> Move to the Music
>  by DrySpell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> One Step at a Time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 “Is there any particular reason you’ve started staring at me like that?”

Taylor was unsure what kind of face he was making, but he knew that his mouth was agape. He blinked a few times, fixed his face, and cleared his throat. 

“I was... no, there’s not really a reason, sorry.” Adagio Dazzle, famous around the school for going just a bit nuts and maybe nearly starting an apocalypse, now stood in front of him with a slightly bored expression on. He looked down at his feet to avoid her glare. “But, well… you said yes?”

“I did,” Adagio’s eyes were enough to petrify him, but her slithery voice didn’t help. “Is this not what you wanted to happen?”

“No! I-I mean yes, sorry,” he mumbled. He shook his head and calmed himself down. “I did want you to agree. I want to be your boyfriend!” Saying it aloud sounded way more desperate and lame than it did in his head. Thankfully, Adagio said nothing, so he rolled with the punches. “I just didn’t expect such a, uh... straightforward reply.”

“I’m a straightforward woman,” she responded, crossing her arms over her chest. “So, are we done here?” Taylor looked up, took a deep breath, then dug into his pocket. Adagio waited for a few moments while he pulled his phone out, and handed it over.

“Can I get your number?” Adagio looked down at his hands, keeping hers by her sides. Taylor felt as if he could collapse under her gaze at any moment if he didn’t stay completely still. Adagio moved a bit of hair out of her face, then reached for the phone.

“I can’t if you grip it so tightly,” she responded. He immediately loosened his grip, nearly letting go entirely. Adagio took it, quickly put her number in, then handed it back. “There.” Taylor took it back, pressing it to his chest.

“Thank you.” He shoved his phone back in his pocket before long, then looked down at Adagio. Her eyes were peering off to her right. Taylor tracked her gaze and spotted the bus stop near the side of the school. After another deep breath, he decided to speak up. “Erm… do you mind if I… take you home?”

“Yes. I do.” She answered bluntly, throwing Taylor off for a moment. “It’s nothing personal. I would just rather go home alone.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Taylor chuckled to soften the blow, but without Adagio laughing along, it wasn’t especially effective. “Can I at least say I hope you get home safe?” Adagio looked back at him for a brief moment, then smiled. 

“Of course.” She waved a bit before beginning to walk away. “Goodbye, then.” Taylor watched her leave in silence. Once she’d gotten far enough away from him, he closed his hands into fists, shoving them in the air. He wanted to yell out but kept himself contained with a smile. 

“I have a girlfriend.” He said, bringing his hands back down. “I… have a girlfriend.” He began walking away from the school building alone, those words bouncing around his head nonstop.

On one hand, he was excited. Summer was rapidly approaching, and that meant spending a lot of time with people that matter to you. Especially a girlfriend. On the other hand, he didn’t understand how he managed to get Adagio to say yes. Though the words still echoed in his mind, he couldn’t quite get them to sound real. 

He shook his head, then clenched his fist. If the fact that he was going out with Adagio sounded foreign, it was because he didn’t know too much about her yet. And that was going to be solved as soon as Summer break came along.

“So, are you just gonna walk past me without saying hey?” Taylor stopped in his tracks, turning around to the voice with a confused look. His surroundings had changed in the little time he was in his head. The school was out of sight, but it wasn’t too far off. “Walking while being in your own little world is dangerous, y’know.”

“S-Sorry sir,” Taylor put his hands up in defense as a man approached him. Taylor towered over him, but as he approached he couldn’t help but cower just a bit. “I was thinking about something else.”

“You didn’t come around to hang out, or nothin’?” Looking up and behind the man, Taylor saw the large sign in front of the comparatively small entrance that read Jacques' Dance Studio. The owner didn’t look much like a Jacques, and in fact, Taylor was sure his name was just Kevin. The name just made him seem more authentic, so he made his customers call him that.

“I didn’t.” Taylor slipped the bag off his back, and into his arms. “But doing a bit of dancing before heading home couldn’t hurt.” Jacques smiled wide, patting him on the back and ushering him towards the door.

“That’s more like it, boy!” Taylor walked himself over to the door, walked up the stairs, and entered the large studio. The hardwood floor was glossy and the wall mirror was well polished. In it, he saw his own messy, sand-colored hair and his deep brown eyes. He was built lanky and tall, almost too tall to fit in the mirror. Turning his attention away from himself and pulled his outside shoes off. “We can dance in a few, I just gotta finish dealing with the problem child.” Taylor watched Jacques skip over to the room near the back, before closing the door behind him.  

He put his bag to the side and made his way over to the changing rooms on the other side of the room. He was barely out of his street clothes before his mind decided to wander.

What would Adagio even be into? The first thing to come to mind was music, but with how the whole “taking over the school” thing ended, Taylor wasn’t sure he wanted to bring that up. He thought about what kind of thing the average girl might like, but that only reminded him that his luck with ladies was pretty lackluster. Of course, that all stopped today when Adagio accepted his confession. He had to treat her well if he wanted to keep her. Of course, this only led him in a circle of doubt.

“Hello? Anyone in there?” Taylor stumbled, his heart leaping into his throat. He looked down at a girl with a bored stare on. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh. Hey, Bucky.” He calmed himself down and pulled his leotard on completely. “I thought Jacques was, uh… dealing with you.” She looked back to the door leading into the studio. 

“You know how Kevin gets around my mom,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Anyway, answer my question. What are you doing here? There’s no class today.” 

“I’m trying to decide what to do over summer break with my…” he paused for a moment and smiled. “Well, now that I have a girlfriend, I have to plan out what we’re gonna do together.” Bucky simply stared back at him with that same bored expression.

“You know lying is a sin, right?”

“I’m not lying!” he said with a frown. Bucky shrugged then walked past Taylor to the wall near the entrance. She sat down on the floor, pulling out her earbuds. She only slipped one in. 

“Take her to the shooting range,” she said, imitating a pistol with her fingers. “If she can’t handle a gun on the field, how’s she gonna handle yours in bed?”

“I-I’d appreciate it if you didn’t worry about my gun, thanks,” he took a deep breath, made his way over to the bars opposite the mirror wall, then began his stretches. “Are you gonna offer any real advice, or are you just gonna poke more fun?”

“I don’t know, man,” she said with another shrug. When she saw Taylor’s disappointed face, she rolled her eyes. “What does she like?”

“I… don’t know.”

“She’s your girlfriend, though. Supposedly.”

“Well, I kinda… just got with her. Hehe.” Something about Bucky’s blank glare ruined his good mood. “Look, you're the only girl I can ask about this stuff. And as… pathetic as that sounds, could you look past that and help me?” Bucky rolled her eyes, then pointed up at the wall she was leaning on. 

“Take her to the dance festival.” Taylor looked up at the poster on the wall above Bucky. “We’re already gonna be there as a class. Might as well take her there too.” Taylor looked at it for a moment, then nodded his head quickly.

“Yeah, I think that’ll be good,” he said, mostly to himself. The dance festival had stuff for basically anyone. Games, food, and dancing, of course. If he was gonna invite Adagio anywhere, this would be the best place. “Thanks, Bucky. You’re a lifesaver.”

“I charge by the hour,” she said with a haughty smirk. 

Taylor looked at the bars in front of him, falling back into deep thought. He may have had the where, but the how still eluded him. The Dance Festival could be the best there ever was, but if he messed up here, it wouldn’t matter. He clenched his fist, then nodded.

He was confident that he could make this perfect.





“Oh heya Dagi!” 

The bubbly appearance of her little sister directly clashed with the subtle frown on Adagio’s face. She’d only just opened the door, and she’d already found something to complain about. “Wanna watch this movie with me? I just got started.”

“Why do you have so much food out?” asked Adagio, pointing to the collection of cookies, chips, and other snacks littered about the living room floor. Sonata took a quick look around her before offering a nervous smirk. 

“Well, I was thinking of having a movie night. But in the middle of the day. And by myself.” Adagio was already barely listening as she slipped out of her shoes. When she placed them off to the side with Sonata’s signature pair of boots, she paused for a moment.

“Where’s Aria?” Sonata shrugged, then turned to the TV. 

“Said she was going out. Prob to hang out with Chris.” Adagio frowned but said nothing back. “So are you gonna watch with me, or…”

“I’ll pass,” said Adagio, making her way past Sonata’s snack circle. “Just make sure you clean up after yourself when you’re done.”

“Okay!” She turned onto her stomach and unpaused her movie. Adagio rolled her eyes and left the living room without another word.

After walking through the living room, she peeked her head into the kitchen. Since it was the end of the week, the chores Adagio had given out should have been done or in progress. Of course, since she was talking about Sonata and Aria, the former being particularly problematic when it came to responsibilities, she expected the sink to be full of dishes and the trash to be overflowing from the can.

But the kitchen was completely clean. Not a dish on the counter, not even a scrap of paper towel hanging from the garbage bin. Adagio paused, making sure that what she was seeing was true, then backtracked to the living room.

“Why’s the kitchen clean?” she asked. Sonata looked up from her position with a puzzled look on.

“Whaddya mean ‘why’?” she asked with a mouthful of chips. “Aren’t you s’posed to get mad at me if I don’t do it?”

“I’m not mad,” she snapped. “You never clean the kitchen. What changed?” Sonata turned back to her movie, grabbing another fistful of chips and stuffing her mouth full. 

“Well, Aria looked like she was in a hurry to do them early, so I thought I should do it too, y’know?” Sonata stretched her arms and legs out, then planted her face on the carpet. “Guess she wanted to go out with Chris without having something to come back home to.”

“Ah…”

“I mean, where does she get off flaunting her boyfriend in front of our faces, huh?” Sonata flipped over on her back and swung widely at the air. “Agh, I wanna have a guy I can skip out on chores with.” Adagio made her way to the couch behind Sonata and took a seat. She was expecting to have to do someone’s chores when she got home, but without work, she could sit back and relax. 

“Mhm.” She crossed her legs and looked at the TV. “What are you watching, again?”

“Race to the Moon,” she replied, flipping back over to look at the screen. “It’s about some guy who finds a retired NASCAR driver and they drive around ‘n stuff.” She made a big sweep around her body to bring all her snacks to the front of her body. “But since you said you didn’t wanna watch, you don’t get any snacks.”

“Well, I’m not that hungry any—” The buzz of her phone against her thigh startled her, cutting off the rest of the sentence. She fished it out, checking the caller ID just to find a number she didn’t recognize. “Hello?”

“Um, hey!” She narrowed her eyes and frowned a bit. “This is Taylor… Well, I mean, you probably knew that already, huh? A-Anyway, how are you?” Adagio kept silent as she checked the number on her phone screen again. She hadn’t thought to save the number on her phone. “Uh, h-hello? Did the call not go through?”

“Who’s that?” whispered Sonata. Adagio waved her away then put the phone back to her ear.

“Sorry,” she responded. “I’m fine.”

“That’s good to hear.” The conversation paused for another uncomfortable moment before he picked it back up. “Oh, right. I called you… um, well, I wanted to ask you somewhere.”

“Ask me somewhere?”

“I meant to invite you… Sorry, I’m just a bit nervous.” He chuckled before taking a deep breath. “Do you have plans this weekend?” Adagio opened her mouth but didn’t respond. She did have plans to spend the weekend alone, reading, but she didn’t say anything about it.

“No. I’m completely free.” She could nearly hear him jump with joy over the phone.

“Great! My class has a performance at the Dance Festival this Saturday and I thought I should invite you to hang out afterward. So… would you like to go?”

