A/N: Ignorance is bliss, and I have both in abundance. Therefore, apologies in advance if I messed up any of this too badly. That said, this is a lot of firsts, so...please try to enjoy.
Also, some of you may recognize this song...I tweaked it to fit the concept, so I hope that doesn't screw anything up.
Disclaimer: I don't own this series or this song.
"One more dance, Nagisa-chan? Please?"
Nagisa stared at her girlfriend, who had her hands clasped together and one eye closed. "You've said that five times, Tamao-chan. Can't we rest for a minute?"
Tamao faked a pout. "You don't want to dance with me…?"
"I-it's not that, it's just-" Nagisa started, knowing full well of the fake. Even when she knew, though, she'd fall for it.
Tamao interrupted by poking her cheek. "I know," she said. "But this one is special."
"Eh? Why?"
"I picked it."
"They let you do that?"
Despite everything, Nagisa still wasn't completely sold on the Etoile concept, but if it allowed for things like this, that was fine. "I suppose it would be rude of me to refuse if you picked this out for us, wouldn't it?" she asked.
Tamao blushed at 'for us'. "Um…"
Nagisa raised an eyebrow. "It's not?"
"N-no, it's just…um…come on!" Tamao answered and dragged her to the center of the floor, leaving the redhead to fix her like-colored dress on the fly. Despite the time, the place was still very crowded. Between the light from the chandelier in intermission and the spotlights in dances, nobody really knew what time it was.
"Um, Tamao-chan," Nagisa started, catching her breath from the rush, "what kind of song is this anyway?" The blue-haired girl opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by a loud, booming voice.
"Well then," the PA system announced, "since our stars have arrived, let's start the show!"
"Show…?" Nagisa mumbled uneasily.
"Sorry," Tamao replied, winking at her. "Just follow my lead, okay?" Each extended an arm and wrapped the second around the other, and they began to dance in slow circles as the opening keys played.
Where have all the good girls gone and
Where are all the gods?
Where's the street-wise Victoria
To fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night, I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need
Suddenly, the tempo picked up and Nagisa faltered for a split second. Tamao shot her a worried look, but she shook her head to indicate 'I'm fine'. The two marched and turned once, twice. Then Tamao spun Nagisa away from her, which caused the redhead a mild panic. They remained linked at the fingers, however, and just as quickly spun back together.
(Ahh)
(Ahh)
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
She's gotta be strong
And she's gotta be fast
And she's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
She's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And she's gotta be larger than life
Larger than life
The song then slowed down a little. They moved in circles again, slightly faster than before.
"See, it's not so bad, is it?" Tamao asked, giggling at her slightly flushed girlfriend.
Nagisa just stared evenly back at her. "Don't you dare drop me."
This made Tamao giggle again. "I'll never let you fall, silly. Neither in nor out of this dance."
Nagisa's face turned a brighter shade of red.
Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasies
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There's someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It's gonna take a supergirl to sweep me off my feet
As the beat picked up again, so did their motions. They marched harder, spun faster in a blur of red and blue. By now, most of the floor had either gotten lost somewhere or simply stopped to watch the stars. With new lyrics, new moves. Either both would fall away or one would spin to be back-to-back with the other, remaining connected as before and then returning. Tamao was fully content to lead the spectacle. Nagisa was fully preoccupied with trying to keep up.
Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I could swear there is someone somewhere watching me
Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
I can feel her approach like a fire in my blood
(Like a fire in my blood)
(Like a fire in my blood)
(Like a fire in my blood)
(Like a fire in my blood)
Tamao twirled her girlfriend on the spot and clasped her from behind. "Still okay?" she asked as the echo faded and the tempo slowed again.
Nagisa cracked a large grin. "It'd be kind of silly to stop now, hm?"
"Quite," the blue-haired girl agreed, and spun back to face her. Seconds later, the song rose back to a fever pitch, and the pair did their best to match the intensity. Neither noticed that they were now the only two left dancing. Somewhere along the way, they'd also acquired all of the lights as well. As the announcer had said, this was indeed a "show", and nobody could pull their eyes away from it.
