Work Text:
Because
The Briar family dances. For fun. For joy. Because they're good at it. Just because.
Waltz
Her grandparents' phonograph is pushed to the window. The music plays into the garden. On the lawn, Yor's parents waltz like dancers in a movie—Dad gliding like the breeze, and Mom twirling like a flower carried in the wind, spinning on her tip-toes.
Garden
In the garden, Yor holds a fresh-picked bouquet. Shadows and light slant in the golden hour, silhouetting her parents' dancing forms. They cast a long shadow. Yor wonders. Will she find a dancing partner?
Radio
The big band show's on the radio. The Briars push away the chairs and roll up the flowered rug. Dancing time.
Partners
Dad dances with Mom, Yor dances with Yuri. Then they switch. Yuri with Mom, Yor with Dad. They whirl and laugh.
Smile
When Dad dips Yor and says she dances as well as her mother, Yor smiles.
Festival
The summer festival comes to the countryside. Yor and Yuri spin on the Ferris Wheel, the merry-go-round and in Ostanian folk dance circles, hand-in-hand.
Safe
Hand-in-hand in the folk-dancing circle, Yor and Yuri feel safe. No one asks questions about their parents.
Afternoon
In the late afternoons after work, when knitting and book-reading are too quiet, Yor turns on Berlint Bandstand and shimmies along. The Twist, the Hully Gully, the Swim.
Undetected
For assassin training, Director McMahon takes Yor to the ballrooms where the old folks go, to dance undetected. When they wish to be seen, McMahon introduces Yor as his niece, Rose.
Pass
Yor passes the glitzy discotheque on her way home alone from an assassin job. What would it be like to dance the night away, under glittering lights?
Rose
In a black lace mini-dress and gold rose necklace, Yor enters the discotheque. She's Rose. Rose is grace in motion under the hot lights. Guys offer to buy her drinks. When the drink comes, Rose is gone.
Stir
Rose's sporadic appearances create a stir at the discotheque. When's she coming? She'll say hi, she'll chat with you...Rose leaves as silently as she came, leaving only the aura of her beautiful dancing.
Normal
Yor, as Rose, feels almost normal when she dances around other people.
Cinderella
Unlike Cinderella at the ball, Rose leaves no glass slipper, no trace, for a prince to find her. She's not looking for a prince. Not yet.
Celebrate
Yor, Yuri and Dominic celebrate Yuri's new diplomat job with with dinner, and after, dancing at a club. Camilla can't come, she's ill. It's fun to dance as Yor. Yuri gets soused and yells at people to stop cutting in, for only he dances with Sis.
No Idea
After they get a drunk Yuri home, Dominic says he had no idea Yor could dance so well. “Us Briars love to dance,” she says. Dominic says they should all go dancing, when Camilla's better. Yor smiles at her feet.
Half-True
On the Princess Lorelei, before she crunches his fingers, Yor tells the masked assassin he can't have this dance because she's a married woman and is a terrible dancer—which is only half-true.
TV
Berlint Bandstand is on TV. Yor and Anya dance the Mashed Potato. Kick our your feet from side to side and shimmy. They invite Loid to come and try. He jives beside Anya, joining the family dance party.
Catch
Yor comes home drunk after her outing with the girls. When she slips backward, Loid catches her, dance-style. The next morning when Yor gets over her embarrassment, she wonders. Is Loid a good dancer?
Teacher
Anya's learning folk-dancing in P.E. She asks Mama to be her teacher because Mama's the dance master. Loid insists he'll be Anya's formal dance teacher for the upcoming Eden Academy dance.
Stomp
Yor clutches the tea tray. Anya stomps Papa's toes. Loid stumbles on Bond's tail. Bond yelps and scurries.
Spill
The tea, the tray, Loid's patience and Anya take a spill. Yor wipes up the mess and whispers to Anya, she's doing fine.
Demonstration
The next evening Loid asks Yor if she can be his waltz demonstration partner. Anya moves aside. Yor swallows her fear and pretends she's Rose. It's Yor's hands he holds.
Awed
Anya watches her parents glide around the living room with awed eyes.
