it's tonight.

he's going to bring the 3-months boyfriend of his to a party that he was invited to. kai was not invited only as an important guest (being a close friend of the host and all) but also as a performer. he had told lay that he's going to perform with sehun as a duo and with no further questions, lay agreed, not even suspecting that sehun is actually kai's new boyfriend.

this is the first time his colleague slash ex-boyfriend slash bestie, lay had asked him to be a performer at his party through the phone. lay usually hire some street dancing groups to perform at his previous parties as he thinks it's not worth spending his money on some worldwide-known groups for his parties (even though he's filthy rich). kai also had asked lay as to why he had invited kai and sehun as performers at his party this time but lay only chuckled and told him that he would know later before hanging up.

he recalls what he said to sehun a few days before as he watches sehun practices the choreography for their upcoming performance.

***

kai and sehun were cuddling on the couch, watching a sappy romance movie when kai spoke up.

"sehun-ah, you remember lay-hyung?"

"yeah, hyungie's ex-boyfriend. why?" sehun looked up to his boyfriend with unreadable eyes.

kai decided to ignore the hinted jealousy in the sentence, "well, he asked me to perform at his party this saturday."

the younger sat up, removing kai's arms around his waist, resulting in a pout from the older lover and sent a confused look to kai, "why? i mean, he always hire those groups. why would he ask you? he never did before."

"well, he never told me why. but as a friend, of course i say yes."

"..fine then."

"but, i want you to perform with me, sehun-ah. not only as a dance partner but also as my boyfriend. i seriously think it's time for the world to know." sehun widened his eyes and kai had to hold himself back from cuddling his adorable boyfriend because this is a (kinda) serious matter and he needs to be serious.

"..what!? no hyung, no." sehun put on his stone-face and stared at kai.

kai sighed but he wouldn't give up yet, "baby, please?" he pleaded in his most sincere voice and expression. "it's been a while since we got together and nobody knows about it. even lay, my best friend for almost 10 years. all of them had been setting me up with some girls i don't even know because they still think i'm not dating anyone." kai reasoned.

this had sparked some intense jealousy in sehun. he went quiet. kai studied sehun's expression, waiting for his answer.

after a minute that felt like a lifetime to kai, sehun agreed hesitantly and kai pulled the younger into his lap, kissing him hard.

sehun had to stay in bed the next day due to his sore bottom.

***
kai and lay had known each other since they were still in their middle school days. since they have the same interest that is dancing, they became best friends. when they graduated, lay's father had bought a studio not far from their shared apartment (lay had cried day and night when his father let him live with kai instead of at the zhang mansion at the outskirt of town) as a graduation gift. using his father's money, lay had done a makeover of the old studio into a brandnew. together, they teach at the studio as dance teachers.

when they're just entering their second year of college, kai had asked lay to be his boyfriend. and so they dated until a few months later when lay confessed that while dating kai, he was secretly meeting a guy (whom later was introduced as kris by lay). at his own surprise, kai was not mad. he broke up with lay and still, they stayed as friends. lay moved in with kris after kris had asked him to. kai was at first reluctant to let him because who's going to feed me and do the laundry when you leave but when he met kris for the first time, he finally agreed in fear for his life (even though it's really stupid, kai realizes later).

it's only after one boring evening when he was wandering around town that he is sure he's truly in love. kai had bumped into sehun (who was carrying some grocery bags). they kept contact and later, fall in love with each other. it's cliche as but that's how most stories go.

-

when they arrive at the party venue, the club that lay had rented for the night is crowded with people. kai greets the ones he knows, introducing sehun as a really good friend and my partner for the performance tonight while throwing knowing glances to the younger who flushes and pinches kai's side in return.

"yah, jongin-ah! you're here!" kai whips his head towards the voice, hearing his real name. only a few knew his real name; sehun, lay and his family. it's definitely impossible for his family to be here and sehun is just right next to him. kai sees lay walking towards him, dragging a tall, blonde guy by the arm; kris.

seeing kris, sehun slowly scoots and hides behind kai, cowering at kris' scary stare. kai chuckles and silently assures him that kris doesn't bite anyone except lay by rubbing sehun's back.

lay who saw this laughs, "it's okay, sehun-ah. that's his default look. sehun, kris. kris, sehun." kris smiles and sehun relaxes at this, giving a small nod and a shy smile.

