Shades of Tea

Red Clover

"The ballet needs to tell its own story in such a way it can be received without having to be translated into language." - Twyla Tharp

"I didn't always work at the cafe you know." Dylan said. I frowned at him questioningly.

"After I had that road-trip around Europe I joined the Marines. When I enlisted I believed it was my calling, I still do. For me it was a chance to do something that was bigger than me, to be a part of something great. College became a distant dream as I worked my way through the ranks. I felt like I had a purpose in life, a mission that would benefit not just me but those I loved." From his jacket pocket he pulled out his dog tags.

"I thought joining the Marines would help me become stronger, tougher. That it would discipline my erratic and directionless life. Instead I came home more broken than when I left. I have seen many of my brothers fall and never stand up again. I've seen families being torn apart by shrapnel and bullets. Yet, I kept going back when I was called. My faith in the Marine Corp ran deeper than just my own sanity. I just wanted to prove to everyone that I belonged here, that I was a man. The world is a scary place to live, and fighting a war just makes you realise the evil.

This trip is not just to show you the world is beautiful Elise, it's also to remind me that good still exists. I'm hanging on to idea that humanity exists. It's probably a foolish thought but desperation leads you down crazy paths. I can't say that I regret this journey I'm taking with you, because I'm seeing more than I thought I would be. For that I have to thank you. I don't know if I could have taken this trip alone." Dylan took my hand as slow tears dropped from my chin.

I opened my mouth to say some comforting words but no sound came out.

You are so much more than you realise. You are great. You are loved. I wrote.

"We've done a lot of good in the Middle East. We've built schools, rebuilt broken villages and wells. I try to think we're doing good over there but you can never tell."

Let's go for a walk. I suggested, taking his hand leading him out the restaurant. Hand in hand we walked in silence, breathing in the fresh air compiling our confusing thoughts.

I suddenly felt sick, unable to think properly. Can we go back? I typed out, my hands trembling.

"Sure. Elise are you okay?" Dylan asked me, his brows furrowed with worry. I just nodded, holding back the painful tears. "Okay let's go." We hurried back to our hotel room before my panic attack to rear its ugly head.

I turned to look at Dylan who was sitting on the bed, cell phone in hand. He looked weary, like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. His shoulders were stiff as his head hung between them. Clearly I wasn't thinking when I approached him, taking the cell from his hands and placing it on the desk.

Standing between his opened legs I wrapped his arms around my hips, lifting his head up to look at me. Using one hand I gently ran my fingers down his face, memorising the edges, bumps and grooves. My finger caught his lip as I dragged it down. I bent over kissing his lips, hungrily and desperately. His hand roamed up my back as he clutched me close.

We broke away breathing heavily, lust clouding our features. I pulled him up so we stood chest to chest. Holding my open palm outstretched in front of me I looked into his swirling blue abysses of emotions. The lightest, most delicate of touches were all we shared as we stood still in time.

Slowly, carefully, he leaned closer to me so more of our bodies touched. Our eyes fluttered closed when our lips connected in the most astounding crash. There was a hunger we were both itching to satiate, but we took our time to savour each other. My hands roamed down his back and latched on to his thin t-shirt, dragging it up with my nails grazing his warm skin. We broke only momentarily as he discarded his shirt with one perfect, fluid flick of his wrist. He tangled his slender fingers in my hair, pulling my head back to gain more access.

His kisses ventured from my lips to my jaw to my neck. I breathed heavily, grabbing fistfuls of his hair while he continued to plant soft, sensual kisses on my neck. He unbuttoned each of the buttons from my shirt, one kiss at a time. Softly he pushed the fabric from shoulders, sighing when it hit the floor with a muted thud. My fingers made quick work of his trousers and soon he was standing in only his boxers. He kissed me with more aggression, and yet the touches were light as a feather dancing across my skin.

I looked at him purposefully as I positioned his hands on my skirt zipper. We were standing in the middle of the room, the back of my knees hitting the edge of the bed, in just our underwear. Taking Dylan's hand I lead him onto the bed. We kneeled on the bed, facing each other our hands just barely touching each other.

Dylan caressed my face, his eyes roaming my body, before kissing me hard. We fell back with a soft thud, Dylan lying on top of me his skin touching mine. Wrapping my leg around his back, I gasped as the distance between us closed. He began kissing down my neck, down my body, the inside of my thigh. Reaching behind me, I unclipped my bra and threw it off the bed before pulling Dylan to me.

"Once we cross this line, we can never go back." Dylan said huskily as he looked at me with lust filled eyes. "Are you sure about this?" Nodding I just kissed him, threading my fingers in his hair.

I craved this, his touch, his love. I needed this, we both did. This was not my first sexual encounter, but it was most earth shattering one. We were heaving, sweaty and feeling thoroughly loved. Dylan was still lying on top of me, our legs tangled with each other when his spoke.

"You're so incredibly beautiful." He murmured, smiling softly. "So beautiful." He moved this sweated soaked hair from my face as he stared into my big eyes. He collapsed beside me, one arm slung over my waist and the other resting on my cheek. Our foreheads rested against each other, our breaths mixing with each other. I turned in his arms so my back was to him and my arms rested alongside his till I fell asleep to the calming beat of his heart.

When we woke a few hours later we showered and got dressed before heading out for dinner. We didn't speak of the lines we had just crossed; instead we ate in a comfortable silence our eyes fixated on each other. Tonight Dylan was taking me to ballet.

I rested my arm on the velvet armrest while I nervously played with the wild tendrils of my hair when the dance started. I felt Dylan's arm touch mine before he laced his fingers through mine, never letting go.

My eyes glistened with unshed tears, as I sat transfixed to the beauty that unfolded in front of my eyes. The dancers were so gracefully as the leapt and twirled across the stage with their hands outstretched and heads held high. It was mesmerising to see them tell a story from the points of the toes to their manicured fingertips.

The fluid movements, projected emotions no words could express. I felt Giselle's love and her heartbreak. I was enthralled by the story, so poignant and overwhelming. I wiped away the tears that had fallen from my eyes as the curtain drew the ballet to a close, leaving me breathless from its beauty.

Later, I found myself staring up into Dylan's blue eyes our magical night end drawing to an end with explosions and blinding fireworks.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So that happened... 

Almost to the end of the book, almost but not quite. Still a few chapters left but I'm working on it. I'm hoping that although I'm not doing NaNoWriMo this month, I kinda want to use it as a motivation to try and write as much as possible. 

At some point I will write a NaNoWriMo novel, just not sure when. I have a few ideas I want to write, I'm too busy with university right now.