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Chapter Text

Chanyeol probably would have been lost in these hallways for eternity if the yelling hadn’t guided him out. Despite the directions he’d gotten when he’d stumbled into the costume department, he’d managed to get himself lost again. But in the distance, he could hear a voice, and he headed towards it.

Getting closer, the voice got louder, the shouting growing in intensity until Chanyeol found himself standing outside of a dance studio matching the room number Yixing had given him. Through the glass window in the door, he could see that the class had started without him, and he hurried inside, nearly tripping over his feet in his haste to make up for his tardiness.

“Who the hell are you?” The yelling abruptly stopped when he entered as its source turned to interrogate the newcomer.

Chanyeol bowed his head apologetically, “I’m Yixing’s replacement. Sorry I’m late.”

He peeked up through his bangs to see the dance instructor frowning at him, “Well, thank God you got here eventually, the speakers sound like they’re on their last legs. The piano is over there.”

The piano bench felt like a safe haven once he’d scurried across the room to sit down. The piercing gaze of the dance instructor swept away from him, and Chanyeol relaxed as he pulled out his music and put it on the piano.

“Give me the music for Pas de Quatre please, at half speed.” The instructor directed brusquely, signaling for four of the girls to come forward while their peers worked on their own.

Chanyeol shuffled through his music hastily, pulling out the pages he needed and biting his lip as he rested his fingers on the keys. He quickly scanned the music before doing as he’d been told, playing lightly as he started a few measures before the part where the ballerinas came in. The four girls joined hands and took their positions before beginning their dance across the floor.

Chanyeol’s playing stuttered for a moment when the teacher started shouting again, harshly calling out one of the girls on the end for failing to synchronize with the others.

“You have to be together!” he scolded, “Anything that distinguishes you from the other three is a flaw. Start again.”

Chanyeol obediently went back to the start, and the ballerinas once again took their places. They rehearsed over and over again, until Chanyeol was certain that the dancers wouldn’t be able to continue. But they kept pushing through, sweat visible under the harsh studio lighting.

The teacher clapped insistently with each beat, raising his voice again to be heard over the music. “Forget about your legs! They already know what they’re doing—you’re legs are fine without you. Concentrate on the neck. When your head movements become synchronized, everything else will be easy.”

At last, the instructor called the repetitions to a halt, “Okay, that’s enough. Make sure to cool down before you change.”

The ballerinas started stretching obediently, their chests heaving with exertion. Chanyeol kept playing softly, giving the girls a rhythm to move to as they cooled down. They trickled out slowly, until it was just Chanyeol, the instructor, and light piano music in the background.

Chanyeol felt his neck start to burn lightly as he became unsure what he was supposed to do now. He continued to play, unwilling to let silence fall in the nearly empty studio.

“You’re free to go now.” The instructor told him, his arms crossed and his feet turned out in a subtle first position.

Chanyeol finally let his fingers fall away from the piano, “Yixing told me that sometimes the dancers like to stay late to practice. I, um… I wasn’t sure if I should hang around or not.”

“Well, they’re not allowed to stay after tonight. It’s meant to be a rest day.”

Chanyeol began gathering his music, “Okay. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Wait.”

He looked up questioningly to see the instructor was looking down at the floor self-consciously, looking unsure for the first time since Chanyeol had entered the room.

“Would you mind playing while I dance? I usually use a CD, but I really do think the speakers are going to give out.”

Chanyeol cursed his soft heart as he felt it clench a little. He was well aware that he had a weakness for cute things, and although he had planned on making a nice meal for himself tonight, refusing felt impossible as the strict dance teacher from before abandoned the harsh attitude.

Chanyeol put his music back onto the piano, “Yeah, no problem. Where should I start?”

The ballet instructor hurried over to his bag, “Give me a second to put on my shoes, and then could you begin at the tempo di valse?”

“Of course.”

He flipped through the pages to find the right place in his score, then turned around to wait. Chanyeol’s eyebrows shot into his hairline as he looked back to see the other man sitting on the floor putting on pointe shoes.

The instructor stared back at him, tone teasing as he asked, “What’s the matter? Haven’t you seen a man go en pointe before?”

Chanyeol cleared his throat and looked away, “Um, no, actually. But it’s fine. I mean, of course it’s fine. I didn’t mean to stare. I just…” He could feel himself stuttering, and he searched his brain frantically for something else to talk about. “Um…I just realized we haven’t been introduced. I’m Chanyeol. Do you…? You have a name.”