“Okay,” she replied. “I’ll see you Saturday, then, Taylor.”

“Oh… Y-Yeah. I’ll see you.” Adagio pulled her phone from her face to look at the screen as it flashed the red end call screen. She tapped on his number, quickly naming it for later convenience.

“Who’s Taylor?” said Sonata. Adagio looked at her sister, chin in her palms and on her stomach, idly kicking her feet back and forth. “Sounded like a guy, too.”

“It’s none of your business,” said Adagio, putting her phone back in her pocket. 

“Ooh, is it your boyfriend?” she said, a haughty smirk on her face. After Adagio stayed silent for a few moments, Sonata’s smirk slowly faded. “Wait, for real!?”

“He just asked me today,” she said, crossing her legs.. “Close your mouth, Sonata, it’s impolite.”

“This is… crazy!” Sonata began to throw a tantrum. Her arms and legs began swinging, and she started to whine. “Aria got her boyfriend in a week and you got yours in a day!? How am I supposed to beat that?”

“It’s not a contest,” said Adagio. “Also, you shouldn’t compare me and Aria.” Sonata paused her whining for a moment, then sat up properly with her eyebrow raised. 

“Whaddya mean?”

“Aria truly loves Chris,” she explained. “That’s how I see it, at least.”

“Wait…” Sonata’s face twisted in confusion, and she scratched her head. “If you don’t even like the guy, why’d you start going out with him?” Adagio sighed, then looked off to her side where a window was positioned.

“I’m starting to realize what it means to be human,” she said. “Humans have significant others. Taylor just happened to be the first one to offer.” She turned back to Sonata, who was now just staring back at her. “Anyway, we were going to watch a movie?”

“Uh, yeah,” she said, rolling back over onto her side. Without another word, she started the movie. Adagio watched her for a few more moments, before focusing on the movie. She knew Sonata wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words. Somewhere in her mind, she wanted to know what it was, but whatever it was, it probably wouldn’t change anything.

That was just the type of woman she was.





If talking to Adagio was nerve-wracking, going on stage to perform in front of her was enough to shatter them. 

Taylor paced back and forth, his concentration flickering between all the things he had to juggle. Despite everything so far going off pretty much without a hitch, there was always that small chance that something would go wrong that he’d spend 90% of his brain thinking of. 

“Hey.” Bucky’s voice was enough to clear his cloudy thoughts, but it was just like her to add a kick to the shin for good measure. “We’re up next, get ready.”

“I-I’m ready,” he replied shakily. Bucky looked up at him with a bored glare.

“What’s wrong?” Her voice was more annoyed than worried, but Taylor appreciated her concern nonetheless. 

“Well… I told Adagio that I’d be performing here,” he started. “So she’s going to be in the crowd watching. And, well, you know, I’m afraid I might mess up and make a fool of myself.” Bucky raised an eyebrow.

“Who?”

“My girlfriend!” 

“Oh yeah.” Bucky’s eyes widened, and she nodded. “Well, you’ve never had stage fright before. Just tap into that and you should be fine.” Taylor took a deep breath. 

“I just... I don’t want to end up looking like an idiot in front of her.” Becky rolled her eyes, before pointing her thumb behind her, at the stage. 

“Then dance your ass off, Twinkletoes.” She smirked. “Take this home and you won’t have anything to worry about.” Taylor looked at Bucky, then nodded. A few more deep breaths and the act currently on stage was over. 

“You’re a good friend, Bucky,” he said, smiling. She smirked, triumphantly crossing her arms over her chest.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Jacques beckoned for the two from the curtain nearest the stage front. Taylor made his way to the front of the class with Bucky in tow. “I got him ready, you owe me 5.”

“Annoying little brat,” said Jacques, scowling. He turned to the rest of the class. “Alright, everyone. Focus. We’ve got important people with important eyes on us. Do your best, and we’re sure to take first!” The dozen other students erupted in cheer, but Taylor stayed silent. The pep talk did its job, but it didn’t remove all the jitters. As the first wave of students walked on stage, Taylor physically shook his head. 

“Head in the game, head in the game.” Taylor walked onto the stage with the second wave of students, taking his place on stage. He looked out among the crowd, carefully scanning it for any sign of Adagio. Despite her pretty distinguished figure, Taylor couldn’t spot a single curl on her head. 

Insecurity bubbled up from his chest, but he forced it back down. He did take a pretty quick look over the crowd, so she was bound to be behind someone or something like that. 

Before he had time to keep worrying, the music came through the speakers and a hush fell over the crowd. When the sharp striking of keys filled his ears, his body began to move instinctually. The routine he’d drilled into his mind and body took over, allowing him to elegantly sweep across the stage in time with the rest of the class.

His thoughts managed to slip from him, leaving nothing but the next step of his dance in his mind. All the worries that had built up were gently let go. He was completely in control.

He slid to center stage, back to back with Bucky. He did a quick pirouette, which Bucky mirrored, before grabbing her by the sides and lifting her above his head. With her knee resting comfortably in between his shoulder and neck, she posed and he spun slowly. The centerpiece of this dance was complete.

And just as he looked out to the crowd, among the applause, he spotted her. Just near the back, a pair of nearly glowing brilliant red eyes. She was too far away to properly see her face, but it didn’t matter. She was here, and the relief did wonders on his mind.

“Dude, watch out!” The voice made him tense, and he whipped around to see where it was coming from. Unfortunately, he was just a bit too late. Someone pushed into him with force strong enough to knock him off his feet. Even worse, he had run out of stage to fall onto. Bucky acted quick, leaping off of Taylor before he fell to the dirt a few feet from the stage. The fall wasn’t lethal, but Taylor could feel his heart stop. 

Bucky’s face popped up from above him, followed quickly by a few other members of the class and Jacques. Taylor simply stared back up at them.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. With the silence of the crowd, his words came through clearly. The serenity and peace he’d achieved while dancing wrapped over his heart, making every heartbeat feel a hundred times heavier. “Sorry…”

“It’s okay, kid,” said Jacques, his disappointment clear in his voice. “Get off the ground, you’re getting dirty.”

“Mhm.” Taylor swiftly got to his feet and shuffled to the backstage stairs. Waiting for him there was Jacques, holding a bottle of water. He offered it without a word, which Taylor was thankful for. He knew that no matter how much he apologized, it wouldn’t bring this performance back from the dead. Still, he couldn’t think of anything else to do. “I’m so sorry. I… I got distracted.”

“Don’t beat yourself up.” Bucky came backstage first, the rest of the class lagging. She walked up to him, punched him in the side. Though it was probably meant to be playful, it made him stumble. “That’s what everything else in the world is for.”

“Erm… thanks,” said Talyor. He took a drink of water, which seemed to keep his harsh beating heart at bay. Still, with this air of regret and disappointment, he didn’t remain calm for long.

It didn’t take long to change out of his dirtied clothes into the ones he’d brought for his date. Despite being dressed in his most stylish clothes (carefully handpicked by his mom), he felt completely naked, about to strut headfirst into the crowd outside. Still, he couldn’t hang around backstage forever. He waved the rest of his team goodbye before heading around the side of the crowd and into the rest of the festival. 

Surprisingly, he cleared it without much issue. The crowd seemed to have moved on from his mishap entirely, which lifted a weight off of his shoulders. But that was never really his main concern. As soon as he messed up, he knew that Adagio had to have seen it. Everything he worried about before getting on stage had come to fruition, and if he was lucky, Adagio would make their breakup as clean as possible.

Once he wrapped around the back of the crowd, he took a huge breath, then looked around for her. He scanned over the back, but he’d lost her once again. He was sure that he was just overlooking her like before, so he made sure to carefully glare at each person.

However, despite his double and triple-checking, Adagio was nowhere to be found. It could have been that she’d moved forward into the crowd to get a better look at the stage, but that theory was quickly crushed by another. 

“She left…” mumbled Taylor, pursing his lips. He looked down at the dirt and bit the inside of his cheek. “This is… yeah. This is probably for the best, then.” He took a deep breath, then looked up at the stage. The next performance was on, undeterred from the mistake he’d made. They were dancing their heart out, and some part of him felt calm through them. But the rest of him couldn’t bring itself to feel the same.

“Hey.” Taylor jumped, the voice from behind startling him. He turned and met eyes with Adagio. Along with the hoodie she was wearing when he saw her in the crowd, she was wearing a pair of jeans and a faded black t-shirt. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her brow was raised. “Why are you crying?”

“Crying... oh!” He reacted quickly, wiping his face free of tears. Once he was sure his face was respectable, he looked back at her. “Sorry, I thought you’d gone back home.”

“Why would I do that?” She asked that as if it was obvious, and it was. With that one sentence, all of the things Taylor worried about simply dissolved into nothing. “You like staring at me, hm?”

“Sorry.” He took a shaky breath, then smirked at her. “I just thought you looked cool! In your clothes, I meant. Or, maybe I should say cute.” Adagio looked at him, then offered him a smile. 

“Thank you. You look good as well.” She pulled the hair away from her face, then turned away from the stage. “I’ve never been to a place like this before, so I'll trust you to lead.” Taylor nodded, silently taking the lead and heading away from the stage. 

Taylor was prepared to be nervous. Considering it was his first date, he was sure to have a few hiccups no one could blame him for. But the silence while the two walked through the bustling festival grounds was a special type of awkward. None of his preplanning for the night would matter if he couldn’t manage to start some kind of conversation.

“We’re almost at the end of the stalls,” called Adagio. Once again, her voice had shocked him out of his inner thoughts. He stopped in his tracks, hearing Adagio slow to a stop behind him as well. “Well, I do prefer this side of it all. Less noisy.”

“Oh yeah, me too,” he said, quickly scanning the remaining stalls for something he could do to move the night along. His eyes landed squarely on a stall selling various meats on a kebab. It wasn’t the most romantic of foods, but it was close and had no line. Taylor pointed towards it. “Want to grab a bite to eat?”

“Sure.”

The two walked up to the man behind the counter, who perked up when he saw them approach. He slipped on his hat and gave the two a hearty smile.

“Yes, hello! What can I get you two?” 

“I’ll take an uh… mild meat medley kebab?” questioned Taylor. “Well, a little bit of everything won’t hurt.”

“I’ll have the same,” said Adagio. “Make mine spicy.”

“No problem! I’ll be back with ya in a sec.” He quickly flung into action, spraying his grill down with oil and tossing a bunch of meats onto it all at once. The smell of the meat quickly filled the air and Taylor’s stomach rumbled in anticipation. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, his face slowly flushing red. “I didn’t eat anything when I left home.” 

“I don’t mind.” She crossed her arms over her stomach. “Are you alright, by the way?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, confused. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, you did take quite the fall.” Taylor’s blood turned cold, and he chuckled a bit. “I couldn’t quite see the aftermath from my place in the crowd, but it looked concerning.”

“No, there was no problem with me. I can take a couple of falls.” He looked down at the ground. “I think, instead of me, what got hurt was my class’ reputation. All because of me.” He didn’t attempt to hide it, but Adagio picked up on his disappointment.

“Alright, kebabs are done!” The man broke the silence between them, handing the two meat-laden sticks to Taylor. Taylor quickly fished out his wallet and paid for the two kebabs. Once they began walking away from the stand, Taylor handed Adagio her kebab.

“Sorry for bringing the mood down like that,” he said, now smiling. “I’m glad you decided to go out with me, so I want this to be a good experience.”

