“Okay, everyone, we have a newcomer this evening. Now, I know this is last minute, but let’s give him a shot. And, now, since we don’t have anyone to dance with him, I’ll be his partner for now.”

“You’re partnering with a guy?” one of the female dancers asked.

“Well, yes. I don’t have a problem dancing the female or male parts. As a dancer, you must know both parts in case you need to improvise. Sehun, you may enter now.”

Sehun held his breath. He’s never been to these types of dance groups except for when he joined a dance class in high school. He was one of the best, and since he loved dance, he finally made the decision to join this advanced dance group after college.

He opened the door slowly and walked in. He couldn’t help but notice how attractive everyone is. In a way, he felt his self esteem drop, but he knew most successful dancers were immensely beautiful. He thought the same of his new dance instructor, Kim Jongin, who he met a little over two weeks ago when he signed up. Sehun told himself that this was only going to be strictly dancing; especially after how heartbroken he had gotten after his most recent break up.

“Introduce yourself to everyone,” Jongin spoke once Sehun stood by his side.

In a slight panic, he looked down and stared at his feet. He hates how shy he gets. It always got in the way with applying for jobs and meeting new people in general. He bowed slightly before speaking, “I’m Oh Sehun.” Once he straightened his posture, he saw a small smile from everyone in the room. And once he saw Jongin’s smile, he felt himself melt. Focus, Sehun.

“Let’s take five minutes to get to know him before we get to work. Relax, have a snack. Five minutes starts now,” and with that, Jongin left.

There were ten other dancers: five females and five males. None of the females seemed to want to start a conversation with him or even say hi except for one whose name he can’t remember. He easily became friends with three of the guys though. The shorter one spoke first, “I’m Kim Minseok, Jonin’s cousin.”

“I’m Lu Han,” the tallest of the three spoke, pulling another male by his arm, “and this is Zhang Yixing.”

Yixing gave Sehun a large grin and all the other man did was form a small “o” with his mouth. He really didn’t know how to respond to that. He was never really much of a conversation starter. But, it seemed like Yixing took liberty in continuing their conversation, “Why didn’t you join sooner?”

“I was … in a serious relationship. I didn’t really have much time to do dedicate my time on dancing, work, and the relationship. It didn’t end well so I really needed to recover from it. I’m fine now, though,” Sehun confirmed.

“Well, sorry to hear that, but life is like that. Women can be frustrating,” Luhan shrugged as he looked over at the other girls in the room.

The thing is, is that he wasn’t in a relationship with a female. But, that isn’t really important enough to mention. Sehun ran his tongue over his lower lip, “If you don’t mind me asking, are the other girls always this distant?”

The shortest one, Minseok if they remembered correctly, shook his head, “They’re actually really friendly, but they are probably jealous because you’re being partnered with Jongin.”

“Yeah,” Yixing added, “Jongin is like a god on the fance floor. I’m not trying to seem gay, but I’d totally be gay for him.”

“Dude,” Luhan comments, “that’s really gay.”

The four guys laughed. Sehun already felt at home with them, and it was a really good feeling. After a bit more conversation and three short minutes, Jongin strolled back in the room confidently. He waved his right hand a bit, “Everyone, get in position.”

Sehun stood back as everyone positioned themselves equally away from each other.  Jongin looked over at Sehun, “this isn’t a partnered dance for now. Since this is advanced, we will show you the dance half speed, full speed, and then you are expected to have the dance memorized. Live it, love it or leave it, as I always say.  And when I say leave it, it means you quit or I kick you out. Understand?”

It seemed like the gentle Jongin he saw five minutes ago has died. It scared him a bit, so all he could do was nod slowly. Jongin positioned himself in front of everyone before he spoke again, “half speed … five, six, seven, eight.”

Sehun wasn’t sure if he had just stepped into a Broadway production backstage practice in the matter of seconds. Everyone was in sync; all of the hip sways, head turns, feet movements, and even to the way their hands twisted.  It was really, truly amazing. Once it ended, Sehun wanted to clap, but he knew it would seem childish and unprofessional. So, he just nodded at them and smiled.

