A/N: I've been feeling a little rusty with my writing lately, so I wanted to take some dares for drabbles on the Advancers Forum in the Advanceshipping Truth or Dare thread every once in a while to get some practice. This one here is the result of a dare given to me by my friend PuprleRock! It's a bit longer than I intended it to be, haha, but I hope you all enjoy :)

Eternity
By S. Muffin

Prompt: "Music"

The deafening sound of fast-paced electronic music was all Ash could hear as he shouted his drink order to the bartender—rum and cola on ice. The heavy beat was all he could feel vibrating throughout his body as he carefully accepted his drink a minute later, taking care not to spill it over his clean shirt.

The smell of alcohol, cigarettes, and a faint hint of weed seemed to permeate every corner of the building as he returned to his seat among his group of friends—Brock, Gary, and Dawn, all of whom were already halfway done their own drinks. It wasn't exactly an ideal scenario, seeing as nightclubs were never his scene of choice, but Ash didn't mind being there so much as long as he was in good company. If his friends invited him to enjoy a night out, he was more than happy to join them.

Tonight, however, he would later realize that he would be particularly glad that he decided to tag along, because even though the scenario was less than ideal, it would soon take a turn for the best.

He was just getting comfortable again when a woman he didn't recognize made her way to their table, approaching them with an apologetic smile on her face.

"Sorry I'm so late! Traffic was a nightmare," she explained familiarly. He regarded the stranger with a look of confusion, but relaxed when his friends welcomed her with excitement, drawing her into their circle. Ash watched curiously from his seat, wondering who she was and how she had come to know his best friends without him ever meeting her himself.

Dawn shot up from her seat and dragged the young woman back to the bar. When the two soon returned with fresh cocktails in their hands, Dawn quickly introduced the strange woman to him.

She was, in a word, radiant. Shoulder-length chestnut hair flowed around her face in soft waves, a few short bangs framing her dark blue eyes. She smiled at him with ease, her grin lighting up her whole face. He had to stop himself from openly gaping at her for too long. How on Earth had they never met before? He silently cursed his friends for waiting this long to introduce them.

"Nice to meet you, May," he finally said. "I'm Ash."

She grinned and shook his hand, briefly returning the pleasantries. He then learned that she and Dawn were co-workers and spent a lot of time together outside the office—apparently, he had been busy every time May had been out with his group of friends previously. The two women had known each other for well over a year now and seemed to be close.

As the song blaring over the loud speakers changed, May suddenly perked up and promptly set her drink down on their table. Without another word, she bounced away and disappeared into the throng of people on the dance floor. Dawn squealed, citing that this was their favorite song, and then followed after May excitedly.

Ash watched them go with a pang of disappointment.

An hour passed. Ash, Brock, and Gary slipped into their usual comfortable conversation, catching up on each other's lives, talking about their work, and so on. Every now and then, Ash would glance over at the crowd of dancing bodies and search for May, wondering when she would return. She was all he had been able to think about over the last hour, no matter how much he tried to distract himself. She was sweet and beautiful and so inexplicably fascinating. Something about her peaked his curiosity and he had the slightest idea why.

He simply had to find her. He couldn't wait a minute longer. He abruptly excused himself from his conversation, stating that he wanted a refill on his drink. He navigated his way back to the bar and ordered another rum and cola, hoping that in the time it took for the bartender to mix his drink, he would find May. His position at the bar gave him a better vantage point, allowing him to see further into the crowd than he had been able to from his table.

At long last, he spotted her right in the middle of the dance floor. The atmosphere in the club started to shift gradually, people moving closer one another or seeking out new dancing partners, moving in time with the music. The song playing was different now, still loud and mind-numbing as the ones that came before it, but it was much slower, with beats one could truly get lost in.

But May didn't get lost; she came alive.

He watched her as her body moved in tempo, her hips swaying to the rhythm of the track. Her eyes were closed but she was smiling serenely. She looked just as radiant as before, if not more so. The people surrounding her danced like bees in a hive, their movements predictably in sync, lost in the music. May was the queen bee in a league of her own, outshining the others in every way possible, completely oblivious to their presence. There was nothing else but herself and the music. She looked as if she could dance for an eternity—her own little slice of eternity.

He was entranced, so much so that he didn't even notice Dawn walking up to him at the bar.

"I'm so exhausted!" she exclaimed as she collapsed into an available seat. She asked the bartender for a glass of water, drinking it eagerly when he handed it to her a few moments later. "I don't know how May does it. She could dance all night if she wanted to."

Ash hummed softly in acknowledgement, his eyes still fixated on her as he sipped on his own drink. Dawn followed his gaze and smiled knowingly over the rim of her glass.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked. "Go dance with her."

Ash froze when realized he had been caught. His cheeks grew warm in embarrassment.

"What, no—I mean—I couldn't," he balked. "I hardly know her."

"You could," Dawn countered. "And you should. Why else do you think we invited you both out tonight?"

He arched his eyebrows. "You were trying to set us up?"

The blue-haired woman smirked again. "Duh. So, are you going to keep staring at her all night or are you going to do something about it? Go on, get out there!"

Ash stared down at his drink as he contemplated whether or not he should go through with this. He normally didn't have this many reservations about approaching a woman he was attracted to, but this was different. May was different.

Dawn rolled her eyes at his hesitation. "You're overthinking this. The universe isn't coming to a standstill here. Just go dance with her!"

He wanted to argue with her. The universe was at a standstill, as far as he was concerned, and his world was May-centric. He had been practically orbiting around her all night, pulled to her like the Earth was pulled to the Sun. Logically, however, Dawn was right. He and May were still strangers, after all, and he was overthinking. No matter how attracted he was to her, he hardly knew her, and he wouldn't change that just by standing at the sidelines watching her.

With his mind made up, Ash quickly finished the remainder of his drink—a shot of liquid courage—and headed to the dance floor. He slipped past person after person, awkwardly dodging several other women's attempts at roping him in for a dance. He searched for May once again in the crowd, hoping she hadn't suddenly slipped out as soon as he decided to make his move.

He continued moving through the crowd until he finally reached the center of the floor. The music changed again, though the beat was just as slow and intense as before. The room became noticeably darker as the main lights dimmed, soon replaced by slowly-flickering strobe lights. Ash took a deep breath, his heart racing when he found her again, and called out her name.

May opened her eyes and their gazes locking intently. She looked surprised to see him for a moment, but then smiled at him as he walked closer to her. Ash gave her a small smile in return, arms outstretched. May immediately drew him in, her arms winding around his shoulders, her wrists locking him in place as his hands settled on her hips. Ash's head was spinning, his body lighting aflame. He truly was a planet in orbit, and she was his Sun, pulling him in with a force he never felt before. They moved together with grace and with ease, quickly finding their own rhythm, growing more comfortable with one another's bodies with each passing moment.

Ash's hand trailed up her back, his palm pressing against her and bringing her closer. Goosebumps erupted across his skin, his hair standing on end. May shifted closer still, holding his shoulders firmly as they swayed.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to find me, you know," she said next to his ear as the song changed again. She adjusted her grip on him, her check lightly brushing against his. "It's rude to keep a girl waiting."

Ash chuckled and shook his head, apologizing to her for taking as long as he had. How he had been able to resist her for so long would forever be a mystery to him.

May pulled back and smiled again. "It's okay. You're here now. We're here now."

And together, they came alive, like the Earth and the Sun, in their own little slice of eternity.