Chapter 20: Salmon Dance (FF rom, FF viol)

The night of the dance finally came and Sonja was happy: her car was fixed and her girlfriend was in the seat next to her. Sonja chose to wear a dark blue dress that barely hung off her breasts. With two slits down the side, only a silver belt kept it from being obscene, she was stunning and she knew it. Underneath, she felt naked since the dress didn't allow for underwear to mar the smooth fabric.

Next to her, Meris wore a simpler ice-blue dress, but one that still complemented her pale skin and brilliant eyes.

Sonja paused at a stoplight to look her over.

Meris caught her look and blushed, her hands tightly curled in her lap, “What?”

“I was thinking how beautiful you are.”

Her lover blushed again and looked down, “I think you are beautiful too.”

The light turned green, washing the car with its emerald light and Sonja eased the car forward. The sage green paint turned icy underneath the light as they headed closer into town. Around them, the cookie-cutter houses rose up, slipping by in the soft silence of two lovers.

“Sonja?”

“Yes, love?”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Sure about what?”

“Going... to the dance with me? All the stories and things Betty has been saying, they'll get worse.”

Sonja thought about it for a while, then nodded, “They probably will. But, for months everyone is talking like we were lovers anyways. And I don't have to prove myself for anyone.”

“Even me?”

She grinned, “Okay, I only have to prove myself to one person.”

“I'm scared.”

Sonja patted Meris' leg, then playfully lifted her hand to brush against a hard nipple, “I know. It will be okay, you'll see.”

The car drove in silence for a long count. Then, Meris spoke up suddenly. “Do we have to go?”

Concerned, Sonja pulled the car to the side of the road, the headlights peering out into the darkness. Pushing it into park, she looked over at Meris who looked like a very scared girl. “Meris? Are you okay?”

Her lover hesitated for a moment, then shook her head, pressing her body against the far door. Sonja unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over, sliding a hand around Meris' shoulders. She felt the silent sobs long before she heard them.

Meris lunged forward to press her head against Sonja's shoulder. “I'm so scared.”

Tears threatening her own eyes, Sonja wrapped her other arm around Meris, holding her tightly as sobs ripped from her throat. No words were possible so she just held there. The sound rose up to fill the car, then faded away as Meris calmed down.

When she lifted her head, Sonja kissed her on the lips. Meris moaned softly, pulling back for just a moment, then rushing into a kiss of her own. Their lips gasped as they embraced. Sonja felt a hand stroking against her leg, the fabric of the dress naturally falling open to expose the V of her body. Meris continued to passionately kiss her as the hand pressed against her inner thigh, but rose no higher.

The passion came and went quickly. When it ended, they both sank back into their seats, but Sonja made no effort to ease the car forward. Both of them watched a car pass, the red taillights disappearing underneath a hill in a matter of moments.

Meris broke the silence first, “They told me... told me not to come.”

Sonja already knew the answer but she asked anyways. “Who?”

“Betty and her friends.”

Rage sparkled in her vision, “Why?”

“She said that a pair of fucking lesbos,” Meris choked on the words, “had no place at the dance, not now or ever.”

“Did they threaten you?”

Meris answered with her silence. Sonja shook her head and sighed, fighting down the rage that built up inside her. Meris whispered into the car.

“They said they would hurt you. And... hurt me.”

“Why do they care?”

Meris' voice danced on the edge of tears again. “I-I don't know.”

Fuming, Sonja remained silent for a long time, watching the trail of lights disappear.

Meris made a few attempts to speak up, but quieted down after the third attempt.

Sonja's mind continued to spin until she glanced down at the clock, only twenty minutes before the dance.

“Well, my love, I guess we have a choice.”

“Huh?”

“We have a choice. We can go to the dance or find something else to do.”

Meris' brightened and Sonja felt a faint pang as she spoke again.

“If we don't go, then Betty is going to know how to lead you around. And there is no doubt in my mind that she will continue to threaten you, because it works.”

“Are you-”

Sonja shook her head, interrupting her lover, “If we go, someone may get hurt tonight, but at least it won't show her that she has that kind of control over of the both of us.”

“Do you think she does?”

Sonja sighed, “She doesn't have any control over me, at least that I see. I don't care what she, or anyone else, thinks about us.” She turned to face Meris, “The only thing I care about is you.”

Meris smiled through tears and stroked a hand against Sonja's arm. Sonja felt a tingle along her skin and smiled broadly back. Meris leaned forward and Sonja kissed her for a moment, enjoying the softness against her lips, the heated breath when they broke.

“So, my love, do you want to go?”

She already knew the answer and cursed herself for setting it up that way, but Meris nodded after only a second. “I w-want to go now.”

The shifter felt cold in her hand as Sonja pressed her palm against it. She paused for a moment, feeling guilty that she manipulated Meris into action.

Then, to her surprise, Meris pressed a palm against the back of her hand. Looking up, Sonja's lover smiled at her. “You didn't force me, Sonja.”

Sonja blinked back the sudden tears and gently rocked the car into gear. Meris' hand remained on hers, pressing it against the shifter as they drove off into the darkness and the first dance as a couple.

Her car fit into one of the far parking lot spaces. Together, they got out and the car chirped as the alarm armed itself. Sonja smiled broadly as she felt Meris' hand slip into hers and they walked toward the school together.

Their appearance interrupted the gathering crowd outside of the school. A pool of silence gathered around them as Sonja kept her emotions in check and padded up the stairs, her heels loud in the silence. Meris blushed fiercely next to her, but their hands remained firmly together.

Behind her, she could hear the whispers already, just loudly enough to try getting a reaction.

“Lesbos.”

“Betty is going to be pissed.”

“There is going to be a fight for sure.”

“Wow, no wonder I couldn't have her.”