Jongin chewed on his lower lip a bit before he stretched slightly, “Alright. Full speed … five, six, seven, eight.” Sehun’s heart plummeted to his stomach. He wasn’t sure if it was because of how complicated the dance really was or the fact that Yixing was right: Jongin danced so perfectly. It seemed so effortless and beautiful, just the most amazing thing he has ever seen. It was breath taking. The nerves kicked in once the dance ended. He felt himself panicked again. What if he messed up? What if he tripped? What if they laughed at him? He would never be able to forget about it.

The leader motioned Sehun over to stand next to him, and Sehun concluded that he’s ready as he’ll ever be. Jongin paused, taking three steps back so he can see everyone, “Let’s go, full speed … five, six, seven, eight.”

Sehun did it the way he remembered, the way he saw everyone else move. Every hip rock and body roll to the very last step until the dance was over; he did his best to mimic. When it ended, Sehun looked over at Jongin whose expression was emotionless. There was a pause, as if he was running the dance over in his head before he spoke, “Sehun, you did very well.”

He would’ve sighed in relief if he didn’t hear the next part of what Jongin had to say, “But your foot work was a tad bit off and you need to sway your hips a bit more.” Sehun heard snickering in the background and he just wished he could die. Blood rushed t his cheeks in embarrassment, and matters were only made worse when Jongin clicked his tongue. “Sehun, see me after. Again, full speed … five, six, seven, eight.”

+

If it wasn’t for the room being cold, Sehun would have been sweating buckets. He chugged down half a bottle of water as everyone got their things and started leaving. Luhan waved goodbye. Yixing and Minseok pat him on the back once or twice before they left. He never felt so nervous before and the eerie silence made it hard to breathe.

He turned to look at Jongin who rubbed his arm across his forehead. The man sighed loudly, pulling up two chairs next to himself and motioned Sehun to come over. The awkward silence continued even a bit after Sehun sat when he realized Jongin was thinking about something, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry for being hard on you. I take my job seriously and you really do seem like you have lots of potential in being a dancer … even a better dancer than me.”

Sehun’s breathing grew shaky as his insides churned. He wanted to say something like ‘there’s no way because you’re so perfect on the dance floor and it’s amazing that you’re a human and not a god,’ but that would be very inappropriate. So, he didn’t say anything and let the taller man continue, “We’re doing a charity performance in three months, but there are going to be promoters who can literally take any of us to the top. I want everything to be perfect. Are you willing to stay after practice for this month, at least, to catch up with everyone?”

“Yeah, sure, of course,” Sehun answered a little too quickly.

Jongin smiled an a-million-dollars smile, “Great. That’s great. Since today is Thursday, we’ll start next week on Monday. Sounds good?”

With a nod, Jongin got up and prepared to leave. Sehun stretched a bit before getting ready himself. He felt so happy knowing that nice Jongin wasn’t just an act. The man was only cautious and he’s really serious about his job. There was nothing to worry about.

+

They were scheduled to meet Monday to Saturday from four pm to ten pm. The reason is, is because Jongin has to do something in the morning relating to his family that he doesn’t feel like talking about with anyone. Even Minseok gets quiet that one time Sehun asked about it, so he does his best not to pry any further into his instructor’s life.

He was pretty sure he couldn’t feel a thing on Sunday. His body ached and his head throbbed, so all he did was lie on his couch in his tiny apartment, watch crappy soap operas, and order take out. Thank goodness his job left him some money in his pocket. He worked at a coffee shop a couple of blocks down, and he now had to stop working full time and work part time to dance. Paying the bills were going to be a bit harder but Sehun knew he could take some hours on Sunday. Just, for this Sunday, he was going to stay home.

Monday came faster than he thought it would, but luckily he felt a lot better after all of the sleep he had. Practice felt like it flew by; maybe because Jongin was giving some explanation about the dance they were going to work on for the charity, explaining it was going to be a mixture of multiple foreign dances. He even played the song for everyone, and it was a very emotional piece about finding your purpose in life. Being an instrumental, it was more emotional and Sehun was amazed by Jongin’s choice in music.

