Chapter 1 - A Little Off Balance
Lena Oxton pirouetted on one foot again - one of the many times she had done since she had slipped on her leg warmers and hopped into the studio, all of the other women gawking at her.
This wasn't her favourite thing in the whole world, and frankly, it was exhausting. All this attempting to follow their moves and try and not fall flat on her face drained her completely.
Her legs were practically shaking themselves to pieces as she stood in her current position. Lena was counting the minutes until she heard a loud snap and her bones shattered completely.
All the other girls were so much better at this than her, and taller too.
Lena was the shortest in the class, and as such, the one the other French girls picked on.
And what made things worse for her was that she had asthma, and would have to stop every so often to take a puff from her inhaler. Part of her wondered why she was even doing this in the first place.
There were so many universities for her to have gone to. Manchester, Durham, Oxford, even Aberystwyth where her old friend Emily went to would have been better.
God, she wished Emily was here now. With a joke and a smile and that lovely accent of hers, Lena's best friend would have made this whole affair so worthwhile.
But time had taken its course, and life had split them apart, and now Lena was splitting her legs on this rather uncomfortable floor.
Why did she do this club, she didn't know. It had sounded so fun on the leaflet she'd been given at the start of the semester, a chance to blow off steam from classes.
In the end, it caused more stress than it helped relieve.
She had fallen over and hurt herself so many times that were a series of deep bruises all over her arms and legs, constant reminders of her failure. There were so many, that Lena's roommate Hana once thought that someone was beating her up, or she was in some sort of underground fight club.
A fight club would be much more bearable than this club anyday.
"Keep going girls!" The instructor, Madame Talmann call to the main group of slender French girls, stretching their limbs with splendid grace and style. "You're doing fine, Cherie," She then stated, gesturing to another woman, a sleek and slim older girl with a strange, blue skin tone with a black leotard covering her body. She was dancing in the corner, much like Lena was doing, albeit for other, obvious reasons.
Lena felt her chest starting to get tight, and quickly walked over to her backpack and took out her inhaler, taking a puff from it. As she put it away again, she silently cursed these stupid tights for not having pockets.
She then felt bad about thinking that. Emily had bought them for her, the day after Lena had made a bet between them that once she had got back from university, she would be twirling like an angel after taking these classes. She was now starting to regret that decision.
Lena then looked up, seeing the other girl in the opposite corner gaze at her with a cold yellow eye.
Lena knew her name, everyone did. She was Amélie Lacroix, a former professional ballerina who once came to this very university a few years earlier. According to rumour, she was at the top of her game before something happened that ended it all. Some said it was an accident, others say she got some kind of mysterious illness that was the reason her skin was the colour it was.
Whatever the reason, she had ended up back here and every time Lena was at the ballet club, so was Amélie. She was the sort of girl who would make an offhand remark at her as she left the room, usually in French so Lena wouldn't understand.
Lena sighed. She didn't deserve this kind of attention from such a snobbish woman, despite the fact that Lena admitted she was... attractive.
Her lavish and long hair the same colour as her skin, the way her body curved and shaped as she balanced, there was a certain sensation about her that made Lena's cheeks go warm.
But Lena was just that sort of girl. The useless lesbian with a crush on everyone, yet not even the decency to say how she felt, hence how Emily had been taken by another girl and Lena left alone before she could say anything.
Lena stood back up and got back into her place, turning her back to Amélie. It doesn't matter, she thought. She wouldn't be interested in me anyway.
She started to pirouette on one leg again, trying her best to mimic the movements of the main group of girls. There were so many other sports available at the college. Football was very popular here, even more so than back in England, and Lena would have been able to keep up with that so much better.
Hell, if she had gotten so good at it, she could've made a professional team. That would have made Emily jealous.
But no, she was here and Lena knew she just had to get on with it.
Eventually, after another gruelling thirty minutes of the hell that was straining her legs, Lena was free and the class was dismissed. Honestly, she was confused as to how and why Madame Talmann had let her remain in the studio for the full four hours. She was a natural disgrace.