"your boyfriend, kai?" sehun chokes on his own saliva and face turning red at the unexpected question. kai also seems to be burning but recovers quickly, "ah, no. sehun's uh.. just a good friend of mine." he clears his throat. "and my dancing partner for tonight." kai clarifies, still using the same lie he had repeated too many times to the others. he lets out a nervous laugh. kris nods in acknowledgement although he still thinks that the two youngest are hiding something.

kai and lay chats for a while, catching up on their lives, unconsciously ignoring the other two before the silent sehun coughs (all the while kris is glaring at kai). kai raises his eyebrows at him. he knows that the younger did that on purpose. he's jealous. as they are glaring at each other, lay speaks up with an innocent smile, not realizing he had interrupted their telepathic conversation, "well, should we head to the waiting room now? i'm sure you two will need some preparation."

kai clears his throat and smiles back at lay, "yeah, sure." he glares once last time at sehun as if saying behave if you want this thing to work and follows lay. the younger huffs and pouts but follows his boyfriend.

kris who was quiet as he was studying the two young dancers chuckles, realizing that they are not only just 'good friends' as what they had claimed. he was a bit thankful that kai finally had met someone else. even though he never voiced it out, he actually was jealous at kai, of the younger's past relationship with lay. but not anymore when he sees kai's hands lingering a little bit too long on sehun's back. 

"yifan-ge? are you coming?" lay's voice pulls him out of his thoughts. "or do you want to stay and woo some girls?" kris smirks and in a matter of second, he's at lay's side. he wraps his arms around lay unconsciously.

"no, i prefer having you by my side."

-

in the waiting room, sehun's alone at a corner, silently recalling and practicing the choreography in small steps. kris and lay had left sehun alone to greet other guests. kai had gone back to the dance floor to study the stage they would be performing on. sehun was whining at kai to not leave him alone and kai sighed, assuring him he's gonna be fine and no one's going to come and you, babe before walking out of the waiting room.

kai inspects the stage, trying to adjust their choreography to fit in with the average-sized stage. the stage is hexagonal in shape and not bigger than half of a football field, situated in the middle of the dance floor. he mentally praises lay in his head at his choice of party venue this time. the club is big enough to sustain more than 300 people. he takes his time examining the stage. although both him and sehun are only going to perform at an average dance party like this, they always do things seriously, wanting everything to be perfect.

kai returns to the waiting room fifteen minutes later. sehun who was sitting awkwardly on the couch, his legs together brightens up when he spots his boyfriend entering the room. he quickly stands up and rushes to kai's sides, clutching onto him not-so-obviously. 

kai sighs for the nth time since they first arrive at the club, "oh god, why don't you loosen up, sehun-ah. stop pretending this is your first time performing. plus, i'm sure you don't want people to know about us before the time comes, don't you?"

the younger juts his bottom lip out, pouting and kai really hopes that pout would be banned from appearing on sehun's prettier-than-your-prettiest-girlfriend's face. just when sehun is about to retort back, a short pretty male but no, i, oh sehun, is way prettier than him approaches sehun and kai with a gleeful grin.

"kai!" the guy - or the , from sehun's point of view - envelops kai in a bear hug. "i missed you! where have you been, kai?" he squeals, smothering kai with kisses all over his face. kai lets out a breathy laugh, "hi, baekhyun-hyung. i am a bit busy nowadays. sorry for not answering your calls." sehun is currently boring imaginary holes into baekhyun-hyung's skull.

baekhyun-hyung - still a in sehun's point of view - giggles cutely before noticing another presence of a person, "oh, who's this?" he blinks at sehun innocently.

"this is oh sehun, a really good friend of mine and my dance partner for tonight's performance." again, the lie. "sehun, this is baekhyunnie-hyung. we were neighbours when i was still living with lay before baekhyun-hyung moved out."

"hi there, sehunnie! you can call me baekhyun-hyung if you want!" he grins cheekily.

sehun nods, not trusting his voice right now to not crack and smiles awkwardly as they shake hands. he notices that baekhyun-hyung has really pretty and soft hands and sehun weeps mentally in jealousy.

