“I…” the dancer’s friend stared down at her shoes. “I really like you. Will you go out with me?”

The dancer smiled and said, “Yes.”

---

An exasperated Kris chucked his phone onto his bed only for it to bounce off and clatter to the floor. He let out a frustrated yell before flopping over on his bed and staring at the irritating piece of technology.

“Damn that Luhan. What kind of plan is he brewing in that stupid head of his?” Kris muttered. He had just gotten home and called Luhan, furious and confused as to why the photographer had not been at the dance studio like he said he was. Luhan had chuckled and told him that was all part of his plan before saying Minseok was calling him into his room and he had to hang up. Kris didn’t have any time to ask him what this “plan” was.

Sighing, he somehow crawled under the sheets without bothering to change out of his work clothes. Then, he closed his eyes and was greeted by the scenes of Yixing dancing in that dim studio over and over again. Kris groaned and tossed from side to side, trying to get the image out of his mind. His heart was pounding at an alarmingly fast rate just at the memory of Yixing’s graceful dance and his sweet smile. Kris felt his hand tingle all over again when he remembered how Yixing had helped him up.

“Stop it Kris, just stop,” Kris mumbled into his pillow. “Stop thinking about that damn Zhang Yixing.”

And then a wave of regret washed over him, drowning Kris in his sorrow. He thought of Yixing’s sharp tone after he’d accidentally called the man’s shoes ty. He pictured Yixing’s angry glare and his yell was muffled by his pillow.

After flip-flopping between being smitten over Yixing’s dance moves and half-sobbing over Yixing’s anger at him, Kris eventually fell asleep in the most disheveled state with his covers half off the bed and his suit wrinkled from too much tossing and turning.

This was what Kris acted like when he was alone. And he’d never let anyone see him like this, ever. Especially Luhan. If Luhan saw him acting like a teenage girl who was in love, he’d never let Kris live it down. It was embarrassing even to think of it himself and Kris wondered why he acted this way sometimes. Maybe it was because he was always the uptight boss at work so he needed some way to just let loose on his own. Whatever it was, no one would know about it but him.

The next morning, Kris woke up feeling terribly uncomfortable and remembered that he hadn’t bothered to take off his suit last night. He also realized that he’d never eaten dinner and now his stomach was growling like it hadn’t been fed in days. Grumbling, Kris rolled out of bed and stepped on his phone that still lay in the same spot it had fallen last night.

“, are you ing kidding me?” Kris cursed at the top of his lungs. He picked up his phone and glad that it had actually survived in one piece. “Dammit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to step on you, you piece of .”

Tossing the phone into his bag, Kris laid it aside before getting ready to take a shower.

After getting dressed and ready for the day, Kris left his apartment with a cloud of dread hanging over his head, raining down on him and only him. He still felt guilty about what he’d said to Yixing and he wanted nothing more than the chance to apologize, but he didn’t know where to find him. Well, he did but something was holding him back.

Sighing, Kris stuffed a pencil into his pocket and felt whole again, as if that pencil had filled up an empty slot in his heart. It was a childish pencil with Pororo pictures all over it but it was his pencil, his treasure. The story behind it was a huge contrast to the innocent look of the pencil. It was dark, painful, haunting.

Kris’ fist shook as memories suffocated him; he clutched the pencil in his other hand and felt himself relax. He pushed them to the back of his mind, letting go of the pencil, and finally walked out of his apartment.

As he stepped outside, Luhan’s words rang clear in his head and the desire to figure out what “plan” Luhan was going on about burned in his mind. He was not going to let this kid, who was actually older than him, mess around with him.

When he got to work, he immediately headed towards Luhan’s personal office hoping that the photographer actually showed up to work today. Jongin stared at him as he walked by, not uttering a word but looking clearly amused by the smirk on his face. Without bothering to knock, Kris pushed open Luhan’s door and strutted in with purpose. Much to his surprise, Luhan was actually at his desk looking through photos on his camera. The photographer looked up when he heard the door open and the pleased smile on his face irked Kris to the point where he wanted to throw something at him.

“Can I help you?” Luhan questioned but the sharp look in his eyes said that he already knew what Kris was there for.

“What’s this ‘plan’ that you’re talking about?” Kris automatically demanded, slamming his hands on the desk for extra emphasis.

“Tsk, tsk. You’re not supposed to ask about it. It’s my plan, not yours. Only I get to know what it’s about,” Luhan clucked his tongue and waggled his finger. “Besides, telling you would ruin the plan.”

Kris sneered at Luhan, his eyes narrowing into a piercing glare but the photographer was not affected by it and he only responded by smiling wider. A sigh expelling all of Kris’ grief escaped him and he shook his head accepting the fact that Luhan would never spill the details of his plan.

“Okay, fine. Don’t tell me. I don’t give a damn anymore.” Kris blew out a puff of air, giving one exasperated look at Luhan before turning around and heading toward the door.

