Short story: Sway
A/N: More pairing story. Ida/Mark this time
Sway
"Exactly why did you take up ballroom dance again?"
"It was required in school. I had no choice in the matter."
Mark shook his head as he held his partner's hands. "Now thanks to our boasting, we're supposed to do this exhibition. How again?"
Ida gritted her teeth. "You lead. I follow. We know the steps, right?"
Mark laughed wryly as he moved one of his hands to Ida's waist, much in the way he'd been taught to in ballroom dance class. It was difficult to call up moves and motions he'd learned more than ten years ago, but there simply was no getting out of the matter. "This just had to be in front of all our friends," he thought.
He wished for a moment that he could be as skilled as some of the other people present. Well there were Emil and Marce, who were both naturally gifted at this sort of thing. Then there was Darren, who performed for a living. What chance did an engineer and a psychologist have?
"The same chance we always had," he told himself as the cha-cha-cha music started up. He felt the slight tug of Ida's hand on his arm, reminding him of what he had to do. He had to remember to look into her eyes as he made his first move, stepping forward while she shuffled backwards.
"One step at a time," she mouthed. He nodded, knowing that this was the way they had to go.