The last two hours were used to show what Jongin came up with so far, and to explain how the moves went with the song. The dance had some moments that would require a partner and it seemed as though a lot of parts were small dances everyone else has done before. Thankfully Jongin asked to have extra practice with Sehun after practice or he would be would be really behind. He only hoped that the extra practice wouldn’t last too long because he has to wake up at six am to work at the coffee shop.

Once everyone left after practice, Jongin asked, “Have you ever danced with another partner before?”

“Not professionally,” Sehun confessed, “only a few times on dates. That’s it though.”

The older man chewed on his bottom lip like he normally does and Sehun assumes he does so whenever he think.

“Ever danced the tango,” Jongin asked as he waved Sehun over.

“No, I’ve seen it on chick flicks though,” the shorter man confessed.

The taller male rose an eyebrow, “You like chick flicks?”

Sehun rolled his eyes, “No, but they occasionally come up on tv and I’m normally too lazy to change the channel so I just watch.”

“Ah,” Jongin breathed, “Since you’re good at learning from watching, show me what you’ve seen. I want you to take the role of the female as we dance, though.”

“What,” he said evenly.

“You are shorter than me.”

Sehun rolled his eyes again, “Fine, whatever. Let’s just get this over with.”

Sehun did his best to mimic the dance moves he’s seen in movies and Jongin seemed to know exactly what movements to make. Adrenalin pumped through his body and the dance increasingly became passionate, exhilarating, and intimate. He felt as though he could fly with Jongin, and hand in hand, he knew it was possible. He didn’t feel exhausted as he danced, as if the other man took off weight from his shoulders and they moved.

At the end of the dance, Sehun shuffled his feet when Jongin moved his foot between his, causing Sehun to lean forward. With that, Jongin’s hand moved down to the other man’s thigh, making that man’s body press against his own. Just like the movies. And just like the movies, the shorter man’s hand moved up the taller one’s chest, around his neck and stopped just behind his ear. Their faces were only centimeters apart, and Jongin’s auroma clouded Sehun’s mind.

There were so many scents that clogged his mine, but all he recognized was a hint of vanilla hidden in all of that sweat. The younger man wasn’t sure if he could withstand another second of this. As if he read his partner’s mind, Jongin shipped Sehun back and let his ands run down to his calves to end the dance with a dip.

Sehun was out of breath, his head throbbing from the aroma he had a good five seconds to intake, and his cheeks flustered more than they have in such a long time. Jongin let go of Sehun’s leg, helping him stand up straight. They stared at each other, the taller man biting his lip once again. He spoke evenly, “You did well.”

“Thanks,” Sehun didn’t really know what else to say.

Jongin pat the other man’s shoulder and concluded, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Without another word, Jongin got his things and left the room.

 

= = =

 

A month passed by faster than he thought it would and Sehun wasn’t required to stat an hour or so after practice. It was a shame, really. He could spend the rest of his life just watching Jongin dance and wouldn’t blink or look away for a second, afraid he would miss something.

It wasn’t until half way through his shift at work for his phone to buzz due to a text message from Minseok canceling today’s practice. The text explained that there was a family emergency and how sorry both he and Jongin were for such a late notice. Sehun frowned before looking at his co-worker, Jongdae, “I’m taking a break. I need to make a call.”

“Sure thing,” Jongdae smiled and Sehun took that chance to walk to the back of the shop. He called Minseok twice but there was no answer to each call. He skimmed his phone in search for Jongin’s number but he realized he never got it from him. He was concerned and wanted to help as much as he could, but it seems like there wasn’t anything he could do.

He walked back to the counter but stopped half way there when he noticed Jongin was right there, sitting at the table closest to the windows at the farthest end of the shop, alone. He couldn’t see the other man’s face, but he was positive that it was him. His instructor seemed to look down to his hands, his back completely slouched forward, and then his eyes traveled towards the outside. He seemed so depressed, and it made Sehun’s heart ache.

“Sehun,” he turned to see his co-worker with a cup of coffee in his hands, “that man over there ordered this large mocha with hazelnut and vanilla. He seems really down … mind walking this over to him?”

