#cha-cha

There were times I wondered why I let Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet pull me into their shenanigans. Such as right now. 

I’d found myself taking dance lessons with Lyney, of all people, because the siblings ‘Father’ had proposed that they learn more dancing styles for the sake of taking on missions that involved ballroom scenes of elite and mingling with the most influential people in society.

Lynette was dancing with Freminet, and they had learned the foxtrot. An elegant dance that they performed beautifully. But their pairing as dancers left Lyney partnerless, and for unknown reasons he’d decided that I would be his best option.

And Lyney, being Lyney, of course had to choose one of the most playful dances in the name of keeping the vibrant persona he’d built up for himself as a magician. Which meant that, since I’d agreed for reasons that even I didn’t understand, we’d learned the cha-cha. A flirtatious dance that required carefully learned hip movement and fast footwork filled with short steps.

I applauded politely as Lynette and Freminet finished their dance, showing Arlecchino what they’d learned as she nodded with a smile that spoke of subtle pride before she looked towards me and Lyney.

My eyes stayed on her as Lyney led me to the dance floor, passing by his siblings before we came to a stop and he circled around to face me. A smile playing on his face. “Come on, no time for distractions, Y/n.”

My gaze snapped over to him, my eyes widening slightly as my stare left the Harbinger and landed on Lyney, who was smiling at me smugly now, “You’ve got a magician in front of you; if you look away, you might miss the best part.”

I felt my eyebrows arch at his words, and he laughed, but then I knew exactly what he was doing. He was doing his best to distract me and force me to relax so that I wouldn’t slip up while we performed.

He knew I was still nervous around Arlecchino, and he was doing his best to compensate for it.

I rolled my shoulders slightly, watching as Lyney leaned around me, his eyes still alight as if nothing were wrong and he were utterly confident as he nodded to his sister to start the music.

And as soon as the beat hit, we were in motion with me whirling away from him and prancing across the floor. My feet hitting the ground in time to the drum as I held out my arms and sashayed away from Lyney, who followed close behind me in a sort of chase of a dance.

I spun, feelling my skirt flare out around me reactively as I reached out with one hand, my fingers grazing the palm of Lyney’s waiting hand before he grabbed hold of me.

I continued to dance backwards, away from him, even as he held onto me for a few more steps before I briefly paused in place to step to the side, twisting my body to pose for a fragment of a moment before Lyney was rapidly spinning me.

His hand slipped from mine, and he slid across the floor behind me, and we both proceeded to strike poses to the syncopated beat. First facing away from one another before looking back and leaning towards one another.

Before I could even think about stepping away from him, Lyney had grabbed me by the hand and was whirling me across the floor in front of him, snatching my free hand as soon as it came close.

He tugged me towards him, leaning me backwards so that I was bent back in an arch with his arms supporting me as he slowly moved me in a smooth arch in front of him. Accenting the suddenly slowed beat before he tugged me back up.

I inhaled sharply as he stopped me, mere inches from him, as a grin appeared on his face that perfectly matched his sparkling eyes just before we both straightened and parted. Only staying connected by our arms that were looped over one another’s shoulders as we showed the quick footwork we’d both worked so hard on learning.

I glanced up, briefly noticing the smile curving across the Harbinger’s face before I abandoned Lyney, focusing on my steps as I pranced away from once more. Leaving the magician to follow me with a grin still on his face.

But there was no denying Lyney enjoyed this dance. Not only did it perfectly fit the image he’d built for himself, but it also gave him copious opportunities to flirt as he so loved to do. After all, Lynette had confided in me during one practice session that I was, without a shadow of a doubt, his favorite target for flirting with.

He caught up to me, his hand resting on my shoulder as we paused to briefly make use of the hipwork so integral to the cha cha before I was dancing away. Spinning across the floor as Lyney followed, mirroring my motions perfectly behind me as he stayed close. Almost like he wasn’t about to let me get away.

I continued to turn away from him, though, as the syncopated section of the song returned and we posed to each beat. With him reaching out to grab me each beat and me shifting just barely out of his reach, a smile crossing my face despite my earlier nervousness.

We both spun, and he looked away, holding out one hand for me to take so that he could spin me across the floor in front of him as he dropped to one knee. Stopping me part of the way and forcing me to turn back towards him, my other hand reaching out to cover his hand that gripped mine.

His grin was positively mischievous as he yanked, tugging me forward as I spun at the last second. Landing in a seated position on his bent knee as the song once more slowed. But after only a brief moment, I curled in on myself before standing once more as the beat returned to the music. 

His hand continued to grip mine as he also stood, the two of us side by side before I stepped, quickly and carefully, until I was in front of him and he spun me. Letting go of me to step up behind me and grab a hold of my hips as I came to a stop so that we could swing our hips in a circle together.

He reached out, and I took his hand once more, swallowing thickly before he spun me once more. First to one side and then the other before he raised his arm, twirling me rapidly as he walked along behind me.

Smiling like I was his finest magic trick as I continued to spin, the world blurring around me until he stopped me. Dropping once more to one knee and leading me to dance across in front of him. 

I ignored him behind me as I sashayed around, though before I finally glanced over just in time for him to meet my gaze as he stood. Once more by my side.

I grinned at him, both of us hip bumping the other before we parted, each making our own rotation around the floor before we crossed in the middle. Facing each other as we kept up our footwork.

He was the one who stepped closer, turning me so that my back was to him once more as he wrapped an arm around me and mimicked my motions behind me. 

The song started to slow, and I spun out as Lyney snatched my hand back. Flinging me backwards into a dip before I slid between his legs and on around so I was sitting on the floor just beside him. Looking up at him just as the final beat of the song hit.

We were both panting. Him looking down at me and me up at him as the slow clap started. Causing us both to turn and seeing Arlecchino smiling at us as she stood from her seat.

“Very good. Though I do not know how useful this dance will be in the ballrooms of the elite, it was an excellent performance. You’ve worked very hard, Lyney, and—” She paused, glancing at me with her eyes narrowing in amusement before she continued, “You have found yourself a magnificent partner.”

I blinked in quiet surprise before looking back up at Lyney, who was smiling widely before looking back down at me and holding out his hands. Helping me up with ease before nodding towards his father as he wrapped an arm around me, “Thank you, Father. I know; I’ll keep them close.”

He squeezed my shoulders slightly as he spoke, and I looked over at him, missing the expression on the Harbinger’s face as she spoke, a smile in her voice, “Good.”

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