“I see,” she said with a small smile. “I’ll leave it to you, then.” Adagio moved her (frankly ridiculous amount of) hair out of the way to nibble off the end of the kebab, her eyes going wide as she chewed. “This is... quite good.”

“Really?” said Taylor, taking a large bite off the top. “I wasn’t sure if it was going to be good or not, but I’m glad that I waaAAA!” Taylor coughed, careful not to spit up the food. Capsaicin danced all over his tongue, leaving him feeling extremely hot.

“I thought mine wasn’t that spicy,” said Adagio. Taylor painfully swallowed the food he’d chewed, taking in gulps of cool air afterward. “It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“No, I… I’m really bad with spice,” he sputtered. Adagio rolled her eyes, then took off in the direction of the stand they’d just come from. After a bit, she came back with a small bottle of milk. Taylor thankfully took it, nearly gulping it all down in a single drink. 

“I’ve never seen someone react like that,” she said, watching him take a few calming breaths. 

“Sorry,” he said, finally calmed down. 

“You don’t need to apologize for every little thing, you know?” She handed him the mild kebab and took the spicy one from his hands. “I won’t get mad at you for a couple of mistakes, and you shouldn’t get too upset either.” Taylor looked up at her without saying a word. Despite her normally standoffish demeanor and icy-cold glare, it seemed like she wanted to be here, having fun. Taylor took a deep breath, then nodded.

“Okay… okay.” He took a large bite out of the, thankfully, mild kebab, then turned to the rest of the festival. If Adagio was willing to accept his confession, he had to prove that he was worth it. “Let’s go have some fun, then!”





Taylor was certainly an interesting man.

Half of the time, it seemed like he was lost in his thoughts. The other half was worrying and apologies. It was obvious that he lacked confidence, and that this was his first time taking a girl out on a date. 

But when he was on stage, he changed into someone new. Adagio got to the crowd a little late, but she saw all she needed to. Confident strides, lunges, and strong expression. It was clear that he had a deep understanding of the art of dance. Adagio would’ve been a liar if she said watching him didn’t at least take her off guard. 

“I still can’t believe I messed that game up so badly…” Taylor sighed for what seemed like the millionth time since the two left the shooting range booth. “It was probably rigged, but it would’ve been good to knock down even one of the targets.”

“You win some, you lose some,” she said with a nod. 

“But I would’ve looked pretty cool if I won that one,” he said, shaking his head. “Bucky would be so disappointed in me.”

“Bucky?”

“Oh, she’s one of my classmates,” said Taylor, pursing his lips. “The kid who was on my shoulders during my dance. She loves guns more than anything.”

“Hmm,” hummed Adagio. She looked over at Taylor, spotting a familiar tinge of doubt in his eyes. It flickered away as quickly as it came, though. “What made you start dancing?”

“My mom signed me up for it one summer. At first, I thought it was a girl thing and I didn’t want to do it, but it turns out I liked it.” He smiled before continuing. “Well, the story is pretty run-of-the-mill, but I’m glad it happened at all.” He looked back down to her, meeting her gaze. “Why’d you want to know?”

“Just asking,” she answered simply. “Well, I suppose I’m just trying to know you better.” Taylor’s eyes lit up.

“I was gonna say the same thing to you.” His voice trailed off and he chuckled under his breath. “I just didn’t know how to bring it up naturally.” Adagio raised an eyebrow.

“What would you like to know?” Taylor opened his mouth, then quickly closed it again. Adagio could practically feel his nerves getting to him, but she waited patiently for him to find his courage. 

“How… how old are you?” Adagio’s eyes widened, and Taylor quickly followed up. “Not that it matters to me, or anything. I just didn’t know.” Adagio paused for a moment, then looked him straight in the eye.

“952,” she said, boldly.

“900…” His words trailed off, and he averted his eyes. Adagio simply continued to glare at him while he was silent. “W-Well, it’s older than I was expecting, but there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Sorry, that was a joke, “ she said dryly. “I’m only 20.”

“Oh!” Taylor sighed in relief, chuckling as he realized he’d been played. “You’re still a bit older than me, then. I turn 20 this August!”

“That’s soon,” commented Adagio. Taylor shook his head in agreement, and she smiled. “I’ll be sure to remember.”

“Thanks!” Taylor grinned widely. Adagio wasn’t entirely sure why her knowing his birthday made him so happy, but she wasn’t going to take it away from him. “So, what about your—”

The loud sounds of music suddenly drowned out the rest of Taylor’s sentence. The two turned to where the music was being played, finding a rapidly growing crowd right beside them as they walked. Adagio raised an eyebrow and stopped in her tracks. 

“What’s this all about?” She looked up at Taylor who mouthed something she couldn’t understand. “I can’t hear you!” Taylor reached up for his face, doing something with his ears. Adagio tried to make out what it was but to no avail. Her confusion was apparent on her face, bringing worry to Taylor’s. 

He pulled his hand away from his face, instead reaching for hers. She wanted to pull away, but his hand was already placed on her neck. His thumb reached up for her ear, slightly pushing the nub inward. Miraculously, the sounds around her seemed to dim.

“I heard that by doing this, you can hear stuff over really loud…” Taylor pulled his hand back quickly, bringing back the loud sounds from before. His face flushed red, and his eyes darted away. “Sorry! I moved without thinking.”

“It’s fine,” said Adagio. She wasn’t sure if he’d heard her or not, but at the moment, she didn’t care. She pressed on her neck with her offhand and looked out toward the crowd. The crowds had begun to splinter into the people who were dancing and those on the sidelines. During their short conversation, a small clearing had already formed with a few people dancing.

Adagio subtly glanced to Taylor, finding him looking forward instead of at her. That persistent flicker of discord within him had returned. While she couldn’t devour it anymore, it was easy to pick up on. She sighed, then turned back to him fully. 

She tapped him on the side, calling his attention to her, then pressed her ear as he did before. His eyes widened, and he complied quickly. 

“Are you still upset because you fell?” asked Adagio, though she already knew the answer. Taylor didn’t answer and looked off to the side. Adagio sighed and backed away a bit. Taylor glanced at her, his eyebrow raised. “Watch me.”

She’d been getting a feel for the music passively as they were standing, but now she capitalized on it. At first, she swayed back and forth, gently riding the beat. After a few moments, she jerked her body forward, moving her hips along to the rhythm of the song. She stretched her arms out, spun on her heel, and finished it all off with a strong pose. She held her position for a few moments while Taylor watched in silence.

“You can dance,” said Taylor, blinking a few times in surprise. Adagio stood up properly, taking another deep breath.

“I haven’t in a while,” she said, running a hand through her hair. “I stopped a long time ago.” She looked up at Taylor, frowning slightly. “But trust me when I say that crying won’t untrip you.” Taylor blushed and looked away.

“I… I know,” he said. “I’m just a bit uncertain, I guess.” Adagio pointed toward the crowd.

“Then dance with me.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “When I saw you dance, I couldn’t take my eyes off of you.” Taylor’s face lit up in embarrassment again, but this time, Adagio could see an unmistakable grin on his face. The sight of it even brought a smile to her face. “Let’s see if you can do that again, or if it was just a fluke.”

“Okay!” Taylor moved his hand from his ear, extending it out toward Adagio instead. She was a bit hesitant, but eventually, she took his hand in her own. 

Just as she did, though, the music had reached its end. Cheers erupted from behind them as they celebrated the end of the festival. Adagio met Taylor’s eyes, disappointment displayed inside them. She couldn’t blame him, though. The mood she’d worked to create was gone.

“Sorry,” he said, pulling his hand away. 

“What did I say about the apologies?” He opened his mouth, surely to apologize again before grinning nervously instead. “It’s okay. There’s always next time.”

“Next time?” He asked, his eyes lighting up. “You want to go out with me again?”

“Of course.” Adagio raised an eyebrow. “I was under the assumption that we’d be having more than one date.” Taylor's smile spread across his entire face, and Adagio smirked as well. The discord within him had fizzled out, leaving him completely clear. She began to wonder when a lack of discord in others felt good to her. It wasn’t too long ago that it was the only thing keeping her alive.

The two made their way to the Dance Festival’s exit, with Adagio slightly behind Taylor. The walk was short, with barely any time for either to start a conversation. When they walked out of the park where the festival took place, the darkness of the night set in. Taylor turned to Adagio, his face darkened from the lack of light. 

“I’ll walk you to the bus stop,” he said. Along with the darkness, a crowd of people began to flood through the gates they’d just left. Taylor looked back at her, slowly offering her his hand. This time she took it with no hesitation. “Just to make sure we don’t get separated or something.”

“I get it,” she replied. As he quietly led them away from the mass of people, Adagio tightened her grip on his hand. She was surprised to see him return the favor. “You know… I’ve never been a big fan of physical contact.”

“Oh!” Taylor let her hand go, but she kept her grip on his firm. 

“But,” she emphasized. “This isn’t so bad after all. I think.” After a bit of hesitation, he wrapped his hand around her’s again. “Besides, we’re a couple. Holding hands comes with the label.” Taylor looked a bit nervous but didn’t say anything more.

In all honesty, Adagio didn’t need someone to walk her to the bus stop. Though it was dark, the streets would be full of people, so she doubted any danger would come her way. Even though she knew this, walking with someone this close was surprisingly enjoyable. 

Before long, she spotted the brightly glowing bus stop at the end of the block the two were walking down. Once it came into view, Adagio felt Taylor’s grip on her hand loosen once again. This time, she let go as well. 

“We’re here,” he said blandly.

“So it seems,” replied Adagio. Taylor averted his eyes from hers when she peered up at him. “Don’t you have something to say? I’ll be going soon.”

“Oh! Yeah, of course,” he said, clearing his throat. “Have a good night, Adagio.” She smirked at him, bringing a slight blush to his face. 

“Good night, Taylor.” She walked forward a bit before turning back to him. “I hope we can meet up again sometime soon.” Taylor’s eyes lit up once again, and he nodded. Adagio turned away from him, waving as she did so. Luckily, just as she reached the stop, a bus pulled in to pick her up. She boarded the bus quickly, taking her seat in the back. She caught a glimpse of Taylor as the bus began pulling away, smirking once again before relaxing once the bus finally took off. 





Adagio was used to the silence of the early morning when she woke up. So much so that it became part of her routine. Normally she’d be up by 6, make sure the house hadn’t exploded in the short time she wasn’t looking directly at it, and then get her day started by making breakfast. 

But today, to her surprise and contempt, a series of loud thumps and crashes shook her out of her peaceful slumber. 

Her first thought was to find Sonata and somehow find it in herself to not stick a foot up her ass. 9 times out of 10, the root of a problem in the house was Sonata doing something she knew she shouldn’t be. 

But as she rolled over to slip out of bed, her eyes landed on her bedside clock. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes clean, but no matter how much she stared, the clock still read a bit past 11 AM. She only glared at the red numbers for a bit longer before finally leaving her bed.

As she left her room, the sounds only got louder. She took a deep breath as she descended the stairs into the living room.

“Yep, should’ve known that’d wake her up.” Adagio’s eyes fell on the speaker, who glanced back. “Sorry. I told this idiot to keep it down.”

“S-Sorry, Adagio. It was an accident.” Adagio’s eyes flickered over to the second speaker, her eyes a bit sharper when they met his. “I was just a bit excited to finally see this place, is all.”

“You two are a sight for sore eyes,” said Adagio, shaking her head. “Especially you, Aria. I feel like I haven’t seen your face in ages.” Aria frowned a bit but looked away.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” she said. “Someone’s gotta keep this clown entertained, or else he’ll be a real pain in the ass later.”