"so, kai, have you found someone yet?" baekhyun-hyung turns his focus onto kai. sehun could only stare at the older in disbelief. kai has his focus on sehun for a second before focusing back on baekhyun-hyung.

"um, still no luck yet. i just couldn't find anyone suitable." he shrugs nonchalantly. at kai's answer, sehun could see how baekhyun-hyung's expression practically lightens up.

"really!? that's great! a friend of mine, kyungsoo hasn't been dating anyone since he broke up with his boyfriend, junmyeon a few months ago. i looked at him and i remembered you and i thought you two would look great together! so, how about it?" he proposes excitedly.

sehun is already boiling in anger by this point. he balls up his fist and glares hard at the short male. the only thing that had been holding him back from pouncing onto the older is his sanity. kai holds back an amused chuckle. he knows he's supposed to decline baekhyun-hyung's offer but mad sehun is adorable and he just wants to tease the younger more.

"i don't know, hyung. but maybe i'll give it a try."

baekhyun-hyung tackles kai into another bear hug, "yay! you'll definitely like him, i know. you guys are going to get together and then get married and have beautiful babies together!" he is so excited that he did not notice sehun with a hurt expression adorning his face. the youngest tries his best to hold back his tears. the hem of his jacket is already wrinkled from his grip on it. a tear slips - he silently wishes baekhyun-hyung didn't see it - and leaves the older two without a word and rushes out of the waiting room. kai frowns in guilt.

"oh my god, sehun-ah? are you okay? what's wrong? kai, is he okay?" baekhyun-hyung's questions floats by as he watches sehun running out of the room.

kai takes a deep breath and smiles apologetically at the older, "yeah, he's just feeling a little nervous, i think. he'll be fine. don't worry, hyung."

the ugly frown on baekhyun-hyung's face is replaced with a comforting smile, "okay then, tell sehunnie not to worry too much. he's going to do fine. i should go now. chanyeollie must have been waiting for me!" he gives kai a last hug and skips out of the room.

kai heaves a breath and runs his hand through his hair. he knew he's gone a tad too far this time.

-

fifteen minutes before sehun and kai's performance, sehun walks into the room. his face void of any emotions. the only thing that's out of place is his swollen red eyes. kai looks up as he feels another presence in the room. sehun walks past kai, ignoring the older's stare on him. he drinks some water from a bottle and stretches his muscles, getting ready for the performance.

just as he wants to walk out of the room, kai halts his steps, catching him by the wrist. kai turns him around, facing the older. his eyes are still casted downwards.

"listen, i know you're mad at what baekhyun-hyung had said before. he doesn't know, baby. of course he would say that. and you do know all of those things would never happen. ever. i'm sorry if you're mad when i didn't reject his offer. i was just joking. you know i love you. just you and not lay-hyung, not kyungsoo."

kai lifts sehun's chin, only to be greeted with sehun's tear-brimmed eyes. still conscious of his surrounding, he closes the door behind him.

"when it's your solo stage, i just want you to do your best. stick to the plan okay? when it's time, i just want you to feel me sehun-ah. then we'll show them who do i really belong to." kai's voice soft, comforting sehun's inside.

sehun wipes the tears in his eyes and nods. after deeming it's safe and nobody is around, kai places a kiss on sehun's soft lip. he pulls back and puts some distance between them before opening the door.

"ready?"

"..yeah."

-

their performance kicks start with kai's solo dance.

kai stands in the middle of the stage, lights off. he takes a deep breath. as the music starts, the lights turns on, all spotlights on him. when he moves, everything else is forgotten.

the crowds start cheering, anticipating for what kai has in store. kai blocks all the cheers and whistlings and claps. he focuses only in his steps. if only the lights are a bit brighter, anyone who can see the glint in kai's eyes will shiver at the sheer determination. of what? only kai knows.

his moves and steps are sharp, perfect and fits in with the music. he uses all of his body parts to move. most of his students at his dance school would know at first glance, it's kai. only kai can create enticing but sharp moves.

