The club was almost all black, with gold handrails around a central dance floor. Lights of varying colors twisted and twirled over the dance floor as various couples, and some people without partners, danced the night away.

Around the central dance floor was basically an enlarged bar that wrapped around the two sides and the back wall with tables at which people could sit. The whole room was about twenty meters wide, leaving a nice ten-meter wide dance area.

The six of them were sitting at a table near the steps leading down to the dancing. It ran perpendicular to the guardrail, acting as a second wall for the people coming off the dance floor.

Asuka looked around energetically. "This is so exciting!"

Kaji and Misato were sitting at the two seats farthest away from the dance floor, then Asuka and Shinji, and then Cirus and Rei. Cirus had to surmise that Misato had prearranged the seating, with the aid of Asuka, because of their optimized positions.

"You see? I told you, you would enjoy yourself," Misato replied above the music and din of conversation.

Cirus sighed, and looked across at Rei. He noticed with a slight smile that she was watching the people dance quite intently with her calm eyes. Asuka suddenly leaping up from her seat got his attention.

"Shinji, come on! I want to dance," she ordered, running around the table, grabbing the startled Shinji, and dragging him down to the dance floor.

Cirus watched with a sympathetic wince as Shinji had his foot stamped into the ground by Asuka as she danced all around him. Shinji finally grew a bit used to it, and actually managed to seem decent at it; helping Asuka spin by holding her hand up above her head.

Cirus turned back and glanced at Rei. She was watching Asuka and Shinji with intent, her brow creased slightly.

"Something wrong, Miss Ayanami?" he asked calmly, but loud enough for her to hear.

"...Why do they dance?" she asked back.

Cirus looked down at the floor with her. "They enjoy it. It makes them feel human."

Rei acknowledged what he said with a distant nod. He could tell by how she watched them that she was at least curious about the experience. He took in a deep breath, and then stood up from his seat, walking around the table. He held his hand out to her.

"Would you like to dance, Miss Ayanami?"

She looked up at him with wide eyes and pink cheeks. "...I... I do not know how to dance," her voice was softened even more than her normal tone.

"Then would you like me to show you?" Cirus asked back with a smile.

Rei reached up hesitantly, but then took his hand and stood up. Misato and Kaji watched as Cirus led Rei down to the dance floor, and then to a secluded corner of it to show her what to do.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Rei was gone, and they'd replaced her with a look-a-like," Kaji commented.

Misato just smiled at the two of them. "I think they make a cute couple."

The music was old-fashioned, and so was the dancing. The club had a theme going for the night and so no one felt silly about the ballroom style dancing going on about them.

"The first thing to do with music like this," Cirus started calmly, taking both of Rei's hands lightly in his, "is to learn a simple little push and pull step." He slowly pulled her left hand back with his right as he stepped forward with his left foot. "And then you do the opposite," he explained and slowly did the same motion, but on the opposite side. "And depending on the tempo of the song you can do this at different speeds."

Rei nodded calmly.

"So let's try it. Slowly first of course," he added with a slight smile.

She nodded again, and then they started. When he pulled her right and stepped out with his left, she pulled his right and stepped out with her left. They then switched.

"Perfect," Cirus told her. "Then you just keep doing it until you either get bored and want to try something new, or you just get tired and sit down," his smile turned wry as he finished.

Rei tilted her head and listened to the song playing behind them. It was a medium speed, positive tune. She looked at Cirus expectantly. "Can we try now?"

Cirus nodded. Going to the beat of the song, which was about twice as fast as they had been practicing, was more difficult than it would appear, but they started anyway. Rei calmly repeated what they had done, but at a faster pace, and Cirus was able to keep up. They kept it up for some time until Rei seemed to be satisfied with it and they stopped.

"Now there�s a variation on this that you can switch to, to avoid being repetitive," Cirus explained.

Another nod answered, and the blue-haired girl held out her hands. Cirus took them with a nod of his own in reply.

"First, you step closer together, like this," he said calmly as he stepped up to Rei, lifting their hands high above their head, and thus pulling them closer together, "and second, you fall apart, holding yourselves together with your hands, like this," he said stepping away from her and letting his arms let her own fall straight. "Now we both do it at the same time."

Rei nodded, and then they started. They stepped closer to each other, raising their arms high, hands held, and then fell away from each other, stepping back with one foot.

"Perfect," Cirus replied calmly, though he was getting more than a little wary of her ease of motion. When they pulled together she was little more than an inch away from him, and that was very distracting. He, of course, hid all this from any visible form of detection, but it was there.