“Yeah, it’s my fault, really,” said Chris, his signature goofy smile plastered on his face. He put his hands together and bowed his head slightly. “Hope you’ll forgive me.” 

“Do whatever you want, Aria. I’m not your babysitter.” She spared Chris one more watchful glance before turning to the kitchen. If any outsider would be in the house, she was at least thankful it was someone she already deemed harmless. “Anyway, I’ll start on breakfast now. Well, lunch, since it’s so late.”

“Wait, you’re eating now?” asked Chris, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you’d grab a bite with the rest of us.”

“Rest of us?”

“Yeah, at the beach,” he said. He brought his hand up, which was hoisting a towel. “What, did Aria not tell you?” Both pairs of eyes fell on Aria, who simply shrugged. 

“I got caught up last night and you slept in late this morning.” She shoved her hands into her jean pockets, then leaned back slightly. “That, and I don’t even think you want to go, right?”

“What do you mean?” The new voice came from the kitchen Adagio had begun making her way to before. Before long, Sonata’s peppy voice joined the conversation in the living room. “Who doesn’t like the beach!? It’s the perfect vacation relaxation spot!”

“People afraid of the sea, people who can’t swim…” Chris began counting the reasons on his fingers before Sonata cut him off with a growl. He grinned and turned back to Adagio. “Well, it’s not like I’m forcing you to go, or anything.”

“I am!” Sonata darted from her position in the doorway to right in front of Adagio. Her speed caught her off guard, allowing Sonata to grab Adagio’s arms on either side. “C’mon, you gotta go with us. You can even invite Taylor to make it an even 6!” Adagio did a quick headcount.

“6?” 

“Jaime is driving us there in the new van his parents got him,” answered Chris. “But who’s Taylor? Friend of yours?” Adagio pulled her hands away from Sonata’s, crossing them over her chest. 

“He’s… my boyfriend,” said Adagio. “We started going out about a week ago.” Chris’ eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped slightly.

“Wow, congrats!” Chris smiled and began clapping. One look at Aria’s face made it clear she hadn’t missed that pause in her words. For now, though, she kept silent. “That was quick. Well, I guess I’m not one to talk, huh?”

“It was natural,” she answered with a shrug. “If Aria managed to do it, there’s no reason I couldn’t.” Aria opened her mouth to speak, but a loud groan from Sonata cut her off. 

“So are you gonna invite him or not?” Without missing a beat, she gasped, then squealed. “I can help you get all nice and dressed up! Ooh, that'll be fun!” Adagio sighed, rubbing her temple slightly. 

“I just got invited out a few days ago,” said Adagio. “Isn’t that a bit too quick?”

“I don’t think so,” said Aria, finally speaking up. Her eyes narrowed. “Well, I am a bit interested in meeting this guy.” Chris put his hand up to his mouth and an exaggerated look of worry on his face.

“Thinking of cheating on me?” 

“Shut up, idiot,” said Aria, flicking him on the arm. “Well, Ada? Nothing wrong with getting some sun, right?” Adagio frowned slightly but said nothing more. She hadn’t gone on a proper trip in too long, and if she was going to take relationship advice from anyone, Aria would be them. She sighed again, then turned to Sonata, who was all but beaming now that she realized Adagio had made up her mind.

“Sure, I’ll go,” she said. “But I’m picking out my swimsuit.” With her confirmation, Sonata hopped up into the air with glee, grabbing her small sister up in a large hug. With her legs off the ground, Adagio couldn’t even struggle against it properly.

“Alright, c’mon.” Sonata dropped her sister, then grabbed her arm, already yanking her up the stairs. Adagio could only spare the other two a pitiful glance before she disappeared from their view. 

Before she knew it, she was already shepherded into Sonata’s room. The strewn about clothes and haphazard living conditions gave it away before the large letters against the wall spelling out her name did. Sonata left Adagio to her gazing, and dove into her even messier closet, clawing through everything with a purpose. 

“So, what does Taylor like?” she called. She pulled out a shimmering blue one piece. “Does he like bold and sexy, or…” She pulled out another bikini, this one a two-piece mix of white and black. “Cute and innocent?”

“I’m not wearing either of those,” said Adagio with a sigh. “What’s wrong with my normal swimsuit?” Sonata sulked.

“You mean the bland orange one that’s on its last legs?” She shook her head. “Nuh-uh, this is my sister’s first beach date! I gotta make sure it goes perfect.” Sonata shoved the two closer to Adagio. “Now which one would he like better?” Adagio frowned. 

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “That's not something that comes up in normal conversation.”

“Hm… you’re right,” she hummed. “Well, when in doubt, just call him. You were gonna call to invite him out anyway, so let’s kill two stones with one bird.” 

Adagio paused for a moment, then pulled her phone from her pocket. She pressed on his name, waiting for the phone to begin ringing, then put the phone to her ear.

“H-Hello?” 

“Hello, Taylor.” On his side, she could hear him move around quickly. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No, no, I’m fine! Just erm… getting out of bed, is all.” 

“Still in bed this late, hm?” 

“Oh, I’m just, well, laying in, y’know?” Adagio chuckled softly but didn’t say anything. There was some more ruffling on his end. “So um… how are you?”

“Oh, I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” She glanced at Sonata, who was being surprisingly silent on the sidelines. “Well, I called today to ask you something.”

“Oh yeah, ask me anything!” 

“Are you free today?” 

“Oh! Y-yeah, I’m free! Free as a bird.”

“Free as a bird, hm?” Adagio hummed for a few moments. “Well, my sisters were planning a trip to the beach, and they say they have space for two more.” She began to twirl her hair. “I know we were just together a few days ago at the festival, but, I thought I should invite you.” He didn’t say anything for a few moments, but eventually, Adagio could hear the faint sound of laughter.

“It’s nice to know that it’s hard for even you to invite someone out too.”

“Well, I’m normally the one invited,” said Adagio, quick to her defense. “It is… a bit more awkward than I expected.”

“But the beach, huh? I haven’t been in years… I might need a new swim—”

A loud bark broke into the conversation, followed by a series of barks and growls. Adagio nearly dropped her phone. When she brought the phone back to her ear, she could hear what was happening with more clarity. 

“Hey, hey! Karma, calm down!” Taylor’s voice rang out over the loud barking and ruffling. “What’s wrong, huh? You okay, buddy?” Before long, the barking subsided, and all Adagio could hear was a low whimpering. “Ah, Adagio? Sorry about that, my dog came into the room when I wasn’t looking.”

“Dagi?” Sonata’s voice cut in, pulling Adagio’s attention away from the call. “Didja ask him about the swimsuit yet?”

“No,” she said bluntly. Sonata visibly sulked before Adagio rolled her eyes. When she turned back to the phone, she cleared her throat. “Well, actually, there’s another question I wanted to ask.”

“Alright. What’s up?” 

“What kind of swimsuit do you like?” 

“Hm…” he hummed. Adagio glanced over at the two swimsuits Sonata picked out. “Well, I’m not 100% confident in my fashion sense, you know? I’m sure you’d look good in anything.”

“Right,” she said. “But well, now I’m a bit curious.” She placed her idle hand on the blue one-piece. “What was it again? Bold and sexy, or cute and innocent?”

“I… I don’t know,” he chuckled nervously. 

“Pick one,” said Adagio, a small grin slowly growing. “I’m very curious.” He laughed again, her voice clearly getting to him. 

He didn’t answer right away, which made Adagio’s smile slowly fade. A twinge of guilt began to creep inside of her. He hadn’t hung up, because she could still clearly hear the pants of his dog in the background. 

“Actually, nevermind,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s not that—”

“No, no, it’s okay! I’m just… trying to find the way to say this.” He cleared his throat. “Erm, I can’t choose because… you’re all of those things, I think.”

“Hm?” Adagio hummed and raised her eyebrow. “What do you mean?” He took a deep breath, then chuckled.

“This is a bit weird to say out loud,” he said. “But I think you’re cute, sexy, bold, and innocent… I guess.” Adagio opened her mouth, but his words continued before she could cut in. “N-Not to try to be smooth or anything like that, but... you have such strong self-confidence, I can’t help but think you’re bold. A-And you always make sure you look your best, so I guess cute and sexy are no brainers, huh?”

“Oh...?” she mumbled. He paused for a moment, with that twinge of guilt returning. “Surely I’m not innocent, am I?”

“I… think you are.”

“You shouldn’t.” 

“I should.” The sureness in his voice took Adagio by surprise. “I don’t know all the details, but… what kind of boyfriend would I be if I couldn’t look past your past? A-A bad one, I think.” 

‘I… hmm.” Adagio was sure there were words she wanted and should be saying, but nothing was making its way past the slowly emerging smirk on her face. “You said you weren’t trying to be smooth?”

“W-Was that smooth?” His meekness returned, but Adagio didn’t dislike it. She never did. Instead, she chuckled. “Oh, damn! I still didn’t pick a swimsuit. Um…”

“Don’t bother,” she said with another small chuckle. “I’ll leave what I’m wearing up to your imagination.”

“O-Oh. Okay.”

“See you soon, Taylor.” With that short goodbye, she hung up the phone, watching as the call end screen slowly faded into black. She dropped her phone in her pocket, then turned back toward Sonata. “Why are you grinning at me like that?”

“I should be asking you that, Dagi,” she narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure you don’t like this guy?”

“What are you talking about?” asked Adagio, her eyebrow raised. “Where did you get the idea that I don’t like him?”

“You got kinda distant and scary last time we talked about him,” she said, rubbing her chin. “I thought you were just leading him on.” Sonata grabbed both of Adagio’s shoulders, her smile intensifying. “But if he can make even you grin like that, then you must like him!”

“I don’t know what you see me as,” she pushed her sister’s hands off of her, then turned away. “But I’m not some heartless monster. I can smile just fine.”

“Then smile right now.”

“How can I when you’re getting on my last nerve?”

“Ugh, you’re such a bummer,” said Sonata, pouting. “So what did he say about the swimsuit?” Adagio glanced down at the two swimsuits laid out. She had no personal preference, and she was sure that whatever she picked would serve her purposes just fine. 

“He didn’t say anything,” she answered, reaching for the swimsuits. “But I think he’ll like this one the best.”





Taylor never thought that being asked somewhere could be so powerful. 

Standing in front of the Canterlot High statue, he replayed the events in his head. From first getting the call, to Karma’s interruption, to gushing about her to her face…

The embarrassment radiated from him. How was he even supposed to face her properly? He knew he sounded awkward, but just how bad was it? He wasn’t the best at reading Adagio just yet, especially not over the phone. In all honesty, she could have been rolling with the punches…

“No, no,” he mumbled to himself, slapping his cheeks gently. He closed his eyes shut and shook his head. “C’mon, have confidence. Confidence…” His hands dropped to the side and he sighed. 

He pulled out his phone, quickly scrolling through the messages again. With Adagio, he didn’t even have a full page to scroll. The most recent message caught his eye yet again. 



Meet us in front of the statue at school. We’ll pick you up in a dark blue van around 2.



His eyes drifted up to the corner of the screen, reading the time off to himself: 2:06 PM. Of course, he didn’t expect them to be there as soon as the clock ticked over, but every minute felt like an eternity. As cliche as that sounds, he couldn’t help but think it.

