Into Your Arms

HyoHyuk

HerroAwkwardTurtle

One step, two step, turn around, arms up.

Sweat formed on my forehead as I did the steps again. Everyone else had long left the studio, but I was still there, hours later, when everyone else was probably eating dinner in the dorm. I was still practising the moves I myself had choreographed.

“Come on, Hyooo-ssi,” Taeyeon prodded. “You've practised that dance for what feels like thousands of times already, and it's okay to have a little misstep or a few centimeters off. You should take a rest and come eat with us and Super Junior!”

“I'm not hungry,” I insisted. “Plus I'm only going to be here for a little more.”

“This is one of our rare evenings off,” Sunny said to me, her face showing concern. “Don't you want to spend it doing something meaningful?”

“Dancing is meaningful to me,” I responded, bending over to press the play button on the CD player.

“...well okay, suit yourself.” Sooyoung said, looking disappointed. “Just catch up, okay?”

“I'll save your food in the oven so it won't get cold,” Seohyun offered, forever being the motherly maknae.

“Thank you everybody,” I said, smiling as I continued to attempt to finish my dance.

Tiffany wordlessly tossed me a bottle of Pocari Sweat and smiled, and I caught it.

All of them were concerned in their own way, but it wasn't surprising

None of them stayed.

I mean, sometimes I feel so inferior compared to everyone else. I sometimes think that if it was Jessica saying she wanted to stay and dance, everyone would stay with her and help her out.

But I'm just Kim Hyoyeon.

One step, two step, three step, arms out. Spin left, go down, hand motions.

“Why, am I doing this.” I asked myself, as I continued to do the motions over.

“Why did I crack today? I mean I never do things like this, and openly try to get away from everybody. But why today? Was it because Tiffany got that bag I always wanted, or that Taeyeon has the perfect body and she can dance the part I struggle with the most?”

I took a deep breath, as tears welled in my eyes. I refused to let them out though.

Well I always had dancing. Dancing wasn't just a thing I did, or something I did for the sake of my career. Dancing was like my heart, necessary for my body, for my existence, for my everything. Dancing was my unhealthy addiction, my drug. Dancing was my escape from everything.

Dancing was when I felt safest and needed the most.

I took a deep breath and did a spin-into-split again, and failed horribly as my eyes were clouded and I couldn't properly land. And as expected I landed funny on my legs and my ankle bent in a weird way. I gasped and keened over, hugging my ankle as it began to sting.

“...why, why am I the inferior one. Why am I only Kim Hyoyeon?”

I heard something crack behind me all of a sudden. Like the sound of a plate hitting the ground, breaking.

I turned around to see... Eunhyuk-oppa.

He was dressed in a loose white t-shirt and black sweatpants with sandals... he was dressed so casually it was making my stomach hurt with how good he still managed to look in it.

“Hyo-ssi, are you okay?” He asked as he bended over me, his eyes filled with concern.

I blinked the tears out of my eyes and looked past him. There was indeed a plate that was on the ground, with a humble pile of rice, kimchi, and bulgogi beef. I couldn't help but smile.

“You're making me worry,” Eunhyuk said, reminding me he was there.

I looked up at his face again. Perfectly sculpted cheekbones over milky skin. Deep eyes that seemed to have something hidden behind them. Hair so soft looking I felt like running my hands through it as I looked at him.

After a second I realized I was staring at him when his face turned a light pink, so I turned my eyes away in embarrassment.

...why does he even bother with me?

“Here, let me help you up.” He said softly, his huge hands cradling my neck as his other arm wrapped around me, pulling me into a sitting position.

I couldn't breathe when he had his arms around me. My heart was racing and racing and I was praying to God that he couldn't feel it beating against his chest as we were so close together.

Why, God? Why have I gone and fallen in love with Lee Eunhyuk?

I wouldn't dare tell him, but I fell for Eunhyuk-oppa the day I started working with him. His laid-back attitude, the way he did his hair, the way he danced with such vigor and confidence... it attracted me to him at first sight. I fell more and more for him as I worked with him more and more, and as people started referring to us as 'matching dancing machines', I couldn't help but work harder, endlessly, to live up to Eunhyuk-oppa's accomplishments so I could one day be his equal as people said I was.

I took a deep breath once his warm arms removed from me. Suddenly I felt cold, and my cheeks were completely flushed. I couldn't look him in the eyes.

“Hyo-ssi, let me take a look at your ankle.” He said, evidently upset.

I didn't respond but he began gently taking off my shoe and peeling off my sock. I tried not to giggle, because my feet were always ticklish, but for some reason I felt safe with Eunhyuk-oppa handling my injury.

