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[recoined]

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kimberly hart.

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[recoined]

( salsa is a dance kimberly's never attempted before. it's not exactly top 40s, but she's heard enough latin-influenced music to feel comfortable with the beat, and while it's not quite as easy as a clap or step to the beat, it's not impossible. she picks up the steps after a little bit of repetition and a few helpful suggestions from their instructor, and after half an hour or so of practice, feels fairly comfortable. not competition ready or anything close to it, but enough to try out in public.

robbie, on the other hand? not quite as comfortable. she can't help but laugh as she guides him along the beat, trying her best to make him feel comfortable enough to release the tension that's got his legs locked into stiff patterns rather than fluid moves to the beat. )

Relax, babe, you're not a robot...

[acuerdo]

[relax she says. as if dancing should be something that comes naturally to him. but the statement is fair enough. he is tense and his movements do feel a little stiff. robbie sighs, slipping away from her long enough to shake out his limbs.]

I'm not exactly a twinkle toes either. Who knew this was so hard?

[but to his credit, he pulls her back to him and carefully tries to follow the beat of the music, to feel the rhythm that he should be moving to.]

[recoined]

( he does get the hang of things, eventually. after a while, with a little help and guidance from their instructor, he manages to move like he spars — if not entirely trained, there's passion in it, natural ability and agility that helps him once the tenseness flows out of him. kimberly's proud of him; there's a warm, fond smile that curves over her mouth as they dance so close together, so different from the teasing, flirtatious ones that used to show themselves when they'd first met.

there's something with meaning there. it's shown in the careful way he holds the small of her back, or in the way her hands drape confidently over his shoulder and upper arm, secure without gripping tight, knowing he'll catch her if she falls. their eyes meet every-so-often, mostly a smile or two exchanged as they move, but it's enough opportunity to exchange a few errant thoughts. )

Are you having fun now?

[acuerdo]

[if anyone had bothered to suggest that this might be how his life would turn out, that he'd care about someone enough to want to step out of his comfort zone, that he'd actually go out on a date — many dates, in fact, which he hopes he'll be able to tell canelo and the boys about some day — he would have laughed and reminded them that he only cared about working on his car and keeping his kid brother fed, clothed, and in school.

but here, hand in hand with kimberly, robbie's willing to overlook the awkwardness of trying something new that he's not amazing at doing, he's able to ignore the polite instruction and hands correcting his posture. he smiles at kim and twirls her about, tipping her over with a flourish before tugging her back into his arms.]

Surprisingly enough, yes. You?

[recoined]

Yeah. ( she's a little breathless from the motion as she says it, but her eyes are bright and there's a clear grin curving her lips upwards all the same. ) I always have fun with you.

( which is true, at least recently. perhaps that's the blessing of being in a city where the worst thing that can happen is a sudden snowstorm. there's no world ending around you to make you cranky or unhappy, and no stress of having to make ends meet to ruin your day. it's like being on permanent vacation, as far as kimberly's concerned, and she's pretty content with her choice of vacation partners. )

Do we have anything planned after this on your super-secret itinerary?

[acuerdo]

Ditto. [the lack of words isn't any kind of indication of a lack of feeling on robbie's end. kimberly is the kind of unexpected surprise that a place like cadelle has net him. for someone who'd arrived fully convinced that he'd be a loner until he was inevitably sent back to try and prevent his death, he's made more connections that he ever thought possible. he's got friends, coworkers, and more importantly, he's got a reason to stick around — a girlfriend, who he cares for in ways he really hasn't even begun to scratch at.]

I thought we could grab lunch and then actually take these skills for a test drive. Valentine's day is a good reason to put on a nice suit, isn't it?

[recoined]

I could go for lunch.

( that breakfast in bed had turned into more of a sampler session in between lazy attempts at grabbing his ass, so she could probably stand to fuel up. especially after a dance class. she wasn't starving yet, but give her an hour and she'd probably be too hungry to even enjoy it. better to eat now, in any case, then wait too long. )

Do you wanna get out of here? ( a grin in his general direction ) Maybe we could get something to go this time... see if our spot in the mountains is cleared up?