His hand reached out towards hers, the barest kiss of warmth between their palms. Her face lit up with the promise of his eyes reflected across the bow of his lips. The lights seemed to cling to the pair as rain softly fell with a pitter pattering cacophony of noise.

They drew ever closer, but never quite touching skin to skin. Yet, the warmth effused out of both, like two radiant beacons of light on two distant shores. Both yearned to come together as one, but the raindrops kept them separate. The girl, barely a woman, smirked in satisfaction as his eyelashes weighed themselves down with fat drops of water. The glittering orbs reminded her of those of dew in the summer time. His heart strained towards hers, but alas, the rain continued.

Toes tracing twirling tales in the tawny concrete, the girl, barely a woman, finally returned his reaching. Her palm lying against his, she twirled with finesse as he guided her in a sphere of his protection. The boy, hardly a man, pulled himself on the balls of his feet, complementing the girl’s downward movement. Like a yin and yang, the two moved together yet separately in front of the audience.

As I watched, the girl’s tutu continued to sparkle with a dull glisten and the boy’s shoes propelled him in an arabesque across the wet concrete. The climax was ever approaching, the moment where her pale pink shoes would lift off of the floor with a silent finality and he would hold his breath praying he would not lose his grip on her waist. As her weight shifted above his head, he had to stay strong and not allow her to fall. As the dancers made their final approach, I found myself holding the boy’s breath for him. Four lungs expanding and holding in fear as the doll rushed towards certain demise.

The final leap was made, and the girl’s toes left the floor without a sound. His hands made their way to the cinch of her body, supporting her weight effortlessly as she soared above him. As she slowed, the taxed nerves and muscles of the boy stood out against his arms, yet he did not so much as shudder. He held her like she was of no weight at all, yet his anatomy betrayed his silent struggle. Her smirk widened into a grin as she pointed her extremities with a prideful flourish.

My applause rang out in the crowd of spectators huddled in the rainy amphitheater, sounding as lonely as he felt as he lowered her measurably closer to the ground. Her hands lowered and laid themselves on the boy’s shoulders to steady her quick breath. They both grinned like children, their mouths shining out amongst the gloom of the day. Their dance done, the destruction avoided, the pair took a deep breath and faced the disappointed eyes of the audience.

Despite the glorious display of passion and beauty the pair strove to provide, it was raining. In the end that was all that mattered.