Of course, before that Jinki would have to survive the various demands his siblings had put upon him for their multitudinous activities. Even though school was out, that just meant Daejung could claim more of his time during the week. Mostly games of course but he was starting to show interest in hoverboarding, a sport Jinki knew nothing about. He could see many bruises in his future if he started trying to get into that too.

                And his three sisters were terrible about demanding he come to all practice sessions now. Because he had more time of course. If he went to one more for Hajoon, he had to go to Doyun’s as well, and that also meant Siwoo’s and vice versa. And all of them were more keyed up than usual with their various competitions coming up. Hajoon had her practice match – they were always super intense, and not too long after that, the first competition match for the global final’s tournament. Doyun had boot camp training coming up and Jinki usually helped with it extensively. And Siwoo was about to have a meltdown because she claimed she was not ready at all for her solo trial event.

                Making matters even more confusing, Kibum had moved out almost as soon as his housing option became available. Jinki had gone with him to help clean out his apartment and move what few belongings he had into the new space. Kibum’s face had held such wonder in that moment when he first stepped into his dorm room. Wide eyes took in the space that was as large as his apartment with more permanent fixtures. The bed especially had been a point of interest and Jinki had watched him move to it, one hand running over the top of the blanket with a slow motion.

                He’d straightened then and whispered with a supremely relieved smile, “There’s nothing here.”

                Kibum didn’t need to explain. Jinki already knew what he meant and it had been a very satisfying moment for him. But even so, it still meant that he was no longer staying with him anymore. And he was more inaccessible in the evenings since he’d started going back to work too, getting back into the swing of things once again. Honestly, Jinki had gotten used to having him around the majority of the time so the… separation felt strange. It was good for him. And probably Kibum too, but it didn’t help immediately.

                And of course he had to hang out with Henry, Larad, and Ercite when he could too. Never mind even thinking about what he was going to do in the next semester. He still had no clue what he wanted to focus on and he was going to have to choose something soon. He’d gone to the university with no overall expectation of what he wanted to do with his life, thinking he’d figure out when he got here. Two years in, not much had changed…

                At the very least though, everything did keep him quite distracted until Kibum reminded him of the upcoming party at The Stars Align. According to the younger man, there were going to be a decent handful of regulars and a large number of invitees from the school. Kibum had happily told the Almighty Key fan club about it and they’d circulated a list for people interested to sign up on, subject to Kibum’s approval.

                Jinki’d gotten a glimpse of it, just to make sure there wasn’t anybody there that maybe shouldn’t be and was quite surprised to see Kibum’s trio of nemeses listed. “Are you sure?” he asked upon calling the younger man.

                “Of course I’m sure,” Kibum answered with a rather smug note in his voice.

                Jinki didn’t entirely trust it. “You’re not just inviting them to block them from coming in or kicking them out preemptively, are you?”

                Kibum gasped in feigned shock on the other end. He broke character immediately after with a breathy sigh. “I’d be hurt if the same thoughts hadn’t already crossed my mind too.” Jinki hummed in unsurprised satisfaction but didn’t say anything yet. “I don’t really expect them to come, but if they do, it would be delightful to rub my success in their faces,” he laughed, utterly unabashed.

                “No. That makes sense,” Jinki nodded as if he was talking to himself.

                “Hey. I probably wouldn’t even have a fan club if not for them. And I’m back to work now and The Stars Align is doing better than ever and I really have them to thank for it, don’t I?” he giggled, a falsely high sound like he was acting coy.

                “When you put it that way,” Jinki laughed, delighted by the response. This was more akin to the old Kibum he’d first started to get to know and it was a good sign of positive progress.

                “I know, right?!” Kibum’s excitement was palpable. “Oh! I forgot to check the results. How did Hajoon’s competition go?”

                Jinki grinned, both at the question and for the response. “She likes to worry overmuch but their team won the match and will be progressing to the semi-finals next.”

                “Yes!” Kibum cheered on his side. “When’s the next match?”

                “Two days after the party,” Jinki snorted, shaking his head.