As Lena walked over to her bag to change back into her more, casual clothing, she noticed her phone buzz in her sack, a notification saying she had a text from someone.
She picked it up and saw it was from another friend of hers, Angela. Angela was a friend Lena had met through Emily. She was a slightly older medical student currently travelling the world at this time with her girlfriend, Fareeha, currently staying in France as well, although much further south, down in Bordeaux.
With her wealth, Angela had been to both of the major film festivals in the summer and autumn, something she had bragged about greatly to Lena to her chagrin.
The two of them had met when Angela, or Angie as Lena and Fareeha called her, had been making progress in her fifth degree in biochemistry at London. Lena was only a high school student at the time, in Year Eleven and studying for her own exams at the time. They'd hit it off one night, when Emily had brought her along for a girls night out, drinking in many pubs across the city, despite Lena being a bit underage at the time.
Angela: Hey Lena! Hope ballet is going okay, Fareeha and I are in the city for a week or two and were wondering if you'd like to meet up for coffee or something stronger? XD. We will meet you at the library later, ya?
Lena smiled. Angela and Fareeha were two of the best, if not, the only true friends she had around France at the moment. True, there were others, including her roommate Hana, but Doctor Ziegler and Sergeant Amari were the ones Lena longed for seeing, as well as Emily, but whereas simple landmass was the only thing parting Lena from Angela and Fareeha - both a channel and money separated Lena and Em.
Lena started typing out her reply.
Lena: Ballet went bloody awful love! My knees are knackered again hahaha. Would love to meet up but might have to skip the coffee and head right for the daiquiris.
Angela: Well, don't worry about the legs, darling. I am a doctor, after all, am I not?
Lena: You're not a real doctor, you're just a student doctor luv.
Angela: I know more about medicine than you... And I'm more of a qualified doctor than most in the country… And yours!
Lena rolled her eyes. Ever since graduation, Angela had picked up quite an ego. Lena partly blamed Fareeha for this.
Lena: Man, my back is killing me. Seriously, how these other girls put up with this, I don't know.
Angela: I have just the thing for you darling.
Lena: Don't you dare give me any more pills or medicines. Last time I was almost confined to the bathroom for a week!
Angela: But it worked!
Lena: Oh sure it did. Broke my bloody loo though.
Angela: Hehehe, Well, Fareeha's been showing me this new massage technique. It's made me feel so alive and relaxed. You should let me try it on you.
Lena: Is that what they're calling it now eh? 'New Massage Technique'? Heehee, I appreciate it, Angie, but I'll be alright. A lie on me bed will do me fine after I get some drink in me.
Angela: Fine, then. We'll see you tonight!
Lena: Yeah, see ya, Angie!
As Lena put her phone back into her bag and lifted to head into the changing stalls near the back of the studio, she looked over her shoulder to see a sight she didn't expect to see again.
It was Amélie, the slender and beautiful blue woman, walking towards her. Her leotard had disappeared, making her completely naked save for the leg warmers around her thick thighs. She constantly walked on her tiptoes, like some intimidating serpent, gazing at those she displeased with her cold, golden gaze.
And yet in this moment, the sight of Amélie was tugging on Lena's sapphic strings.
"Bonjour, Miss Oxton… Lena," Amélie corrected herself. "Bonjour Lena." She tried again, and yet stayed in front of the smaller and lighter-skinned Brit, her posture never breaking and her gaze never wavering.
Lena blushed. "Um...hi," she said, hoping she sounded less nervous than she felt.
She tried not to make eye contact with the taller woman, her cheeks redder than a tomato. She was practically helpless in this state like Amélie was some predator that had culled her and was ready to pounce at any moment. She was going to probably snark about her feet again and how much of a failure she was. At least, that's what Lena assumed she would say since again, she didn't speak a word of French.
Amélie faced Lena, spreading her leg outwards to her, pushing the cockney girl against the wall of the changing room, Lena forced to look into Amélie's dark, but insanely beautiful eyes.
Why was she doing this? Pressing them like that? Was she going to do something to her? Lena was confused and slightly scared at this point, but Amélie was naturally intimidating.
