Like No One's Watching (Everyone Is) [OPEN]

Angelo arrived to the ball as on time as he ever was. Today, that meant fashionably late, but not obnoxiously so. He could feel eyes on him as he swaggered down the main staircase, a sensation he was just starting to like again. With Lucelia's love proving unswerving, Angelo's confidence was coming back, both quickly and surely. He even grinned and winked at a group of school-age girls standing in a cluster at the bottom of the stairs. Several giggled and blushed. One even fanned her cheeks a little. He allowed his grin to widen a bit.

Turning his eyes from the teenagers, Angelo scanned the room for Lucelia. He saw her across the room talking to a colleague and raised his hand in greeting when she looked his way. Confident that she'd seen him, Angelo descended the rest of the way into the ballroom. Lucelia would seek him out when she could. She had plenty of other people to talk to between now and then; besides he got her all to himself later, so he wouldn't deny everyone else the pleasure of her company now.

Angelo slid through the dancers with his returned grace, letting the music wash over him. He could always ask someone to dance... It had been a while since he'd danced with anyone but Lucelia. Even Azalea was scarce as a dance partner. He held out a hand to the nearest partner-less young lady. "Care to dance?" he asked with a smile.

Spoiler:

Angelo was shocked for a moment at the enthusiastic response. Who was-? Then, a few half forgotten descriptions by Azalea entered his mind and he hugged the girl in return. "Ah, you must be the lovely lady, Victoria. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last." He bowed chivalrously, grinning at her, and kissed her hand.

Entering the dance floor, Angelo guided them both into the beginnings of a waltz. "I'm glad to see you up and about. Azalea told me about your surgery. Quite a miracle." Though his eyes didn't drift from his partner often, he took small chances to glance around at the splendor surrounding them. "Salem seems to have outdone themselves this year. Are you enjoying yourself?"

Sierra walked into the ballroom and looked around for Apollo. She wondered if he had come, she hoped so. The main reason she had attended the ball was to see him and have him see her in her dress. She looked around and saw a boy with blonde hair. She approached the boy but soon stopped when another girl approached. SHe decided to just wait at the punch bowl for more people to arrive.

Angelo smiled. "It's alright. I have a very young, very enthusiastic friend." He smiled, thinking of Espe. "Her hugs have been known to knock me over, so I'm used to it." He hoped she wasn't feeling too embarrassed. It was nice to be greeted with such enthusiasm. "I wonder what Azalea has been telling you that you're so excited. She probably didn't have much left to the stories once she finished editing out the bad parts," he told her with a teasing grin.

Victoria followed the dance beautifully and Angelo told her so. "You look very beautiful when you dance. You certainly have a dancer's grace. It seems that not even a few years in a wheelchair can remove it." He nodded. "I certainly know the feeling. One seems to become indebted to Azalea very quickly." Certainly he still owed her for finding him after he Fell and bringing him to Lucelia.

Nodding, Angelo couldn't help but agree. "They certainly did. I don't know how they even managed to do half of this." The decorations were outstanding, intricate and beautiful.

Chuckling, Angelo nodded. "Yes, she is lovely. I'm happy to count her as one of my friends, young as she is." He had always thought of Espe as a little sister and was proud to have her in his life. He was a bit surprised that Azalea hadn't said more, as she'd told him a few stories about Victoria, but mentally shrugged it off. Most of his past wasn't something to tell young children anyway. "Well then I'm glad I get to make a favorable first impression," he told Victoria, smiling.

After executing a few gliding turns, careful not to hit any of the other dancing couples, Angelo told her, "I know how that is. I've been practicing myself. Azalea probably hasn't told you, but I actually died in the battle at Lugarmago. I was able to come back because of my mother, but I had to give up my wings. It took a lot of time to re-learn the use of my body without them." He frowned a bit. "I hope no one's ever laughed at you. Learning or re-learning the art of dance is difficult and you are to be congratulated for persevering. Everyone makes mistakes, it's just about not giving pup because of them."

Salem looked positively stunning. There was no two-ways about it; the girls who had been in charge of organising the ball had done an absolutely incredible job. Lucelica found herself walking around for a decently long while, just taking in the school in all of it's beauty. It reminded her of her first day teaching in some ways; trying to absorb everything in such a short time.

There was one person she was truly in search for, though. Sure, all of the students- both schools- looked beautiful all dolled up. The dresses were wonderful; an array of colours that reminded her of her more artistic days and the young men in their suits looked dashing. But if she could just find Angelo for one moment, she needn't worry for the rest of the evening. Knowing he was safe and sound was her first and only priority. She had been idly talking to some of the other professors, smiling and laughing charmingly at their words between raises of drinks to her lips, idle small talk really just going in one ear and out the other.

After a while, she sought out her boyfriend once more. Her eyes found him quite quickly, but navigating her way through the dancing couples and friends and awkwardly standing teens proved quite the task. She smiled her apologies at those she accidentally bumped before finally, and rather ungracefully, stumbling out from behind a group of young men all laughing together. The young girl on Angelo's arm, Miss Newbury, looked beautiful and no-one could convince her otherwise. She smiled and slowly approached the dancing duo, just in time to hear the question she asked about the two of them.