                He heard Kibum hiss through his teeth. “Well, at least you’ll have a day to rest up before you have to go.”

                “Will I though?” he wondered instead, already making note of the practice he would likely have to squeeze in to help allay any nerves Hajoon had about the match.

                Kibum’s sniff on the other end was thoughtful and Jinki was all ears to see what he was thinking. “If I…” he trailed off, suddenly unsure. Jinki blinked in confusion as this Kibum was not one he’d heard for a little while. The shift was swift though, and his confident voice returned with passion, “I should just tell her I need your help with something and you won’t be available that day.”

                It was enough to make Jinki laugh. “You’d probably have to fight her for priority.”

                “Feh,” he scoffed in dismissiveness. “I may not be a grav jumper but I have my ways.”

                “Hmm.” Jinki didn’t trust it entirely, but he was intrigued enough not to argue too hard. “Okay. I’ll not try to stop you. Besides, I’m more curious about this party surprise you’ve been planning…”

                “Who said there was a surprise?” Kibum demanded quickly, an evasive tactic if Jinki had ever seen one. “Whether there is or not, you’ll just have to see in two days.” The wink was obvious even without being able to see him.

                Jinki knew that tone. There was almost no hope of prying out any further information from the younger man. “Fine. How’s the dorm feeling now?” he asked instead, changing topics.

                Kibum’s silence was heavy. “It’s okay,” he answered eventually, the words drawn reluctantly from quiet lips.

                “Kibum?” the rising third year hummed, one brow raised.

                “It’s fine. Just… empty,” he explained after a moment.

                Jinki wasn’t entirely sure if that was supposed to be a good thing or not. Or maybe that had changed since he’d first stepped foot in it. No ghosts to haunt the space had to be a positive, but it was pretty bare. There was another possibility but Jinki didn’t want to think too hard on that one, so he mentioned instead, “If you need decorations or stuff, I can help you get some.”

                He could practically envision Kibum wrinkling his nose at the response. “That’s okay,” he sighed, clearly not voicing whatever was really on his mind. But before Jinki could pry, the younger man perked up. “But anyway! I have to go now and help get The Stars Align ready for the upcoming show. See you soon!” he chattered away, quick to end the call before Jinki could get a word in edgewise.

                It made him sigh as well. “What are you thinking?” he wondered, tapping on his bottom lip with a single finger.

                He didn’t have to wait long. Two days went by rather quickly with the rest of his usual practices, friend time, and generally just trying to get by. He was more tired than he would have preferred heading towards The Stars Align, but there was an unmistakable ball of tense excitement sitting in his belly as he approached. Henry, Larad, and Ercite would be coming later, as would Hajoon and Doyun. Siwoo had made herself sick with worry over her upcoming competition and was staying home while Daejung wasn’t really interested in the whole scene. Jinki had promised to arrive early to help Kibum and the rest of the staff though, so that was how he found himself standing in front of the service entrance calling for Kibum to open the door for him.

                The last thing he expected was for the door to open with Jackson and Passeri reaching out to yank him inside. “You’re finally here!” “We’ve got something to talk to you about!” Bright mischievous grins were plastered on their faces as they shut the door behind him.

 

                It was suspicious to Kibum that Passeri and Jackson were missing along with Jinki and none of them were answering their communicators. Garum was present and Ixo had been helping as much as they could to get the music setup for the event and the decorations in place. Two of their other part time regulars had also offered to come in, though Kibum wasn’t as familiar with Alexander, a male Terran whose claim to fame here was litheness and flexibility, and Senna, a female Varium that leaned towards the smaller than average side of the spectrum.

                Henry and company had shown up not long after Kibum himself had been here and they’d also done their fair share of the work in helping get things ready. When Psitassi arrived, she brought a sizeable chunk of fans that took care of pretty much everything else and now things were just starting to warm up but a particular trio was still missing. Leaning on the side of the bar where Garum was currently keeping a watchful eye, Kibum wasn’t quite settled enough to wade into the fray just yet. And he was distracted by Jinki’s absence which didn’t help either.