The ballet teacher seemed amused by his attempt to change the subject, smirking as he stood up. “Baekhyun. You can start whenever you’re ready.”

Chanyeol turned back to the piano and mentally slapped himself for being so embarrassing. He placed his hands back on the keys and turned his attention to the music, starting where he’d been asked.

Baekhyun swayed gently, going through some light warm-ups before pushing himself up onto his toes. Chanyeol sped up a bit to match Baekhyun’s pace, feeling mesmerized as he watched the other man glide across the practice room. He thought Baekhyun must have been a formidable dancer before retiring.

Baekhyun’s shoes clicked softly on the wooden floor, and Chanyeol lost himself in the muffled tapping that perfectly matched the beat. As time went on, Baekhyun spent more and more time on his toes, the line of his legs extended beautifully by the shoes. He seemed to float across the studio as he transitioned from the ballroom dance into Odette’s choreography.

Arms spread out into wings, Baekhyun balanced on one foot as the other leg extended behind him, then descended into a series of quick turns. Chanyeol’s eyes darted between his music and Baekhyun, and he wished that he had the music memorized, so he didn’t have to choose between playing well and watching the dancer.

At last, Baekhyun fell onto one knee, chest heaving as he posed. Chanyeol held the note until Baekhyun’s head dropped to his chest, falling out of the position as he gulped air.

Chanyeol’s face split into a grin as he stood up and clapped enthusiastically. “You’re amazing!”

Baekhyun bent double to touch his toes, but Chanyeol could see the tips of his ears turn red in happy embarrassment, “I know.”

“How long have you been dancing on pointe?”

Baekhyun sunk down into a split and bent forward to touch his forehead to the floor, “Since I was thirteen, so about 12 years now.”

Chanyeol’s mouth fell open, “You’re only 25? And they let you teach?”

“They don’t have much of a choice, when they won’t let me perform anymore.”

Chanyeol’s jaw clicked shut as Baekhyun’s tone turned cool. He’d hit a nerve.

“So… when is the Swan Lake performance?” Chanyeol asked, changing the subject.

They continued to chat as Baekhyun stretched, and the icy atmosphere dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. Baekhyun pulled his shoes off of his feet and placed them in his bag, replacing them with a pair of comfortable looking boots.

“I’m headed home now.” Baekhyun informed him as he stood up and casually snapped his back into place with a quick twist to the right. “Thank you for staying late.”

Chanyeol flinched at the noise, “No problem. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sure thing.”

Chanyeol returned to the piano and began pulling his music back together. A quick glance at his watch revealed that it was much later than he’d anticipated. With a sigh, Chanyeol gave up on the idea of making dinner and resigned himself to take-out.

The next week of substituting for Yixing wasn’t any different from his first day. Chanyeol went to the ballet company every afternoon and played while Baekhyun shouted at the ballerinas. After his students were finished, Baekhyun would stay late to dance, and even though his practice sessions often stretched late into the evening, Chanyeol never refused a request to play for him.

It was silly, but Chanyeol found himself increasingly interested in the contradictory dancer. During his classes, Baekhyun acted like an incensed harpy. Anyone listening might assume that Baekhyun’s students were unruly or incompetent, but Chanyeol never observed any disrespect or lack of effort. Once the studio had emptied, Baekhyun’s venom dissipated, and the ballet instructor seemed to become an entirely different person. The fact that Baekhyun was an expert ballerina who wasn’t allowed to dance on stage did nothing to assuage Chanyeol’s curiosity. He felt a little creepy, but he really wanted to learn more about the ballet teacher.

Chanyeol was getting to know the music better, and he was pleased to note that he was able to spend a lot more time watching Baekhyun dance now. Baekhyun’s dancing was just as graceful and dynamic as usual, but Chanyeol’s fingers slipped on the keys when he noticed a grimace pass the shorter man’s face.

The look passed, but Chanyeol watched carefully to see if it happened again. Sure enough, the next time Baekhyun rose up to support himself on his right foot, his expression pinched, and he quickly dropped back down.

Chanyeol kept playing, but he felt worry creeping into his chest. Should he stop? Should he say something?

Before he could make a decision, the door swung open with a soft creak. The music stalled, and Baekhyun came down into first position as both men turned to see who was entering.

