Dancing in the Dark || Charloane
Charlotte just stood there silently as Sloane did much of the talking. The entity of her little, petite body was tensed up with bitterness and with anxiety, both strong emotions that had to do very well with the fact that Charlotte had no idea what she was doing. However, it really wasn’t the anger half of Charlotte that kept her so silent. On the contrary, if Charlotte was as frustrated as Sloane was, she would’ve tested the limits on who could yell over each other the loudest, while there was still music blasting in the room outside. No, Charlotte was quiet because of the anxiety overwhelming her. Probably for the first time in her life, Charlotte had no idea on what she thought, felt, could do, or say. She had gone dumb- therefore, silent. If Charlotte was in any way tense, it was the anger boiling inside- anger at herself for not having all the answers for once in her life.
Though, Charlotte doesn’t give herself so much credit. Really, she had a good idea on what she felt and what were the pros and cons of the situation. Sloane- an admirable person, dedicated student, and outstanding friend to her the last several months. It took her by surprise, but how could Charlotte not fall for Sloane? She was everything she could ever ask for- without being a carbon copy of herself. No, Sloane was her own person, even with the dependency on her twin sister. Sloane was brilliant. She challenged Charlotte to think more openly, be more creative. Getting into riveting conversations, and making a little trouble here or there, made Charlotte feel butterflies in her stomach. And she loved that. She loved how Sloane made her feel. And at the end of the day, nothing should stop you from just being with someone you truly care about.
However, Charlotte was never good at expressing her emotions. Maybe as a child she was, but over the years, Charlotte’s mind has been too consumed by logic and information to focus on anything personal such as feelings, love, and relationships. So even if Charlotte had all the answers, she still wouldn’t know how to apply the information to a real world situation. Charlotte watched Sloane vent on about the night. Charlotte’s eyes loosened up, still naturally piercing as ever, but now looking longingly onto this girl’s stressed, angelic face. Suddenly, Sloane took in Charlotte’s face into her hands, staring deep into her eyes, almost as if she was staring into her soul. Charlotte’s entire spine quickly aligned itself. Her body, still tense, grew frozen, and if it weren’t for Charlotte keeping track, she would have forgotten when to breathe.
Sloane was giving her entire heart to Charlotte. She could hear the crack in her voice, the desperation for Charlotte to give in and just let things be. What could she say to make Sloane feel better? There were many things she could say. But Charlotte was caught off guard. She first muttered out, ”… I don’t want to avoid you.” That’s a start. Charlotte thought to herself. She’s still upset. You have to say something else. Charlotte’s eyes innocently trailed down Slo’s face. She was staring at her lips, and then her eyes snapped back to Slo’s eyes. Charlotte could feel the familiar craving once again, a craving she had only discovered a couple weeks ago back in California. Without another thought, Charlotte’s hands slowly found Slo’s back, her left hand trailing upwards while her right hand remained besides her hips. With one motion, Char finally pulled her in and spoke ”I never want to avoid you” until she finally gave into herself and kissed Sloane on the lips, harder than she ever had before.
Sloane just wanted Charlotte to say something, something she didn't know she needed to hear. She wasn't expecting the girl to make any impulsive or rash decisions, that wasn't like Charlotte. Charlotte thought things through, and like each other they were quick to make lists and detailed plans. Sloane spoke more with her tongue than with her mind, more with her emotions, more with instinct. If she was angry, she spoke angry, if happy she smoke happy. With Charlotte it was different, Charlotte thought. Sloane didn't know what she expected from the girl, and even as she stood no more than a foot away from her, touching her with just her eyes, her breath, she didn't know how this conversation would end. What she did know, what she promised deep inside her, was that this was the last time she would try. Her breath smelled of alcohol and her eyes were wide open and honest, Sloane stripped herself down to the bone and laid herself out, vulnerable. If nothing came from it, then she would not try again, she couldn't bare it.
When Charlotte finally broke their tight, tense silence with words that still left Sloane hanging, still left her holding onto a building by the tips of her fingers, Sloane almost gave up. What did that even mean? I never want to avoid you. Sloane and Char were still stuck between what they were, are, and could be. Was Charlotte implying that she didn't want to lose their friendship over this, or that she didn't want to run from it anymore? Sloane almost dropped her shoulders, at this point so tired in general that she couldn't yell. Before she got the chance to, however, she felt a hand creep onto her hip, warm fingers slightly shaking against the showing skin of her stomach. The fact that she couldn't see anything made her feel it more. There was a sudden movement, her body jerking towards Charlotte's and she was intrigued by the strength and dare in the girl that calculated everything. She wondered how long it took her to think about it, she wondered if she had ever stared at her lips sometimes, the cuts and crevices, just to do it right.
Sloane's breath caught in her throat, she closed her eyes hard and moved her hands to grab a hold of Charlotte's face, pulling into her more. There was something about how she was feeling that made it rough, it wasn't like she'd been waiting long to kiss the girl, but she waited long to touch her like this. Tilting her head to make things easier, Sloane didn't know where to put her hands. One began to slowly slide down Charlotte's neck, thumb pressing into her shoulder and rubbing over her collar bone. The Slytherin girl opened her mouth for a moment to catch air, a sharp and audible breath escaping her, there was panting in her chest. The other hand had traveled into Charlotte's hair, tightening her grip on it. There was a need, a need for the warmth of her body, and fire roared under Sloane's skin. She didn't want to scare Charlotte, but she was stroked by the quickness of it all. Sloane touched Charlotte like she wanted to curl into her skin and mix their colors, like she wanted her clothes off and hidden in the darkness of the closet corners, like she wanted her to remember the feeling of her even when they were done. And she did.
