Two figures huddled over the desk as they peered down at the scribbled on scrap of paper, illuminated by the lamp angled to shine directly on their hastily scrawled words, though the room was plenty lit enough.  “I think it would be better if we worded it this way, though,” the blonde young man stated softly as he tentatively wrote another refrain on the already mostly full piece of paper.

                The taller Minho watched the shorter man write out the newest version of the refrain they were working on and his brow creased in thought, dark eyes peering at the words intently and trying to see how they would fit in with the theme they were working with.  Casually, he pointed at one of the words and offered, “Why don’t we replace this with something else?  Caress just seems too soft for the meaning behind the words,” he shrugged with a sidelong glance at Eunhyuk who seemed slightly annoyed by the desire to alter the terminology.

                “I don’t know,” Eunhyuk sighed quietly, the tip of the pen resting between his lips as he chewed the cap in thought.

                “I just think it would make the whole dynamic work better for something more firm and not so…delicate,” Minho offered.  “It sounds like something in a ballad, not a rap,” he finally mused as he chewed on his fingernail in lieu of a pen.  He had nothing against the word, but the underlying beat they were working with was more primal with stronger bass currents and a considerably more visceral approach.  The rapping part of the lyrics they were trying to pull together needed to reflect that energy and emotion.  A gentle caress just wasn’t going to cut it; not that there was anything wrong with a gentle caress...  At the thought, he cast a sidelong glance at his companion and sighed.

                Minho respected and admired Eunhyuk who had a similar passion for writing lyrics as he did, but somewhere along the way those feelings had evolved into more than just admiration.  The Shinee member knew that Eunhyuk had written several vocal parts for some of Super Junior’s other songs, which is why he had asked him to assist him in the first place.  It didn’t hurt that the blonde was also especially inclined to help any of his dongsaengs and friends in general if he was able to.

                Personally, Minho had been struggling with his original words and wanted the rapper’s opinion.  It was a huge bonus that he could also help to choreograph the dance segments they were discussing as well, not that Taemin couldn’t. Ordinarily, he would have asked the youngest group member to help him with the dance part, but he had really wanted to have a reason to get Eunhyuk all to himself and since he could rap and dance, it had made perfect sense.

                The Super Junior dancer frowned in thought, a singularly entrancing expression, just like all of the ones that appeared on his face, as he turned the words over in his head.  At last, he looked up with soft brown eyes at the taller rapper and nodded with a toothy smile, “I can see why that wouldn’t show the proper meaning.”  Quickly, he scratched out the word ‘caress’ and replaced it with the word ‘embrace.’  “Better?” he queried as he looked up from their work to meet Minho’s gaze.

                Startled, the Shinee member smiled immediately and nodded in agreement.  “Neh.  I think so.  Here.  Let me try now,” he offered as he picked up the almost illegible page and squinted at it briefly, familiarizing himself with the words they were expressing.  It took him a moment to decipher their combined handwriting, during which time he ran a hand through thick dark locks that he was able to pull back into a ponytail at whim.  “Gyah,” he muttered as his hair fell into his eyes yet again before tying it up with a scrunchie he wore around his wrist for just such occasions, placing the page between his teeth so he didn’t have to set it down.

                Before he had finished, Eunhyuk had reached out and snatched the page from him with an annoyed expression of his own.  “Aish.  You could ask me to hold it,” he laughed, peering at the edge that was now punctured by teeth marks.  At least the words weren’t disturbed for all that he could barely read them either.  “Here,” he chuckled at Minho’s chagrined expression, handing the page back.  Easily, he tapped out the beat on the desk for the younger man and grinned in pleasure to listen to the young bass voice as it rumbled out their agreed upon lyrics.

                “So?” Minho asked nervously when he looked up to see what Eunhyuk thought of his practice performance.

                Distractedly, Eunhyuk played the rendition over in his head again, matching the vocals with the beat they had come up with, already formulating a dance step to go along with it.  He was startled when he felt Minho’s hand on his shoulder, curious dark eyes peering down at him as he was lost in thought.  “Huh?’ he asked, instantly smiling in response.

                Minho had to laugh at the older man’s usual reaction.  A smile was always quick to appear on the shorter man’s face.  For all that he could cry at the drop of a hat, it was also remarkably easy to make him smile, something that Minho aimed to do at all times.  “So, what do you think?” he asked again, letting his hand linger longer than it needed to on the other man’s shoulder as he laid the words down on the desk between them.