As soon as their visitor became visible, Baekhyun dropped to the floor in an impressively swift attempt to make it seem like he’d been there already, tucking his feet up under his body neatly.

The dancer’s breathing was still labored with effort, but he tried to sound relaxed as he chirped, “Xiumin-hyung! What are you doing here?”

Chanyeol’s eyes darted between Baekhyun and their visitor as he tried to figure out what in the fresh hell was going on.

Xiumin squinted at Baekhyun, “I just wanted to ask if you would mind substituting for me for a couple of classes next week, but I wasn’t really expecting you to still be here.”

Baekhyun smiled and nodded, “Of course! No problem! Have fun on vacation.”

Xiumin crossed his arms, “I haven’t even told you the times, Baekhyun. What if you already have a class?”

Baekhyun waved his hand dismissively, “They can be combined. It’s no big deal.”

Chanyeol still felt utterly lost as the two teachers fell into silence. Baekhyun was still grinning widely up at Xiumin, but the older man didn’t return his smile.

“Why are you here so late?”

Baekhyun laughed nervously, “My classes went over today, and I was just doing some stretches. Chanyeol is a really good pianist, so I like to just listen to him play after practice. It’s a good thing I stayed, since you came looking for me.”

Xiumin didn’t respond, making his way over to where Baekhyun was sitting and crouching down next to him. Chanyeol almost couldn’t hear him when he spoke, “Show me your feet.”

Baekhyun giggled and curled up tighter, “You’re so silly, hyung—my feet are fine. I thought you just came to ask me to take some of your classes?”

Xiumin just stared at him, waiting.

They appeared to be at an impasse, until Baekhyun reluctantly extended his legs, revealing his feet bound up in his pointe shoes.

Xiumin clicked his tongue loudly in displeasure, and he sat fully on the floor before starting to untie the laces on the shoes. “Are you kidding me, Byun?” He berated quietly, throwing the pointe shoes into the corner of the studio once he got them off. “At this point, I don’t even think this is about dancing. It’s about pissing me off.”

Chanyeol felt increasingly awkward as a witness to this episode as Xiumin roughly pulled Baekhyun’s right leg between his own and pulled a jar out of his bag.

Baekhyun’s eyes slid over to Chanyeol and then down to the floor. “You can go, Chanyeol. I’m finished practicing now.”

As Chanyeol stood up and started shoving his music into his bag, he heard Xiumin mutter, “Damn right, you are.”

He glanced backwards before going out the door to see the two dancers sitting on the floor. Xiumin was aggressively rubbing some kind of balm into Baekhyun’s calf and foot as the other man refused to look him in the eyes.

The door clicked shut behind him, and Chanyeol felt his confusion and curiosity hit it’s peak as he dug his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through to find Yixing’s number. He quickly typed out a message to his friend and returned the phone to his pocket.
Do you have time to meet up tomorrow?

Chapter Text

Chanyeol was trying his very best to act like a normal young person meeting up with a friend, rather than like a stalker waiting for his inside source to divulge information. Yixing was happily telling him about his latest doctor’s appointment, pointing to the brace on his wrist.

“I only have to wear this for another two weeks, according to Dr. Kim. Everything is healing just fine, and I’ve been rubbing lavender oil on it every night…”

Chanyeol felt like face-planting into his cake when Yixing started talking about how helpful his essential oils were for pain. He cared about his friend’s health; he really did, but he had an agenda for this conversation that was not being met. Yixing was blissfully unaware of his ulterior motives, going on to recommend rosemary oil for the bald spot that was developing on the back of Chanyeol’s head.

Chanyeol rubbed the top of his scalp self-consciously while Yixing continued to unwittingly avoid the topic he wanted to discuss

“So when do you think you’ll be able to come back to the ballet company?” Chanyeol asked, trying to steer the conversation back where he wanted it.

Yixing sucked on his fork contemplatively, “I should be able to come back as soon as Dr. Kim clears me to take off the brace. So a couple weeks—if everything goes according to plan.”

“Well take all the time you need, because I’ve been enjoying filling in for you.” Chanyeol answered, “Speaking of—the dance teacher you work with is quite the character.”

“Baekhyunee?” Yixing’s face split into a smile, “He’s great, isn’t he?”

Chanyeol nodded, “Yeah, he’s a really good dancer.”

The smile fell, and Yixing leaned forward, “He’s been dancing?”

“I play for him every evening after his classes, so yeah.”