"And how do we switch from one to the other?" Rei asked in her naturally gentle voice.

"Ah, yes. Like this," Cirus answered, stepping toward her and holding out his hands.

She took them, and he raised their hands high. "When you pull apart," he said as he did so, "you switch to the step." He pulled her right arm toward him gently, and stepped to the left.

"I see. Like this?" Rei asked and she pulled them together. Cirus took the cue, then fell away as she did, she led into the step, they switched sides, and then stopped.

"Exactly," Cirus answered with a nod.

Rei looked away from them and up at Asuka and Shinji. Asuka was spinning under Shinji�s hand again with a broad smile on her face.

Cirus realized with some discomfort that Rei would probably want to learn that next. When she turned to him with a curious expression on her face, he smiled and nodded.

"Like this," he said, and took her through the dance they'd learned so far until they got to the second step. He took her right hand and lifted it, gently pushing her other elbow away from him to show her when to spin. She lifted her leg and spun around on one foot for a full ten seconds before stopping herself with a jingle of her earrings. She tried to step forward and stumbled, so Cirus caught her.

"Alright?" he asked with a slight smile.

"Y-yes, I'm dizzy," she answered.

"Ah, sorry I forgot to warn you. It helps to keep your eyes focused on something and only take them off for a short time as you spin," he explained.

"I understand. Can we try again?" she asked calmly.

Cirus smiled and nodded, hiding the hard swallow he took as he did so. Rei nodded back, and they started again. When she started her spin this time, she kept her eyes locked on his until she had to rotate back around and lock onto them again. She stopped gracefully and didn't feel dizzy.

Cirus cleared his throat, "Perfect."

Misato couldn't help but smile; she could see the look on Cirus' face as Rei finished the last spin. It was precious. "Kaji, watch," she said, furtively pointing at the two of them.

Kaji looked in the direction ordered with a raised eyebrow and a wry smile.

"Is there anything else you would like to learn?" Cirus asked.

"Yes," she answered with a nod.

"And what is it?"

"...I need to show you. I'm not sure how to explain it," Rei answered.

Cirus nodded. "As you wish."

Rei took his right arm by the hand, and wrapped it around herself, her back to Cirus as she pulled closer to him. Cirus suppressed the urge to gasp and calmly waited. She then spun along his arm until she was at arm's length, and stopped.

Cirus raised both eyebrows politely. "...Ah...that. Alright, that's a little complicated, but as you wish."

He held out both of his hands, and Rei took them again. He took her through all the steps they'd learned so far until after her underhand spin, and then held onto her hand. He nodded to her, holding his free left hand out wide as if he was spring-loaded. She rolled along his right arm and toward his torso. He pulled his other hand in, held it next to his torso as she did, and then gently gripped her other hand in it, allowing her to spin out the rest of his left arm until at arm�s length again. She flung out her free arm as she had seen others do, and so did Cirus. She smiled as the two of them stood up normally.

"I... I enjoyed that," she said softly.

Cirus smiled back at her. "I'm glad."

"...So if we joined hands again at the end of that could we continue?" Rei asked.

Cirus nodded calmly. "Yes. You want to try it out on the dance floor?" he asked.

Rei nodded with another faint smile. Cirus forced his fear to the back of his mind; she wanted to, so he would. They waited until the last song ended, and then stepped out to the dance floor, facing each other.

A soft song started. It was perfect for a first dance. Cirus bowed his head to her and extended one hand. She took it and then his other hand. They stepped out to the each other and then switched sides. They repeated that once before Cirus eased her into the pull and fall step. She rose up with his arms slowly with the song and then they fell away, spinning slightly as they did it again, and then again.

Misato smiled as she noticed the dance floor starting to clear for the two of them. Even Asuka and Shinji had stopped to watch.

Cirus gently let go of Rei's left hand after the final fall away and she took the cue perfectly, letting her left arm out wide and then spinning along his arm toward him. He brought his own arm in and met her left hand, letting her spin out to the other side. He then gently raised her hand with a slight spin, and she started to spin around, around him, with a beautiful, slow, grace. He met her other hand as she stopped and then stepped again. Repeating it once, they raised each other�s arms as they pulled together. They fell away slowly, and then repeated it. Cirus lifted his hand from their last fall away with another soft spin. She took the cue perfectly, and spun around him with the same slow grace. She was enchanting.

Asuka looked on in disbelief at the two of them. She was too shocked to say anything. Shinji watched with a slight smile. Misato leaned her head against her hand wistfully as she watched them, letting her other hand lay on the table loosely. She felt another hand rest in it and she looked up at Kaji, who was watching them also.

