AU for _deadlydance_, set immediately after "The Price"

[birthrightgreen]

She wasn't nervous. She had nothing to be nervous about. It wasn't like it was a romantic evening. They'd just worked so hard on the case, working to catch the rabid witch who'd been slaughtering innocent males. And they had, with Jaenelle's help. Now Jaenelle and Daemon were back on their honeymoon and she...

She was here in Amdarh, back how she had been, nursing the bruises Falonar had left. So, why, exactly was she changing her dress? The one she had on was perfectly acceptable. She was going out dancing with a friend. She could use a friend right now. What she couldn't use was a male thinking he was just going to sweep in and carry her off.

Not that he was probably thinking that, but she was suspicious.

He was a male, and years of seeing them abused by her own sex still hadn't made her trust them as a gender. Then again, she didn't trust most people.

With a growl at herself, she finally settled on a black dress with enough slink to impress and a enough swirl to make a statement on the dance floor, no matter how elegant and formal. Hair pinned half up, the rest left down. If people stared at her ears, so be it.

She was ready. It was going to be fun. She kept repeating that. Fun. With a friend.

Just a friend. He wasn't expecting anything. He wouldn't be that foolish.

She just wished she knew what he wanted.

Comments

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She flushed a little, a tell tale sign of her own simple enjoyment in the light touch.

"And love pushed you to become good at it?"

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"That was part of it," Rainier offered. He had always appreciated this particular tune. There was a distinct softness to its touch. "You dance extremely well Surreal. Did you have lessons?"

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "Yes. Daemon saw to it that a dancing master was included in my tutors."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainier pulled Surreal closer, expertly avoiding another couple as they passed.

"And Daemon certainly knows his dance."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She chuckled, fingers tightening on his shoulder as they moved closer together. "He does at that."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"He does what?" Rainier's eyes were warm on Surreal. "Knows things?"

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Her lips quirked in a slight smile. "You danced with him. And that was him being...polite."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

His back stiffened.

"I was extremely aware of that fact."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Her hand soothed down over his shoulder, stroking lightly with the dance. She hadn't meant to set off anything.

"Most of what I know, he saw to it that I was taught, or taught me himself." It seemed important to say that. To explain, and possibly to warn.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Something worked in Rainier's jaw, but he forced it away. This was not the place for it. "I am used to taking the lead on the dance floor," he finally admitted. "Or at least freely and conciously relinquishing that control. I was not prepared to feel it slip away like that. To have it taken away."

No matter what he had heard.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Light touches, even if they weren't at that point, and never would be, she swiftly reminded herself. Soothing, petting, she knew this sort of thing. The way to calm a Warlord Prince.

"Daemon won't surrender control unless you nearly break him to take it." Or unless he trusted you completely, but. That was a different sort of control. "He let you have it for the waltz."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

There was another spin, and a look of distinct appreciation. He thanked Surreal for her attention with several sweeping turns on the floor.

"Not exactly. When we were waltzing, Daemon had convinced himself I was the enemy. That was cold calucation on his part, putting me in a place he desired. Setting a form of prey up for the fall."

What Rainier chose not to say? Was that he had recognized the motivation all to well. Because he had done the exact same thing himself.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She gave him a delighted smile in return for the turns, eyes lighting up. It faded a bit, listening to him, and she nodded solemnly.

"He thought you were a threat, not an ally. Whatever you said disabused him of that notion, though."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

A smile such as that deserved yet another turn.

"I simply informed him that he was looking in the wrong direction."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"You offered assistance. He remembers things like that."

The turn got another smile.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"Love like theirs," Rainier admitted after a moment. "It is the Dance. And I will always be part of taking care of anyone who purposefully threatens that."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"As will I," she said, almost too softly. Even if it was her. She needed that reminder occasionally.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"From here until then, I dare anyone to try." Even though one day someone would. "We've worked together now. We can only get more dangerous from here on."

He had led her to the center of the room unconciously. Rainier wondered if Surreal knew how truely stunning she looking, how she stood out in the sea of pastels.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She looked up at him, eyes dark and unreadable. She should protest the "we" but she didn't. Just nodded slightly, acknowledging it.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

As they always did, the dance ended. When Rainier saw the number of couples leaving the floor, it occured to him they had talked their way all the way to the last dance of the evening.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She glanced around, taking that moment to compose any stray emotions running under the surface before looking back at him.

"The club is closing?"

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"Yes."

Rainier smiled.

"The owner loves his Lady very much, and is very specific and demanding in his need to spend time with her. So the club closes early on certain nights."

The smile grew.

"Sometimes they stay here, just the two of them, and dance. They're some of the few that don't need music."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She forced her lips to smile back at him, years of long practice keeping the tears at bay, her smile pleasant, though one hand curled in her skirts, nails biting into her palm.

"That's very..." The smile faltered for an instant before it was back. "We should go then, to let them have their time."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainier only caught the edge of her eyes, but it was enough to set his teeth on edge.

"Do you need me to escort you home? I had thought perhaps a late dinner, but I can take you there now."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"I'm all right." She gave a little shrug, a small smile. "Just tired. But I think I'm more hungry than tired, so dinner would be lovely, if you'd like to."