save the last dance - - x, evelina

[ALEJANDRO IGLESIAS]

other dancers may be on the floor

Traveling had never been Alejandro’s niche. He didn’t dislike it, but the only time he’d ever been out of Spain was when he was in the Spanish legion, and he wasn’t necessarily going places for pleasure at that point. There weren’t a whole lot of tours of big buildings or exploring of other cities; just whatever the military required of him. In a way, he missed that; he missed the constant movement. Even if there wasn’t necessarily action around him, you weren’t allowed to sit around and be lazy. If there wasn’t a real goal to get done, someone would give you one to complete. Alejandro thrived under that atmosphere; thrived under the pressure of a challenge. Without it, he grew far too bored far too quickly. Which, in the end, either left him restless and itching to make up his own things to do—in and of itself this was a dangerous thing, seeing as how his creative side may not have been all that… accepted—or it left him unmotivated to do anything. Alejandro hated not doing anything, but once he’d gotten stuck in a rut like that, it was hard to get back out. For the last few months, he had begun to think that was what his position on the Spanish royal guard was becoming. While there was always the threat of an attack from the Americans, it was nothing compared to actually being in combat. There was a lot of standing in one place; a lot of making rounds; a lot of nothing. That had changed recently, and there was only one explanation for it.

Evelina Romero.

She gave him something to focus on. A challenge. Damn, did she do a good job of posing a challenge for him. She’d come in without any intentions of doing so and completely turned his bland little routine upside down. Where he had begun to view his job as nothing more than a series of repetitious, almost meaningless tasks, she replaced that with a new kind of excitement. He would never admit the fact that he was bored in his job—and certainly not that things he had to do were entirely meaningless—not unless he wanted to get fired or thrown in jail or something of the like, but it could have used some changing now and then. Evelina provided enough of a change for him, and especially so since their conversation in the kitchen.

Since their conversation, Alejandro had been excited. Up until their conversation, their interaction had been limited. In fact, since their conversation, they hadn’t interacted much. If anything, Evelina was avoiding him more than she had before. Not that it had really killed his mood—even if they hadn’t formed any real, deep relationship at the moment, Evelina had promised she wasn’t going to leave. For Alejandro, having watched the woman for some time, he was more than aware that her promise could be one of two things: a way that he was getting through to her or something she’d said just to get him off her back. Either way, he was willing to accept it for now. What else would he be able to do? Evelina had quickly become the one thing that kept Alejandro’s day interesting. Even if he wasn’t given the chance to be around her constantly and, for as much as she tried to keep her distance, simply having the chance to b near her was enough. Or, rather, it wasn’t enough—he wanted so much more. He wanted everything; but for now, it was all he had. And he was able to live with that. Patience had always been a strong suit of his; a proper understanding of it, at least. While he wasn’t necessarily content where he was, he wasn’t going to push without knowing how. The last thing he wanted to do to Evelina was push her away by how forceful he was. He needed to be far more thoughtful than that; and thus far, he hoped he had been.

But none of that really changed the fact that she was confusing beyond belief. For a minute, he’d think he was getting to her and the next he’d find himself back at square one. It was irritating and annoying and it only made him more committed to making it work. Given their conversation, he wasn’t sure if anyone else had ever been that committed to her. Had anyone else noticed what an amazing woman she was and vowed to stick around? Or had they all just taken notice of her body and used her until they were done? The thought made Alejandro angry; it made him want to stand guard of her and make sure that no one was allowed to hurt her again. It was difficult when she didn’t want you around, to be sure, but that was where Alejandro’s stubbornness worked in his favour.

Today was no exception; it was simply the setting that had changed. England. Alejandro had never been yet, once again, he found himself there for a specific purpose, not just to wander about of his own accord. The masquerade ball had drawn many of the royal families together and, as a member of the royal family’s security, he was to attend with them. Or, perhaps attend was less accurate: he was to be there strictly as protection, if it was needed. Along with several other of the guard, he had was instructed to forgo his actual uniform and dress far more appropriately for the evening. He supposed it was to increase the air of ease and enjoyment for the evening and not have it ruined by who knows how many guards from each of the families present. While they were all there still, certainly, it preserved the atmosphere for the guests. As such, there was time for all of the guards to get to get to receive their orders, since they were all to work together this evening. When the actual time for the dance arrived, Alejandro had dressed himself in a nice suit, ignored—as the other guards did—the need for a mask, and took his place in the large ballroom where he was to keep an eye out. Even though he was all but limited to one space in the room, he found it entertaining to watch all of the families together; dancing, mingling, and generally just forgetting all of the stresses of the past few months. Alejandro felt it was exactly what most of them needed. All too soon, everyone would head home and, as quick as that, the tension and distrust would be back again.

For the majority of the evening, Alejandro spent his time scanning the crowd. While that was generally a part of his job, he also had a personal reason for doing so: finding Evelina. Despite the masks hiding a large majority of the people, Alejandro didn’t find it hard to spot the woman. It came as no surprise to the majority of his buddies in Spain when he requested to be sent for this assignment. Most of them knew the reason without him needing to explain it: Pilar was going which, naturally, meant Evelina was going. Alejandro had become quite good at picking her out of crowds; or, rather, recognizing her anywhere. He didn’t need to see her face to know the way her body moved or the way her hair looked; he didn’t need to see her face to know exactly what she looked like and be able to clearly picture it in his head. Whether or not his job was to watch everything in detail, his eyes would only sweep the crowd for a few moments before his gaze would come back to her. She was stunning. She always was.

Alejandro was distracted by her and, while he knew it wasn’t good given what his job was, he couldn’t help. He didn’t notice the man approaching him until there was a tap on his shoulder and one of his fellow guards leaned over so they could hear one another, telling him that his shift was up and he was free to go. Alejandro nodded and, while the man likely expected him to head for the door, he was instantly forward and carefully moving through the crowd. There were quite a few couples dancing—Evelina among them—so he skirted as politely as he could through those surrounding the dance floor until he was closer to her. He had noticed, quite irritatingly, that the man she currently danced with had kept her hand through more than one dance and, each time a song ended, he expected the man to step away. But instead, his arm encircled Evelina as if she was his to hold and keep. Alejandro didn’t approve. As the song ended, the man didn’t change his ways, instead leaning in to whisper something to Evelina and his arm once again holding her tight to himself. Stepping forward, moved around a few people before he got to them. His hand went to the man’s shoulder—originally just to tap him and announce his presence, but also to let the man know it was time to go. So, rather than withdraw his hand right away, he offered a pleasant smile and his fingers gripped the other man’s shoulder rather tightly. “If you will,” It wasn’t a question, and he wasn’t accepting anything other than ‘Sure thing’ as an answer.

Surprisingly, as the man turned to see who it was that was coming to steal his partner, he didn’t put up too much of a fight. Perhaps it was because of the look on Alejandro’s face that he thought quite clearly said ‘Say no and I’ll end your life’ or the fact that he didn’t have much of a spine to begin with. Either way, the man let go of Evelina rather abruptly and shrugged slightly, muttering something Alejandro neither heard nor cared about and shuffled off in the other direction. With that distraction out of the way, he turned back towards Evelina and instantly there was a smile on his face. Offering his hand and a slight bow, his gaze looked her over slowly. She was more beautiful than words could truly describe.