Amélie pressed her breasts against Lena's chest, her face virtually inches from Lena's own. She opened her mouth, breathing softly onto Lena's nose. "I have come to make you an offer," she said.
"W-w-what kind of offer?" Lena stammered.
She had tried to sound bold, full of feisty British gusto, but her Sapphic ways had gotten the better of her, nearly causing Lena to melt into a puddle of lesbian goo.
Amélie smiled at her, blinking a few times and smirked gayly. "A private ballet tutorship," she spoke. "You and Me. I will turn you little 'mishaps' and 'flat-footing' into works of art."
Holy shit she's still got me against the wall! Sappho, please don't deliver me from this incredibly sexy encounter, kay? Lena thought quickly, turning into a blushing queer mess.
"Well, Cherie?" Amélie asked. "Are you interested, or am I merely wasting my time?"
"You? Teach me?" Lena asked back, trying not to let her attraction to Amélie show through her intimidated eyes.
"Oui, I teach you," Amélie simply responded, her lips to close to Lena's by accident. All of her was so close to Lena by accident, or so Lena thought.
Lena's lesbian mind went on a spacewalk again. Oh, Miss Lacroix, your lips are so close to mine aren't they? It would be a shame if someone were to… Oh, what? You want me to kiss you? Well, if you insist, Miss Lacroix, the gay Brit played out in her mind and wildest fantasies. She was barely listening, liking the thought of an alternate reality where she and Amélie were already in a passionate kiss a lot more than this interrogation. Who could care about ballet when Amélie's plum lips were so inviting?
"Why?" Lena said flatly as if disappointed that she was not groping Amélie's breasts instead of just feeling them against her own.
Amélie spread her legs, making Lena's already gay mind play lustful thoughts. It was as if the French girl was doing some sorting of mating dance... and it was working.
Amélie leaned her head in closer to Lena's, letting their lips move ever closer. "Because seeing you flail about is starting to bore me, so I take it upon myself to try and mould you into a dancer worthy of those disgusting warmers around your feeble legs, Lena. From this moment, you belong to me, Cherie."
She was offering to train her? In what universe did this make sense? Lena was so confused and blushing so much, so hot under her non-existent collar she could almost explode into steam. This was unbearable, and Amélie's legs were still opened so wide and so invitingly, that Lena could swear she could see a dark spot in Amélie's already dark tights
"You are the last person I would suspect to want to train me. You look more like a bloody assassin than an instructor, Amélie. Seriously, what is up with your skin anyway?" Lena asked, now becoming very inquisitive indeed. She wanted to know now why she was such a curiosity to Amélie, after suffering from the French girl taunt and stare at her from across the room these past few weeks.
Amélie let her leg down and gripped at Lena's beautiful cheeks, her other hand taking to the smaller girl's waist.
"That, ma petite chou-fleur, is need-to-know information. And you, regrettably, do not."
She smiled. "But, what you need to know is that my tutelage will help you a long way in this class. Just because of my rather intimidating looks, doesn't mean I don't have a sense of compassion."
Lena swallowed. "Y-yeah, I can see that."
"So... I ask again," she gazed at her icily. "Will you accept my offer?"
Lena knew this was an offer she couldn't refuse. "Well... Okay, I'll do it! If it stops me from doing slapstick every time I'm here, I'll do it."
Amélie smiled devilishly, almost delighted by Lena's answer in some strange way. "Tres Bien. Meet me here tonight for our first session. Neuf on the dot, as you say."
"W-wait what?!" Lena spurted, very confused. Was the studio even open that late? But before she had asked, the slender, blue, french girl had walked off to her changing stall.
"Well, that just happened," she said to herself, trying to comprehend the whole scene. It looked like her meet-up with Angela was off the table.
xXx
After changing into regular, casual clothes, a mere white top and some brown pants, Lena headed back to her dorm room, her mind still racked with the events of the studio.
Amélie was going to train her. Amélie of all people. This was some dream or something, some hidden desire in her subconscious brought to life.