“Oh, wait!” Luhan called out, “It’s that time of the month isn’t it?”

“Are you suggesting I’m on my period or something? Because I’m not a woman,” Kris shot back.

Luhan threw his head back and laughed; the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly and his mouth wide open. It was a charm of his that he always bragged about, saying that Minseok adored the way he laughed. Kris found it utterly annoying.

“That’s not what I was suggesting but I find it hilarious that you had to clarify the fact that you’re not a woman to me,” Luhan snickered. “Anyways, what I was getting at is that it’s the middle of the month which means we’re supposed to go out for our monthly office lunch date soon. Preferably today.”

A flustered Kris turned away and stared hard at the calendar on Luhan’s wall, trying to hide his reddening cheeks. He saw that Luhan was right and that today would be a great day because he needed to have a nice lunch out.

“You’re right. And guess whose turn it is to pay?” Kris grinned as he faced Luhan again. The photographer grimaced for a second before shrugging.

“Okay, I understand. Lunch is on me today,” Luhan said, “but only if I can invite a few of my friends.”

The way Luhan was smiling a little too innocently and the tiny glint in his eye gave Kris the impression that the photographer had something else up his sleeves, but Kris was in no mood to argue any further so he agreed.

“Fine. We’ll be going out at twelve and not a second later,” Kris stated as he waved his hand and exited the room. He heard Luhan chuckling loudly and shook his head in resignation. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” he said to no one in particular.

“A bad feeling about what?” Jongdae asked from where he was standing in front of the copier.

“Nothing. We’re all going out for lunch today, tell Jongin for me,” he responded without glancing at the man.

“But you’re gonna walk by him on the way to your office. Why can’t you tell him?”

“Just do it,” Kris huffed.

He picked up his pace when he saw Jongin smiling at him from his desk, or not exactly smiling at him but smiling nonetheless. He thought he was home free when he wrapped his fingers around the door knob but Jongin’s voice stopped him.

“Guess who’s got a date with Yixing on Saturday night?” he sang happily.

“Not me, that’s for sure,” Kris muttered bitterly to himself.

“Well, it’s not really a date. I’m just going to keep him from being the third wheel on Luhan’s date with Minseok. Poor guy has no other friends in Seoul so I guess it’s up to me to step up,” Jongin droned on.

“Is there any reason that you don’t know how to shut up nowadays?” Kris griped. Not wanting to hear Jongin’s response, Kris quickly escaped into the safety of his office.

The smell of his book shelves, his chestnut colored oak desk, the sight of his warm and inviting office chair sent a wave of relief over Kris. He was in his haven for the moment, away from annoying men like Kim Jongin, meddlesome friends like Luhan, and too clueless co-workers like Jongdae.

“ing Ballet Boy bragging about his wonderful social life,” Kris grumbled.  Settling down in front of his damned computer, Kris rolled his shoulders back and cracked his neck before diving into his work.

---

“Hey, you wanna know a secret?” the dancer whispered to his friend who was now his girlfriend.

“Yeah, what is it?” she asked curiously, leaning towards him.

“I won the bet.”

---

Luhan was grinning from ear to ear, sitting beside a scowling Kris who sat next to an uncomfortable looking Yixing with a confused Jongin across from him. To top it all off, a perplexed Jongdae sat beside Jongin, obviously realizing that the man of Jongin’s recent affections just happened to be sitting on the other side of the table. It was all comical to Luhan though, Kris could perceive it from the delighted twinkle in Luhan’s eyes.

“When you said you were inviting a few friends, I thought you were talking about Minseok and his co-workers,” Kris whispered to him.

“Minseok? No, he’s too busy to come. And besides, Yixing only has a week before he has to start months of endless practice for that one singer’s comeback. I forgot his name, can never remember it for my life,” Luhan stated simply. “Obviously, he hasn’t done much to make a big impression.”

“Did it really have to be Yixing?” Kris muttered.

“Why? Is there a problem?” Luhan tilted his head innocently but Kris could see the devil horns poking out of his chestnut brown hair.

“No. No problem at all,” replied Kris through gritted teeth. He picked up the menu on the table and flipped through it, ignoring everything around him, especially the conversation that Jongin had Yixing into.

“Oh, Luhan hyung. What are you doing here? Minseok hyung isn’t here with you?” a voice asked and Kris’ eyes flitted to look at the young waiter but went back to the menu seconds later, finding him uninteresting.

“Sehun-ah! How’s Junmyeon?” Luhan chirped.

“He’s great, as always,” Sehun snickered. And that was the only part of the conversation that Kris cared to listen in to. Instead, his ears couldn’t help perking up and eavesdropping on Yixing’s conversation with Jongin.