“¿Puedo tener este baile?”

dear, but my eyes see only you

TAG: EVE / EM. STATUS: COMPLETE. WORDS: 1,726. OUTFIT: A CLASSY SUIT. NOTES: <3 LYRICS FROM SWAY BY DEAN MARTIN. TEMPLATE INSPIRED BY THE LOVELY SERENA OF CAUTION AND SO DAMN SHALLOW. TEMPLATE CODED BY JAE OF CAUTION AND SO DAMN SHALLOW. I LOVE YOU, SERENA.

[EVELINA ROMERO]

Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in

Eve never thought, in a thousand years or even a thousand lifetimes, that she would be a regular at events like this. It used to be overwhelming, just a little. There were so many people of importance, royalty among them, and so many rules and eitquettes to keep in mind that Eve wasn't even sure why Pilar trusted her not to shove her foot in her mouth. Now, though, she was better. Mostly, she kept her mouth shut and tried to fly under the radar, and she was becoming quite adept at meaningless small talk.


Tonight, they were in London, and she was here, of course, at Pilar's request. She spent a good portion of the evening helping the princess get ready and dressed for the Masquerade ball, remaining in her 'normal' clothes through the process. Consequently, Pilar was being announced and entering the ball room while Evelina was still in Pilar's suite, just getting ready herself. It was a quiet, almost reverent process, especially once she unwrapped her rather lavish ballgown. She'd curled her hair, piling the loose rings in an elegant way in a up do. The make up was easy, of course, since her eyes would be hidden behind a mask anyway. But the dress... that was almost magical. What girl didn't enjoy dress up every now and then? Eve always dressed well, sharply, nicely. Business casual was the least casual you were likely to see her, but she also wasn't a princess. She didn't always get the opportunity to wear a dress like this- the kind that poofed at the skirt and fit the torso like a glove. The kind that made Eve feel like a porcelain doll. She liked it.


The dancing and ceremonious speeches already started by the time she got to the ballroom, and she entered, a tall English man opening the door for her. The ballroom was decorated in a very classy manner, though still involving the bright colors that were always typical of a Masquerade. The girl stopped just inside, standing off to the side as she took everything in. Nearly everyone seemed to be dancing, and they all had a mask, similar to the one she was wearing now. It made it a little more difficult to pick out the people she knew, but after a moment, she spotted Pilar. She was dancing with Dalmazio, her brother, currently. It was Eve's job at these events to make sure that Pilar was safe and comfortable and always looking her best. She seemed fine, for the moment, though, and this left Eve with a quick feeling of 'what do I do now?'


Her eyes trailed across the impressively large room, taking inn suits, masks, and dresses. And then she took in an almost solid line of men standing shoulder to shoulder around the edge of the room. None were wearing masks, and it took even her a second to realize it was a form of security detail. She wondered just what the odds of something happening were- if she were the American president, who, for reasons that were beyond her, had been invited, she would love an opportunity to have all the royal families in the same room. It made her shudder a bit, and she wanted to know just how tense and alert the men around the room were.


Her eyes swept over the line of them, when she suddenly recognized a face, and the next, and the next. Some of the guards were Spanish, and Eve couldn't say why, but it made her feel a little better. She knew Spain's guards, and how dedicated and loyal they were. If something terrible did happen, God forbid, they would at least jump right into the chaos. Eve was just ready to turn her attention back towards Pilar when her eyes swept over a very familiar face- Alejandro. She didn't know he'd been assigned to the family this trip. The girl hadn't talked to Alejandro much since that day in the kitchen where he shook her up. He'd been nothing but a sweetheart and patient with her, saying things that every girl wants to hear. She should have outright jumped him, but instead, she only pushed away from him harder, and other got her attention instead. Pilar made it clear how she felt about the situation, so Eve couldn't really talk to her best friend about it without being urged to go to the guy and make nice.


"Excuse me," a very heavy, clumsy accent said in her ear, drawing her attention away from Alejandro as he eyes slowly took in the owner of that accent. He was a blonde haired, blue eyed man who was twice Eve's size in every direction. She imagined, were he more sober, that he could be quite intimidating. She didn't recognize him as a royal family member, and he wasn't standing guard around the room, so she took him to be a royal adviser for maybe Norway. Once he had Eve's attention, he showed off a pearly white grin, and made a bow, asking her to dance.


She cordially agreed, letting the man take her hand and lead her to the floor, where she forgot about the possibility of an attack and the way Alejandro looked in a well cut suit. It was loud among the other couples, but they managed to introduce themselves to each other, and he figured out quite quickly that she was from Spain. Eve decided quite early on that he was rather harmless, and she didn't mind sharing a dance with him.


Except that he obviously wanted more than one dance. When the first song ended, Eve's toes becoming wounded soldiers from feet that were as clumsy as the accent he carried, she expected him to bow, and thank her, and move on to his next partner. Instead, though, he pulled her closer, which immediately set her on edge, and kept her by him until the next song started. Perhaps he noticed, because his grip loosened a touch, and he started to lean in, whispering in her ear and saying something about her being a 'delicate Spanish flower' she thought. It was a little hard to understand him, but she figured that was the gist of it. Despite being a couple glasses too many into the night, she decided he was still harmless. She grabbed a flute of champagne as a tray floated by on the arm of a waiter.


It wasn't until the end of their fifth song together that he finally left, and even by then, it wasn't the blonde man's choice. She didn't quite realize what was happening until he had let go of her and was already backing off, and she shifted her weight, almost ready to turn and leave the floor, but another body filled the empty space. This one was still practically twice her height (most people were quiet a bit taller than Eve) but definitely skinnier, and she lifted her gaze to lock eyes with none other than Alejandro. Almost out of reflex, she glanced to the spot where she'd seen him standing guard earlier to see that someone had taken his place.


She should quite still for a moment, glancing at his outstretched hand as he asked her if he could have the next dance. The instinctual side of her told her to just walk away, but that side seemed to lose a lot of battle when Alejandro was around, like he was clouding her better judgment. Her eyes went from his hand to his eyes.


He did just save her from her last partner, who, although harmless, wouldn't have let her go for the entire night. Had Alejandro just wanted a dance with her, or had he sensed that it was time to break them up? Either way, instinct was kicked to the curb when she asked herself how much harm a dance with him could really do.


She nodded, once, and placed her hand in his. "Si," she replied simply, curtsying to him. "You know how to dance?"

TAGGED: Squid/Alejandro


NOTES:She's in a good mood (more correctly, I'm in a good mood), so this should turn out well for him.


OUTFIT: We All Wear Masks

THIS TEMPLATE WAS MADE BY WILMETTA OF CAUTION.

