[FIN] Tango the Night Away

[Tori Honoo]

She blinked back to him over her shoulder, still moving with the music, though her face flushed pink when he took her hand to spin her around. While she moved gracefully as she spun to face him, her eyes widened a little in surprise both at his actions and the words that followed. She ignored the slight sting in her sides--which she had been doing pretty much all night anyway-- as he dipped her, and gave him a full blown smile, stepping into the dance eagerly and easily with him, clearly not afraid of their close proximity.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Rather than ruin the moment with words, he let his actions do all the talking instead. Eventually a circle formed around them as people moved out of the way to allow them more space, and even the DJ switched the music to something more appropriate for their dance, though the song still fit the club's atmosphere.

He continued to lead her in a series of turns, spins, and various other steps and movements. Abel also didn't shy away from holding her very close to him, his grip firm but gentle, and his gaze focused on hers except during obvious times when their eyes couldn't meet, such as during spins.

After a few minutes the song was obviously reaching its end, so Abel guided their dance to its own slow conclusion, ending in another dip of his partner, from which he slowly helped her straighten, though even then he didn't let go of her just yet. Though there were quite a few different things he could say or comments he could voice, he didn't think any of them were appropriate for the moment, so instead he continued to remain silent, a smile on his face and his gaze focused steadily on hers as he took hold of her hand and raised to plant a gentle, deliberately slow kiss on the back of her hand.  

[Tori Honoo]

As the dance continued, Dove lost herself again, though her full attention remained on her partner the entire time, her eyes bright and purely excited. Turns, dips, a daring step or two against him, and in what felt like no time at all, the dance ended, and she slowed to a graceful stop when he dipped her once more.

When he pulled her up, she laid a hand on his chest to steady herself as he held her, and glanced around, a smile and a blush spreading across her face as she laughed at the few actually applauding their performance. Her eyes returned to Abel swiftly with a genuine smile when he again took her hand, this time kissing it.

She laughed softly and let her eyes drop shyly for a moment, almost too starstruck to look him fully in the eye.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

If he heard the polite applause from the very few around them, he didn't show it, instead keeping his focus entirely on her. The people around them quickly returned to their own dancing as the music switched tracks, and the blonde slipped an arm around Dove's waist as he moved to lead her over to a set of high tables with tall chairs against the wall, leaving space for other people to fill in with their own dancing.

Once there, he used his free hand to pull out a chair for her, and smiled at her again, looking at her curiously. "You know, you're a little hard to read," he observed, his expression turning from curiosity to a mild amusement, but he let the comment hang there and instead asked, "Are you thirsty?" Because he was, especially after a dance like that.  

[Tori Honoo]

She followed him, allowing him to keep his arm around her as they walked, then slid up into the offered chair, giving a bright smile in return, though his comment gave her pause. She blinked a few times, then laughed. "I have never in my life heard that..."

A moment passed, and she would have asked him what made him think her hard to read, but then he asked his question and she tucked her hair back, nodding a little. She could ask in a minute. "A little..." she responded, somewhat hesitant. She glanced back across the room to bag check to where her purse--and money-- were being kept, though a slight glimmer of hope reminded her to wait to see if he would offer instead.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

He laughed as well, still vaguely amused. "Really? I like having firsts," he finished with a chuckle, though he inclined his head towards her, liking the slight height increase as she sat before him. "Yeah? We can't have that," the blonde said with a smile, "so what would you care for?"

Upon receiving a response from her, whatever it may have been, he moved to the bar to procure a drink for her as well as two for him - a glass of water and a mixed drink - and carried all three with ease back to the table, where he offered her a smile as he held out her glass for her to take. "So, no one's ever told you you're hard to read, huh?" He asked as he picked up his glass of water first to take a few sips from it.  

[Tori Honoo]

She smiled to him and gave him her preference, then watched as he disappeared toward the bar, absently rubbing her covered arm as she waited for him to return.

