---

 

"So... just forget this, right?" Kai repeated more as a confirmation to himself than a question.

 

"Right. Just forget," replied Kyungsoo, sounding a bit more disappointed than he intended.

 

---

 

Kai giggled while palming the right side of his face with his hand. "Hyung, your other left."

 

"Hey, stop laughing at me, I don't have your talent!" Kyungsoo sighed while sliding onto his bottom, exhaustion finally taking over. "I give up for today, it's way too hard."

 

"You don't need talent to define left from right," Kai teased while sitting cross-legged next to Kyungsoo. "But you did good for your first few tries." He smirked and hit Kyungsoo playfully on the shoulder.

 

Kyungsoo groaned.

 

He knew he had his own talents, but he'd always been jealous of Kai's passion for dancing. His technique was perfect and not only was he amazing at what he did, he really loved it as well. Kyungsoo always enjoyed dancing, but he wasn't as talented as Kai, even though the teacher complimented him most of the time and said he was of the better dancers of the team. He wasn't convinced however, so sometimes like today, he'd ask Kai for some advice or new moves to practice when they had some free time. He didn't feel it hurt his pride in any way; he admired his dongsaeng and Kai in turn seemed to brighten up considerably every and any time Kyungsoo asked this of him.

 

"I'm being serious! Your only problems are simple issues that can go away easily with a few more days of practice," Kai smiled genuinely at him. "You're so much better than you think you are."

 

Kyungsoo pulled his knees up and rested his chin on them. "Whatever," he pouted while hiding a hint of a blush.

 

Kai frowned. "Come on, let's try again," he stood up excitedly and extended a hand to Kyungsoo.

 

The older glared at him. "I'm too tired already, Jongin... We'll try tomorrow, okay?"

 

"No let's try a couple of more times and we'll call it a day. Don't be lazy, Hyung," Kai put his hands on his hips defiantly.

 

"Fine," Kyungsoo rolled his eyes and forced himself up on his feet.

 

"Okay, ready? Five, six, seven, eight—"

 

On his cue Kyungsoo started twirling gracefully, but just on the first turn he stumbled at the end and caught himself mid-air. He was about to protest and fuss when Kai placed his hands on both sides of his head forcefully from behind.

 

"Listen, when doing a pirouette never look at the ground because that's where you'll end up. Look forward and put more strength in your ankles."

 

Kyungsoo looked at Kai through the mirror of the practice room. Kai's hands on his face felt warm and he relaxed into the touch and tried to listen to the other's instructions. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

 

Kai backed away and watched Kyungsoo breathe deeply. "Okay, one more time," he said.

 

"Five, six, seven, eight," Kai gave him a starting beat again.

 

Just at the right moment, Kyungsoo opened his eyes and with a determined look pushed himself on his toes and rotated with even more grace than before, his head and body a perfect line. Kai's eyes went wide with surprise as he saw Kyungsoo pull off a perfect pirouette... or so he thought until he blinked and found him sprawled across the floor face-down.

 

"Ah, Hyung are you okay!?" Kai rushed to Kyungsoo's side, shaking his shoulder to check if he was alive.

 

"Iff haw coaw fbley," was all he heard.

 

"What?"

 

Kyungsoo lifted his face off the ground, "I'm not cut out for ballet."

 

They both burst out laughing. Just then, they saw black.

 

"What the—" Kyungsoo felt Kai move next to him. "Are you kidding me."

 

"Looks like the power went out. Wow I really can't see squat," Kyungsoo sat up. "So much for this room having any windows. Hey Jongin, where are you?"

 

"Right here," he felt Kai put a hand on his shoulder again.

 

"Oh." When Kai wouldn't let go of his shoulder, it became a bit uncomfortable. So Kyungsoo started talking. "We should just wait 'till the lights come back on. It'll be a mess trying to get out of here while it's pitch black."

 

"I guess," Kai answered. He scooted a bit closer to the other but removed his hand. Kyungsoo let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding in. "So," Kai slurred. It was dead quiet and they were very much alone and suddenly Kai felt very self-conscious.

 

Kyungsoo took note of the atmosphere and tried to make small talk. "I've never seen you really dance ballet, you know? You should dance for us sometime, I bet the others would love to see it. I would too."

 

Kai felt his face heat up. "I don't know Hyung, it might mess up my badboy image."

 

Kyungsoo laughed at that. "Oh, come on."

 

"Why are you so insistent anyway? I bet you just want to see me in tights," Kai teased. He couldn't see Kyungsoo's face but he could bet 100,000 won he was blushing from head to toe right now.

 

"Wh-What, that is so untrue!" But somehow Kyungsoo felt that was a lie.

 

He wasn't stupid. There was certainly some kind of attraction going on between him and Kai, and he knew Kai was aware of it as well. It was touches that lingered a little too long to be called "friendly", the way Kai said "Hyung" sometimes, how Kai looked at him when he sang or how he looked at Kai when he danced, how they whispered secrets to each other none of the other members knew about. Things about themselves they hadn't told anyone else before; they trusted each other. They had however, some sort of unspoken understanding to not act on mushy feelings and leave everything at a balanced distance. If something were to happen between them and they got caught, it would be troublesome not only for them but for the entire band as well.

 

This was why this kind of conversation and where it was headed was painfully dangerous. Because Kai just never knew when to stop when it came to teasing and Kyungsoo felt what was coming.

 

"Come on Hyung, admit you only like me for my body," he giggled.

 

"Jongin just—" he laughed, "You're such an ."

 

"Okay fine I'll stop."

 

"Thank you."

 

"But you do like my body, right?"

 

"Jongin!"

 

"Kyungsoo!"

 

Kyungsoo wanted to strangle him. He felt he wouldn't get out of this childish discussion if he didn't give in at least a bit.

