Today, sometime in the afternoon, I heard loud music coming from Tangled Fan's MP3. It seemed like it was coming from the other side of the table, which was odd....I thought that I had seen everyone going on a walk. Hmm...I peeked over on the other side, and saw Rapunzel was the only one there. She was...dancing....by herself. She held her arms in a certain position as she glided around her entire side of the table, and it appeared as if she was trying to dance with an imaginary partner.
I couldn't help myself.
I ducked over to the other side of the table and watched her for a moment, gathering up courage to speak up. I wasn't sure how she'd respond...
Finally, though, I went and tapped her on the shoulder. She had not even noticed me up until that point. When she whirled around, face blazing and mouth agape, I stepped back and bowed. When I straightened, I gave her a grin and looked her in the eye. "May I, um...may I have this dance?" I had been so confident...and as soon as our eyes met, I totally lost my cool. Don't be creepy, don't be creepy...you've done this before..okay not the way you just did, but you've asked to dance before...she isn't answering, why isn't she answering...great, I've gone and freaked her out and now she'll--
"OH! Um...hi. And....I mean....uh...okay," she stammered, but I could see that pretty, shy grin spreading across her face--even though she kept her chin tilted towards her chest. She glanced up long enough to shove her hair nervously from her face, and then I cautiously slid her into my arms. I wasn't sure how close she wanted to be, or where I should put my arms or hands or--I wasn't sure how to do anything, really...and I'm pretty sure she felt the same way. But after a song or so in complete, awkward silence, she laughed.
"This is so awkward. You know, I won't mind if you--oh, geez. Here." She re-situated herself so that I had to pull her a bit closer--which somehow made things slightly more comfortable and less awkward and stumble-y. She met my eyes and bit her lip. "I didn't disturb you earlier, did I? With the loud music?"
"No, you were fine. I was just curious as to what you were doing, and when I saw you dancing, I thought maybe I could be a better partner than the air." I tried to maintain a straight face as I guided her around the table.
She laughed again. "Yeah...you're actually a really good dancer!"
"I had a good teacher," I couldn't help but smile as the bittersweet memories flooded my mind. How awkward I must've been on our wedding day, when she first taught me to dance..!
"What? You have this wistful sort of smile on your face," she slowed as she made this observation, and I, still dancing but absentmindedly at best, didn't...and it ended that we both tripped.
"Sorry--sorry! Um...nothing," I cleared my throat awkwardly and apologized.
"It's fine," she told me with a grin. "You know...I've never danced with anyone before. Flynn taught me, but he never danced WITH me. Always coaching from the sidelines...anyway, so this is the first time I've danced with someone. But I don't know...it just..it just feels so natural, like...I don't know. I guess it just feels like I've done it before,"
That's because you HAVE danced with me before, beautiful.
"Hm," I grinned. "Well...I'm honored to have been your first dance partner...aside from Mr. Air."
She giggled, burying her face in my shoulder for a second. "Yeah...well, I think you make a much better dance partner than Mr. Air."
"You...think?" I asked teasingly, and she rolled her eyes.
"You're terrible..." she pretended to be disgusted, but I saw the lovely little smile she was trying to hide.
...And that was approximately when the MP3 player died on us.
As the music shut off abruptly, our dance only slowed. She didn't seem to want to stop, so I didn't. Eventually, she sighed. "I suppose...it's kinda silly, dancing without music."
I shrugged, regretful to let her go. Annnd that's when she looked up at me, smiled, and hugged me, burying her face into my shoulder. I pulled her closer, and we stayed there until she pulled away from me, a couple of minutes later.
"Thanks," she grinned.
"What?"
"For coming over and dancing with me, silly!"
"Oh! Well, you're certainly welcome, beautiful."
I didn't just say that...did I?
Great. I did. Ohhh great. Way to blow it, idiot. She gave me a wide-eyed, baffled stare...without saying a word.
"Sorry, it just...it just, ah...slipped out. It's not like I didn't mean it--no, no...I mean it, you ARE beautiful, but..I didn't mean to...say...it." I huffed, embarrassed and disgusted with myself. Rapunzel slowly backed away, still staring at me wordlessly. Her face quickly developed some sort of odd expression, like she was concentrating so incredibly hard on something.
"I-I guess I should go...I'm sorry," I took a step backwards, wishing she'd say something. When she didn't, I tucked my proverbial tail between my legs, and rushed for my side of the table.
Late that night, after everyone had come back to the other side of the shelf, and it sounded like they had all gone to sleep, I was still awake. I was figuring on a sleepless night, wondering if I'd really screwed up our relationship, when I heard a gentle, but definite, knock at the divider, followed by a quiet "Eugene?"
I sucked in a breath before I rushed to the divider. I'd never even considered communicating through the divider! "That you, Rapunzel? Look, I'm sorry...I really messed --"
"No, you didn't mess up, and don't apologize. I'm sorry, I was the one who messed up. It just really caught me off guard, and I didn't know what to say. It seems almost like you've told me that before, and I don't know why...maybe it's just your actions and how you treat me...but..it just kinda threw me off, and I didn't really know what to say. Therefore...thank you. I actually needed to hear that today," she said quietly.
"You don't have to apologize, either. And why did you need it?" I asked.
"Punzie, earlier today. That's why I didn't go for a walk with everyone else, and that's why I was dancing...I was trying to take my mind off of...things," she sighed, and I heard what must've been her head thunk up against the divider. I finally sat beside the divider in my own corner, and sighed as well.
"Sorry,"
"I should be used to it by now," she threw back.
"I don't think anyone EVER gets used to that. Whenever you're sick of it, just come over. I promise I don't mind."
She was quiet, but I could still hear her beside the divider. Soo, I just sat there and waited for a response that I never got.
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