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
And she's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And she's gotta be larger than life
They separated completely as Tamao twirled Nagisa once again and caught her angled at the back. The music broke to its lightest moment, but the scarlet across the redhead's face was as heavy as ever.
"Almost done," Tamao whispered, their faces inches apart. "Ready for the big finish?"
Nagisa's head was spinning about as fast as she had been, but she still managed to answer with a nod. This earned her a quick peck on the cheek, and the song moved to its finale. Tamao spun her into her other arm, back to the first, then clasped her from behind again. Then she lifted her ever so slightly so that the two would spin together. Tamao landed on one knee with one arm outstretched, the other arm and knee supporting her partner. Nagisa's landing wasn't quite as perfect, but the position was correct and passed for elegant, minus the arm clamping Tamao's neck for dear life.
(Ahh)
Oh, she's gotta be strong
And she's gotta be fast
And she's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero!
The song ended rather abruptly. There was a moment of silence before one person started clapping. Another followed, and another, and within three seconds the entire room had burst into applause.
"Tamao-chan…" Nagisa murmured, her eyes now resembling spirals, "that was fun…Let's do it…again…"
Tamao chuckled at the girl in her arms. "No, dear, I think we overdid it this time. Come on." She then swept the girl into her arms entirely, a little easier provided the redhead still had a deathgrip on her. The couples they passed coming off the floor bowed, applauded, or simply smiled and nodded. She made sure to pick up a pair of chocolates on the way out.
The air outside was crisp, but not cold. The night sky glittered a little brighter than normal. Nagisa revived enough to loosen her grip, allowing Tamao to set her down. She was still a little unsteady, however, so they opted for a nearby bench.
"Here," Tamao said, offering the candy she'd taken. Nagisa lit up as she accepted it, the way she always does when sweets are involved. "Sorry for putting you through all that."
"Where did you learn to dance like that anyway, Tamao-chan?" Nagisa asked, munching on one of the chocolates.
The other girl scratched the back of her head. "Ehehe…I had to practice. A lot."
The redhead returned the fake pout from earlier. "Without me?"
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I did, would it? Still, I think it worked out."
"Can I ask you something else?"
"Of course."
"Why that song?"
The blue-haired girl gave her a sheepish grin. "Honestly, I'm not really sure. It just seemed to fall into place, you know? Sorry if-"
Nagisa cut her off by shoving a piece of chocolate in the girl's mouth. "I know. You had fun, I had fun. No apologies allowed." There was a moment of silence as both finished their candy. "Besides, I haven't danced like that since…" she trailed off.
Tamao's eyes glazed over a little as she remembered what had happened the same time last year, even though she'd done her best to forget. "That's right, since then," she mumbled, shifting her gaze downward. "At least…did this dance…compare to that one? At all?"
Nagisa answered point blank. "Of course not."
"I see…" A small tear formed in the corner of Tamao's eye.
Nagisa puffed her cheeks out. "Ta-ma-o-chan!" she said, breaking each syllable for emphasis. "Listen to me!" She reached around and grabbed the blue-haired girl's face with both hands, locking eyes an inch or two apart. "What I meant was, that no dance could ever, ever, compare to the one that just happened." Her expression softened as she moved closer. "Just like nobody else can ever compare to Tamao-chan." Then she leaned in and pressed her lips against Tamao's. The kiss tasted both sweet from the chocolate left over on Nagisa's lips and salty from the tears that now flowed over Tamao's. It lasted a few seconds before the redhead pulled away to wipe the tears off. "You're not allowed to cry either."
"You're rather demanding today," Tamao chuckled, dabbing away the rest of the drops.
"I just…don't like seeing you sad," she answered. "It makes me sad too."
"You silly," Tamao said, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend. "There's no way I can be sad now."
Nagisa smiled and leaned against the other girl. A few moments passed in silence before something else occurred to Tamao.
"Oh, Nagisa-chan, there's another dance if you want to…" she trailed off, glancing over at the girl on her shoulder. She'd fallen asleep with that smile still on her face. "Or not," Tamao grinned. She leaned her head on Nagisa's and listened to the last song floating out from the dance. The delicate melody proved an excellent lullaby, and soon both were sleeping soundly.
Reviews and critiques are much appreciated!