It had been a few days since the incident, but I still woke up every morning with it on my mind. Specifically, with her on my mind. I had brushed against her so lightly, yet it felt as if I had lit explosives with her fingers. But... in a pleasant way.

Whether it was the incident, the new promotion, or the fantastic sleep I had been getting recently, something had brightened my morning significantly. I dressed in some of my nicest work clothes, which actually included a tie, and took extra care to groom myself properly. Then I made my way down to breakfast.

Eliza was sitting at the table, her nose buried in a notebook, and her pencil scratching its pages acutely. She seemed very focused, but on her expression lay a calm look, as if at peace. Abruptly, she looked up at me and promptly snapped the book shut.

"Edward, it's good to see you." She smiled, standing up and pushing her chair in.

"And you too, Eliza." I addressed invitingly. I took my seat at the head of the table. "Were you drawing?" I asked the girl curiously.

"Yes, sir," She complied, blushing slightly.

"What are you drawing?" I inquired, making small-talk, but also gaining the information I wanted.

She froze up a little, planting to the spot.

"Uh..." She voiced. "Vince Sega. Well, what I imagine him to be, anyway." She smiled, looking down at her notebook.

"May I see?" I gently beckoned, trying to avoid making Eliza feel uncomfortable.

Her eyes widened slightly. "I...I uh..." The red-faced girl fumbled in her words. "It's not finished, sir!" She finally got out.

I nodded, accepting this answer and taking a bite of my breakfast. "Very well. But you must promise to let me see it once you're done." I grinned.

"Of course, Edward." She disappeared around the corner, leaving the room to myself.

Eliza's POV

That was a close one.

As soon as Richtofen exited the home, I retreated to the attic. I flopped down and turned to the page of my notebook. For there, scribbled upon the page, was not Vince Sega from the novel I had been reading, but a very different kind of hero. His hair, unlike Vince Sega's, was dark brown, almost black (although with only a pencil, the sketch had no color) and shaved neatly around his ears. His eyes were hazel, and he always wore the neatest clothing...

It was my master.

I couldn't explain why I had drawn Richtofen, but I had. It was just a plain picture of him, standing in a frontal view, smiling. Nothing special, really. Only that his head was titled down slightly, implying that he was either infatuated with the floor, or looking at something shorter than him. Was there supposed to be something there? My conscience wouldn't tell me, and I couldn't seem to draw much more.

This had gone too far, it had become dangerous. My feelings, as juvenile as they were, had begun to flourish into things I hadn't intended. Monsters, the kind that kill you slowly, but passionately. The kind that haunt you until you let them out. As long as I kept this all a secret, I could persist as if there were nothing wrong. All I had to do was lock my emotions inside of me, luckily something I had learned to do very well.

I lay my book on the makeshift nightstand beside me, and decided to open the window for a cool breeze. It was as close as I could get to the outdoors.

Richtofen's POV

The date set for the annual Group 935 party was fast approaching. In just a few days, I would be forced to put up with Sophia's nagging, Schuster's ramblings, (which at times were quite interesting) and the uncomfortable form of a suit. Granted, on occasions, I did venture so far as to wear a suit, but not unless there was something on the line, like a scholarship, or in this case, a job. But this dress did not come willingly.

Then it hit me. I had never danced in my life! I had never attended school parties, formal gatherings that required dancing, or anything of the sort. My father would sometimes throw massive parties with many attendants, but at this point I was very young, and could not be expected to dance. Now I was to dance, with a woman, in front of all of my coworkers!

Just before my palms began to sweat, I was dismissed from work for the evening. I was in no rush to make it home. I was enveloped in my transgressions, as they pulled me closer and closer to the brink of panic. Where would I learn such a thing as ballroom dancing?

"Practice makes perfect," I whispered to myself. "All I have to do is practice." I arrived at the steps of my house, anxious.

"Edward," Eliza voiced from the kitchen as I sauntered through the doorframe, bringing a smile to my face. I couldn't help it. Her voice always finds a way through my barrier of concentration.

"Eliza," I smiled, walking to the table. She turned around and picked up a small brown package, carrying it to my location and setting it on the wooden table before me.

"This package was on the doorstep today, Mr. Richtofen. I believe it to be from Dr. Maxis, though it has no name."

I took the package into my hands, jolting it slightly. There was no clear intended receiver etched on the box, nor the name of the sender. "How do you know it isn't for you?" I asked the girl.

She gave me an odd look, and then shook her head. "It isn't permitted for me to send or receive mail. Like everything else, it is against the rules."

I sighed. "Right, right." I suddenly felt my mood dampen. I should have known that was the answer. That was the answer to everything. Anger festered within me at that moment, accompanied by remorse.

My hands moved to the package, tearing the cardboard apart. Inside, I was alarmed to see a plethora of records, all with different titles, and a note that read, 'Practice!'. This confirmed Eliza's suspicions of Ludvig's involvement. He was just on time.

