The object of her affection, and she was embarrassed to use what she considered so strong a word, was busy tearing up the floor with both boys and girls alike, and she wasn't even using her powers either.
Tabitha, otherwise known as Boom-Boom, was taller than Amara by an inch or three, had her blonde hair cut short, and had blue eyes that practically seemed to glow with life. Amara might have been wrong on that last part, as all people infatuated with another person usually are, but she'd be more than happy to debate about Tabitha's eyes.
She'd also like to debate about other things concerning Tabitha, but for now was happy that she was staying with her back at the institute.
With Amara.
Amara felt herself warm at the thought, for it had been one she had given much time to recently. It certainly was one of the driving forces why she was here now, watching Tabitha dance rather than being out there with her.
Amara had learned many things in her life, such as how to control her powers, that she was a mutant in the first place, and that being too far from the ground made her sick, but learning to dance was something she hadn't done.
Watching Tabitha playfully wind her arms about a brunette almost as tall as she and dance a few steps with her, Amara really wished she had learned how. If she learned how to do something to bring her closer to Tabitha, maybe they could... there might be a chance that... possibly...
She left the thoughts uncompleted in her mind, and sighed. If it was as easy to put action to every desire she had, well...
Amara felt the warmth rise up within her, and sighed with a mix of bliss and longing.
Things just never were easy when you were a mutant, a teenager, or both.
Dance Like You Want Her
WRITTEN BY: Jamie Jeans a.k.a. Big Wired, Lemon Ranger Blue
Started: Tuesday, December 10, 2006
Finished: Saturday, March 25, 2006
Legal Disclaimer: The characters of X-Men Evolution belong to Marvel, and I make no claim on their ownership.
Jolt! Sweet... nourishing... jolt...
Just what was it about the blonde that made Tabitha think such warm thoughts about her?
It was easily a question she asked herself often enough, and one that she silently reviewed as she watched Tabitha dance about dressed in cut off jeans, a short sleeved shirt, and shoes, all dark shades of blue and black.
More than once, Amara found her eyes darting down towards the glimpses of midriff, and shook her head to clear her thoughts.
Right, what else did she like about Tabitha?
Watching her dance, Amara realized that the first thing she liked about her friend was no matter where she was, Tabitha was always Tabitha. Be it the institute, Bayville High, or even the Boarding House, Tabitha refused to be anything but who she was. It was either a bold defiance of the world around her, or simply the ease of her character, but it was definitely something that Amara could not help but admire.
The music took a sudden turn into the deep booming bass variety, and Amara sucked in a breath and gripped the cup in her hands a little tighter. It had only been a few weeks ago, but every so often, it felt as though she were still in the midst of it.
The mansion had gone nuts, its security systems set off by Mystique when she had infiltrated the mansion in an effort to combine her mutants with the X-Men and take down Magneto. Amara, still clad in her training clothes, had watched as the place that had been her home turned into a prison, and she had just managed to get outside. But outside seemed no safer than inside, as the sentry guns came to life and began tracking her. She had made a run for the gates, knowing that guns were making a bead on her...
... and then the gates had blown apart, and Tabitha had driven in on Lance's jeep like a knight on a horse. One blast of her powers later, and Amara had jumped in the back of the jeep and they had escaped to get Scott and save the other students.
"Hey, how's my girl doing?"
Tabitha's voice snapped her out of the memory, and looked up into the concerned face of her friend, which still wore a smile. Amara knew she was shaking somewhat, because Tabitha immediately sat down in the booth, and wrapped her arms about her.
"Bad memories again?" Tabitha whispered into her ear.
Amara only nodded, and let herself be cuddled. She wasn't some young child, she was sixteen after all, but the memory of the day her home had become life threatening hadn't left her easily. The only person she had ever confided in about her fear of that day, which also occasionally translated into nightmares, had been Tabitha herself. This had earned her insight into another part of the blonde, which was a warm, kind, tender side that would unabashedly take her friend into her arms and hold her until the fear lessened.
Strike up another point for why she liked Tabitha.
