Dancing Away With My Heart

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya's life was good. She had a good relationship with her roommates, her second book was well underway, she was getting good grades in her classes, and her job as a dance instructor at the local studio was going great. So great, in fact, that she had been sent with one of the instructors up to New York for a convention. She was surprised to be visiting the city, but pleased all the same. She wondered idly as they stepped out of the cab if Kace still lived in the city, but she set the thought aside. It was rare anymore that she thought of her ex. He was just another piece in a long line of things she'd rather forget about her time at school.

The convention was going well, and there was a bit of a competition going between a few of the instructors. Nothing official, mostly just bragging rights over who had the best dancers in the country. Amaya wasn't sure how she'd been drawn into it, but before she knew it she and her partner, Jack, were thrown into the mix. She rolled her eyes at his antics, but she couldn't resist as the music started. He should know better than to let her pick the music, but his ego kept him from bothering with the details like that.

Jack was a looker, she supposed, well built with styled blond hair and blue eyes. He was too pretty for her to really care, and that drove him up the wall. What really got under his skin, though, was that Amaya was a better dancer. The studio often paired her with many different people, due to her adaptability and skillset. Amaya's dance style was a unique blend of hip-hop and ballet. Jack was strictly hip-hop, but he rushed his moves, often slipping and fumbling. Amaya flawlessly recovered each time, making his mistakes seem intentional. Anyone with any real experience could see how she carried him. She spun into his arms as the dance ended, laughing breathlessly from the high of the dance. For a split second, when she opened her eyes, she expected to see Kace. Her heart twisted dully at the sight of Jack, instead. She sighed softly, patting his arm and stepping back.

Now that she was finished helping her partner show off, Amaya left the ring and moved to the edge of the room, settling down in one of the windows and pulling out her manuscript. She was halfway through a page, and she was quickly lost in her work, blond hair covering her face and headphones in. She was lost to the world, an alarm set on her phone for when she needed to move to the next event.

 

[Kace Corelli]

Kace was generally hyped up whenever there was a new competition going on. The man lived for it by practicing every day at the dance studio with his crew. The former gryffindor ate, sweat and dream of only dancing. His father called it an obsession, Kace ignored the man and called it a lifestyle. If he didn't understand his dream back then, then he didn't understand his dream now and probably never will. That was nothing new between them, however, Kace wasn't going to let the old man put a dent in his mood. Not when NYC was hosting another competition with dancers all over the world coming to compete. Kace was going to bring that heat no doubt, he practiced everyday until the competition was underway.

Kace studied and judge from the sideline whenever their were dancers on the floor. He not only liked being a part of the competition, but he quite enjoyed just watching from a far to see what was out there. To see what he can pick up from the other dancers. It just so happens there was someone else out there, someone from the past that caught his gaze. By some magic miracle Kace found himself staring at a familiar face. Amaya. He shook his head, smiling as he witness the witch's performance. When she was done, he clapped loudly but not loud enough to draw attention to himself. Before he could catch her, she was gone in some corner probably writing a book if he had to guess. Kace went looking for her and found her sitting alone as he predicted. "Amaya?"

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya was lost in her work, not noticing anything around her as her music played. Her attention was drawn, though, by a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up without thinking. Her heart jumped into her throat and she sat up straight, pulling her headphones out and hoping the light blush on her cheeks wasn't noticeable. "Kace?" She asked, feeling nervous already. They hadn't exactly parted as friends. And he had been fairly cozy with a Ravenclaw the last time she'd bothered looking. She shifted nervously, unsure how she was supposed to react.

 

[Kace Corelli]

Kace didn't notice the headphones at first. With the noise surrounding them he was a little surprised she could actually hear him. One has to be alert during a competition, so, he understood that somewhat. "The one and only," he cheekily answered with a wide grin. The old Kace way to greet someone from his relevant past. "I saw you out there, you were the bomb diggity!" The wizard exclaimed, laughing. "I didn't think you would continue with dancing, I just remembered you like writing a lot more," Kace gestured to the book she was holding onto. Some things never change, and, that wasn't at all such a bad thing. Maybe a little, "Why aren't you with the rest of you crew? Life is too short Amaya, at least put down the quill when you're at a competition."

