Kibum held out his arms, muscles poised all the way to his fingertips, letting the music playing in his mind fill up the empty studio, leaping across the hardwood floor and moving his limbs in time. Every movement was careful, deliberate and controlled, strong and full of energy. The technique was etched into his muscles like last words etched into stone, keeping him light and precise and full of grace.
     The song ended, real silence of the room echoing in his ears, arms out and one leg outstretched behind him, seemingly effortless down to the pointed toe.
     There was a loud clapping from behind him, distinct and deliberate, yet not quite slow enough to be sarcastic. It made Kibum jump horribly, whirling on the ball of one foot, fingertips catching on the mirror in front of him to slow him down, smudging the surface, as he turned to see who it was. The first to enter the studio was the familiar face of Kibum’s dance instructor, eyes sharpened by years of critiquing, lips tightly pressed together, carefully composed guidance always ready to escape them. The second person was a stranger, the man that had clapped, hands stilled with his fingers weeding between each other as he met Kibum’s eyes. His lips were parted slightly, face alight with some sort of wonder. It was directed right at Kibum, making him suddenly conscious of every infraction he had just made in his unintentional performance, down to the lapses so small that this stranger could not have had a way of noticing them. He nodded down at his feet.
     “Yes, good job,” his instructor said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Kibum, I got you a replacement accompanist.”
     Kibum’s previous piano accompanist had been involved with another engagement, or a fit of tendonitis, or something. Kibum didn’t really remember, or care. They hadn’t talked much.
     “Kibum, this is your new accompanist, Lee Jinki. Jinki, Kim Kibum.”
     Kibum greeted him, and was responded to in kind with the hint of a smile.
     “Now, time for both of you to warm up.”
     Stretching out the muscles in his body, feeling the beginnings of the heat from movement trickling through the tissue that would soon spark into passionate expression, was definitely one of Kibum’s favorite aspects of ballet. After that was the fundamentals, waking up his mind and pushing his body to perfect each small movement a little further. The few times Kibum glanced from the mirror he could see Jinki looking away just in time to not meet Kibum’s eyes. He was watching with a sort of awed curiosity that Kibum couldn’t help but find strangely endearing.
     Finally, came the dancing. Kibum, along with many other members in his company, was performing in a festival at the end of the week, a solo of his private instructor’s composition with nothing but himself and a piano onstage, notes resonating from the strings behind the keys and echoing in his bones and movements. There wasn’t a cash prize, or an audition up for grabs, but many important people with relevant opinions would be there, so making a good impression was painfully important.
     The first thing Kibum noticed when Jinki began playing was that he was infinitely better than the woman before him. It wasn’t even a question of skill, though it could be partially technique—Jinki simply felt the music better, leaned into Kibum’s movements, was graceful and expressive. Soon however, Kibum drowned out the person playing in favor of the music itself.
     Practice that day was better than it had been in a while, just the right amount of rigorous work and improvement. The only disappointment was the ending, a series of fast notes, with a sequence of cabrioles and jetés, ending with a tour en l’air. Kibum just couldn’t move fast enough, get his legs back to the ground in time to shoot up again with the technique he desired. His instructor had told him that this section was the part that was going to make him stand out, get him noticed. He had to rehearse it more.
     And he was told that again as he was warming down, stretching out his muscles and nodding in compliance as his instructor made his way out the door, calling the imperative out behind him. Jinki was putting away his things, gathering his music and slipping the books into a bag. He made his way over to Kibum, sitting cross-legged as to not stand over him.
     “You’re pretty incredible.”
     Kibum wiped his dark bangs away from his face and gave Jinki a smile that he knew betrayed the feeling of elation that had bubbled into his chest. He was delighted by the compliment, dropping his gaze to the floor before responding.
     “Thanks. You’re not too bad yourself.”
     Jinki smiled, a smile that was dazzlingly contagious. They made simple small talk as Kibum pulled a t-shirt and sweatpants over his rehearsal clothes, heading outside together.