“So, how long have you been dancing?” Jongin asked Yixing, his menu carelessly discarded on the table while he leaned forward on his elbows. He wore what Kris supposed was a seductive or y smirk but Kris found it irksome to say the least. When Kris chanced a glance at Yixing, he was pleased to see the dancer’s expression was platonic.

“I’ve been dancing for practically my entire life. My first pair of shoes was dancing shoes, and right when I learned how to walk my dad was already taking me to his dancing studio to dance.” There was a far off look in Yixing’s eyes that only Kris seemed to notice. Jongin thought that the dancer was gazing straight at him, but Kris could tell Yixing’s mind was in another place or rather another time. It left Kris guessing at what memories were flitting and flirting through Yixing’s head, what kind of kid he was, what his family was like, whether his childhood was a good one or not. It left him with many questions about the dancer and in the end his curiosity wasn’t satiated.

“Oh wow, that’s cool. I started when I was in my third year of elementary school. I mostly did ballet and jazz, but I like exploring other kinds of dancing too,” Jongin replied. “We should have another dance battle sometime.”

Kris was on the edge of his seat, waiting for Yixing’s answer and he was sure Jongin felt the same. Jongin’s eyes flickered toward Kris for a moment and a sly grin appeared on his face. It was a challenge and Kris narrowed his eyes, glaring the boy down. Just because he had one thing in common with Yixing didn’t mean there would be a chance for their relationship to take off. If only Yixing wasn’t angry with him, Kris would try and say something to turn his attention to him.

But suddenly, Kris felt something smack into him from the left and his body involuntarily swung right, causing him to crash into Yixing.

Shoulder brushed shoulder, a hand accidentally sliding down a leg, and heads collided leaving the two men star struck for different reasons. Yixing clutched his head, slightly woozy from the impact while Kris floundered for his brain, his cheeks searing hot after his hand basically d Yixing’s thigh on accident. He sat up pin straight, eyes wide and cheeks flushed, and bowed his head quickly in apology.

“Sorry, are you alright?” Kris mumbled nearly incoherently because he was still getting over his own embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to, uh, touch your leg.”

Jongin eyed Kris carefully, a miniscule amount of envy reflecting off his eyes, and Kris’ lips twitched into a small smirk. He had won a tiny victory, but a victory nonetheless.

“It’s okay,” Yixing replied quietly, his tone neutral. Kris didn’t know whether to sigh with relief or crawl in a hole because of Yixing’s robotic reply.

“Oh, did I do that? My bad,” Luhan apologized with a cheeky grin plastered on his face.

Kris shot him a look, “Since when were you so clumsy?”

To this, Luhan shrugged. “Anyways, are we all ready to order?”

Gawking at Luhan’s ability to completely and utterly ignore someone’s question, Kris rubbed his temples in an attempt to soothe the headache he was gaining. Eating out for lunch today, what was he thinking? Obviously, if Luhan was so willing to pay he’d definitely have something planned.

However, that was not a concern at the moment because things were actually going well. They all ordered their food, Jongdae kept Jongin busy with his own small talk, Yixing and Luhan talked to one another as if Kris was not sitting in between him, and Kris sat back in his chair with his eyes closed merely soaking in the sound of Yixing’s gentle voice. He was long past the point of denying his feelings for Yixing and found it much easier to embrace and accept them. It was quite painless really, accepting the fact that he was indeed head over heels for Yixing. What hurt was the fact that he hadn’t had the chance to apologize for last night yet.

It was something short of a godsend when their food arrived and Kris could occupy his brain with thoughts of eating rather than his bleeding heart. What made it even better was that everyone else had ceased their conversations and contentedly dug into their meals as well.

Of course all good things come to an end, much too quickly in Kris’ opinion and soon enough everyone had finished eating. There was a lull, a break of utter silence, as people began to recollect their thoughts and pick up conversations where they had left off.

“Hey, Jongin. Jongdae. Follow me for a moment. I need your help with something,” Luhan announced, standing up abruptly.

“What? Can’t you see I was in the middle of a conversation?” Jongin growled. Jongdae didn’t say anything, keeping one eye on Luhan and the other on Jongin.

“Yes, I do have eyes you know. Anyways, that’s not important. What’s more important is that I’m telling you to get your asses out of your chairs and follow me,” Luhan firmly demanded.

This time, both Jongin and Jongdae shot out of their chairs. Luhan smiled sweetly and Kris rolled his eyes, wondering if Minseok every saw the devilish Luhan before because despite that photographer’s young and childish face there was a demon hidden in him.

“Do you need my help too?” asked Yixing, already getting out of his chair.

“Oh no, that’s alright. I only need Jongin and Jongdae. You and Kris can stay here and get to know each other,” responded Luhan.

The poor dancer blinked in confusion and Luhan left with the two “Jongs” in tow. Kris yelled inwardly at Luhan for leaving him alone with Yixing but he also thanked him for giving him the chance to apologize. Clearing his throat, Kris turned his head only to find Yixing already staring at him intently. He expected the dancer to quickly avert his gaze but was shocked when he didn’t look away. It was much like their first encounter, the way neither of them chose to look away.

