unlikely dance partners
unlikely dance partners; kate/shannon; tame; 1643 words
It was loud. That was all Kate could think about as she wove through the grinding and sweating bodies in the club. She’d lost her friend Claire in the crowd about half an hour ago, and attempting to find her didn’t seem like a viable option at the moment. The only place void of writhing bodies was the far left of the bar, but getting there was proving difficult. After a good ten minutes struggle, pulling groping hands from her waist, ignoring drunken pick up lines and avoiding badly timed dance moves she sat heavily down on a stool, her feet swinging back and forth.
“What can I get you?” The bartender yelled, leaning forward.
“Got any earplugs?” She joked. He laughed and threw his towel over his shoulder, leaning forward even more.
“Nah, but I have some pretty strong stuff, if you’re interested.”
“No thanks, man. I’ll just have a beer.” He nodded and motioned to their brands. She pointed at one that sounded vaguely familiar and he handed her a bottle, snapping the cap off.
“Thanks,” she paid and turned around, watching the crowd. It was entertaining and intriguing, watching how strangers approached each other in an environment that discouraged conversation. There were the tentative ones who started out with smiles and slowly gravitated towards each other to the beat of the music. There were the aggressive ones who locked eyes and immediately had their hands all over each other, hips touching electrically to the song. Kate liked watching people but she would never understand them. The people who went to clubs like this didn’t make sense to her. Claire only came because her friend was DJing that night and she promised to come for a few hours, dragging Kate along.
A blonde head neared her and she sat up, thinking it was Claire but slouched back down when an unfamiliar face neared the bar. The girl was young and beautiful, make up smudged with sweat, her golden hair darker than Claire’s and stick straight. She motioned to the bartender, who came over and took her order. Kate heard her accent, not the normal Aussie one she was used to in Sydney, this one was American. The girl tripped over her own feet, catching herself on the bar and bumping Kate.
“Oh! Sorry!” She said loudly over the music.
“Don’t worry about it,” Kate answered, watching her with a smile.
“You’re not Australian, are you?” She asked, sipping her vodka cranberry and eyeing Kate. Kate was wearing a tight pair of jeans and a black silk shirt, her curly hair tumbling over her shoulders and sticking to her skin in the humid air of the club.
“No and neither are you,” she said, looking right back at the girl. She was wearing a short pink dress, her legs ending in heels that made her even taller than she already was, which was tall.
“Shannon Rutherford,” she said, putting out a hand.
“Kate Austen,” she said, shaking her hand.
“What brings you to Australia?” Shannon asked, but Kate couldn’t hear her over the music.
“What?” Shannon looked around and stood up, taking Kate’s hand in hers.
“OUTSIDE,” she yelled. Kate nodded and followed. She expected Shannon to drop her hand once they started, but she held on tightly all the way to the door, letting go only when the cool night air broke through the wall of music, heat, alcohol and smoke from the club.
“That’s better. I asked why you were in Australia?” Shannon repeated, walking from the bouncers outside and around the corner, still holding her glass.
“I’m visiting my friend Claire. She’s in there somewhere. Her friend’s the DJ.”
“Is he on something? I’ve never heard that many Tiesto songs in a row, I fucking swear,” Shannon said, wiping a strand of hair from her forehead.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kate said honestly, with a laugh.
“DJ Tiesto? You don’t know Tiesto? Wow, you really are out of place in the club scene, aren’t you?”
“Yeah a bit. Not really my scene.” Kate took a long drink from the cold beer, finding a comfortable spot in the grass by the entrance of a park across the street from the club to sit. Shannon sat down next to her and ripped handfuls of grass out of the ground, throwing the blades into the street.
“Me neither, to be honest. My step brother thought I’d want to go and I didn’t have the heart to tell him it’s not really my cup of tea anymore.”
“That was sweet of him though.”
“Yeah, it would be if he wasn’t in love with me,” Shannon rumbled, pushing the thoughts of Boone from her head. She didn’t want to think about him and their confusing and boundary pushing relationship at the moment. She was a bit tipsy and the clear air was only succeeding in making her feel slightly ill.
“Why are you here?” Kate asked after a moment of silence.