With the mansion still under repairs, everyone was forced to share rooms together, and Amara and Tabitha had one together. This was a plus in that Amara got to spend more time with her friend, and whenever she had the nightmare, Tabitha would cross the space between their bunks, snuggle in with her, and bam,no more nightmare.
Of course, there was also the fact that not only had Tabitha saved her from the mansion's defenses, but she had stuck through with her when, with Scott's guidance and help, they had gone back in. There was no complaints or second guessing, Tabitha had just gone through it all with her, even nearly getting killed in the process when she really had no reason to.
Or maybe, a small part of Amara pondered, Amara herself had been the reason why Tabitha had stuck it out with her.
But she didn't like to let herself have that thought too much; it seemed too selfish. X-Men were X-Men, and they did stuff like that, staying together through thick and thin, risking their lives for one another...
So why did the thought seem so pleasing when she applied it to Tabitha and just plain normal when she applied it to everyone else?
Because she liked Tabitha, and possibly more.
Cradled in the blond's arms, Amara pondered what the more part could mean, and felt doubt rising up. She couldn't use that other L word, the big L word, not when she had never experienced it in the first place. It could become a case of misdiagnosis, and how embarrassing would that be!
"Hey, feel like joining me on the dance floor tonight?" Tabitha asked with a wink and a nod towards said dance floor.
Amara felt her stomach twist ever so slightly at the thought, and shook her head. "I'll be fine, Tabitha. In fact, I think I'm going to go home now and get to bed early so I'll be bright and fresh for tomorrow's repair work. You should come home too, because you'll be working every bit as hard as we will."
Tabitha smiled and tapped her friend on the nose with a finger. "Which is why I'm doing my best to squeeze in as much fun now! Tomorrow, it's going to be nothing but boring old work." Her expression changed to one of worry, and she brushed Amara's hair back. "Will you be okay? We don't even have to dance much."
"Dance..." Amara blinked and shook her head gently. "I'll be fine. Please just come back before it's too late, okay?"
Tabitha gave her a quick hug before hopping out of the booth. "You know me, no time is too late, whooo!"
And with that, Boomer was back out on the dance floor, where she proceeded to cut the rug with the other dancers. In a way, it was good that Tabitha was returning to the institute alone, because she now had something very important to ask someone.
"You want me to teach you how to dance? I thought you could dance pretty well already," Jean said, slightly surprised as she went through her books. "In fact, I remember distinctly a time or two at a music store where we cut up the floor."
Amara smiled fondly at the memory, but pressed on. "But it's different this time. I want to learn how to dance more, uh... close with someone, and I figured that you would know. You've gone to dances before."
"Yes, with Duncan." A sigh escaped the statuesque redhead as she recalled the antics of her now ex-boyfriend; nothing like being a mutant to bring an end to that relationship. "And I spent those dances on the sidelines because he was too busy discussing his latest football victories."
Amara made a face of disgust. "That's terrible. But you still know how to dance, right? Or you still want to..."
"I can show you what I know, if you wouldn't mind telling me who you want to dance with."
"Um... Tabitha."
"Oh... um, okay..."
"If you don't want to, that's okay. I just figured that you'd be the best person to ask about this, since, you know, Scott and all..." Amara turned and made to leave Jean's room.
"Wait, what about me and Scott? And I'm not disgusted or anything, just surprised." She pulled Amara from the door and gave her a warm hug. "I'm hardly one to be throwing stones, what with us already being so stigmatized." She smiled down at the shorter girl.
"Thank you... and as for you and Scott, I figured that you'd know what it's like to want to be with someone but be too nervous to try anything."
Jean blushed. "Hey, I don't like him like him... er..."
Amara wasn't the kind to pull off sardonic looks, but the one she was giving Jean now was absolutely perfect.
"I'm not the telepathic one here and even I know how much you like him, and how much he likes you. And I like Tabitha too, a lot, and I want to show her too, but... well, I want to do it my way. Since she likes dancing, I want to learn how to dance so I can be with her more like that, instead of looking on from the sidelines." Amara stepped back and took one of Jean's hands in hers, squeezing it gently. "And you're so smart and way more experienced than I am, I just figured that you could show me..."