Flirting
Anya forgets to say her parents are flirting. Yor's flirting with the idea dancing with Loid might be nice.
How
“And that is how you do the waltz,” Loid says.
Try
Yor asks if they can try the waltz demonstration tomorrow.
Trust
Late afternoon light spills into the living room. It paints Loid and Yor in gold. Yor imagines she's rose petals, carried in the breeze. Loid gives her a final dip. She trusts herself not to kick him.
Pleased
Her parents are pleased to hear Anya had a nice time dancing with Damian, even if they squabbled and Anya stomped his foot.
Dance Party
Informal dance parties are a new Forger Family tradition. Loid and Yor take turns dancing with Anya. When Anya conks out in the chair, Loid flips the record, then Yor and Loid dance with each other.
Practice
The Forger Family has existed for over a year when Camilla and Dominic invite the Forgers to their winter wedding. They need to practice their formal dancing, Loid urges Yor.
Pang
Loid perfects their dancing with the intensity of a mission. Yor finds it cute and can barely stand the delicious pang when he asks to take her hands. Because...
Wants
He wants to dance with Yor, not Rose. Because he is dancing. With Yor.
Impressed
At Camilla and Dominic's reception Loid and Yor enter the dance floor in formal dress and dance. The guests turn their heads to watch, impressed.
Overhear
She overhears Camilla grumbling Yor and Loid are stealing the show. When did Yor become such a good dancer? Dominic shrugs. “I already knew. She told me all the Briars love to dance.”
Outdone
Not to be outdone, Yuri clutches a rose between his teeth and whirls Chloe around the dance floor in a passionate tango that draws all eyes.
Bow
Yuri and Chloe bow to the guests' applause, including his beloved sister and her bemused husband. He tosses Yor the rose. She catches it.
Satisfied
Satified, Yuri and Chloe retreat to the bar. Yor tucks the rose behind her ear. Satisfied, Yor agrees to another slow dance with Loid when the music resumes.
Partner
Looking into her rose-eyes, Loid tells Yor she's the best dance partner he's ever had. Yor looks away and says, “You're just saying that.” She faces him, and sees his sky-eyes are sincere.
Fall
Yor stumbles. The rose falls from her ear.
Hold
Loid catches the rose and gives it to Yor. Yor holds it, still under the shadows and the lights, the people circling like colorful flowers in a garden. Her eyes lock with her dancing partner.
Would
“Would you dance...with me?” she asks.
Answer
Loid anwers by taking her hands. He leads them in a dance. Yor's feet answer Loid's, for she knows all the steps by heart.
Whisper
Yor puts her face near Loid's. She whispers: “Will you marry me...again?”
Splat
Loid's splat expolodes like a grenade as he falls to the slicked wood floor in shocked surprise. People's heads turn. Yuri rushes over, yet finds nothing amiss.
Know
As Yor helps Loid to his feet, he winks. “I think you know the answer, Yor...”
Complete
“...You're the best partner I've ever had.” Yor relaxes in complete security when Loid dips her deep and pulls her up.
Old Times
Yor lets a tipsy Yuri whirl her around the dance floor for old times' sake.
Wedding Dance
When they marry for real, Yor and Loid don't have a reception with dinner and dancing, and a wedding dance for all to see. The living room will do, with Anya, Bond, and Franky as their honored guests.
Honesty
For honesty's sake, Yor asks Loid how many partners he's had. She doesn't mean the dancing kind.
Small Number
With gritted teeth, Loid tells her. It's a small number yet it's more than she can bear.
Compare
Yor weeps on the bed. He says she's his best partner...He's the only one she's ever kissed. Where other women's' hands have touched and known, how can she ever compare?
Gentleness
Loid finds Yor in the bedroom and touches her back with such gentleness.
Dance
May I have this dance?
You
Yes. You may.
Found
Yor offers Loid her hand. Loid accepts. He's no prince. He's her found husband. He found her. And she found him.
Beautiful
It's beautiful, how Yor and Loid dance, like her parents. How they create a new beauty, together.
Because
The Forger family dances. For fun. For the mission. Together. Just because.