"I'll teach you a dance."
Hokuto looked at Taiga in confusion as the latter stood up, bandaged ankle neglected and only a hand outstretched.
They were the only ones left in the dressing room, the rest of the guys still on stage to settle the last bits for their upcoming tour.
Taiga had the unfortunate luck to miss a step while walking down the mechanical stairs they had inserted on stage, and had luckily only ended up with a slight sprain. Hokuto had offered to join him backstage and treat the ankle, as he had to leave soon for another job crammed in between concert rehearsals and every other work.
Nobody batted an eye anymore. They weren’t as bad with each other as people thought they were. It was the opposite really.
They got along really well. Maybe… even a little too well.
"What? No, you should be getting some rest, your sprain hasn’t healed yet, and―"
"I'm tougher than that, come on now," Taiga grabbed Hokuto's arm impatiently as he didn't take the outstretched hand, forcing him up as well. He slid his hand around Hokuto's waist to steady him.
"So, my honorable prince, have you ever danced before?"
Hokuto eyed the older, seeing the glint of mischievousness in Taiga’s eyes. He knew that it was probably just an act, something to hide the pain with.
Taiga cocked his head to the side, waiting for Hokuto to play along. With a sigh, Hokuto gave in.
"No."
"Why am I not surprised?" Taiga smiled as Hokuto squirmed in his hold. "Let's begin with the basic steps ― back straight, chin up. Don't look down."
Hokuto protested weakly but did as he was told as Taiga's hands guided him into the right position.
"Really, Taiga, this isn't a good idea," He let out as Taiga corrected his chin position. "There's barely any space in here to dance. We'll knock all the racks with clothes over if we move around too much."
"That's only if you mess it up, but you won't, because I'm teaching you. Now, turn here. Step back. Once more, and turn." Taiga huffed as they moved to the silent music in the air. He encouraged Hokuto gently, leading him along into a steady rhythm.
"You're just pulling me along," Hokuto muttered as they turned.
"I'm barely doing anything anymore. You got this. Step out and turn. See, you're staying on the beat. Repeat again. Keep dancing―dance, Hokuto."
He wanted to say something, but no words came out. Hokuto looked up and met Taiga's eyes. There was no trace of the pain from the sprain earlier. He could see himself reflected so clearly in Taiga's eyes. A calm washed over him as they took step after step, the racks of clothes and the furniture of the dressing room slowly disappearing into a vast, sunset-colored landscape only for them.
He was aware of Taiga's every move, every fiber of his being alert, yet he let his body submit fully to Taiga's lead. His ears filled with the light hum spilling from Taiga's lips, the low, husky tone he had grown accustomed to, the same voice that whispered 'good night' every night. Back in his mind, he knew they were still inside their dressing room, but for now, he wanted to stay in this unreality. It was just the two of them. Soft, fluttering wings broke the silence as birds passed by, leaves cracking in the wind and the sand crunching below as they kept dancing slowly.
Even if it was not real, Hokuto appreciated this moment they got for themselves. Nobody around but them.
While the fame and the popularity of their group only grew, the moments they could be themselves and with each other became less and less. They both thrived in the work they were getting. They both loved to see the results of their hard work and the passionate responses from fans and coworkers alike.
Sometimes they just missed being them.
Being Hokuto and Taiga.
There was barely time anymore to get off work and have enough time to even sit down and watch a movie. Those nights were gone at the price of fame.
They saw each other more at work than outside, and while they both knew that work was their priority, they couldn’t help but wish they could be more open about their relationship. Not that anyone in their group would care. The timing to tell them never really came along, so they just kept it a secret instead.
It had started as a thrill, as a challenge. Neither of them backed down, but over time, they realized there was something more between them than just something fleeting.
Once they came to terms that their feelings for each other weren’t mere teenage hormones lost in space, they ultimately decided that they should give each other a chance at dating. They kept it a secret from anyone because it was nobody’s business, except theirs.
There was something about rushed meetings in the hallways between rehearsals and interviews, and rendezvouses where no one could see them. It was a thrill to see how far they could take it before they got caught.
And they never did.
Then it slowly turned into something… mundane. In a good way.
They became a constant in each other's lives and that constant was what they needed. A place called home.