 

"Fine, yes, I like your body, whatever. Happy?" It wasn't really a lie.

 

Kyungsoo knew Kai had a stupid smirk on his face — he could feel it in the dark — and he felt like slapping it off.

 

"Very."

 

"Now can we please just—"

 

"What part of my body do you like?"

 

"That's it I'm not talking to you anymore."

 

Kai laughed louder and Kyungsoo felt nauseous. They seemed to have left it at that and it was quiet for a few minutes.

 

"Well this is boring," Kai stated obviously.

 

Kyungsoo refused to take part in any further conversation. Kai's teasing teenager jerk attitude would find a way through any kind of subject and honestly, he was tired and didn't feel like indulging in Kai's little let's-see-how-many-shades-of-red-Kyungsoo's-face-can-make game. What Kyungsoo didn't actually realize was that this was Kai's only way of communicating when he felt nervous or anxious. He was like that boy in elementary school that hit the girl he liked because he didn't know how to express himself well.

 

"Hey, why are you ignoring me." Nothing. "Hey, Hyung." Kai poked Kyungsoo's leg with his knee softly.

 

"What."

 

"Why are you ignoring me?"

 

"Because you're a pain and a ert."

 

Kai felt a little hurt at the way Kyungsoo has phrased that. He said nothing and turned his back to Kyungsoo and pulled his legs up to his chest like a scolded child. Kyungsoo felt lousy. Again they were quiet for a while.

 

"I didn't really mean that," Kyungsoo admitted softly.

 

"I know."

 

Silence.

 

"Your face."

 

"What?"

 

"I like your face the most, okay?" What the hell am I saying?

 

Kyungsoo felt Kai turn toward him again.

 

"Oh, really? Why not my arms? They're y and muscular." And there was Kai again. Kyungsoo imagined him making some funny cartoon pose with his arms.

 

"I guess," Kyungsoo said, not caring what they were talking about anymore. "Mine are kind of flabby compared to yours."

 

"But they're cuter," Kai reached out to hold Kyungsoo's right arm. "Ah, but I can almost close my grip around it, so it's not chubby."

 

Kyungsoo felt his heart jump at Kai's touch. In the darkness their senses were enhanced, and he started to get nervous again. "Wh-Whatever," he said, trying to end the conversation and get Kai's hand off him.

 

Kai wasn't letting go, and the moment turned into Kai's hand traveling down to Kyungsoo's and, "Ah, your hand is smaller than mine." He felt Kai touch his fingers.

 

"Jongin, stop," Kyungsoo said warningly.

 

"What," Kai asked innocently.

 

"You know what."

 

Kai sighed annoyingly. "Why are you like this?"

 

Kyungsoo suddenly felt a little angry. "Me?"

 

"Yeah, you. Why are you so damn stubborn? Why won't you just let go?"

 

"Jongin... I can't say I wouldn't like to, but we can't, I—" he stuttered on his words. "It's wrong."

 

"Who the hell decided that, and who even cares?"

 

"I do," he said softly. "And the others would too, we'll get in trouble."

 

Kai wanted to pull his hair out. "Jesus Hyung, live a little! We won't get caught, we're not that stupid." But Kyungsoo doubted that last phrase.

 

"I just don't think... I'm not sure, Jongin."

 

"Wait, are you nervous?"

 

"N-No, I—"

 

"It's okay, me too."

 

Kyungsoo was glad it was dark because he probably looked like a bright red tomato when Kai brought a hand to his face. In the darkness he could feel every rough edge of his palm and how it curved around his cheek and he felt his resolve shattering slowly into a million pieces.

 

"Jongin we'll be seen..." but Kyungsoo's eyes were closed and he was leaning into the touch when a thumb brushed against his lips. He gasped when he felt warm breath ghosting over his own and he found Kai was way too close.

 

Kyungsoo could practically feel Kai's lips on him and he instinctively started leaning in, but the lights turned back on and he opened his eyes and groaned as he squinted in pain. Kai mentally cursed at the interruption, but he was glad to be able to see Kyungsoo again. This setback however, was enough to get Kyungsoo's head clear again and he stood up abruptly.

 

"Okay, game's over."

 

"What? But I thought—"

 

"Look Jongin, I'm being serious. This is wrong. Let's just forget this ever happened, okay? Promise."

 

"Hyung—"

 

"Please."

 

Kyungsoo looked too serious and Kai felt bad about pressuring him so hard. He clearly seemed uncomfortable with the situation, and that disappointed him.

 

He hesitated. "...Fine, we'll forget it."

 

"Thank you," Kyungsoo sounded apologetic.

 

They grabbed their bags and walked beside each other silently. Great, it was awkward now. Kai stopped Kyungsoo at the door. The latter was looking at Kai with a confused face while Kai searched for something to say, opening and closing his mouth soundlessly.

 

"So... just forget this, right?" Kai repeated more as a confirmation to himself than a question.

 

"Right. Just forget," replied Kyungsoo, sounding a bit more disappointed than he intended.

 

---

 

A/N: WELL THEN. THIS SURE TOOK ME FOREVER TO PUBLISH. But I'm glad I did, I bet many of you unsubscribed already or whatever, but honestly I'm pretty slow when it comes to writing since 90% of the time I'm experiencing writer's block. I'll try to force myself into finishing this though, and I'm also working on my other two fics at the same time. DON'T KILL ME PLEASE, haha.

So Kyungsoo is a hard-headed doofus, but we all know he gives into Jongin's y time because that's what the first chapter's all about. ;) Chapter three will be a continuation of chapter two, and then chapter four will go into real time again, no more flashbacks.

Er, please comment! Even if it's just a couple of words, I bet anything you have to say will help me out or motivate me to write more. If it I'm sorry, lol, I did try orz.