#paso doble

You had honestly almost laughed when Himeko had suggested you dance a paso doble with Welt for the distraction at the party. Because while the paso doble was a very showy dance, it also wasn’t the first dance that came to mind when you considered Welt Yang, of all people.

Especially considering his perpetual use of a walking stick….

And yet here you were, after what seemed like ridiculous amounts of encouragement from March, getting ready to dance the paso doble with Welt solely to provide a distraction while the others went about their business.

And, as ever, while Welt had been somewhat caught off guard by the suggestion, he was as put together as possible while he stood next to you. Calmly cleaning his glasses, though you did catch the slight sigh that slipped out of him.

But then, it seemed like Welt was always getting pulled into some form of shenanigans. It was just that this time it involved dancing with you in front of a large number of people.

You glanced his way, quietly watching him as you fidgeted with your detachable skirt that Himeko had gotten for you with a sly wink. But then Welt was an odd man. 

At times, he seemed completely normal, if a little tired, and often you felt like you knew him well. He was, in many ways, a paternal figure to some of the other members of the Express, like Sunday, and he had a knack for art that you’d discovered while harassing him one day.

And in moments like those, he seemed perfectly ordinary. Easy to get along with, generally laid back, and reliable, though perhaps in not such a dramatic way as some others.

But then there were other times where Welt would catch you off-guard, and that was when you would realize exactly how enigmatic he really was. Because, frankly speaking, no ordinary man should be capable of things that Welt was.

You weren’t going to ask though. After all, there were certain things you didn't bring up, and you had always gotten the feeling that something unpleasant had happened to Welt in that past, even if he didn’t necessarily let on that was the case.

As if sensing your idle, drifting thoughts, he glanced your way. His eyes studying you before he tilted his head and leaned ever so slightly closer, “Are you ready?”

His question came out surprisingly soft and had you blinking slightly before you nodded, smiling awkwardly as you gave a vague wave of your hand, “Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was just zoning out.”

The briefest of smiles flickered across his face as he straightened, giving a slight nod of his head before he looked back toward the dance floor and his smile dropped. Replaced by a frown that was paired with a tired sigh that almost had you smiling. But then, Welt was the long-suffering sort.

You linked your arm through his and leaned over, smiling at him as he glanced your way before you started forward with him beside you before you parted. Facing each other as the one song faded out and the room darkened.

A fact that had several other couples murmuring in confusion. But Himeko had promised that she’d see to it that you had everything you needed, including an appropriate song. Somehow you felt like the lighting change had more to do with March, or possibly Caelus, though.

You and Welt simply faced each other, waiting patiently until the beat hit, at which point you began clapping. Slapping your hands against your thighs, together, and around in varying circles as a spotlight hit the pair of you.

And as simply as that, you had everyone’s attention. With murmurs rippling through the crowd. You even heard one woman off to the side curiously mention that she hadn’t heard anything about any performances being put on this evening.

A chord from the piano rang out and you both stepped forward. Your arms spread so that your left one arched around Welt’s where he stood posed beside you.

He circled his arm, whipping you into a twirl that had your dark skirt flaring dramatically until you came to a stop beside him. Now facing the same direction as him as you gripped his extended arm that was held out in front of you like some form of barrier.

And then you started the dance in earnest, stepping to the side as you both swung one arm in a dramatic motion. Shifting from pose to pose in a way that carefully matched the relentless beat of the music that backed you.

But that was the nature of the paso doble. It was an innately dramatic dance that made use of powerful motions done to an almost march-like beat as the dancers wove a story, usually one of a matador in a bullfight.

Welt turned, his hand catching yours as his other pressed against your back. Putting the two of you into closed hold while your other hand rested against his shoulder as the two of you danced across stage, at first slowly and then with more speed.

And then, almost as quickly as you’d come together, you separated. Dancing as you faced one another with dramatic posed motions that mirrored one another. 

You found yourself looking directly at him, almost blinking at the focused expression on his face that was at odds with the relaxed smile or tired frown you usually saw. It was an expression more reminiscent of the one he wore when scolding someone, but still more intense than that.

Your wrists crossed in between you as you both lifted your arms. Crossing them in front of you like you were blocking one another until his hand caught yours and spun you over so you were beside him once more.

And that was your cue. You reached down, walking around him with purposeful steps as you hurriedly detached your skirt and flipped it over to him. A move that had audible murmurs was again rising from the audience as he flipped it around like a cape.

But you’d all agreed. It was an easy distraction that extended your little impromptu performance and bought more time for the others. And, to top it off, it fit in nicely with the overall tone and theming of the paso doble.

You both spun across the stage, sliding past each other as you swung your arms dramatically. And when you turned to face Welt once more, he was no longer holding the fabric. Having tossed it to the side as he squared his shoulders and walked towards you. Striding across the dancefloor with the purpose that usually wasn’t found in the ballroom and seemed more suited for an opponent.

But when you met in the middle once more, you didn’t clash. Instead, you just re-entered closed hold and started across the floor at a rapid pace that matched the now flashing lights.

As you reached the other side you both spun in place, matching each other perfectly before snapping almost immediately back into hold and rotating before he leaned you back into a swift dip.

You were only lowered for a few seconds though before you were straightening and pivoting. Now dancing backwards before you slid into rotations that had you both leaning to the side as you raised and lowered your extended arms to the beat before parting. Facing one another and swinging your arms in dramatic circles as you stared each other down.

It was the part that you’d gotten tickled and started laughing at almost each time you’d practiced. But this time you kept a straight-face. Focusing on the performance rather than the rather ridiculous level of melodrama inherent to the motions.

You pivoted to the side, standing next to Welt once more as you both lowered your arms. And you glanced to the side, noting the signal Dan Heng was giving to let the two of you know they were done paired with March who was leaning around him to snap a quick picture of the two of you.

It almost had you rolling your eyes before you glanced over to see Welt meet your gaze before he gave a slight nod. Apparently having noticed the two of them as well.

He reached over, extending both hands for you to grab, and you spun. Exchanging places with him until you were just holding one of his hands. 

You barely glanced his way for confirmation before you spun on your own. Twirling toward him before throwing yourself back at the last second and getting caught by his arm securely wrapped around your shoulders and holding you up as the final resounding beat of the music rang out. 

Almost immediately applause rang out and you felt yourself let out the breath you’d been holding. Reaching up to grasp his shoulders as you straightened, feeling him pull you the rest of the way up before you spun out.

Meeting the audience with a bright smile, as if you really had just finished a performance and hadn’t been serving as a distraction at all.

You just hoped no one would connect the dots when this was all over with.

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