[ALEJANDRO IGLESIAS]

other dancers may be on the floor

Alejandro didn’t believe himself to be the easily distracted type. In fact, for the most part, Alejandro thought himself to be a very dedicated person, regardless of the situation. Not just in his pursuit of Evelina, but in the majority of his life. He wasn’t the kind of person to jump from one point to the next or get distracted half way through a task. Dedication, both to his job and his goals had played a key point in his life. It didn’t matter if it was him setting his mind towards joining the Spanish legion, fulfilling his role as a palace guard, or going to the grocery story. Alejandro wasn’t a ‘halfway’ kind of guy. It was all or nothing. This proved to be especially true when it came to relationships. If nothing else, he was glad that he acknowledged that fact. Not that he was doing anything to change it, but he was aware of the fact that he was quick—sometimes too quick—to attach himself to a person that may or may not have been interested in him. Case and point? Evelina. She hadn’t necessarily responded well to any of his attempts, she continually pushed him away, and yet, at times, it seemed like she was getting more and more comfortable with his presence. Or, it would seem like that, and then the next minute she’d be just as icy and stoic as before. There were times where he wasn’t sure if she wanted to kiss him or hit him; and they’d barely had three full conversations.

But, none of that changed the fact that he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. He’d fallen for her, and in the beginning, he wasn’t even sure why. Maybe it was because she was that unobtainable one; the one that all the guys had, but no one truly knew. There was a mystery surrounding her. People knew she was willing to flirt; willing to do a lot with a lot of people, but no one knew her. He wanted too. In the beginning, it fueled his interest in her. While, at the time, it was nothing more than a passing glance here and there, it soon developed into something more as he began to see her around. She exuded a quiet confidence—or sometimes not so quiet—and it intrigued him. Yet, at the same time, there was hesitancy. It rarely showed, to be sure. Not usually in conversations with others. But she wasn’t open with people, and that much was obvious. She wasn’t the kind to join a women’s group and bear her feelings out there for the entire world to see. Sometime told him that she also wasn’t want to just pour out her heart over coffee and a snack someday. It required a lot more trust and diligence than that. Alejandro, after seeing the way that she was—or partially the way she was, as she hadn’t let her walls down enough to give him the full picture—was more committed than ever to be the one to earn her trust. Why? Why her? Wasn’t that the one question she’d been asking him? At the time, the best reply he could give was ‘Why not you?’ but he doubted that it would cut forever.

Did he have a better answer for her? The more he watched her, the more he felt like she needed someone. But, he didn’t want that to be what drove him. He didn’t want to be influenced just by her lack of someone good in her life. He wanted to be attracted by her. And, frankly, he was very attracted to her. Not only because of the fact that she was beautiful, but he saw her as a good woman too. She had strength and confidence; the wherewithal to get things done and she obvious stood up for the things that she believed. Even if he planned on breaking that part down on her for just a bit—since she seemed to believe that they weren’t a good match for one another. And maybe they weren’t. Maybe their personalities really weren’t meant to mesh. But he wasn’t willing to simply accept her rejection before she ever gave it a chance. Maybe it was because he didn’t like taking no for an answer or because he couldn’t get the woman out of his head, but either way, he was determined to make this work—or at least die trying. It was true, though. He couldn’t get her out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. He was distracted and he was lacking focus like he normally did, all because Evelina continued to avoid him.

And, at the moment, Alejandro wasn’t sure if he wanted to chide himself for that or simply sit back and enjoy it. Besides, she was absolutely stunning this evening and she was a lot easier to think about than worrying about constant threats. While that side of him still remained active, he imagined that it never really turned off, it was less upsetting to think about how good she looked in her dress. How absolutely mesmerizing; how captivating she looked as she danced, even if it was with another man. Though, he only let that go on for so long before he was there to step in. Even if he was willing to simply watch her the entire night, he didn’t approve of how close the other man was; how he was willing to lean in and whisper things in her ear or let his hand casually rest lower on her back that Alejandro thought appropriate. Everything about the situation set him on edge, and he wasn’t even positive that it was his place to do so. No doubt she would disapprove of the fact that he was already thinking of ways to keep other men away from her; but, for once, he wasn’t really concerned about what she thought. Not for this, at least. As soon as he was off duty he was beside her; he was sending the other man away and willingly stepping into his spot. And he felt like he could do a hell of a lot better than the last; dance partner or otherwise.

Once her hand slid into his, a smile turned up the ends of his lips. There was a brief pause, as she curtsied and he bowed, that they both waited for the music to start. His hand moved around to her back, staying considerably higher than the last man deemed necessary. As she asked whether or not he knew how to dance, Alejandro chuckled quietly and shook his head. “Is that what we’re supposed to be doing here?” He wasn’t sure if Evelina was the joking kind, but he didn’t have much chance to take it back now that he’d said it. He just hoped she wouldn’t mind his casual attitude too much There was still a part of him saying that he was to remain formal. That, regardless of how he felt or how easy it was to slip into some, less formal attitude, that he was still not afforded that pleasure. She wasn’t offering it and he wasn’t going to impose himself like that. So, clearing his throat, he backtracked just slightly. “I did ask you to dance, didn’t it? It’d be awfully rude of me to offer something I couldn’t actually provide.” His tone softened, losing the teasing edge to it and, hopefully, serving as reassurance that she was in the right hands. As he spoke, the music begin and, a few counts later, so did his lead into the dance.

dear, but my eyes see only you

TAG: EVE / EM. STATUS: COMPLETE. WORDS: 1,284. OUTFIT: A CLASSY SUIT. NOTES: HE AIN'T OFFERIN' NOTHING THAT HE CAN'T PROVIDE. LYRICS FROM SWAY BY DEAN MARTIN. TEMPLATE INSPIRED BY THE LOVELY SERENA OF CAUTION AND SO DAMN SHALLOW. TEMPLATE CODED BY JAE OF CAUTION AND SO DAMN SHALLOW. I LOVE YOU, SERENA.

[EVELINA ROMERO]

Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in

It struck Eve as odd, but in the couple of years that she and Alejandro had at least been aware of each other, she didn't think she had ever seen him out of his uniform. The uniform was a stiff and shapeless thing, so that all of the guards sort of looked alike while wearing it. She never saw him in day to day, casual clothes, much less in a suit.


A very well tailored suit, she might add. It did wonders for him, and made him look like an almost entirely new person. She was intrigued by this, but of course, said nothing. He wasn't wearing a mask, which somehow seemed unfair, since she was. It made her feel a little safer, though, like her blushing cheeks were hidden, and her eyes, even, might be masked from him, though they were about the only thing that weren't hidden from his view. It was probably safer, she assumed, them not wearing masks. It gave them less blind spots so they could be more focused on the crowd and any potential threats. But it gave her so much to look at it, and God, if she wasn't at least a little distracted by him.


And shouldn't he be working, and not dancing with her? She glanced quickly at the spot where he'd been earlier against the wall. Where she supposed she expected to see an empty spot, someone else had taken his place, either as a favor so that he could come rescue her from her German admirer, or because they were taking shifts tonight. That, too, was probably smart. Or even smarter, she imagined some of the guards were mingling in with the crowd of dancers, just in case. She was more on edge about this anyway since catching sight of Jason, the eldest son of the American president. That meant that A, the president was likely here, a place where he certainly was not welcomed, and that B, Pilar was going to be out of sorts tonight. She would be sure to keep an eye on her friend, just in case.


