There was something in the way she stared at her. Eyes dark and lidded and maybe she was already in character but Mina could’ve sworn that there was a gleam in her eyes that was only ever present when Momo would look at her. Mina knows it shouldn’t mean anything — that having Momo’s hand around her waist pulling her closer was not something to be freaking out about, but it was and Mina was going insane with the way Momo’s touch lit a fire that was never there before. So, she followed Momo’s footsteps, clutched Momo’s wrist when her hand landed on her cheek.

That was the exact moment she had lost it completely. She stepped back, letting Momo’s hand drop down to her side and Mina sat down on the floor and took deep breaths as Momo watched her curiously —that gleam was still there even when Momo’s eyes soften , the light hitting them at just the right angle and making them brighter.

She thought about yesterday, and how Momo had arrived to the dorm looking more worn out than usual and she knows what Hit the Stage does to Momo. Mina knows that her confidence had dwindled down little by little and she just hopes Momo doesn’t give up —not when her dancing speaks louder than words, not when her eyes shine bright like stars in a night sky when she is up on stage dancing to a choreography that was given to them. Momo dances to it as if she had been the one to choreograph it and Mina had always admired that about her.

Momo had taken a seat beside her, had remained quiet for the last two minutes that had gone by and Mina hopes she’s not frustrating Momo with how little progress they had accomplished in the small time frame of a week they were given, specially when they had prior engagements such as schedules to solidify their success as one of Korea’s rising groups.

“Is it hard?” Momo had questioned her then, placing her hand on Mina’s knee and gently patting it.

(Was it hard?

Was it hard having Momo all to herself in the darkest hours when everyone had gone home to rest?

Was it hard having Momo so close to her and looking at her as if she was the only one that really mattered?)

It was.

It was the hardest thing Mina had agreed to do when all the thoughts inside her head had somehow managed to convince her that she was just Momo’s dance partner. That that day Momo had snuck into her room late at night while everyone slept to ask her to be her partner was the hardest thing to hear, more so when Momo told her the theme of the stage and Mina had closed her eyes and shifted away from Momo after telling her she’ll do it — because looking at her in the darkness of the room, a little gleam in her otherwise dark eyes had somehow managed to eat away at what little resolve she had left. A single thought circled her mind, what if it meant something.

(But what if it didn’t.)

And it had kept Mina up that day long after Momo had returned to her shared room with Jeongyeon — questioning Momo’s choice, wanting to know what was going on in that head of hers because Momo hid so well behind a mask of happiness, pretending that it wasn’t hard when it was. Because Mina knew that Momo practices harder than the rest, that her time resting was always given up for time in the practice room and Mina just wanted Momo to be content with the finishing product instead of dwelling on how things could have been better had she practiced more.

“No.” Mina had replied as her eyes fell on Momo’s hand that was still on her knee. “I just think that maybe that move isn’t necessary.”

Momo had pulled her hand away. Mina could see her jaw tightening as she hid herself behind her hair and drew circles on the floor with her fingers.

She knew the time Momo had spent with her instructor, coming up with a proper choreography that would be creative enough to draw the audiences’ attention. She knew Momo had been trying to choreograph it on her own but they wouldn’t allow her too — she knows Momo had been frustrated with that and in the end her instructor had choreographed it for them.

“I can’t do anything about it.”

Mina knew that the older girl would say something like that and she wasn’t expecting it to change but it was so hard doing that part without wanting to lean in further and capture her lips and it was driving Mina mad.

“Okay.”

-

She observed them quietly, eyes locked onto Momo’s facial expressions and the way her hands wouldn’t land on Mina’s body for more than a second without pulling away and she wondered why that was. Her gaze shifted over to watch Mina’s movements — hesitant when she had to approach the other girl, body a bit too stiff when Momo would touch her even if just for a brief moment.

She watched as they both looked away from the other and faced her after the practice had finished.

“How did we do?” Momo had questioned her as they both stood in front of her and waited for her expert opinion.

The instructor had stood up, she grabbed both Mina and Momo‘s hand in hers and stared up at both of them, “Did you guys have a fight?” She watched as Momo glanced at Mina before shaking her head, “Then why are you so hesitant with your movements?”

-

“You keep making mistakes on the same part, Mina.”

Mina shook her head, pushing Momo’s hand way from her waist, “You keep falling behind..."

