The circus is decidedly emptier and far creepier when it was not inhabited by crowds of people and chrome lights. Carnival ride swings moved back and forth in the wind, metal chains creaking in protest and merry go round horses sat, dismal and lonely, on their tracks. Even the food stalls and game stops, which seemed to be permanently inhabited by people trying to sell their products or attract attention, were completely abandoned and all lights turned off.

The only place that actually seemed to be lit up and alive was the red and gold tent, which rose above the landscape and commanded attention. Even from where he stood, just inside the carnival grounds, he could hear the faint strings of music playing from inside; not the stuff that they had used during the performances, but Hit 40’s. Possibly the radio.

Dressed in loose, grey sweats and a dark red tshirt, he wondered for the nth time if he had come too casually. Himchan seemed like the type who was always conscious about what he wore, and strived to dress immaculately. Then again, he was there to exercise and practice – it wasn’t like he was going to do it in skinny jeans.

Steeling himself, Daehyun strolled up to the guards, giving his name and waiting until they verified it before he was let in. At least Himchan had remembered to give him permission.

Inside, it was obvious that the sand floored pit was the center of life. Everywhere he looked, people were either warming up, stretching, talking to each other or on the apparatus. There was a large trampoline set up in the middle of the floor and there were three people, two females and a male, who were bouncing in a rough triangle. As he watched, they all simultaneously executed a Double Layout Full In₁, moving towards their left so that, on their next bounce, they had recreated the triangle. Daehyun watched, enraptured, until an arm wrapped around his waist.

In future days, he would fully deny that he squealed in fright. Turning around, swatting the hand away from him, he was met with the smirk of Himchan.

“Hey, Daehyun.” The other laughed as he rearranged his clothing in a huff, ducking his head down to hide the redness of his cheeks. Only once he had finished fiddling with the hem of his shirt did he look up, reminding himself to not up. Himchan wasn’t even looking at him anymore, instead observing a boy that looked around his age struggle to properly toss the silk over his leg twice for a one and a half roll. “That’s Youngjae,” Himchan supplied, side glancing at him, “the trainee that I was telling you about.”

Youngjae let go of the top of the ribbon, but his backward straddle was already uneven and when he completed the fall, he was too slow to grab onto the end and haul himself back up. Instead, he just grabbed onto the piece above his head and swung his legs in a crescent shape, landing back onto the ground with a soft thud. He spotted them a second later and, having obviously being informed as to who he was, walked over with a smile.

“You’re Daehyun, right?” He asked, inclining his head just the smallest bit in greeting. He, too, was dressed in sweats and a hoodie, hair long enough to be tied in a scraggly ponytail sticking out at the top of his head.

With a small bow back, Daehyun nodded, “Yeah. Himchan-sshi said that I could come practice with you- maybe get a few tips?” From a one over glance of the other, he could already tell that he was an experienced aerialist. His biceps were well built and he stood evenly on his feet, shoulders broad and square and spine straight. There were telltale signs of bruises around his ankles and calves, from where the silk pressed into his skin, and Daehyun knew that the insides of his thighs would also bear similar marks. It was the map work of his own body as well.

“Sure, of course. Though maybe you could give me some tips as well, you know. We can learn from each other.” With a shrug, Youngjae jerked his head back to the dark blue silk, raising a brow. “Do you know how to do a One and a Half Roll₂?”

Daehyun did know it, in fact, and it was one of his strongest moves. With a glance towards Himchan, who only gestured him forward, he rolled his shoulders a little and then climbed up, using his feet to wrap around the silk and then slide his hands up. Once he was at an acceptable height, he swung into an inverted straddle and threw the silk over his leg twice, making sure to keep his toes pointed and legs completely straight. From there, he reached up to the taut material and hauled himself up, twisting until he could arch his spine and extend his legs behind him, holding onto the live end with his left hand, tight to his stomach, and the other gripping above his head. With a deep breath, he let go with his right hand and let himself fall. It was all a blur, feeling the familiar ache of tension against his thighs and stomach, but he forced to keep his legs stiff and toes pointed, tilting his head back until the taut end of the silk came back into view and he grabbed on, swivelling his hips clockwise to rid his legs of the excess silk. As he lowered himself back onto the soft sand, cheeks flushed a little, he heard a smattering of applause from the two men watching him. Youngjae looked admiring, and Himchan seemed slightly impressed.

“Wow! How did you manage the rebound bounce at the end?” Youngjae asked.

“At the last second, close your legs again, straight. It will bring you back up, and then you just grab the silk.” He explained, gesturing vaguely to assist his directions.

From the side, Himchan coughed and quietly excused himself with the explanation that he needed to check up on the others. Daehyun watched as he walked away, posture straight and stride assured. He wasn’t very physically intimidating, he thought about the ringmaster, but he had a commanding presence that he admired.

“So,” Youngjae was talking again, and he turned around to see the male drag a second silk towards him from where it was tied to the tent pole, “you’re really good. How long have you been doing it?”

“Three years. I started in my second year of high school as a dare from one of my friends and decided that I really liked it.” A shrug. “My friends teased me, but they couldn’t climb up a rope by just using their arms.”

