On your way back from work you notice a poster for a event held in an old historical ballroom
There's a ballroom dancing competition with a $2000 prize
You suddenly get an idea
Kronii’s been complaining about her pc for a while now
It keeps on fucking up her streams and she’s really been down in the dumps as of late
You could help her build a new one with that prize money
You tell her about it when you get home
She’s not sure
She’s never been a great dancer and she’s terrible with crowds
Come on Kronii, you’re not that bad
You turn on some waltz music and stand her up
”Anon, please I--”
You take her hands in yours, before moving in step with the music
She blushes hard as she nervously shuffles
You look into her eyes and smile
She slowly begins to join you, keeping in step with you and the music
She smiles back for the first time in a three days
She gets tired and has to sit down
She tries to hide how flustered she is, “I guess we could try.”
The next two weeks are spent taking lessons on how to properly dance
You memorize the steps, the positions, where your hands and feet should be
You’re a quick learner but fumble a lot
Kronii laughs whenever you do, teasing you to keep up
Her haughty demeanor fails when trips and falls
You’re by her side in an instant
She’s fine but you notice her trying in vain to cover her embarrassed face
Soon enough the time for the ball comes around
You’ve managed to rent a ballroom suit just for the occasion
You look yourself over in the mirror, adjusting your bowtie which never seems to be stay straight
”Anon, I’m not so sure I want to go. These things have never really been my forte.” you hear her lament behind you
You take a break from your tie to look at her through the mirror
Your jaw drops as you drink in the sight of her
She’s wearing an elegant blue gown that ethereally flows behind her. More importantly, she’s let down her hair
She’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen
You reassure her, “We’ve practiced for this for two weeks. We can’t just quit now.”
She seems to think for a moment, “Alright, let's do this.”
The building is a wonder of architecture despite its old age
Whoever was running this had money to spare
You helped Kronii out of your car before handing your keys to the valet
You led her up the marble steps and entered the ballroom
Crystalline chandeliers hung from the ceiling while the walls were adorned in gold that some brightly in the light
All around, couples were dancing along to the live orchestra near the back of the room
Some tables off to the side display lavish h’orderves and snacks while waiters offer glasses of champagne
You take a seat and snatch two glasses from a nearby tray, handing one to Kronii
You slowly sip the bubbly drink, eyeing the room
Everyone has near perfect form, each movement probably practised a thousand times
You look back to Kronii, idly sipping away at her champagne, trying her best to move away from the crowd
She wasn’t going to hide away from the world today
She barely had time to set her drink down before you took her hand and whisked her away
”Anon, what if we’re bad? What’s everyone else going to think if we screw up? What if I fall again?” Kronii nervously sputters
You chuckle, “Then I guess I’ll have to catch you.”
She blushes softly before nodding
You place your left hand at the small of her back while you hold her left hand with your right
With a one, two, three, four you step in time with the music, dancing around each other in the golden light of the ballroom
You twirl her in your arms, laughing at every missed step and cue
You watch as her nervousness gives way as her giddy expression changes to that of pure joy
You happily dancing in each others arms, uncaring of what the world thought as you listened to the music swell
You locked eyes with Kronii, a single tear of joy running down her cheek
She gives you a quick kiss as you continue to dance
After a while you sit back down, just in time for the announcement of the start of the competition
Couple after couple took to the floor, all perfectly in sync with each other, movements flowing like air
You couldn’t help but feel that they all felt the same
They all felt boring
It even seemed the judges agreed with your sentiment as they lazily held up their numbered signs, barely staying awake
Soon enough it was you and Kronii’s turn
You can feel her nervousness as her hands tremble in your arms despite the light smile on her face
Your voice is no louder than a whisper, “Hey. We’ll be alright. Worst case scenario is you walk out of here with a sore back.”
Then just like that you’re dancing
You mix in some excessive twirls and and maneuvers
You glance at the judges
Whatever it is you’re doing has gotten their attention
Kronii, for her part, is doing excellent
She even manages to surprise you a few times
Nearing the end of your time, you try one last move you’d practiced
Unfortunately, Kronii’s shoe catches on the floor and she falls backward
Without thinking you reach out, catching her back with your hands, your face mere inches away from hers as you dramatically hold her
The audience applauds as you help her up, acting as though it was on purpose
Kronii’s face is beet red as you bow and return back to your seats
It's only a couple more people before the winner is announced
You hug her as they announce you’ve won
You take her hand as you bow repeatedly
Kronii is handed a bouquet of roses while you’re handed a crisp check
You can hardly believe it
Kronii giggles as you exit the building, giddy with excitement
So much so that she trips again, losing her shoe
You catch her again, “That's two times now.” you joke
You kneel down to collect her slipper before handing it to her
”Here’s your slipper Cinderella.”
She laughs before pulling you into a deep kiss
Neither of you feel tired as you get home
Instead you put on some waltz music as you hold her close, dancing the night away
Maybe dreams do come true