"Of course I'll show you, Amara." Jean smiled, although secretly she wondered if she really was that transparent. Maybe she should ask some of the other younger students, in a discreet manner of course, just to be sure. "But I have some homework to finish tonight, so how about we start tomorrow?"
Amara's face brightened and she laughed aloud with relief and happiness as she hugged the redhead. "Thank you, Jean! Thank you... I just can't go to anyone else about this. They might let the secret out, and then, well... it'd be really hard to face Tabitha."
"Sure thing, Amara."
Time couldn't pass fast enough for Amara as she and the others broke down the rubble from the mansion and made it ready for disposal. The thought of having someone else to talk to about how she felt seemed to have lifted a weight from her shoulders, and now she had energy to spare for the entire day's efforts.
Or so it seemed.
By the time the other students had come back from Bayville High, Amara felt as though she couldn't light a match if her life depended on it. That wasn't going to stop her, though, but the hot shower she had to wash off the day's sweat left her more relaxed and longing for a meal and some quality time with her bed.
Then she saw Tabitha when she exited the shower, dressed in a towel, and felt that familiar warmth grow within her.
"Doing okay?" Tabitha asked, dressed in a simple dark housecoat and sandals. and looking just as tired as Amara felt. "Hope you didn't use up all the water, else I'll just have to get you in there and warm me up some." She winked, and Amara felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment.
"Tabitha, please... I'm doing fine. And see what I meant about getting home before it got too late? You're tired." Amara gently rubbed a thumb along the circles beneath Tabitha's eyes.
"Oh this is nothing. Just get me in there, and after twenty minutes of scrubbing I'll be ready to take on the world again!" Tabitha slumped a little. "The world will be, of course, my bed, but hey, all in one's view and all that, right?"
Amara giggled and motioned to the showers. "Okay, all yours."
"Thanks girl!"
After that, Amara was ready for her dance lessons with Jean.
"Now, the first one we're going to practice is the most basic of close dancing, the two step."
Jean was danced in loose gym pants and a T-shirt, the former green and the latter blue, as she stood in the middle of one of the many control rooms that had escaped the destruction of the mansion relatively intact. Amara had opted for jeans and a tank top, both coloured in black and dark green, and watched with rapt attention.
"First, whomever leads takes their partner's hand and holds it out like this," Jean started, extending her left hand up and out to the side. "Or you can hold it closer to you. Your other arm goes about this waist." Her other arm made a circle, and Amara nodded.
"Once you've done that, it's just a simple matter of following a two step pattern, like this." Jean stepped forward with her right foot, and then followed it up with her left before going off in another direction, again leading with her right foot. "The right foot always leads, and the left follows."
"Okay, I think I've got it," said Amara as she mimed Jean's stance and went through the movements, although she stumbled a little bit over a bad piece of flooring.
Jean caught her with her telekinesis before she could fall, and floated the younger mutant over. "Hopefully the place will be just like before and we can practice in either your room or mine, where there's guaranteed privacy... sort of."
Amara couldn't help but giggle a little. "Yeah, sort of, when you've got people who can walk through walls and teleport."
"How about we try this together then? I think you've got the basic movements down, but I'm going to lead first. Sound good?" Jean asked.
Amara nodded, and Jean drew her close, slipping an arm about her slim waist and taking her hand in hers and extending it out.
"Um, what do I do with my other hand?" she asked, and felt warmth well up at the thought of dancing in such a fashion with Tabitha.
"Place it on my shoulder," Jean instructed. "Now, as I move forward, you move back, so your left foot moves back as my right foot moves forward with it, and vice versa, got it?"
Amara nodded. "Right... um, hee, okay."
"And on three... one, two, three..." Jean moved forward, and Amara moved back, the result being a very stiff but quick move that kept the two close together.
"Relax," Jean said, smiling a little. "And follow my lead on a mental count, like so; one two three, one two three, one two three..."
As she counted off the numbers, Jean and Amara moved with them, Jean taking a more firm role as the leader and guiding Amara through each step.
"You count it off now, even in your head, but eventually, you'll be able to do it without thinking at all," said Jean as they made a small circle about the room. "And you'll even be able to do this after awhile."
