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it-happened-one-fic · 2 years

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Smooth Waltz - Wouldn't Mind Waltzing Again - Strictly NRC Dancing

Author Notes: I'm considering changing how I title these fics to include the name of the featured character, but I'm not sure. If you could please, comment your opinions on this. Also, Fun Fact: This is actually one of the first fics I wrote for this entire series. It also required a surprising amount of research despite the fact the dance featured is the waltz. It turns out there are a lot of differences between the varying forms of waltz. The performance in this fic was heavily inspired by Lacey and Pasha’s Smooth Waltz to “A Daisy in December” on So You Think You Can Dance . It's a very elegant performance with lots of interesting lifts. I really recommend you watch it.Just like the rest of this AU/series the reader is female for this fic. I hope you enjoy!

If you would like to read more this AU/series, the fics can be found here: Strictly NRC Dancing AU Master-List

Type: Fluff/dance AU/ female reader/Kind of romantic

Word count: 1519

Azul adjusted the cuffs of his jacket’s sleeves, feigning calm when he actually felt anything but. What was prolonging his suffering by forcing him to wait?

None other than his very own partner. You.

As per the ‘rules’ you had to wear whatever outfit Crewel had designed for you which, evidently enough, took a while to put on this time around.

Crewel himself had to slip into the dressing room with a concerned expression on his face after you’d poked your head out with a slight frown and whispered something to the teacher. Now all that could be heard was muffled cursing about your apparently pesky outfit.

Azul glanced up towards the clock, a small frown on his face as he fought to keep his mind spiraling any further than it already had.

He’d already gone through the steps and choreography of his waltz fifteen times before it had reached his turn to dance. The only thing that had given him pause was Ace’s… performance with the pitiable Jack Howl.

That had been a train wreck and a half which had everyone cringing in sympathy for the beastman.

The door to your dressing room creaked open, snapping Azul out of his self-comforting thoughts of how at least his performance wouldn’t be as bad as theirs had been.

There was a soft clicking sound as you walked out, apparently in heels, with your skirt swaying gently with each step.

You smiled apologetically as you reached him in the middle of the floor, “Sorry, there was a situation with the zipper….”

Azul almost wanted to ask, but he thought better of it as the music slowly started to filter out in the room, already setting the well-known pacing for the dance.

1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3.

“It’s not a problem,” He was proud that he was still capable of managing a slight smile and smooth bow despite his gradually increasing nerves.

Conversely, you seemed completely calm as you curtsied and accepted his slightly trembling hand, just before slipping easily into proper hold.

He had no doubt that, for your part, the waltz would be flawless. Both Crewel and Trein had been your teachers, with Crowley supposedly tapping in to help ever so often. You’d already been graded on your waltz with Vargas and you had danced perfectly.

Which meant any flubbing would come down to him and him alone. And that simple fact was enough to easily put the usually confident housewarden on edge.

The music provided a slow, steady beat to pair with the slow and steady waltz Azul gradually began to lead you through. Matching the beat, the two of you gently swayed. Bobbing up and down with the music.

To those who watched, it almost looked like the two of you were floating across the surface of a tide’s gradual ebb and flow. Your pale, swirling skirts making up the seafoam of the imaginary water.

Azul’s mind frantically maintained its steady beat keeping, determined that he was not going to mess this up and have to take yet another dance class or face Floyd’s tutoring again.

1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3.

At odds with his tenseness, you simply seemed to be content with following his lead, a gentle smile on your face. The perfect princess for a prince who would no doubt be far more confident and poised than Azul felt at the moment.

But Azul knew full well that he was no dancer. Changing from eight tentacles to two legs and learning to walk had been difficult enough. The mere idea of dancing was daunting at best and now that he was having to do so in front of the majority of NRC’s student body with his image on the line. Well, it was terrifying.

Perhaps that was why you were so calm though… You had nothing to lose. You’d already passed a dance class, so this performance had no bearing on your overall grade. You live in Ramshackle Dorm, of all places, and spent most of your time with Grim, so your image couldn’t really get worse.

You spun out, any easy graceful motion that left him bracing for the next part. The lift.

He could still hear Trein’s words from the lessons, “Strictly speaking, there aren’t any lifts in waltzes save for the Smooth and the Viennese waltzes variety of the dance. However, a majority voted for lifts to be allowed during your performances even if you are doing a slow waltz…. I must stress though, if you do not feel you can lift your partner with ease, do not try. Dropping your partner or injuring them in any way will result in an automatic failing grade.”

Azul was not concerned about being able to lift you. He’d been practically made of muscle his whole life, what with him being an octopus merman. Despite his small stature, that fact hadn’t changed when he’d come upon land.

In no way were you heavy to him, and he proved to both himself and you in your hour-long choreography session that he could lift you with ease.

What Azul was concerned about was executing the lift properly. He was not naturally elegant and he knew he had two left feet so he needed as many points as possible. And that meant he had to execute the moves he could pull off so well that it would raise his overall score.

He knelt and you leaned back, both of you knowing exactly what to do, but with him not knowing exactly how smoothly this would go over.

And yet, all of his concerns had all been for nothing. You easily continued to lean yourself backwards and over his shoulder, fully trusting him to support you.

His other arm reached back, catching you as you locked your arm with his, supporting yourself to some degree as he straightened.

Nimbly, you swung your legs around as he let you slide on around him until he was simply holding you up by your arms and spinning freely with you as you faced out and away from him.

The song came to its lilting end as you touched down in a seated position on the ground and smoothly spun so you were facing him, arms outstretched towards with that same easy smile on your face. As if you had never doubted him for even a second.

In reality, the dance could end just like this. With him standing and looking down at you while you looked up at him, your hands reaching up to him in a silent request. But that wasn’t what the two of you had decided.

You had both decided to put forth your very best till the final notes of the tune faded into oblivion, leaving the two of you in silence. A dance was a performance after all, so perform you would.

He knelt, a hand reaching down to cradle your face as you did the same. Cradling his face in your hands and ending your dreamlike waltz eye-to eye.

He didn’t actually get to hear the final notes of the song since applause soon overtook the gradually quieting music. You blinked as the cheers rose, Floyd’s voice notable within the raucous noise.

Azul managed to keep himself from jerking away too quickly from raw embarrassment. Instead, opting to just lean back and continue feigning calm as he helped you back to your feet.

“Clever of you to add that lift and spin in Azul, it raised your score considerably,” Crowley had started speaking before the two of you had even finished turning to face your, or rather his, judges.

Trein nodded, “Though I am more of a proponent for sticking to the rules laid out regarding which dances have lifts and which ones don’t, I must admit that was incredibly well-executed and within the parameters of this test.”

“Well, he did perform a smooth waltz, not a slow one. So he didn’t actually break any rules,” Crewel looked pointedly at the other teacher as he spoke and received a frown from the older man.

Silence ensued as all of the staff members looked from one to another, nodding as they seemingly reached a conclusion.

Azul’s hands were trembling again he noticed, and evidently you noticed too since your hand found his. Squeezing his palm lightly as you glanced his way before you looked back towards the panel. He didn’t know if he was mortified or touched by your actions of silent comfort and reassurance.

But all of those concerns fled his mind as Crewel spoke, “Well pup. It isn’t full-marks since you flubbed a few steps, but you pass.”

Azul was proud to say he did not lose his composure, even as you turned, clapping slightly with sparkling eyes as you looked his way, “You did it, Azul!”

He met your enthusiasm with a smug grin and ‘of course I did’ attitude. But Azul could not deny that he was relieved it was over with. Just like he also couldn’t deny that he wouldn’t mind waltzing again. At least not if it was with you.

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