Sprouting Flower (Byakuya Kuchiki Love Story!)

Chapter 43

Chapter 43
Byakuya P.O.V.

"Do you need help?" I heard a voice come from the back of the stage. Tsuyoi...I narrowed my eyes trying to get a better view of her silhouette that was coming closer to me. From the shadows she appeared with her hands in her pants pocket, and was staring at the ground refusing to look at me. 

"No," I replied blinking at her, she glanced up to me with no hesitation this time. Her head turned to the side so the view of the side of her face was facing me. Then her eyes flickered to mine. Her body now facing me.

"Your doing your turns wrong, especially the pacing of your feet as well," She looked at my arms that rested down my side. "Here," She lifted her arms in the man's leading dance. She put her left hand in front of her, Waiting for me to imitate her. When I didn't she rolled her eyes towards the ground and set her arms across her chest. After a few seconds I gave in.

"I did not have to do anything as PETTY as this back in the Kuchiki house," I sighed looking to the ground beside me and set my hands in the pocket of my pants. Her eyes met mine, in them it seemed as if she was thinking. Finally she walked closer to me and stood beside me shoulder-to-shoulder. She glimpsed down at my arms.

"You're not going to learn how to dance with your hands tucked in," I lifted my hands from my pockets without changing my expression. She nodded her head slowly. "Here, lift your hands like this," She lifted her left hand, her palm out, and with her right hand, she placed it a bit lower from her left, her palm facing her belly. I mimicked her movements telling myself how embarrassing it was to have to be taught from the opposite sex. Next she showed me the movement from her feet. But then again, I stumbled too much. 

"Here, how bout this," She placed her right hand onto my left so that I could lead her. I froze stiffly at the touch of her hand as it met mine. She, for a second seemed to feel myself tense up. "Now for the other hand," She pressed my free hand onto her back, so that I could support her as she tried to teach me. I watched as our feet danced together in sync and rhythm. She turned her head to the other side, my eyes widened at the smell of her shampoo...

"Now twist me," She ordered, I snapped back into reality and let her right hand free from my left, as I twirled her out so that she could be able to switch with me and another partner. As odd as it may seem now, it will soon start to revolve making sense as soon as she actually HAS a partner. In this case, there was no one here but us both. I caught her back into my arms again as we waltzed. She didn't speak now that my mistakes were corrected. I pressed my right hand that was on her back bringing her closer to me as we practiced the dance. Her eyes blinked in confusement as she danced even closer to me. As I did, I thought about that time of when Ichimaru had plunged his sword into me. I winced a little not letting Tsuyoi see. It was good that her eyes now were focused to the floor instead of directly at me. I flashbacked to when Tsuyoi had held me in her arms, tears over flowing.

I let the corner of my lips curl into a small smile, and pulled her even closer to me as I thought about it. Such a silly girl...a person like me won't die so easily from something like that. I twirled her out then back to me. As I caught her again, I remembered that she had kissed me without hesitation. From that day...I blinked to her hair, I saw a little girl...not this girl who is in my arms. A helpless girl...no one to turn to...But...what really is troubling is that she acted as if the kiss never happened. Why is that? It had only made me think of it as a dream...

"Why do you act as if nothing happened between you and I that day in the Seiretei?" I asked her, I saw her eyes freeze at the sound of my question, then returned to their usual state. She never answered. To try it in another way, I asked then "Could it be that you yourself are afraid to fall in love with somebody," I whispered to her. She jerked her hands away from mine and backed away staring hard into my eyes.