"Do what- eek!" Amara giggled as Jean suddenly dipped her down, her hand set firmly on the small of her back, which sent up a delicious little tingle through her. "I... hee hee, I see... but I guess you'd rather be dipped by Scott than dip me, right?"
Jean blushed, almost dropping Amara; so much so had the question caught her off guard. She almost dropped her again when there came a familiar popping sound and the whiff of brimstone.
"Here... you... are..." Kurt Wagner, in the fur, stammered as he rested atop the smashed console. "Uh... I... I was just looking... for you Amara, for Tabitha... umm.."
Kurt Wagner, universal good guy, had just been lounging around outside, looking over the progress that the new recruits had made while thinking over school and his girlfriend when Tabitha finally tracked him down.
"Evening, blue boy! What's on your mind?" the blonde asked, sashaying over to him.
"Oh, just various things," he said, not really wanting to go into details. "Mainly school and that..."
"Ah, yeah... harsh. I can't imagine what you're going through, facing that head on like that. Still, you seem to be holding up pretty well." She slapped him on the shoulder, almost sending him off his perch. "Hey, since you need something else to think about, I was wondering if you could search the institute for my gal, Amara. I got a little more spending money from mom than usual and I want to treat her to a burger at this great little place I found the other day."
"Okay... I think it's cool that your mom still let you stay here. Jubilee's parents took her home after everything cooled off," Kurt pointed out.
"Yeah well, mom figured that with our secret out and all, this place was still the safest to be at, especially since, you know..." Tabitha paused, her gaze looking out over the horizon.
Kurt nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder, understanding. While everyone at the institute had gone through hardships, Kurt felt a bit more for Tabitha, mainly because he had seen first hand what she had gone through, with a father that had only appreciated her for her mutant abilities.
Then he saw the slightly gloomy look on his face, and it was Nice Guy Action time.
"Hey now, I'll be back in a jiff with Amara, and then maybe you can bring back a doggy bag for the fuzzy?" He smiled jokingly, and when Tabitha swatted him on the shoulder, laughing, he knew his work was done.
So with a wave, he teleported away, checking what rooms there were left in the institute until he found Amara...
... with Jean...
... dancing...
Hence his current predicament.
"Kurt!" Amara exclaimed, and Jean quickly pulled her back up. "Please, this, Jean is just.. showing me how to dance! PLEASE don't tell Tabitha, please?"
The thought hadn't even occurred to Kurt, because he was still getting over the sight of Jean and Amara in that classic dance pose, and now he was being bombarded with the rather potent Cute Look from the volcanic mutant.
"I... no, I mean, wait... why would I tell Tabitha?" The surprise his mind had suffered was only mild compared to the frying it was currently undergoing being exposed to Tabitha's cute pleading. For a good long time, he had always held Kitty in high regard as being the cutest of the institute's mutants, but Amara was easily giving her a run for her money.
Amara seemed at a loss for words, and so Jean stepped in for her. "I'm teaching Amara how to slow dance, and she'd rather it remain a secret."
"But why? It's not like-" The few pieces fell into place, and Kurt blinked. "Oh.. ohhhhh... oh, well, yeah, sure, I won't tell. " At the worried look on Amara's face and the concerned one on Jean's, he intensified his claim. "I promise I won't tell! Really!"
"Thank you, Kurt," said Jean. "Now, why were you looking for Amara?"
"Oh, that, yes, see, Tabitha wanted to take Amara out for something to eat," he said. "And yeah, so, here I am, Wagner Taxi, ready to go." He offered Amara an arm. "Please, trust me, I won't say anything."
"Not even to Kitty?" Amara asked.
"Not even to Kitty," said Kurt. "Wait, now why would I say anything to Kitty? Jean isn't teaching her how to dance too, is she?"
"No, it's just that you two are so close," Amara pointed out, at which Kurt found himself sighing wistfully.
"Yeah, of course."
"See you here tomorrow, Jean?" Amara asked.
The redhead nodded. "Certainly. Have fun with Tabitha, and don't stay out too late. You both still have work to do tomorrow."
Amara nodded, and in the blink of an eye, the two mutants were gone.
Jean shook her head and spoke aloud to the quiet room.
"Kitty is going to have this secret out of him in two days, tops."