Serix took Cassie’s left hand in his right and held onto the makeshift rope with his other, bound hand. As they danced, he used both to guide Cassie through the steps. He manipulated the cloth rope in varied but controlled directions to keep it from snaring them, all while sweeping it in smooth arcs to add flair to their dance.

Considering he had only ever practiced this type of dance twice as a child, Serix was quite proud of himself. He had been to multiple mating ceremonies when he was younger and, being a fast learner, picked up the proper techniques from the couples he watched. He never had a chance to try them before. Now, he could see just how much he remembered.

Suddenly, Cassie stumbled when she accidently ran into the cloth. She reached out to steady herself against him, and he held onto her shoulder while she recovered. She looked up at him, [b]“Well, once again we see I’m not the most graceful person, huh? Reminds me of how I first met you. Falling off the top shelf of that store.”[/b]

“Yeah,” Serix laughed. “You gave away your clumsiness right from the start.” He stole a quick kiss and guided her into the next steps. He found himself grinning like a child again. He couldn’t remember the last time he had had so much fun and, by the look on her face, Cassie was enjoying the dance just as much as he was.

[b]“How am I doing, Serix?”[/b] Cassie asked. [b]“Am I a complete fool or am I at least decent at this?”[/b]

“Hmm,” Serix pretended to think hard about her question. “Well, you haven’t gotten us tangled up yet. Going by that, I’d say you’re not half bad, Cassie.” His grin turned impish. “Why don’t we put your skills to the test?”

He raised his left arm, spinning Cassie with his bound hand and causing the rope to fall down and wind around her arm as she twirled. This in turn dramatically lessened the distance between them until they were just centimeters apart. He continued to lead her into a series of difficult, close-quarters steps. The rope restricted their movements at the beginning, but he guided her through a few moves that slowly unwound the cloth from her arm, returning pieces of their freedom of motion with every spin.

“See?” Serix smiled at her, enjoying their proximity. “Dancing with your hands tied is not [i]wrong[/i], now is it?”

After the rope had become fully unwound from Cassie’s arm, he spun her again, drawing her close to him once more. This time, however, he pulled her into an embrace and pressed his lips to hers. It was very much like when he had first kissed her before, but this time he didn’t have to wonder if she loved him too. With no uncertainty behind it, this kiss was even sweeter.

After a moment, Serix pulled away to catch his breath. He exhaled and rested his forehead against Cassie’s, “How is it you’re able to make me do that every time we dance?”