learning, so just chill out, alright? Yes, you bow to the family. Do we… know how to?”
“I mean, if it’s anything like what I see in movies,” Tina says quietly. “Then yes.”
“Yeah, it kind of is. Here, I’ll show you.” Mia places her hand in front of her and lowers her chin to her chest, and then dips down a bit before returning. “Like that. We should practice that. Well, the girls do that.”
Lilly looks beyond annoyed, but she does it anyways, and Tina is a bit more excited. They nail it, but then again, curtsies aren’t supposed to be rocket science.
“Good,” Mia mutters. “Now for the boys.” She looks at them. “Er, men. You have to press your forearm to your stomach, like this. And then just bend a bit. Not like a 90 degree angle. That would be funny.” She chuckles a bit, stopping immediately once she reads the room. “Uh, anyways. You can go ahead and practice that.”
“Do we have to bow every time we’re about to dance?” Boris says.
“No, only when you’re about to dance with a royal.” Everyone turns their head to look pointedly at Michael.
His eyes widen, shifting uncomfortably. “Every single time?” Michael asks.
“Yeah. Well, if you go and take a water break or something, it’s fine. But if a lot of time has passed, like an hour or so, you gotta do it again.”
“What if he doesn’t?” Lilly asks.
“Then he gets sentenced to death,” Mia says with a roll of her eyes. “Nothing happens, just don’t let Grandmere see you do that.”
“Right.” She snickers at her friend. “I’ve never asked. Where are all your guillotines?”
“We never had any.” Mia’s irritated now. “Anyways. That’s all you have to do. I imagine you all know how to use the right silverware and all.”
“Yes,” Michael says. Mia sends him an appreciative look. He’s attended dinners with her father and Grandmere before. In G&T before she turned 15, she printed out a page from the Internet about which spoons and forks were for what purpose. She recalls he studied it religiously. It was very cute, but also nerve wracking. Back then, he was still That Boy to Grandmere and he didn’t want to make it any worse.
He definitely does not want to be demoted back to That Boy now.
The rest of the gang nods along. She assumes they know how to use silverware.
“If you drop anything,” Mia continues, “don’t pick it up. I’ve made that mistake a lot. Someone will come and pick it up for you. If you need a refill, just wait until someone comes around. Don’t be squeaking your chair back and forth, and don’t burp.” She looks at Lilly with her eyes narrowed. “Not too loudly at least.”
“It was one time!”
“No it wasn’t. Let me think if there’s anything else. We’re all of legal age so we can drink but nobody is getting black out drunk.” She bites her inner cheek. “Well, not until everyone leaves. Then you’re more than welcome to get drunk in your rooms.” Her shoulders drop as she sighs. “Alright, let’s talk about the waltz now."
Mia walks to Tina and Boris, gesturing. “Sorry, guys. Do you mind if I use you as my example?”
They don’t mind at all (Tina less than Boris), so Mia takes Tina’s hands and places one in Boris’s and the other on his shoulder. She puts Boris’s hands on her waist.
“Okay. Positions that are acceptable. This is number one.” She makes sure everyone can see. “And number two.” She takes Tina’s hands and puts them on Boris’s neck. She moves Boris’s until they rest on Tina’s back. “And three.” She slides Tina’s hands down to Boris’s chest and pushes her friends together. “What we will not do is grope each other or anything. Save that for your rooms.”
“Noted,” Lilly smirks.
“Okay. Waltz dancing is very easy. It’s a 1-2-3-4 count.” She demonstrates. One step up. One to the right. One back. One to the left. “Kind of like the Grease dance. The men usually go left while the women go right, but nobody’s gonna be watching you so you can do whatever. Just don’t be crushing each other’s feet. Pair up and practice please.”
She feels like a teacher. The students blink at her, taken aback by her authoritative voice, but then fix their attitudes and pair up like she’s asked.
Mia moves over to Michael, giving him a smile. “Hi,” she says quietly. “Sorry. I know I promised you a night.”
He puts his hands on her waist, lips twitching into a grin. “It’s alright. Technically this is a night.”
Mia shakes her head and sighs, putting her hands on his neck. “Let’s just get this over with.”
It takes some practice, but he catches on. It’s very cute, watching him be so concentrated. He can build computers and robotic arms, but he has to really try to get this dance right. They’ve danced before, but slowdance. And everyone knows that a slow dance isn’t really a dance as much as it is swaying around.
Michael frowns when he makes a mistake. “For my sake, can you always go right and I’ll go left?”
“Yeah,” she grins, teasingly stepping onto his foot.
“To avoid that,” he groans, pushing her off with his hands. The motion makes her eyes widen, suddenly wanting to reach up and plant a firm kiss to his mouth. Not the right time to be a horny teenager. Not the right time-
She checks to make sure everyone is doing well. Tina’s bruised Boris’s foot, but aside from that, nothing too drastic happens. Lilly looks like she’s about to commit a crime because Kenneth is better at this dancing thing than her. Suddenly, she wishes Lana was in fact here with her. She’d be better at giving instructions. Maybe she’d even make one of them cry or something.
“Alright,” she says with a sympathetic smile once she’s finished reviewing. “You guys are good to go to sleep.”
All her pupils begin to scatter, running for the hills as if she’s Grandmere and will yell “SIKE” just to have a laugh and then keep them around for the rest of the night, making them dance until they have blisters. Mia’s not that kind of princess, though, and definitely not that kind of teacher. Although she’s gradually finding her voice, her compassionate side will not be shifted into something more Grandmere-like.
She watches her friends leave and then glances at Michael who quirks a brow at her. She loves that motion. He looks so good when he does it, and he’s well aware of it. He wraps an arm around her waist and says, “Excited for tomorrow night? I promise I won’t haul you over to the stage and drop down on one knee and present you with a friendship ring.”
Mia groans, hiding her face with her hands. “You’re never going to let that go.”
“No,” Michael says, grinning as he begins walking towards the stairs, dragging her along. “I will never let that go. Let’s go get some sleep, Thermopolis. We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”