All of her attention was drawn back to Alejandro, however, when he joked about them dancing, and she was caught off guard for just a second, but it was brief and passed quickly, the question in her eyes replaced by an easy smile. "Well, if you're not sure..." Sometimes, she felt more comfortable with him when he joked, when he was less formal. Eve didn't want to tell him, in any way, how he should act around her or how she liked him to act, because she knew he would, without question. But when he dropped some of the formality, he seemed more approachable, like he was a real person that wasn't so... perfect.


Maybe it was his seemingly perfect disposition that threw her off, and, to a degree, intimidated her. She was never going to be able to live up to that, whether or not he said he wanted her too. It would be like a fish loving a bird (not that love was on the table, but it served as a fitting metaphor). He would be flying around gracefully, and she would be left gaping for the right words to say. So although he worried that he was too informal with her, it was getting him further, whether or not he knew it just yet.


He backtracked, though, and the smile slid from Eve's face. It was possible, of course, that he was just as intimidated by her. Wasn't that an interesting thought?


She was about to respond, maybe even apologize for asking the question, when the tone of his words hit her. He was implying a lot more than his ability to dance. Alejandro seemed to take every opportunity to let her know that if she asked, he could take care of her, protect her, and be there for her. She, predictably, chose not to respond to the undertone of that comment.


Instead, she nodded to him. "I'm sorry I asked," she told him sincerely. "I've just spent several minutes having my toes stepped on, and I suppose I was a little gunshy," she added, at least explaining why she was so quick to judge him and assume that he was a bad dancer. Push him away, Eve, a voice in her head almost yelled, and she, instead, pushed the thought away, taking his hand and taking a step closer to him as they took the position to dance.


When the song began, he was quick to take the lead, something that Eve, especially as a dancer, appreciated. She was impressed almost instantly with the ease in which he guided them both across the floor, and it was apparent that the movements were easy for him, if not familiar. Dios, if this man could dance, Eve was going to be a goner... she would have no hope of withstanding him for long.


Her eyes stayed steadily on his, almost scared at how quickly she was willing to trust him to lead her in this dance and not step on her toes, or run into any other partners. Her heart might have started to be beat faster with the thought of it. It wouldn;t have been so frightening if she didn't look at dance as a metaphor for life.


And then, just like that, the song was over. It had gone by so quickly that Eve barely noticed any time at all had passed, and she found herself hoping that he would stay for another.

TAGGED: Squid/Alejandro


NOTES:I think I rushed the end, there, but ah well.


OUTFIT: We All Wear Masks

THIS TEMPLATE WAS MADE BY WILMETTA OF CAUTION.

[ALEJANDRO IGLESIAS]

other dancers may be on the floor

Dancing had never been something that Alejandro considered important when he was a kid. For the most part, he was like any other young man. He wanted to run around with his friends, play football in the streets, and do anything he could to avoid helping his mom sweep the house. That being said, he was never a rebellious child and it wasn’t hard for his mother to force him into a dance class when he was about ten years old. While he certainly didn’t enjoy it at first, over a year and a half his opinion changed and he became the one requesting to be signed up again. Not only was it fun, but the older he got the more he began to realise that dancing was an excellent way to get closer to girls. And not just physically. Which, at fifteen, may have been his only thought. His partner didn’t remain consistent when he was first learning, but by the time he was fourteen he had a neighbour that he stuck with and for the next two years, and they quickly became inseparable.

Alejandro’s propensity towards quick relationships was never a new thing to him. Even at fifteen, where he was still getting over the fact that girls were strange creatures, he began to fall for the girl that he spent the majority of his time with. It was only natural, he supposed, when he looked back on it. That someone you spent the majority of your time with would become someone you started to admire. Not only that, but the two had to trust one another; she trusting him to lead and him trusting her to follow. As many people that may have called him foolish for claiming he knew what love was at fifteen, he still firmly believed that she was the first person he ever felt attached too so strongly. Less than a year later and the two were walking hand in hand, claiming to be madly in love and already planning some wedding once they were old enough. While he would have loved to claim that he never expected it to last, the real truth of the matter was that he never expected it to end. Alejandro never expected any relationship to end. Perhaps, in the back of his mind, he knew that it was wrong to assume such a thing. People change; relationships change. But love was a choice, wasn’t it? The only problem was that, apparently, it wasn’t a choice that she had felt like making. Not only was she his first love, but she was his heartbreak. Though, considering the fact that he wasn’t currently with her, that would have been a logical point to conclude. Their breakup was also the ending of their dance partnership and, for Alejandro, his dance lessons. But, by sixteen, he was ready to pursue other areas in his life and heading to a class every Tuesday and Thursday night to learn how to salsa and foxtrot wasn’t a priority.

Six years learning ballroom dances and now, at twenty-five, he could only remember the basics of most of them and the more advanced techniques of, at most, three. If nothing else, he was firmly confident in his ability to perform a nice waltz. If nothing else, it was a good discipline for him. And, for events such as this, it proved to be incredibly helpful. Though, given the fact that he was rarely at such events, it didn’t seem to be all that helpful these days. Until now. And, dios, he was more thankful now than ever that his mother had dragged his obstinate ass to dance lessons when he was ten years old. Having watched Evelina for some time before being relieved from his post, he realized that she wasn’t new to dancing either. Even with her clumsy partner, her grace was evident. It wasn’t the first time she’d be led—even if, this time, it was poorly—in a dance. That thought made him wonder what else it was that she was good at. While he could claim to know her all he wanted, and even believed it to a certain point, given the majority of time he spent admiring her, he didn’t know things like that. He wanted to know everything. Not just what he could gather in observation. He wanted to know what she enjoyed doing; what her hobbies were; he wanted to know what made her laugh, or cry; and, most of all, he wanted to know what made her heart break. It may have been wrong for him to desire so much of someone that seemed to want to offer so little, but he wanted to know the most intimate parts of her, and that desire only grew stronger the more he met her. But damn it all if she wouldn’t let him have a solid footing for that; no matter how hard he tried to get close to her or how much it seemed like it was working, she was pushing him away again before he could get used to the feeling of getting through to her.

While it certainly didn’t last long, he wondered if it would all be worth it in the end. Would she remain like this no matter how long he tried to pursue her or would she finally give in to him? He prayed it was the later, because the girl was driving him absolutely crazy and she likely wasn’t even aware of it. One comment from their last interaction repeated through his head. She had said it in passing; perhaps not even realising she said it. But she claimed she wasn’t worth the effort. What if her entire reason for keeping him at arm’s length really was because she didn’t feel worth it? If that was the case, he didn’t ever want to give up. Hell, even if it wasn’t the case, he didn’t want to give up; but to have that be her motivator seemed to give him all the more reason to commit to her, even if she didn’t want him too.

