Alethea smiled gently, relieved by his reaction. It wasn't one of dislike, nor did he seem weirded out by it. Not that she really expected him to be. Instead, it was one of pleasure and happiness, written plainly in his smile and in his eyes. She was glad, and suddenly she found herself rather aware of the distance between them. And as she contemplated this, Thal-ion suddenly stood. She looked up at him, a little surprised by the action, but didn't hesitate to take his hand when it was offered, and allow him to help her stand.<br/><br/>She was now away that they were a great deal closer, barely a hair's breadth apart. She took in a soft, but sharp breath as he drew her even closer, if that were possible, into a dancer's embrace. Her eyes stared up into his, not entirely sure what to do, as she had never danced before, and had only seen others do so on a few occasions. There was no music playing, but he began to sway with her, and she with him. His cheeks were bright red and she was certain that hers were red as well, but that was okay. It didn't matter. Not now.<br/><br/>For a time, she stared up into his eyes, very aware of her own heartbeat, and somehow of his. But eventually she closed her eyes, shutting out the world, letting the rest of the galaxy fade until all that remained was the two of them, and this moment, surprising though it had been. She smiled gently as she rested her head against his chest, continuing to sway back and forth to some unheard music.<br/><br/>She wasn't sure how long it lasted, their swaying, dancing alone, so incredibly close to one another. Eventually, she opened her eyes again, pulling back just enough to look up at him, her eyes searching his for something, though she couldn't say what it was she was looking for. But after a moment, she smiled, something of a mysterious smile. "You're determined to make this as hard as possible for me, aren't you?" she teased, referring to her earlier personal decision, and the fact that he was seemingly making her regret that choice now.<br/><br/>She took a slow, deep breath, letting it out as if to try to calm the continued racing of her heart. "I'm not sure I'm strong enough for this," she almost whispered as she fought not to lean up and kiss him again. She wanted to, more than she was willing to admit. But did he? If she kissed him again, she was afraid that she might accidentally apologize again and she couldn't have that. Nevertheless, some part of her whispered that it was okay, that she didn't need to fight it, that she could just give in.<span style="font-style: italic">Kiss him. Again and again. Until you're both breathless. And then kiss him again. It will feel so good, and you will feel so much better,</span>the voice whispered. But was that really true? Would it really be okay? She no longer had a strong answer, so she just stared up into his eyes, neither able to listen or to fully resist her desire.