Author's Note: Hey everyone! Two quick things: 1) I never mentioned this, but there is a chronological list of the stories in this "universe" on my profile. Just in case you might've skipped one or two and would like to read them in order. 2) Sometimes I can write a ton in just days, sometimes it takes literal weeks to months. To anyone who enjoys my work, thank you for being patient with me. You're lovely.
(Takes place in the "Need You Now" universe)
Dance If You Want to
If Alexa could point out one major flaw in Becky's personality, it would be her stubbornness. When Becky wanted something, she went after it with the force of a hundred and one women. It was fine to be stubborn every now and again, but the orange-haired woman took it to another level sometimes. So, when Alexa tossed around the idea that the two spend their Saturday night going dancing, and Becky promptly countered that with 'clubbing,' she knew it was a losing battle from the get-go. Contrary to what most would think, she wasn't much of a partier, the blonde's idea of a fun Saturday night involving a variety of competitive board games and Disney movie sing-alongs. Becky knew this - she knew everything about her - but that hadn't stopped her from suggesting that they do something completely different. 'I've never been to a club before either, so it'll be a nice change of pace,' she'd stated in an effort to make her case, effort that was largely unneeded.
What was so interesting about going to a nightclub anyway? Hanging around a bunch of obnoxious strangers, of which Alexa was one-hundred percent certain would be drunk out of their minds. It didn't seem like an enjoyable experience at all, it was a gathering of the exact type of person she despised - loud, rude, probably smelly. And yet, Becky was so excited when she originally brought the idea to the surface, unable to hide her glee in her voice from Alexa's perceptive hearing. Her brain was saying 'No,' but her heart and subsequently her mouth were saying 'Fine, whatever.' Once Saturday rolled around, the two women left the confines of their cozy apartment for this abomination of a party.
Entering the building in their newly bought outfits, Alexa could see that, unfortunately, this was everything she thought it'd be and then some. The scent of cheap cologne mixed with equally cheap alcohol assaulted her nostrils, their combined odor overwhelming her to the point of nearly making her dizzy. She tapped Becky on her bare shoulder, the Irish woman too transfixed with the music and the lights to notice Alexa's obvious unease. "Ugh, it smells like a farm in here!" she almost yelled, raising her voice to make it heard above the pounding thuds of the bass.
"That's just the smell of a good time!" Alexa could barely hear Becky's reply, a trio of women laughing at something or other nearby adding to the already deafening sounds filling the room. "Come on, let's dance! That's what we're here for, isn't it?"
Dance? Becky actually thought they'd be able to share their first real dance like this? All rules were out the window in this twilight world, she figured. Before she could express her discomfort with this situation, Alexa was being dragged by the arm. With Becky unable to fully hear her protests, she had no choice but to allow herself to be pulled towards what she could only assume was the dance floor. At any rate, people were rubbing their bodies up against one another, flailing about in awkward attempts at being seductive. Apparently that was what passed for 'dancing' here.
Upon reaching the center, Becky had loosened her grip of Alexa's hand, though the younger woman wished that she hadn't. Being here, surrounded by strangers that were able to watch her every move, it made her anxious. Things like this - like dancing, holding, being so close - were meant to be intimate. There was nothing intimate about this, nothing fun about this. For this reason, as Becky moved in close in a way that was absolutely not intimate, Alexa shoved her back. "Becks, no."
"What's wrong?"
It was still a struggle to have a conversation, especially now that they were in the center of the noise, but Alexa wasn't going to let that stop her. "I don't like this. This isn't the type of dancing I had in mind."
"You just have to relax. Gotta feel the music in your body! Says Charlotte, anyway."
Alexa shoved her back again. Maybe it was the preemptive drink Becky had back at the apartment, but she was just not listening to Alexa. "Would you just stop for a second?!"
"Okay, why are you being so weird about this? We've done way worse at home."
"Yeah. At home. Not in front of a live audience."
"People do this stuff all the time."
"We don't."
Becky rolled her eyes. "Quit being such a stick in the mud! Seriously, you're acting like a real prude right now," she stated, to the ire of the woman in front of her.
Prude? Had they not been in a crowded area, Alexa would've given Becky a piece of her mind. It wasn't merely the fact that she was called a prude, but rather that the orange-haired ditz before her refused to understand the words leaving her lips. Instead of creating a scene, Alexa simply glared at her girlfriend, her eyes telling Becky everything that her voice was not.
"Look, I'm sorry," Becky apologized, having noted the frustrated look threatening to engulf Alexa's face.
"Don't. Have fun with whatever this is. I'll be at the stupid bar." She could hear Becky calling out to her, but she didn't care. This wasn't the version of Becky she wanted to be anywhere near right now. She wanted the understanding, comforting Becky, not this deaf party animal. It made her blood boil, and it made her feel disconnected from the woman that she loved.
What made things worse was that the blonde wasn't entirely sure why she was feeling this way. Becky had a point, if she was going to be completely honest with herself. They did do things like this at home - they felt each other's bodies every day. While it wasn't exactly the same, this shouldn't create this foreign sensation deep within the pit of her stomach. It was her and Becky.