The older girl pushed her hand though her hair in an exasperated manner, observed Mina as the younger girl moved away from her and locked her gaze onto the floor. She observed the way the sweat rolled down her neck and into the grey oversized shirt Mina had been wearing and Momo couldn’t take it anymore.

“Get up.”

Mina looked at her, an unreadable expression on her face, a dark shade of something in her eyes as she did what Momo instructed. She felt hands lock around her wrist halting her movements and Mina met Momo’s gaze from across the mirror — observed the way their figures had seemed to fit each other perfectly, the practice room light creating a soft glow upon them both. Momo moved Mina’s hands down and slowly adjusted her position again and Mina knew she made mistakes often but when you had Momo staring at her like that how was she supposed to focus?

Mina observed the way the older girl's hand trailed down her arm, over her shoulder and down her back all while making her skin burn with intensity. She knew Momo wasn’t aware of what she was doing but the second her arm had wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer, certainly made Mina question the older girl.

“What are you doing?”

Momo had looked away for a split second, her eyes locked onto their bodies outlined in the mirror in front of them. She thought back to the first time they had practiced alone without their instructor. Momo remembered the way Mina would hesitate on this part here. Momo never questioned her why. She knew Mina was great dancer, she also knew that the younger girl never hesitated with her before when it came to skinship.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

Momo felt Mina take a step back and Momo matched it with another step forward. Mina wouldn’t meet her gaze and Momo was getting frustrated with the gentle girl’s quietness. She let go of her then. Mina’s eyes had been searching for a way out it and just made Momo mad, “Why’d you agree to this?”

Mina looked down at the floor, the warmth that was around her suddenly disappeared as Momo stepped back and leaned her body against the mirror, hands tapping against her leg as she waited for Mina to answer.

“Why did you ask me in the first place?” Mina had spoken up just above a whisper as she played with her fingers. “You could have asked any of the other girls or somebody else entirely for that matter so why didn’t you?”

Momo let her back hit the mirror completely as she slid down and stretched her legs in front of her, this time it was she, who was avoiding Mina’s eyes.

Mina continued standing, watching Momo’s hand rest idly on her lap, hair falling over her eyes and frustrating Mina further. The days had been torture, not only because Momo touched her but also because she didn’t touch her enough and this was completely crazy because it wasn’t just Mina making mistakes, it was Momo too.

“Because I wanted you…” Momo stood then, facing Mina completely as she walked toward her and grabbed Mina’s wrist to stop her from going anywhere, “Do you even know how hard this has been for me?”

Mina remained quiet as she observed Momo. The gleam in her eyes still present but burning brighter as she moved closer to Mina. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest wanting to jump out and land safely into Momo’s hands because her heart only belonged to the older girl staring at her as if she was the only thing left in the world.

“Do you know how hard it is to be so close to you and not be able to touch you the way I want to? How hard it is not to lean in closer and kiss you? Do you know how hard it is to be with you alone like this?”

“Momo,” Mina had whispered into the space between them.

So it wasn’t just her imagination playing tricks on her. It had certainly meant something that night Momo had asked her -- begged her almost -- to be her partner. It wasn’t just her that felt this way.

The girl in question had looked up only to close her eyes at the feeling of Mina’s lips against her own. Momo had stiffened slightly but later relaxed at the feeling of Mina’s hand around her neck, pulling her in closer just as Momo kissed her back, the light of the practice room enveloped them in a yellow glow.

-

The other girl’s looked at one another, shock evident in their wide eyes and mouths hanging open as they closed the door behind them quietly.

“I think they forgot we had a group practice today,” Dahyun had said as she took a peek again and observed the two girls inside the practice room.

Jihyo smiled at the other girls who kept whispering in hushed excitement and bewilderment.

“What was the theme for the stage?” Jihyo looked back toward Chaeyoung who looked away from the sight of the two girls in the practice room and questioned their leader.

“This love.” Jihyo had answered after remembering that time Momo had been ranting about it.

Cheyoung nodded, a smile already making its way onto her lips and Dahyun approached her and whispered something in her ear that made both of them laugh quietly.

“Do you think they’ll include that kiss on stage next week?” Everybody turned to Tzuyu who remained oblivious of the dangerous look upon Jihyo’s eyes. “I’d certainly like to see that again.”

“You’re our maknae!” Jihyo exclaimed loudly.

So hi? Mimo makes me emotional and I needed to write this because who wouldn't want behind the scenes content? Please comment down below what you think~