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya squirmed, not quite looking him in the eye. She shut her binder but kept it in her lap. "I- er- thank you?" She managed, her Irish accent coming through stronger with her uneasiness. She fiddled with the edge of a piece of paper, staring intently at it. "Well, there's- a lot of things you don't know," she replied softly. "I uh- I'm a dance teacher at a studio in Phoenix," she told him. "They just sent me because Jack's partner had their appendix removed or something," she shrugged. She shook her head as he told her to put her quill away. "Why? I'm not a people person," she scoffed, standing and brushing past him. That was enough of that.

 

[Kace Corelli]

Kace nodded, "I can see that," he commented, remembering her dance routine. There's a lot he can say about that, but he's already going after her. "Hey, wait up Amaya. Come on, you're not going to leave me hanging like that," he assumed that it would be okay to say hi, that there was no hard feelings left between them. He assumed wrong..."Amaya, come on. I can't say hi to you and see how you're doing? Is that wrong?"

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya hesitated as Kace came after her. She sighed softly, clutching her book tighter and shifting her weight from foot to foot. She was hesitant, but she had never been one to mince words. She shook her head, letting her hair fall to cover her face. "Maybe it's easy for you," she told him, hugging her binder tighter. "You're the one that walked away." She shook her head, old hurts flaring up. She kept herself turned more away from him. "I was awkward, and alone, and the only two people I loved were insistent on tearing each other apart. You tore me apart, and you expect me to just stop and chat like nothing happened?" She peeked up at him, completely guarded. "I've never bothered with social niceties. And I'm not the type to change for a pretty face. Not even yours," She looked away again, hugging her binder tightly enough that her knuckles turned white.

 

[Kace Corelli]

Ouch, he felt that completely on another level. His smile had vanished, there was a lump at his throat that kept him from saying anything. Guessed he knew deep down inside, he deserves it and so much more. It...Kace nervously rubbed the back of his neck. This, this isn't what he wanted. "Amaya...," he spoke carefully, bad vibes instantly swirled around them. Tense, he didn't like to feel that way especially at a place like a dance competition that made him feel all good. Alright in his own skin. "I just wanted to say hi and tell you that you killed it out there. I wasn't looking for a fight... I'm sorry, my bad..."

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya's heart twisted a bit in her chest. Kace was really growing up, wasn't he? Couldn't she...? No, she pushed her feelings down firmly. "Right. You wanted. That's what it's always about, isn't it?" She took a step back, throwing up her guard. "I used to trip all over myself trying to do what you wanted. You can't just come waltzing back in with that- that stupid face and act like you can just do whatever you want and I'll just- just smile and act like nothing ever happened," she stepped back further, furious at him and furious at herself for still caring so much. "The boy I knew was- was a pompous, self absorbed, egotistical child and I can't- I'm not going to just go back to when everything was always about Kace and I never mattered- you can just bite me, Corelli," She snapped, shoving past him and trying not to cry.

 

[Kace Corelli]

A dagger stabbed right into his chest would've been a better feeling in the moment that she decided to chew him out. It's obvious, so very obvious he screwed up so very badly that a simple hello set things off between them. Kace, the sharpness of her words dug into much worse than a dagger. He averted his gaze, setting for the hard cool ground beneath them. Kace rubbed his neck, digging his fingers right into him. She pushed past him and once again, he jumped to follow Amaya except the echoes of his name surrounded him. Kace turned to face towards the announcer calling his name. The man called up his dance crew on stage, it was time to perform. Kace snapped into reality looking back at Amaya. Kace went after her, he told Pete and the others to go without him. "Amaya, wait!"

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya made it outside, the cool evening air refreshing against her burning cheeks. She stepped to the side, leaning against the wall and sliding down. She brought her knees up to her chest, sighing and resting her head in her arms. She was surprised when Kace appeared, looking up at him with her brow furrowed. "What are you-?" Hadn't he just been called to the stage? She shifted, trying very hard to push down that old, familiar fluttering of her heart. She turned her head away, letting her hair fall down like a curtain to hide behind. "Go away, Kace," She grumbled, but most of the heat was gone. Her temper had cooled, and all that was left now was a dull ache she thought she had moved away from.

 

[Kace Corelli]

Kace, shift his eyes towards the entrance he momentarily left from, then at Amaya again. The man wipe at his lips, like there had been some residue left behind. It's a combination of sweat, spit and maybe not having the right words to say right there and then made him wipe at his face. Kace sighs, that pain very much residing within his chest. "Oh fcuk, Amaya," Kace coughed into his hands. "I'm sorry, I fcuked up so bad. The way I acted, the way it all went down, I had no idea how to fix it. I was thinking how to ask you brother or cousin, can't remember his name how to connect to you...then I thought nah, she probably hates my guts now. Why even try...and even with that in my head, I did write... I did, just couldn't find you...Couldn't get a note you..."

