Character/s: Zoey, Aphmau, Levin
Setting: Yggdrasil Forest, During the 15 Year Timeskip
Summary: Learning the Waltz is quite literally as easy as a one, two, three. That's why it's a partner dance, the simple steps are meant to be shared, not as a complex routine, but as an avenue for two people to connect. A Mother and Son, or Maybe… A friend and her Lord.
A/N: So I heard this song a while ago and guys, the Phoenix Drop feels hit hard and fast. Also my english teacher wanted us to write something on Memory, Nature and the appreciation of a single moment in time and honestly I think it would be a disservice if I didn’t write timeskip zoeymau tbh. I’m actually pretty proud of this, and I might write a part 2 and 3 with other sections of the song as inspiration (dante and cadenza turn on ur location).
Zoey tends to the trees of the Yggdrasil with care and precision. Even when she lived there, it was something she did often. But now… Now she waters and prunes with a more direct purpose than just keeping them alive, sentimental as it was. It was Aphmau's favorite thing. She loved the tree in Phoenix Drop, and her eyes would light up whenever she saw or talked about it, in the same way they did when she looked at puppies, or Levin, or Malachi, or…
When Zoey moved to the Yggdrasil with the boys, she made a point to look after the trees. It was one of the ways she still felt connected to her, far away as she may be. Looking after the tree made Aphmau happy. And so Zoey looks after all the trees now, to remember her.
Levin came barrelling out of the house they now lived in. now eight, he just couldn't contain his energy. A while ago, Zoey had tried to channel it into something more productive, and in doing that she had started to teach him to dance. Levin had taken an awestruck liking to it and took every chance he could to learn the steps with his mother.
“Zoey! Zoey! Look! I think I’m getting it! It’s like,” Levin did a bow, then started moving his feet, lilting and twirling in place. “1, 2, 3, 1… 2… 3! See?”
He was trying to replicate a waltz, one of the dances that Zoey had taught him just a day prior. She giggled and crouched down to talk eye-level with him.
“Hey, look at that! You’re picking this up really fast, I’m proud of you Levin! But you know…” She stopped him from dancing by grabbing his hands and took them in hers. he wasn't quite tall enough for a proper dance position, but that didn't really matter anyway. “It works a lot better with two people.”
Levin’s eyes sparkled as he beamed with childlike joy. he was practically bouncing up and down as they danced around outside.
Twirl, Spin, part, together. Feet stepping in and out, as they spun around, starting to move between the trees that Zoey had been tending to, laughing together, a mother and son. There was no music in the garden where they danced, but that strangely never occurred to them. It never mattered.
She remembered the day she learned this dance, now somehow clearer than ever.
Aphmau had insisted on making breakfast that morning, something about Zoey always working too hard, and doing too much for them all. As if Aphmau herself wasn't the lord of the entire village and did the most for everybody there. But when she wanted to be, Aphmau was stubborn as an ox, and nobody knew that better than Zoey. so when she asked, Zoey relented fairly quickly. So she sat there, watching her cook, setting the table in preparation for a nice family breakfast.
At that moment Zoey realized that she had never heard Aphmau sing before, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. Although she was singing along to a song that nobody could ever possibly hear, her voice was enchanting, and Zoey was firmly under that spell. It wasn’t fair, how she could be so good at everything. At leading, at cooking, at talking and now even singing. It’s no wonder why everybody was in love with her. Including herself.
When Aphmau turned around, it was like she had just suddenly realized Zoey was near. The humming stopped, and there was a slight redness on her cheeks. Zoey could feel her face heat up in the same way, being caught in her awe. Then, Aphmau burst into giggles. And Zoey had to correct herself; That was the most beautiful sound she would ever hear. And it was infectious. Soon, they were both in fits of laughter, for no apparent reason at all. Zoey quieted First.
“Sorry, For uhm... Staring. Lord Aphmau. It's just- you have a lovely voice.” She felt her own voice grow small and sheepish as she said it, like a child confessing their first love.
Aphmau let out another small chuckle. “It’s alright Zoey. Thank you for the compliment.” Then she paused, thinking for a brief moment, before reaching her hand towards Zoey.
Her Lord smiled. “Come on, Let's dance!”
“Uh..” Zoey started to reach out her hand, Before pulling back. “I’m not sure if I… Know how?”
Aphmau cocked her head, puzzled. “You… don’t know… how to dance?”
“Yeah? I mean, not with… formal steps, and music, and rhythm and, and-”
Aphmau burst into laughter once again. “Zoey, None of that matters! Just dance with me! I'll teach you.”
Zoey giggled and grabbed aphmau's hand as she was pulled to her feet.
Then they started to dance.
Zoey was looking directly at Aphmau's feet. Not wanting to mess up and step on her toes, or god forbid, knock something over. The steps were fairly simple, a slow, sort of lilting dance that Zoey recognized as a waltz, one of the dances performed at Logan and Donna's wedding. Aphmau's hand was on Zoey’s Waist, the other was holding Zoey’s hand up in front. Then she separated the hold, then lifted Zoey’s chin to look in her eyes. Zoey melted like ice in summer. And Aphmau's smile, Irene that smile, it really wasn't helping the brilliant red Zoey’s face seemed to be turning. But despite her nervousness, Zoey started to get the hang of the dance, Aphmau was right, none of that formal stuff mattered at all. What mattered was that she followed the lead, and just went with her gut.
“See! Zoey, you’ve got it!”
She had. It was a simple beat, even with no music or rhythm, she learned pretty fast.
Aphmau winked at Zoey as she broke hold once again and flung Zoey out into a twirl. After almost stumbling from the sudden break, she spun in the room before returning to her arms. And then the dance started getting more and more ambitious. She dipped Aphmau, and over her saw that breakfast was bubbling, threatening to burn while they danced. She laughed again and immediately realized all her nervousness was gone, and all that remained was love. Pure, strong, and bold love.
It was surprising, how quickly she learned that dance.
But would you look at that, Zoey thought, looking down at Levin's laughing face as they danced through the Yggdrasil,