“You know, everyone was wondering where you were,” He said, still peeling my sock off. “I had to play a round of chicken with Hee-Chul and Kyuhyun to see who got to bring food to you.”

Eunhyuk gave me a crooked smile, the smile I adored the most. I smiled back but tried to hide the blush on my cheeks.

“Um... uh... thank you,” I said quietly as he finally got my sock all the way off.

“...aisshhh...” Eunhyuk mumbled as we both stared at it.

There was a bruising lump the size of a marble forming on my ankle. I took a deep breath in terror, knowing it was going to affect my dancing for the rest of my life.

“Hyo-ssi, we need to get you to the dorm quickly as possible,” He said quickly, motioning to pick me up.

“...I don't want to.” I whispered.

Eunhyuk pulled away slowly, his face covered in confusion. “What?”

“I don't want to go and be with the others. I don't belong there.” I whispered.

Eunhyuk-oppa's face bore an expression I couldn't quite understand. I just sat there, holding my swelling foot, as my battle with the tears forming in my eyes was quickly getting more and more feeble.

“What do you mean?” Eunhyuk asked, a choke in his voice.

“...I mean, I'm only Kim Hyoyeon,” I said, a hint of venom in my voice as I looked down at the ground. “SNSD doesn't even need me.”

“What the hell are you saying?” Eunhyuk yelled all of a sudden.

I looked up in confusion.

Suddenly I felt two large hands grasp my shoulders and I looked up to see Eunhyuk-oppa's face just inches from mine, his deep eyes staring into me. I took a deep breath and looked away.

“Look at me, Kim Hyoyeon.” He said quietly, his warm breath covering my face.

I slowly looked up at him, to see that Eunhyuk-oppa's face was covered in blush too. His face was so red, redder than when Tiffany drinks alcohol. I couldn't help but smirk at the determined expression he was trying to pull off.

But he was serious.

“Kim Hyoyeon, you are the most talented, amazing dancer I've ever laid my eyes on. Your smile is like sunshine to me, and your laugh is the most beautiful sound that fills my ears. Your face... your eyes, your hair, are all so beautiful. You're beautiful.” He choked out.

I was blushing really badly then. I couldn't stop looking at his eyes though... they were filled with sincerity.

“Do you really mean all of that? Why would you say that?” I asked.

There was an awkward silence. Eunhyuk's hands got a little loose on my shoulders for a second.

He looked away and I did too.

Silence.

Suddenly, I felt myself get pulled into his broad chest.

“Because I love you, Kim Hyoyeon.”

My heart must have exploded or something because all at once, all those tears held in my eyes streamed out. And for the first time, I cried like a baby, as Eunhyuk-oppa and I hugged closely on the ground.

“No matter what you say,

no matter what you think or feel that you aren't needed,

I want you.

No, I need you.”

He whispered into my hair.

It felt like hours I was crying on his shoulder, speechless. I didn't care my makeup was running all over my face and that my eyes were getting dry with my contacts on. I cried and cried until I was hiccupping like a baby.

“I love you too, Eunhyuk-oppa.” I choked finally, and the world seemed to get lighter.

We pulled away slowly from each other and stared into each others eyes.

Wordlessly, Eunhyuk fixed the bangs on my forehead and leaned in closer to wipe my tears away. And before I knew it, our lips touched, light as butterfly wings. It all happened so fast I didn't really catch it, but the warmth was so incredibly evident my body was set ablaze.

Suddenly, we were both laughing.

“Sorry, that was so awkward!” Eunhyuk laughed as he hit the ground, pounding it in the hilarity of the moment. “I totally hit your nose and kissed you weird, unlike the K-Dramas I always wanted to kiss like!”

I laughed hard. Eunhyuk was making me cry so much in sadness, happiness, and laughter, I was getting pretty mad at him. But not mad in a bad way.

I smiled happily and leaned into him wordlessly, kissing him quickly and softly, properly.

There was a long silence. My heart leaped for joy within my aching chest.

“...kinda like that kiss,” Eunhyuk whispered, pulling me in and kissing me again.

--

We walked into the dining hall hand in hand as SuJu and SNSD were having their usual antics at the table. Nobody really noticed, until Sunny went and squealed.

“NO WAY. NO WAY.” Sunny squealed, her aegyo levels going off balance again. “YOU GUYS FINALLY TOLD EACH OTHER?”

And then, the beginning of the official Dancing King and Queen started.

--

Eunhyuk, I used to feel safest dancing.

But now I can only feel safe

In Your Arms.

Image from : http://yeahhyohyuk.tumblr.com/