"Geburtstag" Gabrielle wore her very best dress, dark green and topless, and had her hair done by a professional, so intent was she on looking good for her girlfriend's birthday gala party. It was early January, not yet time for school to resume, so she would have to wear something warm once she was outside. Gabrielle was naturally anxious—she had been anticipating this moment ever since she became Lilian's sweetheart and volunteered to be her date for the young woman's special day. Parties excited her and brought out the best in her, but from what Lilian had said, she had reason to be nervous. The evening was going to be very formal and stuffy, probably with lots of very old people who had little to do with Lilian herself, and great expensive food Gabrielle couldn't even pronounce, with dancing, and German-speaking people everywhere. Lilian had been a good linguists teacher, but Gabrielle knew that all the help in the world wouldn't save her. And then there was Lilian's parents, the influential Nachtheims, noble by birth and profession. They barely tolerated Lilian, and only for the sake of keeping the family name. How adverse would they be to her girlfriend, whom they had never met? Gabrielle had to go to the bathroom twice, she drank so much tea. She always drank too much when she was nervous. The doorbell rang. Lilian wanted to pick Gabrielle up personally, dear thing. She stood up quickly and raced downstairs, where the front door was. Smiling and smoothing her emerald dress out, she opened the door—and stared. Lilian was breathtaking, her silvery hair tied up in a complex knot, her pale face glowing, her skin naked save for the elegant custom-made black dress that fitted her body. Lilian too blushed, unable to find the words to describe her gorgeous escort. "You look...amazing," managed O'Shannon. Lilian nodded and whispered something in German. Gabrielle's father came into the room, armed with a camera, and asked the girls to pose together. Lilian closed the door, shivering from the cold and snow already, and stood in the welcoming room with her hand intertwined with Gabrielle's. They smiled as the camera flashed, capturing the moment for posterity. "Thanks. Have a good time, girls. Gab, don't forget to call when you're ready to come home." "Gotcha. Later, pa." It had been the first time Gabrielle rode in a limousine, so she wanted to relish the experience. She got her chance—Lilian's estate, or the part that would play host to her birthday, was a long way off. Gabrielle couldn't help but gasp in awe as the limo finally arrived (Lilian seemed bored, of course, more occupied with Gabrielle herself). The house was nearly a mansion, and from her angle, Gabrielle could already make out an outdoor and indoor pool, a tennis court, an all-purpose range (which had once been the sight of a great polo game), a large greenhouse, and a garage big enough to hold several cars. A long line of automobiles clogged the driveway, but the limo brought the girls to center stage, dropping them off and wheeling away elsewhere. Gabrielle smiled as Lilian quietly took her hand and escorted her out of the car and up the stairs to her home. A crowd of people converged around her, babbling in German; she shied away. "Please, schatz, don't leave my side tonight." "Trust me, I won't. Not for all the chocolate in...you-know-where!" Lilian laughed quietly, and leaned in to sneak a quick kiss on the dear girl's cheek. They came into the manor and wound their way to the large ballroom, where much of the evening's activity would take place. Gabrielle felt like a fairy-tale princess as she wandered in, beautiful Lilian clasping her hand and the air clasping everything else. Oh the opulence, the splendor, the grandeur! She stood gaping long enough to be ushered aside; she and Lilian made their way to a corner. "Wow!" hissed O'Shannon, and not for the first or last time. "Wow! This is incredible! Lil, I had no idea...!" "I hate it," snorted the albino, squeezing her girlfriend's hand tighter. "This is all so foolish. All this splendor is for me, yet nobody truly cares. Except you," she remedied peacefully. Gabrielle smiled sadly. "Well it's a hell of a ball regardless. Why don't you at least try to enjoy it?" "I don't think I could do that." "Come on!" she squealed, guiding the taller woman to the floor. "We gotta at least dance!" "Nein, schatz, ich..." Stuttering in her own tongue, Lilian stumbled as she followed the energetic redhead to the floor, and came to a halt in the dead center. Gabrielle beamed up at her, placed a tender kiss on her chin, and took her hands in a waltz. If anybody noticed the two ladies dancing together, they didn't pay any mind, and if they did, it wouldn't matter anyway, not to them. Lilian lost herself as she closed her eyes and shared a movement with the girl she loved, the one she cherished most, her dear savior and wonderful friend, both dancing on clouds. Their exchange was interrupted all too soon by a tall, handsome, happy-looking man. "Pardon me," he said in German, "but would you happen to be the young Madame Nachtheim?" "Yes," Lilian said, her hands still attached to Gabrielle's. "I am glad to meet you," he said, bowing. "Young Miss Nachtheim, my name is Josef. Would you do me the honor of having this next dance?" "No thanks, I already have a partner." Josef looked to Gabrielle, who seemed lost. Of course, she could barely pick up anything in their conversation. "You shouldn't kid me like that, Miss Nachtheim!" laughed the man. He gently pried Lilian away from Gabrielle, but was at least polite