     It had rained while they were inside, air thick with humidity and foliage heavy with dew and shining under the studio’s exterior lights. The rosebush closest to the front door caught Kibum’s eye, and he paused.
     “Those ones are pretty, aren’t they? I noticed them when I came in.” Jinki said, stepping up next to Kibum. They were pink roses, not the traditional red.
     “I’ve never seen these before. You think I would, considering how often I’m here, but…”
     “That just means you’re eager to get inside to practice and improve, doesn’t it?”
     Kibum nodded in contemplation, the two saying their goodbyes, pleasantries carrying across the parking lot as they went separate ways.

     Kibum brought his breakfast with him to the studio the next day, pausing to smell the roses as he passed them, fresh sent lingering as Jinki walked in, also remarkably early.
     “I don’t know the piece as well as I should, so I figured I would practice.” He explained. Kibum gestured him to the floor, and they ate breakfast together. It was nice, really, to have company instead of sitting in the empty silence of the echoic room, scarfing down a bagel and stretching out.
     They got on the subject of face-paced music, Kibum sharing a horror story of too many quick chaînés and an extremely full stomach. When he mentioned the name of the piece he had been dancing to, Jinki gave a surprised laugh.
     “I have a book with that piece in it, I could play it if you’d like.”
     “Really? Sure.”
     Jinki did, the bouncy music making Kibum laugh and close his eyes, twirling rapidly, going up on his toes and back down again. He didn’t realize his dizziness until it was too late, Jinki lunging forward to catch him, looking at him anxiously and steadying him with strong arms.
     “You alright?”
     “Yeah, I…” The room was still spinning to the left, Kibum shaking his head. “I just forgot to spot, that’s all. What?”
     Jinki had a curious look on his face now, eyebrows drawn together ever-so-slightly, eyes full of something that couldn’t be described as anything but soft affection.
     “There’s a rose where your mouth should be.”
     “Excuse me?” Kibum blinked, unsure if he had heard correctly.
     Jinki smiled, a teeth-revealing smile that condensed his eyes into small slivers of adoration. “Your lips are like rose petals. You’re beautiful, Kibum.”
     Like that, Jinki then released his arms as though his comment had been as passive as a weather observation, stooping to pick up the trash left behind by their meal and throwing it away. Before Kibum had the chance to respond—or time to think of something to say—the instructor walked in, brisk steps and short breaths.
     “Are you warmed up yet?” He snapped.
     “Not quite, no…” He was angry at something, Kibum could tell, beginning to stretch immediately. Because of his attitude, rehearsal was quite tough, all repetition after repetition after repetition, and by the time lunch break rolled around, Kibum was quite exhausted. Pushing through the last few hours and his instructor’s irked screeching over the last sequence Kibum still did not quite have under his belt (though, he admitted grudgingly, it was closer) rehearsal was over the same way it began. After some murmuring, the instructor left the way he had come, albeit hair a slight bit more frazzled and coat collar turned up.
     “What was that about?” Jinki asked. Kibum shrugged.
     “I’ve found it to be more beneficial not to ask about it. Wife trouble, probably. She likes to spend his money without consulting him first.”
     Jinki nodded in understanding. The silence that settled like dust was not a comfortable one, but it wasn’t one that was painful to sit through either, and finally, Jinki spoke up.
     “A few guests are coming for dinner tonight, I have to go cook…”
     Kibum gestured to the door, too caught up in relaxing his muscles to formulate a response, and Jinki was on his way.
     You’re beautiful, Kibum.
      Kibum stood and sighed. His bones felt too heavy to drag to the car and drive home with. He lived in an apartment alone, with no roommate or pets to worry about, deciding it would be fine to simply stay here over night. Grateful for the extra pair of rehearsal clothes Kibum kept in the dressing room, he showered, then found an old beaten couch in a storage room, dragging it through the wide doors and into the studio. He fell asleep quickly, passing out before even considering dinner.

