𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓢𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 (𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓢𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓞𝓷𝓮)

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓕𝓲𝓯𝓽𝔂

Mistress Harriet gave us another dance to do, but it's just a more advanced version of the waltz. Arty and I did it once, and decided that was enough for the day.

So now, we're sitting down cross-legged with me in the corner, and him across from me. We're both wearing black today, which is weird, but it's just a common color.

He's staring at me with some weird gleam in his eyes while twisting his fingers through his shoelaces. His lips are stuck in a tight-lipped grin.

"These dances are quite foolish. I prefer a more advanced form of dancing."

I raise an eyebrow, "D-Do you dance often?"

He tilts his head and smiles, "Sort of. I like to do it in my spare time between my inventions, and exercising."

It does make sense that he likes to dance considering he's really good at it.

I need to ask about these inventions because he's never really given a huge explanation on them yet.

I straighten up and put my hands, weirdly not shaking, into my lap, "So these i-inventions, what are they?"

He looks down and tightens his grip on his shoelaces, "Well- I basically have access to old history books from the previous world, and I try to recreate some things that were popular back then. I previously made some things to exercise with, and something called a typewriter. It is where you can write letters without using a pen and paper."

That's actually really.... nice. It's something actually productive to do with time, and not just stare at windows like I used to do.

I smile at him, "That's very nice."

He looks down and his cheeks turn a light shade of pink, "I am aware that it is strange."

I shrug, "It's better than my hobby of staring out a w-window everyday."

He laughs but looks at me closely, "What do you mean? Do you not do much at home?"

I think I kind of overshared a bit. However, he's seen my nightmares so this can't be that bad.

"N-Not really. W-We never really had much, a-and Mother didn't really a-allow me far outside past t-the age of t-ten."

His eyebrows clench together, "Why?"

Surprisingly, my hands don't start shaking. My face is heated up,  but not for this, and my chest doesn't tighten at all. 

Why am I feeling so...

"S-She didn't think I was w-worthy of being seen with her. S-She cares a lot about her r-reputation."

He sits back and clenches his jaw. Why is he doing that? It doesn't really matter that much. She's right at the end of the day.

I think he's falling in love with you.

I shake my head. There's no way that's the case. It would be a very unreal fantasy of mine for it to be true. There's just no way.

I shove that thought away from my head as he speaks again, "She is incorrect." His voice is a deep grumble, and not the care-free lighter tone it was previously.

I ignore that because he's just being kind. He's always been kind after he realized that I meant him no harm. That's all he's ever been is kind even when I didn't deserve anyone's kindness or patience with my "outbursts."

"A-Anyway, are you alright from the Walter thing?" I ask and immediately regret it.

I shouldn't have brought that up. This is gonna turn the conversation sour really fast.