Cirus and Rei continued to dance. Stepping, falling, spinning, all with quiet grace that kept the music playing as the entire bar started to watch.

Finally the music slowly started to die away, the musicians giving the two of them plenty of time to finish their dance as gracefully as it was proceeding.

Rei spun down along Cirus' arm very slowly, and stopped as she was against him, the music stopping. She held Cirus' arm about her, and he took her wordless cue. He pulled his other arm around her gently as she rested her head against his shoulder.

The musicians looked at each other, and then nodded, starting a slow, soft dance.

Cirus and Rei both smiled as they started to slowly shift with the music, still held together.

Shinji realized as he watched them that Rei was smiling so serenely. She was relaxed.

Cirus' smile broadened softly as he gently turned Rei around in his arms and looked down in her eyes. He put his arm around her waist and held her other hand in his and slowly started to spin her around himself. Rei slowly rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, a smile staying on her face naturally.

They slowly danced together alone for the remainder of the song until the musicians slowly let it die away. As the music stopped so did Cirus and Rei and they pulled away from each other. Rei smiled up at him, tears coming down her face quietly. He reached up with his finger and gently brushed them away, smiling at her softly, though his own tears tricked out from beneath his glasses.

Shinji smiled and slowly started to clap. Misato and Kaji took the hint and started also. Asuka, begrudgingly at first, but then easily, started herself, and soon the entire club started to do so, even the musicians.

Rei looked around, blushing, but still smiling. Cirus smiled and bowed, stepping away from her and motioning at her to the audience. Their clapping became more powerful and Rei tipped her head in quiet thanks as well as attempting to hide her face. Cirus stepped back up to her, still smiling, and then waited for her to start off the dance floor, walking her off.

Rei slipped her hand into Cirus and leaned against him as they walked. "...Thank you."

He gently squeezed her hand and smiled. "No. Thank you."

Later that evening, Cirus was walking Rei back to her house. They had only just left the club a few minutes ago, and her house was at least a twenty-minute walk.

"You were very good, Miss Ayanami. I find it hard to believe you were never taught to dance before," Cirus commented calmly as they walked.

Rei's cheeks turned slightly pink. "...I just followed your instructions."

Cirus shook his head. "You were far too graceful out there to have just been going off my instructions, Miss Ayanami. You were magnificent."

"...You're embarrassing me," she replied quietly.

Cirus smiled at her. "My apologies, but it's all true."

Rei smiled slightly and looked back up. The night was rather cool so she crossed her arms to stay warm. Cirus took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. She was surprised, but gripped the coat with her hands and pulled it around herself. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Cirus replied. He smiled as the tips of his coat dragged along the ground; it was too long for her. "I'm sorry if it's too long."

"No, it's fine," Rei replied.

Cirus nodded, and they walked along quietly for a few more minutes. "Will you be alright alone tonight?" he asked, just checking.

Rei nodded slowly. "Yes, thank you." Cirus smiled. "...Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" he asked with greater care, looking at her.

Rei smiled, remembering what had happened and what it felt like. "Yes... I did very much." The words seemed to fit, though she didn't really know if she was experiencing enjoyment or not, they seemed to fit.

Cirus smiled and looked back down. "Wonderful, I'm very glad."

They were silent again until Cirus saw her house ahead of them. They slowly approached the house, and then walked up to the door. Rei stepped up to it, and turned back around to him, taking off his coat and letting him take it back.

She looked into his eyes as best she could through the glasses he was wearing. He reached up, took them off, looking into her eyes, and smiled faintly.

"I... I am glad you came," she said softly and very quietly.

His smile lightened. "So am I, Miss Ayanami. And I am very glad you were there."

Rei blushed again, and looked down at the ground. Cirus smiled up at her, and reached out gently to her hands, clasped in front of herself. He pulled her right hand toward him with the utmost care, and brought it to his lips. Rei's blush deepened and her mouth opened slightly as Cirus did so. He then gently let her hand back.

"Good night, Miss Ayanami. See you in the morning," he said softly, smiling in the same way.

"...Good night, Mister Trent," she replied, her own voice almost inaudibly soft.

He bowed his head, then let her go in to her house before turning, putting his glasses back on, and going on his own way.

Rei closed the door numbly, and then looked down at her hand. Her mouth opened slightly again in shock, but she closed it and looked out the window to see Cirus. He was walking off down the street slowly, holding his coat over his shoulder with two fingers.

New feelings were rushing through her mind that she'd never known before. They weren't bad, just slightly overwhelming. Rei calmed herself down, and then walked back to her room.