They slowly danced back to reality, and Hokuto fell backward on top of the couch when the last note of their imaginary soundtrack ended. He tried to catch his breath, eyes closed, and calm his pulse down as his forehead dripped with perspiration.
"Nobody told me dancing was such an exhausting exercise. It really takes your whole body to dance, huh," Hokuto half-joked, knowing that the wave of exhaustion was not because of the dancing, but because of the accumulated stress catching up on him.
"You didn't know?" He could hear the smirk in Taiga's voice, even if he couldn't see him at the moment. Hokuto was supposed to be the more fit and trained person among them, how come Taiga isn’t out of breath?
"I didn't. Guess I'm that much smarter now. So?"
"Hm?"
"I'm all out of breath, while you're not. Is that the point you wanted to make when you said you were tougher than that?" Hokuto opened his eyes and looked at Taiga. The latter had picked up his bottle of water and stood in the middle of the room, looking down curiously at Hokuto, as if he had no idea what Hokuto was implying.
"Maybe?"
“Then stop.”
Hokuto didn’t want his words to come out as harsh as they did. He bit his lip and tried to find new words to explain himself. He could see Taiga being taken aback by his words, not expecting them.
“Taiga, listen, I didn’t mean it like that—” Hokuto said and sat up. He looked Taiga straight in the eyes, trying to keep the older one from running away.
“Then what did you mean?” Taiga snapped back, already being defensive. “Look, I am fine. It’s just a sprain. We danced without a problem, so what’s the big deal? Do you think it’s the first time I hurt myself during rehearsals?”
“That’s not it Taiga, calm down and let me explain.”
Hokuto rose from the bed, closing the distance between him and Taiga, and stood in front of him. He reached out. A gesture so soft and brief, lasting only for a split second.
Hokuto's fingers barely rested at the base of Taiga's neck. He didn't even put any pressure on it. They were barely there. Merely resting. Even so, a chill ran through his whole body. From the spot where Hokuto touched him to the end of his hair strands.
"I keep seeing it over and over," Hokuto's voice was a mere whisper as he spoke, barely getting out of his throat. "When you lost your footing, all I could see was how you’d end up with something worse than just a sprain. That you wouldn’t be with us during the tour. With me. I kept seeing it over and over. I really thought—I really thought you were going to disappear from work too.”
“You’re dumb, but you’re my dumb.” Taiga chuckled and tapped Hokuto’s forehead with his fingers. “This beautiful face of yours will be wrinkly in no time if you continue to frown like this, relax.”
Hokuto sighed, the tenseness and hostility between them gone already. He leaned in, rested his forehead against Taiga’s shoulder, and took a deep breath. Taiga’s arms came up gently to wrap themselves around him, the soft hug washing a wave of calmness over him.
They had come so far in just a few years.
Hokuto wrapped his arms around Taiga, pulling the older into a tighter hug.
“Okay, ouch, now we’re almost jeopardizing my ankle here,” Taiga chuckled as Hokuto pulled him along to the couch, lifting the other up in his lap.
“We slow-danced and all, against my advice, and this is what makes you worry about your ankle?” Hokuto huffed but still made sure that Taiga’s ankle was nowhere close to any discomfort.
“My ideas were always better than yours, and since when did I listen to your advice?” Taiga wrapped his arms around Hokuto’s neck, dangerously leaning closer. Almost close enough for Hokuto to just tilt his head up a little bit and then get a little taste of Taiga’s lips — something he hasn’t been doing in a while now.
Hokuto didn’t have the chance to either answer Taiga or act on his desires before the door opened suddenly.
“Hey, guys, what’s taking you so long? I brought some extra supplies if you need them, in case it’s bad — Oh.”
Shintaro stood at the door, arms filled with stuff from the First Aid Kit, as well as a huge blanket (probably stolen from a poor Junior).
“Well then, don’t mind me. I’ll just leave this here and you can continue doing… whatever you’re doing,” He waved his hands and dropped the things on the nearest table before sliding out of the dressing room as if he had never been there, to begin with.
Both Taiga and Hokuto looked at each other, confused as to why Shintaro just left without asking. Before they could even utter a word, Shintaro popped back in.
“Please don’t tell us you’re dating before the tour is over. We have a bet going on and if you announce it before the tour, Juri will win the pool, and I really don’t want him to. So, please wait?”