                Shyly, Eunhyuk looked up and covered his hand with his mouth, hiding that easy smile as he answered, “I think it’s good.  You do it justice,” he grinned confidently, the hand dropping now as he overcame his nerves.  He had to remind himself that they were just discussing lyrics and choreography.  There was nothing else going on…really.  As much as he wondered what things might be like otherwise, there was nothing there, no matter how much the handsome rapper smiled at him with those mesmerizing, intense eyes, or so he kept telling himself.

                “Well, you helped, hyung,” Minho was quick to point out as he clapped the shorter man on the shoulder fondly, pulling him into a hasty embrace before releasing him quickly, lest he appear too affectionate or possessive.

                A brief trill of excitement flowed through Eunhyuk at the contact before he pushed away his disappointment at being released so soon.  What was wrong with him?  Focus!  He was just here to help his dongsaeng.  Distractedly, he shifted the page on the desktop and cleared his head.  “Okay.  So we’re good with the words, right?” he confirmed, looking up at the taller man again, swallowing when he felt his stomach flip at the admiring expression he caught on the younger man’s face.

                Eunhyuk hadn’t realized how distracting it would be to remain in one place with just Minho when there were no others to divert either of their attention.  From the safety of the crowd, he had been able to cast covert glances at the taller man whenever they were in the same area, whether they were performing on stage or just in get-togethers and the occasional practices they shared.  With just the two of them in one of the more open practice rooms, it was nigh on impossible to look without being noticed and at the realization he flushed slightly, forcing a laugh and looking away shyly to hide his feelings.

                A flash of concern traced across Minho’s face as he realized he was probably being a bit too obvious and he hurried to agree, “Neh.  The words are perfect, hyung,” he smiled, focusing on the paper again to give himself time to think.  Damn, that Eunhyuk was undeniably cute, especially in profile when he thought no one else was looking.  Crowned with bright gold hair, it showcased his incredibly expressive eyes with ease and he always had this thoughtful look on his face when he was focusing on something else.  “So,” he took a breath and pushed himself away from the table.  “About the dance steps,” he began, not sure if he should cut this short or not.  He really could always get Taemin to assist him and since they’d worked out the lyrics, which had been his larger concern, they didn’t have to work on the choreography.

                Eunhyuk whirled around and gestured with his hands, “Of course.”  As much as he was taken aback by the attention, he did not wish to part ways just yet.  Who knew when they might have another chance to spend time like this together?  “I said I’d help with that, Minho,” he assured him with that easy smile, relaxing at the prospect of dancing again.  “I’ve already got some ideas too,” he nodded and stepped over to the cd player that had the demo music in it already.  He paused before he pressed the play button and focused on the taller man intently, his mind working on choreography and not connecting that he was staring in the meantime.

                Minho glanced behind him quickly to make sure there wasn’t something he was missing and stepped closer to Eunhyuk, a curious expression on his face.  “Hyung?” he asked as he waved a hand in front of the dancer’s face.

                The blonde blinked rapidly and then flushed in embarrassment while his hand drifted in front of his mouth to hide his laugh.  “Sorry,” he apologized with a bow.  “You have such a powerful stage presence that I needed to see if I could come up with a routine to really make it shine.”  Quickly, he pressed the play button and then guided Minho to the center of the floor with him, one hand resting lightly on his arm.  “Just watch and tell me what you think,” he nodded, his focus already shifted.

                “Of course, hyung,” Minho grinned unabashedly.  He rarely had the opportunity to observe the skilled dancer so openly.  Eunhyuk had said that Minho had a powerful stage presence but he had nothing on the shorter man when he was dancing.  The blonde simply came to life and gone was the shy young man who felt everything so deeply; replaced by this startling and incredible personage who dominated the dance floor.  He was a pleasure to watch as the lithe body started to move through the routine effortlessly.

                It was not his usual dance steps, since he was trying to work something for the younger man who wasn’t quite the dancer that he was, admittedly.  Eunhyuk threw complicated maneuvers out the window and aimed for more eye catching stunts that he felt the taller man would be able to emulate quite nicely based on what he’d seen him do before and a little guesswork since he was as athletic as he was.  As he moved, the steps already ingrained in his mind, he let his eyes wander to Minho who was watching intently.  Good.  It should be no trouble for him to pick it up.

