seeyousoonthen | John - Spring Swing

John - Spring Swing

It had sounded like so much fun and although she was no expert Savannah had decided she needed to join in with the Spring Swing competition. She just needed to find a partner. She knew Jack could dance but he was in charge and she had a feeling it wasn't exactly Logan's thing. She stood at the bulletin board, deep in thought, and then she saw someone come down the hall. She brightened immediately when she saw John. He'd lived for so long- surely he would know how to swing.

"Oh, John! Just who I want to see. Would you do this with me, pretty please? Would you be my dance partner?" she asked hopefully, her hands clasped in front of her face as she implored him to say yes with just her bright, round eyes.

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John didn't even know exactly what it was that Savannah was wanting him to do, but he knew that he wouldn't refuse her. Even if she hadn't been such a good friend to him on the island so far, there was no way he could possibly turn her down with that look in her eyes.

"A dance partner?" he asked, glancing to look at the notice. "I would be delighted, though it has been some time since I have danced swing."

"Then we can practice. I'm sure we can get the hang of it in time for the competition," she said, purely optimistic. "It will be so fun, John...and there's prizes!"

"I think I would enjoy that," he said with a smile. Really, he would have done it even if he hadn't had any skill in the dance just to spend time with Savannah at something she badly wanted to do.

"I imagine you are most free in the evenings?"

"I'm free every evening, and even if I wasn't? I'd make a point to be. Now, we just need someplace that has some room to dance..."

There was the dance studio, of course. And the rec center with its gym. She didn't think they'd be allowed to go to the Catscratch Club just to practice.

"There's a few places...and there's always my front yard. What about where you live?"

"I suppose there is enough room where I live," John said slowly. Living in Rapture had its advantages, but being convenient or even necessarily safe for social calls was not one of them.

"Though I would insist you let me escort you to and from my home in Rapture," he added.

"That would be so sweet of you, John. I don't want to be a bother, though," she said, truly excited at the prospect of seeing Rapture. She'd never had a reason to go there and truly hadn't given the place much thought- but since John had mentioned living there she had been curious.

"I don't think you could be a bother even if you actively tried at it," he said with a smile. Savannah was good for him, he though. Or maybe he just wanted her to be, to justify his friendship with her.

"It would be my pleasure to have you come visit me."

"Then that's just what we'll do. But what about now? Are you busy now? We might be able to get the jukebox to play something and we could give it a try," she said eagerly. Now that the idea had seized her she was excited to get underway.

"I am certain that I could spare the time for some practice now," he said. He had been going to run some tests, but they could certainly wait for this. This would be something fun, just for the sake of having fun and John missed that.

"At the very worst, the jukebox will play nothing but hip-hop for us to practice to."

"That might be a little hard to swing to. Maybe it'll be generous for a change," she replied, then impulsively reached to take his hand and pull him along to the rec room where fortune might smile on them.

THe jukebox was playing low, some easy listening song Savannah remembered her mother singing in the kitchen from time to time. It was pretty but it was nothing that fit the bill.

"Well, as long as we have music, why don't we warm up with another style of dance?" John asked, extending his hand to Savannah and bowing. It was a nearly archaic gesture, but John still liked the old ways best in some things.

"Miss Curtis, may I have the honor of this dance?"

Savannah's cheeks turned pink at the sweetness of the formal gesture. Naturally she reached out and took his hand.

"I'd be delighted, Mr. Druitt," she said politely. Then she laughed. "This reminds me of a movie. Like one of those fancy formal parties."

John stepped in closer, resuming a proper dance position. It was a bit more formal than what he'd seen some of the islanders do, but it was easily recognizable for what it was. John just held himself a bit more stiff than most people might have.

"That is precisely the reason I learned to dance, always having to go to those fancy formal parties," he said, beginning to move in time to the music.

She was no novice. No expert to be sure, but she knew the basic step and she knew how to hold herself and how to move with his lead. The beat of the music was strong and easy enough to follow and John was so sure that she had no trouble keeping up- even though she did look to her feet from time to time.

