Dancing

Chloe’s face was flushed, her breathing rough as her body moved before me. The music pulsed loudly around us. The dance floor was dominated by the young. Older people stuck to the outside, watching or engaged in their own private conversations. Seeing her dance in front of me was mesmerizing. It was beyond the physical beauty she radiated, but the way her noise danced with her. So pure and free as positive emotions pulsed and dazzled around her. This wasn’t on the level of her euphoria, but there was something natural about this that made her noise sing. Her Gift might have made her feel on top of the world, but it was artificial. Here, her noise organically shifted as she reacted to the music and people around her.

For the first time since I met her, I saw her. The real her.

Arms in the air, her body swayed. We’d both worked up a sweat, but it didn’t matter. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I wasn’t the only one either. As I predicted, she drew stares from those around us. My close presence and the way she smiled at me kept others at bay.

When the song shifted to something slower, I wasted no time stepping close and pulling her towards me. Her eyes widened before she gained control over her expression. Breathing hard, I felt my heart rate begin to slow as we swayed in time with the new song. She said nothing as she rested her head against my chest, arms wrapping around me.

I blinked, realizing the smile was there again. Once more, the second I realized it was there was the moment it vanished. It felt weird having no control over my body. It made me feel like there was something else inside me controlling aspects of my body that I had no say in. It was not a pleasant experience.

The song ended too soon as she pulled away. “I’m thirsty,” she said. Nodding, I took her hand and she led me out of the dancing crowd. We found refreshments and spent the next few minutes silently recouping our energy.

“Haven’t been this exhausted in a long time,” she said happily, tossing her head back and fanning her neck. My eyes trailed down, following the sweat on her neck to the exposed skin of her chest where it met the gentle swell of her breasts. It was only a blip, but I’d felt it. A jolt through my body as an unused system sparked to life before falling silent again.

Looking up, she met my eye shortly after. She hadn’t caught me staring, but seeing me looking at her caused her to smile. Nothing but good blossomed in her noise.

Chloe was special. There was nothing else I could say about it. In the brief time I’d known her, I’d experienced so many odd occurrences within me. I’d thought that her Gift might be able to help me, but it seemed I was wrong. It was Chloe herself.

“Something wrong?” she asked, still winded.

I shook my head and gave her a smile. “Nothing at all.”

She smiled back as I offered her my hand. Together, we headed back to the dance floor.