Shaking his head ‘no’, Sehun took the cup of coffee from Jongdae and walked over to his friend. He placed the coffee on the table directly in front of the other man. He looked over, “Thank y- Sehun, what are you doing here?”

Sehun felt so much guilt as he studied Jongin’s face. His face was all puffy and red, especially his eyes, seeming as if he stopped crying only seconds ago. He sat himself across from Jongin, “I work here.”

“Oh,” the man breathed as he looked down at his hands. The shorter male reached his hands over and placed them other his instructor’s, who didn’t pull away. Squeezing his hands slightly, Sehun cooed, “You may not want to talk right now, but I want to let you know that I’m willing to listen if you want to talk with anyone.”

Jongin moved a hand, and Sehun felt as though the other man was going to pull away, only to find out that Jongin was only taking a sip of coffee. After the sip, he breathed, “I need to wash my face.”

“The bathroom is straight down that hallway,” Sehun informed, and once the other male left, his co-worker gave a look as if he was asking if Sehun knew what was going on. Defeated, he mouthed ‘no’ and watched as Jongdae his teeth before heading back to work.

When Jongin came back and sat in his chair, he placed his hands on Sehun’s. His face was a lot less puffy and red, but his eyes cleared up. It didn’t take long for him to start speaking, “My parents were never able to have any children after I was born. My mom always wanted a daughter, and she came up with the idea of adoption. Around seven years ago, we adopted my sister, Eunah, from China. She was the most adorable three year-old I had ever laid eyes on. I … wasn’t as passionate about dancing back then, but I still danced. I used to put on little shows for her and it made me so happy to see her smile and clap, even if it were only because I looked funny.”

Sehun felt himself smiled. He never knew what it was like to have a sibling, but just the thought of it was adorable. The shine in Jongin’s eyes let Sehun know that he loved his sister with all of his heart. She means so much to him, and Sehun cringed because he knew this story wasn’t going to end very well.

“Nine months ago,” Jongin paused for a second before continuing, “Mom was driving Eunah to her ballet class because she wanted to be a dancer just like me … and … it was snowing so much, and it was so cold that ice started forming on the street. Mom was careful, but the other driver …”

Jongin’s hands gripped tightly onto Sehun’s, and a tear forced its way out of him. Sehun reached his hand over and rubbed the other man’s arm who continued, “She broke both of her legs and badly injured her arm. We’ve kept her in the hospital and her arm healed but … her legs are too damaged. Today, the doctors confirmed that there was no way she can use her legs ever again.”

This time, there was no way to hold back the tears. Jongin wept. Sehun got out of his seat and by Jongin’s side, bringing him into a reassuring hug. Only, it made the other man weep more and it even began to bring Sehun to tears, but he did his best to fight it off so he can be strong for his friend. Sehun didn’t know how long it was going to take for Jongin to calm down, but when he did, he started speaking again, “I’m sorry for crying on you like this.”

“No no no,” Sehun cooed as he rested his head over Jongin’s, “You needed to let it out.”

There was a short pause. “Her birthday … it’s this Friday. I’m planning on taking her home from the hospital. Would you like to come with me to take her home?”

“From the hospital? You want me to go meet your sister? I’m sure Minseok could go with you,” Sehun looked down at Jongin who was chewing on his lower lip.

“Sehun, I’ve never felt so comfortable with anyone except for Eunah. You give off the same gentleness and care as she does. Plus, it would be goo to show her a friendly face that wasn’t a family member or someone that works at the hospital.”

Sehun laughed a bit and Jongin pulled away from the hold. From his seat, Jongin looked up at the other male and smiled a gentle smile. Sehun stuck out his tongue slightly before he spoke, “I’ll go. But, do you know what Eunah’s favorite animal is?”

 

= = =

 

Jongin gave everyone Friday off. Sehun was informed Jongin to pick him up for the hospital after his shift. And just before Sehun left, he exclaimed, “Oh! I need to get Eunah’s birthday present from the back!”

“You didn’t need to get her anything,” Jongin urged.