"Tell me about them?" she asked, her eyes wide and head tilted just a bit in interest. Honestly, when he talked about his past she was just captivated for it was a life the like of which she'd never dreamed.

"They were quite an event," he said, moving easily with her through the steps, making sure not to do anything overly complicated for both their sakes.

"They could be small or large but you did not host a ball if you could not do it extravagantly."

"That sounds just wonderful. I always used to think of the balls and parties like they had in fairy tales. They were never like the parties we went to in high school and certainly not like the ones at college," she said, her words growing just a bit softer at the very thought of college parties. She could live her whole life and never do that again.

"They were quite wonderful indeed," John said, even if at the time he just thought them relatively routine. They were just something that you did, a pleasant obligation and a way to be social, but an obligation all the same. He didn't want to entirely disabuse her romantic notion of them though.

"Sometimes it meant suffering through company you did not entirely enjoy, but if you liked parties and dancing they were everything you could hope for."

Savannah found the dance easier the longer it went on, the repetitive motion of her steps becoming familiar so she didn't need to watch or even think about it. She found she could tip her chin up and look into John's eyes.

"I like small things. Big parties are fun from time to time but even at the biggest I tend to find one person and have a more private conversation," she said, her mind wandering back to the barbecue after she'd met John Tyree and how they had spent the night talking on the beach, well away from the rest of the people.

"I am not a very social person myself," he said, finding himself unable to help from smiling. Not that he wanted to help it, it was nice to have a reason to smile so much.

"I prefer working in solitude or with a small group of people. I often tend to get lost in my work, which makes for boring conversation if you're not interested in the same sorts of things."

"I like listening to you talk, though," she said sweetly. "I might not understand it but it's enough that you do and I can tell it makes you happy. I've always said that a person has to be passionate about something. The saddest people I've ever met were the ones who weren't passionate about anything in their lives."

"You are very kind to say so," he told her. He believed that she meant every word though, that it was not insincere flattery in the least.

"Though that is much the same reason that I enjoy hearing you talk. You have so many interesting things to say, especially about those things you love."

That made her blush and duck her chin.

"Oh, John, I'm not that interesting. Not like some people here. I just believe in some things that others don't feel so much," she said, embarrassed that he thought she was interesting at all. She knew she wasn't terribly smart and children and horses, while they pleased her a great deal, didn't make her the most interesting person.

"Nonsense, I find you terribly interesting," he said, letting go of her hand for a moment to tilt her chin back up to him. Of all people, Savannah should never be ashamed of who she was or what she liked.

Savannah's breath caught as she raised her eyes to meet his. John had done the same thing, John Tyree, taking hold of her chin and not allowing her to give into bashfulness. She was sure the whole of her mind could be seen in her eyes sometimes and though it was usually a good thing, at times she had to shy away. Tim had always let her, allowing her to be demure, cementing his notion she was naive.

Oh, but to not have it tolerated. To not be allowed to hide away her heart and mind. It caught her off guard and gave her feelings she wasn't entirely certain what to do with. She didn't feel quite the same way she had when John had done it but now she was in the arms of a different John and things were suddenly confusing for she felt like she was spinning out of control.

"You do?" she asked, at a loss to think of anything else to say. Her voice was soft and small, giving away just how dizzy she suddenly was.

"I do," he reassured her.

Caring about people as much as she did, as passionately as she did, was something incredibly rare. That was something to be valued and encouraged, something that everyone could use a bit more of.

"Geniuses are a dime a dozen here, are are superheroes and wizards. Someone who cares so much about and believes the best in people as much as you do is a rare thing in any world. The things you like and are passionate about are just as bit as, if not more so, interesting as what everyone else is interested in. You are a very special young woman, Savannah."

She couldn't think of it as flattery when it was so sincere. Savannah glowed under the words of praise and the shy line of her lips curved slowly into a smile that grew incrementally until her bright teeth showed.

"You're so kind to say so, John," she said, blinking back the sting that threatened tears. The emotion only serves to make her eyes shine.

It was silly, really, and a little sad just how much a kind word or a gentle sentiment could melt her to the very core. Danny said things that were affectionate and heartfelt and she felt deeply cared for. To receive such a compliment from John made her think that maybe she was on the right track even though she was so far from home.