“I, uh, I just wanted to say sorry. For what I said last night,” Kris began, “it was stupid and careless and ignorant and insensitive and—“

“Apology accepted,” Yixing cut him off, smiling softly.

Kris nearly choked on his own saliva so he snatched his glass of water off the table and chugged it down. When he was finished, he placed the glass down calmly and pretended none of that ever happened. He fought to get his cool, suave side back but Yixing’s presence was making it impossible.

“Still, I’m really sorry. I know what it feels like, to have something you treasure deeply,” Kris said, finally gaining some sort of charm back.

“Excuse me, I don’t mean to be rude but could you two leave? I need to clean up this table. The bill’s paid for already too,” Sehoon, or was it Sehun, their waiter said. There was a sour look to his expression and Kris thought that the waiter was blatantly lying about the fact that he wasn’t trying to be rude.

“Oh, of course,” Yixing immediately responded and began getting up. Kris followed suit, grabbing his belongings and trailing after the dancer as he walked out of the restaurant. Kris thought he heard another voice snapping at the waiter, saying something about treating the customers better, but it didn’t really matter.

When they got outside, Kris’ phone went off and he checked the new text he got from Luhan.

From: Deer Boy

Kidnapped 2Jong for the day. Go have fun w/Yixing. ;)

And finally, Luhan’s grand plan was revealed. From the start, it had always been about him and Yixing. From the start, that idiot was playing the pieces to get him and Yixing together. And oddly, Kris felt grateful for it albeit he was slightly annoyed too. He didn’t bother replying, it would take too long anyways.

“Who was it? Luhan?” asked Yixing who was astonishingly still standing beside him.

“Umm, yeah. He said it’s taking a lot longer than he thought it would so he, Jongin, and Jongdae aren’t coming back any time soon.” Kris felt guilty for lying to the dancer but he needed this chance.

“I see… what are they doing?”

“I’m not really sure,” Kris answered uncertainly. It was half true.

“Hmm, Luhan said he’d hang out with me after having lunch today. I guess I have nothing to do now,” Yixing mused, mostly to himself.

However, Kris took this as his chance so he went for it. “Since I’m going to be one of the only ones working today, maybe you’d like to come and help out? Uh, I guess that’s not as appealing as spending the day out in town…”

Contrary to how Kris thought he’d react, Yixing beamed at him. “Sure, why not? I have nothing better to do. Minseok tells me not to dance too much because I’ll be busy with the comeback and whatnot in a week.”

A genuine smile adorned Kris’ face. “Great, and afterwards we can do whatever you want.”

“Sounds like a date,” Yixing said. He started walking in the direction of the office, leaving a dumbfounded Kris behind.

Date? Did he really mean, like, a date date? Kris thought to himself. He shook himself out of his trance, pushing the utter delight and joy in his heart away for the moment as he jogged to catch up with Yixing. There was a stupid smile on his face, and he knew it, but it didn’t matter because it felt right being there. Kris didn’t mind smiling like an idiot if the one making him smile was the dimpled dancer named Zhang Yixing.

---

“You won the bet? Who fell in love with you?” the dancer’s friend asked, puzzled beyond belief.

“You,” he murmured before their lips pressed together.

---

“Let’s make a bet,” Yixing said as he stretched his legs and arms, preparing to dance. He and Kris were at Huang’s Dance Studio again after working all day. Kris sat with his back resting against a wall on the far side of the room, watching Yixing.

“Alright, I’m up for it,” Kris grinned, ready for anything that the dancer threw at him.

“I bet that in one week I can teach you how to dance a part of Sherlock by SHINee and you’ll be able to dance it without me guiding you,” Yixing grinned back, fixing the laces on his gray converse. The way his fingers moved over the laces was swift and gentle, like he was caressing them as well as fixing them. Kris noticed these little things about Yixing and he found that every new little thing he noticed just made him like Yixing more.

“You’re crazy. I have the dance skills of a fish out of water,” Kris scoffed.

“You’re not confident in my teaching abilities?” Yixing prodded.

“No. I’m not confident in my dancing abilities,” replied Kris.

“So, then that means you have a chance at winning this bet.”

“And if I do win?”

“I’ll grant you one wish. Anything you want, but nothing ual,” Yixing teased. Kris laughed and nodded, glad to see this side of Yixing, the one that wasn’t afraid to crack a joke or . It only meant that Yixing was becoming more comfortable with Kris and that was a good thing.

“Well then, you’re on.”

Yixing sauntered over to Kris and they sealed the deal by shaking hands.

“Wait, what if I lose this bet? Not that I will, but just wondering,” asked Kris.