     “Did you go home last night?”
     The question cut through his subconscious, Kibum slowly blinking his eyes open.
     “What?” he mumbled, eyelids burning in resistance. He blinked them open anyway. Jinki was there, eyebrows knitted in curious confusion, face close enough to make Kibum’s stomach leap into his throat. He had a bag slung over his shoulder and a tupperware container—that Kibum hoped had food in it—under an arm. 
     "Have you been here all night?"
     "Yeah... Yeah I have." Kibum sat up, feeling groggy. "How terrible do I look?"
     "Great, actually. Here," Jinki extended the tupperware to Kibum "hungry?"
     "Extremely, thank you." 
     Jinki pulled out an extra pair of chopsticks and Kibum scooted over on the couch, the two eating together. It was leftovers from the dinner Jinki had made the night before, and it was delicious. Kibum made sure to tell Jinki so. When they were finished eating Kibum warmed up, all ready to go by the time the instructor arrived. This rehearsal was much better, and the leap sequence at the end was so close to being in time and up to tempo that Kibum could almost taste it. But is still wasn't exact, and the performance was now only two days away, with dress rehearsal tomorrow, a nervous bubble formed in Kibum's chest. 
     "I'll trust you to figure out how you want to look tomorrow, feel free to use any outfit in the dressing room closet." 
     Nodding, Kibum thanked his instructor and bid him farewell, sliding off his shoes and stretching out his muscles. 
     "How late are you going to stay this time?" Jinki asked, concerned. Kibum shrugged. 
     "As long as it will take, I guess." he responded. Jinki stacked his things on the piano bench and sat down across from Kibum.
     "Could I stay here with you?"
     Kibum beamed, pleasantly surprised. "Sure."
     By ten o'clock, Kibum had gotten Jinki into three different glittery, sequined outfits. They had already gone out and eaten, and Kibum had what he was going to wear for the dress rehearsal piled on a chair in his dressing room. 
     "Want me to show you a few things?" Kibum offered, gesturing to the bar. Jinki nodded and they walked over, facing each other. 
     "Now first, straighten your back and keep your arms relaxed. Mimic my movements."
     Kibum put his heels together, turning his toes out into a straight line. Then he rounded his arms, hands resting near his waist. Jinki's eyes went wide. 
     "How are you doing that?" 
     Kibum tilted his head in confusion, leaning forward in laughter as he watched Jinki try to twist his ankles and knees to make his feet become a 180 degree angle.
     "Don't worry about doing that." Kibum said when he had finished laughing. "Just put your heels together and spread your feet as far as is comfortable."
     Once Jinki had clumsily arranged himself, Kibum smiled. "This is first position." He explained. "There are five basic ballet positions. Like all fundamentals, they're important."
     "Right." Jinki mumbled. Kibum laughed again, Jinki smiling at him. 
     "Now, take a step so that your feet are a shoulder width apart, and extend your arm to your side." Kibum demonstrated as he spoke, and Jinki followed him. "This is second position." 
     "Easier than first." Jinki remarked. 
     "Third position isn't too common anymore, but this is what it looks like," Kibum said, one arm arched over his head, feet nearly entirely side by side.  They went through fourth and fifth position, and when that was done Kibum asked if Jinki wanted to learn how to chaîné or something. 
     "I've done enough dance for today." Jinki declined with a laugh. So Kibum did a few chaînés himself, and Kibum and Jinki sat against the mirror, talking until Kibum couldn't remember falling asleep.

     "Kibum, do you even plan on warming up?" 
     Kibum jolted awake at the sound of his instructor's voice, top of his head hitting something hard, a pained whine reaching his ears. The other man walked off, Kibum sitting up and glancing blearily at his surroundings. His bones hurt from spending the night at the studio, curled up on the hard floor. 
     “You hit my chin with your head.” There was a sleepy grumble from behind Kibum and he looked to see Jinki, also on the floor and surprisingly close to him. At the sight of Kibum his face broke out into a smile, eyes barely open, voice hoarse with sleep.
