The Bodyguard

Red Room Rage

The music that had been incredibly muffled from outside is suddenly beating through their very bones, the bass so loud that Emilia could feel her eardrums vibrating and can't help the pounding of her heart that such dance music always had her feeling. She adores dancing, moving her body, the music shattering her bones, everything about it just makes her long to be on the dance floor. 

Of course, however, Jazz just snatches her hand out of the air and yanks her towards the bar as she trips over the heels and can't help but let out a giggle, the atmosphere making her lighten up already as if, despite being underground now, the weight of everything that has happened in the past few months is just gone the moment the moment they are inside.

"Two shots tequila please!" Jazz squeals to the very attractive female bartender that gives the skinny girl a look up and down, a smile, and a nod before disappearing to grab the glasses and shots. "We, need to loosen up." She says, snatching one as it is placed before them and sliding the other to Emilia immediately as she stares at the liquid in the tiny glass.

"Uhm, no, you need to loosen up, and then we are dancing. I do not like alcohol." Emilia states immediately, leaving the glass where it is and hardly tempted by it. She doesn't like the careless feeling it gives you, not to mention the disgusting taste that lingers in the back of your throat for over an hour after.

"No no no, you are going to take the shot and then go on the dance floor and shake your hot little ass, you are not driving, you are not thinking, you are not taking care of me, you are loosening up and forgetting your damn social anxiety for one night, so drink the hell up and let's go." Jasmine snaps at her, the look in her eyes so ferocious that she actually picks up the little glass. The hesitation in her face is clear as Jazz keeps glaring, she had never pressured her into anything, she had always taken care of her, and she knew that she would take care of her now. Besides, it's just one drink. She thinks, hesitating just one more moment before downing the shot.

The clear disgust on her face has Jazz grinning as she downs hers in response, slamming the glass back onto the counter before grabbing the hand not holding the glass and pulling her towards the corner of the dance floor where she knows damn well is where Emilia will be most comfortable. The shadows and curtains, less people, a little quieter.

Forgetting about everything that's bothering her, and just dancing sounds fucking amazing. Emilia thinks, squeezing between people, yelping as someone steps on her toes and stumbling over the heels, really wishing she could just yank those stupid things off her feet like at those high school dances, but also knowing how terrible that idea is with the disgusting floor beneath them.

 Finally in the corner, breathing decently cleaner air than is in the mix and already feeling her hair getting annoying and ratty just at the back of her neck how she doesn't like it, she flips her head over and slides it into a very messy and long ponytail that will be much comfier. Flipping it back over she hears an oof from in front of her and looks at who she had hit with her overly long hair by pure accident and seeing Mr. Knyte, again.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to assault you, are you ok?" Emilia apologizes quickly, feeling awful that she hurt him for the second time that day, purely unintentionally.

"It's alright, Miss Emilia, it's just hair." He says, and though shadows hide his face slightly in the ever flashing lights of the room, she thinks that she sees a slight twinge at the edges of his mouth with a little bit of humor at her use of the word "assault".

She blushes and turns away, suddenly feeling very awkward about the whole dancing in front of him thing as she just sways to the music slowly, giving little bops of the head with the beat as she watches Jazz go all out in it, grinning as she sways her hips and feels up her own body, knowing how hot she is and loving every inch of it as Emilia just watches smiling, why did she care so much what Mr. Knyte thinks? It is just because he reports back to Mr. Delmont, or it is her social anxiety speaking, nothing to actually do with him, or how hot he is, or that he saved her from Brittany even if it isn't technically in his job description. Or because he is actually a very decent guy that listens to her, nope, nothing to do with any of that.

She tries to shove the thoughts of that away, and just turns her focus to the beat and Jasmine's antics across from her, just focusing on her best friend and the music. She can't help the smile that spreads across her face again, a little wider than usual as a little bit of buzz seems to settle in her bones beside the music, radiating at the same frequency and her body swaying more in time to the beat. The DJ is considerably better than what was considered music at those dumb school dances, her only experience with a similar crowd.

The last time she had been at something like this had been senior prom, only a year and a half ago, hard to believe really that it had only been that long ago. Senior prom had been decently fun as she remembered, going with her boyfriend at the time that had left her soon after. She hadn't been heart broken about it really, it had been kind of a mutual break-up as they were so far apart, maybe one day, if they meet again, they could rekindle the friendship, and maybe something more. She thinks longingly, her body getting more into the music as she gets lost in thought. It wasn't that she missed him, or that she loved him, but she missed that feeling of having someone like that, someone to hold and do stupid shit with, and laugh, and secret kisses.

She wants the romance you find in books, those beautiful and well-written pages of forbidden longing and stolen kisses with a man her parents didn't approve of, studying in her room to only end up in a heated make out session with the books on the floor, or being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a broken down car and a friend that becomes so much more.

But her life isn't that book, as much as she would love it to be, and she isn't in some high school romance anymore, she is in college and she has to study her ass off, and meet her new demanding step-fathers rules as she struggles to not go insane with the pressure that she didn't deserve and a spotlight she desperately doesn't want, she sinks into her thoughts.

An unsteady surface beneath her heel, and a falling sensation backwards with the head rush of moving too fast shatters her thoughts like a hammer before strong arms catch her from behind, holding her tight into a broad chest, a suit jacket swinging around her shoulders and something hard pressing into her lower back as she is tipped slowly back onto her feet, breathing rather heavily at the scare of falling onto hard ground. 

Turning quickly into the luminescent dress shirt she can feel the hard muscles beneath her small hands and her eyes move up slowly, catching the drop of sweat trickling down a well-defined neck to cleanshaven chin and pale lips, a straight strong nose, and those gorgeous grey eyes staring at her yet again, always staring as they steal her breath away just like they do in that mirror.

"Thank you, again, Mr. Knyte." She whispers, taking a small step back and nearly falling again, very unsteady in heels after that single drink and he catches her wrist again, his hand fitting all the way around it in a grip like steel to keep her upright and she catches the glimpse of a smile again that gives her a small smile too. So, Mr. Serious does know how to smile, even if it's a tiny one.

"You're welcome, Miss Emilia." He murmurs, slowly letting go of her arm as his fingers linger, trailing down to her fingertips before it falls to her side, making her breath hitch at the feeling as she feels her smile widen just a little bit more.

The bright flash of a light and multiple clicks of a camera make her flinch, covering her eyes as she pulls away from it, shrinking as it keeps going.

"Hey! Get out of here! Leave her alone!" Someone practically snarls, and with one more click, everything goes to hell.