Meet Us at the Barre: A Series of SAB Oneshots

immediate

We love writing to distract yourself after dinner

James sat into his stretch, getting his hip to pop satisfyingly. It had been bothering him all rehearsal. They were on a break between rehearsals, and James was sitting outside, watching the current rehearsal from the window.

"James!" Mollie ran up to the older dancer, her tone of voice was incredibly urgent.

"What?" James whipped around. "What is it?"

"Katherine needs you!" Mollie's hand shook as she pointed towards the company lounge. "She got real sick, she said she needed you."

"Shit, is she okay?" James asked, never one to clean up his vulgar mouth.

"I--I don't know." Mollie stammered. "We were just hanging out, talking, and she got really pale all of a sudden, and then ran to the bathroom. I...I don't really know."

James nodded. "Thanks, Mollie. Um," He started running as he spoke. "Find me after rehearsal, I'll get you dinner!"

Mollie chuckled at the gesture, she didn't need a reward. She was simply being a good friend. But that was James, always wanting to give back.

James bobbed and weaved around dancers, pushing his way at top speeds to where Katherine was.

"Katherine?!" James shouted, pushing open the door.

There Katherine was, her knees pushed into the dingey tile floor, violently throwing up, barely able to catch a breath.

James' heart broke as he watched his girlfriend so sick. His eyes scanned the small bathroom, and his whole body tensed when his eyes landed on the mug she had been drinking out of all morning.

He immediately knew the beast she was facing.

"Katherine, what the fuck?!" He bellowed, not caring if anyone heard, even the dancers currently rehearsing.

Katherine dry heaved a few more times, her shoulders rising and falling with every retch. Her breaths were choppy.

Katherine fell back against the bathroom wall, her entire body now sheeted in sweat. Her body visibly shook.

"Don't be mad." Katherine hyperventilated.

James crossed his arms against the wall. "Don't be mad?!" He shouted.

Katherine jumped. "Stop yelling!"

James didn't listen, he kept yelling. "Don't be mad?! You lied to me!"

"No, no, no, no!" Katherine stood up the best she could on her shaky legs. She stumbled over to James, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You have to understand--" She started, but cut herself off when her knees buckled.

"Kath!" James gasped, catching his girlfriend by her arms as she collapsed. "Sit, sit, sit." He lowered her back to the tile, suddenly now more sad than angry at her.

He anxiously pressed the back of his hand to Katherine's forehead, flinching as her skin was burning hot to the touch.

"You're burning up, Baby." He mumbled.

Without warning, James stood up and left. He dashed down the hall and went to go get an ice pack from the freezers.

He returned only moments later, returning to see Katherine violently retching once more.

James let his tears flow down his cheeks as he rubbed her back. "Shh, shh, breathe." He coaxed, kissing her shoulder blades that were exposed by her open back leotard.

Katherine survived that round of sickness and slipped back down the wall. James whispered sweetly to her as he pressed the towel wrapped ice pack to her forehead.

Katherine writhed in pain on the floor, groaning as her abdomen cramped terribly.

"James..." She whined, crying.

"I know, I know." James nodded.

They'd been here multiple times before with Katherine's previous run ins with Ballerina Tea.

James partially blamed himself, mad that he didn't ask questions right as he noticed Katherine distancing herself from James.

Katherine's breaths shuddered, her head falling onto James' shoulder.

"You think you're done for a while?" James whispered, kissing her shoulder.

Katherine nodded, wincing in pain. "Just cramps, now....ahh." She took in a sharp breath.

James coaxed her through the cramping feeling, trying to rub gingerly at her sides to ease the pain.

"Babe, I know this isn't the best time, but we need to talk." He shifted his weight around, adjusting the ice pack to Katherine's forehead.

James took in a timid breath in.

"Where'd you get the tea? I threw out all the boxes from--" James started.

"I kept one." Katherine croaked out. "Hid it in the top of the closet."

James sighed, tears only welling more in his eyes. "Princess, what made you feel like you had to do this?"

"I don't know..." Katherine shook her head. "I was scared. We were getting more distant, and I heard Tatiana talking about how she saw you with Melanie, and since when am I not good enough for you?!" Katherine sobbed, her mouth falling open silently as another cramping feeling waged through her abdomen.

James gasped. "What are you talking about? You know Tati just likes starting shit. I haven't even seen Melanie since she got hurt!"

Katherine's glassy eyes raised to meet James'. "Really?"

James nodded. "I swear up and down. She just wanted to get into your head, Baby. I hate that you felt like you had to do this shit because you were so anxious."

Katherine shook her head. "It wasn't smart, I know, I--"

"Shh, stop. Don't apologize. I'm sorry for shouting at you, I was just so scared." James shook his head. "Promise that next time you feel like doing this, you'll come talk to me?"

Katherine nodded, tears slipping past her eyelashes still.

"Good." James kissed her head gently. "Give me five minutes to go talk to Peter, and then we'll get you home to rest up, okay?"