(Untitled)

[spysinspades]

It seems I have been... remiss. [Yes, that is his version of an almost-apology. Don't let it go to your head.]

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[dancerofhearts]

He was back? She'd heard he left, but she hadn't believed it until she'd come over and his office door was locked. The moment she knew he was back, she had literally left everything where it was in the random place she had been dancing and took off at a run to get to him.

Once she was there, she skidded to a stop in front of his office door and gave it a light knock before she was in the room.

"You're back!" She barely restrained herself just in front of his desk from going around to hug him. Just barely. But the bubbly happiness that came from her was instantaneous. "So..uhh..I drank like..ten Red Bulls. And you totally missed it. And..and.." Oh yeah, she was happy.

[spysinspades]

[Yes, he was back.

Her flying into his office had actually been expected a little sooner. The ramble had not. AS she spoke, a soft, amused look slid onto his face. Sitting back in his chair, he leaned his chin on one hand thoughtfully.]

It seems I missed the world. But it was for something important.

[dancerofhearts]

Okay, yes, she was really going to keep herself contained. She was really not going to fly around his desk to hug him. But as she kept that contained, her green eyes shined brightly and it was evident in her face that she missed him. More than she'd like to admit.

A grin crossed her lips after a moment and she shook her head. "Not the world. Just me really, really hyper. And well, I imagine lots of other things, but nothing so big as the world from me."

No, she could not contain it anymore and she was around his desk to throw her arms about his neck and give him a hug before she stepped back with an even brighter smile.

[spysinspades]

[Being hugged quite so excitedly had not been expected, but he handled it well enough. And when she stepped back, he stood to retrieve her present.]

I picked something up while I was away. I do hope you don't mind.

[When he reappeared, there was a collection of trophies and a small box in his arms.]

[dancerofhearts]

Her head tilted off to one side as he spoke about getting something. He didn't have to do that, but when she saw the trophies, or at least part of them, the color drained out of her face.

"Y-You went to see them?" Oh God. She sort of slid into the chair just in front of his desk, her eyes on his face. "W-Why?"

[spysinspades]

It was a... short visit.

[The items are placed on his desk, but he actually hands the small jewelry box to her.]

We had some... business to sort out between us, them and I.

[dancerofhearts]

She said nothing further but she took the jewelry box. The one she had seen rarely and opened it. Her fingers touched the pieces of jewelry there and her eyes filled for a moment before she blinked them away.

"Thank you, Uncle David." Her voice was soft as she set the box down gently after she closed it. Her eyes went to the trophies, a faint smile touched her lips and it was gone again. She forced herself to breathe evenly, as her eyes lifted to his face. The fact that he brought the trophies and the jewelry? It meant more to her than anything else. The fact that he came home, in one piece, was what mattered. But what was more --- he had left and he had come back and those two words, words she never thought she would say? She had let out. Here. In the privacy of his office with the hopes of no one else hearing them. Oh, she could hope. Because she had strictly forbidden herself to say those two words, but she also knew there were reasons. He had his reasons and she had her own; it was best if no one knew their actual relation.

[spysinspades]

You're very welcome, Cayden. [And though the words warmed his heart, David also would rather they didn't get shared around.

A secret, hm? Just for them to know. The world wasn't safe for little Hearts when other did.]

[dancerofhearts]

She smiled a little bit and stood up, her hand touched his gently. "This means a lot to me. And the fact..I'm so happy you came home safe and in one piece." The men of her life, save for him, would always be the nightmares and the things that went bump in the night. Compared with them, there would be no other boogie men for her.

Yes, a secret. Their secret. To the rest of the world, she was a student of sorts. She came to learn her passion: ball room dancing. Well, dancing in general. The rest? That was their own.

[spysinspades]

I wouldn't dare do otherwise. [Not with so many people waiting.

Not when he'd gone out to make himself whole again in the first place. Sometime he just needed a reason that was someone other than himself.]

[dancerofhearts]

She, and she imagined several others, needed him alive and safe. That was what mattered; her Uncle had returned. But even though they could say so little of it, he was what he was.

"So other than.." She bit her lip. "..seeing them, how was the trip?"

[spysinspades]

Uneventful. [The lie was easy enough for him. Lies were rarely hard.

He did feel like he should tell her about it, but... it was for her own good. She didn't need to know.]

Short.

[dancerofhearts]

She looked at her Uncle for a moment, her teeth found her lip and nibbled lightly on it. She stood up and reached her hand uncertainly for his but drew back just as her fingers touched his. A hug was fine, but her nerves were a little shot after they spoke of their family. They always were.

Cayden's eyes dropped to the trophies and she touched one of them after a moment. They were the only pieces of her life outside of the Deck she'd have, besides scars. She dropped her hand again and looked up into his eyes. "So..what do we do now?"

[spysinspades]

Now... [What did they do, now?] Now I teach you to dance.

[That seemed the best choice for all.]

[dancerofhearts]

See this smile? Yeah, that was the exact smile that he got when he said he was going to teach her to dance.

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. "When? Where? I mean, now..but..where?"

[spysinspades]

"I believe we have some sort of room devoted to this kind of thing." Maybe it was the training room, but one wall was covered in mirrors, so it was just as well.