[C] Practise

The ballroom had very much become Tibor's favourite place to be besides being curled up in the games room with Amr.

He'd stumbled upon it one time, surprised and pleased at the discovery. He'd moved his training room from the hall he'd found previously to the ballroom immeditely.

How he was right at the end of practise, winding down with some simple stretches.

He was hot and sweaty, his loose shirt soaked with sweat and clinging uncomfortably to his chest, showing off a bit more of the curve of his breasts than he would have liked. The troubles of being athletic and transgender: you couldn't wear your binding while performing unless you wanted to end up passed out on the floor.

He groaned as his legs slowly stretched out, taking him down into box splits. It was a good sound. He could feel the delicious burn of his muscles, telling him that he'd had a good work out.

Today was cleaning the ballroom day. Every Friday afternoon after he finished his shift at the cafe.

His arms were bundled with cleaning equipment. In one hand he held a mop and bucket in one hand filled with warm bleached water. In the other he carried all the other essentials. Such as a toothbrush.

There was a skip in his step as he walked. A one-eighty on his sullen mood only a month ago.

Reaching the ballroom he cocked the door open with his hip and entered the ballroom. He almost dropped the bucket of diluted bleach in surprise.

"Hello?"

It has been a very long time seeing someone use the hall. Let alone use the hall for it's intended purpose. It filled him with even more joy.

Tibor jumped out of his skin when he heard the friendly call.

He rose up out of his splits and span around, cheeks flushing a deep red colour as he bit his already swollen lip.

"U-uhm, hi," he muttered in reply, taking a few steps backwards.

He wasn't used to people appearing during his practises.

He felt a little guilty when he startled the other boy.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."

He would offer to come back later, but he already put off cleaning the ballroom for so long already with the cafe asking him to work overtime for an hour.

"You won't mind if I start cleaning?"

"O-oh, no. I was just winding down anyway." His voice was a mixture of accents. Noticeably, a thick Eastern European accent.

Ti flexed his toes inside his slippers then took another couple of steps back, until he was close to his bag. He dropped down to pick up his water bottle and take a little sip, wiping at his sweaty forehead. Blond hair was plastered to his skin.

"I will just keep to this side of the room until you have finished. You can take your time, it is a big room."

Giving the ballroom a quick clean, like he was doing now, took up to an hour. Maybe two hours if he got distracted.

He placed the bucket and box down onto the floor. He picked out the disinfection wipes and began running them over hard surfaces where dust may gather.

"What are you practising for?"

"If you're sure..."

He really did need to wind down just a little more before he called it a day.

After taking another sip of water, he dropped his bottle back into his bag and began his stretches again.

"Our company are performing in a couple months. I'm just getting the practise in."

He nodded as the other person spoke.

It was easy to assume the stranger was part of a dance company, but what type of dance?

"What are you preforming?"

"The Sleeping Beauty."

It was a beuatiful ballet, but it would be a killer.

Tibor just thanked his lucky stars that this particular ballet had been his mothers favourite, so for years he had practised extracts from it just for fun.

Dick nodded and smiled. He was a sucker for fairy tales in all formates. Sleeping Beauty was no exception.

"What dance do you do?"

Dick took a stepladder that was hidden away behind a curtain to help him reach the higher places.

"Uhm... ballet."

He tugged at the hem of his shirt as he drew out of his stretches, deeming himself done for the day.

Still, he lingered around.

It was nice to talk to someone besides his sort-of boyfriend and his sister.

"Oh?"

Dick adored the ballet. It was so beautiful and put together. The graceful and refined movements that could only be done by the years devotion from the dancers. It always shone through. Dick didn't think he ever saw a ballet and been disappointed.

"I am jealous. I've always wanted to learn."

He guessed there was nothing stopping him. He still had hundreds of years to perfect a technique.

"It is a horrible sport to learn," Tibor bemoaned, ruffling his damp fringe to unstick it from his forehead.

He loved the dance, he truly did, but it was a horrible dance to learn.

His legs always ached, his feet were brutalised, and he suffered more hours of training than most people thought was even possible.

Yet he smiled to soften the insult he'd given to his sport.

"I've heard."

He had met a couple of dancers that practised ballet before. They insulted it more then people who hated the dance, and always the first to come to it's defence.

"Been practising it long then?"

"This ballet? On and off for nearly twenty years."

His practises as a child counted, right? Growing up The Sleeping Beauty was his go-to for practise when he had nothing else in mind. He knew some parts of this dance like the back of his hand.

Twenty?!

Dick knew he shouldn't be the one to judge, but they looked shy of eighteen. He turned his head to make it look like he was busying himself with ducking the window sills to mask his surprise.

"You must almost be an expert in it."

Tibor was, in fact, coming up to twenty three now. Time had flown since he had first come to the mansion. Over two years now...

"I have a lot to learn."

He was good, yes, but he would never call himself an expert. There was always something new to learn.

He hummed.

"I guess with any type of art you always feel you have a lot to learn."

Even centuries of drawing and painting he never felt he could be one of the masters. Not even close.

"An occupational hazard of any artisan," Tibor agreed with a little smile.

There was always something to learn.If you thought there wasn't, then you were lying to yourself.

Ti scratched the back of his neck idly.

Dick halted his cleaning to turn and face Ti.

"Where and when are you performing then? It has been a while since I have been to the ballet."

His thoughts turned to Fleck. It would be a good date idea; something other than drinking or eating.

"Oh, um..."

Ti bit his lip, cheeks flushing with blood. He had been practically born on the stage, but the idea of people he knew, even if it was in passing, watching him made him nervous.

"There's an old theatre, by the far end of the beach? Beauty and the Beast starts next month."

Dick frowned in thought before his eyes lit up.

"Oh yes! I know. You may see me there then."

He smiled at Ti and then it dropped. He hastily added: "Only if you are okay with that, of course."

"Of course! The theatre would really appreciate you coming."

Maybe he was a bit nervous, but the theatre wasn't doing the very best right now and any ticket bought would help them. Especially if the ticket buyers chose to pay the optional donation to the theatre.

He wouldn't dissuade anyone from coming.

His smile returned.

"I will see you there then," even if he had to go by himself "especially since it is Beauty and the Beast. It is one of my favourite stories."

There were few adaptations of the story he disliked. they were almost always books with conspicuous covers.

"I hope we do it justice then."

He'd certainly practised enough to be able to do it justice, even if his confidence told him otherwise.

He just hoped that other people thought that their group did well.