Maybe, Alexa thought, it was more of her hidden insecurities. She knew, however, that it was much more than that. It all came back to intimacy. When they touched each other - when they hugged each other, kissed each other - it was spurred on by love. It was their love for each other that allowed them to embrace so easily, so intimately. She didn't care if Becky wanted to do this sort of thing on occasion in the future, but why was it impossible for Becky to look at it from her perspective? This question going unanswered in her own head, Alexa sat down at the bar, a safe distance from the dance floor.
After several minutes of silence, the bartender looked her up and down, a mop of messy hair swaying to and fro, before raising an eyebrow at her. "Well?"
"'Well' what?"
"You gonna buy something? Sittin' here doing nothing is cool too."
Alexa looked away, sufficiently embarrassed at her own absent-mindedness. She wasn't even sure what she wanted to drink. In reality, she had only sat here to put some much needed distance between herself and Becky. "Hello? Obviously. That's probably why I'd be sitting at a bar, isn't it?" she snapped, her irritation with Becky threatening to carry over here as well. "Sorry. I'm having a bad day."
"Yeah, I get that a lot."
"Give me the strongest drink you have, uh." She paused a minute to look for any indication of a name tag. When it occurred to her that they probably didn't do that in places like this, she sighed.
"Dean."
"Dean? That doesn't seem very bartender-like."
"Don't think my parents named me with a profession in mind."
"Fair enough."
The bartender, 'Dean,' took a second to stare at Alexa, as if things couldn't get any more awkward and uncomfortable for her. Luckily, he stopped after a few quick seconds. "You're having water."
"But that's not what I ordered."
"You look pissed off, and when pissed off people drink, they make stupid decisions. Don't think you can afford mistakes that big."
Alexa scoffed. Who did this guy think he was, trying to read into her life like a psychiatrist. "I'm not pissed off. Annoyed, sure."
"Alright, so talk to me," Dean stated, handing her a glass of water.
Alexa didn't know what to do. She did have a lot she wanted to say, and it's not like Becky was in a listening mood. She decided to bite the bullet, taking a sip of her ice cold water. "It's my girlfriend."
Dean blinked, slowly but emphatically. Alexa figured that he probably wasn't expecting that. He made no mention of it, continuing the conversation along. "I figured. Sort of."
Alexa shook her head. "I don't get why she's having such a hard time seeing my point of view. I mean, if she were drunk, maybe I'd be more forgiving. She's only had one drink all night. But… I also want her to have her fun, you know?" Alexa bit the inside of her cheek. She was mad at Becky, sure, but she didn't want to be the girlfriend that slowly killed their significant other's enjoyment either. She was at a loss. She looked at Dean, awaiting his response. He seemed a bit aloof, as if he was staring off into space, but she was eager to see the wisdom that he could impart on her. After all, he was a bartender. He was bound to have some incredibly helpful anecdotes.
"Wow. I got nothin'."
Alexa nearly slammed her head against the counter. He wasn't aloof at all - he really was just staring off into space. "You're kidding, right?"
"I got some life experiences under my belt. This is out of my area of expertise though." He picked up a glass, cleaning it off with a small rag, Alexa shuddering at the thought of this man's 'expertise.' "Maybe you should talk to her."
At least he said one useful thing. Alexa knew that she should definitely talk to Becky and have a real heart-to-heart with her. "You're probably right."
Dean chuckled to himself, before looking off into the crowd of dancers. "Man, at least your girl ain't with two dudes like that chick," he said, glass pointed at a group of three people.
Alexa followed his gaze, her eyes widening in horror as she realized that it was, in fact, her 'girl' he was pointing at, two men disgustingly close to her body, their hands not being kept to themselves. Though Becky couldn't sense Alexa's earlier discomfort, it was easy for Alexa to sense hers. Marching her way over to the trio, leaving Dean to mumble incoherently to himself, Alexa could already picture where she'd hide the bodies if either of them laid another dirty finger on Becky's perfect body.
"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Alexa!" Becky tried to hold the woman back, but like Becky - or perhaps maybe something she learned from Becky - her own stubbornness wouldn't allow her to sit idly by. "Let's just go, Lexi. They're not worth the time."
"You're right, they're not. That doesn't mean I'm going to let two idiots try to feel you up without beating them into oblivion!"
As if wanting to invoke Alexa's wrath, the two men laughed at her threat. "Where's the fire? We were just having a conversation."
"No, you were touching my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? What, you two?"
Alexa's rage was starting to build as the pair of idiots shared another round of drunken laughter. However, now it was Becky who jumped in. "Hey hey, watch it meatheads. Talk to me however you want, but you don't talk to her that way. Got it?" Becky raised a fist at the men, Alexa genuinely concerned that she might try to fight them both herself. They seemed to take Becky's threat a little more seriously, backing up several spaces.
"Come on, you don't have to pretend to be into chicks just to get us to leave. We promise we don't bite."
