He hadn't really wanted to come, but her smile had convinced him that a night away from the observatory might be worth it. After all, how often did you get the chance to attend a ball at an actual castle? So he'd dusted off his tux and tried to style his sandy blonde hair in to something other than its usual fluffy mess. And now he was here, her head resting against his neck, his arm encircling her small waist, as they slow danced in the centre of the floor.
When she'd first glided in to the ballroom he could barely meet her eye, nor she his, but once they locked from across the room they'd been lost. She was beautiful in a long, ivory gown, with sparkles in her dark brown hair and big, green eyes and he forgot how to speak. Looking a little unsure of herself, she laughed at something said to her by one of the older guys who'd escorted her in.
He backed off, got another drink, she'd never go for him over all those others. And yet...whenever he chanced to look up from his conversation with an interesting, but in no way comparable, girl from one of the other universities, he'd catch her hastily looking away with an almost hurt look on her pretty face. Finally she broke away from the group she was with and wandered over to interrupt.
"Decided to come then?" she smiled.
"Couldn't turn down the castle," he'd answered, pseudo seriously and they'd continued to speak of all the things they had in common. She'd asked about his work with the telescopes and he'd found her to be not only interested, but well versed in astronomy, something he had not previously realised. He felt understood. She smiled when he smiled, looked adorably serious when asking him questions and laughed easily and infectiously.
"Oh my god, I love this song!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together and bouncing in her seat like an excited kid.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked without thinking. 'God, what did you do that for?' he thought to himself, seeing himself horrifyingly awkward on the dance floor. Under a pretence of calm he took her hand and led her to the dance floor, weaved around a few of the older couples and stopped at a suitable empty space. One hand met hers round their waists and the other covered hers on his shoulder. A brief moment of awkwardness subsided as they settled in to the rhythm and she nestled her head into the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply. The song ended and they stayed as they were, unsure of where to go.
"So..." she said, pulling away, a little embarrassed by her obvious display of affection. They stared in to each other's eyes for a moment too long, before she looked to the floor.
"Why don't we go exploring?" she suggested, "Can't go to a haunted castle and not explore."