SECRETS OF EXOCLYUS

23: CANNOT BE OUTRAN

  "Can you have what now?" Stella asked back in disbelief, unsure of whether Koma had actually said what he said and it wasn't the booze in her veins playing tricks on her.

  "Can...I...dance with you?" He winced as he asked the question, as if unsure of whether it was right to ask or in fear of what might be the reply.

  Still, he didn't turn away, maintaining eye contact as he awaited Stella's response, and Stella on the other hand kept staring at him in disbelief until she realised what was happening and looked back at Usgard, who was grinning ear to ear as he watched this awkward mess.

  "Umm." She couldn't form a sentence, she had awaited a moment like this but now that it was here she was too confused to act upon it.

  "We don't really have to." Koma assured and was about to retract his hand from her waist, but she quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him from doing that.

  "It's not that." Stella explained. "The song isn't really set for...slow dancing."

  "Oh." Koma realised.

  Suddenly the music changed, switching from the upbeat tempo that had sent everyone into a jive to a slow sweet melody led by Usgard who now had a violin in hand, a strange occurrence but Stella wasn't about to doubt the gods for this chance.

  "And this here is perfect." Stella grabbed Koma's other hand and started to sway them across the aged floorboards, Koma was a bit confused by the pattern because he was completely new to this, but when he studied the footwork he adjusted his feet and synchronised with her.

  "Didn't think you'd be familiar with this." Stella commented after they had been dancing for a bit.

  "I'm not." He admitted. "It just kind of came to me."

  "Well, you're good." She complimented. "Which is nice because back home at royal balls I suffered my toes being stepped on by suitors."

  "Sorry." He apologised.

  "Don't be." She assured him and untangled her fingers from his so she could interlock her hands around his neck, Koma in turn moved his hands to her hips in a manner that almost seemed so timid.

  "What led you to this?" Stella asked curiously. She didn't want to ruin the moment but she couldn't help how taken aback she was about all of it, he hadn't shown this kind of behaviour before, and she had never expected either seeing that he wasn't good socially.

  "Good advice." He answered.

  "From?"

  "From...Pheruss."

  "Pheruss told you to come and dance with me?" Stella chuckled at how good a wingwoman Pheruss was, to think she could convince him to step out and even come and dance in a public place.

  "Not exactly." He said as kicked away a fallen mug aside so Stella wouldn't have to bother with it. "What's happening now is just a part of what she told me, but what she said was that I deserve to be happy."

  Stella couldn't sense any glee in his voice, infact he just had his same old flat tone of speaking, so she had to ask. "Are you happy right now?"

  "Yes." He told her, but then he sighed and tipped his head a bit. "No."

  "Oh." It was the only response Stella could form in reply to his answer. The moment was starting to smoulder away and she could feel her locked fingers behind his neck loosening as she involuntarily slowed down their dance to a halt. "Well...fuck."

  She walked out of the ale house not knowing what else to do and started heading back to the inn. She felt a bit stupid for asking him whether he was happy without calculating the chances of him saying no, and now here she was storming away like some girl that got dumped the night before the ball.