But this was no dream.
This was real and she would be seeing the blue-skinned woman tonight.
Lena opened the door to the room, walking inside and dumping her bag on her bed.
Her roommate, Hana was there as well, lying on the bed, playing a game on her Nintendo DS.
"Oh Lena," she greeted her, looking at her and smiling in her usual manner. Hana was a younger girl, about two years younger than Lena. Her hair was brown and she had beautiful green eyes. She spoke with a strong American accent, despite having grown over in Seoul, Korea.
"Hey, Hana," Lena replied, slumping onto her own bed to think about her very strange afternoon.
"You had a good time at ballet class," the Korean girl asked her, but she knew already what Lena's answer would be.
Lena sighed. "Well, it was bad as usual," she began. "But then at the end... something very peculiar happened."
"Peculiar?" Hana asked. The girl may have spoken perfect English, but she was still trying to grasp some bits of the language. Lena didn't blame her. After all, English wasn't Hana's native tongue.
"It means, weird, luv, and when I mean weird, I mean fucking hell, weird."
"So what happened?" Hana inquired. "Come on, your teasing me now." She lay on the side of her bunk, her hands pressed to her chin.
"Amélie Lacroix basically offered to tutor me, and may or may not have turned my gay sense up to eleven," Lena answered.
The Korean girl giggled softly. "C'mon, Lena. You gotta be playing me here. Amélie Lacroix? The blue-skinned ice demon who stalks the gym classes and ballet halls for victims to gloat over?"
"Yes that one," Lena confirmed.
"And she's offering to train you."
"Yep." Lena still couldn't believe it herself.
"Wow... you are in deep shit, Lena," Hana remarked. "Seriously, as if that class wasn't bad enough."
"No, no, this is like a private thingy," Lena informed her. "Just me and her."
"So, a date then."
Lena blushed furiously. "No! I mean- No of course not a bloody date. Luv, I have the hots for her, but I don't know if she's hot for me."
"She sounds pretty hot for you to me," Hana stated, returning to her game. "I mean, she's practically getting you to herself... when?"
"Tonight. At nine."
"Oh yeah, you're on a date tonight," Hana stated. "No ifs, no buts, it's a date."
Lena sighed. "But I already arranged to meet up with my mates Angie and Fareeha."
"Well, your plans have changed," Hana reminded her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a final boss to kill."
Lena raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously gaming now? Don't you have that big test tomorrow? For your computer programming class?"
"I can just study the hour before the exam," Hana said with a shrug. "It doesn't matter when I do it. I have a good memory, you know."
Lena sighed. "I don't get you sometimes, Hana."
Hana then sniffed the air, her nostrils finding a distinct pong in the air. "Oh good god, what is that smell."
Lena rubbed the back of her neck, realising what Hana meant. "Oh, that's me," she stated, sweating. "Ballet got a bit intense today."
"No shit, Sherlock," Hana held a finger on her nose. "You best take a shower."
"Right, I'll go do that," Lena said.
Lena wiped her brow and walked into the bathroom, quickly undressing and getting into the shower.
As she turned on the hot water, she started to have a thought in her mind again, a thought about Amélie.
Some strange, lustful part of her was secretly wondering if the blue-skinned beauty was behind her, secretly putting shampoo on her body.
Lena blushed and turned her head, but to her relief, Amélie was not there.
"Damnit Lena," She chastised herself. "You're going over the top with this."
Or was she? Was it so wrong for her to think about Amélie this way? After all, Amélie did pin her to that wall with her long slender leg, legs made of beautiful navy flesh.
Lena breathed huskily, gently shivering before composing herself. "Fuck me," she groaned.
She was a useless lesbian, who was hopefully not going to be a useless student.
xXx
Author's note: To anyone reading this fic now, you might be a little bit surprised. Sammy, haven't you done this fic before? yes, I have. I did this very idea with Val some time ago, but I wanted to come back to it with her. Sadly, Val has since retired, but she gave me her blessing to finish off the fics we started together. So here we go then.
Enjoy!