Trapped In Your Bleeding Heart (Riff x Reader)

Chapter Seven - Dancing With A Stranger

To continue the dance, one of Riff's hands snaked around my back, and the other clasped my hand. The music picked up, playing an even quicker tune than before. Before I could formally respond with an introduction of my own, Riff spun me out and away from him before yanking me back. I crossed under his arm and he released me temporarily, allowing me to turn in a circle while he mimicked my movement, doing a turn of his own. His right hand quickly returned to my waist as the left traveled to my head, brushing hair away from my face. He then placed his free hand onto my waist as well and picked me up, swinging me around.

He spun me twice and lead me into more upbeat steps. I knew how to dance– and Riff was a good lead– so I didn't struggle to follow his dancing. But lord, he made me nervous. The music continued, but the circle dispersed, insinuating that these were our final partners for the rest of the song. Riff looked focused as he continued to lead me in the swing steps, but when we separated from the group, he flashed me a temporary smile. "Looks like it's you and me, doll."

In that brief moment of eye contact– one that shouldn't have affected me at all– I couldn't help but heat up. I had never dealt well with charisma. He spun me away from him and pulled me back once more, causing me to collide with his chest for just a moment before we continued to dance. I wondered if he recognized me. I recognized him. I recognized him even the day prior, although I hardly even knew his name. It just felt as though I knew him– as if we had met before in another life. But that sounded ridiculous...

He turned me around again, navigating me in and out of his arms and grasp as we continued to dance. The song was sure to end soon, so Riff turned me around and around as the music came to close. When the song ended, he dipped me so low that my hair was grazing the floor. With one arm, he supported my back in the move, and with his free hand, he grabbed one of my legs and tipped it up into the hair to create a flashy dip. Man, he really knew what he was doing.

A bit disoriented and out of breath, I was pulled back to my feet as the next song started. This time the music was slow and sensual, and it reminded me of the records that Bernardo and Anita would commonly put on back at the apartment. The lights lowered, and the musicians swayed side to side with their passionate tunes. I pulled away from Riff and looked around at all the couples, who were now slow dancing. Some were just swaying side to side in each other's arms, whereas other couples were waltzing, their eyes locked with endearment towards each other.

I swallowed dry air and took a step back. I couldn't ask Riff to dance this with me, right? Not even if I was curious about him.

"Leaving early?" Riff asked, half reminding me that he was still there.

"Well, the song is over..." I trailed off.

"We were the finished match for the last song." He spoke as if I were acting ridiculous. "Don't you know the rules?"

Oh, of course.

Whoever your final partner is in the last rotation of any partner-switching dance is always your starting partner for the next dance.

"But, this isn't another rotating dance." I said quietly, almost to myself.

Riff looked away from me for a moment and smiled. "Are you new or something?" He asked, extending his hand out in invitation.

I let him take my hand and guide me closer to him. My heartbeat quickened upon entering his borders. I hoped it wasn't loud enough for him to hear. "Is it that obvious?" I asked, wrapping my hands around his neck. "I've been asked that a lot recently."

He shrugged and quickly pulled his mouth to the side, exposing some of his teeth. He clicked his tongue once. "You do kinda have that whole 'bright-eyed-bambi' look to you." He said, moving his hands around my waist.

I smiled to the ground. He wasn't too scary anymore. "Plus," he added, "only newbies would be hanging around the Puerto Rican's side of the neighborhood."

A short hum left my lips. I wondered what he would say if I told him that I lived right down the alley from where we had met.

"I'm Rose, by the way." I spoke up to him.

He sneered, but it seemed sincere. Maybe that was just his way of smiling.

"It's a pleasure."

My heart tightened again. I wished it wouldn't do that. I looked to the other side of the gym, where Anita and Bernardo were waltzing romantically. I searched around for Maria, hoping to get a glimpse of her dancing with Chino, because lord knows that would be hilarious. But I couldn't spot her, no matter where I looked. Suddenly, I faltered forward, and stepped onto one of Riff's shoes. He caught me easily and set me gently back onto my feet. "Getting weak in the knees already? The nights' barely started." He teased.

I looked down to his dress shoes, which looked too expensive to be stepped on. "Sorry-" I muttered, bending down, and away from his grip.

I brushed my fingers along his shoe, wiping off the small dust stain my heel had left. Riff scoffed. "You don't gotta do that."

I looked up to him from my crouched position. Our eyes locked. "Come on, doll." He said slyly. "You're making my cheeks all red."

Suddenly very flustered, I shot to my feet. He chuckled at this, which didn't help the heat on my face. "Don't get all shy on me, now." He remarked. "It's like you aren't even the same girl who insulted me last night."

Right. That was probably a mistake, in retrospect.

"H-How's your dog?" I asked, allowing my hands to find their way to his neck once more.

Riff's hands traveled to my waist once more. "Fine." He replied shortly.

Did that make him angry? Why was he so hard to read?

I opened my mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a loud noise on the opposite side of the gym.

"What do you think you're doing with my sister?!"

Authors note: >:)