Yixing slumped back in his chair and sighed, “You shouldn’t do that anymore. I know it’s hard, but Baekhyun needs to be told ‘no’ sometimes.”

Chanyeol feigned ignorance, “Why? It doesn’t bother me to stay.”

Yixing looked sad as he rubbed his wrist idly, “Baekhyunee hurt himself about a year ago. He developed a major tendon problem in his right ankle due to overuse, and technically he should be able to dance on it eventually—as long as he doesn’t put more stress on the tendon. He’ll probably never be able to dance in pointe shoes again, but he should be able to dance in normal slippers.”

Chanyeol digested that information carefully, noting that Yixing was unaware that Baekhyun was definitely using his pointe shoes.

“It was a wake up call for all of us.” Yixing continued, “We knew Baekhyun was practicing too much, but none of us tried to stop him. We thought it was just part of being a dedicated dancer, and we admired him for pushing himself so hard to achieve perfection. Ballet lost a beautiful dancer because we weren’t brave enough to tell Baekhyunee he needed to stop.”

Chanyeol had suspected parts of this story due to what he’d seen in the studio, but hearing all of it from Yixing made him feel somber and sad.

“You probably couldn’t have stopped him anyway, hyung.” Chanyeol reassured him, “Baekhyun seems like a pretty stubborn person.”

Yixing smiled, “That’s an understatement. But we should stop talking about Baekhyunee. He’ll be here soon, and he won’t be happy if we’re gossiping about him.”

Chanyeol felt his brain short-circuit, “Wait. What?”

“I invited him to join us today, since you said you wanted to ask me some questions about the ballet.” Yixing explained, “He’ll know more about it than I do, but he had to be late meeting with us.”

Chanyeol stayed quiet, still trying to process the new information.

“I hope that’s okay.” Yixing responded to his friend’s silence, “I can text him and cancel if you just wanted to meet up with me.”

“No!” Chanyeol quickly corrected, “Don’t cancel! I was just surprised for a second. Baekhyun is more than welcome.”

The bell over the door of the bakery rang delicately, and the dancer they’d been discussing let in a chilly breeze as he came inside. Chanyeol felt a little offended by the fact that Baekhyun looked even better in street clothes than he did in his dance uniform. It just wasn’t fair.

He had realized by this point that his interest in the dance teacher had developed into a bit of a crush. It was embarrassing, but he had always been the type to get all soft and mushy when confronted by cute boys with big personalities. He was a sap, and he knew it.

Baekhyun waved at them before going up to the counter to order. He brought back a piece of cheesecake and some matcha, sliding into the bench next to Yixing.

“Sorry I’m late!” He started, “I had to meet with the choreographer today, but luckily we finished a little early. How’s your wrist, honey?”

Baekhyun reached over and picked up Yixing’s hand, frowning dramatically as he examined it. “Ugh, still wrapped up in that ugly cast.”

Chanyeol felt his heart sink as he watched the other two interact and chat with each other. They seemed… close. Very close. Intimate, even.

“How are you doing, Chanyeol?” Baekhyun finally turned to him, blowing over the top of his cup before taking a sip.

Chanyeol hastily swallowed the bite of cake he’d just shoved into his mouth, his eyes watering a little as it went down his throat too quickly.

“I’m great,” he rasped, trying to conceal the fact that he was choking a little.

Baekhyun looked amused as Chanyeol coughed a couple times and drank some tea. “How do you like filling in for Yixing? I hope I haven’t scared you too badly in my classes.”

“Of course not.” Chanyeol assured him, “To be honest, I was intimidated at first, but you’re much nicer when you’re not teaching.”

Baekhyun laughed, “I can’t even deny that.”

Yixing clicked his tongue disapprovingly, “I don’t know why you’re so hard on them. They do the best they can.”

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow, “It doesn’t matter if they do well, there’s always room for improvement. I refuse to gain a reputation as the tragic dancer who went soft after losing his career. If I have to teach, I will produce the best students the company has ever seen, and I can’t do that if they don’t respect me.”

Yixing shook his head, “There are better ways to get respect, Baekhyunee.”

Baekhyun shrugged, “It’s the best method I’ve found so far.”

Chanyeol sipped his tea contemplatively as his friends chatted with one another. His thoughts were interrupted when Yixing addressed him, asking “Chanyeollie, didn’t you have some questions about the ballet that you wanted to ask? Baekhyun will know all the answers.”