He sighed again, reaching down to drop the phone into his pocket. As soon as he began to let go, the phone buzzed in his hands. He flinched, then scrambled to catch his phone as he fumbled with it. Once he finally got a proper hold of it, he looked at the number, quickly answering once he saw the name.

“Yes, hello?”

“Hey,” said Adagio. He could barely hear her voice over the mesh of music, a car engine, and other voices. “Are you where we said we’d meet?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Are you nearby?”

“Yes,” she answered. “I think I see you.” Taylor immediately looked around him, searching for the dark blue van. Since summer break started, not many cars were driving past the school. It was quite easy to spot the van barreling down the street. His eyes went wide as it came to a pretty abrupt halt. He blinked a few times, simply staring at the van as it sat there in front of him. 

He looked at the deeply tinted doors, before reaching for one. Just as his hand reached the door handle, the window came sliding down, revealing a very familiar face.

“Chris?” Taylor’s eyes widened in surprise. Chris wasn’t too far behind.

“Wait, wait,” he repeated. “When you said Taylor, you meant this Taylor? What are the odds?”

“What, do you two know each other?” A new voice, accompanied by a new face coming into the window frame. Her eyes were fierce and it seemed like she was always frowning, even though he’d only just met her. When her gaze turned to Taylor, he couldn’t help but shudder a bit. 

“Yeah, we know each other,” he said with a smile. “We used to hang out together when we were kids.” He looked at Taylor. “Well, it was more like he used to bully me, but I took it cause I was such a good friend.”

“I-I never bullied you!” said Taylor, putting his hands up. “It was just a few playground insults… I think.”

“Well, hop in, dude!” Another new voice, this time from the front. Taylor couldn’t see his face, but he was the one driving. “We’re burning sunlight!” His hand came from the front seat and pointed back. “There’s a free seat in the back. Just pop open that last door on that side.” Not wanting to waste any more time, Taylor did as he was told. He pulled the door open and stepped on the car’s running board. 

Almost as soon as he did, he froze. His eyes met with Adagio’s, then her smile. He shook himself up before finally climbing into the car. Almost before he closed the door, the car was already zooming off down the street. 

“Glad you could make it,” said Adagio, looking him up and down. “That’s a pretty interesting outfit.” He immediately looked himself over. He didn’t think wearing his colorful beach shirt and a pair of khaki shorts was too much, but he had to admit that he didn’t know much about fashion in the first place. This just screamed “beach!” to him.

“T-Thanks,” he said, giving her a once over as well. She was wearing a grey hoodie, letting her hair flow freely behind her. Her legs were bare up to the bottom hem of her hoodie. She was probably wearing her swimsuit underneath. “I think you look good, too.”

“Okay, Romeo.” Taylor jumped as Chris’ voice came from in front of him. He turned to meet his grin. “What, did your mind start to wander as soon as you saw Adagio?”

“No…” he said, pulling his seatbelt on. “What are you doing here, by the way?”

“He’s with me.” The girl from before leaned over the seat just like Chris was. Both of their eyes focused on Taylor, but the girl was much more ferocious. “Name’s Aria.”

“Taylor,” he said, sheepishly. He couldn’t meet her gaze for any length of time. She seemed even harder to read than Adagio. Taylor could probably deal with Adagio’s silent, apathetic type, but this girl’s unnatural aggression was throwing him through a loop. Still, he engaged. “Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah,” she said, pointing toward Adagio. “Dunno if she mentioned it already, but I’m her sister.”

“Ah… she brought it up.” He lifted his arm to offer a handshake but decided against it halfway through.

“Hm…” Chris grabbed his chin, then raised his eyebrow. “You know, you’ve changed a lot since we were kids.”

“That’s… to be expected, right?” Taylor asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but you used to be a lot more… bold, I guess is the word for it.” He looked him up and down. “I guess you’d have to be bold to ask Adagio out.” He turned to Adagio and smiled slightly. “No offense, of course.”

“How’d you end up with Adagio, anyway?” Aria asked.

“I just… walked up and asked her?” He raised his eyebrow. “Or, wait, did you mean something else?”

“You just walked up to Dagi and asked her out?” repeated Aria. She glanced over at the since silent Adagio. “And you said yes?”

“Is that a problem?” asked Adagio, her gaze nearly as intense as her sisters. The two looked at each other for a few awkward moments before Adagio smiled slightly. “You know it wasn’t too long ago that I was the villain for interrogating you like this.”

“I’m not trying to be a villain,” she said, with a sigh. “I trust your judgment. And it’s not like it’s any of my business who you go out with.” She turned back to Taylor. “You’ll take good care of my sister, right?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “Definitely.”

“That’s all I need to hear, then.” Chris chuckled a bit, then patted Aria on the back. Her face immediately curled into a snarl.

“That was a good line,” he said, turning back to Taylor. “You too, nice one!”

“Thanks,” he said with a nervous chuckle. “Well, it wasn’t hard to say. I meant it.” Chris whistled, then nodded. 

“Looks like I was right to call you Romeo.” He put his hand to his chin again. “You weren’t much of a lady's man before, though. You were more likely to start a fight with a girl than date one.” 

“Hahaha…” His nervous chuckle only increased his nerves further. “W-Well, as a kid, I was a bit unchained, but...” He looked between Aria and Adagio and put a hand up in defense. “B-But I’ve definitely mellowed out. I don’t start fights with anyone anymore.” 

“Yeah, I’d say,” said Chris with a wide grin. “What made you stop fighting?”

“I started dancing,” he answered. “And I’m actually kinda good at it. Or so I've been told.”

“Wait...” he hummed. “You kept up with ballet? I thought you hated it cause it made you look girly?” Taylor nodded, then spared Adagio a sideways glance.

“I thought about quitting a few times, but I’ve kept up with it to this day.” Surprisingly, she smiled back at Taylor. “What about you? I don’t think you’ve changed all that much.”

“Nope. I’m the same old, same old,” he said, waving his hand. Taylor pursed his lips, holding himself back. He wasn’t sure how bringing up his height might go over with him, and more importantly, Aria. “Well, I guess a few things have changed since we last met.” His arm wrapped around Aria, who once again scowled. He chucked, and Taylor joined in. With the two of them laughing, her expression softened to one that was just mildly annoyed. “Wanna hear about it?”

The ride didn’t last much longer after that. It was mostly Chris going into detail about how he met Aria. She looked embarrassed throughout his story, but she didn’t stop him. Watching them, Taylor could only notice how comfortable they looked together. Not that they seemed like the perfect pair, but it did seem like Chris was comfortable saying anything around her. Taylor could only glance at Adagio, wondering if they’d ever get to a point where he could talk to her without second-guessing himself. 

The question only crossed his mind when the car came to a sudden halt. A loud groan came from the front seat, along with a long and exaggerated yawn. Taylor turned his eyes to the front, finally meeting eyes with the driver.

“We’re here boys and girls.”He pointed to the side. “I got us a pretty nice parking spot, so let’s get this show on the road!”

Everyone slowly funneled out of the car, with Adagio leaving last. She was still wearing her hoodie, but now he could see that she was also wearing a pair of dark blue flip flops. Once she stood next to Aria, he saw that she was the shorter sister, but only by a little bit. Chris came out of the car, slapping him on the back. When he turned around to face him, he saw the driver leaving the car and making his way towards them.

“Hey, I never got to introduce myself!” He stuck out his hand confidently and smiled. “Name’s Jaime, a friend of Chris’. You?”

“Taylor. Also a friend of Chris, I guess.” He accepted his handshake, surprised by the firmness of his hand. Jaime was almost as tall as him and much stockier. Taylor felt a bit like an inferior noodle next to him, but he didn’t let this show.

“Where’s Sonata?” Aria asked, looking back toward the car. “Is she still sleeping?”

“No idea how she knocked out through that whole ride,” said Jaime with a hearty laugh. With a quick circling of the van, he reached the passenger side door. He knocked on it a bit before pulling it open. In the blink of an eye, another person popped out from the van, landing on the parking lot asphalt with the loud clack of sandals. “Nice of you to join us, Sonata.”

“Yeeeeep!” The newest edition to the group stretched herself out, all the way down to the toes. She turned her head, then made a beeline for Taylor. She grabbed his hand and shook it violently. “Hey! I’m Sonata, but you can call me Sony. Nice to meet, Taylor!”

“I uh…” Taylor barely even had time to properly grasp her hand before he was overwhelmed by her. “H-Hello… I’m Taylor.” She grinned.

“Yeah, I know! Dagi told me,” she looked behind him, presumably at Adagio. “So you’re the guy that big sis won’t stop talking about?”

“Big sis?” Taylor asked, his eyes widening. “Oh, you’re another sister.”

“Yup, yup! Youngest of three!” Taylor now knew where all the excitement and enthusiasm the other two sisters seemed to lack ended up. She let his hands go, grabbing his shoulders instead. “So, what do you think of Dagi’s swimsuit?”

“I haven’t gotten the chance to see it,” he said, glancing at Adagio’s grey hoodie through his peripherals. Sonata grinned at him, let him go, then slapped him on the back with a surprising amount of force. It was enough to make him stumble. 

“Well, good luck, Tay. I’ll be rootin’ for ya!” She walked behind him, throwing her hands into the air. “Who’s ready for a beach day!” Chris and Jaime gave out a yell, while Aria simply rolled her eyes. Taylor glanced at Adagio, who was slipping a pair of sunglasses on. Even behind the tinted glass, he knew when they met eyes. 

“I hope Sonata didn’t spook you too much,” she said once she’d gotten close enough to speak to him privately. She turned to look at the whirlwind of a woman in question. “I’ve lived with her all my life, and she’s still too much for me to handle sometimes.”

“I did look a bit out of my element, huh?” Taylor chuckled. “It wasn’t too bad, though.” 

“That’s good to hear.” She put her hands in the pockets of her hoodie, then looked up to Taylor. "Ready to go, Tay?” A sharp shiver ran up his spine, which froze him in place for a moment. He thought nothing of it when Sonata said it to him, but to hear Adagio call him that made him feel oddly fuzzy. He smiled, then nodded.

“Yeah!”





“I’m surprised you lasted that long, following them around.”

Taylor dragged himself into the shade cast by the large umbrellas he and the others decided to leave their stuff under. With the six of them, more than just a few were necessary. It was a nice spot near the end of the coastline, apparently where Jaime and his family would go whenever they visited. A nice, relatively secluded spot on the beach.

“Sonata, Chris, and Jaime… have way too much energy,” mumbled Taylor, all but collapsing into the sand. Adagio looked down at his collapsed figure. “I think they stopped on their thirtieth round or something. How can they be so interested in volleyball?”

“Well, Sonata is a fitness junkie,” she said calmly. “How’d you get away?”

“Said I wanted to take a quick break before we hit the water,” he answered. “Thank god we’re pretty far away.” The back of his head pressed against the soft sand and he got comfortable. Like this, he felt like he could close his eyes and fall asleep at the drop of a hat. He even considered it, before he heard Adagio chuckle.

He glanced over, gazing at Adagio as she reclined in her chair. In her arms was a thick book covered in a book protector, so he couldn’t see the title. She slowly scanned the pages, completely still other than the small rise and fall of her chest. She was still wearing her hoodie, but her flip flops found a home near the foot of her chair. 

“You’re staring again,” she said, without looking away. Taylor looked away, but Adagio continued. “I don't mind, though. Is there something on your mind?”

“Uh… not really,” he lied. Unfortunately for him, Adagio could tell. She slipped her bookmark into a page and closed the book, resting it near the bottom of the chair.

