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The Wild Bay was at its all time high the past few hours. Liz could smell the strong, minty alcohol waft through the place. Some of the employees at the bar starting to pack up the equipment of their open mic night. Yet, hard rock bursts through the decent quality speakers spread out the bar.
"Shit."
Liz wipes out the very last of her now dried-up tears on her face. For a second, she really thought Henry's wish would never come true, that she was yet again farther from gaining a new ability. Though, crying over herself instead of cheering for her friend felt selfish. Not at all pitiful. She only started coming into her senses once that dream sequence she always witnessed was now over.
Turns out, his wish did come true. Turns out, she's one step closer to living, to get all the pieces for a puzzle she couldn't completely comprehend. It felt like nothing changed though. As she strides closer to her friends-
"Woah!"
A blonde man bumps into Liz, small amounts of beer spilling on the floor. Pressing her fingers onto her temple, she could feel her head ache, her vision slightly still spinning.
"Sorry about that," Liz extends her hand out apologetically. Before taking two steps farther from the man. Who... now thinking about it, could be Henry's assistant, Tommy. She watched their brief conversation and the way Henry's confident and serious demeanor slipped away into something more loose. Something more free-spirited, like a weight was lifted off his shoulders.
Liz continues to step farther from Tommy, looking confused out of his mind.
"Huh. Thought I heard a woman's voice."
"He's acting as if he saw a ghost," Liz smiles to herself. Tommy glances to his bottle of beer and simply shrugs it off, returning to one of the tables.
At least she knows she's got an addition to her ghostly abilities.
The night grows colder, later, but still as active as ever. There are people swaying, jumping, moshing to the beat. Clearly not wanting this party to end. Not wanting to feel lonely, she scans the room to see her friends.
She looks at Henry, who's currently being treated like a local celebrity. Well, who wouldn't? After he gave his heart and throat out for that Fleetvana performance, it would only make sense for people to swarm around him with cheers and maybe alcohol in hand. Their eyes briefly meet and he gives a warm smile to her. One that has not a single thought beneath those eyes. Someone definitely offered him a sip of their vodka, no way in hell would Henry voluntarily get a sip of that.
She looks over to Matt and Kate, whose wishes are yet to be granted. The pair chatting a bit near the dancing crowd, Matt occasionally taking a sip of the sweet concoction on his hand. She couldn't completely grasp their conversation. But judging from their happy expressions, Liz could only assume they're showing off pictures of Monica and Austin at each other. On the verge of shouting due to the loud music, they exchange storage worth of memories on their phone, laughing with delight.
Then there's Diana, practically guarding their table. Not having any of this. At all.
Her rigid posture, her narrow eyes, and the constant tapping of her fingers on the table gave Liz a bad sign. Diana didn't feel at home, she was sticking out like a sore thumb compared to the other three. Not wanting more of this, Liz approaches the gloomy carpenter. Before she can even get a word in, Dee's eyes light up, just a little. It gave her a slight sense of relief, but Liz didn't need to know that. And she was more thankful that Liz couldn't read minds. Or she'd be screwed.
"Hey. You feeling better?"
Liz nods, her eyes still red and very dry. But she's doing decently better than earlier.
"Let me guess, not your thing? That's why you're just here?"
"Yeah," Diana mutters. Taking a sip of her ice-cold glass of water, looking dejectedly at the crowd.
"Too crowded. Makes me want to go home instead."
"Maybe you just need a little dancing!" Liz says, gleefully attempting to grab Diana's hand. Clearly receiving an unimpressed expression from the other woman. Liz dramatically slouches her body and pouts. She knows Dee hates that expression of hers, yet she can't get enough seeing her like that.
"Come on. Just one song. One and then we can go back here."
Diana curses under her breath, grumbling about something else until finally putting down her cup. Sighing deeply as a smile appears on her face. It wasn't that big of a smile, not even a grin. But only Liz could see the faint spread of happiness that shows. Only Liz could see the flush of red that lies on her cheeks, even the colorful lighting doesn't do enough to hide it.
"Fine. But only for you, Liz."
Diana leans away from the slender black table and extends her arm out to Liz, to which she tries to oblige. She couldn't entirely touch the carpenter's hands as they still somewhat went through her skin. But, it felt light. Cool to the touch. If only Liz gained the ability to touch, shivers would probably trail down her arm and back.
