Under readmore so I don’t clog the feels on the dashboard
Mama got the sass and I love her so much.
This is true and anyone who is even considering sending hate should read it.
She was hardly aware of her movements. Her body carrying her without needing to think, her eyes trained on Anubis and faintly, she was shocked he could dance. She never knew…But her mind was so focused on what she thought was the impossible. She had only just danced again, having given up the art since Jahi’s passing, not having the heart to do so again, and now she was dancing with a partner.
But…She couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to. Her heart was waking up after it’s long slumber, she could feel it, fluttering like a bird ready to take it’s first flight, testing if it’s broken wing was healed. And with that nervousness, she wondered if she were going to crash out of the sky to break once more.
Only to be caught in his arms, staring up at him as the music ended.
In the silence that stretched, her hand lifted to cup his cheek. She was speechless, she was scared, but all she saw was him. All she felt was this Jackal and his arms that she was cradled in and her hand came up cup his cheek. This Jackal that bore a scar for her sister. The Jackal with no heart…
She felt so close to him suddenly. Their bodies pressed together. She was scared, so scared, but…The cage was open now, all she had to do was jump. Did she have the courage? To not look back anymore?
Her eyes met his and she wondered…Would it be wrong?
Time stood still as he held her, both trying to catch their breath. He could tell she wasn’t sure. She was hesitating, thinking…Remembering. He could imagine what was going through her head and he lifted his hand to cup over hers that touched his cheek. Meeting her eyes, he hoped he could convey everything he couldn’t put in words. Things he had no words for. His regret, his pain for her, his sorrow at seeing her withering away.
But now was a time to change that, wasn’t it.
If not now…
When her eyes met his, he saw the unasked question. He saw her warring with herself. He wondered if he should move, stand her back on her feet and walk away…But a burning in his non existent heart flared at the though and he knew it wouldn’t let him. Not this time. And never again.
Never would he let her fall again.
The sudden need of declaration, to prove this, took over him and suddenly…He closed the distance.
Lips met in a soft kiss, and in that moment, he knew he was done for, no longer could he deny it. No longer run away from it. He was hers, for eternity.
She was frozen, unblinking at the Jackal that now held her in his arms. The words resounded over and over in her head and she tried to make sense of them. Words she had not heard in so many years. Words that had began her story, that had such a tragic, abrupt ending. Tears clung to her lashes as she stared at him, mouth open. But she took a breath, and finally her lips moved, forming a reply that spoke so much in one word. A reply that she never thought she would say again to such a request.
“Okay…”
Can a two stories have the same beginning? She didn’t know, but then, she did not know what to think at all in this moment as he held her close. All she thought, all she wanted, was to dance with him.
His smile was slow as her voice rang in his ears. So simple, so beautiful. She was finally free of that cage and he was so proud of her as the music began again and he spun her out into a dance. A feline and jackal, moving as one. The people, the room, nothing existed. The music, even, hardly reached his ears as he watched her, the one who would have stolen his heart away if he had had one….
No.
Never stolen. She brought it back.
Even now as they danced and his full attention was on her, he felt a stirring deep in his chest. Like a ghost of a beat. Smiling, he brought his mind back to the moment. To now. To her. Just in time to catch her and dip her low as the music once again ended.
The Goddess stood there, watching the people around her. Her maids dancing and spinning, some with partners, some not but still having fun. The music and laughter and chatter filled the air and she couldn’t help smiling. This was what she lived for, this happiness and joy that was almost tangible. The smiling faces, the eyes that sparkled with excitement as they disappeared down the hall of spare bedrooms or the content faces of full stomachs from the feast.
Slowly, her feet carried her around the table, fingers trailing the smooth fabric of the cloth as the sounds began to fade, leaving only the music. It warmed her blood, making her heart beat in time, and as she reached the corner of the table she spun. She stopped, arms raised and she closed her eyes. How long had it been since she danced in front of others, danced at all.
Three more steps, another spin with the beat of the music.
She sighed, steps and moves that she thought she would have long forgotten her limbs remembered and soon, her feet carried her to the center of the floor. Opening her eyes she saw not the people…She saw no one. She was alone. And everything was silent…
(cut down. See original for full.)
He watched her from the doorway, arms crossed and leaning against the frame. Her twirl at the end of the table almost made him smile. Almost…But she hadn’t danced in thousands of years. Not that he was really complaining, he remembered her dances. They had always been what he looked forward to, to see her so free. But she had been caged…Caged for so long with gold bars and she would look out but would not even reach through them for help.
But he understood. That’s why he backed off. It was something she had to learn on her own.
But now as he watched, he knew the door to that cage had been opened and as she stood on the dance floor he could see her standing there looking out and wondering if she could take those steps. He straightened, worried she wouldn’t. For a moment he thought she was going to back away, worried that she had been caged so long that she didn’t have the will to leave even though her freedom was granted.
Then he could see the tension ease out of her, and he knew she took that step. She was free.
She was free and she was beautiful and he didn’t notice as his feet carried him forward, eyes never leaving her as he walked through the crowd of people who had stopped their chatter to watch. Leading him up to her as she spun round and round, faster and faster as the music grew louder, more intense, building to the end.
And the hands he saw passed her to him, leading her spin into his arms, catching her perfectly as the music ended. She was out of breath with tear streaks running down her cheeks and beads of sweat clinging to her skin, but her eyes were bright, shocked and he lifted a hand, cupping her face and brushing the tears away with his thumb. His voice was soft as he spoke three simple words.
“Dance with me.”
So guess who comes out to play.
Ziyad’s the name, don’t wear it out. Now, if any of you have any problems, I’m here to answer them.
“Nothing much sir, just working on something that I might use for a performance.” He smirked at the Jackal before him. “And thank you sir, I do so enjoy it when I have company.”
“Bes, you know you don’t have to call me Sir. Sir would be Osiris. Too formal for me.” He laughed. “Speaking of company, how long have you been around? See many of us yet?”
Bes smiled at the Jackal’s instructions, pleased that he could drop the formality. “Well then, Anubis, if I may call you that, I have not been around for long, and I have not had the pleasure of seeing many others yet. I did meet the lady Isis the other day, and your dear mother was the first to welcome me back after my long sleep.”
“Sounds like Ma, I’m not surprised at all. Well there’s only a few of us really around right now. A lot of us are still asleep or away…Anyway. How you been?”
“Well you look like a kid. Then again, most people are kids to me. Name’s Anubis. God of Egypt. What’s a Hooligan tribe?”
“Huh, never met an Egypt God before..oh right the Hooligan tribe is my tribe..you know a group of people who all live together in the same place. We protect each other and our island, store food to keep everyone fed. Kind of like being in a family, but only more distant. Like…being second and third cousins I guess? But even more so.”
“Huh, interesting.” He scratched his chin in thought. “Well, efficient I give it that. Sounds like a pack. You don’t look like normal mortals either. Tougher.”
“Hello sir. I am so pleased to welcome you to my home.”
“Hey, Bes. What’s up.” The Jackal looked around. “Nice place.”
“Nothing much sir, just working on something that I might use for a performance.” He smirked at the Jackal before him. “And thank you sir, I do so enjoy it when I have company.”
“Bes, you know you don’t have to call me Sir. Sir would be Osiris. Too formal for me.” He laughed. “Speaking of company, how long have you been around? See many of us yet?”
“Hello sir. I am so pleased to welcome you to my home.”
“Hey, Bes. What’s up.” The Jackal looked around. “Nice place.”