Sehun rolled his eyes, “It’s her tenth birthday!” Quickly, he rushed to the back, and grabbed the gift he got for the girl, and came back out. He was pretty sure Jongin was left in shock. Sehun hesitated, “too much?” He got Eunah a four and a half foot tall panda plush. It wasn’t really expensive and it was for a kid. Thinking about bringing a smile to a kid’s face would make Sehun the happiest person alive.

+

They stopped at room one hundred twenty five. Jonging knocked twice and spoke, “Unnie?”

“Jongie oppa!” a cheerful voice exclaimed from the other side of the door. Jongin slowly opened the door and smiled, “I brought a friend with me.”

Sehun placed the plush by the door so Jongin’s sister wouldn’t see it before he entered. Eunah looked as fragile as a doll. Other than being extremely pale, her black her was long enough for the ends to touch the bed when she sat up. She had the cutest baby face and large brown eyes that give her that youthful look. Sehun smiled, “Your brother talks a lot about you. You’re as cute as he describes. I’m Sehun.”

She smiled excitedly, “Sehun … Jongie oppa talks about you too!”

“Eunah,” Jongin laughed uneasily, “I thought we weren’t going to talk about that.”

“Oh, right,” she dragged out before making a motion as if she was zipping shut, smiling happily afterwards.

Sehun laughed, mostly to try and hide the fact that he was embarrassed knowing Jongin talks about him to his sister. He walked back to pick up the plush, and when he came back, he spoke, “Happy tenth birthday, Eunah!”

Eunah flailed, bouncing herself on the bed a bit once she saw the plush. She got it from Sehun and snuggled it so much he was afraid its head would pop off. “Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh,” she squealed, “It’s so cute! How did you now I liked pandas? Wow, jeez, it’s as big as me!”

“Maybe even bigger,” Jongin joked as he sat on the side of her bed, “What are you going to name it?”

“Mr. Senshine, after Sehun oppa,” she declared.

Sehun blushed, “Senshine?”

“Mister! He’s going to marry my Jongjong bunny plush and they’re going to live happily ever after!” She snuggled the panda. Sehun felt his face grow warm and looked over at Jongin who was looking away, clearing his throat.

+

Eunah was asleep on her wheel chair as she held onto Mr. Senshine. They could have chosen to use the taxi instead of walking all the way to Sehun’s house, but Jongin insisted since the hospital wasn’t too far from either of their houses. Plus, it would give his friend and his sister some time to get to know each other a little more, or rather, he himself get to know his friend more. Sehun stopped in front of his apartment building and smiled at Jongin who stood in front of him, “Thanks for the walk home.”

“It’s the least I can do for what you’ve done for Eunah. She took a liking to you,” Jongin confessed.

Sehun laughed weakly, “I suppose she did.”

It didn’t take more than three seconds for Jongin to lean in and plant a kiss on Sehun’s lips. The other man was taken off guard, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he leaned into the kiss. The kiss was soft—Jongin’s lips were soft. He tasted like the chocolate from the candy they ate only moments ago, with a hint of vanilla. As they slowly pulled apart, Sehun’s eyes slowly fluttered open and noticed the older man was more flustered than he was.

Jongin chewed on his bottom lip as he thought before he spoke, “Sorry … that was wrong.”

“Yeah, you’re my instructor,” Sehun started.

“I should have asked you out first.”

There was a pause. “What?”

“Well, not ask you out. I should have taken you on a date first. But, I still want us to go out. I mean,” Jongin looked down a bit in embarrassment, “I’m not good at this.”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, I’ll go on a date with you, and go out with you. Or yes to whichever question you want an answer to.”

Jongin blinked slowly, “Really?” Sehun nodded.

“Good,” The taller man spoke before kissing Sehun once again. This time, the kiss was deeper and more passionate, making butterflies swarm in his stomach like they had before. The brunette reached his hands up a bit, gripping onto the other man’s coat as they kissed.

Jongin spoke one after they parted for air, “Was that too soon? I mean, I really want to kiss you and-“

This time, Sehun kissed Jongin first.