“I was dating this guy, but it ended and my brother came to get me. But I’m not going home.”
“Why not?” Kate wasn’t uncomfortable asking Shannon these questions. She might not be able to read the typical club goer, fueled only by drugs, alcohol and the promise of sex, but Shannon was different and almost familiar in her boldness.
“There’s nothing for me back home. My life’s been dashed to pieces recently and the only way I’m going to rebuild it is by staying somewhere foreign. Not only foreign in address either. Foreign in everything. Well, everything but language. I don’t need to do that again,” she said quickly, thoughts rushing out of her mouth before she had the proper time to screen them. “Sorry, you don’t care about any of that. I guess I’m drunker than I thought I was.”
“No, I like hearing about other people. It’s interesting.” Shannon looked over at Kate, who had drawn her knees up to her chest and had her chin resting on her knee, smiling widely.
“Shit!” Shannon said, movement at the entrance of the club catching her eye.
“What?”
“My brother,” she muttered through clenched teeth. The man was striding towards them across the street.
“What the fuck, Shan? You can’t just disappear like that! I thought something might have happened-“
“I’m fine, Boone!” She spat back angrily.
“Who’s this?” He asked rudely, jutting his chin towards Kate.
“I’m Kate, calm down, man,” she said, scooting closer to Shannon.
“What, you run out of guys now, Shannon? You have to turn to girls?” He sneered. “No offense, Kate,” he added insincerely.
“Maybe, Boone. What would you do then? Give up on ever fucking me?” His eyes narrowed at his sister, piercing through her. She never once blinked until he turned his head.
“Jesus, Shan,” he breathed out. She set her jaw and turned to Kate, who saw the small smile on her lips before Shannon moved in, pressing their lips together in a kiss. Kate felt her pulse quicken and she kissed back, not knowing if Shannon was doing this simply to spite Boone or because she actually felt something for her. Boone turned on his heel and stormed off, a stream of curses under his breath audible until he went back into the club. Shannon didn’t break the kiss yet though. She let them continue, tongues mingling softly, tentatively like some of the dancers until Kate took control like the others, plundering Shannon’s mouth until they broke for air.
“So…” Kate trailed off.
“I live close,” Shannon said breathlessly. “Boone’s at a hotel, don’t worry,” she said, cutting Kate off before she could ask the question. “I’ve never…done this with a girl before,” she admitted. She was staring at Kate’s hand, her fingers twining in and out in a thoughtless rhythm.
“Don’t worry, Shannon. It’s really not that tricky,” Kate said with a laugh. Shannon echoed before flopping backwards in the grass, pulling Kate with her.
“You’re not doing this just to spite your brother, right?”
“Oh god no! Boone’s an ass, but I don’t care what he says or thinks about me. Whatever’s going on in his head is his business. He just had to understand that I don’t want to know about his secret thoughts and desires. At all.”
Kate stood up, holding her hand out for Shannon. Shannon looked up at the gorgeous woman, lips kiss bitten red, her freckles standing out from the deep Australian sun. Her hair was falling over her face, eyes darkened with lust, curiosity and desire.
“You’re not the kind of person I’d expect to find at a club, Kate Austen,” Shannon said, standing up and keeping her hand in hers firmly as they walked down the empty street.
“But aren’t you glad I was there?” She asked rhetorically. Shannon smiled and nodded, her earrings jingling with the motion. “Fuck this stuff!” She yelled, taking off her heavy necklace, her long earrings and her heels. She tossed them into the nearest trashcan and skipped down the street, the soles off her feet darkening from the dirty sidewalk. Kate burst out laughing, watching the girl spin and dance beautifully.
“You’re crazy!” She yelled.
“For once! I’m crazy and not afraid, Kate! Join me!” Kate ran to catch up, pushing the taller woman against a lamppost. She kissed her gently, noses bumping, eliciting soft smiles and giggles from them.
“I’ll show you crazy,” Kate said with promise, letting Shannon lead them up the steps of her apartment. Before Shannon opened the door she paused.
“I threw my shoes away. Why does being around you make me want to throw my shoes away?” Shannon asked herself more than Kate. Kate shrugged.
“Maybe you have to many?”
“You can never have too many shoes, Kate.” Shannon pushed the door open and pulled Kate inside.