                A touch on his shoulder made him startle though and Hajoon flinched in amused surprise when he whipped around to see her. “Sorry!” she giggled, one hand rising to cover . “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

                Awkwardly, Kibum cleared his throat and then straightened his shoulders, not missing the bemused smirk on Garum’s face in his periphery. “It’s fine,” he assured her, taking a small breath and focusing the full of his attention on the younger woman. “What’s up?”

                Hajoon looked around in mild confusion while she traced a stray strand of hair away from her forehead. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Jinki have you? I haven’t been able to reach him,” she admitted, glancing behind her to nod at the slightly shorter Doyun who was hiding in her shadow.

                “He said he’d be here,” she piped up quickly, moving to stand beside Hajoon. “He left before we did too,” she grumbled, clearly offended by his absence as well.

                Kibum chewed on his bottom lip and eyed the room once more, catching Psitassi’s gaze once before nodding in acknowledgement at her and then gesturing for her to stay where she was. He’d learned eye contact was an open invite with the Moladhi and right now, he would not be the best company for her. “Have you asked Henry?”

                Hajoon snorted as if that was obvious. “Of course. But they haven’t seen him either.”

                All of that was doubly suspicious. Kibum narrowed his eyes and then leaned closer to Garum at the bar. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything about Passeri and Jackson have you?”

                “Hmm?” the giant Varium hummed in surprise as he glanced down, blue hair vibrant under the overhead lighting above the bar.

                “Passeri and Jackson,” he stated firmly, pitching his voice to carry this time.

                “Ah,” Garum nodded in understanding. “They’re around here somewhere. I wouldn’t worry about it,” he assured them, waving one large hand in a dismissive gesture before he grinned as a guest approached the bar for a drink.

                “That’s not suspicious at all,” Doyun grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest while she stepped into the gap space between Kibum and Hajoon.

                “Very,” Hajoon nodded, but a slight gasp made them look at her before the pair next to her turned to the stage.

                The part timers were standing at the main dancing position, fully decked out in their work attire, and they were looking up waiting for Ixo to start the music. As the first tremulous notes emerged, they stepped apart with a grin and eased into a fluid but slow contortionist routine using nothing but each other and the pole as props in the low grav field. Alexander was more flexible but Senna was a Varium and thereby able to manipulate her body and joints in ways that regular Terrans couldn’t. She was also just as strong as Alexander, despite their size differences.

                “Wow, he’s flexible,” Hajoon murmured in surprise, blinking at the way he could virtually fold himself in half backwards.

                “Completely natural. No mods or anything either,” Garum explained as he leaned over the bar to inform them.

                “Whoa,” Doyun breathed, her eyes wide as she watched.

                Nor was she the only one mesmerized by him. There were plenty of oohs and aahs coming from the appreciative crowd as well. Kibum felt a sliver of jealousy worm its way in at the praise but then shrugged. They all had their own strengths… When the duo started to wind down, a gentle applause rose, following the pair as they shifted to the secondary poles on the stage. And then the atmosphere really changed. Ixo played a new track that wasn’t a usual song exactly, but Kibum thought it sounded familiar. He knew he wasn’t crazy when he saw similar expressions of confused recognition on Hajoon and Doyun’s faces.

                Then the lights on stage dimmed and three shadows emerged from the back. The music started to rise in a slow building crescendo, accompanied by blooming illuminations. On either side, Passeri and Jackson were revealed at last, the latter in his typical half fashion and the former bedecked in fluttery layers of colorful fabric. The figure in the center was wearing a colorful sequined and feathered full face mask and a curious array of loose dark layers atop a skintight base of fabric.

                “There they are,” Kibum frowned, glaring at Passeri and Jackson, though he couldn’t quite help but wonder who the masked figure was.

                “Who is that?” Doyun asked, leaning close to look between Kibum and Hajoon. “And why are they using Siwoo’s performance music?” she added, glancing up at the Dawbn music master suspiciously.