                As the demo wound down, so did Eunhyuk and Minho whistled appreciatively.  “And you expect me to do that, hyung?” he laughed lightly, his mind reeling from what the dancer had been able to throw together in so short a time span.

                “Of course, Minho,” Eunhyuk grinned, breathing slightly harder than normal.  “Come on,” he waved easily, waiting for the tall rapper to take his place beside him before he continued.  “I’ll walk you through it.  It looks harder than it is,” he winked good-naturedly.

                “If you say so,” Minho chuckled with a focused glance down at Eunhyuk’s feet.

                “The first step is like this,” the dancer began, taking his time to show the move in slow motion and then checking to see that Minho understood.

                In trying to learn the dance steps, there was no more time for admiration for Minho as he focused intently on dedicating them to memory.  He very much liked the routine that Eunhyuk had come up with and it was now his job to learn it.  “Like this?” he asked as he started to copy what he had thought he’d seen.

                Eunhyuk laughed lightly and stepped over to correct him, halting the younger man with a gentle touch on his shoulder.  “Almost,” he nodded, remaining close despite there being no reason for it other than because he enjoyed it.  “Now follow me,” he instructed while he focused on Minho’s feet, his own body following the steps he had thrown together with little thought needed.

                Minho was inordinately pleased that Eunhyuk had decided to stay within arm’s reach of him and he had to hide his grin, afraid that he might scare him away again.  It wasn’t that he couldn’t see him well enough from where he was, but this close up he was that much more intoxicating.  Easily, Minho gave himself up to Eunhyuk’s guidance, determined to show him that he could learn it tonight.

                Over the course of the next two hours, the pair worked steadfastly at getting Minho to remember the steps and correctly execute them.  When Eunhyuk was satisfied that he had the bare bones of it without the music, he turned the demo on again and walked him through the steps at the correct speed several times.  “It’s alright,” he encouraged when the rapper stumbled through the first attempt.  “Just focus on the underlying beat,” Eunhyuk explained, tapping his hand in the air to follow the four-count they were working with.

                Understanding washed over Minho as he focused on the part that Eunhyuk had based the steps around.  The instrumental music was nice, but there was an underlying beat that he felt when it was pointed out to him.  It didn’t mean he knew the steps automatically, but it was easier to pick up when he lost his train of thought though.  “Slow down,” he laughed at last, reaching out to grab Eunhyuk’s arm lightly to bring him to a stop.

                “Aww, but that’s no fun,” Eunhyuk replied teasingly, completely at ease now.  Still, he did slow down and even reached out to rest his hand on Minho’s arm.

                “You really are an amazing dancer, hyung,” the taller rapper admitted huskily after he had a chance to catch his breath.  Gratifyingly, both were breathing hard by now, their shirts soaked through with tendrils of hair plastered to their glistening foreheads.

                Pleased, Eunhyuk blushed slightly as he looked away.  “And you’re getting better,” he stated instead, grinning up at the taller of the two.  When he met the other man’s gaze, he felt a combination of excitement and nervousness as the intensity there almost took his breath away.  If he wasn’t careful, he felt that he might simply get lost in those dark orbs.  With some difficulty, he tore his gaze away and breathed, “Let’s take a bit of a break,” as he turned to head for the table.

                “Good idea,” Minho agreed with a grin.  Casually, he caught up to the shorter male and threw an arm over his shoulder.  “Thanks again for helping me, hyung,” he stated softly with an appreciative glance at the dancer.

                “Well, we’re not done yet, but you’re welcome,” Eunhyuk smiled back, rather enjoying the feel of Minho being so close.  He was brave enough to place his one hand against the rapper’s back as they walked together the few steps to the table.  Sadly, he rather wished that they wouldn’t be wrapping things up so soon.  Even if this couldn’t last, it had been a very enjoyable evening.

                Minho stopped and allowed Eunhyuk to rest on the table.  He was rather tired himself but it made him smile to see the dancer seated on the table top, his legs swinging above the floor.  The lyrics were resting just beside him and he stepped close to get a better look at them again, bringing him in close proximity to the blonde.  “I think we did a good job with this,” Minho commented softly as his fingers traced the paper but he peered at Eunhyuk out of the corner of his eyes.