“Oh! Um… I actually forgot them.”

Yixing rolled his eyes good-naturedly, “Of course you did. Hurry up and finish, you’re mom is expecting us to help with dinner.”

The three men carried their empty dishes up to the counter and pulled their jackets back on to face the crisp autumn air. Chanyeol’s eyes lingered on the way Yixing’s fingers carefully adjusted Baekhyun’s scarf, pulling it up so it covered half of his face. He forced himself to look away when Baekhyun giggled playfully in response.

They walked out together, and Chanyeol found that he couldn’t quite meet Baekhyun’s eyes when they waved good-bye.

The moment that Chanyeol walked into the studio on Monday, he could feel undeniable tension in the air. The group of dancers he was accustomed to seeing where nervously grouped together at the bar and whispering to one another as they moved through their warm-ups. Two male dancers he’d never seen before were also warming up together, silently going through their stretches a few yards away from the majority of the ballerinas.

Baekhyun stood in front of the opposite wall, as far as possible from the new dancers with his arms crossed and his mouth set in a grim line.

Chanyeol felt like he had to tiptoe towards the piano, making his way across the middle of the room like he was crossing between trenches.

It felt unbearably loud when he began to play, the light melody piercing the heavy atmosphere. Gradually, things began to feel less oppressive as the ballerinas stopped muttering to one another and everyone seemed to focus on the music.

All of Baekhyun’s instructions throughout the session lacked their usual passion. Rather than being loud and commanding, Baekhyun’s orders came out clipped and cold. He hardly commented on the dancing at all, only interrupting the music to correct a dancer’s timing or positioning.

Once again Chanyeol was utterly baffled by Baekhyun’s behavior. How could the addition of these two dancers change the dynamic of his class so dramatically?

“Alright, that’s enough for today.” Baekhyun called out, “Let’s start cooling down.”

Chanyeol was about to transition to some slower music, but he was surprised by one of the new dancers speaking up.

“Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun expression sharpened, “Yes, Kyungsoo?”

The smaller of the two new ballerinas ignored the aggressive tone; “I was hoping you would be willing to work with Jongin and I a little longer. I’m having trouble executing all of the fouettés as Odile.”

It was intensely quiet for a few moments as everyone waited for Baekhyun’s response.

Baekhyun let Kyungsoo’s question hang for some time before answering, “Of course. Everyone else start cooling down at the bar. Chanyeol please begin at the Adage section of the pas de deux.”

Chanyeol obediently flipped to the corresponding section of his music, and for the first time noticed that the small new dancer was wearing pointe shoes.

“We’ll start here so that you can get into the dance before starting the fouettés. Please start, Chanyeol.”

The soft, romantic accompaniment to the ballroom scene began, and Jongin took his place behind Kyungsoo to support him as he rose up onto his toes into a graceful extension of his arms and one leg.

Chanyeol couldn’t help but compare the new dancer’s pointe work to Baekhyun’s style, noting that Kyungsoo had a subtlety that was absent from the teacher’s dancing. Unlike, Baekhyun, whose movements were often dramatic and evocative, Kyungsoo showed a restraint that made his character appear more mysterious and reserved. It worked well for the slow, seductive tone of the music as the unwitting prince fell for the spell cast on him by the evil anti-heroine.

As they finished the duet, the music shifted to the coda: a joyful sounding celebration song. Jongin leapt around the room, showing off some impressive jumps as he played the part of the successfully duped prince. Kyungsoo made his way to the center and prepared for his turns, closing his eyes in concentration.

He matched the frantic pace of the music quite well, executing the first dozen turns with minimal problems, but before the sequence was anywhere near finished, he overbalanced and was forced to lower his extended leg to the floor.

Chanyeol stopped playing when Baekhyun sighed loudly and the dancer stopped moving.

“Did you even try, Kyungsoo? That was barely 16 turns.”

Kyungsoo pressed his lips together, “I’ll try again.”

He did. Kyungsoo tried again, and again, and again. The other ballerinas finished their stretches and just sat down along the walls to watch the practice.

Baekhyun became more and more frustrated with each successive attempt, his voice rising to its typical volume as he yelled at Kyungsoo.

“You have to achieve perfection! It’s the whole point of the dance!” He shouted over the music, “Odile isn’t human, and you can’t be either. Push! Push through it!”

Kyungsoo pushed sweat-soaked bangs out of his eyes, frustration sparking in his eyes as he bit back, “Yelling isn’t helping, Baekhyun. I need a break.”