enough to excuse himself. Poor Gabrielle watched helplessly as the woman she loved, eighteen years old that very day, was taken from her. She was left by herself just like that, forced to stand idly by and let other people, perfect strangers whom Lilian wanted little to do with, steal her away. She quietly hid herself at the food table and scoured it for something to drink. The combined body heat of the ballroom had made even the early January frost turn warm. As she wandered around aimlessly, keeping an eye on Lilian dancing numbly, she tried looking for the girl's parents. She watched for people who seemed to be in the center of attention, but everyone was like that! Flocks of bodies, most of them old enough to pass as her parents, were everywhere, not a one distinguishable from the other. Aside from Lilian, there weren't any girls her age around, although there were plenty of men—probably young people the Nachtheims had called up to ask if they'd be interested in marrying their aloof daughter. Small chance of that happening. Gabrielle wanted to squeeze in at least one dance, but Lilian had become an unwilling belle of the ball. It was like she was being gang-raped with waltzes and upbeat tangos; Gabrielle wished she could just scream, grab her beloved, and whisk her away for a real party. She began to understand why her girlfriend had despised this party so much (as she drank her third cup of punch). She frowned and wished there was something she could do. A voice called out to her in German, making her turn. Of all things, it was a young lady—older even than Lilian, but still in her youth! Gabrielle sighed and felt better already, even though she'd never understand the girl. Her mere presence was enough. This young woman, dressed in a pink and white dress, took hold of the redhead's arms and smiled broadly. She continued to babble, to O'Shannon's disappointment. "Whoa, wait, I don't understand!" she managed. "Uh...ich nein Deutschlander, ich...Irish/American." "Irish/American?" mimed the lady, looking confused. She smiled, and in a light accent, managed to drawl in English: "I speak no England." They both smiled sadly. Gabrielle figured if she couldn't understand the older girl, the least she could do was be polite. "Oh, okay. Um...that's all right. It's fine by me." She smiled and nodded her head, and the woman did the same. "Ja, ja," she said, and went off into a string of words Gabrielle had no hope of understanding. She grabbed the girl's arm despite her protest and ran off, away from the dancing and away from poor Lilian, to a balcony that overlooked the freezing Nachtheim compound. Gabrielle shivered until the girl placed an arm around her shoulder and smiled, trying to warm her body and soul. Uh-oh. I wonder if she has a crush on me. Curse these Germans and their attraction to redheads! Or am I just that charming? "Danke shoen," managed Gabrielle, feeling a bit warmer already. The woman beamed. "You're welcome!" "Glad you know that at least," she muttered. The girl soon introduced herself in her light accent, pointing to her chest: "Gretel." "Gabrielle," answered the redhead. They shook hands and smiled. They lapsed into an awkward "conversation", neither understanding the other, yet aside from her brief time with Lilian, Gabrielle was having the most fun of the evening. About midway into their third attempt at a conversation, O'Shannon noticed the music and dancing had stopped, and wanted to excuse herself to see Lilian. There was no need: Nachtheim found her instead, and smiled softly as she stepped out on the balcony, her skin freezing already. "It looks like you two have the right idea," she said in both English and German. Gretel smiled and curtsied, knowing exactly who this was, and honored from the visit. Gabrielle embraced her, weary from such a foreign encounter. "Lil, can ya please translate for me? I don't understand a word poor Gretel's saying!" Lilian smiled and informed Gretel of the situation; she laughed and performed another curtsey, then spoke freely. Lilian interpreted for them both: "She says she saw you lonely and was glad another girl her age was there. She wants to be friends." "Oh! So is that all? Tell her I'd love to." Lilian did so, and even added in that she and Gabrielle were in love. Gretel looked amazed at this, but grinned widely. "She says we could make quite a nice couple," said Lilian humbly. "And she didn't even know I was like that. It's so cold out here, schatz," she shivered, changing the subject; "can we please go back inside?" "Gladly!" The trio went indoors, where the guests turned to smile at Lilian. She shyly waved at them and took Gabrielle by the hand across the ballroom floor. She stopped in front of an older couple who were engaged in conversation, and waited politely for them. Gabrielle guessed they were Lilian's parents, and was right. She gulped and hoped she could remember her German greetings. "Mother, father," said Lilian to them in German once they noticed her, "I want to introduce you to my girlfriend, Gabrielle O'Shannon. Please say hello." The two older people gazed at her sternly, as she knew they would, and poor Gabrielle could barely squeak. "Guten aben, herr und frau! Es ist mir eine Freude sie endlich kennenzulernen!" They smiled and replied back, in German, forcing her to wince. "Uh, sorry. That's about all I know. But it's really great to meet'cha." "You seem polite," noted Mrs. Nachtheim dryly in English. Gabrielle breathed with relief, remembering Lilian's family was bilingual. The matron then added airily, "I was not aware of my