                Kibum’s eyes grew wide and he looked at Hajoon to see a similar expression on her face. “Jinki?” she mouthed, pointing at the stage in disbelief.

                Slowly, Kibum turned to look back at the mysterious figure himself and started making his way to the stage. He felt Hajoon and Doyun in his wake but was fixated on the masked figure as they began to move, initially leading the performance but then fading back as Jackson and Passeri took center stage. It seemed to be a hiccup though, since the pair looked back in brief confusion when they did. The masked person waved them on though, and they shrugged and fell into a duet on the same pole, rotating opposite each other or launching into aerobics above or below each other in the low grav atmosphere.

                Behind them, the masked figure followed along to their own rhythm. Theirs was more of a tumbling performance than anything else, happening in the shadow of the main performers, and yet… Kibum was unable to look away. He’d seen Jackson and Passeri dozens of times at this point. The new figure was… a curious familiarity. He flinched when he felt someone else come close to brush against his shoulder.

                “That one looks vaguely familiar,” Henry murmured into Kibum’s ear, pointing at the masked figure with a concentrating frown on his face. Considering Kibum felt the same way but didn’t have anything else to add, he shrugged and nodded once, an answer that didn’t seem to satisfy the other man. “You work here. Are you sure you don’t know them?”

                “Your guess is as good as mine right now,” he mumbled, annoyed by the insinuation. Normally he did know everyone, but this was new. And he wasn’t sure if it was an intentional newcomer or something special for today. He was leaning towards the latter, with a vague nervous sensation in regards to who it might be, but he had nothing to clarify it otherwise.

                At one point in the song, Jackson and Passeri ran back to pull the newcomer to the front so they could improvise something, but it was clearly unplanned and awkward as a result. The crowd was pleasantly forgiving though, cheering on the newbie despite their floundering uncertainty. They attempted a pole spin that was adorably failed, the spin stopping halfway and ending with them essentially lying on the ground, but they threw their arms out wide like it was intended and it brought plenty of laughs and cheers in the end.

                Passeri and Jackson moved to help them up and then the audience quieted as the music silenced and Garum made an announcement from the bar. “Thank you for being so kind to our guest performer. Yes, they’re new and this is their first time,” he grinned, gesturing at the masked figure who gave a stiff bow in response. It generated soft laughter, likely as it was intended, and Garum continued. “They would like to try something a little different today and we hope that you’ll bear with our performers as they find their footing,” he encouraged, gesturing towards the stage so that they could do what they needed to do.

                The audience responded with general cheers and applause to encourage the newcomer and bolster the regulars. Kibum shared looks with Jinki’s siblings and then his friends, but they all seemed to be in the same boat so they turned their attention back to the stage and waited impatiently for whatever was supposed to happen.

                Alexander and Senna made their way over and they joined Passeri to make a trio before Jackson wandered off to the side and the masked figure moved in the opposite direction, setting the stage. A new song came on, something playful and melodic as opposed to the usual heavy beat that drove most of their performances and dance opportunities.

                The trio approached Jackson and he slid to either side, avoiding them neatly. But they stayed close and he eventually had to make a break for it. The trio followed, hot on his heels, and then the masked figure stumbled into their path, holding them up as they awkwardly flailed, pretending in their poor coordination.

                Jackson escaped and Mr. Mask lowered themself on the stage, framing his face with his palms like they were a flower as they knelt down. The trio passed by and the audience applauded, giving laughs and gentle encouragement at the shift. One of Mr. Mask’s hands drifted to their ear, or maybe it was for their personal communicator, but Kibum couldn’t see if they were talking because of the mask they wore. But it didn’t take long for Passeri to return, Alexander and Senna no longer in her wake. She approached Mr. Mask and allowed her fingers to trail along his shoulder and then up their neck before cupping their chin and drawing them to their feet in one smooth move.

                Quiet oohs permeated the audience, paired with amused chuckles, but Kibum was silent. The scene felt oddly familiar and it kept his voice behind his teeth effectively. The sensation intensified when Jackson suddenly appeared, grabbing Passeri’s hand and pushing her away gracefully with a coy smile. She feigned laughter and Mr. Mask bowed towards Jackson. Passeri looked away, ‘offended,’ and waltzed off, fading into the wings of the illuminated stage.

