A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO UMESAMA! Woooo! :D
Yes yes, Ume, I shower you with love! See? I'm NOT so mean after all! :D?
This story is an extra to the card I gave you back in August, by the way. I just don't think a card is enough to celebrate you beginning to turn into a grumpy young (-cough-old-cough-) lady. LOL.

Well, anyway, an update for any readers who care to read! School started up again three weeks ago, and even though it's exhausting, it's more AMAZING than anything else. The people are generally super nice, there's a great sense of family in the entire school, and it's just plain exciting and fun, so it's been going pretty well. Honestly, I haven't been this happy in a long time, and I'm really glad I have something to look forward to every day now.

Inspiration came from being in the upbeat atmosphere of the orchestra room.

And again, happy super duper birthday to Umesama! :D

Gently, Gracefully, and with Love

I sighed, frustrated, while walking to the orchestra room. It was my next class, and although I had twenty minutes before it began, I decided to go there because the atmosphere was lively and relaxing.

I needed it.

My entire day was horrible up until then, and the only thing I wanted was to get my mind off of it.

As I approached my destination, the sound of music came flooding toward me. It was the four people who always practiced on the days we had breaks between our sixth and seventh class.

I walked into the room and headed to my seat, greeting familiar faces along the way. I set my belongings down and rolled my shoulders several times, grateful to be relieved of the heavy load.

The song, I noticed, had just ended, and a new tune began to surround me. It was a slow, romantic song, and it immediately reminded me of one certain person. At the thought, my eyes traveled upwards, searching.

And then our eyes met.

An immediate smile sprung to my eyes, and I walked forward with a slight bounce in my steps.

"Hey," I greeted her, voice soft, when I was about a foot away. I received a response that was just as tender as my own.

I smiled, and took one last step forward. Our bodies met in a gentle hug. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and she wound hers around my shoulders. I buried my face into her shoulder, taking in her sweet scent.

"I had a bad day," I muttered into her chest. The words came out muffled, but I knew she understood them.

She always did.

"I'll bet it's better now that you're with me." She grinned cheekily, and I chuckled slightly at the thought, and at the fact that it was completely true.

"By so much," I whispered softly.

A comfortable silence reigned over us, but an idea came to mind. I lifted my head and looked up into her eyes, our gazes meeting. I took a small step backwards, a silly grin spreading across my features.

I took her left hand into my own.

"Milady," I bowed dramatically, "Would you care for a dance with your oh-so-lovely prince?" My grin of stupidity widened drastically as I spotted a spark of surprise in her deep eyes. It soon vanished, though, being transformed into playfulness.

"Why, sir," she began, just as dramatically as I, "I do believe I am taller, and therefore should be the 'oh-so-lovely prince.'" Her own grin, I swore, was even wider than my own.

I pouted in defiance and crossed my arms. "What does height have to do with this?"

"Nothing, yet everything." She brought my hands up to her waist and then placed her arms back around my shoulders. "I grant you," she began again, "the right to be my little prince charming," she whispered gently into my ear. I felt her smile against my hair, and I couldn't help but to smile back, because even though she couldn't see it, I knew she could feel it in her heart.

We began dancing to the soft tune, grinning and mentally shaking our heads at those who sent us odd stares, but feeling even happier at those who smiled in the slightest at the sight of the two of us.

All memories of my horrid day slipped away, my mind clouded over with glee, and my chest overflowed with love.

Right then and there, nothing but us, together with our love, mattered.