Take Six (Open Challenge: Drabble Challenge 71: Dancing Techniques)

[dentedsky.livejournal.com]

Title: Take Six
Author: dentedsky
Word-count: 630
Concrit? Yes
Pairing: Yunho/Changmin
Rating: G
Summary: Yunho is Choikang Changmin's choreographer.


1.
Yunho and his team of dancers acquire a contract with a high profile solo artist; a tall man with straight hair and a handsome face, whose eyes are hidden behind sunglasses as his manager greets Yunho and his team.

Yunho tries to convey his enthusiasm as much as possible. The manager he is discussing the track with is equally enthusiastic as if providing extra excitement will hide the fact that the celebrity standing behind him – Shim “Choikang” Changmin – looks bored half to death.

2.
Changmin deigns to take off his sunglasses only on the third day of dance practice. Yunho and his team had been given two weeks to prepare the choreography for Changmin’s up-tempo comeback track, but the artist’s lack of interest is causing Yunho’s fervour for the project to wane.

It doesn’t matter really, since Yunho is able to find pleasure in the strain hard work brings. Changmin tries hard too, so there’s that – at least, Yunho believes he does, but Changmin’s dancing technique is lacking. There’s a sloppiness there, but then Yunho remembers that as a choreographer he’s possibly looking at it from a higher point of view than he should, and he tries to accommodate the choreography so it matches with Changmin’s personal style. A little adlib never hurt anyone.

3.
Towards the end of the seventh day, Yunho tells his team to go home and for Changmin to stay. Yunho asks for him and Changmin to practice together, just the two of them, so they can push at that technique, push it until it slots right into place. Changmin goes through the moves on his own and Yunho pauses and corrects. Dance, pause, correct. A directive, a touch on one elbow, a firm grasp of hips. Changmin is red faced and sweaty, panting, breath hot and salty and masculine. Dance, pause, correct is the iterative process that keeps Yunho’s focus on the job, until he catches Changmin’s eyes and then something between them changes. The city traffic can be heard beyond the walls. Within the walls are Changmin’s crisp notes from the sound system, and Changmin’s soft pants from his mouth.

4.
At home, Yunho lies on his bed and stares at a picture of his grandfather that’s tacked to the cork board on his wall. He hates me, he tells the photo. He hates me and I don’t know what to do.

5.
So this was our last dance practice together. The handles of sunglasses slide between fingers.

Ah... yeah. Oh! Goodbye! A hearty wave to the dancers exiting the room. You’ve come a long way, Changmin-ssi. A deep bow. Thank you for your hard work.

The bow is returned, stilted and slow. Murmured, Thank you for your hard work.

A tight smile. Two steps away, heading for the exit without a word. Then –

Wait.

Stop.

I – I heard, from the other dancers. That. Um, I’m bad at this. A self-depreciating laugh. That you were – are – like that.

A half turn. He looks over his shoulder.

I thought, if you want, you and I could get dinner sometime. Or perhaps coffee, if you prefer. Um. It’s alright if you don’t. I like you, Yunho-ssi. I just thought you should know.

6.
Turns out Yunho’s sister’s best friend is one of Changmin’s biggest fans and apparently she’s dying of envy. Yunho meets Changmin at a local restaurant and Changmin seems nonchalant about the one hundred stalker fans pressing their faces to the windows of the venue. Changmin seems only happy to see Yunho, his big brown eyes large and bright and half-mooned in happiness.

Yunho’s blurry picture turns up in a small internet article the next day. He snorts in amusement at his laptop screen before turning and giving his grandfather’s picture a thumbs up.

--end