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya hugged her knees tighter, shutting her eyes tighter and trying to pretend he wasn't there. But she didn't expect him to apologize. Her heart skipped, and she peeked up to him through her hair. She hesitated, before shaking her head and looking away. "You don't... Don't," she pleaded gently, leaning away in an effort to get a little distance. "You were everything to me," she spoke softly, her voice breaking a few times as a few years slipped out. She was tense, trying to hold herself together.

"I wasn't enough. I was never... You broke me, Kace- I can't- I can't go through that again, I can't, I've never- " Gotten over you, she stopped herself from finishing the thought, just shaking her head. "Just leave me alone," She whispered half heatedly, knowing he was going to hurt her no matter what he did. "You're good at that," She added, biting her lip to stop herself from making any noise as she really started to cry.

 

[Kace Corelli]

Kace sighs, regrettably. There was no amount of apologizing that would fix this. There was no amount of apologizing that would take the hurt away. He backed off from Amaya, Kace is afraid his presence had overwhelmed her far enough. In the moment of struggling to think of anything to say to make her feel better one of his crew member called out to him from the entrance. Kace acknowledge Pete, signaling the latter he would join them in a second. "Well, if you ever want to talk or anything, I'm here. I'm in the city these days," he tells her, unsure if she would even bother to remember that. Unsure she would bother to contact him when all he's done is...hurt her. "I'll see you around...," Kace jogs away towards Pete. The will to dance had quickly vanquished from him. He tells Pete and the others to compete without him. Kace lingered for support, keeping away from the spotlight as the competition ramped up.

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya wasn't surprised when he left her there alone. To be fair, she had told him to. It had been a very long time. What would possibly make him stay? She wasn't important to him anymore. Arguably, she had never been all that important to him. He had never needed her. She could realize how silly she had been as a girl. She ignored what he said, knowing already she wasn't going to go looking for him. What would she be looking for? Trouble? He'd already broken her heart once, she didn't need him to break her heart a second time.

She did her best to ignore him for the next few days. She performed a few times, doing her best to keep her head in her dancing and in her writing. It was hard, knowing he was nearby, but she just couldn't seem to catch any of his performances to see how he was doing. She didn't care. She shouldn't care. Right?

It was three days, and she'd managed to get her emotions back in check. Mostly. She was supposed to be performing soon, and she'd taken extra care to make sure she looked alright. She didn't think he would notice, but she couldn't help but hope he might.

This set was supposed to be great, and while she had her doubts still about Jack, she knew she could carry them. The music started, loud and upbeat, and she bounded in from her side of the stage. She was meant to start, and she did- she started strong, graceful, a beautiful mix of ballet and hip hop that kept perfect time with the beat. But there was one issue- when she held out her hand, ready for her partner- no one was there. Her heart dropped, and her eyes widened. "Jack?!" She squeaked, looking around frantically. Tears filled her eyes, and she took several steps back as panic started to set in. Where in the world was her partner?!

 

[Kace Corelli]

Kace put up a good front for the rest of the competition, he put all his focus and energy on dancing. As much as he did and could do, Pete his second in command could tell there was something off about Kace. And it would make sense when he asked Kace what was up with that 'chick back there', Kace said something along the lines of telling him later. Pete wouldn't bring it up again until it started to affect his dancing. "Come on dude, why you keep messing up then? That chick is not just some random chick if she's got you all bother like that bro," Pete noted three days later. "She's not, look I was gonna tell you after we kill this competition and you bringing it up ain't helping bro," Kace blamed his friend, but the only one to really blame here is Kace. That's the straight up truth and Pete was quick to jump to his own defense. That didn't make it any better for the pair.

Kace wanders away from the crew and Pete to spot Amaya up on stage ready to perform. Kace watched with interests, gradually he started to miss dancing with her when she began her routine. The way she move so effortlessly on that stage, like a gymnast with perfect alignment in all their glory. Kace stared in awed, then she abruptly stopped. Kace, didn't understand at first. He assumed she was performing a solo piece, it's very common in these competitions. Although he's yet to see her ever perform solo unless practice was counted. It wasn't, he assumed wrong. Kace jumped on that stage holding out his hand to her, "I got you, I'll follow your lead," Kace offered, boldly offering his assistant if she would take it. The panic in her eyes, he understood well she was meant to have a partner. And the partner was a no-show, Kace beckon Amaya to take his hand. "Amaya, I'm here to help..."