Having heard enough of their voices for one lifetime, Alexa forcefully grabbed Becky from the side, smashing their faces together in what they'd forever look back on as the most awkward kiss of their relationship. Pulling apart, Alexa stared at the two men. "Satisfied? Now pick up your jaws, and whatever's left of your dignity, and get out of my face."
The drunken men hurriedly did what they were told, Alexa swearing she could hear an audible 'women are crazy' before they made their unimpressive exit. When she was sure they were out of hearing range, Alexa let out a huge sigh of relief. "I thought for sure you were going to fight them."
"You didn't have to do that, darling."
"Do what?"
"Ay, caramba. Kiss me. For them. You didn't need to prove anything to those buffoons."
Alexa rubbed her arm sheepishly. "I wanted them to leave you alone. It worked like a charm."
"Well yeah, but I know that sort of thing makes you uncomfortable, right? Being all publicly intimate and whatnot. We joke about those sorts of things sometimes, but I guess I got carried away."
"But I don't want to always come in between you and whatever you think is fun."
Becky shook her head, a bewildered look on her face, as if shocked that she'd even say such a thing. "Alexa. I have the most fun when I'm with you. You're my girlfriend, but you've also been my best friend for years and years. This was supposed to be a night for the both of us and I screwed it up, like a… like a… gigantic piece of wood."
"Because it gets screwed."
"Yep!" Any outsider might've been surprised, but Alexa had become fluent in the language of Becky. She took Alexa's hands in her own, sharing a passionate look with one another. "I want us both to have a good time. And not for nothing, but I think Tweedledee and Tweedledum over there have officially turned me off to nightclubs until the end of time. Definitely not for me."
Alexa smiled, her hands still held in the warmth of Becky's own, their mutual understanding filling her stomach with a different sensation - one of trust, one of love. "So… impromptu movie night?"
"Absolutely."
Struggling to stay awake for the final scenes of Mulan - for her seventeenth time, but who's counting? - Alexa was barely able to put up an impressive fight against the drowsiness threatening to overtake her, a yawn escaping her open mouth. The pair of lovers had returned home a few hours beforehand, curling up on their couch and enjoying a seemingly never ending marathon of their favorite movies. While Becky had opted to head to bed some odd minutes ago, Alexa was determined to see this through to the end.
She immediately sprang to life as the sound of music enveloped the living room, and the rest of the apartment for that matter. Classical, Alexa noted, something that was very rare considering Becky's musical tastes. It was difficult to pinpoint the song's exact location, but there was no need, as Becky - quite literally - spun out of their bedroom, her hands meeting atop her head in a stereotypical ballerina stance. The Irish woman stopped in front of the couch, holding her hand out for Alexa to take. "May I have this dance, my darling?"
"B-Becks?" She couldn't believe what was happening. Perhaps she actually had fallen asleep during the movie and this was all just a wonderful dream.
"You said you wanted to go dancing, and I felt bad for robbing you of the opportunity with my shenanigans."
"And the music?"
"Chose that myself. Though, erm, our Google search history now includes 'classical songs to dance to with a significant other.'"
"But we're in pajamas."
"The uniform of natural beauty. Now up - it's impolite to keep a lass waiting."
At a loss for words, Alexa took the hand offered to her. Becky led her away from the couch, to the open area of their living room. This time, there was no dragging, no trepidation. They walked together with confidence. With the music continuing its steady melody in the background of their romantic venture, Becky suddenly froze. "It's occurred to me that I actually don't know how to do this."
"Of course." A loose giggle flew from Alexa's lips. This was standard Becky fare, but nothing she wasn't prepared for. "I'll lead."
"Oh? Does my dear Lexi know the ways of the dance?"
"I know a thing or two," came her slightly confident reply. She gently placed a hand around Becky's waist, the older woman's own placed upon her shoulder. With their free hand clasped together, Alexa steadily led Becky along to the rhythm of the sweet symphony.
One, two, three.
One, two, three.
Turn.
One, two, three.
One, two, three.
Turn.
Becky was not a dancer by any stretch of the imagination, but Alexa was able to lead her along gracefully. Their waltz moved at a leisurely pace, the pair wanting to savor this moment for many years to come. Suddenly, Alexa leaned Becky's body back an inch.
Then another inch.
And another inch.
They came to a halt, Alexa hovering over Becky's body, holding their position. She could feel the other woman's hand trembling - could see her body start to shake. "You okay, Becks?"
"Y-Yeah. This is more intimate then I thought it'd be."
"You're not uncomfortable, are you?" Alexa started to pull away, but was immediately brought back down.
"Actually, I think I'd be more comfortable if you moved in closer."
"I'm inclined to agree with you."
Hand placed squarely on the arch of Becky's back, Alexa brought her up steadily, inch by inch, enough so that their lips could meet in middle. A perfect contrast to their earlier kiss - it was passionate, romantic, and god was it intimate. Alexa pulled Becky fully to her feet, running her hand delicately through orange tufts of hair. Lost in the glimmer of Becky's eyes, Alexa asked her one more question for the evening.
"Maybe we can dance together more often?"
Becky grabbed Alexa's hand, grazing it's surface with her lips. She answered without a hint of hesitation.
"Now that sounds like fun to me."
End