Work Text:
The noise began promptly at noon letting Amanda know it was lunchtime, Alex was on a study break, and, yet again, the Penthouse soundproofing was no real match for the state of the art speaker system installed in the living room on the ground floor.
During finals week Alex’s routine had been the same as what she’d established her freshman year: on days with no finals, she studied at home but she still scheduled her time and took regular breaks, exactly how she did when studying in the library on days with finals.
Now in her final semester, lunch time music was more than routine, it was tradition. And the upbeat, cheerful music Alex used to get her energy levels up on breaks helped to draw Amanda out of her office to the source of the commotion.
It would take Nikita longer to respond since she was in her solar, further from the noise, and meditating, but eventually even she would make her way to the kitchen drawn by the music and the promise of lunch.
As Amanda descended the stairs, the song changed and Avril Lavigne’s ‘Girlfriend’ began playing.
Alex turned around in the kitchen already in the process of preparing their lunch. When she saw Amanda she lit up with happiness, grinning until Amanda smiled back at her, echoing her joy, the song temporarily transporting them both back to another moment in this same kitchen.
Still grinning, Alex set down the utensil she was holding and began singing along with the song as she danced her way over to Amanda.
“Hey! Hey! You! You!
I don’t like your girlfriend!
No way! No way!
I think you need a new one
Hey! Hey! You! You!
I could be your girlfriend.”
When she reached Amanda, Alex kept dancing but she extended her arm and enthusiastically took hold of Amanda’s hand. “Dance with me?” She asked loudly over the music.
Amanda began to demur but just as she started to speak the song changed and as the music segued into a slower song, she changed her mind.
“It would be my pleasure.” She said, drawing Alex to her, enjoying the way their bodies joined with the ease of long practice.
The tempo change and the shift in mood threw Alex off momentarily but she recovered well. She was one of Amanda’s best pupil’s, after all. There was only one other who could have transitioned better and she was still in the solar.
So they danced, sweet and slow, letting the music float around them, enjoying the feel of their bodies held together, and the steady rhythm of movement until the song drew to an end and another with a faster tempo replaced it.
Amanda placed a soft kiss of thanks onto Alex’s lips and gestured towards the kitchen and their neglected lunch preparations.
The slow dance hadn’t dimmed Alex’s enthusiasm at all and she danced her way into the kitchen ahead of Amanda.
When Nikita did join them, Amanda immediately adjusted the volume of the music to a level reasonable for conversation. Alex’s look of protest at this was done out of habit rather than actual objection and was easily quelled by Amanda’s raised eyebrow and Nikita’s teasing look of exasperation.
Lunch was full of good food, playful banter, and excellent conversation. Afterward as they finished clean up and were about to separate back to their own tasks, Alex was, per usual, dawdling and putting off her return to the tedium of studying.
Amanda propelled her toward the stairs with a slight smack to her bottom. “Back to work, young lady.” She teased.
Alex made sure she was out of arm's’ reach before retaliating by sticking her tongue out at Amanda.
Nikita laughed as Amanda tutted in mock sternness. “Put that away, Alexandra, or one of us will find a use for it.”
“Promises, promises.” Alex called over her shoulder as she mounted the stairs.
“We work before we play.” Amanda retorted.
“So after dinner then?” Nikita suggested, beginning to ascend the stairs as well.
Swift agreement from both of the other women gave them all something to look forward to for the rest of the afternoon.