     “Good morning Kibum.”
     Kibum felt as though he had been turned to jelly by his words, an opened cage of butterflies erupting from his chest and flying into his throat. He wanted to make Jinki's voice his daily alarm clock, and when they failed to wake him, be enforced with soft shoulder kisses. But he pushed those thoughts into a pocket beneath his ribs, nestling with all the other thoughts like that he had been having over the past few days, getting to his feet.
     “Good morning to you too. I have to hurry and get ready.”
     “Right, rehearsal. I guess I have to prepare too.” 
     Giving him a smile, Kibum hurried to the dressing room. Other members of his company were already bustling about, and he weaved through them getting to his own empty station. His instructor was already there. 
     "Kibum, if this pianist is distracting you, we still have time before tomorrow to find another one."
     "What?" Kibum whirled on him, eyes big and confused. 
     "I'll fire him in a heartbeat, if it'll keep you focused." 
     “Focused?” Kibum echoed. “I am focused.”
     “This is the only time I’ve had to wake you on the day of a performance. You’re getting yourself wrapped up--literally. This isn’t good for you.”
     “What is good for me,” Kibum responded, voice sharper than he had meant it to be, "is that he is the best pianist we’ve had for my solo so far. You know that.”
     His instructor moved to the defensive, taking a step back. “Kibum, I am just--”
     “Don’t worry about me, alright?”
     “...fine. I won’t, as long as you don’t give me a reason to.”
     Kibum nodded, dressing and stretching and warming up, getting ready to perform. There was a familiar nervous buzz in the bottom of his stomach as he stood backstage, feet resting in a natural turn-out, arms by his sides and fingers tangled loosely. Jinki gave him a reassuring smile as he was announced, the two of them walking onto the stage together, Jinki taking a seat behind the grand piano and Kibum getting slowly into his starting pose.
     The dance went smoothly as the nerves of being on a stage faded away, the idea of being watched and critiqued being replaced by clear focus on technique, each movement following smoothly into the next.
     However, when the ending sequence of leaps came up, Kibum felt his confidence falter, the idea of being unable to execute the chain properly breaking his concentration. He pushed through it however, timing perfect, but one of his ankles faltered and he couldn’t stick his last landing, hand slapping against the hardwood stage to keep himself from falling. The sound resonated, loud and stark and shocking, and Kibum's stomach twisted.
     "What happened?" His instructor asked after a few moments of ear-shattering silence. 
     "I don't..." His left ankle sparked sharply, shocks of pain running up his leg. Kibum's hands went to it instinctively, looking it over. "I'm not sure."
     "Are you hurt?"
     "No." As soon as the syllable was out of his mouth, Kibum knew he had said it too quickly for it to be convincing. His instructor sighed. 
     "Wrap it, rest it, and don't worry about it too much. I'd better not catch you practicing, Kibum. You'll be able to do this tomorrow." 
     "Yes sir." Compliance to that order was really the last thing on his mind as he stood. His ankle didn't hurt too extremely badly, and there was no way he was just going into tomorrow after a run-through like that. 
     Kibum padded offstage, Jinki jumping up from his piano bench and putting a hand on Kibum's shoulder. 
     "Are you okay?"
     "...no." Kibum sighed, the air that escaped his lungs making his chest feel hollow. "That doesn't just happen, I don't know why it just..." 
     "If it's any consolation, you look beautiful out there, doused in spotlight."
     The words tightened in Kibum's chest and he reached out, placing his hands on Jinki's hips. The other man giving him a surprised look, holding the eye contact and trying to gauge what to do. 
     Kibum couldn't kiss him. He couldn't let Jinki wash over him just yet, needing more than anything to focus on his upcoming performance. 
     So instead he pulled Jinki into his arms, feeling the tangible comfort of Jinki's body and breathing him in. Jinki held him tightly, pulling back and asking again,
     "Are you okay?" 
