Amelia & Tuzo - 2 - Equilibrium

[Shadowess]

To calm down, Amelia decided to wander around the city on Earth for a while. Even though it was incredibly dangerous for her if she was caught on her own by a group of Arch Angels, she was utterly fascinated by the way Earth worked. The exchange of currency for products. The vehicles and electronic devices that would never work in the depths of Hell. The wild variety of personalities around her. Sweet and exotic smells. If not for the constant danger of simply being here, Amelia felt she could easily lose herself in the experience of it all. Though nothing would ever compare to the first time she'd arrived on Earth. Now THAT was an exciting day! But that is a story for another time.

Trying her best to put her argument with her brother to the back of her mind, she wandered into various shops to browse the countless, mostly useless trinkets. She found herself wandering into a cafe at one point. The strong smell of coffee had caused her to wrinkle her nose at first but she quickly got used to it. Her curiosity drew her to the counter where she purchased her first latte. It wasn't bad. After adding a little sugar, she enjoyed it more. However, she was unsure if the coffee was responsible for her sudden burst of new energy or whether that was simply the excitement of sampling a human beverage. Either way, she felt she needed to use it up somehow so she began to wander the city once more. By then the sun had gone down and the city had a new lease of life. Girls wore smaller clothing and higher shoes. Men wore more fashionable clothes. Flashing lights and loud music everywhere she turned. Until she found a large sign lit up above a pair of doors. One door was painted black and the other was painted white. 'Equilibrium' the sign read.

Staring at the sign, Amelia was reminded of what the Angel had whispered into her ear. The way he'd made her feel. Would he be here now? What did he want to show her? What if it was a trap? These questions ran through her mind but she found herself pushing the doors open and stepping into the dark corridor as if being pulled in either by an invisible force or her own curiosity. The carpet was black, yet soft under her shoes. The walls all around her as well as the ceiling were also painted black but they were bejewelled with millions of tiny fake diamonds that reflected the dim light of a few ceiling-high lamps that were attached to the walls and evenly spaced apart. It was like Amelia was walking through a night sky as she wandered further into the building until she reached another set of double doors that resembled the first set she'd walked through. These doors led to a staircase. Although the floors here were covered in black linoleum instead of carpet, the walls and ceiling were exactly the same as in the previous room. Here she could hear the low rumbling of music from downstairs.

The faint smell of alcohol hit her nose. Her heart fluttered with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. Is this one of those 'night clubs' that Damien sometimes mentioned? Will Tuzo be here? Gingerly running her hand over the handrail, she descended the steps. Reaching yet another set of painted doors, Amelia notes that these doors were not only thicker, which muffled the music behind them a great deal, but they were also guarded by a large man in a black suit. He looked over Amelia briefly and without a word he lifted his arm to push one of the doors open for her. The volume of the music suddenly popped and she felt each beat pulse through her as if trying to beat along to the rhythm of her heart. She nodded to the bouncer in thanks before stepping into the club. She stood for a moment to take it all in. Through the dry-ice fog and flashes of light, Amelia could make out the silhouettes of dozens of people. This place was absolutely crowded. Most people were dancing in the centre of the room. A few crowded the bar and rest areas. She wandered over to the bar but it was difficult to even get close. The moment a spot opened up, someone else dove in to shout their order at the bar staff over the music.

She watched for a moment to see how the others moved. Finally, a spot opened up nearest to her and she dove in. The barman nodded to her and she felt a rush of victory that she'd managed to get this far. She tried to shout her order. "Demon's brew?!" It was the only strong beverage she knew. The barman wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly over the noise so he placed a hand around his ear and used his other hand to gesture for her to try again. "DEMON'S BREW!" she shouted and still the barman looked confused. Deciding to go with what he assumed she'd meant, he poured some popular ale into a plastic cup for her;- Doom Bar.
The colour was exactly the same as what she was used to so Amelia couldn't tell the difference. She smiled and took out her purse which made the bartender also smile as he assumed he'd guessed correctly. He shouted the price over the noise and Amelia paid a little more than she needed to. The bartender had assumed this was a generous tip so hadn't corrected her. Happily, she took her drink to a less crowded area in the club and took a sip. She stared at the beverage, mildly confused then took another sip. 'Boy, the Devil's Brew here is really weak...' she thought to herself as she looked around.