“A break?” Baekhyun scoffed, “Why? You haven’t earned one.”

Something in Kyungsoo seemed to snap, as he shot back, “Just because you broke yourself doesn’t give you the right to break everyone else. You’re just jealous because you’ll never do a fouetté again.”

An audible gasp left the assembled audience as all eyes snapped to Baekhyun.

He smartly turned his back on Kyungsoo, and for a moment Chanyeol thought he was actually going to leave the studio. Instead, he bent down to pluck something out of his bag, straightening up to reveal a pair of pointe shoes in his hands.

With a flourish, he pulled them onto his feet and jerked his head towards the wall, directing Kyungsoo out of the center of the dance studio.

“Start at the beginning of the coda, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun directed as he tied the laces on his shoes.

Chanyeol felt an intense wave of dread overtake him as he realized what Baekhyun intended on doing. “Baekhyun… I don’t…”

When Baekhyun’s gaze fell on him, Chanyeol felt chills go up his spine at its intensity. “Do it. Or I’ll just use the speakers.”

No one said a word as Baekhyun took his place in the middle of the floor.

With trepidation, Chanyeol began to play, and Baekhyun went through some light stretches through the measures that were reserved for Jongin’s dancing.

As Odile’s music began, Baekhyun rose onto his right foot, and Chanyeol saw several ballerinas cover their mouths in shock.

With stunning precision, Baekhyun spun around, and around, and around, his foot extending and retracting with the accuracy of a metronome. Jongin appeared to be covering his eyes, holding his face in his hands as he avoided watching Baekhyun. In contrast, Kyungsoo couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away, one hand extended slightly like he wanted to reach out and stop the dancer.

Exactly 32 perfect fouettés later, Baekhyun came back down from pointe and ripped off his shoes. His chest heaved with exertion as he pointed to the door.

“Now get out of my studio.”

Chanyeol watched in astonishment as every ballerina quickly grabbed their things and vacated the room in a matter of minutes, leaving only Baekhyun and himself. He was certain Baekhyun wanted him to leave as well, but the thought of leaving him alone made Chanyeol feel sick. He should at least call somebody…

Before he could complete that thought, Baekhyun’s angry demeanor abruptly dropped as he limped over to the wall and started to cry.

Chapter Text

Chanyeol had absolutely no idea how to respond to the situation. Baekhyun was leaning heavily against the back mirror, tears streaming down his face as he pressed his palms into his eyes.

“Um… I’m just…” Chanyeol started, “I’m going to go find Xiumin-hyung. He has that cream stuff to put on your legs, so…”

“No, you can’t.” Baekhyun interrupted him, his words interrupted by little hiccups. “Give me a few minutes to calm down, at least. He’ll feel guilty.”

Chanyeol frowned, “Why would…?”

Baekhyun patted the space beside him with one hand while he dabbed at his eyes with the other, “Come sit down, Chanyeol. I think you deserve an explanation.”

Chanyeol did as he was told, gingerly taking a seat on the floor next to the crying dancer. As he spoke, Baekhyun kept his hands busy, never really looking at Chanyeol.

“It’s kind of a long story, so stick with me. It’s starts way back when I was in dance lessons, and all of the girls in my class started transitioning to working on pointé shoes.” Baekhyun reached out and snagged his bag, pulling it towards him and taking supplies out one at a time. Alcohol swabs. Gauze. Tape.

“I was absolutely fascinated by what they could do on those shoes, and I quickly lost interest in building my skills in normal slippers. I was just 13, and my dance teacher indulged me. She let me work on pointé with the girls, but I had to promise to work twice as long as everyone else in the class. I had to do everything twice—once in pointé shoes, then again in regular slippers. She could see that I was talented, and she didn’t want me to waste my potential by failing to working on the range of skills that a normal male dancer should have.”

Baekhyun began unwrapping the tape that was already secured around his feet. As the stiff layering of tape and gauze fell away, the injured ankle was revealed, and Chanyeol felt breathless as he compared the swollen, red flesh to the perfect skin and muscle on Baekhyun’s other leg.

“My teacher expected that my fascination with pointé was just a phase, but I loved it so much. It’s the most incredible feeling, dancing without even touching the floor. It’s excruciating, of course, but I was never tempted to quit. Something about wearing those shoes makes me feel like I’m not even a human anymore. I become more—more powerful, more ethereal, more beautiful, more everything when I dance in pointé shoes.”

