Dance With Me

[Neiko Fedele]

They had finally done it, Neiko and Tony had earned enough money to have Neiko's dance studio built. It wasn't very large and only had a few studio's but it was all that he had ever hoped for. He had named it Studio N after himself, he hadn't wanted to use his name but still pertain to him. Walking in Neiko smiled, Tony and himself had helped to build the building and Neiko couldn't wait till they opened in a few weeks. As a surprise for Bella he was even having a Baby Grand put in so she could play all she wanted if she didn't feel like helping him with the dancing. Now they would have a steady income and Neiko would be doing what he loved everyday it all just seemed so unreal. Neiko flipped on a light and looked into the mirrors it was so perfect he just wanted to dance until he couldn't dance anymore. The only thing that could make this better is if Tawny were here. He had always hoped that she would help him teach but Neiko hadn't seen her in a very long time which was unusual as she lived next door. He hadn't wanted to go over unannounced and had been so busy planning and building he really didn't have time to seek her out anyway. Taking a spin around the room Neiko stopped just in time to see the knob of the entrance turn.

 

[Tawny Lao]

Changes had occurred in the few months that Neiko and Tawny had not spoken. Her hair was longer now, and she wore it in a high pony-tail, rather than down. She had grown and few inches, now about 3' tall; she knew this was as tall as she was going to get. She had also rounded out a bit more, a few more curves added that made her look older. She had become a little more bubbly, if it was even possible, and had yet to forget the faithful night that she had put a love potion in Neiko's drink. She had yet to forget that she was still in love with her best friend. Her best. Gay. Friend. Tawny wasn't going to concentrate on that, though.Right now, she had to concentrate on walking and not freezing to death. In hindsight, Tawny should have gotten changed into her dance outfit at the studio; but she didn't want to waste any time. She had just thrown a white, knit jacket over it all. The jacket covered her dress, it went down to her knees, in all honesty. Her mother had made it for her in case she ever got cold. Tawny, was always cold though.

The studio was only a little way away now. Tawny could see the neon sign that said 'Studio N' on it. It was a clever use of Neiko's name. Her heart fluttered a little in her chest at the thought of Neiko. She wondered if he still wore his hair big, or if he was still as skinny as a twig. Most of all, Tawny wondered if he was still gay. she knew it wasn't something you changed overnight, but a girl could hope, couldn't she? She turned the handle slowly and walked in, Neiko staring at her as she entered. "Neiko!" She shouted, running to him and hugging him around the knees. she couldn't help it, she just hadn't seen him in so long.​

 

[Neiko Fedele]

Neiko's eyes widened when he saw the very girl he had been thinking about, she looked a bit different but then again so did he. He was more muscular from lifting wood and such while working construction, and his hands were rough and callused from nailing and sawing. He was a still thin and had a good frame for dancing but he was more defined. He still wore his hair large most days but had taken to straitening it as well. Nothing big, but Tawny she looked great. She had grown up, literally, she was taller and had grown her hair. Not to mention she had gained some weight in the right places. He smiled and wrapped his arms awkwardly around her, she was really holding his legs but he was shorter than most so it wasn't to big a stretch to reach her.

Looking down at her shiny black hair, Neiko could only wonder what Tawny was doing here and how she knew he would be here. "Tawny, what are you doing here?" Neiko was glad to see her but curious as to why now. After all this time avoiding him, he was sure she had to have been, why come see him now right before he opened up his new studio. Unless she was here to help him. Neiko's face lit up, maybe she wanted to dance with him like they had always planned. That would be the greatest thing to happen since finishing the studio.

 

[Tawny Lao]

Tawny watched as Neiko's expression changed. He seemed surprised or taken aback by her appearance. Maybe he was happy to see her, maybe he was mad that she had been gone for so long. Whatever the case, Tawny knew that she was happy to see him. He looked a little different now, toned, she concluded was the description. She realized he must have gotten the tone while building the studio. Tawny had to admit, he looked better than she expected. Actually, he looked better than she hoped. Had he gotten horribly ugly while she was gone, things might be easier than they were. Because now, she had a boy to tell him about, and she still had her feelings for him. She didn't want to, she knew she couldn't have him, but she still had feelings for him.