“You tend to think things over too much,” she said, finally glancing in Taylor’s direction. “It stops you from speaking your mind. Sooner or later, you’ll miss your chance to say something really important.” Her legs swung over the side so she was sitting up. She leaned forward until Taylor could see her face clearly. “I’m here to listen.”

Even with her words, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander a bit. Back to when he first realized that he was going to ask Adagio out. All the wild thoughts that would fly through his head when he thought he might get it wrong. He was sure that he was thinking those same, wild thoughts when he messed up in front of Adagio at the festival. Yet, every time he decided to meet those bold, red eyes head-on, it all worked out.

“I wanted to see your swimsuit.” His eyes flicked down to her hoodie. “I just thought… that might be selfish and weird to ask.” 

“Ah. So that was it.” Adagio looked down, pressing her palm against her hoodie. “It’s not that selfish. I did pick it out for you.” Taylor froze up a bit. He didn’t fully realize what he was asking for until it landed in his lap. But he tried to keep up his cool, just like she always did. He expectedly glared at her as she pulled her hoodie away.

“Oh… wow,” he mumbled. “Orange looks great on you!” 

“Well… this wasn’t really my plan,” she said, placing her hoodie off to the side. “I wanted to wear something better, but it didn’t quite work out.”

“W-What happened?” he asked, cautiously. Adagio pursed her lips, and he immediately regretted his question. Still, she answered.

“Sonata’s a bit…” she hummed. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, almost as if she wanted to curl into a ball. “...thinner than me. She offered to lend me a swimsuit, but it wasn’t exactly a perfect fit.”

“I think this looks perfect on you,” he reiterated. “I’m not really the most fashionable, but I think you’d look better in something simple like this rather than something flashy.” Adagio opened her mouth to speak, but she closed it shortly after with a smile. She poked her index finger at Taylor’s nose.

“You’re glowing red, so I know what you’re saying is true.” Taylor looked away and chuckled. “Thank you. I was a bit overly cautious myself, it seems.”

“D-Do you want to swim?” asked Taylor, sitting up again. His back was brushed with sand, but he kept his attention on Adagio. “It’d be a shame if we came all this way and didn’t even touch the water, right?” Adagio paused for a moment, meeting Taylor’s eyes again. Then, she sighed.

“This might seem silly to you, but I feel like you should know.” Taylor paused for a moment, then nodded, giving Adagio his attention. “I hate the sea.”

“Hate the sea?” Taylor repeated. Adagio nodded.

“Have you ever felt homesick?”

“Sometimes,” he answered. “I was born and raised in Canterlot City, but I used to live on the other side of town. It’s a completely different place there.” He smirked just remembering all the time he spent messing around with Chris as a kid. 

“And… you know what I am, right?” Taylor pursed his lips. Her smile slowly faded into a serious glare. He nodded.

“A siren… right?”

“Being a former siren is a bit different from what you would know as homesickness, but bear with me.” She turned towards the sea, watching a few waves crash against the shore before continuing. “If you really wanted to, you could drive back to the last place you lived. It wouldn’t be the same as you left, and it won’t feel the same as when you lived there, but you’ll still be there. For me, for my sisters, there is no drive. Our home was forever lost when we were banished here.

“We could take solace in the fact that we still had our powers, but once that dried up, we were left with no connection to our former selves. We were completely powerless.” Her gaze fell to the sand under her feet. “It’s as if… a huge crater has appeared on the road from here to home. You can see your goal, but there’s no way to reach it.” She looked up to Taylor. “But for me… the sea is the closest thing I have to the other side. If I swim, the thought of what I had will all come crashing down on me at once. And I don’t think even I can handle that.”

“I…” Taylor struggled to find the words. His first run-in with the supernatural had been the Dazzlings reign of terror over the school. He was nowhere near prepared enough to speak to Adagio about this. Still, he swallowed hard and put his hand on her shoulders. His sudden aggressiveness shocked even her, as she jumped slightly. “Adagio.”

“Hm?”

“Dance with me.”

“Dance...” Taylor shot up to his feet, startling her once again. He reached his hand out.

“I don’t know if you can ever bring back what you had.” He took a deep breath. “But I can show you that what you have now is just as good.” Taylor stood almost completely still, keeping his hand out toward Adagio. “I’m not sure if this will help, but… dancing never fails to get me out of a mood like this.”

“Hmm.” Adagio got to her feet, then took his hand. It was very soft as it squeezed his own. “Okay.” She led the pair away from their stuff. Taylor followed silently until they were near the end of the shoreline, lined with plenty of sharp, jagged rocks. Adagio let go of his hand, then turned around to face him. “We never danced at the festival.”

“Y-Yeah,” mumbled Taylor. She pulled all of her hair back, forming a large, messy ponytail that kept most of it out of her face. Once she was done, she took a deep breath. “Oh. We don’t have any music.”

“We don’t need music.” She slid her feet along the sand, making a soft rustling sound. “Just feel yourself move. You’ll know the beat.”

Taylor felt a bit apprehensive, but he couldn’t back down. Not after what he said. He took his own deep breath, then concentrated. The rustling of the sand and the crash of the waves. He could hear them both clearly. He began to imitate the style of dance he saw her do at the festival: long strides with snappy endings. Slow, then sharp hip movements. After a bit, he snapped his fingers. 

“Right, right…” Adagio mumbled. She closed the distance between them in a single twirling step before puffing out her chest. It was a move right out of ballet. Her hands were splayed out to her sides, and she began moving her arms as if she was a wave herself. She whistled a quick, sharp tune to go along with the tapping and scraping of the sand. 

Taylor’s hands reached toward Adagio, grabbing her arm gently. He pulled her into him, lifting her off the ground just a bit, then spun. She met his gaze.

“Can you lift me higher?” Taylor nodded. Their music was coming to a climax, and Taylor prepared himself. Once the next wave hit, he swooped in, lowering himself nearly to the ground. He led Adagio to bend her leg and dig her knee into his neck. With one motion, she was lifted high into the air, her entire body being supported by Taylor’s shoulder. He spun again, slower, giving her the chance to finish her whistling. 

Even after she’d gone silent, Taylor kept her upright. Before he even knew it, the sun had begun to fall in the sky, painting it with a blast of pink, orange, red, and yellow. He looked out towards the sea, remembering what Adagio had said. He took a deep breath, then gripped Adagio tight to let her know that he had her. Her arm resting on his other shoulder squeezed back.

“Taylor?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“Y-You’re—” The loud splitting sound of a whistle cut off the rest of Taylor’s sentence. He turned to see what it was but spun a bit too quickly. Unlike Bucky, Adagio didn’t have the agility to hop off of him as he fell. Once he began to tilt, he held onto Adagio, keeping her squarely above him.

“Surprise, lovebirds!” Sonata’s voice was easily recognizable amidst all the chaos. A dull thump of pain came from his leg. Taylor opened his eyes and found Adagio sitting safely on the sand a bit away. She slowly got to her feet and turned towards Sonata. “Erm, m-maybe I came at a bad time?”

“Yes, you did,” said Adagio, her voice dripping with passive-aggressiveness that sent a quick chill down Taylor’s spine. “What do you want?”

“Sorry, it was kinda my fault.” Jaime appeared from behind Sonata, his hands up in a defensive position. “I wanted to grab everyone so we could get some food before the beach closes. I didn’t want to interrupt you two, though.”

“Hehe. You two looked pretty goofy,” said Sonata with a big grin. Taylor could already feel his face heating up. “But it also looked kinda fun!”

“Yeah it was pretty fun,” said Taylor with a chuckle. He looked up to Adagio, who glanced back at him. Her expression softened and she sighed. “That, and I am pretty hungry, so I can’t be too mad.”

“See, Taylor forgives us,” said Sonata. Adagio turned around fully, then squat down to get closer to Taylor.

“You alright?” She offered a hand, which he gladly took. 

“Yeah, but I think I may have bruised my ankle slightly,” he said with a pained chuckle. “Nothing a bit of ice can’t fix. I hope.” Once he was properly on his feet, he leaned a bit on Adagio. 

“We’ll get you that ice,” said Jaime, nudging Sonata with his elbow. “Then we’ll all meet over by the umbrella. We can head out as a group to catch The Beach BBQ before it closes.” Jaime and Sonata took off down the beach, quickly passing the umbrella. Taylor looked down at Adagio, but couldn’t get a proper view of her face. 

“Sorry that I dropped you,” he apologized before beginning to stumble over to their destination. Adagio didn’t say anything, so he didn’t press her. Knowing her, she’d probably just tell him to stop apologizing anyway.

They reached the umbrella without any issue. This time, Taylor sat down in the chair, with Adagio quickly taking a seat in the chair right next to him. Once he could relax, he took a deep breath. The sun had very nearly set, leaving the two in the faint moonlight. When he glanced over, he could barely see the details of Adagio’s face. Still, he took this moment in darkness to relax as much as he could.

“Taylor?” Adagio called. Just before he closed his eyes, he turned toward her. 

“Hm?”

“That sea. I… It looked much different from above.” Her voice was soft, almost like she didn’t want anyone to hear it. “It was calm. Even as a siren, at the top of the food chain, the ocean was always in chaos. Just then it felt as if I could peacefully sink below the water.”

“Yeah,” said Taylor, taking a deep breath. “Sometimes all it takes to see something for what it really is is another perspective, right?” Taylor chuckled nervously, but Adagio just looked back at him. “At least, that’s what I’ve—”


Taylor could feel her hand press down on the seat and only understood what she was doing once her lips pressed gingerly against his own. His body froze, but only for a moment. He pushed back gently, meeting her kiss properly. When she pulled away, he felt all of his thoughts melt away.

“When you sit down, you get a lot shorter, don’t you?” Her voice was a little more than a whisper. With them so close together, she didn’t need to be any louder. “I was wondering how I was going to do that without asking you to bend down.”

“You were… waiting to kiss me?” he mumbled. For the first time, he feared looking away from Adagio. “R-Really?”

“Well, I was thinking about it once we got here,” she said. “But that dance with you… made me realize that you were wrong earlier.” Her hands found their way up to his face, taking his cheeks in her palms. “What I had before wasn’t like this. Being here, having these feelings towards someone. This was all impossible before. This is better.”

“Feelings...?” Taylor could feel his heart ready to beat out of his chest. Adagio was bold, but this was a surprisingly sensual side of her. She chuckled, then got closer.

“You don’t need me to spell it out for you, do you?”

She brought them together again, this time pushing him down into the chair. The dull pain in his leg seemed like nothing to the beating of his heart in his ears. Taylor took a bit of initiative, prodding her lips with his tongue and silently asking to pass through. Surprisingly, she obliged, allowing Taylor to slowly caress her while indulging in the french kiss. His hands moved slowly over her back but stopped at the knotted string of her top. He wanted to wait and ask, but even he knew that this was no time for indecision. His fingers pulled at the string, quickly undoing the knot and dropping the top onto his chest when Adagio pulled away. Taylor couldn’t help but stare when faced with his first look at a woman’s bare breast. His hand instinctively reached up.

“Hey guys, we’re back with the ice!” As quickly as a lightning bolt, Taylor’s other hand shot up, pressing Adagio’s top to her chest. She was just as quick, hopping off of him and into the next chair over. By the time the two came into proper view, Adagio was putting the finishing touches on her top. Jaime reached first, a large bag of ice in tow. He looked between the two of them before bending down to Taylor with a guilty glare. “Sorry if I was interrupting something. Again.”

