sweetdeath | [11 || this should be fun~]

An apology for what, Tsuzuki-san?

For dragging you into the dare I gave Watari.

I, uh.

...how did that turn out?

Everything is under control now.

...Good to hear.

If anything, I apologise for the situation, Tsuzuki-san.

No, no! I - I mean, um, that is. I.

As long as nothing too bad happened, that's... okay.

You heard things you didn't need to hear, and I could have controlled it - that's all I meant.

About that.

Tatsumi, was he telling the truth?

What do you mean, Tsuzuki-san?

[Tsuzuki is not happy to realize that there isn't a good way to say this.]

Are you in love with me?

It's like I've said before. All I want is your happiness. I expected him to cheapen it with his gutter-brain...

...okay.

Yes! Perfect time!

I'll be there in a few minutes, then!

All right! Well there's no furniture to move, so we're all set!

Wait, haven't you picked up any furniture yet? Need help with that? I ought to ask Tatsumi where he got his stuff, bet it's the cheapest place in the City.

No. My room mate left--and he was supposed to buy it for our place. So now I need to get a job!

What kind of thing do you want to do? - oh, and don't mind me, I'm just trying to find my shoes, I'll be over in a minute. They ought to be in the genkan. What the hell did I do with 'em?

Ballroom? That might be fun! That's just fine and--

[She has to laugh softly as he talks to himself.]

I have no idea what you did with them.

Great, that's my specialty.

...Never mind, I found 'em! See you in a few.

[He switched off the computer and slipped on his shoes, humming cheerfully as he headed out into the hallway.]

Excellent.

Oh, good!

A quarter hour later, Tsuzuki found the apartment and knocked. It had taken a little longer than he'd expected, but he'd figured out the layout and tracked down the elevator at last (it would have gone a lot faster if he'd turned the other way from the door...) and here he was!

"Takiko? You there?" Please let this be the right place.

Promptly she answered the door, and held it ajar just a little so she could see who it was. With a relieved sound she opened the door fully, revealing her small frame. "Hello. Tsuzuki-san?" she asked carefully, and smiled politely.

"That's me," Tsuzuki said with a grin. "Nice to meet you in person! ...oh shit, I forgot to ask if you had a CD player." He'd remembered to bring a CD of waltz music; it was in his right coat pocket, next to half a handful of fuda and... was the candy bar still in there? He thought it was. Probably. Unless he'd snacked on it already.

"Or do you mind learning without music? I can hum!"

"Nice to meet you, too!" her grin was bright and wide, as she ushered him into the spacious, empty apartment. Even when he spoke of that machine called a 'CD player', whatever a CD was, she smiled. Technology here could be as odd as it was wondrous.

"..."

She blinked, and frowned. "Hum," she finally stated.

"A-one two three one two three," Tsuzuki said with a laugh, kicking his shoes off by the door. "Oh, and a CD player's like a record player! ...Uh. If you know what those are. Phonograph?"

He pulled the CD out of his pocket, showing it to her. "They record music onto these disks, and the machines can play it back."

Oh. So that was what a CD player essentially was. "Phonograph?" she asked hesitantly, and smiled lightly at his antics. He was quite the boisterous one!

The round, shiny disc before her fascinated her, reflecting a myriad of hues of the rainbow beneath the electric light. "Amazing!"

"Phonograph. That disk's called a CD," he explained, slipping it back into his pocket before he pulled the coat off.

"Uh, do you have anywhere I can stick this coat, or should I just dump it in the corner?"

"I see!" she said, an avid student, ready to soak in knowledge as it came to her.

She blinked, and peered about the apartment sheepishly. "There is what appears to be a garderobe to your left, but I am afraid I don't have anything to hang it on," she apologized.

"I'll just stick it over here," Tsuzuki said cheerfully, folding the coat and setting it by the wall. "Just moved in, right?" The nearly bare apartment was a clear enough indication of that. Hisoka must've done a lot of work in the few weeks he'd been there to get their apartment as livable as it was.

"I'm sorry," she said, aghast that she couldn't even be a proper hostess because she had nothing. Well, Uruki had left all of his money when he'd left; and he had promised it to her for buying furniture. Perhaps she could go on ashopping excursion after the dance competition.

"That's right," she said quietly. "Just me!"

"Found anyone who might stay with you yet?" Tsuzuki suggested. "Around here, it's definitely easier to have a roommate." Technically, he still had one, even if Riko did sleep on the balcony with the rest of the potted plants.

"No, I haven't." she admitted, and smiled brightly. "That's all right, though!" The ticking was annoying, naturally. But she wasn't about to admit it to a stranger. Or anyone for that matter.

"Pets help," Tsuzuki suggested cheerfully. "...And if you like flowers, I have way too many of them on my balcony."

He crossed to the center of the empty room, looking around. "So, want to start?"

"I'm thinking of going out to find a stray," she admitted, and smiled softly. "Flowers are nice, but they'll die outside, you know."

Looking at him, she nodded. "Yes." Hesitantly she moved closer to him, and grinned.

"Not this time of year," he corrected, "but I'm pretty sure the kitchen's going to be crowded with pots when the first frost rolls around."

He held his left hand out, placing his right on her waist. "You mentioned you knew how to waltz, right?"

"Well, I would love some." she replied, and beamed. "I love flowers."

Gasping lightly at the sudden contact, she nodded. "Sorry, I'm not used to being close to people! But I do, yes."

Her father had once upon a time danced with her, and her mother after all. Once upon a time.

"I'll bring some over," Tsuzuki said. "It always makes a house feel more like home when there are growing things inside! Or so my sister used to say."

His sister had taught him to dance, too; as he took Takiko's hand in his, he remembered those decades-past lessons.

"Put your other hand on my shoulder," he directed, "and follow my steps!"

"That is very nice of you! Thank you." she told him, and nodded. "It does."

Gingerly she did as asked, and placed her left hand upon his shoulder. It had been a long time since she had danced, and she was unsure of herself.

"You lead," she said quietly.

"I figured I would," Tsuzuki said with a cheerful wink at the younger woman, "unless you wanted to learn the guy's part!"

He hummed a snatch of waltz under his breath, then gave up on it, and simply counted off the steps at half-speed as he moved.

Smiling lightly, the girl shook her head. "No, the girl's part is fine for me. The frame is difficult enough to hold this way as it is."

Even without music, her feet automatically followed the beat he set. As if she were on autopilot, she had remembered the steps well enough, it seemed. Though she did trip a little for a moment, and flushed sheepishly.

"Sorry,." she muttered quietly.

"You're doing fine!" Tsuzuki sped up slightly, turning and lifting Takiko's hand to spin her.

"Really?" now she beamed, and twirled about the floor with him while carefully measuring her steps. A few more times she tripped, but her frame wasn't bad at all.

Tsuzuki managed to keep the young woman from doing more than stumbling each time she tripped, smiling as her confidence improved.

"Really. So, want to learn a few fancier steps?"

[11 || this should be fun~]

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