“No, no; I’m positive.” While he’d started out with a joke, her reply made him think that she’d be willing to walk away and, almost unconsciously, his grip around her waist tightened just enough to let her know that she wasn’t going to wiggle her way out of this dance. He was going to have at least one, and now that she’d accepted, she wasn’t going to be able to change her mind. She was his for the next few minutes as the song played, and he intended to enjoy every second of it. And, if possible, make her do the same. Though, after he spoke, his easy smile spread over his face again and he cleared his throat, slowly loosening his grip as she mentioned her previous partner. “I would have saved you from him sooner, but I was only just relieved from my spot. Had I known he was hurting you, I would’ve come sooner and claimed it was for work.” He grinned, though it was hardly a joke in his mind. Really, he would’ve been over there so much sooner if he had been able too. But, given the fact that he was to remain watchful on the entire crowd and not just her, he didn’t think that would sit well with his superiors. He was already having enough trouble keeping his eyes on anything but her, he didn’t need to go get caught up in her presence while on duty. But now? Now he had no reason not too, and as the song started to play and he led her around the floor, every other worry vanished. It didn’t matter that, when the song ended, she would likely be just as quick to flee his partnership as she was to push him from a conversation. All that mattered at the moment was the beautiful woman in his arms, trusting him to lead her and never taking her eyes off of him. Even if he wanted too, he doubted he could’ve looked away. She was breathtaking; and he was completely and utterly captivated by her. Ay dios... how did she expect him to focus on anything when she was dressed like that and moved so easily? If she wasn’t already blatantly aware of his attraction to her, then she was simply ignorant, but if she was, then she was simply playing with his heart now. It was hardly fair.

Alejandro didn’t care.

It felt like a few seconds and the song had already ended. Alejandro didn’t want to let go. He wanted to pretend like he hadn’t heard the band end and that all the other couples in the room had continued to dance. But the band did stop and so did the dance floor. At this point, Alejandro didn’t care. While he didn’t necessarily continue to dance, his grip never lessened and he swayed her lightly, praying to God that a song would start again quickly so he could pretend as if it had never stopped.

dear, but my eyes see only you

TAG: EVE / EM. STATUS: COMPLETE. WORDS: 1,527. OUTFIT: A CLASSY SUIT. NOTES: <3 LYRICS FROM SWAY BY DEAN MARTIN. TEMPLATE INSPIRED BY THE LOVELY SERENA OF CAUTION AND SO DAMN SHALLOW. TEMPLATE CODED BY JAE OF CAUTION AND SO DAMN SHALLOW. I LOVE YOU, SERENA.

[EVELINA ROMERO]

Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in

Eve actually laughed, damn her. And damn him. He was so quick to backtrack and assure her that yes, they were supposed to be dancing, and yes, he was sure he wanted to be here dancing with her, that it was just a natural reaction for her to dance. And then, his arm tightened ever so slightly about her waist, and her eyes met Alejandro's. Though the smile on her lips was fading, there was still a sparkle of laughter in her eyes. "Okay, okay. I'm not going anywhere." It was for the sake of being polite, she told herself. She may have wanted to keep him at a distance, but she couldn't be cruel and just leave him on the dance floor, right? That rule had been ingrained in her mind since she started lessons at age 4. Or 3. Or however impossibly young she was. But hey, an obsession with the dance studio served as a great babysitter for her uninterested parents. She supposed that worked out for the best all the way around.


Eve glanced over her shoulder, catching sight of the German man who'd been her partner. "Pero, no, he wasn't hurting me. I'm sort of used to it." She had a feeling that if she told Alejandro that anyone was actually hurting her, that he would make them pay for it. He was protective of her, she realized, and her eyes came back to his, just barely stopping herself from asking him why. Every time she asked him a question that started with 'why,' she got an answer that unsettled her. She, of course, figured this was all part of his plan, so she kept quiet. For now. Curiosity would, inevitable, get the better of her.


She couldn't take the silence for long after the music began, and when she was left to her own thoughts and the annoyance at her apparent inability to take her eyes off of him, the curiosity kicked in, and she sighed slowly, quietly so that he would notice it and read anything good or bad into it. "Alejandro... how did you recognize me?" There were many brunettes on the floor, and if she were being honest, with the mask, she didn't really look that different from Pilar. Granted, she had a couple of things working to Alejandro's advantage- she wasn't as surrounded by people as Pilar was. It was rather obvious that Pilar was royalty and Eve was not. On top of that, she was short enough that when standing next to several other, normal people, she did stand out. That aside, though, there was nothing about her that didn't blend in with ever other slender brunette here. Not with the masks on. Of course, she realized three seconds too late that she probably didn't want to know the answer to that question, either. Damn it.


And that was it- a few more turned around the floor in a well learned, classic dance, and the song was over before Eve felt it really began. For a moment, the two of them stood still, coming to a stop on the floor, and the space between them could have drug on for an hour, for all Eve knew. Even when she wasn't moving in his arms and following his lead, she couldn't take her gaze away from his. This was terrible and verging on absolutely disastrous.


Then she felt his arm pulling her closer, though maybe that wasn't the intended purpose. Maybe it was just to keep her from leaving, because she was sure she must have had that ferrel cat look in her eyes. Either way, it did cause her to take a small step forward, and good Lord, was he big. And well toned. She'd never noticed that before, either. Right now, she was kind of wishing he was back in his uniform. Or why couldn't he just be like a typical guy? Then they could have a night, some fun, and move on?


She swallowed, the motion snapping her out of her moment and back into the real world, though she never lost awareness of being so close to Alejandro. The eternity of time spent just standing there was one long, awkward moment where they were both pretending, for various reasons, that the music hadn't stopped and that they weren't just standing there. This would have been Eve's cue to take a step back, curtsy graciously to him, and go outside for some fresh air, or anywhere just to get away from him. She refused to take her eyes off of his own, like some posturing game of animals in the wild- the first one to look away would surely lose. Or, in Eve's case, she'd be done for. The blush would creep into her cheeks, and she'd be turned into some helpless, hopeless school girl with a crush. She didn't have the luxury in her life of being able to be that person. That, and damnit, she was captivated.


Finally, Eve realized there was only one thing she could possibly do in this situation. She was going to ride this out, but she'd be hell bent if it wasn't under her control.


She licked her lips, which had become somewhat dry in the nervousness of the time between dances, and even during their first dance, and her fingers gripping his bicep just slightly where her hand was placed in a classic waltz positioning. She could handle this, as long as it was all her own doing.


She caught movement over Alejandro's shoulder, and noted with relief that finally the orchestra was positioning themselves for another piece of music, and she smiled coyly at Alejandro- the smile of a girl who had a plan. "Well... are you going to be a gentleman and ask me for a second dance?"


The music started, and her smile grew as if to emphasize her question. She wondered (hoped) if this reaction from her would take him by surprise. She wanted to start catching him off guard, since he was so keen to do it to her every chance he got. A second later, she wondered if Pilar had caught sight of this exchange yet... she certainly hope not. That was the last thing Eve needed, because she knew Pilar would have something to say about it.


"Well, senor?"

TAGGED: Squid/Alejandro


NOTES:That awkward moment when...


OUTFIT: We All Wear Masks

THIS TEMPLATE WAS MADE BY WILMETTA OF CAUTION.

