balter - to dance gracelessly, but with enjoyment

“Dance with me,” Rio said with a grin and an outstretched hand. The wedding had been fine, Anna supposed. Perfunctory. Kind of boring, Habara’s was better if just because the wedding cake was designed to look like Skypalace Gangaridai. But it would be worth it now that everyone could let their hair down and relax… and she could slip out to get out of these damn heels. She missed her boots.

Anna laughed. She stopped. “Oh God, you’re serious?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Rio kept her hand out, her grin turning mischievous. 

“‘Cause I can’t dance.” Anna replied flatly. “I told you this.” 

“Can’t, won’t, or don’t?” Kotori speculated with a sly tone to her voice. 

Anna glared like she was trying to blow up one or both of her girlfriends with her mind. “Both. Either/or. Whatever I have to say to keep my feet from doing the cha-cha or whatever.”

“I’ll have you know I was gonna make you tango.” Rio snorted. “Either way, sounds like quitter talk,” Rio murmured to Kotori, who giggled.

“I ain’t no quitter!” Anna got up from the table, grabbing Rio’s hand. Her mother hadn't raised her to be a quitter and her seventeen years of life had affirmed that Anna was no quitter! “I’m gonna dance your ass off and you’ll regret it when I’m done!”

Aw crap, Anna realized. She'd been hit with reverse psychology again. She hated when they did that.

Rio couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of her. “You want in on this?” She said over her shoulder to Kotori.

“Nah,” Kotori sat back with a grin, “I’m just gonna sit back and enjoy this.” 

Rio sighed. “You’re such a cruel partner, making us dance for your bemusement. And I was an empress, so I know what that’s like from first-hand experience.” 

“I don’t hear you complaining about being on the other side of the shoe, Merag…” Kotori rested her chin on her hands, bemusement lighting up her eyes as Anna fidgeted while Kotori and Rio bantered. 

Rio chuckled, her eyes flashing that dangerous shade of maroon that indicated her Barian nature was being called on. “Well if you’re desperate to make me bring you to heel later, I think that can be arranged behind closed doors…”

Anna rolled her eyes before stomping over and hefting Kotori in a fireman’s carry, ignoring Kotori’s indignant shriek as she was carried over to the dance floor. “Flirt later! If I’m suffering, we all suffer!”

“Rio, help, I’m being kidnapped!”

Anna took note of how Rio’s eyes widened at how easily she had picked Kotori up, her eyes darkening in desire. Anna made a mental note to see if she could pick Rio up as easily- it’d be fun if nothing else. Giggling, Rio followed Anna and Kotori to the center of the dancefloor, Kotori being used to carve out an area around them as Anna casually swung her around. 

“There like, an easy dance for three people?” Anna mumbled while she set Kotori down, her ears turning red as the realization of what she’d signed up for settled in.

“I think I looked up a few party tricks but no, you’re gonna have to be a trendsetter unless we want to pantomime jump ropes or another stunt like that.” Rio noted.

“I prefer following for this reason.” Anna groused. She jolted as Rio settled in behind her, hands snaking around Anna’s hips to place themselves on Kotori’s ribs. Kotori gently grabbed Anna’s hands and held them up. Together, they swayed awkwardly, stumbling slightly as they did while the music shifted to a slower number. Kotori giggled as Anna kept her eyes on their tangled feet.

“This can’t actually work,” she hissed. “I knew I should have worn boots instead of heels!”

“It won’t, but it doesn’t need to work if we have fun” Kotori said casually from in front, “and I’m glad you didn’t. If you step on either of our feet in boots we’d need casts.”

“Oh it’s going to look ridiculous,” Rio agreed. “But at least there’s no risk of being hospitalized. I think I’ve seen enough hospitals for one lifetime.” 

“Or three, you freaky, cute alien empress.” Anna muttered. 

Rio laughed. “Or three, yeah!” 

“And yet- ow, watch it!- Despite that, we’re still doing it and we look silly.” Anna noted, wincing as Kotori’s heel landed on top of her foot.

“Yep, and sorry.” Kotori nodded.

“That about sums it up.” Rio said, deadpan.

“Then… why?” Anna asked.

“Because.” Kotori shrugged. “It’s fun.” 

Anna rolled her eyes fondly. “Well, you got me there.” She said while holding back a smile, ducking her head to leave a chaste kiss on Kotori’s cheek. 

“Hey Kotori, wanna see if I can twirl Anna?” Rio said in a mischievously evil tone.

“Absolutely!” Kotori stepped back, grinning. 

Anna glared over her at Rio's shoulder in a mix of anger and panic. “I know where you sleep Rio- Kotori wait no don’t let go and don’t enable her, you minx- Rio noooooo!” 

Kotori stepped back, giggling as Rio deftly twisted Anna around and pulled her into a twirl while Anna wailed at the momentum. Rio put a twist in her wrist that had Anna spin right into Rio’s arms, where she smoothly slipped Anna into a dip that had the engineer staring up at Rio, jaw agape while a furious blush raced up her face, particularly where Rio tucked a lock of Anna’s hair behind her ear.

“I think I just fell in love again.” Anna said in a quiet voice.

“Yeah, I get that a lot, just part of my charm-” Rio quipped, getting interrupted by Anna abruptly pulling herself up by Rio’s cravat to kiss her, leaving her just as flustered and blinking rapidly.

“You’re lucky I find confidence attractive,” Anna murmured, grinning as Rio blushed (as she herself bared her teeth in a grin) while pulling them back up as Kotori slid back over.

“And you said you wouldn’t have fun out here on the dancefloor,” Kotori observed in a wry, smug tone. “Another piece of proof that I am never wrong.” 

“I wouldn’t say I was dancing,” Anna snorted. “More like coordinated stomping.” 

“I’m still not hearing you deny that you didn’t have fun…” Kotori said in a weasel-like tone. 

Anna rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I had fun,” she admitted. “I’m still not gonna start dancing, but fine, you were right. What do you want as a prize for that?” 

“Well the dip looked fun, but I’m mostly just feeling under-appreciated while you two have all the fun with your twirling.” Kotori held her arms out. “I am, however, gracious in victory, so I will accept a kiss as thanks!” 

Locking eyes with Rio, Anna raised an eyebrow. Rio shrugged in response, a conniving smirk crossing her lips before they stepped forward on either side of Kotori, pinning her between them like how Anna had been sandwiched earlier, and making Kotori turn as scarlet as Anna’s hair. She let out a veritable squeak when Rio and Anna both kissed her at the same time, hands racing up to cover her mouth as she managed to turn even more red. 

“I think if dancing’s like this,” Anna said in a low, rumbling voice, “I can be persuaded to do this again.” 

“All’s fair in love and war!” Rio noted brightly. 

“I… accept my reward graciously?” Kotori mumbled, swaying slightly like she was drunk.

“Good! Up for another round of this?” Rio nodded her head back towards the dance floor. 

“Sure,” Anna nudged Kotori forwards, “I’m down.”