kai's solo dance ends with some chest popping. his fierce eyes turns back to normal as the crowd cheers and the lights goes off again. he pants in exhaustion, in deep breaths as he relaxes his limbs for a moment before allowing them to move again.

sehun, who was standing by the stairs leading up the stage, gets on the stage after getting the cue from kai. he trips in nervousness but he manages to stand up straight again without getting any injuries. when he reaches kai's side, he hears the deejay praising kai and he receives some very loud cheers from the crowds in agreement. he couldn't help but feeling proud.

sehun feels kai's touch on his shoulder and he sees the older nodding. he nods back. both of them gets into position and the lights go on again.

both of them moves in perfect sync. kai dances like he's on fire and sehun dances like the wind. they have different choreographies but they complement each other's. as if kai was dancing alone without sehun, it'd be full with flaws.

reaching its ending, sehun catches kai's eyes on him, full with unreadable emotions. he also hears someone yelling ing hell, that's my boy kai up there which sounds so much like lay. when the music stops, kai smirks and the younger blushes. both of them are panting hard. as kai moves to go down the stage, he feels kai's rough hands brushes his cheeks. he blushes harder (thank the heavens the lights are off) but recovers quickly, getting ready for his solo dance.

sehun realizes that before kai had gone down the stage, the older stealthily brings up a chair - sehun's prop - in the middle of the stage 

unlike the previous two fast-tempo music accompaniments, this time the music is slow and all y-like. it starts with a guitar riff and the singer singing with his smooth voice. along with the line everyday with you i'm learning and sharing various of emotions, he slowly trots towards the chair. and he sits on it.

somehow, he could hear the confusion and puzzlement from the crowd. and his limbs move, slowly dancing with the music. on the chair. again, he hears the crowd's amazement and he unconsciously smirks. the pride swelling in his chest. pride for himself and also for kai who had stayed up all night to choreograph this dance sequence for him.

sehun closes his eyes and dances.

kai, watching from down the stage, is currently tapping his foot on the floor. he's feeling nervous. his palms are getting sweaty and his heart is thumping harder against his chest. without him realizing, sehun's solo dance is coming to an end.

sehun's feet stop moving. his eyes fly open when the music stops. the sound of whistling and clapping and catcalling greets his ears. he can see that the crowd's going crazy with all of that. he smiles bashfully and bows to them.

suddenly, the lights goes off (again for the nth time). sehun gasps as he remembers that it isn't the end yet. kai and him have yet to show the last one. the grand finale.

there are murmurs and whispers from the audience.

sehun takes a deep breath and straightens up, facing the stairs. he could make out kai's silhouette at the top of them as the music starts. the lights are on.

kai slowly steps towards sehun, his eyes fiercely boring into sehun's own pairs. by the time he almost reaches sehun by a metre length, he swoops down to take sehun's clammy hands into his own and slowly rises up until sehun is staring into kai's dark eyes. tanned and pale fingers laced together. for a heartbeat, kai's fierce gaze seems to soften and sehun could see adoration, guilt (and a small hint of want) in those dark orbs.

sehun is so lost in kai's deep eyes he does not realize kai had placed his lips on sehun's soft pair.

it suddenly dawns on sehun and he almost yells out hyung, that's not in the choreography but he could already hear the surprises in the shouts and yells of the audiences. he could distinctly makes out the loud what the is going on from lay in the crowd.

before he could do anything, kai releases his fingers and put some distance between them. kai's eyes seems to tell him to relax and to finish this. sehun, awake from his dazed and disoriented self, determines to finish this too. he regains his confidence and then, he's dancing with kai in complete synchronization, touching each other's bodies.

he forgets about the crowd and all inside his head is jonginjonginjongin.

suddenly the music stops.

sehun opens his eyes (just when did he closed them, he doesn't know) and is greeted by kai's smirk. only a few inches separating them. sehun could feel their ragged breathings mingling and the heat radiating from kai's body.

sehun could not help but feel a surge of mixed emotions and he pulls kai into a searing kiss.

--

in the waiting room, sehun is back to his dazed self. he can't even remember what is the crowd's responses after everything. he can't even remember how did he even got here in the first place. he can't even remember how did he manage to sit on the couch without tripping on his feet.

it feels like a dream.

"baby."

we really did it...?

