Only For You (Jasper Christmas AU)
The tempo is fast and furious and fun, and with every change of the beat I have to change my position. I'm practicing playing with the space between bodies. My body and Piper's specifically. I spin her away from me and take a second to appreciate how beautifully she moves. Her hair is tied up in a severe bun that doesn't match her laughing eyes and dewey cheeks. I pull her back in, missing a step so we end up with far too little space between us, chest to chest, staring into each other's eyes as the song ends.
Laughing, she takes a step back and leans against the ballet bar behind her.
"So, uh, what're your holiday plans?" She asks. Piper is my dance instructor. My ex-wife Reyna and I started taking lessons almost a year ago in an attempt to salvage our marriage, but I kept taking lessons through our divorce in an attempt to salvage my sanity.
"Oh. Um. Rey has the kids for Christmas, and my family lives far away. So. Uh. Not much.." I trail off, trying desperately not to look as pathetic as I sound.
"You're spending the Christmas alone?" She gasps as her elbow slides off the end of the bar, causing her to trip forward into me. Piper is an exceptionally graceful dancer and an astoundingly grace-less person. By that I mean she could trip walking in a straight line over a flat surface.
"Uh.. yeah." I help her stand up and run a hand through my hair awkwardly. "What about you?"
"Well, I used to spend Christmas with my father, but he passed last year.." Piper begins to play with the seam of her elastic top, "So I was planning on spending the holiday with my sister. Hang out with my nieces and nephews- you know?" She pauses to take a breath before completely speeding through the what followed, "But if you really don't have any plans I don't really wanna be an imposition on her and her husband 'cause he scares me so maybe you'd like to go see a midnight movie premiere with me? I've just always wanted to go to a midnight premiere and never been and so many good movies come out on Christmas day and we could just like hang out or whatever."
"Are you serious?" I stammer, "Like, seriously serious?"
"Uh.. yeah?"
"I... I would love to. I would love nothing more than to spend all day Christmas watching movies with you."
"Really?" She blushes
"Really. I just- I really don't want to detract from your family time." I backpedal, not wanting to ruin her Christmas. She's just such a nice person. Piper is exactly the type of girl who'd forfeit her own Christmas out of pity.
"No, oh my gosh no. You wouldn't be detracting from anything. I can visit my sister anytime."
"I could kiss you right now." I blurt out.
"Why don't you?" Piper mumbles intelligibly.
"What was that?" I ask
"Why don't you? I said, why don't you? As in, why don't you kiss me right now." She squares her chin defiantly and finally raises her eyes to meet mine. "I mean, this place is wall-to-wall mirrors. It's not like I haven't seen you checking out my ass for the past year."
It's all I can do to stammer until I realize she's not calling me out for it, and she's actually almost shaking. She's just as nervous as I am. So I do the only thing that makes half-way sense. I kiss her. Softly, sweetly.
Then she's grabbing the short hair at the base of my neck and pulling me towards her. Closer. No space between our bodies. And we're kissing harshly. Passionately.
Finally, she steps back. "That was... something special."
"I bet you say that to all your students." I tease.
"Shut up." she groans, "Pleeease do not have a teacher kink."
"Only for you." I wink