This is Better (human!Winterwatcher)

ten (december junior year): in which there is pizza and slow-dancing

"Winter looks good in a suit," Kinkajou whispers, elbowing Moon. "Like, really good."

Moon rolls her eyes. "I noticed, thank you." Dancers whirl across the middle of the room, lights glittering on tacky snowflake decorations. Winter stands with Qibli and Umber in the entrance across the room, arguing. He does, in fact, look good in a suit.

"You're staring."

"Oh."

"But it's okay. You're allowed to stare at your date."

"I still don't want to be here."

"Come on, Moon. It'll be fun." Kinkajou grins at her. "Enjoy awkward school dances while you still can!"

"I'd rather not."

"Oh, I bet you'll like it once you actually enter the room. Do I have to drag you in?"

"Please don't."

"Too late!"

Moon sighs, but follows Kinkajou in anyway. Maybe this won't be so bad, if she stays with her friends.

Winter raises an eyebrow at her. He doesn't look any happier to be here than she does.

It takes Kinkajou fifteen minutes to convince Moon to dance with Winter.

"I never thought I'd be blackmailed into dancing with you," Winter says. "Or that Kinkajou was capable of blackmail."

"Neither did I."

"Okay. Five minutes." Winter holds out a hand, and Moon takes it.

"I don't dance."

"I know."

Winter is actually a decent dancer, and Moon would like dancing with him, if she didn't feel so watched.

"Are people staring at us?"

"Maybe," Winter says. "Does it matter?" He spins Moon around, and she almost forgets they're in the middle of a crowd.

"I don't know. Can we go now?"

"Two more minutes, or Kinkajou will talk to my sister." Winter grimaces, leading Moon to the left. His hand is warm on her waist.

Moon shudders. "That's a horrifying thought."

"I don't know which of them would keel over first."

Umber and Qibli wave at them, laughing. 

"One minute, love." Winter smiles. Moon's mouth goes dry. "Then we can get out."

"Okay."

They dance to the edge of the room and slip out the door into a room full of giant beanbags. The canned pop songs from the dance are audible, barely. Winter drops Moon's hand.

"Can we...can we keep dancing?" Moon asks, turning to face Winter.

"Oh. Yes."

It's so much better when they're alone, when she can focus on the way Winter's eyes soften as he looks at her, when she doesn't feel self-conscious turning the wrong way. There's her hand on Winter's shoulder and his arm around her waist and the swishing of her dress around her legs, all in high definition. Moon closes her eyes for a few beats.

The music slows, and Moon steps closer to Winter. She has no idea how to slow-dance, but it sounds nice. 

"You look lovely," Winter whispers, shifting his hand on the small of Moon's back.

"You too."

Winter laughs. "Thank you, I think."

"Oh." Moon rests her head on Winter's chest. The music gets a little louder.

They spin in a slow circle, and Winter's eyes on her feel so much better than her classmates'. So much safer.

After a while, the music changes again, speeding up. Moon doesn't want to let go of Winter. She feels incandescent, every inch of her glowing, from her hand draped over Winter's shoulder to the clicking heels Kinkajou cajoled her into.

"I'm too tired to dance that fast," she says.

"Mmm." Winter yawns. "Want to lie down?"

"Yeah."

Winter stretches out on a beanbag, closing his eyes. "I don't know what this song is, but I hate it."

"It's not that bad." Moon flops down next to him. "What is it with you and hating pop music?"

Winter shrugs, taking off his suit jacket. He scoots closer to Moon. "When you overplay a bad song, it gets worse."

Moon kisses Winter's collarbone. "That's true."

The song changes, and Moon can hear the low murmur of conversation through the half-open doorway. Winter tangles his fingers in Moon's hair. He's messing up the styling, not that she cares.

Moon's phone buzzes in her dress pocket.

Kinkajou: hey moon we're going for pizza

Kinkajou: moon

Kinkajou: moon where are you

Kinkajou: are you making out with winter

Kinkajou: you are, aren't you?

Kinkajou: if you want pizza

Kinkajou: you gotta stop

Kinkajou: i'm going to come find you

"Oh," Winter says.

"Do we want pizza?"

"I'm not particularly hungry."

"Moon!" It's Kinkajou, poking her head through the doorway. "There you are!"

"Hey." Moon sits up, and Winter picks up his jacket.

"Come on! We're going to town for pizza!"

~

"There aren't enough seats," Turtle complains. His sister's old car only takes five.

Kinkajou waves a hand. "No worries. Moon can sit on Winter's lap."

"What? No." Winter's blushing, and he drops her hand.

"Please. She was practically lying on top of you when I found you guys."

"Can't Umber and Qibli share a seat instead?"

"I'm driving." Qibli jangles a set of keys, grinning. "Sorry, Winter."

"It's alright," Moon says, earning a snicker from Turtle.

"Okay," Winter mutters.

They pile into the car. Moon hesitates for a second before sitting in Winter's lap.

"Is that lipstick on Winter's neck?" Kinkajou asks. Winter elbows her. "Oh, come on."

~

Qibli orders pizza for everyone, and they sit at a huge booth in their fancy clothes. It's late, the yellow lighting in the restaurant reflecting off the windows.

"This is so much better than last year's formal," Kinkajou says, taking out her earrings.

And, as much as Moon loved getting drenched with Winter, she has to agree.