The scarf in your hand is soft, the braided strands at the end brushing against your fingers as you spin. Looking up from your hand, at the other end of the fabric is Loreli, grinning broadly as the two of you spin. The packed dirt under your feet is hard and dry, perfect for dancing. You can see your partner’s other hand, stretched out and flapping happily, though the one holding the scarf with you is steady.
You can hear the drums, though Loreli and you are a ways away from the main crowd of dancers. She spins towards you, and you raise your end of the scarf so she can duck under it. The fringe on her skirt brushes your legs as she passes, and the feathers tucked behind her ear almost tickle your nose. She holds her hand up now, and you copy her movement and spin towards her, ducking under her arm as the beat and melody quicken. The two of you continue to dance, pounding patterns into the dirt beneath your feet and tangling the scarf and your limbs together as the beat continues. The distance between the two of you gradually shortens, the scarf winding its way up your forearms as the dance continues. The final beats ring across the field, sharp and quick, and you step in time until the melody stops, the two of you now palm to palm and face to face, laughing with the joy of dancing together. Loreli smiles down at you, squishing your hand in hers for a moment before stepping back and carefully unwrapping the scarf from around both your wrists. Before she can unwrap it all the way, you gently pull on it to bring her back closer to you. Your hands come up, the rough pads of your fingers tracing the soft skin of her cheeks, and look her in the eyes. Her grinning face, framed by your hands, softens for a moment as you whisper- “May I?” Out of the corner of your eye, you can see her hands shifting in the sign for yes, and you watch her eyes drift shut before yours do too, and you lean in to press a soft kiss to her lips. Your breaths mingle, and as your lips touch a calming feeling washes over you, as if you are finally breathing for the first time. Her free arm wraps around your waist, the other still wrapped in the scarf and tucked between your chests. You gently separate, still holding each other close, and look each other in the eyes for a moment, still breathing in sync, until another giggle emits from your mouth and seconds later, from hers as well. Her ears perk as the drumbeat begins again, and she pulls away to take the starting position for the first dance. You copy her, though you’re not as familiar with this dance, and smile wide as the melody begins.