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya turned, her eyes widening as she spotted the man walking towards her. Instinctively, she took a step back. This was Kace, he would just break her heart again, she couldn't trust him. But as he held out his hand to her, saying he was there to help, she just couldn't resist. She took his hand and let him pull her in. The dance itself was perhaps the easiest set she'd done in years. She didn't have to hold back with Kace, so it was also possibly the best set she'd done in years as well.

Amaya lost herself in the music, not having to babysit Kace and compensate for his moves. She giggled, spinning into his arms and striking a pose as the music ended. She couldn't help but giggle breathlessly, and without a thought, she pushed up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. She lingered for several moments before she realized what she was doing. She gasped and jumped away, eyes wide. "I-i didn't- I mean- I-i," Amaya stuttered, before turning quickly and dashing off the stage, jumping down and rushing off until she was outside. She took a deep breath, leaning against the wall and shutting her eyes. She put a hand over her beating heart, trying to calm herself down.

 

[Kace Corelli]

I am not the only traveler
Who has not repaid his debt
I've been searching for a trail to follow again
Take me back to the night we met


Kace took for granted what her trust meant to him. Before, it was easy. Kace had her at the palm of his hand, and then the trust was broken. No more. At the time when he lost it, he'll admit that it didn't mean anything. She didn't mean anything. And then time went on, and she wasn't there...that's when she meant something. Her trust was something to behold and have, it meant something yet, he thought it was too late. What was broken was broken, it can't be fixed. Yet, somehow on a random stage in front of many faces trust is given with an offered hand. Kace would like to captured this moment for a long time, just stay there for a little while to understand what she had given him.

Well, time doesn't work that way. And it's a good thing sometimes, while she lead the dance his eyes are for her only. No one matter but her, Kace moved in sync with her. And as the music comes to an end, their lips unexpectedly met. It was soft, innocent and yet lasted longer than a peck kiss. Kace's eyes widen, yet he smiles in content. And before he could uttered a syllable, Amaya was gone. Kace let a few seconds past, probably half a minute before he chased after her. "Amaya! Amaya, wait," the man follows her stops a few feet away from her. His heart rate matches her, though he did everything he could to keep himself in check. "Why you'd run out so fast..."

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya let out a slow breath, trying to decide what to do. She felt very vulnerable. This time, when Kace appeared, Amaya wasn't able to push him away. She kept her arms wrapped around herself. "You... I..." Amaya let out a deep sigh, looking to Kace, peeking at him through her hair. "You know why. I live across the country. I write, I teach dance, I go to the local college. I have a life there, I'm close to my roommate, and his boyfriend. They're like family. And you... you've always been New York. It would never work." She sighed deeply, looking away and tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm not going to give up my life for you again, I can't. One dance won't change that." She didn't move, half hoping he might put up some sort of a fight, but half expecting him to just walk away again.

 

[Kace Corelli]

Kace listens, his mouth slowly forming a smile. All that Amaya talked about can be easily fixed with magic. It's like she forgets that sometimes, and he does too. It's not easy being a wizard in the NYC, one had to be extra careful whipping out the old wand while co-existing with muggles from all over the world. Kace took a confidence step forward, holding out his hand. "You act like we can't pop in and out of sight, Amaya," the former gryffindor mused. "I'm not asking for you to ever change for me, I like you the way you are. The person that you are," if he somehow convince her to take his hand, convince her with every word he spoke, then he knows he's won her over for the time being. "Give us a try again if you want to. If not, we can be friends Amaya...I don't want you not to be in my life again..."

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya was surprised when Kace argued with her. But it wasn't the old Kace, telling her how important he was and trying to force her to do things his way. She bit her lip, hesitating as he offered out his hand. She turned a little, reaching for his hand. She stopped herself, bringing it back and holding it against her chest. She looked away, her cheeks stained a deep crimson. "You know we could never be 'just friends', Kace," she spoke shyly. She had never really gotten over him, though she had mostly done a good job of pushing it down and ignoring the way she felt. She had always just thought he'd forgotten her. She wasn't quite sure what to do. She wanted to take his hand, try to trust him again. But a part of her was still afraid. He had broken her heart once already. How did she know he wouldn't just turn around and break it again?