“Then I get a wish. Now get up and start stretching. Your first lesson begins today and I’ve got a lot of work to do in just a week.” Yixing gripped Kris’ wrists and hauled the tall man to his feet, tugging him to the center of the room. “Remember, we’re doing this for the next week. So, you have to meet me here at six o’clock every day. Oh, and I’d advise you to wear something loose and comfortable next time.”

“Wait, we’re seriously doing this now?” Kris asked in disbelief. Yixing chuckled and nodded.

Groaning, Kris was whisked into a dance lesson he didn’t sign up for. And by the end of it, his entire body ached to the point where he thought just breathing was painful. He decided to name the dance studio, The Studio of Satan, a fitting name because he believed he had just experienced Hell at its finest.

An exhausted Kris lay on the polished floor of the dance studio, chest heaving, body covered in sweat, and eyes shut tightly. An amused Yixing sat beside him, chuckling softly. He opened a water bottle, taking a sip before nudging Kris with it.

“Here,” Yixing offered.

Kris’ eyes opened slightly and took note of the beverage. Then, he painstakingly sat up, grunting in the process. “Ugh, . My entire body feels like jelly,” he complained before accepting the water bottle, gulping down some water, and lying back down.

“You’ll get used to it. Eventually,” Yixing responded, letting out a content sigh as he lay down beside Kris.

Kris froze for a second, his body going stiff and his mind going on overdrive because Zhang Yixing was laying down right next to him. He sat up again, drinking more water even though he wasn’t thirsty but instead of lying down again, he sat crossed-legged on the floor.

“Oh, I just remembered. I have to go out with Luhan and Minseok on Saturday night,” Yixing gasped, “and Jongin offered to go too so I wouldn’t feel awkward with the couple. Maybe you should come too.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. Who else is in the room?” Yixing chuckled.

“I don’t know. Wouldn’t I be the awkward fifth wheel then?” Kris trailed off. He would have loved to go, if only Jongin wasn’t going as well.

“Right, that would be awkward. Well, I guess I’ll have to call Minseok and tell them I can’t go. And then I have to tell Jongin that I’m not going,” Yixing sighed.

 Before Kris could say anything otherwise, Yixing had already called Minseok.

“Hey, about Saturday night, something came up so I can’t hang out with you guys,” Yixing said. “Wait, what? Is that Luhan in the background?”

Yixing tilted his head, “Who’s here with me? Just Kris, why? Wait, Luhan why are you laughing?”

Shifting his gaze toward Kris, Yixing shrugged in confusion and mouthed, “I have no idea what’s happening.”

Kris had a pretty good idea of what Luhan was laughing at though and he felt his cheeks heating up against his will. Pressing the backs of his hands over them, he stared up at the ceiling. By then, Yixing had turned his attention toward his conversation with Luhan and Minseok.

“That’s fine? Great, have fun on your date then. Don’t disturb the neighbors,” Yixing teased and Kris could hear Luhan’s loud laughter even from where he was sitting.

“I guess I have to call Jongin now,” Yixing said once he hung up. He scrolled through his contacts and his eyebrows furrowed in frustration while he scrolled up and down. “Uh, I guess I forgot to save Jongin’s number to my phone. He wrote it down on a slip of paper but I don’t remember where I put it.”

Kris admired the sheepish smile on Yixing’s face and the way he stared at his shoes in embarrassment. Cute was the perfect word to describe him at that moment. “Umm, here. Just call him from my phone then.”

Smiling gratefully, which in turn caused Kris’ heart to do weird things such as somersault, Yixing took the phone from him. “Thanks. Nice phone by the way. I’ve never been very good with smart phones though.”

“That’s okay, I’m not good with technology in general,” Kris chuckled, a bit confused as to why he said that out loud. It was embarrassing to admit.

“Nothing wrong with that,” responded Yixing with a soft smile. He went back to searching through Kris’ contacts, letting out a quiet noise of happiness when he found Jongin’s name. Kris gulped and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. And he thought Yixing couldn’t get any cuter. How wrong he was.

“Hello? Jongin-ssi?” Yixing said when Jongin answered. “Sorry, I forgot to put you number in my phone so I’m borrowing Kris’ right now. Yeah, he’s right next to me.”

A self-satisfied smirk appeared on Kris’ face and he looked the other way so Yixing wouldn’t catch it. Jongin must be steaming with jealousy at the moment and Kris felt a certain kind of accomplishment.

“Listen, I can’t go out on Saturday night. I forgot that I made other plans,” Yixing said, “yeah I’m really sorry about that. What? You wanna talk to Kris?”

Kris’ eyes widened and Yixing shrugged. Handing the phone over to Kris, Yixing tilted his head in confusion.

“Hello?” answered Kris warily.

“Where are you right now?” Jongin immediately demanded.

“Why should I tell you that? And why are you speaking so informally to me, you little brat,” Kris growled.

