Work Text:
One, two, three. One, two, three.
To anyone else, the music hovering in the air between them would be discordant, unfitting for a ballroom, much less a ballroom dance. But it was just fine for them, drawing from and led by and mixing with the electric hums of their guitar. Pushing and pulling at first, they began with just shuffles, which evolved into strides, and eventually shifted into a glide across the floor.
Every so often, one of them stepped in the wrong direction; most of the time, it was Mutsumi. Every so often, one of them turned the wrong way; most of the time, it was Mortis. It was always fine, so long as they followed the thrumming rhythm set by the song.
The lead kept shifting. Mortis would fall back, and that would be Mutsumi’s cue to pitch forward and hold her in a dip, one hand entwined with hers, the other splayed on her upper back. Mutsumi would turn one way, prompting Mortis to take her arm and twirl her back around. Sometimes Mortis took the lead faster than Mutsumi would notice, eager to do a particular move. At times, it felt more like a fun game than a graceful dance, the two of them bouncing about like they were made of air.
The music shifted. Stars rose from the floor, from their footsteps. The lights dimmed, allowing the stars to shine better, some bright enough to illuminate the path they took around the ballroom.
Neither had said this word this whole dance. Neither really needed to say anything.
One of the two—it didn’t really matter which—pulled the other close. Their lips touched as stardust rose around them, frantic steps having long settled to gentle sways. The ballroom felt wider, somehow, like the two of them had all the space they could to dance.
But for now, staying here was just fine.