She felt butterflies in her stomach when his arms reached down around her. She felt almost like a child in comparison. "I'm back because i missed you!" She grinned up at him and let go, walking away slightly. She took a spin on her toes, full point still as easy as ever. She had always loved dancing, and she still practiced it every day. "i got in contact with Tony and found out that you were here after building it. i want to help you!" She exclaimed smiling. "I wanna be your dance partner again!" She smiled even more. "i got back into town a couple nights ago; and guess what?" She waited to see if he was ready. "i met someone!" She fell gracefully back as if to faint, and then came back up.
​

 

[Neiko Fedele]

Neiko let her go from the hug and smiled as Tawny spun, she really was adorable. It was the little things she did that brightened his day, she was always so happy. He grinned when she said she was back because she missed him, "Well we are best friends after all, I'd be worried if you didn't miss me." He joked at her. Tawny explained to him how she had come to find him and he shook his head slightly, he should have known that Tony would have had something to do with it. Leave it to his big brother to send her his way, Tony had always liked Tawny for the fact that she had accepted Neiko even when he told her what he was. Even if there had been the little mishap with the love potion that was all in the past now. Neiko was glad but not shocked when she said she wanted to be his dance partner again, they were the perfect size when paired together, which was nice being as they were both so short. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Tawny caught him a bit off guard with what she said next. She had met someone, that really confirmed that everything was all in the past. Neiko should have been happy for Tawny but he wasn't sure why but he felt a bit sick to his stomach. Feeling the need to support his friend Neiko smiled, "That's great Tawny, I'm so happy for you. You deserve someone as special as you are." Neiko meant what he said but somehow the words felt sour as they came out of his mouth. Ignoring it he looked down at Tawny, "So, would you dance with me?"

 

[Tawny Lao]

Tawny giggled at Neiko. She forgot that by regular person standards, he was short. maybe that's why they were so perfect as dance partners. He was almost three feet taller than her, but it made the tricks that they did on the floor just that much better. That much more astounding. Especially when they did fifties dances. the times that he lifted her up in the air made her look like she was flying. She felt like she was flying when she was way up in the air with him underneath her. it was the most wonderful feeling in the world, honestly. "Oh stop it, maybe we aren't." Tawny only joked when she said they 'weren't' best friends. She knew that they were. After all they had been through, how could they not be. She looked around the room. they had really done wonders with the place. She skipped lightly over to the stretching bar and began to stretch out bit by bit. It might take a bit for her to get back in the swing of things.

"He's awesome. He was a bartender at the bar I visited." She said, bringing her leg up to the shortest bar, one that was obviously made for younger pupils, and bringing her hands to her feet. "He's from Korea, and he's just so cute. He made me a smoothie!" She said with a grin. She put that leg down and brought up another. "Let me finish stretching, then we can." She looked back and smiled at him.
​

 

[Neiko Fedele]

Neiko just smiled and rolled his eye's when Tawny played off his joke. They had to be best friends, Neiko didn't make chocolate surprise brownies for just anyone. Neiko watched as Tawny walked over to the children's bar and began to stretch. He saw the muscle's in her leg and knew she had still been dancing, even if she wasn't as practiced as before. He knew how hard it was for a well seasoned dancer to stop dancing and knew for himself and Tawny it would be too hard. They were both going to dance until they couldn't dance any longer, that was just the effect dancing had had on them. Tawny continued to ramble on about this guy she had met and Neiko really just wasn't feeling it. He couldn't ask her to stop but he really didn't have to indulge in that aspect of the conversation. So besides nodding and giving her a mmmhhhm Neiko didn't comment on this new guy. It took him a minute to process that she had said she visited a bar. That was so unlike Tawny, but Neiko supposed people changed.