[ALEJANDRO IGLESIAS]

other dancers may be on the floor

Alejandro tightening his grip around Evelina had merely been a gut reaction. The one thing, other than words, that he could think of to keep her from running away from him. Did he really have to hold her there if he wanted to get a dance? That hardly seemed right. For a moment, he considered dropping his hands and allowing her her freedom. She’d just been subject to a dance with a man she obviously didn’t enjoy, so did he want to force her into that again? It seemed apparent to him that she didn’t necessarily enjoy his company so much, so why make her stay? The one thing he couldn’t fully figure out is what it was about him that she didn’t like. It was, in a way, very unsettling. He wanted her to like him. Wanted her to let him get closer. But she seemed adamant on... well, confusing him. One minute she was stoic and pushing him away and the next, dios, she was laughing that light, airy, infectious laughter. She was enjoying herself, or so he assumed because of the laugh, and that counted for something, right? He no longer tried to work through what it was that Evelina was thinking; he instead decided to just keep doing what he did best and hope that, at some point, she would come around. Nodding a bit as she replied that she was going nowhere, he smiled; somewhat in contrast to her smile that was quickly fading. He’d have to find a way to get that back; she looked so much more... approachable when she smiled. So much more attainable. As soon as that smile faded, she reminded him more of a sculpture of some goddess. Delicate and perfect, but skilfully carved out of stone and reflecting that hardened exterior on every feature.

Following her gaze as she glanced over her shoulder, Alejandro watched as the other man continued making his way through the crowd. Doubtless he was finding his next victim. Alejandro was fine with that, as long as Evelina didn’t enter his radar again. And, if he had any say in it, he’d make sure she didn’t. “Used to people stepping on your feet, senorita?” His smile softened and, before he could stop himself from asking the next question, it was already out of his mouth. “Or used to people hurting you?” The music started as he asked, his eyes still on hers. For a brief moments, it seemed like they were the only couple on the floor that wasn’t moving to the music. But he had been distracted; he had good reason to start a few counts later than everyone else. While he wanted to know the answer, he wasn’t sure that he was necessarily going to get one from her. That, and he realised that it was likely very personal. Who was he to ask her something like that? He’d been asking her a lot of things recently that were probably too personal.

His eyes rarely left her. Glancing away only momentarily now and again to make sure that they weren’t going to run into other couples or off the dance floor entirely. While he knew how to dance and could lead, she was utterly and completely distracting; he wouldn’t have been surprised if he messed up and tripped over his own feet, the way that she was holding his attention. It was quite selfish of her, really; distracting him from a good dance with her beauty. Her undeniable beauty. If he were more a poet, he didn’t doubt he could go on for hours in some breathtaking way about how beautiful she was. There weren’t enough adjectives in the world for him to feel like he’d accurately captured how he saw her. And yet, there she was, asking him to tell her just how he recognized her? Wasn’t it obvious that she stood out? That, even in a crowd full of women, with all their expensive dressed and jewellery; their hair done and makeup and masks. Even with all of that, it paled in comparison to her. He smiled regardless, his eyes still on her. “A mask can’t hide who you are. It might make it more difficult for a time, but it’s not impossible to see through it.” That seemed like a better answer than ‘I know exactly what you look like, Evelina, I don’t need to see your face to find you.’ Because, that seemed to imply that he watched her far more than she was likely aware of. Perhaps true, but not necessarily something he wanted to admit. She already seemed to have enough trouble with the fact that he wanted to talk to her, let alone if she knew that he watched her as well.

Staying as vague as possible seemed good, for now, since he wanted to keep her close to him for as long as possible. From where his hand was on her back, he could just feel the skin above her dress and, as they turned about the floor, he was once again lost in her. Her skin was soft; smooth and warm and incredibly inviting. It took him a moment to pull his thoughts away from that; but the lack of music that suddenly greeted him helped with that. Although he pulled her closer as the song end, his hand dropped slightly too. Not enough for it to become inappropriate, but enough that his hand could firmly rest on her dress and her dress alone. Anything else was too distracting for him and the last thing he wanted to do was get distracted by her in that way; especially not when he was standing right in front of her. For a moment, his gaze shifted to the orchestra, before back to her and locking with her eyes. As if he needed to feel the warmth of her skin under his fingertips to be distracted by her. One look from her was enough to bring him to his knees. Had she not been looking back at him so intently, he would have allowed one glance; one opportunity to take her all in. He’d had all night to do that, though, right? But not like this. Not when she was this close and, damn, not when her presence was this intoxicating. He didn’t miss the slight step she took towards him as his arm held her slightly. She could have left if she wanted too, but for some reason, his sign that he wanted her to stay was apparently enough to keep her. And he had no idea why. But he wasn’t about to ask any questions that would make her second guess herself.

She was licking her lips and he was, once again, damning himself for getting so distracting by the small, physical things. Her smile was back, as well, and that certainly wasn’t helping him stay focused in the slightest. Did she know that she was driving him absolutely crazy? That the desire to bring his lips crashing into that smile of hers was almost overwhelming. Her lips; her eyes; her everything; it was perfect. Almost mirroring her own motions, he swallowed and licked his lips, though no smile joined his actions. His gaze never wavered.

“Dance with me.” He supposed, in some sense, it could have sounded like a question. But it was one that he was really not prepared to accept a no for. Really, he didn’t give her much chance to say no, as his hand slowly moved back up her back into position and he was stepping forward, leading her into another waltz.

dear, but my eyes see only you

TAG: EVE / EM. STATUS: COMPLETE. WORDS: 1,277. OUTFIT: A CLASSY SUIT. NOTES: <3 LYRICS FROM SWAY BY DEAN MARTIN. TEMPLATE INSPIRED BY THE LOVELY SERENA OF CAUTION AND SO DAMN SHALLOW. TEMPLATE CODED BY JAE OF CAUTION AND SO DAMN SHALLOW. I LOVE YOU, SERENA.

[EVELINA ROMERO]

Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in

Evelina needed to learn to stop asking questions. Alejandro had a way of answering them tha she swore made her heart stop, and she couldn't even tell if it was the scared feeling he gave her, or the blush in her cheeks. As ridiculous as it would have sounded to anyone else, even Pilar, who knew Eve quite well, the young lady in waiting was scared of Alejandro. She was scared of his honesty, his persistence, the sweet things he said. Why couldn't he have just set his sights on another girl, an easier girl? Even guys who liked challenges gave up on her after a while. He refused to, and she couldn't reason it in her head. She was too stuck in her own thought patterns to see what Alejandro saw.


He was reading too deep into her words, but worse, he was reading them correctly. That terrified her, too. She didn't like when people tried to figure her out, though, admittedly, not many people tried.


"I meant my toes," she said with a small smile. She knew how she needed to approach him now, and from now on- it was with her favorite defense mechanism, humor. Although she had a suspicion that he would see right through this as well, but she was going to make a joke of all of his serious, philosophical moments. It might be the only way she could keep him at a distance, the more she thought about it.