“I had eyes on Yixing first. So, what exactly is this all about?”

“Tell me honestly, do you really like Yixing?” Kris whispered fiercely, turning his back on Yixing so he wouldn’t hear him.

“Y-yeah,” Jongin stammered and just from that, Kris knew the boy was lying.

“Don’t lie to me. Is this some ploy to make Jongdae jealous or something?”

“W-what? You’re joking right? Why would Jongdae be jealous of me and Yixing?” Jongin choked out, sounding extremely flustered and Kris had him right where he wanted him.

“You think I’m stupid and blind? I know you like Jongdae. And let me tell you, this plan to make him jealous is completely unnecessary,” Kris said calmly, although he actually wasn’t sure if Jongin liked Jongdae or not. He was bluffing and it was turning out quite well at the moment.

“I don’t like Jongdae, okay?” Jongin hissed. “Now, hand the phone back to Yixing.”

“Look who’s being all assertive. It’s cute, really. But sorry, I can’t do that,” Kris responded.

“Then tell me where you are.”

“Can’t do that either.”

“ you,” Jongin growled.

“No thanks,” Kris replied, ending the call with a satisfied grin on his face. He shut his phone off to avoid any troubles of Jongin calling back.

“What did Jongin wanna talk to you about?” asked a bewildered Yixing who sat a few feet away.

“Oh, nothing. Just stuff about work,” Kris answered, lying back down on the ground. Yixing nodded slowly before getting to his feet and lithely walking over to Kris. He bent over and grinned down at Kris, his dimples showing. Kris inhaled sharply, holding his breath at the beautiful face hovering above him, his heart pounding against his ribcage.

“C’mon, no time to be lazing around. Break times over. We have to get back to dancing,” Yixing sang pleasantly, proffering his hand to Kris.

Groaning in exasperation, Kris reached out and took Yixing’s hand allowing the dancer to pull him to his feet. There was that moment where Kris’ skin tingled when it came into contact with Yixing’s and he almost jumped from it. Composing himself, Kris rose to his full height towering over Yixing by a few inches. The dancer still had that smile gracing his face as he stepped back, ready to begin his lesson. Kris had no other choice but to smile back at him, his heart warming and dancing on its own.

---

“Me?”

“Yes, you. It’s always been you, right from the beginning. And do you wanna know another secret?”

“Yes.”

“I never make a bet unless I know I’m gonna win.”

---

A week flew by like it was nothing. Kris found that he had to drag himself out of bed to go to work, meeting Jongin’s angry glares, hearing Luhan’s ever present laughter and banter, and dealing with an always out of the loop Jongdae. Of course, all forms of technology loved dismantling and breaking at his hands for some unknown reason and he was left with the embarrassment of forever looking to Jongdae for help. To put it simply, work was a slow, quiet, inconspicuous form of torture.

After work, well that was different.

After work, Kris got to eat a rushed dinner before going to see him. The man that had occupied every corner of his mind and had quickly taken root in his heart. The dancer with the dimples that was utterly gorgeous in every way. He’d go through hell and back as long as he got to see Yixing smile at him.

But today, Kris felt a kind of weight dragging his heart down. It latched onto him and he had to fight to stay upright. Today would be their last day of dancing lessons which also meant the end of Kris’ excuse to see Yixing every day without feeling awkward. He had no idea if Yixing had developed any sort of feelings for Kris during that short week together, but Kris knew he had only fallen deeper.

“Hey, why the long face? Nervous?” Yixing asked, his face contorted into a beautiful look of concern. “Don’t be, alright? Just dance it like I taught you and you’ll be fine.”

“Uh, thanks,” Kris replied. He wrung his large hands together anxiously. It wasn’t that he was frightened of attempting to dance Sherlock in front of Yixing; it was the thought that this would be the last time they’d be able to act like this. Like they were something more than mere acquaintances.

“You ready?”

“Yeah.” But Kris was far from ready.

Yixing pressed play on his IPod and the music started. Kris’ heart beat a thousand times faster and he waited for the part he was taught to come on, his eyes closed in a silent prayer. When it did, he danced better than he ever had before. Everything Yixing had every said to him, taught him, was deeply ingrained in his body and he moved more swiftly and smoothly than he ever had before.

When it was over, Kris turned toward an ecstatic Yixing who wore a grin that stretched across his face. He clapped, strutting over to Kris leaving the music on. It switched to another song, a much slower song with a singer whose voice was melodic and mesmerizing.

“I won the bet,” Yixing said in a sing-song tone. “You danced it perfectly, no mistakes at all.”

“I did, didn’t I,” Kris sighed.

“Look on the bright side, at least your dancing skills has improved tenfold,” Yixing said with a smile. He tried to sling his arm around Kris’ shoulders but found that to be too uncomfortable, so instead he patted him on the back.