 

= = =

 

They decided not to tell everyone about them dating until after the charity dance. That way there would be no conflicts or complications beforehand or the day of the performance. Only, there still was a complication that occurred fifteen minutes before the show started.

“Minseok has a fever,” Luhan’s eyes grew wide, “out of all times!”

“It wasn’t his fault. Things like this happen sometimes,” Jongin chewed on his bottom lip.

Minseok’s partner began to panic, “who is going to dance with me, then?”

“Sehun will,” Jongin stated.

Sehun looked at Jongin, “What? That means-“

“I’m not dancing,” Jongin finalized.

Sehun grabbed Jongin’s wrist and pulled him away from everyone’s sight, then pulling the taller man close as he places his hands on that man’s cheeks, “Jongin, Eunah is in the audience to watch you dance. This is a once in a lifetime change to be a professional dancer. You want to be a professional, don’t you?”

“Yes, but-“

Sehun kissed him passionately, his arms wrapping around Jongin’s neck and pulling him down to deepen the kiss. Once he pulled away, Sehun concluded, “Do this for Eunah. Do this for yourself. I don’t mind not dancing. I’ll just sit in the audience with Eunah, okay?”

It took him a second to reply, “Okay.”

“Okay.”

+

Sehun sat himself next to Eunah who had Mr. Senshine in her arms, bouncing in her wheel chair because it has been the first time in a month since she had seen her brother dance. There were a ton of people in the audience, and just seeing the amount of people made him nervous even thought he wasn’t going to dance. He focused on Jongin as everyone got on the stage and danced, and sometimes he looked over at Eunah whose eyes sparkled and face glowed with delight. She really loved dancing and Jongin, so Sehun was positive she was the happiest person in the entire world right now.

Jongin was perfect. Every movement was precise as always and Sehun felt his heart flutter just watching his lover. At the end of the dance, the audience was standing and applauding. In helplessness, Sehun put Eunah on his shoulders and he was sure she cheered louder than everyone.

+

He pushed Eunah’s wheel chair until he noticed Jongin was speaking to someone. It was a promoter. Sehun beamed with happiness and then came to a sudden realization: if Jongin dances professionally, Sehun will most likely never see him again. Their relationship will end. He supposed they would try long distance, but Sehun wouldn’t be able to withstand being away from Jongin. He loved him.

“Eunah,” Jongin exclaimed as he rushed over to give his sister a hug.

“Did you hear me cheer for you?” She giggled, “I cheered the loudest, yup yup! Sehun oppa put me on his shoulders so I can cheer!”

“Oh, really?” Jongin laughed as he pulled away from Eunah, then walking over to Sehun and leaning in to give him a deep kiss. Sehun’s face darkened as he kissed back, until he realizes they were kissing in front of everyone. The shorter male pulled away, pushing Jongin slightly, “You know I don’t like it when you kiss me in front of other.”

“Today will be an accepting. I got an offer, though, I have to leave by tomorrow morning at eight o’clock,” Jongin breathed.

So soon? Sehun cleared his throat a bit in surprise. Eunah exclaimed, “That’s great!”

“I’m so happy for you,” Sehun smiled as he felt his heart crumble.

+

Sehun woke up with a headache and it didn’t want to go away. He was depressed. Jongin was going to be on a plane in half an hour and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Maybe he should have told Jongin that he loved him. He dialed for pizza and ordered three, knowing that the pizza and the container of ice cream in is fridge would help him get through the day. He threw himself on the bed and watched a crappy chick flick until the door bell rang. He checked the time. It took the delivery guy a little over twenty minutes? What took them so long?

He walked over to the door with a twenty dollar bill in his hand, opening the door to find Jongin standing there. Sehun wanted to ask why Jongin was there at his door step instead of the gate of the airport as he waits for his plane. But, it seems like Jongin read his mind, “I choose you.”

With that, Jongin pulled Sehun into a passionate kiss, and all Sehun knew was that he better get those three pizzas for free.

 

---

 

I didn't put a lot of emphasis on the dating factor, and I guess I should have,
but this one shot is sitting at 5k, so I don't want to drag this story on some more.
So here, hope you guys enjoyed it.