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[Tatsu Szabo]

Their formality always made Szabo think of great literature. Where the female was dainty and delicate and swooned behind a paper fan and wore those cute little white gloves and the man was big and strong and obviously beautiful and he held the dainty female carefully whenever she fainted. And when she'd come around, her dark lashes would flutter and faintly, she would mumble his name.

Mister Szabo.

Those pink cheeks warmed his insides just the way he was sure they did her cheeks and much resistance was needed to keep his other hand from reaching out to it. He adored pink cheeks; that flush of a girl when shy or bashful or so taken a back.

"Of course it wouldn't be too much trouble," Tatsu murmured, lips quirking upward. Even his eyes smiled down over her. "Never fear the dark. I'm a Night Guardian - to protect his my job."

Perhaps it was egotistical of him, but who had ever thought he hadn't one?

The trembling from her hand onto her arm caught his attention then and he glanced down at Eva, brows furrowing together.

"Miss Han...? Are you... cold? Your little hand is shaking..."

What a sweet, delicate hand.

[Eva Han]

He was always so eloquent and well spoken. He knew just the right thing to say at the right time. So, if that was the case, was it terribly inconceivable that Eva Han was completely besotted with this image she had created in her head? The image of a perfect gentleman, who was regal and proud yet caring and unusually romantic.

"No, not cold," she confessed turning her face to avoid looking into his marble eyes. "Just a little..." her voice trailed off, becoming almost inaudible. "Nervous."

[Tatsu Szabo]

The shy manner in which Miss Han turned away from him as she confessed that nerves, not cold, shook her hands, warmed something inside Tatsu and melted his insides. A soft, gentle smile upturned his lips and he suavely tightened the crook of his arm on her hand, as though this was reassuring.

"Miss Han... you needn't be nervous. You and I... we're... ahh... friends, aren't we?" Tatsu's eyes turned on Miss Han, surprisingly gentle, though the sparkled with something unspoken.

[Eva Han]

Friends.

A word she was comfortable--no, in fact, a term she had been so previously excited to hear now made her heart feel hot, heavy and bitter.

Unsatisfying. A most unsatisfying word.

"Yes, of course we are," she reassured him in her unusual shy voice, however, this time the corner of her lips were down turned, the complete opposite of her normal cheery disposition.

Unsatisfying. Terribly so.

[Tatsu Szabo]

Eva transformed before his eyes.

He watched the corners of her lips tug down and pull her sweet mouth into a frown. Tatsu didn't like the look of a frown on Miss Han's face; she was meant to smile that sweet, gentle smile that he loved so very much.

Brows tucking down a bit, Tatsu tipped his head to the side, a lock of glossy hair sliding towards his eyes.

"I... was wondering, Miss Han... what are you doing this evening? For the masquerade?"

[Eva Han]

"Masquerade?" squeaked Eva suddenly, her thoughts disappearing. She had almost forgotten the Masquerade only after having obsessed over it for weeks to the point of both mental and physical exhaustion. "Nothing important," confessed the brown eyed girl with a blink. "Rina was being real mean about it," confessed Eva blushing once more. "She says it's chauvinistic for the school to try to shove us girls into frilly dresses and to act all proper like."

Even so, Momma had sent her a dress and a mask.

[Tatsu Szabo]

"Fancy that..." murmured Tatsu, a smile quirking on his lips. "A girl shouldn't have to miss her ball. And... she certainly shouldn't go alone." Tatsu's brows arched on his forehead and he paused in his walk to eye the girl.

She probably had a dress. A beautiful one, too, because he couldn't see Eva doing something too terribly plain.

"I have to go to the masquerade on duty... just make sure everything goes smoothly but... I was wondering if you'd... be willing to accompany me? As... my date to the ball?"

Tatsu found that he was holding his breath.

[Eva Han]

"That's exactly what I was telling Rina!" began Han, overly excited and raising one skinny index finger towards the ceiling with her exclamation. "But she says she doesn't care about such things. I'm sure she does but is just afraid to admit it," concluded Eva with a tilt of her head.

Poor poor Rina. She probably couldn't pay a boy to go with her. Unless she challenged them to a wrestling match and that would be their punishment. In that case, Dairine would most definitely win.

Nodding at Tatsu's speech, Eva observed him warmly. He had such a pretty shaped nose. Straight bridge and an almost downward but straight point. His lips were--moving. They were moving. What was he saying?

...to the ball.

"Yes?" agreed Eva doubtfully, flush deepening.

What had she just agreed to?

[Tatsu Szabo]

Tatsu chuckled a laugh that was intended more for himself, and came out dark around its corners, despite the gentle way it carried itself and swirled about them.

What Eva was saying did not shock him. He'd be more shocked to see Eva at the ball, dressed up in elaborate apparel. The image was strange in his mind and he couldn't picture anyone beside her, but for Miss Han. And... hopefully, Miss Han would be on his arm.

"To be honest, I agree with you," he told the smaller girl. "I can't see Rina letting down her front, just to take the time to gussy up and accompany a boy to the ball and dance and be..." Delightful. "Charming. Rina seems to be well above that."

Or... something.

There was a certain hint of a question hanging at the end of Rina's answer, neglifying it as a statement and turning it more into a wary response. Tatsu was taken a-back.

"If... you do not want to, Miss Han, that would be quite alright," he said. But it would not be quite alright, at all. In fact, he would rather change her mind and say yes, but to push Eva, he knew, was wrong.

Eva was not those girls.

[Eva Han]

"I don't..." stammered Eva unaware of what Tatsu (or herself) was talking about. Shaking her head slightly, wide brown eyes on his face, Miss Han smiled apologetically. "I...don't think..." She breathed out.

This was SO embarrassing! "I don't think I was paying attention." Those lips had distracted her! What was wrong with her? GASP. She was a...a...pervert?!

[Tatsu Szabo]

As Miss Han continued to stumble over words, Tatsu found himself crestfallen and he wasn't certain for what reason it was; that he was never turned down, or that it seemed that Miss Han was turning him down. Even still, he was willing to hold his head high and swallow the pill if needed.

There seemed to be no pill, though.

For a moment, Szabo blinked, before he caught the apologetic smile unfolding over the girl's mouth and he took a breath.

"Ahh... I'd asked if you... would like to accompany me to the ball. As Night Guard, I'm sort of on duty, but that doesn't mean I can't dance with a pretty girl and still have fun. But... if you wish not, Miss Han..."

He chose not to finish that sentence. He'd rather not give her such an option, if avoidable.

[Eva Han]

Eva Han could be guilty of many a thing; daydreaming, naivety, and even a slight case of the clumsy but her hearing was as good as ever.

And she had heard Tatsu Szabo correctly. At least this time around.

"No, I'd...I'd love to," she mumbled to her nails with flushed cheeks, brown eyes peeking at Tatsu's shoes to distract herself from the unexplained deadly heat wrapping itself around her small frame. "I'm happy."

[Tatsu Szabo]

Ever so bashful and shy, Miss Han brought a smile to Tatsu's face and his hands reached gingerly for those that covered her face, carefully slipping his hands around her and pulling them away.

"I'm happy, too," he told her in a gentle mumur. "Shall I walk you back to the Common Room?" He offered his arm back to her, bent at the elbow.

[Eva Han]

The Gryffindor seventh year nodded, words not within reach as she tucked her hand inside the crook of Tatsu's elbow. "Please? I'd feel safer with you."