AN: Feb 26 Prompt was "Magic."
Summary: Tifa finds herself enamored with the mesmerizing new dancer.
Tags: AU, fluff, romance
The first time Tifa saw her act, she was mesmerized.
She'd been part of this traveling circus for a long time as an acrobat, and sometimes even did strength challenges with patrons before a show. Tifa had joined as a child, the proprietor taking her under his wing and off of the street when he saw her hanging from a low tree branch in order to steal food.
"Join me. You can see the world! Be free!"
At least she was eating three times a day now. And she did have the chance to see so much more than the gutter she'd been used to.
Lately, the circus had been struggling a bit. A couple of weeks ago, he'd brought up adding a new act. Someone who would bring some new life to the party and put fire in everyone's bellies again. Tifa hadn't thought much of it, more focused on adding new tricks to her own act in order to wow the patrons they had.
But when she sat down in the tent to observe the new addition, she didn't expect to be amazed like this.
The backflap opened, and a woman around her age emerged. She was wearing a pink cotton dress that went down to her ankles with brown boots. Her green eyes were gentle and soft. Her long brown hair flowed down her back, only held in place by a pink ribbon tied around her head. She screamed femininity - a trait Tifa had never associated with herself - as she gracefully approached the center of the ring but was otherwise unassuming. The proprietor hadn't said anything about her act, so the acrobat didn't know exactly what to expect.
She pulled a long red ribbon from her sleeve and began a dance, closing her eyes. She glided around the ring as the satin flowed and curved in the air and around her body, and Tifa found herself entranced. She couldn't look away, her eyes trained on the dancer's delicate but powerful moves.
Green particles began to twinkle around the ribbon as she danced faster. Soon enough, they were flowing with her and filling the tent with a soft, pulsating light.
When she was done, Tifa realized she'd been holding her breath. As she exhaled, the tension releasing from her shoulders, the woman opened her eyes and met her gaze. Tifa could only stare back as everyone around her slowly gathered their senses and applauded.
The proprietor introduced her, but Tifa didn't hear what he was saying. The woman smiled and nodded to everyone, but her eyes lingered on Tifa for much longer than everyone else's. A few minutes later, the proprietor escorted her into the back.
When he returned, he said, "Tifa!"
She shook her head, snapping out of her reverie. "Yeah?"
"Help Aerith get acquainted with the grounds tonight! She needs to be ready for tomorrow's show!"
Aerith.
She repeated her name in her head for the rest of the afternoon while she trained. At the end of her session, she noticed the woman standing near the back of the room.
"Hi!" Aerith greeted as the acrobat approached her.
"Hey." Tifa wiped her forehead with a towel and threw it into a pile to be laundered later.
"You're amazing."
Tifa blinked at the compliment. She wasn't expecting her to say that.
"You're so strong! To be able to throw yourself between the bars like that – and being able to grab them! When you're in motion!"
The acrobat found herself smiling – hard.
"Th-thank you! I've been doing this for a long time now." As they walked out of the tent she asked, "How long have you been dancing?"
Aerith hummed, her hands behind her back as they walked between the tents. "A few years. I've been able to earn some money here and there, but the idea of joining a circus is so… thrilling!"
"Yeah?"
"I've never left this city before. I'm excited to see what else is out there."
Tifa nodded as they stopped in front of the bathhouse. "I understand. I was like that too." She glanced at the building. "I need to wash up but… after dinner I'll show you around, okay?"
Aerith winked. "I look forward to it."
At dinner they sat next to each other, laughing and joking and never taking their eyes off of one another. They walked around the grounds hand in hand, Aerith asking questions and Tifa telling her everything she knew.
And when the night ended, Aerith surprised her by kissing her goodnight.
Tifa surprised herself when she went in for another.
And she found it more magical than the dance.