                Distinctly aware of how close Minho was, his hip was actually brushing against his knee, Eunhyuk felt his heart beat faster.  He couldn’t ignore that enticing look that Minho was giving him either, out of the corner of his eyes.  A blush came upon him and he couldn’t help but smile, teeth and gums showing.  “We did and you’ve done well with the dance so far.  I’m glad you asked me,” he admitted shyly as he reached down to tilt the paper his direction so he could reread the lyrics.  Almost as if by accident, his fingers gently touched Minho’s hand and he admired the quiet strength he knew was there.

                This close to the older male, Minho had a hard time not acting impetuously.  He was very aware of the contact at his hip and the lightest caress of his hand.  Dark eyes traced the skin of his neck as he peered down at the lyrics, watching as his throat flexed when he swallowed.  A few stray strands of hair were curled against the side of his cheek and Minho reached up to trace the locks behind his ear, letting his fingertips linger against his jawline.  “Eunhyuk…” he started to say, entirely uncertain as to what he wanted to explain.  He had absolutely no idea but he knew that if he didn’t say something now, in this moment when it was just them, then he was not going to say anything at all.

                Eunhyuk froze when he felt the rapper’s hand against his jaw, his heart racing fiercely in his chest.  “Minho?” the dancer asked so quietly his voice was little more than a whisper as he turned to look up at the taller man leaning over him.  The almost desperate longing was plain to see mirrored in the dark eyes that met his own and words simply failed him.

                Slowly, oh so slowly, Minho took Eunhyuk’s face in both his hands and leaned down to place his lips tenderly against Eunhyuk’s unresisting ones.  He closed his eyes and willed this moment to never end as the lips beneath his own responded in turn and he felt a hand come to rest against the side of his neck, gently pulling him closer.  The kiss was better than he ever imagined it could be and he pulled back only when breathing became a necessity.  Still captured by Eunhyuk’s hand, he did not move very far so that when he opened his eyes, he could see that he was only an inch or two from the other man’s face.

                Eunhyuk didn’t know what to feel for all the emotions that ran through him just then.  The impossibility of this moment was quickly being assured as truth the longer he stared into Minho’s eyes, the taste of his lips sweet and the feel of his hands cradling his face comforting.  “What…was that for?” he asked uncertainly, hardly daring to believe it anyway, his eyes searching the face above his.

                “Eunhyuk.  I like you,” Minho finally admitted, the barest flush of color creeping into his cheeks.

                Eunhyuk smiled so hard his cheeks hurt at the admission, his face already flushed.  “I like you too, Minho,” he whispered, raising himself up the couple inches needed to close the gap so their lips met again.   Easily, he surrendered to the feel of that tender kiss and allowed himself to be pulled into Minho’s arms as the taller man reached around to pull the dancer against his body, sliding him easily off the table top and steadying him effortlessly when his feet hit the floor.

                Indescribable joy filled Minho as his hands and arms held Eunhyuk closer, their lips and tongues hesitantly exploring each other’s mouths.  At last, they pulled apart and the rapper rested his forehead against Eunhyuk’s, a warm smile still present on his face.  He took a deep breath and chuckled softly, the sound rumbling pleasantly through Eunhyuk, “So.  What are we going to do now?”

                It was a rather loaded question, but for the moment, Eunhyuk didn’t want to spoil this evening quite yet so he smiled in answer and laughed, “I believe you still have a dance routine to learn.”  Playfully, he reached up to kiss his lips lightly and then disentangled himself before grabbing Minho’s hand and pulling him back to the center of the floor.

                Quite content, Minho let himself be pulled along, a feeling of joy and contentment ading his being.  As he watched the dancer step away to start the music, he smiled to himself, inordinately glad that he had spoken up; even more so that the night wasn’t over yet.  “Alright, Hyukkie,” he winked mischievously when the dancer came close again, mock offense on his face at the nickname.  “Show me how it’s done.”

(a/n:  So I figured it turned out alright.  Modern day pieces aren't my strong point but I'm actually learning to like them.  ^_^  Of course, the characters aren't hurting in that regard either.  ;)  If you found this and are so inclined, I would love to know what you think!  Thanks for reading!  <3)