I lay the records out on the table, looking at each one. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see Eliza approach with my plate of food. She sat it down and proceeded to take a quick glimpse at the records. She eyed one specifically, I noticed.

"Do you know this one?" I asked, smiling, while pointing to the record in her gaze. She gave a tiny nod, along with a quick grin.

"My mother used to play one like this every night to sooth me to sleep." She picked up the record, her fingers tracing over its lines. "Dances of the Moon. It's a piano and violin duet, and it's beautiful. Sometimes, mother would teach me to dance with it, too."

I beamed, listening to her speak. She smiled again, and I caught glimpse of a pool of moisture in her blue eyes. All of a sudden, she put the record down.

"May I be excused, sir?" She locked eyes with me.

I nodded, and she went away, a sniffle echoing through the room.

After dinner, I headed immediately to the library, In search of something to help me learn to dance. Surprisingly, it didn't take long before I found an instructional booklet on the art of the waltz and slow dancing. Soon after reading through its pages, I made my way to the living room, where there was a wide, open area, the gramophone in hand.

You can do this Edward. Dancing cannot be that hard. Child's play!

I set a record named 'The Shadow's Orchestra' on the gramophone and set the needle to the disc. As a result, music began to flow through the entire house, giving a sense of life to the place. This song was a slow instrumental piece, and the orchestra playing it executed the notes with such perfection. It would be a perfect starting song.

Recounting the things I had read in the book, I began to step to the beat, making a square pattern on the floor.

One, Two, Three, Four. One, two, three, four.

I quickly gave up on that. My feet would not stay in time, my body seemed to be stuck in the wrong direction of momentum, and the whole routine seemed utterly futile.

I then tried a different approach.

I pretended to have a partner, holding my hands out and grasping the air, but I wasn't even sure how to hold a woman, let alone dance with one. Like attempt number one, this failed miserably!

I started to panic, as each time I tried to stay in sync, I would be thrown off by my own footsteps, or be caught up in the fact that my whole career rested on my ability to feel the rhythm. Try after try, I worked hard to find the right record, and the right beat, but no matter what, I could not.

Suddenly, I heard the faint ghost of a giggle outside of my practice area. I turned to face the doorway, where a flash of black and white grazed past the entrance frantically. I narrowed my eyes.

"Eliza?" I trilled, a hot red shade already forming on my cheeks.

There was no answer.

"Eliza, I know you're there." I smirked slightly, finding it quite amusing that she attempted to hide in the heat of being caught.

She stepped out from behind the wall, like a scared child in trouble. She hung her head.

"I'm sorry, sir." She apologized.

I chuckled slightly. "You were laughing at my horrible attempts at dancing, weren't you? I don't blame you. I can't even step to the beat."

"I-It's not that, sir! I was laughing at... um..." She looked around the room. I smiled at her attempts to cover her lie. Her face was beet red, realizing that there was no way out now.

"It's alright, Eliza, I'm not offended." I laughed. "I just wish I could figure this out. Dancing is sure harder than I thought..." I trailed off, taking the record from the gramophone.

Eliza looked at the ground curiously. "Why are you trying to learn to dance, sir? If you don't mind me asking." She gazed at me.

"Group 935 is having their annual celebration in a few days. I have to be ready to dance with Sophia." I said reluctantly.

Eliza seemed to be taken aback by this. "I see." She made her way to the middle of the floor, where I had once stood. "Were you trying the box method?" She began tapping her feet in the corners of an imaginary box, swirling around the room with grace and ease. I watched as she held out her hand to an invisible partner, her hand seeming to interlock with his, and her other palm resting on his shoulder. With ease, she stepped around the floor, her dress flowing gently behind her, and a smile coming to her face. All I could do was watch in awe of her incredible fluency and beauty.

She knows how to dance.

For a moment, I let myself imagine being her partner, interlocking fingers with her, feeling her gentle touch against me, as we moved together in rhythm.

Nein. You mustn't forget your place! Shake this juvenile interest!

I shamefully ripped my thoughts away from that daydream, though I was sure I might revisit it in my sleep tonight.

"Eliza, you can dance?" She came to a stop, turning to me.

"My mother taught me. But it was a very long time ago." She blushed, turning her gaze to the floor.

"C-Can you teach me?" I stuttered nervously, my face heating up. Normally, I would never have dared to ask this. But seeing the way she moved, I could not pass up this opportunity.

Eliza furrowed her brow in thought, and directed her eyes to me. Emotions swirled in her eyes, but I couldn't read a single one. She was one of the only people I couldn't read word for word.

Please don't tell me that's against the rules. Please don't turn me down.

"I can try, Mr. Richtofen." She smiled shyly, her face still red.

I grinned widely at her acceptance. "Thank you, Eliza. You're a life saver." I rushed to the gramophone and chose a random disc from my selection, and set it with the needle. I nodded at Eliza, coming closer to watch her move.

"My mother taught it to me like this." Without looking down, she moved in a circle, her feet sliding before and after one another in rhythm.