When he said it she honestly did feel special, something she hadn't felt in a long time it seemed.

"You're welcome, but it is just the truth," he reassured her, pulling away for just a moment to spin her around before drawing her back in close.

The fact that his words seemed to mean so much to her was touching. He couldn't imagine that she didn't get regular praise, what with how wonderful a person she was, but it was nice that she seemed to take it all to heart.

She twirled and felt light doing it and then there she was, right back in his hold, closer than before. He was so much taller that she had to tilt her head back to look up at him and doing so gave her the funny sensation that she was falling backward.

"Well aren't we just a pair of wonderful, wonderful people," she said happily. "If we can figure out how to dance we'll just be the best ones in the competition."

"I already know that I'm going to have a wonderful time, which is more than enough to have me looking forward to it," he said, equally pleased with how much he was enjoying himself.

He didn't quite think that he was a wonderful person, that was going too far. But he knew that he'd never convince Savannah of the fact and he didn't want to argue with her, especially not now.

She felt light on her feet and she kept her eyes up on his face. Her feet seemed to do just what they were supposed to do. But the song began to fade and end and she wondered if anything else would come on so they could keep practicing.

"I think it's going to be jus-" she started, but her words cut off abruptly. Out the corner of her eye she saw a flash of Carolina blue, the shape of a boy, a bright red solo cup...

But when she turned her head sharply to the side there was no one there. It was enough to make her stumble and crash into John as her concentration was totally destroyed.

"Oh!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry, John."

"Savannah, what's wrong?" he asked, frowning, holding her close to keep her from falling down. They had been dancing just fine when all of a sudden she looked the other way and almost fell over.

"Are you alright?"

"It's nothing. I'm fine. I am," she fibbed, not wanting to burden John with the story...she didn't want to tell anyone. She wanted it to go away.

But unaccustomed as she was to lying it was obvious to anyone with eyes that she was shaken. She held John and little tighter and moved in just a little closer, seeking comfort from contact until the vision passed.

"I'm really fine. I just...tripped."

John could tell that she was lying, but he wasn't going to press the issue at the moment. Instead he just let her cling a bit tighter to him, drawing whatever comfort she could. She was certainly shaken and if she needed a moment to gather herself, he certainly wouldn't refuse.

"It's fine, take a moment to gather your composure."

Savannah took a deep breath and did just that. It was, in some ways, heartening that she knew at least Dave was seeing things too, but it didn't make it any easier any time she caught a glimpse of Scott. Cold dread and real fear raced through her blood and she was on edge wondering why. What cruel joke of island antics could be making him appear? Was it some foreshadowing...would he be arriving shortly? Oh, she truly hoped not.

"I'm better," she said after a minute. Part of her wanted to confess but the bigger part wanted it to go away and keeping quiet was better than delving into the reason why the very sight of him disturbed her so.

"This song is no good," she said, noting the fine song they'd been dancing to had changed to something more like what she heard at Chris Miles's parties with the heavy bass and driving rhythm.

"Yes, I don't think we'll be doing much 'bumping and grinding' at the competition," he said with a chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood. Perhaps later, he would ask her what exactly it was that had bothered her, but for the moment he would focus on the dancing.

"If we don't get very many songs soon, I'll be sure to see if I can find any recordings on the island that will suffice. I'm sure that be they records or iPods I can find a way for us to listen to them while practicing."

"I know that Jack and Logan have a record player and lots of big band records. That's what Jack likes," she offered, sure that if she asked she could borrow it. It was funny how she thought of the pair as family, even though she hardly saw them anymore now that the baby was born and they spent all their time doing that. Savannah had her own life- work and friends and now dancing. She couldn't imagine having to raise a child.

"Well, then we have no excuse not to get together again to practice," he said with a nod.

Really, it would be nice to have an excuse to see her again. John knew that he didn't have to have one, that she would be pleased to see him for any reason, but he still wasn't entirely comfortable visiting someone "just because". Until then, he could find small excuses to visit people.

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John - Spring Swing

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