𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐞𝐭 | riff wss

six.

"Riff what are doing? I could have easily defended myself back there."

Nancy's frustration grew when the Jet had explained that she shouldn't go back out into the crowd to talk to the Shark again.

He pulled her a few steps farther from anyone who could have been listening to the side of the bleachers. "I know, I just don't want you to get hurt when talkin' to those guys." He stated.

She paused for a moment and looked up at him. "Since when does it matter to you if I get hurt?"

"Since I saw you almost get beat up by a Shark, and besides it's my job to tease you like that, not theirs."

While he spoke, his voice became softer even though the music was at a much higher volume.

Nancy smiled back, letting her grudge go for just a second. "It's been happening since we were sixteen, hasn't it?" She teased. A smile began to grow on his lips as they both reminisced about the first few times they had met.

He let a laugh escape his lips, "I remember when me an' the guys tried to steal the Christmas tree in Val's store! That was stupid."

As she laughed at the memory of Riff trying to carry the tree out with his bare hands, she began to notice a new side of the Jet that was much more relaxed and personal than she had ever seen him.

Both of their laughter began to die down when the music filling the room started to change tones. It was an upbeat jazz but then transitioned into a very slow type of song.

Panic consumed Nancy's body. She looked around from where her and Riff were standing and noticed that everyone was walking onto the dance floor with someone. Her feet tapped the hard ground quickly because she didn't know what else to do herself.

Riff noticed her nervousness, but the music change gave him an opportunity to ask what he wanted to earlier.

"Well since we're both here...wanna dance?"

Nancy looked up from the ground to meet the boy's eyes. But what she saw was a light in his eyes that always seemed dull when she had spoken to him before. Still, how could she say yes when she didn't know how to dance? She was just having fun when she danced with Baby John, but this was more real then that.

Her nerves of intimacy led her to take a step away from Riff. "Are you sure? I don't want to leave Tony alone..."

"He'll be alright, Nancy, I'm sure somebody'll ask him."

"But he could still be stuck talking to those adults and–"

"–it's gonna be fine, trust me." She gave the Jet a glare at his response.

"C'mon please? I wanna show ya how to really dance, and I don't want that beautiful dress to go to waste."

Her facial features softened as she looked down at the dress he had just spoken of. "You really think so?" She breathed.

He nodded and then held out his hand for her to take. She hesitated as she looked at him but finally took his offer to dance.

And after a few seconds of figuring out the rhythm, the two became in-sync. They glided to the right and left and every once in a while, Riff would spin her. Her smile became brighter each time he did that.

He then tried to dip her lightly but it just ended in both of them almost falling to the ground. And even when they both had to catch themselves, Riff and Nancy couldn't seem to break the eye contact they were sharing.

But now she was so close to him that she could see the true color of his eyes. They were a baby blue like she had never seen them. Very young, but very blue she thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a couple that they had almost run into a few seconds ago. "Watch where your going," the lady hissed. Riff let go of Nancy's hands and held up his own like he was surrendering. "Sorry."

The couple then took a good look at the the young pair and rolled their eyes as they walked away to a different location to dance.

Laugher escaped both of their lips from disbelief of what had just happened. "Let's go over here so we don't run in to anyone again." Riff suggested. He took Nancy's hand and lead her to a spot that was under the bleachers. "Perfect!"

The brown haired girl smiled and immediately grabbed his hand to lead him into dancing. He gladly took her waist and spun her so when she faced the Jet again, she was closer to him than before.

Nancy didn't mind the fewer space between her and Riff as they continued to dance. She could even notice all the small freckles along his face now that she was closer. A smile began to form as she noticed the scar on his chin that she knew was from one of the fights he had tried to take on by himself.

"What are you smilin' at?" Riff teased as he tilted his head down to look at Nancy.

"Just you." She breathed, knowing the exact meaning behind every word that she spoke.

Riff wasn't the guy she was afraid of anymore, he was someone who had a lot in common with her and understood her more than she had ever expected.

"You know Riff, my parents met at a dance like this..." Nancy said as she looked up to her dance partner. He nodded to the information being given to him and smiled at the thought that she trusted him with it. She had never brought this up to anyone.

And as Riff looked at her hair perfectly in place and eyes just as blue as his, he had never wanted to pull a girl in and kiss her more than Nancy in this moment.

"Oh yeah? I bet they can't dance like me an' you!" Riff exclaimed while picking her up by the waist and spinning her around.

A squeal escaped Nancy's lips as she was spun in the air and landed with grace. She laughed at the sensation and could still feel the Jet's hands on her hips.

She glanced down at her waist and back up to Riff to see that he was already glancing at her. It became suddenly quiet as the two looked at each other, now realizing that they were both wanting the same thing.

Riff took a step closer to Nancy and she did the same to be able to close the space between them. His hands moved from her waist to the side of her cheek as he kissed her.

She immediately closed her eyes and sunk into the kiss as she felt his lips on hers.

This was the second time that their skin had ever really touched, but it was the first time that it had ever mattered. Asking Nancy to dance was the first, but this meant so much more to Riff than he could have ever imagined.

As they both broke away, the Jet grinned and could not think of a moment where he was more happy than right now.

But before anything could be said, a loud crash was heard from the other end of the bleachers. Riff immediately stepped in front of Nancy to be cautious of what caused the noise.

And little by little, more voices were heard that began to talk over one another. The pair took a step closer and Nancy could immediately recognize Tony's voice over the others.

Riff noticed it as well and looked to Nancy to try and take off so he could asses the situation. "Riff I don't think this is a good idea, it could be dangerous." She protested to try to get the boy to stay.

"Don't worry I'll talk to em' smoothly," Riff said as he began to lead Nancy towards the end of the bleachers.

"Just be careful, please." She gave him a pleading glare.

Then the boy's hand gently slipped under Nancy's chin so he could level their eyes, "Don't worry, I will."

He placed his lips on hers once again with more passion before walking out from behind the bleachers to find Tony and whoever he was arguing with.

emma speaks :)
- EEEEEE IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!!
- i apologize that there are so many but the next chapter will be the last one at the dance, it was just too important for me to leave out anything!