"How do you avoid looking at your feet?" I asked, noticing that she kept her eyes level to the wall.

The girl stopped briefly to face me. "It's easier if you don't look at your feet. Looking at your feet can cause you to step out of beat." She twirled slowly. "It's more about... feeling the music."

"Feeling the music?" I was puzzled as I continued to watch her.

"Yes." She halted. "Now it's your turn. Just try to relax, and let your body move freely." The housemaid stepped back and allowed me space to move.

My heart pounded like a bass drum, and I tried my best to mirror Eliza's treads. Still, I could not keep from glancing at my feet, ultimately throwing me off. I sighed, giving up once again.

"That was better." Eliza admitted. "But your feet are still throwing you off. Have you tried pretending to have a partner?"

I shook my head yes.

She tapped her head. "Well, practice makes perfect, so let's just try it again." She began to dance slowly, as I tried to mimic her.

Time passed as I learned more and more of Eliza's tips. I learned how to sway slightly as my feet tapped the floor, and how to adjust my posture. However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep from glancing at my feet!

Eliza scratched her head and sighed. "I don't know what else to try, Edward." She hung her head.

"If only I had a partner to practice with, I think I could get it then." I frowned.

"Maybe you can invite Sophia over tomorrow, and try it with her." She smiled.

I all but snickered, even though it wasn't a joke. "I'm not so sure about that, with the way it turned out last time!"

She giggled.

A silence feel over the room. I found Eliza, who was looking over the ground, and I admired her from afar. And then it hit me. I did have a partner, and she was standing right in front of me.

"Eliza," I hummed softly.

"Sir?" Her gentle eyes locked with mine.

Everything slowed to a stop. I pushed away my fears and swallowed my apprehensions.

"Will you..." I scratched my neck as blood ran to my already warm face. "Will you dance with me?"

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, her blush forming. "You want me to be your partner?" The girl clarified, as if she didn't believe her ears.

"Ja..." I confirmed, looking at the ground. "I... want to try this with a skilled dancer like yourself."

Please don't think I'm crazy. Please dance with me...

Eliza stepped closer, still looking at me. Finally, she nodded.

I could not contain my joy, as I galloped to the gramophone to pick a record. I grabbed the only one that I had not played tonight. It was Dances of the Moon, which I remembered as Eliza's favorite. I set the record in motion and took my place in front of the short girl.

Oh dear God. I have no clue how to do this! What's wrong with me, why would I request this?

I faced Eliza, who looked just as nervous as me, moving my hands a little awkwardly toward her. She blinked, stepping closer, and looking at my hands for a second.

On spur of moment, she extended her hands slowly towards mine, as if asking for my approval. As her blue irises met mine, I nodded, okaying whatever she was planning on doing.

Then her hands touched mine.

Stepping in towards me, she brought one of my hands down to her waist, leaving it to rest there, while interlocking our fingers with her other hand. Hesitantly, Eliza came to rest her free hand just below my shoulder.

Chills ran down my spine, my whole body becoming tense, but having a strange sense of tranquility, as if this were meant to be happening. Flames burned inside of me as we began to rock steadily, swaying to the music. I smiled sincerely, my stomach a cage for butterflies and my heart in synchronization with the music. Happiness had overtaken me.

She gave a breathtakingly marvelous smile, as she gazed up at me.

We began stepping in time around the area, the violin and piano of the track accompanying us. I became caught up in the moment as the pace of our dance began to quicken, like my heart, and I led her around the room, circling and spinning.

All at once, the music took over, and I knew exactly what Eliza had meant by 'feeling the music'. I lifted the arm that was connected with Eliza's, and spun her swiftly underneath it, like a ballerina, my instincts taking over. She giggled and spun along with me, reading my every move and echoing it perfectly. We continued to dance, like the song would never end, until the notes began to slow. And our pace did the same.

I spun her beneath my arms one last time, but this time, her momentum rolled back into me. I caught her, my arms secured around her small frame.

And there we stood, our bodies pressed against each other, a warm embrace making itself known as I became lost in Eliza's oceans of blue. The track came to an end, but we stayed in this position long after, taking in one another, and all that had just occurred.

I didn't want to let her go. Ever.

But I had to, I forced myself to set my partner free.

Eliza stepped away slowly, smiling as her face turned pink. "Edward, you didn't look at the ground, not once!"

I beamed, pouring my heart into my smile, the shade on my cheeks intensifying. "That's because I was busy looking at more beautiful things."

A/N:

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter... I don't feel like it's very good. Above is the song that Richtofen and Eliza danced to. It's an instrumental cover by David Wong and Raashi Kulkarni of John Legend's All of Me! :) (I hope it uploaded correctly. If not, please let me know so I can try again, or post a link elsewhere!) I didn't call the song All of Me in the book, simply because it's a modern song, and I wanted to make it slightly more realistic, on top of the fact that it's not exactly like what I had in mind, but it's the closest thing I could find. I hope you all enjoyed, Please comment if you did! :)