So her head tilted slightly, and her eyes narrowed almost playfully at him. "You're doing it again," she told him with a cheeky grin- another facial expression that he hadn't seen from her yet. She waited for the predictable 'doing what?', or whatever variant of the question he would asked. When the words came, her smile remained. "That... 'finding a deeper meaning in everything' thing you do. Not everything I say is hiding something more profound, you know. Sometimes, all I mean is that a lot of dance partners have stepped on my toes. In fact, you can take pretty much everything I say at face value." Like he would. But, to be fair, yes. She was used to people hurting her, to the point where she had come to expect it. She would only ever admit that in her subconsciousness, though. She hated the self pity party that would result if she allowed herself more time to consider it. What she did allow herself to consider, however, was that Alejandro had not stepped on her toes once. In fact, he was leading her quite adpetly across the floor, and she trusted him inherently. If he wanted to interpret everything as a metaphor, she could use this, too. His metaphorical way of telling her that he was not going to hurt her. He couldn't promise that, though, and she sighed quietly, letting her eyes fall from his. She didn't need Alejandro, or any man, to make her whole again.


But he couldn't leave well enough alone, and she couldn't stop asking questions, either, and they would ruin each other if they kept this up.


Was it her imagination, or maybe her paranoia, or was everything he said aimed right at her core? The whole thing about the mask made her flight or fight instinct kick in, and her first instinct, always, was to run. It would be so easy- just politely thank him and walk out the door and leave him behind. But something held her here.


So her defense mechanisms kicked in again, and she laughed. It was airy and pretty and petite, coming out of an equally petite girl, but it was also forced and well practiced. "There you go again, senor." It was the only way of getting out of this without just abandoning him on the floor. Besides, hadn't she told him she would stick around, back that day in the kitchen?


He made her feel entirely uncomfortable, like she was wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold morning, and he kept picking at the blanket, trying to pull it off of her. She tried to stop him there, because what if, instead of being left in the cold, she was actually only afraid that he wanted to crawl under the blanket with her? She rolled her eyes and looked at him pointedly. "Now you've got me thinking in metaphors. It's poetic, though. I'll give you that."


The unemotional wall was successfully back in place. She felt like herself again. Good girl, Eve. Take control of the situation. Make it go your way. In doing that, though, she more or less told him to ask her to dance again. As his smile faded, so did hers.


Dance with me. When she was younger, and in love (as much as any fifteen year old girl knew about love), those three words, said just. like. that. would do her in every single time. Dancing was a language all on it's own, one that she spoke proudly and fluently. Even in the last five minutes or so, she realized that Alejandro spoke it rather fluently as well. Maybe that was why he asked for the next dance the way he had.


She was aware, suddenly, of how close they were, and his hand resting on her back. And ay, Dios, the way he smelled. He smelled quite good, and she didn't know why she hadn't noticed it before. "That wasn't asking," she said, but she couldn't manage to make her voice any louder than a whisper- one of those whispers that you hoped to catch in your lover's throat while they were swept up in a moment. He didn't give her an opportunity to make more of a fool of herself, thank God, and stepped forward. Eve fell into step instantly, following his lead.


She fell into his lead so easily, and she wanted to ask him where he learned to dance. This wasn't just natural talent, though he was latin, after all, she was sure a lot of it was natural. But someone had taught him how to take a girl in his arms and dance with her. Maybe that was a metaphor, too, and for all of her desire to not be hurt by him... she wanted to learn more, to know more. She wanted to know what other surprises he was hiding.

TAGGED: Squid/Alejandro


NOTES:I like how much shit she gives him (mentally) for taking everything she says as a metaphor when I threw in at least THREE metaphors about what she was thinking.


OUTFIT: We All Wear Masks

THIS TEMPLATE WAS MADE BY WILMETTA OF CAUTION.

[ALEJANDRO IGLESIAS]

other dancers may be on the floor

Alejandro considered himself to be a pretty good bullshitter. A liar? Not so much. But BSing when he had absolutely no idea what he was doing? That was fine... most of the time, at least. It was the lying he never could get the hang of. Once Alejandro knew the truth, he had a hard time not letting on to that fact. It was why he avoided poker and stuck more to games of chance. Go Fish, maybe. At least he felt confident in his ability to beat a kid in Go Fish. More confident than he did in his ability to beat Sebastián and Jon in poker. He had absolutely no poker face, which was why he tried to stick to situations where he had absolutely no idea what he was doing—and had no idea that he didn’t know what he was doing—or ones that he was completely confident in his ability. This applied. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing with Evelina Romero, but at this point, he still wasn’t aware of the fact that he had no idea. At this moment, as he had Evelina in his arms and they both danced through the room, he was content to be unaware. He wanted to be unaware of whether or not it was a good idea to pursue her. Unaware of if it would end up well or not. Maybe he was just ignoring it; maybe he really did know, he just wasn’t acknowledging. But that was the point, wasn’t it? Not giving up was being aware of the odds and simply saying, ‘fuck it, I’m going for it anyway.’

Sometimes, ignorance was bliss, right? Generally, Alejandro wasn’t one that conformed to that way of thinking. He was a decision maker; and part of that meant knowing the different factors involved. Knowing everything that may or may not end up impacting things. But with Evelina? He was finding that to be hard. Getting to know her was hard when she would hardly let him ask questions; and, when he did, see seemed hell bent on avoiding them. It was why, the more he thought about it, the more he was beginning to accept the fact that, until she was ready, he wasn’t going to know what he was getting himself into. He just had to get her to a point where she was ready. All that required was some patience, some pushing, and the occasional waffle, right? Seemed like a good plan and, seeing as how he didn’t quite know what to expect, he was okay pursuing that course of action. Just closing his eyes and diving in; not looking back. The more he talked to Evelina—which, admittedly, wasn’t a lot—the more he was convinced that ‘going for it’ was the only way to approach this girl. Not that he didn’t have logical reasons for picking her, but with the way she was a bit... resistant. Most people would give up and move on. It was a good thing Alejandro didn’t like to give up.

Besides, he had her smiling. She was replying, she wasn’t walking away, and she didn’t have that look on her face anymore like she had in the kitchen that said she was unamused by what he was offering. Though, that didn’t mean she was just going to go with his questions. That would have been too easy. But he was supposed to be blissfully ignorant of how hard this was going to be, right? So he simply smiled in reply, his gaze searching over her face as she spoke before her head tilted and her eyes narrowed at him. The look that crossed her face made him incredibly aware of how attractive she was. That little, teasing look was driving him crazy. Was she aware of that? Or, in the end, was she just as lost as he was? Something told him that she knew what she was doing a lot better than he did. “Doing it?” He actually laughed when she told him what she meant. Not to discount what she was saying, but because he honestly found it funny. Maybe he did talk like that too much; honestly, he’d just heard what she said and wasn’t sure what she meant. Or, rather, he knew what she probably meant but the way she had said it left it open for interpretation. And, part of him assumed that it really was the latter that she was used too. The way she pushed him away made him think it was a defensive mechanism. Or, maybe it was just something about him. Either way, the question was out now, and she was calling him on it.