"sehun-ah."

i really can't—

"oh sehun!"

his eyes focuses onto the view of kai raising his eyebrows, standing in front of him.
kai. kim jongin. the person who he'd devoted himself to. the person who he had promised to love until his last breath. his brave knight in shining armor.

(it may sound stupid since they're young but no. kai is the one who he's going to spend the rest of his life with.)

his chest tightens again at the surge of mixed feelings towards the man standing in front of him but he doesn't pull kai into a kiss this time. instead there are tears streaming down his cheeks and he sobs like a baby into kai's broad chest. "i- i ing love you, kim jongin."

kai tightens his arms around the younger. "i know, baby. and i you."

--

kai slowly brushes a stray strand of hair from sehun's face. the younger falls asleep on kai's lap after crying. he must be really tired, kai thinks as he gazes softly at sehun's red nose and trails of dried tears on his pale cheeks.

kai knows that although sehun tends to show his strong and bratty self in front of others, the younger is actually really soft and sensitive inside. since they got together, it has only been three times he had seen the younger cried. the first time was when sehun's mother was admitted in to the hospital after fainting (it's logical since other than kai, sehun only has his mother to depend on). the second and third time were tonight. kai feels guilty for making sehun cry twice in a span of less than four hours.

his train of thoughts is interrupted when the door opens with a loud bang, revealing a fuming lay followed by also a fuming baekhyun behind him. kris and chanyeol both have the expression of defeat, trailing behind baekhyun.

"kim jongin!" lay and baekhyun choruses.

sehun shifts a bit on his lap and kai tenses. he thanks the gods when he hears a soft snore. kai glares hard at lay and baekhyun standing in front of him, crossing their arms. 

"what do you guys want?" his voice low, laced with venom. 

"explain."

kai sighs and drops his glare. "what's there to explain? you've seen it," he whispers, looking at the two with tired eyes.

baekhyun drops his arms to his side and exhales. "now i get why sehun was like that when i talked about kyungsoo." he watches the sleeping sehun on kai's lap with soft eyes. "he must've felt really jealous and sad."

kai chuckles softly and slowly the sleeping boy's hair, "he did. and it was partly my fault for going overboard with teasing him."

"hmm, when he woke up, tell him i'm sorry and i really didn't mean to make him feel that." guilt lacing his voice before he speaks with a  firm tone, "and make sure you don't let go of him, kim jongin."

kai smirks, "will make sure of that, hyung." 

the older smiles in satisfaction before dragging chanyeol out of the room. only then kai notices lay who has been silent the whole time. his eyebrows unconsciously twitches when he finds lay staring at the boy on his lap. "stop staring," he growls.

lay snaps out of his reverie and blinks at kai dumbly. just when the older is about to open his mouth to say something, kris pulls him out of the room. 

kai stares dumbfoundedly at the door and he hears lay's whine of but fan, he beats us to our surprise and i thought this was supposed to be OUR party and kris' reply of later babe, you'll get your chance.

"huh. okay then."

--

sehun wakes up fifteen minutes later and he couldn't meet kai's eyes. kai chuckles at the younger's adorableness. he stands up and puts out his left hand to sehun, "come on, seems like lay has something to announce."

sehun takes his hands shyly and both of them walks out of the room, not letting go of each other's hands.

-- 

when they reaches the dance floor, kai and sehun are attacked by the crowds of congratulations and why didn't you tell us? kai just grins and pulls sehun to the front, near the stage where lay and kris are standing on. 

lay clears his throat. "well, you guys are invited for the party today for a special reason. i have an announcement to make and NO, it's NOT about my friend, kai and his 'boyfriend', sehun." lay's hard glare towards kai makes sehun shiver and his hold on kai's arm tightens, "who decided to announce their relationship AT.MY.PARTY." sehun is already whimpering while kai only smirks in triumph.

before lay manages to spit out more, kris steals the mic from the younger's hold. "nevermind, i'll announce it." his boyfriend's whine is ignored.

kris takes lay's hand in his own and, "we are getting married next week."

-

a/n: if you guys couldn't imagine the performance scene, i used exo's debut teaser 5, 7 and 13 and also boa's only one choreography as my guide (^_^;)