“So, what’s your wish?” asked Kris dejectedly. After he granted this wish, that’d be the end. No more reason for him and Yixing to meet at a quaint little dance studio for dancing lessons that Kris didn’t even care about. He only cared for the one teaching him those dances.

“First, I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Yixing said. Kris’ interest was piqued by Yixing’s cryptic statement. Motioning with his hand for Kris to come closer, Yixing pulled Kris’s head down so he could whisper in his ear, “I don’t make a bet unless I know I’m going to win.”

Kris shivered involuntarily from the way Yixing’s warm breath ghosted over his ear. His eyes grew wide in puzzlement and his mouth hung open slightly. What exactly did Yixing mean by that?

“So,” Yixing exclaimed joyfully, “we’ve spent an entire week just dancing. Now, I wanna get to know more about you. Tell me who you are, Kris, that’s my wish.”

The way his name rolled off Yixing’s tongue was oh so beautiful; Kris yearned to hear him say it over and over again. Yixing walked over to the other side of the room, grabbing his purple backpack and bringing over to where Kris still stood, statuesque.

He plopped to the floor, cross-legged, and opened his backpack. He pulled out various snacks and drinks, placing them on the ground. Then, the dancer titled his head up and smiled a very gorgeous smile at Kris, gesturing for him to sit down as well. Like a robot, Kris complied and took a seat in front of Yixing.

“T-that’s it? That’s your wish?” he stammered, “You just wanna know more about me?”

“Yeah, was I not clear?” Yixing popped open a can of cola, offering it to Kris who took it gratefully.

“Umm, okay. I don’t really know where to start. I’m not that interesting of a person,” Kris responded. He sipped from the can, sighing from the taste of his favorite soda. “I come from a middle class family, I went to college, graduated, and now I own Seoul’s Soul.”

Kris shrugged as if to say, “That’s it.”

“Oh, well, my real name isn’t Kris. It’s Wu Yifan. But that’s not surprising or thrilling.”

“Then, explain to me what you meant a week ago. When you told me that you know what it means to have something you treasure,” Yixing prodded, his eyes never leaving Kris’ face. “If you tell me that, then I’ll tell you why these shoes are so important to me.” Yixing pointed to the pair of converse on his feet.

There was no use in denying that Kris was dying to know what those shoes meant to Yixing, so he gave in and poured out his soul to the man; telling him a story he had never told anyone before.

“It happened when I was in high school, still living in Vancouver. I was the captain of our basketball team and my best friend was basically second in command. We were envied by all the guys, adored by all the girls, and all that stuff. The popular ones I guess. Everything was going great for me and him. Our team was going to the championships; my best friend had a sweet and loving girlfriend who cared for him.

“I never would have expected things to turn out in such a way. My best friend made a mistake during the championship game causing us to lose the match. The entire team blamed him; even I did for a while. And I’ve regretted it ever since. If I had known what was going to happen, I never would’ve blamed him. I shouldn’t have,” Kris’ voice trembled slightly, his hands clenching and unclenching into tight fists.

“What happened?” Yixing’s tender voice soothed Kris to continue, to let out everything he’d been holding in for years.

“My best friend’s luck turned even worse. His girlfriend broke up with him after that match, calling him a failure. Neither of us expected it. She seemed like such a kind girl, not the type who’d break up with her boyfriend once he became the team’s joke. I think it broke him even more, to a point of no return.

“But like an idiot, I wasn’t there for him. I wasn’t there to tell him that things would get better, that it was only one mistake and that it was okay. I distanced myself from him, shunning him with my other teammates. I abandoned him,” Kris choked back a sob threatening to break through. “When he needed me most. I abandoned him.”

Yixing rubbed consoling circles on Kris’ back, murmuring quiet nothings of comfort. “It’s okay. It’s okay now.”

“Two weeks after that match and his breakup, he committed suicide. He took his own life,” Kris rasped, angrily wiping away the tears spilling from his eyes. “And I couldn’t stop him.”

Frozen, Yixing felt his heart tighten painfully for Kris’ friend and for Kris himself.

“Do you see this pencil?” Kris asked shakily, taking out the Pororo pencil from his pocket. He always had it on him. Always. “This was the pencil he wrote his suicide note with. This pencil was the last thing he used to communicate with me. And do you wanna know what he wrote in that note? ‘Forgive me.’ That’s all the bastard wrote. Of course I forgave him, so why would he say that? That idiot.”

By now, Kris couldn’t hold back the tears. He openly wept as Yixing drew the taller man into his arms. Never had Kris told that part of his past to anyone before, not to Luhan, not to Jongdae, and not to Jongin. This dancer was the first one who got to see the rips and tears in Kris’ heart, the regretful, anguished man beneath the suave façade.

The Pororo pencil was gripped tightly in his hand, the words his friend had said to him when he first showed him the pencil echoing through his mind. This pencil saved my life. But in the end, it didn’t save him from taking his own life.