The pair make their way to the center of the dancefloor, where the people are mostly letting loose, shouting to the top of their lungs at the lyrics. At the same time, Liz shoots a glance at Matt, Henry, and Kate, who are now returning to their table. Seeing this, she earns a solid thumbs up from the designer and the photographer, while getting a wave of amusement from the businessman. Wondering how she got someone as serious and timid as Diana to even move. Liz would have prepared a speech or even an appeal to emotion, but it was suspiciously easy to do.
Speaking of, Diana's movements only consist of surveilling the crowd. Head nodding, body swaying slightly offbeat to the sounds, arms refusing to move. Receiving yet another disgusted expression from the carpenter, only shifting to follow the ghost's lead.
Liz's body is also just as tense, only starting to warm up when she attempts to follow the crowd's moves, too. Not fully committing to them jumping or moshing with the others. Instead, Liz tries to drag Diana to a slightly farther portion of the mosh pit. Instead, the ghost steps closer. Trying to get a closer look at the intricacies of Dee's red blouse, admiring the silver pendants that display across her neck. Eyes now fixated on Diana, and only on her. Especially on her sweet... sweet lips.
As the Wild Bay's rock soundtrack becomes slightly more melancholic and slowed, they start losing their audience, untangling as their moshing comes to a close. Some even dashing to the bathroom or the exit as soon as they stop freezing.
Liz doesn't stop in her steps, neither does Diana.
"So. About that dance-"
Diana doesn't get another word in when Liz steps forward again, their bodies basically pressing. With mere inches apart. Seems like time, and whoever's giving her these abilities, is on her side today. She could feel the folds of Diana's red blouse, feel herself melt under the lights. Her movements start to slow down, too. A bit lost, Diana also starts swaying slower, her movements trying to match Liz to her abilities. Dancing isn't Diana's strongest suit, it's not exactly her favorite either, but this time it felt right. So right.
They dance under the melodic tune until their bodies press and their foreheads touch, barely feeling Diana's breathing. Liz wraps her arms around Diana, it only rests on her shoulders. Diana could feel her face heat up, but no, she doesn't say a thing. Neither of them say anything. As if called by her intuition, Liz rests her head on Diana's shoulders. Hearing the caress of Dee's breath, the quiet hums of her voice trying to follow along to the Fleetvana song. Diana closes her eyes in attempts to savor this moment. Touch is not something she's accustomed to, she'd been used to her own company.
But this felt different. Because it felt easier.
Diana's hand trails to Liz's side. Restraint creates a lump in her voice, a small fire burning inside her. For a brief moment, she looks into the ghost's eyes. Warm, tired, full of expressions. She's sure that behind there lied hundreds of words that Liz exerted enough effort to keep in. Diana couldn't give a damn about them all now, she treasured their sweet moment a bit too much to even ask. And yet, Diana's finger ghosts over the dark circles under Liz's eyes. Wiping away the remaining tears that she tried to hide. Diana couldn't even feel the sunny smile that spreads her face. The pair could feel theirselves slowly pulling away from their current surrounding, a blur that's put on everyone but them. The music may be loud, but the only noise that mattered were their exchange of breaths. The only movements that they could focus on were the simple sways of their bodies that were basically inseparable. Diana feeling small shocks from a pair of lips that press against her collarbone.
The pair rest in their positions for a couple of songs. They stay in their own world for what seemed like forever. Liz wished it was like that.
That is until the music begins to speed up once more. The crowd amped up to sweat it all out on the dance floor again. Liz let out an exasperated sigh paired with a frown to match. With all that fiasco, Liz's free hand guides Diana to look downwards, forcing them to look at each other.
"Can we take this outside? I don't want this to end."
Liz whines to the carpenter, like a sad dog pleading for more food. Liz's hand ascends from Diana's jaw up to the strands of her hair, trying to get herself to feel the locks from her ponytail. And truth be told?
It did something to Diana. She couldn't exactly place what it is. Could it be Liz's desperate, pleading eyes. Or the fulfillment of having a touch that's simple, yet so special when she does a small tug with her hair. In the end, Diana hums in agreement. Her hand reaching Liz's hair to see the ghost's pretty face more clearly.
"Lead the way. I'm sure they'd understand if we disappear for a bit," Diana smirks.
Rushing to the exit, the pair find a secluded spot from the bar. Sure, it looked like a sketchy alleyway with a giant street light on the verge of falling, but it was one of the only spots where they could be away from the overwhelming crowd. Where they could be themselves and not worry about what anyone would think, whatever they'll do here.