Tawny told him to let her finish stretching and Neiko smiled, "Alright." He just didn't feel talkative at the moment. It probably had something to do with this new man in Tawny's life. He had a bad feeling about it and wondered where he would stand by the time things started happening as he knew they would. Letting his mind come back to the present he walked forward to Tawny, clicking on some faster music with a remote he held his hand out to Tawny, "May I have this dance?" He said with that lopsided grin of his.

 

[Tawny Lao]

Tawny smiled brightly at Neiko it wasn't everyday that you were reunited with your best friend after all. Nothing could have dampered Tawny's good mood. Nothing except that mmhmm. if there were two things Tawny knew about Neiko, it was that he made amazing brownies, and he had a habit of only saying "mmhmm" when he was bothered. Tawny turned and pulled her leg up behind her, straitening it out. She had become so much more flexible after joining a yoga gym. it had helped her to find her center and taught her to balance as well. Both of those were things Tawny was going to need if she started to instruct with Neiko. she waved those thoughts from her mind, and thought back to the way Neiko had just said, mmhmm. "Neiko, sweets, is there something on your mind?" Maybe he was concerned about the new guy she had met, concerned that he might be bad for her. Maybe, if things went well and she did end up with this guy, she could have them meet. That way Neiko would feel better.

She switched legs for a moment and then dropped into a stance that would allow her to show off the way she could balance now. "Well, of course." She said with a grin, making her way across the floor in a way that matched the music. this would bring back the memories; this was just like old times.
​

 

[Neiko Fedele]

Tawny had a way of seeing right through Neiko, he wasn't sure what it was but she always knew when he was upset. After hearing her call him sweets though, Neiko was willing to just let go and he let that feeling flow through him. "Nothing's wrong, I'm just glad your here. That's all." He really wasn't lying so he hoped she would call him out on it. All that really mattered was the present, and in this moment Neiko was going to dance with his best friend with all other feelings aside. Neiko watched Tawny move to him with the music, He smiled thinking about the day they had first met and danced in her bedroom. She really was an amazing dancer, perfect to help him teach. Smiling Neiko started to dance and cleared the space between them.

This was the way things were supposed to be, spinning and dipping and turning. It reminded Neiko of lift the twists and jumps, along with the occasional fall. All along the way the most important people are along side you having a blast. At least that was the world through Neiko's eyes, he smiled at the end of the thought and lost himself in with the beat of the music. Looking at Tawny he didn't think of anything else except her movements and the sound of the music.

 

[Tawny Lao]

To Tawny, it was strange that he was just glad she was back. She knew the difference between a tone or sigh that was upset, and one that wasn't. It wasn't like she didn't know Neiko that well, she knew him better than she knew herself, after all. But, she'd let it go. She wasn't going to ruin them reuniting for a hunch. The memories of before started to flood her head. When she had first moved in, no friends or anything really. How he had brought her food. How they had danced in her room. Her first crush ever. now, this didn't matter though. As she move with him to the music, there was nothing. The room din't exist, it was like dancing in the abyss. Tawny watched his eyes. Finally, she was able to push any feelings for him into the back of her mind.

The more that Tawny thought about their relationship, the more she realized that they were always going to be just friends. He wasn't going to stop liking guys, and maybe this was her chance to move on. maybe now, she could think of him in a strictly platonic way. Maybe now... she'd be free.
​

 

[Neiko Fedele]

Neiko was glad that Tawny seemed just as absorbed in the dance as he was. The song came to an end as abruptly as it had began. Looking at Tawny he made a grand gesture of bowing, "Thank you for the dance M'lady." He gave her a big smile. If there was anyone he could be himself around it was Tawny. She was his friend for all the right reasons and he loved that about her. She wasn't judgmental or out to gain something from there relationship, it was mutual likeness of the weirdness they had around each other. Being with her again reminded him of why Neiko had come out of him bit of depression from before the move. She had accepted him when no one else had.

Straightening back up he grinned, "So you really want to help me here." He knew what he answer was. Neiko really was glad she was going to be helping him. The two of them could do anything together and he knew the children were just going to adore her and her small stature. Looking at her was a promise of the bright future to come, Neiko new he would look back at this moment with fondness. Because in his memories when Tawny was happy, so was he.