                Kibum looked on either side of him, almost desperately wanting to share his thoughts, but Jinki’s sisters and friends were not the people he wanted to voice his opinions to in that moment so he remained silent. But it made him think Mr. Mask might be Jinki himself even more, especially because he had spent far more hours than he should have studying that muscled body hidden beneath the skin-tight bottom layer they currently wore.

                Jackson watched Passeri leave with narrowed eyes and then pivoted to offer his hand to Mr. Mask. The guest performer took it and moved into the center of the stage, standing suddenly stiff as Jackson used him as a supplemental prop to dance around. A gentle shove pushed Mr. Mask back towards the rear of the stage and then Jackson launched himself onto the pole, stealing the spotlight once more.

                Okay. This was eerily familiar… Kibum didn’t want to label it yet, but if that was Jinki performing on stage, then this was a painfully similar reenactment of their first meetings. Without too much trouble, he broke away from Jinki’s friends and family and made his way through the crowd until he found himself at the very edge of the stage, staring at the masked figure, a strange nervous tension brewing in his belly.

                Through sheer strength of muscle alone, Jackson managed to pull himself up, hand over hand on the pole, to the great delight and cheers of the crowd. The cries intensified when Passeri launched herself from the wings and landed on the pole beneath him, apparently reaching for him as they spun in counterclockwise directions, her fingertips just missing on every rotation. Only at one point, she did manage to clip him and Jackson made a great show of losing his balance before ‘falling’ off the pole.

                Gasps and surprised shouts followed until Mr. Mask caught Jackson in his arms, staggering briefly under the weight but straightening quickly. Passeri wound down from the pole and then drifted close to ‘glare’ at the pair before prancing off. Mr. Mask set Jackson down and they parted awkwardly, sharing uncertain looks back as they did so.

                The stage quieted and the lights darkened as the music shifted again, less playful now and more determined with a steady underlying beat. This time, the performers returned with Jackson taking the center stage, performing as usual, but Mr. Mask hovered in the periphery, keeping Passeri, Alexander, and Senna from getting close. They ebbed and flowed, allowing Mr. Mask to get close until they had to chase off the intruders once again. In one of the final rounds, they used one of their outer layers of clothes to send the trio off, flailing after them and then tossing the garment in their direction before they dusted their hands in satisfaction. Kibum found himself rubbing his chest as his heart thumped harshly against his bone. This was almost too familiar for him…

                When it appeared that Passeri and company had finally given up, Mr. Mask moved closer to the performing Jackson, observing from afar until he was almost directly under him. Only then did Jackson come down from his pole and start dancing on the level stage. From there, step by step, Mr. Mask shadowed Jackson with tumbling antics, following his lead or trying to mirror the other performer as needed. Another layer was lost to ‘cover’ Jackson at one point, a protective measure when he suddenly seemed cold, paired beautifully with a sudden but temporary lull in the music.

                Sometimes they got too far apart and Passeri would suddenly reappear, pushing or spinning Jackson and Mr. Mask back towards each other so they were never separated for long. And near the end, she orchestrated a ‘fall’ wherein Jackson stumbled and collapsed against the pole, gradually sliding down like a stiff board. Haunting, tremulous notes hung over the scene as Mr. Mask used the last of his loose layers to cover Jackson’s head protectively, hiding him from sight and blocking out the audience.

                Kibum would have sworn he was the only person in that room at that moment. He hardly dared to breathe for fear of breaking the magic of the spell.

                Mr. Mask helped Jackson stand up, guiding him around the pole, one hand holding Jackson’s and the other against his back. Their steps matched the beat of the music perfectly before it transitioned again. It thrummed like the beating of a heart and pushed them both towards the back of the stage, staggering this way and that until they stopped near the curtains. The music petered out to give the hint of a slowly building crescendo and they turned around to face the audience. Passeri returned to move in front of them, a mesmerizing display of flowing layers and fluid limbs that perfectly hid the two behind her.