“Shh, it’s alright. Your friend understands your feelings, I know he does,” Yixing murmured into Kris’ shoulder. They remained like that for a long time, Kris shuddering from his sobs and Yixing clinging to the man while whispering comforts to him.

After what felt like an eternity, Kris composed himself, wiping the tears away and his dreadful past with them.

“This isn’t fair,” he chuckled almost bitterly, “you got to hear my sob story. Now what’s your story behind those shoes?”

“These shoes?” Yixing gazed down at the converse on his feet, a faraway look in his eyes and Kris knew he was stuck in that other time like before. “These shoes belonged to my father. He was a dancer before too. He loved dancing, it was his life. Like I said before, the first thing he ever taught me was how to dance. My mother liked to joke around and , saying that he’d marry the dance studio and run away with it if he could.

“For years, my dad would take me to his dance studio and teach me. I loved it, going there to practice with him and spending my nights just dancing away. My mother loved watching us, saying we were her two personal stars that came down to earth just to dance for her. But one day, one accident to be more specific, everything changed.”

Kris gazed intently at Yixing, his heart sinking at the thought of where his story was going. They weren’t hugging anymore so instead, Kris placed a hand on Yixing’s shoulder squeezing it gently. The dancer flashed him a small smile of thanks before breathing in deeply and continuing with his story.

“My dad got into a car accident one day while I was in high school. Both he and the other driver lived, thankfully, but my dad lost something more important than his life that day. He lost the use of his legs. Paralyzed from the waist down, my dad could no longer dance.

“I remember not crying that day. Instead, I was silent. Eerily silent. I don’t think my brain comprehended what had happened yet until days afterwards, when the tears did come and didn’t stop. I remember standing by his bed at the hospital. He was smiling sadly at me, reaching for my hands, telling me to hold them out. I did and he placed these shoes in them. ‘These are yours now, son. Wear them well,’ he said to me. I remember nodding solemnly, clutching the shoes to my chest.”

Kris quietly brushed his thumb over Yixing’s cheeks, catching the silent tears falling from his lashes. The dancer must not have noticed that he was crying, for he flinched in surprise when Kris’ finger skimmed over his skin. He stayed still when he realized there were tears dripping from his eyes, allowing the taller man to wipe them away.

“And that’s the story of these shoes,” Yixing finished with an air of melancholy. “Oh, but I have another story too. A much happier story than this one. It involves my dad again. Do you wanna hear it?”

“Yes, I’d love to,” Kris whispered. Anything to bring a smile back to Yixing’s face.

“It’s kinda cheesy, are you sure?” asked Yixing again, the tears already disappeared. Kris nodded, giving him a tender smile. “Alright, well, when my dad was young he loved to make bets. I guess that’s where I got my love for bets from. Anyways, my dad made a bet with one of his closest friends that he could make someone fall in love with him by doing nothing but dancing for them.”

Leaning forward unconsciously, Kris found himself quite intrigued by this story. His eyes met Yixing’s and they gazed at one another for an eternity before Yixing’s lips curved up into a tiny smile.

“And much like me, my dad never made a bet unless he knew he’d win. Secretly, the person my dad wanted to fall in love with him was his friend. So every day he’d ‘practice’ his dancing in front of her. He never told her that she was his goal, not until the very end when she confessed to him first. And can you guess who this friend of his was?” Yixing was now staring at Kris intently, his eyes positively glowing with bliss.

“Who was it?” asked an absolutely curious Kris.

“It was my mother,” Yixing answered. “My mother fell in love with my dad for his dancing. Much like I have for yours.”

Kris thought he had imagined Yixing’s last statement until he saw the blush adorning the dancer’s cheeks as he stared directly into Kris’ eyes.

“W-what? You’re kidding, right? You’ve fallen for my dancing?” Kris spluttered pathetically.

“I know you don’t have much confidence in your dancing, but I can see a lot of potential in you. And besides, even if you’re not a professional, there’s this air that permeates from you when you dance. You always tried your best even when it was a particularly difficult step,” Yixing explained, the blush still very noticeable.

Kris was sure his jaw had unhinged from the top of his mouth by now. He was rendered speechless by this man who saw potential in an area he never thought he could excel in. It was a wonderful feeling and his heart leaped in euphoria.

“Close your mouth, a bug is going to fly into it soon,” Yixing muttered shyly, finally averting his gaze.

“Hey, look at me,” Kris said after regaining the ability to move his jaw. Yixing cautiously turned to face him again and Kris leaned in quickly, their lips mere millimeters apart, their breaths mingling, their eyes locked. “Thanks. For telling me your story. For listening to mine.”

“You don’t have anything else to say?” Yixing asked, his lips curling upwards teasingly.

“I do actually,” Kris whispered. “I love you.”

And with that, he closed the gap between their lips in a much needed, long awaited kiss.