Her laugh ignited one of his own again as she pointed out, for the second time, that he was being ‘deep’. Hadn’t he just kept it vague so he didn’t have to admit that he couldn’t take his eyes off of her? That, whenever she was around, she infected every single one of his thoughts? Work became impossible once she was around because she grabbed his attention and, selfishly, refused to let it go. Multitasking wasn’t necessarily his strong suit and, when it came to Evelina, it became an impossibility. Was that what he was supposed to tell her? Smiling a bit, though he imagined it looked more forced than natural the way that he was trying to figure out how to form a proper sentence all the while standing so close to such a beautiful girl. Even simple things like smiling became hard work when his mind was focused on her. “It seemed better than my other answer.” As if that wasn’t completely giving it away. He was now positive that he became an absolutely moron in her presence. Wasn’t that something you did as a teenager? He was supposed to have gotten over that by now.

But he hadn’t, and Evelina was making that acutely prominent the way that every little thing she did had his thoughts completely wrapped up in her. And her voice... it was enough to simply lose himself in her beauty, but she continued to open her mouth and her voice; each little inflection and tone, it all had him deeply and fully engrossed in her. She was so damn close and he couldn’t do anything; the way she practically whispered her point of him not actually asking. For a moment, it seemed like time stood still. It seemed like he could hear her heart beat, but after a moment he realised that was his own pounding in his ears. Did she know what kind of hell she was putting him through? How incredibly hard it was to maintain distance when the only thing he wanted was to be as close as was physically possible. The dancing; the dance grounded him. It kept his thoughts at least somewhat occupied and, thankfully, somewhat off of Evelina. It kept him sane.

“No... I wasn’t giving a choice. I’m not ready to let you leave yet.”

dear, but my eyes see only you

TAG: EVE / EM. STATUS: COMPLETE. WORDS: 1,181. OUTFIT: A CLASSY SUIT. NOTES: <3 LYRICS FROM SWAY BY DEAN MARTIN. TEMPLATE INSPIRED BY THE LOVELY SERENA OF CAUTION AND SO DAMN SHALLOW. TEMPLATE CODED BY JAE OF CAUTION AND SO DAMN SHALLOW. I LOVE YOU, SERENA.

[EVELINA ROMERO]

[QUOTE=EVELINA ROMERO,May 14 2012, 09:04 PM]

Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in

The funny thing was, Alejandro really wasn't much of a talker. The things he said were either incredibly well timed, or short comments to keep a conversation going. Either way, they were phrased in such a way that made her feel like he could see right through her. This was dangerous, though, especially for a girl like Eve who had a bad habit of talking too much to fill any silence, uncomfortable or not. Maybe that's why she like Thunderstorms so much... She definitely did not enjoy the quiet moments. She had an unsettling fear that Alejandro's quiet nature was going to make her give away a lot of things unwittingly.


Maybe that was all part of his plan. Since he seemed convinced he could read her so well, and his comments to her backed up this theory, maybe he knew what buttons to not push to get her talking. It already seemed to be working tonight... Or maybe that was just the last glass of champagne talking. Champagne had that effect, too. Whatever it was, Eve was starting to feel mor comfortable now, a huge progress in its own right. Yes, he was still picking at that blanket, but she was apparently getting used to it.


She noticed, not for the first time, that he smelled absolutely intoxicating. Eve had a thing for cologne, but she was pretty sure he was only wearing a hint of it. No, the smell of musk and spice and heat was just him. Yeah... This was definitely the champagne talking now. Eve had no right to be thinking any of these things about about the guard. Dios, if Pilar caught sight of this at all, Eve was not going to ever live this down, and it was only going to fuel both of their encouragements towards this. And she definitely blamed the champagne for her next thought... Sometimes, she was just tired and she wanted to let someone woo her. If she ever dropped the ice queen act, Alejandro would have been the perfect person. She was just not strong enough to deal with the inevitable goodbye.


Why did he have to smell so damn good? How dare he bypass all of her mental and emotional barriers to get to her head with something so physical. It was not outside the realm of possibility that his body knew as innately as he did how to wear her down. Naturally, this blossomed other thoughts that she quickly pushed aside, burried, and she let out an audible sigh. Some combination of the dancing, the champagne, and his affect on her mind had her cheeks carry a rosy tint, and when she gave him the look that said she wasn't going to put too much effort into fighting him tonight, she looked a lot younger. Just for that moment, she could have been a bright eyed, even innocent teenager.


At his response to her, Eve's mouth opened, her tongue already forming the obvious question. She stopped herself before she could put a voice to the first word though- now was a perfect time to teach herself to stop asking him questions. She had a feeling that the answer to this one was something else she didn't want to hear. Actually, she was pretty sure she knew what his other answer was.


Eve was drawn back to that morning in the kitchen where she accused him of having a dangerous side to him. He denied it, but the more time she found herself in his presence, the more she was convinced that she was right. Maybe he wasn't dangerous by most standards, but he was definitely dangerous to her and the facade she put on. And Heaven help her, Eve was drawn to danger.


They were moving in a fluid rhythm, and Eve was not immune to the fact that he lead her quite well. Too many positives about him were invading her self restricted thoughts. The first dance could have been a fluke. There was a chance, albeit small, that he'd just faked it well for the first few minutes. Now, only a few stanzas into the next song, it was crystal clear that he knew how to dance. More importantly, he knew how to dance with her. It may not have seemed like a big deal to almost anyone else, but it was profound to her. Granted, it was a waltz, and not something that required more passion and attention to detail, like a tango, but still. Her German admirer couldn't boast the same as Alejandro.


Suddenly, all of her thoughts that were slowly coming around to him were shattered by his words. Eve missed a step in the dance, throwing them for just a split second, though she recovered quickly. No one but Alejandro would have even noticed. Sometimes, he had a way of saying something that was so self assured and so against her very nature, however self taught it was. Somehow, at the same time, it was almost endearing. "Ay, lo siento," she breathed, breaking eye contact to look down at her feet like the misstep had been their fault, entirely, and nothing to do with her.


Obviously, it was no secret that Evie had a instinctual need to be in control. Some people were good at leaving things up to fate and other people. Not her. Even as a child, she'd been that way, before the world could work its evils against her. She hated being told what to do, not knowing something. Surprises? They bothered her. A lot, in fact, especially of she was told that there was going to be a surprise in her future. It just wasn't in her genetic make up to be anything but in control, and sure, maybe she took it to extremes, but Alejandro had just all but undone her by effectively telling her she had no choice in the matter of this dance. That's where the misstep came from. And the really strange part about it was that it didn't even bother her- not like she thought it should have. More than anything, he just surprised her with the confidence in which he'd taken that control.


"I'm a fan of choices. What if I would have chosen to stay? Now you'll never know." Evie was was teasing him. She told him to ask her for another dance, so it could be safely assumed that of course she would have said yes. "Tambien," she continued, one eyebrow raising as she regained her composure now that her footing was correct again, "I already told you once tonight that I'm not going anywhere. Recuerdo?" She was just talking for the sake of it now, sort of hoping he would say something to shut her up.


Bastard. He was a right bastard for fogging her head up like this. Alejandro, dancing, and alcohol were never allowed to happen in the same space in her life again.

TAGGED: Squid/Alejandro


NOTES:It's a little short, but I really like parts of this.


OUTFIT: We All Wear Masks

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