Rafael

Koxaha, His Love

*Two weeks later*

  Rehearsals had started last week in NY. Your flight back out was long but the more you sat on the plane, you realized how excited you were to get back into the swing of things.

  Now, into week two, choreography had really started to pick up. Long hours in the studio were just beginning. Today, you were driving around when your phone rang.

  "Hey, where you at?" Val's voice fills the Jeep with his obvious New Yorker's accent.

  "Driving. Why?"

  "Can you come in a little early today? I have a surprise for you."

  A smile quirks up the expression on your face before you answer, "Uhh, sure. How early?"

  He laughs a little into the phone and you can almost see him running a hand through the front part of his hair. "Now?"

  You groan before you even realize it's happening. "Today was supposed to be a half-off dayyyy." You whine, only a little playfully.

  "Yeah, yeah. I know but this is good!"

  "Fine, okay. I'm turning around and heading your way."

"Beautiful!" Val calls into the phone. "Be safe."

  "Always. See ya in a bit."

  Upon hanging up the phone, you can't help but roll your eyes while smiling. He's so unbelievably him sometimes that it's ridiculous.

                                   ••••

  You arrive at the studio twenty minutes later and walk into the main one that rehearsals have been being held lately. The floors are a light wood with mirrors taking up an entire wall. That part you weren't always down for but oh well.

  "Tell me why I'm here." You muse with a smirk when seeing Val laying on the floor.

  He stands and extends his hand out to you first. "You gotta."

  "Jesus." You laugh and take his hand as he leads you to sit on the stool. You sit and he remains standing just before reaching into his pocket for his phone.

  A moment later, the music engulfs the room. At first you don't get it until his entire face seems to light up with a smile. "I'm feeling a Viennese waltz." He says slyly.

  "For real?!" You nearly jump off of the stool in excitement. This particular waltz was one you had loved to do when you had really been a professional dancer. That was before things fell apart though.

  "Yes. About 10 times, yes."

  "I wanna start like...right now."

  "That was the plan." He replied with a smirk on his face.

  "Let's go!"

  He looked at you for a moment and realized just how glad he was for you to be here. During Swan Lake, he had been the only person, other than Rafael, that you really talked to for the months that you were here for the ballet.

You and Val sat in the center of the floor and went through the same stretches together without even speaking. It was relatively simple but meant a lot that he had wanted to do this dance for the tour. You think about this while finishing out the floor stretches before moving to barre.

After an hour spent on warm-ups, you were both ready to begin.

"So, I pre-planned a little choreo. You down to see how it goes off the bat?"