When he did return, she again offered a smile as she smoothed the lace on her arm, and accepted the drink with a word of thanks before taking a delicate sip and looking to him, wondering vaguely if he was going to sit, or simply stand before her. His question, though, brought another blush to her face, though she grinned as well. "Kind of the exact opposite, to be honest..." she admitted. She looked at him over her glass, completing her thought before taking another sip. "Where did that come from, if you don't mind my asking...?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Instead of sitting, he continued to stand beside her chair, even going so far as to lean his free hand on the back of it as he set his glass of water back down on the table. "Because," he began, the mild amusement returning, "your attire, your choice of words, the way you hold yourself most of the time - it radiates confidence. Your behavior, though, and your tone, though, says otherwise. Like you're trying to look and act bold and confident, but you aren't fully there yet." Almost as if she was unsure of herself. The pauses in her speech, too, indicated the same. His free hand switched from the water to the bourbon and he watched her over the rim as he took a sip. "Honestly? It came from watching you. I can't help but pay attention to details," he said with a shrug after lowering his glass once again.  

[Tori Honoo]

She listened closely, watching him as he spoke, and sipped her drink, relishing the feel of the cool liquid in her throat. She lowered the glass when he was finished, however, and produced half a laugh, though weakly. "And here you think I'm hard to read," she offered, just loud enough to be heard over the heavy beat of the music. If she were to voice her feelings, she would be vulnerable--far, far too vulnerable for comfort, especially in a place like this. She was curious as to what he meant by behavior, but now wasn't the time, and the conversation was gradually slipping toward a more serious topic, at least, in her mind.

"Or..." A light pause. "Maybe I just like being mysterious." she grinned, allowing the playfulness to seep back into her tone. "You did admit to watching me."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Poor choice of words, I guess," he corrected himself with a soft chuckle. Though he didn't believe that 'mysterious' thing for even a second, he allowed her to change the topic of conversation. Something like that wasn't as fun to talk about, anyway. Her comment made a grin form slowly on his face, and he chuckled again lightly, not hiding his gaze as it traveled down her face briefly before returning to her eyes. "I did," he affirmed in low tones, sounding completely unashamed to admit such a fact, "and how could I not? It's not every day I'm lucky enough to find such a gorgeous and talented tango partner."  

[Tori Honoo]

She grinned and brought the drink up again as he too dropped the subject, taking a sip before she placed the glass on the table and put her hands in her lap, meeting his gaze as she drew the tip of her tongue along her lip 'absently' and not missing the obvious path his eyes took.

She laughed softly, leaning forward a little, accusing him teasingly with one word: "Flatterer."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

He too raised his alcoholic drink to his lips once more for another sip before putting it down, hand wrapped loosely around it as it sat on the table. Taking her slightly increased proximity as permission, the fingers on his free hand found her bare arm and traveled up it and over her shoulder before they swept the hair away from the joint, deliberately brushing her earlobe as he did so. "I can't help it," he murmured softly as he inclined his head towards her a bit, a sly smile forming on his face, "you just make it so easy."  

[Tori Honoo]

The words he murmured almost bothered her, but the gentle brush up her arm and across her ear sent a soft chill down her spine, momentarily making her set it aside for the next few moments. Her eyes softened a little, though she watched him closely as he drew nearer, her gaze flicking to the smile that formed as he spoke. Her hands remained in her lap-- if he wanted to come to her, he could come to her. She made no further movements, aside from tilting her head a bit. "Is that so?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

He watched her a few moments, quickly assessing her behavior and general lack of much of a response - not even considering any sort of countering - and subsequently came to the conclusion that she wasn't interested. "Alright, you got me," he said with a chuckle as he leaned away, though his fingers moved to gently brush a lock of hair behind her ear, mostly so they could trail along the outer rim of her ear back down to her earlobe again, and he offered her a grin. "You don't expect me to see some beautiful girl with killer ballroom moves and then not compliment her on them, do you? 'Cause that's not happening," he ended with a shrug as he raised his other hand to move his glass to his lips once more.  

[Tori Honoo]

She looked back into his eyes, her own gaze deepening...until he drew back.

She blinked, a flicker of disappointment passing through her expression as he leaned away and laughed. She did shudder however, as his fingers trailed along her ear again, her cheeks flushed, and lifted her head properly again to look at him. She smiled, and while it was a smile indeed, it wasn't as full as the last one.

"Of course not..." she purred softly, angling her head once more to look at him through her lashes. "But are compliments all you offer?"