Liz gently presses herself against the wall, with Diana shortly following after scanning the place. The ghosts wraps one of her legs around Diana's waist. Allowing the other woman to press closer to her, and for her to snake her hand to feel her thigh... her hips.... before it finally lands on her ass, giving a small massage that makes Diana forcefully shut her eyes in enjoyment.
A shade of crimson appears on Diana's cheeks despite the poor lighting of their space. She could hear her own hitching breath. From the sudden winter breeze and from their proximity. She finds Liz giggling to herself like she's eighteen again, sneaking out from family. With a sudden boost of anticipation, Diana shifts her weight to her right side, bringing herself closer to Liz. Her knuckles caress Liz's facial structures. And she swears, she could've sworn, a small noise comes out of Liz.
But she doesn't question it. She probably would've done the same thing.
"So."
"So?"
"Did you drink any alcohol? Can you think straight?"
Diana nods twice.
"What for?" She tries to sound aloof with her question, knowing deep down what Liz wants to do.
"So that I can kiss you," Liz says, voice dropping to a dangerously sultry tone. Bats her eyelashes, flashing that sleepy lovestruck gaze to the other woman. Diana rolling her eyes at the stupid remark Liz just did, but her reddish face contrasted with what she was thinking. It worked for Diana, worked too well.
Without any protest, Diana locks her lips onto hers. Her lips staying as if she's still asking for permission, waiting for Liz to initiate something else. Thankfully, she took the hint and sucked on Diana's lower lip. She won't lie that it's a little awkward, but it's the first time in a long time that Liz's collecting her senses back. Slowly, her tongue pushed forward. Wanting to run it across Diana's lips, waiting for her to embrace her fully.
And that she did, she really wanted to.
"Diana..." Liz speaks up, a breathy tone. She felt herself fragile and cautious, like glass. Unsure of her movements, but if she stopped right now, she'd fall apart. Not in a million years would she ever want that.
Refusing to pull away, Liz runs through Diana's hair, mussing it so that strands of hair fall off of Diana's already loose ponytail. Liz's lips frantically lock on the other's, not seeing any reason to hold back anymore. Their kisses grow more desperate and sloppy as they try to hold on tightly to each other, careless about their surroundings now. The European winter breeze replaced with warmth. Liz's frozen hands slowly gaining moisture from reaching towards Diana every spot she could.
Pathetic how Liz could easily fall apart under Diana's grasp. Like she's snow melting onto the city pavements. Her heart is screaming not to push the other woman away and to stay in her embrace forever.
But yet, they pull away. Speechless. Panting like they just ran a marathon. Liz gives a peck on Diana's lips before tip-toeing to press another to her forehead, a smile painted on the carpenter's face.
And a real one at that. A wide grin that Liz has never seen before, atleast not when they're with the rest of the group.
"So... what does this make us now?"
Diana couldn't help but let out a small laugh, still trying to straighten her clothes and fix her hair. Liz does the same despite the fact that only Diana and three other people could see her. Diana carefully wipes off one bead of sweat down her forehead, also inspecting if any of her lipstick made a mark on Liz's plump lips.
Tilting her head, Diana looks away from the ghost, but only for a second, "That's the first thing you ask after we kiss?"
"I'm just saying! Now that we've kissed maybe it's time to go out on a date!"
Liz reaches for Dee's shoulder once more, partly to steady herself, but it gave her yet another opportunity to stare dead into Diana's brown eyes. Biting her lip to stop herself from kissing the other woman again... a very tempting thought.
The other woman leans forward, cupping Liz's face, "We'll see about that. Maybe when that hospital lets you go..."
She kisses Liz's cheek before finally stepping back from the other's touch.
"We can talk about this again."
They are definitely going to revisit this once Liz gets her wish. The one she's yet to figure out. But this is pretty damn close. If only she wasn't a ghost. If only she got to hold Diana's arms for real. If only...
There was another time to worry about it. For now, all she wanted was to get back inside the Wild Bay to stop shivering from the winter air. So they did, not without Liz stealing a kiss from Diana first, though.
"Are you going to do that everytime we're alone from now on?" Diana asks, a questioning stare as she pulls the door handle.
Liz shrugs it off and without another thought blurts out, "Oh, absolutely! Prepare to be sick of me."
A smile appears on both women's faces as they enter the bar again. Diana purposely drags her feet across the floor, moving slower than the ghosts, her own thoughts eating up her mind. Wanting to mutter something under her breath that not even the ghost can hear.
"She says it like I'll ever be sick of her."