                The music rose. She did a final spin and plucked the coverings from both Jackson and Mr. Mask, tossing them aside before she turned and ran to vault onto the pole, drawing the eyes of the audience for just a second in a glittery, fluttery array of elegance and athleticism. There was a collective gasp as she twirled in place which was quickly followed by another as Jackson ran in front of the other man, obscuring him from sight for a moment longer. Hands gripped Jackson’s waist and gave him a boost in the low grav atmosphere, sending him to land just beneath Passeri, spinning at the same pace but in direct opposition to her.

                And finally, Kibum had an unobstructed view of Mr. Mask in his well-toned, body suited glory. “Jinki?” “Isn’t that Jinki?” “What’s Jinki doing there?” “Is Jinki the guy in the mask?” Whispers abounded and then faded in Kibum’s ears as his world suddenly became nothing but the sight of Jinki. The rising third year’s face was flushed and slightly sweaty; his hair messy from being under a mask, but Passeri – or Jackson – had obviously put makeup on him and the black rimmed eyes, shimmery eyelids, and glossy lips made Kibum’s stomach flip. With the light directly in his beautiful brown eyes, he knew Jinki wouldn’t be able to see him, but his smile was magical, almost like he could.

                “Straight ahead,” he thought he heard from somewhere above. A glance up showed Passeri looking down at Kibum, a delighted smile curling the corners of .

                Jinki moved forward in the direction she’d indicated and approached the edge carefully, his gaze searching through slightly narrowed eyes. When he was close, he kneeled down and extended his hand, finally sighting on Kibum with a joyful recognition that made his heart thump. “Wanna join me?” he asked. Not ‘us.’ ‘Me.’

                Kibum wasn’t entirely sure this wasn’t a dream and he was slow to move. One hand lifted as if to take Jinki’s and then he was nudged from behind with a girlish giggle. He grabbed Jinki’s hand hard to keep from stumbling and gasped as he was all too easily pulled on stage amidst a chorus of excited cheers from his fans especially.

                “Almighty Key!”

                “Kibum!”

                “Jinki!”

                The cacophony was almost loud enough to drown out the music. But Ixo had them covered. They chose something powerful and energetic that he could feel as much as hear, and established instincts kicked in. With a whistle, he called Passeri and Jackson down and then flung himself on the main pole with gusto, falling into his stage persona with ease. He was not in his usual performance attire but attitude and the crowd’s response more than made up for it.

                By unspoken agreement, Alexander and Senna paired off while Passeri and Jackson did the same, performing as a duo. With a glance at Jinki, Kibum could see that he wasn’t sure what to do now, awkwardly trying to look like he belonged, but there was an easy fix. Kibum abandoned the pole and moved close to Jinki, claiming him for a partner and semi-using him as a prop, not unlike their first time together on stage. But this time, Jinki acted more like an active and willing partner, his touch light, his hands firm, and his gaze steady.

                This was right. This was the way their performance was supposed to be. And though he hadn’t expected it at all, Kibum didn’t think his heart could be more full than it was in this moment right now. Because everyone he cared about was here, cheering them – him – on, and the one person he valued most was with him, side by side, in a place he probably never should have been, doing the last thing Kibum would have expected him to do.

                That was also the moment he knew he was well and truly in trouble. He hadn’t really been certain before, but that was exactly when he undeniably fell for Jinki. Dancing together on the stage of The Stars Align and utterly surrounded by fans and friends, the only person he could see was Lee Jinki.

 

(a/n: Yay! Update! 

To be fair, the anxiety has subsided so there's that. Well, it's more or less become the new normal so now there's just this low level fatigue that has settled in instead so... same issue as last week but different cause. XD Go figure.

On the other hand, writing these two currently makes me happy so hopefully they can keep being my haven for at least a little bit in the meantime. <3 I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter and that you're looking forward to the next one! Thank you as always and have a wonderful night!)