daughter's...interest in women. Nor of anything else for the matter. After all we do for her." Lilian protested in German; Gabrielle was soon glad she could not understand them. They argued hotly, drawing the attention of most of the guests. Mr. Nachtheim eventually quelled the storm, but only at the expense of his standing. He didn't want to be embarrassed, not in front of all those people. Then to Gabrielle, "What makes you think you're good enough for my daughter?" "We love each other fine. If Lilian says so—" "What could you possibly give her that any of these young men could not?" "I just...love her, is all. That's all she really wants." "And who do you think knows her better, a common girl like you or her own family?" "Father!!" "Silence, Lilian! You shouldn't have brought her here." "It's my party, though I never asked for any of this, and she's my girlfriend, and she is...always...too good for me! I don't see how I deserve her, so don't think for a moment she's not good enough for me! I love her!" By now Lilian was crying, out of rage and sadness. Her father growled angrily and looked ready to slap her. Had she just proclaimed her homosexuality in German, in front of all those important people who would look down on such a thing... "Enough!" said her mother firmly. "We shouldn't be arguing. Let Lilian do as she wishes. After all, this is her coming-of-age party. If she wants to disappoint us by romancing a commoner and a girl, so be it. You are now responsible for your own actions, young lady." "That, mother," whispered Lilian chillingly, "is the best present you could possibly give me. I thank you." Mrs. Nachtheim frowned disapprovingly, and left with her husband in arm. Lilian sighed, whether from a released weight or an added one, and was quickly attended by Gabrielle, who held her and kissed her naked white shoulders. "Ich liebe dich, schatz." She looked up and smiled; Lilian sighed sadly and embraced the wonderful woman. They touched noses, ignoring the onlookers, and kissed. "I never taught you that." "I know. I wanted to learn it myself." Lilian smiled and kissed her again. "I love you too." "Mm. Hey, wanna blow this joint? Maybe rent a hotel somewhere, stay there the night?" "I thought you'd never ask." "Will it be okay for you to leave here so suddenly?" "Of course," she laughed. "Like they said, I'm emancipated. I take care of myself now. I'll have a stupid fortune by the time we get back to school, my inheritance, and of course I shall always have you, the only thing I really want." Gabrielle blushed humbly, biting her lip for joy, and followed the newly-crowned adult woman outside her manor, where they ignored onlookers and photographers, men and women, even Gretel herself (who shouted out to them a call of good luck), as they hid themselves in a limousine and asked to be taken to a nice hotel. They kissed and held each other the whole ride over. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart." "Only with you here, my love." ......... The two couldn't stop smiling as they checked in, still dressed in their evening gowns, and kept grinning as the bellhop showed them to their rooms and left them with a smile. Gabrielle let out a merry laugh as she whirled into the room, her green dress billowing like a flower caught in the wind. Lilian watched the vision of loveliness twirl, and waited for her to stop before approaching her, kissing her once, and taking her into her arms. "Dance with me," she begged gently, "as we should have danced back then." "Of course." And oh, how the floor did rejoice as the feet of the two lovebirds glided across its furry carpet, fluidly and slowly, stealing tender kisses and whispering so softly their devotion for each other—how deeply they loved one another. Gabrielle winced happily as she felt Lilian's ghostly pink lips touch her collarbone, and sighed as the woman placed her hand against her cheek. The red and green eyes could stare at each other night and day and know no other happiness, nor want any. Gabrielle's heart began to thud stronger and louder for some reason—perhaps Lilian's perfume, or her delicate, shy smile. Maybe because she was ethereal, or because she loved her so much, or perhaps because she looked really sexy in black. She reached behind her, bending her arms crookedly, and unzipped her dress. Without averting her gaze from Lilian's heartbreaking smile, she let the garment fall, and stood naked save for the modest cotton underwear over her hips. Lilian breathed hard, amazed that this beauty could turn more beautiful, that such a thing could exist and love her so much. She fumbled with the black straps of her dress, wanting to be naked for her love; they fell to the floor and joined the green material. Soon white and pink too joined; lips descended with tender loving care; hands found every naked, fleshly spot a pleasure; breathing magnified, pulses soared. Gabrielle saw spots as Lilian knelt and sweetly kissed her protruding bosom. Lilian wept and called out the name of her beloved as she dipped her tongue into the older girl's belly button. They took turns prying the last remnants of covering from their bodies, and that night gave themselves to each other, blissfully making sweet love, until every barrier was down, every declaration had been made, every tear wept and every square inch kissed and touched and loved, beautiful. But best of all, according to Gabrielle, tomorrow would be even better. Next time: Lilian gets a REAL birthday celebration! Mmm...chocolate party cake...
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