They had gathered that day to rehearse for the dance scene that was a part of the ending. Though Taeyeon had no trouble with singing (it was only a small arrangement), neither had Baekhyun, the dance hadn’t come as easily.

She was fairly good at dancing, being close to Soojung had made her capable of that. But couple dancing, especially when she had to be in sync with Baekhyun, was nerve-wrecking. She could hardly think about anything else when his hand was on her bare arm, or on her waist and they both phenomenally failed at maintaining eye contact, that was integral if they were to convey the emotions to the audience. They both stepped on each other’s feet at least fifty times, and the waltz itself felt like a puppet show with both of them awkwardly imitating the moves they were supposed to. There was enough tension and chemistry but not enough ease and comfort that was needed to create a perfect harmony, and Taeyeon could tell it was getting to Yixing. She herself was going crazy, and almost gave up at one point, but there was no going back on what she’d taken upon herself.

And the funny part was, despite all the practices they had, not one opportunity had arisen for her to get him to talk to her, so the only reason she’d started this in the first place was a failed mission.

“Yes, keep her there, very good, three more seconds….”, Yixing’s voice spoke up from below, as Taeyeon breathed suspended in midair, trying not to think about the fire she felt midriff, from where Baekhyun’s hands lifted her. They were on the last part of the dance, her hands were on his shoulders, and strangely she wasn’t afraid of being dropped. Not this time. Why wasn’t she afraid?

“Now slowly down….”

Stop thinking, Tae. Stop. She closed her eyes as she was gracefully brought down, and didn’t open them until her feet touched the ground. And even then she wished she hadn’t. Because he was looking at her with such intensity that she staggered, and he caught her, and she held her breath, both of them not breaking eye contact for the first time that day.

“The lift was so much better, I can’t understand why you people can’t do the easier parts well?”, Yixing’s complaint broke them out of their trance, and they both looked away, her hand slowly leaving his warm one.

_

By the next morning, Seungwan was ravenous. It wasn’t just lack of food, it was the lack of everything essential, like a hole had been created in the center of her being that was all life out of her.

Her stomach hurt, her head hurt, and it was like her nose head become some super sniffing organ because the aromas of Kyungsoo’s cooking were making her salivate so much, she had to bite down on her lips till they bled.

Her stomach grumbled as she ready to go out, bringing tears to her eyes. It was early for her to be leaving the room, she knew, she usually waited and went out way after Kyungsoo had left. She could hear him in the kitchen now, her stomach’s grumbling getting louder as her steps led her to the lounge, and by the time she reached there, all her resolve had gone to hell. She needed food. Spotting the empty table mat over which her tray was usually placed on the for-two table, she was hit with a pounding realization. What if he had decided he wouldn’t cook for her anymore? She had after all rejected his delicious endeavours for so long.

Guilt and fear stopped her mid-step, and she looked at the small dining table with such primal longing, her eyes teared up. In that moment she regretted rejecting every food she’d ever rejected.

Breaking her out of her self-reprimanding, Kyungsoo emerged out of the kitchen at that time and halted upon spotting her. “Hey, you’re up?”, He looked at her uncertainly for a few seconds and Seungwan bit her cheeks from inside. Sensing the presence of something she wanted more at that time, her gaze went down to the plate in his hand, that was filled with omelet and meat and she had to churn up all her resistance to not run and starting eating from it.

He probably noticed her pathetic condition, because he quickly set the plate down on the table in front. “I’ll bring the rest, you sit down”

……………………………………………………………………

Kyungsoo seethed as he picked up the hot pan from the wrong side, burning his thumb and doled the fried sausages into two plates.

She was there. She was going to finally eat what he’d cooked. Or that’s what it looked like at least, he didn’t want to get his hopes up too high. His heart beat frantically in anticipation as he held the plate of toasts in one hand, and balanced the ones with sausages in the other and went out of the small kitchen.

And stopped in surprise seeing what he did. Seungwan was stuffing with eggs and minced meat from the plate he’d left at the table two minutes ago, tears running down her face probably of fulfillment and relief, everything about her demeanor betraying the guard she had kept around him for a while now.

She looked up just in time to see him, and halted making him falter. He quickly rebuilt his composure and went to put the plates of sausages on the table in front of her followed by bread. “I’m gonna head out for a bit…”, He said clearing his throat awkwardly. He took his apron off and hung it in the kitchen, before walking to his room, all the while Seungwan watched him like a statue.

He sighed closing the door behind him. The girl had been starving. And all the while he had been convinced that he was being nice and caring enough. He should have made her eat the food he cooked, instead of just leaving sorry notes around that never got to her. In truth, he had just been scared. Of facing her and interacting.

A knock on his door pulled him out of his thoughts and he began to rustle around, finding something to do as he called for the person to come in.

Seungwan appeared, looking down guiltily, a lot more composed and in control now. “I…”, She began. “I’m sorry. I didn’t have any money so I didn’t eat yesterday. I was really hungry – “

“You don’t have to apologize”, He interrupted her, and then went ahead to pick his wallet from the dressing table. God, he was a real failure wasn’t he? How had he thought she’d been lunching at that restaurant these past few days? Using her cuteness as currency?

“Do you….how much?”, God this was beyond awkward, he fiddled with his wallet. Giving up, he took two large strides towards her, unknowingly surprising her as she took instinctive steps back hitting the wall, her cheeks coloring. He strangely thought of kissing her.

“Just take….”, He extended the wallet towards her, that she took nervously, her hand brushing against his, leaving a trail of longing.

He took a deep breath and went out, before he actually acted on the stupid thoughts in his head, hoping she would return his wallet to him later because he didn’t have money elsewhere.