Lavender's Blue

Chapter 06

The large doors opened, inviting him into the room. He stepped in cautiously, glancing around to see he was on top of some sort of balcony like structure with stairs coming off both sides. He went close to the railing, placing his hands on the thick marble. People were chatting down in front of him, the music playing softly.

All of a sudden, the chatter started dying down, faces turning to look at what others were. Gulping, Keith steeled himself when he saw all the eyes on him. He was never good with crowds, especially when the attention was on him. It didn't matter though. This was for Lance. He came to warn him, even at the cost of making a complete fool of himself.

He steeled himself and straightened his back, stepping to his right and descending down the stairs. His heels would've made a very, very loud clicking sound in the ballroom if it wasn't for the soft music still playing. He thanked the musicians internally for that.

The eyes on him were still so very unnerving and unmoving as he finally stepped off the last stair. Now what? He looked around as quickly as he could, noticing what kind of looks he was getting - amazed, shocked, awed, jealous, narrowed and many other mixes. It made him feel even more nervous.

"Hi!" A voice said suddenly. He turned to see a little boy, no more than six years old, standing beside him. His hand was on his dress, tugging it to get his attention.

".. Hello." He replied slowly. He wasn't really good with kids - one reason was because he didn't get to be around many of them; the other is because he doesn't really like them. But, he's been to town enough to know how to at least act around them.

He looked around to see if there was a frantic mother or father looking for their son, but what he got surprised him slightly. Half and more of the people that were staring turned their attention back to whatever they were doing like nothing had happened. A small clearing was also starting to form in the center of the ballroom. Hmm. Interesting.

He turned his head back at the boy to see him smiling at him shyly, his shoulders hunched and his hands behind his back. Even Keith had to admit he was adorable.

"Would you dance with me?" He held out a tiny hand for the other. That took our galran by surprise. He didn't really expect to be asked to dance, let alone by a little kid. He admired the boy's courage to ask someone he didn't even know to dance, but he didn't have time for this.

"Are you sure your parents will be alright with you dancing with a stranger?" He knelt a little before the boy, his bright blue eyes shining in the light. They were awfully familiar. It didn't matter, he needed to stay focused.

"My mom and dad always tell me that I'll need to find someone someday!" He said in an excited tone which made Keith's eyes widen. He was taken aback by the answer. Why was a kid like him thinking about marriage?

"I'm sure your parents will worry if they see you dancing with a stranger." He needed to come up with excuses, at least for the boy's safety. He didn't need to drag a kid into this mess.

"So... You won't dance with me..?" Perfect. The boy was on the verge of crying. What's even worse was the people around them. Whispers flew about, accusing and hurtful. He did not need this right now.

With a sigh, he offered the kid his hand, a small smile playing on his lips. Immediately, like he wasn't just about to start bawling, the boy smiled up at him wide and too his hand eagerly, pulling him towards the open space in the middle as the music continued on to play. The boy grabbed his other arm when they stopped and started to twirl around. Keith had to admit, even if didn't want to be in this situation, the altean knew the basic moves but he lacked rhythm.

He had such a troubled look on his face too. His head was tilted to his feet, his lips in a pout and his brows furrowed. He remembered when he and his mother would dance together- he used to make the same expression. His mother would laugh and assure him that he was doing fine and continue to dance. So, an idea popped in his head.