It was loud. That was all Kate could think about as she wove through the grinding and sweating bodies in the club. She’d lost her friend Claire in the crowd about half an hour ago, and attempting to find her didn’t seem like a viable option at the moment. The only place void of writhing bodies was the far left of the bar, but getting there was proving difficult. After a good ten minutes struggle, pulling groping hands from her waist, ignoring drunken pick up lines and avoiding badly timed dance moves she sat heavily down on a stool, her feet swinging back and forth.
“What can I get you?” The bartender yelled, leaning forward.
“Got any earplugs?” She joked. He laughed and threw his towel over his shoulder, leaning forward even more.
“Nah, but I have some pretty strong stuff, if you’re interested.”
“No thanks, man. I’ll just have a beer.” He nodded and motioned to their brands. She pointed at one that sounded vaguely familiar and he handed her a bottle, snapping the cap off.
“Thanks,” she paid and turned around, watching the crowd. It was entertaining and intriguing, watching how strangers approached each other in an environment that discouraged conversation. There were the tentative ones who started out with smiles and slowly gravitated towards each other to the beat of the music. There were the aggressive ones who locked eyes and immediately had their hands all over each other, hips touching electrically to the song. Kate liked watching people but she would never understand them. The people who went to clubs like this didn’t make sense to her. Claire only came because her friend was DJing that night and she promised to come for a few hours, dragging Kate along.
A blonde head neared her and she sat up, thinking it was Claire but slouched back down when an unfamiliar face neared the bar. The girl was young and beautiful, make up smudged with sweat, her golden hair darker than Claire’s and stick straight. She motioned to the bartender, who came over and took her order. Kate heard her accent, not the normal Aussie one she was used to in Sydney, this one was American. The girl tripped over her own feet, catching herself on the bar and bumping Kate.
“Oh! Sorry!” She said loudly over the music.
“Don’t worry about it,” Kate answered, watching her with a smile.
“You’re not Australian, are you?” She asked, sipping her vodka cranberry and eyeing Kate. Kate was wearing a tight pair of jeans and a black silk shirt, her curly hair tumbling over her shoulders and sticking to her skin in the humid air of the club.
“No and neither are you,” she said, looking right back at the girl. She was wearing a short pink dress, her legs ending in heels that made her even taller than she already was, which was tall.
“Shannon Rutherford,” she said, putting out a hand.
“Kate Austen,” she said, shaking her hand.
“What brings you to Australia?” Shannon asked, but Kate couldn’t hear her over the music.
“What?” Shannon looked around and stood up, taking Kate’s hand in hers.
“OUTSIDE,” she yelled. Kate nodded and followed. She expected Shannon to drop her hand once they started, but she held on tightly all the way to the door, letting go only when the cool night air broke through the wall of music, heat, alcohol and smoke from the club.
“That’s better. I asked why you were in Australia?” Shannon repeated, walking from the bouncers outside and around the corner, still holding her glass.
“I’m visiting my friend Claire. She’s in there somewhere. Her friend’s the DJ.”
“Is he on something? I’ve never heard that many Tiesto songs in a row, I fucking swear,” Shannon said, wiping a strand of hair from her forehead.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kate said honestly, with a laugh.
“DJ Tiesto? You don’t know Tiesto? Wow, you really are out of place in the club scene, aren’t you?”
“Yeah a bit. Not really my scene.” Kate took a long drink from the cold beer, finding a comfortable spot in the grass by the entrance of a park across the street from the club to sit. Shannon sat down next to her and ripped handfuls of grass out of the ground, throwing the blades into the street.
“Me neither, to be honest. My step brother thought I’d want to go and I didn’t have the heart to tell him it’s not really my cup of tea anymore.”
“That was sweet of him though.”
“Yeah, it would be if he wasn’t in love with me,” Shannon rumbled, pushing the thoughts of Boone from her head. She didn’t want to think about him and their confusing and boundary pushing relationship at the moment. She was a bit tipsy and the clear air was only succeeding in making her feel slightly ill.
“Why are you here?” Kate asked after a moment of silence.
“I was dating this guy, but it ended and my brother came to get me. But I’m not going home.”