A few more trips to the bar though and not only had she gotten used to the weakened taste, she found herself relaxing more. Eventually, she made her way to the centre of the dancefloor and let the music take over her movements. Then she saw him. The dark curls and deep, hypnotising eyes. She stopped dancing as she caught his eye and he turned to smile at her from across the room. His mouth moved and although she couldn't hear him, she could make out the words his mouth had formed. "You came!"

He seemed genuinely happy to see her. Blushing and suddenly feeling shy, she nodded while unable to contain her smile. This time when he approached her, she didn't feel so anxious. But maybe that was the drink? As he got closer though, he hesitated and looked around warily before looking back at her. "You're brother?" he mouthed.
"Not here." she mouthed back while she shrugged and grinned at him. He grinned too and continued to walk closer to her. Once close enough, he leaned in so that she could hear him. She felt that same rush of excitement that she'd felt back at the bar when he'd whispered into her ear. "I'm glad you came. I was worried about you. You looked upset earlier."

She was touched that he cared. "I'm fine," she said but her lip quivered as she'd said it. Ordinarily, she'd be able to bury her emotions but the alcohol in her system made this very difficult. Seeing her upset, Tuzo gently took her hand. "Let's go somewhere quieter?" he asked and she nodded, letting him guide her to a back area that was decorated the same way the first hallway had been. It was a shorter hallway and another set of doors in the room led out to a smoking area. Amelia leaned against the wall tiredly and vaguely felt the small, plastic jewels dig into her back. The room span a little but all she could focus on was Tuzo and how beautiful he was.

"You sure you're ok?" he asked her with a concerned look.
"Yeah..." She nodded and glanced away from him while trying to keep herself composed. "I don't want to think about it. I just want to enjoy this." she smiled as she gestured to the doors that led back to the club. "I've never done anything like this before!" she told him excitedly.
"Really?" Tuzo asked, surprised.
"Well, I grew up in Hell and never really got to explore when I first came to Earth..." she admitted. The truth flowed out of her with little to no filter. It barely occurred to her that she was talking to an Angel who, for all she knew, could be trying to get information from her.
"That sounds lonely," he observed and for once, Amelia felt seen.
She looked back at him with a small frown and nodded. "It is lonely." she then stirred from her thoughts and gave him an inquisitive look. "What did you mean back at the bar, anyway?"
"Oh." he chuckled and Amelia could swear his cheeks turned pink. He stared at her for a moment as if trying to make a decision. He then licked his lip and leaned in to whisper to her. That shiver again. "Did you want me to show you?"
She turned her head, her own cheeks turning red. "Show me what?"

He pulled his head away ever so slightly and stared into her eyes purposefully. A strange feeling washed over Amelia and the room spun a little more than it had been already. But she didn't care. Her focus was on his eyes. His closeness. He lifted a hand to caress her cheek, his thumb glided over her lips. She shivered, practically melting at his touch. He leaned in and instinctively she tilted her head slightly to catch his lips as he pressed them against hers. They tasted sweet and felt soft as he recaptured the kiss again and again. Each time he kissed her she felt that tingling sensation and it motivated her to keep going. She felt his fingers running through her hair then his lips moved from hers to leave smaller kisses across her cheek. She sighed softly and tilted her head back a little as his kisses found their way to her neck.

She bit her lip, unable to help the small moan that escaped her. She heard Tuzo chuckle as he pulled away to smile at her. "Now your brother's really going to kill me." he joked.
"He'd have to get through me first." Amelia grinned breathlessly.
"Well, if we're both already in trouble..." He took her hand and gently tugged it to bring her into his arms. "Then why stop here?"
Together they vanished, marking the beginning of their secret affair.