“No, no! No problem at all!” His voice came out as a little more than a croak. 

“Then you might want to do something about that before the rest show up.” What “that” was needed no explanation. Taylor sat up and bent forward just in time to see Sonata reach Jaime’s side. “Hey Sony, you’ve got the ziplock bag?”

“Yep yep!” she said cracking the bag open. While they prepared the homemade ice pack, Taylor glanced over at Adagio. It was hard to see clearly, but it looked like her eyes were closed and her cheeks were flushed. He could only guess his were as well. The instant cold sensation of an ice pack pressed against his leg shocked him out of his thoughts. “Hope you feel better, Tay!”

“Thanks,” he said, pressing down on the pack. “Uh, will I be holding you up? You were going to get food, right?” Jaime smirked.

“Well, I don’t mind bringing your food here,” he said. “Plus, Aria and Chris skipped away somewhere, so we probably weren’t going to eat all together anyway.” He turned to Sonata. “We’ll go wait in line, and give you a call when we’re there to ask what you want. Cool?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” said Taylor. He smiled slightly. “Thanks, Jaime.” He laughed.

“No problem, man.” His eyes flicked over to the side. “Don’t have too much fun, now.” 

With that, he started down the beach, with Sonata happily skipping behind him. He watched them for a few moments, before turning his attention to the makeshift ice pack. He put his hand on it, pressing down until the cold seeped further below his skin.

“Hmm…” Adagio hummed, breaking the short silence they were left in. Taylor turned toward her, meeting her face as it turned to him. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness by now, so her features were easier to make out. Now, she simply looked at him with a bland expression he couldn’t read. He smiled. “I forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

“To call you Tay,” she said, reclining in her seat. Taylor followed suit. “Although I’m the oldest, it seems like I always come in last with these sorts of things.” She sighed. “Well, it’s nice to not always have to take point.”

“Seems like you normally have your hands full, uh…” he looked away, then back. “Dagi?” She tilted her head in his direction. “It sounds a bit weird on my tongue, y’know?”

“Hmm…” She hummed again. Taylor could see the beginnings of a smile forming on her face, which only made him smile as well. “I like the way it sounds, though.” He watched nervously but didn’t say anything. With what happened just a few minutes before slowly fading into memory, he appreciated the quiet lapping of the shore as the waves came in. Still, there was a question lingering in the back of his mind.

“Was that… your first kiss?” Adagio’s eyes widened slightly. Even now, the softness of her lips was clear in his mind. As if they were on the same page, she put her fingers to her lips.

“Would it be bad if it wasn’t?”

“N-No, of course not!” he said, shaking his head defensively. “You were just really good at it.” She didn’t react for a few moments. Still, Taylor didn’t want to look away in fear. Before long, she smiled.

“I suppose I’m a natural, then.” Taylor felt his face light up once he realized what she meant. Still, his embarrassment took a backseat to his relief. “Was it yours?”

“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “That’s easy to believe, huh?”

“No,” she answered. From her chair, she leaned forward, just close enough to reach out and touch. “You were pretty good at it, too.” Taylor gulped down, then leaned in as well.

”Should we keep going?” Her hands reached up for his face, but to his surprise, her fingers pressed against his lips. She backed away. 

“Being interrupted so much made me realize where we were,” she said with a sigh. “Aria could come back at any moment, and I don’t think I’m ready to have that awkward car ride home.”

“Y-Yeah, you’re definitely right,” he said, coming back to his senses. He leaned back and laughed nervously. “Honestly, I’m happy that we even got this far today.”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand me.” Her voice was lowered, and her eyes narrowed. “I’m only holding myself back until I can properly get my hands on you.” Taylor wanted to laugh again, but when he properly met Adagio’s gaze, he couldn’t bring himself to. She was serious. Her eyes bore into him, reminding him that Adagio was no pushover. She was a hunter, and he was her prey.

The thought sent a chill down his spine.

The end of their trip was pretty uneventful. Jaime and Sonata had forgotten that they left their phones with the group’s stuff, and just came back with whatever they thought the other two would like. That just so happened to a big plate of ribs with some fries. Taylor wasn’t too happy to be eating a messy plate of ribs in his position, but he hadn’t eaten for a few hours at this point, so he was happy to get anything.

Aria and Chris showed up a bit after. They both looked exhausted, all but limping over to the group. Seems like they very nearly got stuck out to sea while swimming. They showed a lot more excitement when they realized they were coming back to ribs.

While everyone finished up, Jaime went to see if he could pull the car any closer. He had to be back home soon, or his parents would "flip their tops". Thankfully, there wasn’t anything too heavy to bring back. With leftovers packed away in a plastic bag in one hand, and his beach towel draped over the other, Taylor made his way back to the van. His leg wasn’t in perfect condition, but it was enough to hobble everything he brought back to the van.

The ride back was equally uneventful. Chris knocked out immediately, and Aria couldn’t help but follow suit. Taylor worried about Jaime falling asleep behind the wheel, but he and Sonata seemed to be up and bright-eyed. They playfully joked and laughed, enjoying even the boring ride back home to the fullest. 

Adagio was also up, her hoodie resting comfortably in her lap. She was glancing out of the window when Taylor looked over. He wanted to strike up some sort of a conversation, but he couldn’t find any words. Eventually, he gave up and rested his head on the back of the seat. His eyes began to droop closed, and his breaths became quieter. 

He was nodding off, but he could still feel Adagio’s hand as it rested on his own. Without opening his eyes, he smiled and laced his fingers together with hers. She gave him a small squeeze.

He felt like he could sit like this forever.





For the first time in a while, Taylor allowed himself to relax. He’d been setting down for the majority of an hour, and finally getting up to stretch his legs felt like a godsend.

He closed the video call software out, then closed the laptop on his desk. It wasn’t often that his parents couldn’t take the day off for his birthday, but he understood that being suddenly swamped with work could happen to anyone. They’d be back home later, but they’d already passed his presents to him.

He left them all on his bed, laid out. Dance tights, new slippers, a portable dance floor, along with the obvious socks and sweaters that came in from distant family. He took a picture and sent it in the group chat the six had made a few weeks ago after the trip. The usual congratulatory messages flowed in, but by noon, Taylor had nothing much else to do.

So after a bit of a hasty breakfast, he sat down in his living room, in front of his TV, watching whatever passed. It wasn’t amazing, but a simple birthday sitting down and doing nothing for once was actually relaxing. 

That said, it was still pretty boring. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket halfway through an episode of Trevor, the crime drama that was oddly popular nowadays. He checked the caller ID, before quickly answering.

“Hello?”

“Hello.” Something about Adagio’s voice made him instantly nervous, even after all that happened. Now that he thought about it, maybe it was because of what happened. “Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks, you…” He caught himself before he said you too, but Adagio still picked up on it and laughed. His face flushed red, thankful that Adagio wasn’t there to pick up on it. “Um… what are you doing right now?”

“Heading to your house.”

“My house?”

“Yeah.”

“W-Why?”

“It is still your birthday, right?” Taylor shot up out of his chair, looking down at his lazy getup. He was still in his pajamas, his hair was a mess, and worst of all, he was wearing the new fuzzy pink slippers Bucky got him. 

“How do you know where I live?”

“You told me,” she said, simply. “Well, it’s more like you told Jaime, but I couldn’t help but overhear.” Taylor remembered giving his address away to their driver that night, half asleep. “I hope your family doesn’t mind a little visit for a special occasion.”

“Ah, my parents aren’t here,” he said, shaking his head. “They won’t be back until… later…” The realization of his situation came crashing down on him. He could feel the beads of sweat as they slid down his back. “W-Well, if you wanted to meet them, you could come around tomor—”

The sharp ding sound of his doorbell cut him off. He turned sharply to his left, to the hallway leading to the front door. The silence that followed felt eternal.

“I think it’s a bit too late for me to turn back home.” The call disconnected, but Taylor kept the phone to his ear until the beeps died down. He took a deep breath, then quickly made his way to the door. The locks came undone, and he gripped the door handle with a bit of excessive force. Before he could psyche himself out any more, he pulled the door open.

Seeing Adagio standing there felt like a dream he didn’t want to wake up from. She looked stunning wearing a dark red top under a rose-colored summer jacket. Her jeans were tight-fitting against her legs, ending in a pair of black flats. His gaze returned to her face, which looked brighter than usual. 

Even having the time to stand there and watch her for so long, he still hadn’t said a word. She cleared her throat, and brought him back to reality, but only barely. 

“Nice slippers,” she mentioned. His face immediately exploded into red. 

“T-Thanks,” he mumbled. “Nice erm… everything, really.”

“Well, I didn’t want to visit my boyfriend’s parents for the first time in my street clothes.” She looked herself up and down. “I had Sonata help me with the outfit, but it looks like it’ll be going to waste.”

“No, no, not to waste,” said Taylor. “I love it. You look amazing.” Adagio smirked, then extended her hand. He didn’t notice it before, but she was holding a long, flattish box. “Is this my present?”

“Yes.” He reached for it, but she pulled it back slightly. “Are you going to invite me in?” If his face could get any redder, it did just then. He backed up, then opened the door wider. 

“Come in, please.” Once she’d gotten inside, he closed the door, pressing his forehead against it. He slowly locked the door again before turning around to face Adagio again. She was gone by the time he’d turned, though, making her way into his living room. He quickly caught up to her, wondering if he’d forgotten something embarrassing out in the open. 

“Where’s Karma?” Taylor caught up to her as she asked her question. She turned around to meet his gaze. “I like dogs. I’m pretty sure they like me, too.”

“Oh, she’s upstairs sleeping in my parent's room,” he answered. “She loves to spend quiet days there ‘cause it’s the perfect temperature.” Her expression slowly dropped, and Taylor could feel his heart do the same. “Uh, b-but she’s pretty active! You never know, she could wake up at any time.”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t that disappointed,” she said, turning to him completely. “Well, other than that, there was one other thing I was wondering.” 

“Oh, go ahead,” he said, with a smile. “Ask away!” She paused for a moment, lifting the present over her mouth.

“I wanted to know what your room looks like.” She looked behind him, where the stairs led upward. “I’m guessing it’s upstairs?”

“Y-Yeah, follow me.” He quickly turned on his heel and headed up the stairs. Adagio followed suit, always only a step behind him. He led them to the top of the stairs, then to the door at the end of the hallway. He pushed open his door, feeling the blast of cool air hit his face as he did. Taylor waited until Adagio had fully passed by to close the door.

“Wow.” Her gaze flickered from one end of the room to the other. It was spacious but relatively empty. Of course, there was a bed, a dresser, and a nightstand, but other than that, not much else was in the room. On top of the bed, his presents were still sprawled out. Adagio pointed to the ground and turned to him. “Is this mat what you use to practice?”

“Yeah, I’ve used it a lot when I’m stressed,” he said, pointing to his bed. “But, well, I have a portable floor now, so I’m sure I’ll be using that instead, soon.”

“Hmm…” She walked over to his bed, placing a hand on it. “Can I sit here?”

“Oh, let me move the stuff.” He sprung into action, pulling all of his presents and placing them all over his room. With his bed clear, Adagio slipped out of her jacket, placed it on her lap, then took a seat. She looked up to Taylor before patting the space next to her. At her request, he quickly joined her. She handed the box over to him. 

“Now you can open it.” He took it from her, then slowly began to unravel it. “Happy Birthday.” He pulled the box up, revealing her gift. “I’m pretty confident when it comes to jewelry, but I wasn’t sure if you’d like this.”