“Why not?” Kate wasn’t uncomfortable asking Shannon these questions. She might not be able to read the typical club goer, fueled only by drugs, alcohol and the promise of sex, but Shannon was different and almost familiar in her boldness.
“There’s nothing for me back home. My life’s been dashed to pieces recently and the only way I’m going to rebuild it is by staying somewhere foreign. Not only foreign in address either. Foreign in everything. Well, everything but language. I don’t need to do that again,” she said quickly, thoughts rushing out of her mouth before she had the proper time to screen them. “Sorry, you don’t care about any of that. I guess I’m drunker than I thought I was.”
“No, I like hearing about other people. It’s interesting.” Shannon looked over at Kate, who had drawn her knees up to her chest and had her chin resting on her knee, smiling widely.
“Shit!” Shannon said, movement at the entrance of the club catching her eye.
“What?”
“My brother,” she muttered through clenched teeth. The man was striding towards them across the street.
“What the fuck, Shan? You can’t just disappear like that! I thought something might have happened-“
“I’m fine, Boone!” She spat back angrily.
“Who’s this?” He asked rudely, jutting his chin towards Kate.
“I’m Kate, calm down, man,” she said, scooting closer to Shannon.
“What, you run out of guys now, Shannon? You have to turn to girls?” He sneered. “No offense, Kate,” he added insincerely.
“Maybe, Boone. What would you do then? Give up on ever fucking me?” His eyes narrowed at his sister, piercing through her. She never once blinked until he turned his head.
“Jesus, Shan,” he breathed out. She set her jaw and turned to Kate, who saw the small smile on her lips before Shannon moved in, pressing their lips together in a kiss. Kate felt her pulse quicken and she kissed back, not knowing if Shannon was doing this simply to spite Boone or because she actually felt something for her. Boone turned on his heel and stormed off, a stream of curses under his breath audible until he went back into the club. Shannon didn’t break the kiss yet though. She let them continue, tongues mingling softly, tentatively like some of the dancers until Kate took control like the others, plundering Shannon’s mouth until they broke for air.
“So…” Kate trailed off.
“I live close,” Shannon said breathlessly. “Boone’s at a hotel, don’t worry,” she said, cutting Kate off before she could ask the question. “I’ve never…done this with a girl before,” she admitted. She was staring at Kate’s hand, her fingers twining in and out in a thoughtless rhythm.
“Don’t worry, Shannon. It’s really not that tricky,” Kate said with a laugh. Shannon echoed before flopping backwards in the grass, pulling Kate with her.
“You’re not doing this just to spite your brother, right?”
“Oh god no! Boone’s an ass, but I don’t care what he says or thinks about me. Whatever’s going on in his head is his business. He just had to understand that I don’t want to know about his secret thoughts and desires. At all.”
Kate stood up, holding her hand out for Shannon. Shannon looked up at the gorgeous woman, lips kiss bitten red, her freckles standing out from the deep Australian sun. Her hair was falling over her face, eyes darkened with lust, curiosity and desire.
“You’re not the kind of person I’d expect to find at a club, Kate Austen,” Shannon said, standing up and keeping her hand in hers firmly as they walked down the empty street.
“But aren’t you glad I was there?” She asked rhetorically. Shannon smiled and nodded, her earrings jingling with the motion. “Fuck this stuff!” She yelled, taking off her heavy necklace, her long earrings and her heels. She tossed them into the nearest trashcan and skipped down the street, the soles off her feet darkening from the dirty sidewalk. Kate burst out laughing, watching the girl spin and dance beautifully.
“You’re crazy!” She yelled.
“For once! I’m crazy and not afraid, Kate! Join me!” Kate ran to catch up, pushing the taller woman against a lamppost. She kissed her gently, noses bumping, eliciting soft smiles and giggles from them.
“I’ll show you crazy,” Kate said with promise, letting Shannon lead them up the steps of her apartment. Before Shannon opened the door she paused.
“I threw my shoes away. Why does being around you make me want to throw my shoes away?” Shannon asked herself more than Kate. Kate shrugged.
“Maybe you have to many?”
“You can never have too many shoes, Kate.” Shannon pushed the door open and pulled Kate inside.