Youngjae laughed at that, holding the silks in both hands and going into an inverse straddle, hooking his leg around the part above his head, holding on with one hand so that he could pull himself up with the other and secure his position by throwing his free leg over his wrapped one. The Hock’s Climb₃ continued until he was near the top, where he completed another inverse straddle, wrapping his right leg around the taut end and throwing the live end over his thigh. With a tug, he loosened it until it hung, slack, beside his head and gripped the silk, letting go with his other hand. He immediately dropped down and, for a second, Daehyun was afraid that he would hit the ground. Instead, he stopped a meter above the sand and then unwrapped, gracefully stepping away from the silks.

“You thought I was going to smack against the ground, didn’t you?” The other asked with a proud smirk, and Daehyun couldn’t help but grin back.

“It would be a shame, but yes. I don’t have enough guts to do that. I usually just drop a little and do something else.” He was tossed an unopened water bottle, and Youngjae sat in the sand, pointing towards the silks.

“Well, now is your chance to get guts and do the Slack Drop₄. Go ahead. Try to get lower than me.”

Daehyun took the challenge with a grin, making his way towards the equipment.

In the end, he didn’t beat Youngjae, but he did pick up on quite a few tips and tricks that he hadn’t figured out for himself – he needed to keep his head back during his Revolution, it was easier to do a Balance Split₅ if he leaned forward during his middle splits. In turn, he helped Youngjae with his One and a Half, and taught him how to properly exit from a Gazelle.

By the time that they were finished, most of the performers had retired from the tent and dispersed for dinner, taking the loud music and chatter with them. He was lying on his back, staring as the tent roof above his head fluttered from the wind, when Youngjae’s sweaty face appeared to the side.

“I need to go eat,” he said apologetically, “and you can come with, if you-“

“No.” A new voice broke in and they looked up to see Himchan striding across the floor, dressed casually in jeans and a blazer. “You may go, Youngjae. I want to see Daehyun perform.”

With a puzzled glance, Youngjae said his goodbyes and gathered his bag, exiting the tent through a hidden flap. He and Himchan were the only two left. Scrambling to his feet, he bowed awkwardly and stayed still as the other (elder, he assumed) circled around him like a buyer inspecting a horse.

“Do you know any routines₆?” The ringmaster asked him, suddenly gripping his bicep and squeezing. Daehyun jumped, squirming until he figured out what the other wanted and flexed his muscles. Himchan nodded in approval.

“I’ve been working on one,” he replied nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to another, “but I haven’t perfected it. I was planning to do a showcase at my circus school-“

“Show me.” Himchan interrupted, walking away so that he could pull the main speaker box out from behind a rack of clothing. “Do you have the music for it?”

His tone harboured no arguments so Daehyun mutely nodded, going to his bag and pulling out his phone. Scrolling to the song – Skyfall, by Adele – he plugged in his device and pressed play before returning to the silks. The music began to play and he gripped the material tightly between his fingers, muscles tensing as he lifted himself upwards.

He kept his movements slow and sensual, hyperaware of every part of his body as he continued to wrap his feet and arch his back, eyes closed and lips parted just slightly. Once he got to his desired height, he wrapped himself around the silk and twisted, lifting himself up until he was upright again. With a quick flick of his feet, he dropped down into a Bungee, gripping the live end of the silks and pulling until his back caved outward, showing an almost perfect curve of his spine. Himchan was watching, face unreadable. Daehyun fancied that he saw something akin to lustful interest in his eyes. Tensing his stomach, he snapped upward and wrapped his arms around his thighs before pulling himself up. Doing the Gazelle sequence, he dropped down and grabbed his foot, bending it, pointed, until it touched the back of his head. There was more, but he hadn’t memorized it yet and, regretfully, he unwrapped and lowered himself back to the ground, panting a little. From one of the mirrors behind Himchan, he could see what he looked like; flushed cheeks, parted lips, messy hair and damp tshirt.

“Impressive.” Himchan had stepped forward and was standing in front of him, gazing down with a calculating look. “But I noticed that you didn’t bend back as far as you could have for your exit Bungee.” A quick side step and the elder was behind him, a warm hand laid flat against the center of his shoulder blades. “You bend your arms here,” the fingers trailed down, slowly, until they rested just above his waistband, “and bend your back here. Other than that, you’re very flexible. I’d be interested to see what else you could do.”

There was an almost suggestive tone to Himchan’s voice, but Daehyun wasn’t sure until the hand slipped just a little bit lower, resting over his for a split second before retreating.

“Oh.” He was pretty sure that his cheeks were bright red at that point, floundering for words. “Um…thank you?”

Himchan laughed at that, low and husky, but extremely amused. “It was a compliment.” He assured with a small smile. “I’m sure that you’re very tired, though, from all that practice. Feel free to eat in the mess hall with the others, or you can buy whatever you want from the stalls. Just tell them that Himchan gave you permission.”

Bowing his head in thanks, Daehyun awkwardly began to pack away his stuff, feeling Himchan watch him from where he stood. When he had finally shrugged on his jacket and packed away his water bottle, the elder spoke again.

“Oh, and you’re free to come tomorrow. Youngjae seems to like you, and you are helping each other. For as long as we’re here, you can come.”

Daehyun had kind of been hoping for an extended invitation, and he smiled gratefully when he got it.

“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

Himchan stepped forward and grabbed his hand, kissing it in the same fashion that he had done the night before. “I look forward to it.” The ringmaster promised, lingering a second longer than necessary before he let go, smirk twisting at his lips. “I look forward to seeing you.”

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ha.haha. i do aerial silks so im basically cheating but aaaaaaye at least it's it isnt bs