Taylor lifted a chain, the end of which was attached to a shiny, black circle made of what he assumed was obsidian. Running a finger over it told him it was engraved. Upon closer inspection, he could tell it had two x’s. The roman numeral for 20. He pulled it close to his chest and clutched it there. He looked over to Adagio and grabbed her in a tight hug.

“Thank you, Adagio.” She didn’t react at first, but he eventually felt her arms tighten around his back as well. “I think I might start tearing up.”

“It’s… it can’t be that serious, right?” Her voice was low, as it was right against his ear. “I’m sure someone else got you a better gift than this. I just thought it’d look good on you.”

“It’s my first gift from my girlfriend.” He pulled away a bit, then smiled. “It means way more than you think.” Adagio looked flustered, her face shading pink.

“Well… I suppose so,” she said, looking away. Taylor quickly put it on, admiring it even once it hung from his neck. He moved his hands to her face, bringing her eyes back to his own.

“I love you, Dagi.” He could feel the heat up to his ears, but he didn’t look away. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever said that.” Before she could respond, he brought his lips to hers, sealing away whatever she was about to say. He went on the offensive, indulging in her soft, peachy lips for as long as he could. Once he pulled away, she looked at him with wide eyes.

“That was… something.” She blinked a few times, then pressed her forehead against his. “Could you say it again?”

“I love you,” he repeated. “I’ll say it as much as you want me to.” Taylor kissed her again, savoring her flavor once more. Her tongue came out on its own, seeking his. Once they pressed against each other, Taylor felt Adagio’s hands pushed against his biceps. Taylor followed her direction, laying down on his back after a few moments. 

They pulled away, giving each other time to breathe. But Adagio wasn’t set on taking a break yet. Taylor watched as she unbuttoned his shirt, leaving his top completely exposed. She laughed a bit before leaning down to gently lick at his exposed nipple. He jumped, his legs bending in in shock.

“Whoa, what?” He asked shakily. She didn’t answer, instead circling it slowly, savoring each low moan to come out of him. She pulled against it, all the while sliding her hand down the front of his pants. Her fingers sliding up his shaft made him jump again, much to Adagio’s enjoyment.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” she said, her cool breath sliding up his chest. She slowly made her way downward, eventually sliding off the bed and between his legs. She pulled down his pants, showing the tent clearly pitched in his boxers. She put a hand over it, slowly rubbing it like she was petting a small animal. “I’ll be taking care of this. Just relax.” 

Taylor sat up just in time to see her expose him. Having his dick in front of Adagio’s face sent a healthy blush to his face, but he swallowed back his nervousness. Adagio didn’t pause for a moment, gently grabbing the shaft and licking the upper half. The feeling of something so small and wet caressing him made him grab at his sheets.

She started with the glands, letting them rest calmly on her taste buds before flicking her tongue across them. Her hands began to move, jerking him off while also exploiting his soft, sensitive tip. Before long, she swallowed the tip, quickly engulfing his cock in the tight, wet, and warm squeeze of her mouth. When she reached the base, he bit his lip, stopping himself from moaning again. She pulled herself off of him, licking her lips after she did.

“You keep yourself clean-shaven down here, hm?”

“W-Well, it’s best for dancing if I ke-ah!” She didn’t wait for his response, instead savagely diving onto him in the middle of his sentence. Even with his cock so deep in her mouth, he could tell she was smiling up at him. She wanted to hear him in pleasure, even if she had to get a bit tricky to do it.

She bobbed every few moments, pausing at the base to get her bearings. Her tongue swirled around the shaft with a deftness he didn’t think Adagio possessed. She would accentuate her head with a big kiss on the tip to remind him that she had him in her palm. 

Again she pulled away, taking a few excited breaths. She slowly got up, standing face to face with Taylor again. She put a hand on his chest, pushing him onto his back. Instead of following him, though, she returned to his bottom, placing her hands underneath his thighs. 

“Tell me if you want me to stop, okay?” Taylor opened his mouth to speak, but the words died in his mouth when she lifted his legs into the air. She pushed him up until he curled up, exposing the underside of his butt. Adagio kept him there with her midsection, using her now free hands to grab onto his cock from above. “Wow, you even keep it clean back here.”

“That’s for dancing, too,” he responded, his voice shaking slightly. “B-But what are you doing?” Adagio, again, didn’t respond, worrying Taylor. A few moments of tense silence followed, with him not being able to see much more than his own dick being held firm by Adagio in front of him. Thankfully, it was broken quickly.

Her lips pecked his balls, making them jump up as he tensed. She chased, kissing them again and again until they jumped at the slight touch of her breath. Taylor took a deep breath to calm himself down. This was the hardest he’d ever been, and this combination of Adagio’s slow pumps and her light kisses on his balls threatened to make him cum just as hard.

She stopped, moving up enough to see Taylor’s face, then angled his cock up to face her. She dove down on him, resting his butt on her lap, and sucking him off again. She paid extra attention to his balls, cupping them in a gentle caress. All this had been very strange for Taylor, but at least he knew what to do when that feeling began to bubble up.

He clenched one last time, his legs bending around Adagio’s back. She pressed her nose into his stomach, making sure that every bit of the load would be shot right into her throat and tongue. It felt never-ending, but soon, Taylor could feel the last of his seed dribbling out onto her tongue. Once she knew he’d finished, she slowly backed up, licking every inch of the shaft clean on her way up. She backed away, standing up properly while Taylor was laid out on his bed.

“Jeez…” Taylor sat up, glad to have control over his lower half again. He looked to Adagio just in time to catch her taking a big gulp. She took a deep breath before meeting his gaze again. “That was definitely… different. Where’d you learn to do that?”

“I read it,” She slipped out of her top, letting it fall to the ground with the rest of her things. She reached for her pants, beginning to unbuckle them. “I knew that I wanted to have sex with you today, and I didn’t want to come unprepared.” She slipped into the nude, grabbing Taylor’s attention again and readying him for a second round. “But I’m glad to see you liked it.”

“I… I didn’t do any preparation,” he said, unable to take his eyes away from her naked figure. Her breasts were larger than he remembered on the beach, and her lower region was a smooth, plump pussy. It was only a matter of seconds before he was ready again. “Sorry. I probably won’t be the best.” Adagio chuckled, then made her way to him. She clambered on top of him, pressing his cock against his stomach and squishing it with her own tummy. Like this, she was a bit taller than him. 

“I’m glad, then. If you knew we’d be doing this, it’d ruin the surprise.” She kissed him on the forehead, before lifting her ass enough for Taylor’s tip to press against her lips. She moaned a bit in his ear, but slowly lowered herself. Taylor wrapped an arm around her back as he explored her with the tip. It felt as if she was slowly being carved out, with his dick as the tool. Once she got about halfway, she chuckled, slamming herself down with enough force to make Taylor yell out in pleasure. Suddenly, his cock was fully engulfed by a tight and wet sensation he could only imagine in his dreams. 

“So this is what it feels like…” She moaned in his ear, her breaths suddenly heavier than before. “Just give me a moment to adjust.”

Taylor paused for a bit but moved quickly. His hands slipped behind her knees, positioning them on top of his thighs. From this position, he could easily pull out and pump back in, which is exactly what he decided to do. Adagio let out a shaky moan first, but couldn’t help but cry out in pleasure after a few deep pumps.

“This is payback,” said Taylor, grabbing her closer. He exploded out of the gate, testing his own stamina against the back of Adagio’s pussy. It was so soft and squishy, he felt like he had to slow down, but he couldn’t stop at this point. 

“Wait… wait!” Adagio pleaded in his ear between her heavy moaning. “This isn’t hmm… this isn’t how it’s supposed to be…”

“It’s okay,” he responded breathlessly. Still, he gave her a gentle squeeze. “This is my thanks for everything.” He kept up his thrusts, each one sending a wave of heat up his body. He could only imagine what she was feeling. The thought of Adagio’s normally predatory and commanding demeanor being replaced with a flustered, pleasured glare gave him all the energy he needed to finish her off.

Her arms wrapped around his back, pulling him into a tight hug before she came. He paused himself, his cock resting deep inside of her as she squeezed down with all her might. In his ear, he heard a sound he didn’t think could come out of Adagio. It made his face heat up in embarrassment. It was only for a few moments, but Taylor heard and felt something from Adagio no one else could’ve. The pride went straight to his heart, making it beat through his chest.

“I swear… you just…” Adagio sighed, then released her grip on him. She pushed away, showing him her face covered in a thin sheen of sweat and a small frown. “A ‘thank you’ would have been fine.”

“This was more fun,” he said with a small smile. “It didn’t hurt, did it?” 

“Are you kidding?” She moved her displaced hair out of her face. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt better.” Taylor reached for her hands, interlocking them with his own. 

“Can I keep going?” She chuckled. Then slowly gyrated her hips. 

“Of course,” she said. “But start slowly this time. I don’t want to hurt my hips or anything.”

With her permission, he continued, slowly pulling himself back and pushing through. The feeling he was sad to miss before had come back now to welcome him. He could feel her every twitch and tweak as he pushed through her. She was clearly still very sensitive, as each time he reached her back, she would squeeze his hands hard. Still, he wanted to be greedier.

His speed increased slightly, prompting a sharp inhale from Adagio. She met his eyes, and with a small nod, let him go. He kept going and going, soon reaching the speed from before. This time, though, Adagio was prepared. She pressed her lips against his, muffling any of her moans against his mouth. 

Her efforts barely made much of a difference. Taylor was waning, quickly reaching his breaking point. With a tight squeeze of his own, and a hefty grunt. His last pump pushed him over the edge. A jet of hot white shot out of him, quickly filling Adagio up. The next one was an even larger load, each drop of cum being sucked out of him by the tightness of her pussy. He gripped her hands hard, a long groan following his finish.

Taylor wasn’t sure how long he’d sat there for. In silence, save for their breaths. But he did know that Adagio made her move first. She slowly backed away from him letting his quickly softening cock slip out of her. She slipped over to the side, laying down on her back, and letting her legs dangle over the sides. Taylor followed suit, laying back and taking a moment to relax. 

“I love you.” Those words were enough to shake Taylor out of his stupor. “I don’t think I’ve said that before, either.” Taylor laughed.

“It’s surprisingly hard to say,” he responded. “Even now, I can’t help but get embarrassed…” He turned to her, finding her eyes already turned towards him. “This has been the best birthday I’ve ever had. No joke.”

“I hope so,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m not sure what I’d do if you told me this wasn’t the best.”

“Oh, I guess I never really asked,” he said, raising his eyebrow. “When is your birthday?”

“Sirens don’t have birthdays,” she answered calmly. 

“Really?” He sat up a bit. “Then how do you know how old you are?”

“Whenever the new year comes around, we count up.” She sat up as well. “Sorry about lying to you, by the way. I’m… a bit older than 20.”

“So like… a milf?”

“No, that’s…” She sighed and shook her head. “When we lost our magic, our spell keeping us youthful ended. Now, I age like a normal human.”

“Oh.” He looked away for a bit. “Why can’t it be today?”

“Today…” she repeated. “You want to share a birthday?”

“It does sound a bit odd, doesn’t it?” He said, laughing. “I still would rather share a special day with you then know that you have no special day.” Adagio smiled slightly, narrowing her eyes.

“Then where’s my present?” Taylor froze for a moment, before chuckling nervously. Thinking quickly on his feet, a new, invigorating feeling, he leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead.

“There,” he said, his grin wide. “Perfect!”