     "Yeah. I'm okay." 

     The rest of the day whirled by, Kibum wrapping his ankle up tightly and practicing the leaps when he got some time alone. Sometimes he stuck them all, on time, and sometimes he didn't. The inconsistency made his stomach toss anxiously. 
     The next day he woke up early, stretched out early, and warmed up as thoroughly as he could. His instructor brought him through a short rehearsal beforehand, and then Kibum was pushed into the dressing room. 
     It was a bustling, condensed space; various people from all different dance companies were there, using the mirror space to get ready. Kibum squeezed in between them, then left as quickly as he could to find Jinki.
     The pianist was waiting for him at the backstage entrance, and Kibum felt a smile grow, unbidden, as he approached. 
     "You look nice." He said as he reached him, making Jinki turn. He was dressed up in a suit, music book under one arm. 
     "Thanks." Jinki smiled, straightening his shirtfront. "How do you feel?"
     Kibum took a deep breath. "Confident." He answered. That made Jinki's smile grow. 
     "I would say 'break a leg', but that's really not the best wording in this situation, so... Do your best out there." 
     Kibum's name was announced, making him swallow. After reaching over to squeeze Jinki's hand, they walked out on stage together. 
     Kibum got slowly into his starting pose, testing his ankle as he did so. It throbbed dully, nothing he couldn't handle. Then Jinki's notes began, and so did he. 
     The beginning was smooth and Kibum actually began feeling graceful, sweeping and gliding and dancing across the stage. The people melted away, and he was just in the studio practice room, instructor clapping the counts in his ears, Jinki smiling at him from behind the old piano that desperately needed to be tuned again. 
     The leaps. Kibum caught Jinki's eyes for a moment before he turned, filled with a newfound confidence and energy. Powerful legs propelling him up, landing perfectly in time, stooping on one knee and extending an arm for the ending. 
     The applause was booming and surprising, Kibum standing hastily so the he could take a bow, gesturing to Jinki to credit him as well. Beaming and unsure of what to do Kibum continued to bow to the applause, turning away when it died down. Jinki was no longer behind the piano and Kibum's smile faltered a bit, feeling confused as he exited the stage. 
     But Jinki was right behind the curtain, smiling so widely at him that Kibum couldn't contain the elated giggle that burst through his chest. He ran to him, throwing his arms around Jinki's shoulders. 
     "I did it."
     Jinki laughed. "You did. It was flawless." He pulled back a bit, drawing something from behind his back. It was a bunch of pink roses, obviously cut from the bush in front of the studio building and hand-wrapped into a bouquet, which somehow made them even more perfect. 
     Kibum didn't have a single second thought in his mind as he closed his hand over Jinki's own, clasping them both around the roses tightly and kissing him. Jinki leaned into him, other hand finding Kibum's waist, pulling him as close as possible and breathing him in.
     "Kibum!" The shout of his name from somewhere down the backstage alleyway startled Kibum enough to pull away, quite enjoying the starry smile he was receiving. 
     "That was fantastic!" His instructor pulled him into a proud hug. "You really put your all into that one, it was amazing."
     "Thank you." Getting compliments from him was an extremely rare occasion, and Kibum allowed himself to bask in it, returning the hug with a tight squeeze. Laughing, the older man pulled back. 
     "People will probably want to come up and talk to you, so if you want to get changed into something of your own before that happens I suggest you get moving. Also, you might want to find somewhere a little more private." He added, smiling a bit and raising an eyebrow. After a 'thank you' and a laugh, he was gone. 
     "He never compliments me like that." Kibum remarked. "That was surreal."
     "No, that's just proof of how fantastic you are." Jinki countered, and Kibum fought down the urge to jump him again just long enough to pull him behind a few large prompts that wouldn't be used until three routines later. 
     "This is more private?" Jinki asked, amusement in his voice.
     "It'll have to be." Kibum responded, Jinki laughing and pulling him closer.