"We are," she announced softly, gliding around to be beside the two of them. "And I hope he's saving at least one dance for me." Her tone was teasing, light as ever as she greeted the young Wormwood with a curt nod of her head. "You look wonderful, Victoria," she said honestly, flashing her a grin. "As do you, Mister D'Monica."

Spoiler:

Angelo smiled softly. "It's ok. I'm getting used to it. And... I've had help, learning to accept life without them. Lu- Professor Tsahara has been very good to me and has stayed by my side while I adjust." His eyes shone as he thought of their confrontation in his apartment and how Lucelia had forced him out of his self pity. "It's always good to have people like her by your side," he told the young witch, returning to the present moment.

Angelo's eyes lit up as Lucelia made her way over to them. She looked absolutely stunning, even more beautiful up close than she was at a distance. Looking at Victoria, he said, "I hope you'll excuse me for a moment." He released her and picked up Lucelia's hand to plant a light kiss on it. "And you, mi cielo, look absolutely gorgeous." He grinned at her, then kissed her lightly on the lips, mindful of the students' eyes on them. When he pulled back, it was just to smile into her eyes.

"And you, mi cielo, look absolutely gorgeous."

A year ago, those had been words Lucelia only heard leaving Angelo's lips in her dreams. They still gave her a floaty feeling, and as she felt him kiss the back of her hand, she felt like her body was alight with the glow of a thousand fairies. She returned his kiss, wary of the eyes of the students and other professors around her, bowing her head with a soft giggle as his eyes searched hers for the words she'd said only once, but meant a million times.

"When are you getting married?"

The Norwegian was fast to snap out of it at the m word that she heard the American say. She flushed bright red, something she hadn't actually done since she first met Angelo by the lake at Lugarmago, and looked between blond and brunette in search of a viable answer. "I-... We haven't t-... Uh..." It was all rather silly, she thought as she composed herself, her overreaction. "We haven't talked about it..."

Angelo startled a bit at Victoria's question, but began to grin. It's almost like she knows... he though to himself, slipping a hand into his pocket to finger the small bow he had there, the one he'd been carrying around for a little over a week now, in case the right opportunity presented itself. He hadn't been planning on asking Lucelia in such a public manner, but he couldn't possibly pass up that opening.

"Well, I hadn't been planning on doing this here, but since you asked..." Angelo slid down to one knee, pulling the small, velvet box out of his pocket and opening it to reveal a ring, a diamond flanked by two sparkling sapphires. "Lucelia Tsahara. I've been drawn to you ever since we first met at the side of a lake in Spain. Our journey has taken us many years, through unimaginable hardships, and across an ocean. We've laughed and cried and gazed out into the beautiful Spanish sunrise from the top of a cathedral. We've helped each other, we've fought, we've made up, and we've started the cycle over again. And I can't imagine doing it with anyone else. Lucelia, I love you so much. Will you join me for the rest of my life's journey? Will you marry me?"

Spoiler:

It was strange. One minute, Angelo was just above her eyeline, and the next, he was on his knee before her and she knew exactly what was coming before it even came. Like the girls in the movies always did, her hand clasped tightly around her mouth as she looked down to him, willing herself not to cry because her mascara was on point, and as much as she loved Angelo, she also loved not looking like a panda bear.

"Will you marry me?"

In all honesty, her reaction had been on par with Victoria's. Internally, she was screaming and flailing and crying and hugging the man before her tighter than ever. Externally, though, she held her breath and nodded once, twice, three times as she slowly lowered her arm to reveal the biggest, most genuine of smiles. As if she needed to, she accompanied it all with a soft whisper of a "yes", looking down at the ring that, beautiful in all it's glory, matched the sparkle in her own eyes at the sudden proposal.

Beaming, Angelo slid the ring onto Lucelia's finger. He surged up from the floor, grabbing his new fiancé in a hug and swinging her around. He set her down long enough to grab her face in both hands and kiss her, long and sweet. Dimly, he was aware of applause, talking, and catcalls in the background, but the focus of his world had narrowed down to one person only, and she was already in his arms.

Angelo pulled back from the kiss, smiling so wide that his face hurt. He couldn't ever remember smiling as big as he was in that moment. "I love you, Lucelia," he whispered to her. "I love you so much." He rubbed his thumbs gently across her cheekbones, catching any stray tears and stared lovingly into her eyes, still grinning like a fool.

Giggles erupted from the part Veela's stomach as she was spun, holding Angelo tightly around the neck as she grinned uncontrollably. His breaths were the only sound to meet her ears, his arms around her the only thing she could feel and his comforting aroma the only smell in her world. But when he kissed her, the noises of the room around her finally found her senses, and as she rested her hands on her fiancé's waist, she struggled to know what to do with herself.

"I love you too," she whispered, melting instantly into his touch as he handled her so gently. Contrasting was his smile, the one she hadn't needed to grow to love because it was so naturally, wonderfully beautiful, which made her own grow only bigger. The irony of the colour of her dress hit her as she fell into the man before her with a soft laugh, arms lacing around his neck like they had a thousand times before and would do a thousand times again. She lost herself in him, in his embrace, in his breaths.

Lost in her own little infinity.