The sharp smell of alcohol wafted around them as Baekhyun opened the antiseptic packets, carefully cleaning his ankle and toes. Several scabs around his toes had split open, and Baekhyun winced when the alcohol stung against the broken skin.

“It was tough while I was still in dance school. Kids are stupid, and any deviation from the norm is automatically a weakness—but my skills made me a hot commodity when I graduated. People always want to see something different—something extraordinary, and for a lot of people a male dancer going up on pointé is pretty extraordinary. I really had a glorious future ahead of me, Chanyeol.”

Baekhyun’s hands paused in their work, pressing hard against the inflamed skin under his fingers. “I genuinely believed that my legs were strong enough to take me anywhere. I pushed and pushed and pushed, and I never entertained the thought that I needed to respect my limits. Not only did I injure myself, but I utterly humiliated myself by collapsing on stage. I was dancing as Columbine in The Nutcracker, and in the middle of my performance, my ankle just gave out. It wouldn’t hold me up anymore.”

Baekhyun cut a long piece of white tape with a tiny pair of scissors, using the tape to secure two pieces of gauze to either side of his ankle. “Everything fell apart right in front of me, and I felt abandoned as everybody immediately wrote me off as a lost cause. Kyungsoo was my protégé before the accident. I gave him personal lessons, and we were close friends. After I got hurt, he stepped into the place I’d left open without even thinking twice. We had a fight because he refused to help me when I asked him to practice with me. I know it was because he was worried about my health, but at the time I was so angry. I accused him of refusing because he enjoyed being in the position I had given up, and he didn’t want me to get it back. We haven’t really spoken since. Until today. Minseok usually mentors Kyungsoo and Kai, but I think he hoped that we could make some amends by working together again.”

Neat white lines crisscrossed across Baekhyun’s leg as he wrapped it up, neatly covering up the injury. Baekhyun put the supplies back into his bag and took out a bottle of pills, shaking one out into his hand and popping it into his mouth.

“Pretty dramatic, huh?” he scoffed, “It sounds like a bad Lifetime movie.”

Chanyeol wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he just shrugged. “Yeah, that’s… pretty bad.”

Baekhyun forced a smile onto his face, “Now you know, so you’re up to date on all the latest company gossip. I’m sure the stories about today will be incredible. Just wait, by tomorrow everyone will be convinced that I did 64 fouettés and then throat-punched Kyungsoo. I like to make sure that the rumor mill here stays well fed.”

Chanyeol nodded seriously, “It’s a hard job, but somebody has to do it.”

Baekhyun laughed, pushing himself back up onto his feet, wincing as he put weight onto his bad leg.

Chanyeol threw both arms out in an instinctual attempt to steady the other boy before he stopped himself from touching him. His hands hung awkwardly in the air, as he tried to figure out if he should be helping or not.

“You really shouldn’t be walking on that,” he told Baekhyun nervously, “Do you have anybody who can take you home?”

Baekhyun shook his head, “Don’t worry about it. My apartment is only a few blocks from the studio.”

“Uh, I’m definitely worried about it.” Chanyeol argued, “Why don’t I just take you home? My car is parked outside.”

Baekhyun pursed his lips. “I guess that would be alright. If it’s not too much trouble.”

Chanyeol shook his head quickly, “It would actually make me feel a lot better.”

They stood awkwardly for a second, Chanyeol’s hand resting lightly on Baekhyun’s waist to support him. Baekhyun could clearly use some help walking, but Chanyeol didn’t want to overstep…

After a moment, Baekhyun sighed and threw his arms around Chanyeol’s neck, nimbly jumping up onto the taller boys back to get a piggyback ride. Chanyeol choked at the sudden weight, but his hands jerked up automatically to grab Baekhyun’s thighs.

“Carry me out, hero.” Baekhyun joked, “If you insist on treating me like damsel in distress, I’m going to act like one.”

Chanyeol huffed, but responded by simply heaving Baekhyun up into a more stable position and heading for the door.

The drive to Baekhyun’s apartment was quiet. Chanyeol put on some music, and the only words exchanged were directions from Baekhyun and confirmation requests from Chanyeol.

“Do you have anywhere to be after this?” Baekhyun asked as they slowed to a stop in front of his building.

Chanyeol shook his head, “No, I was just going to go home and make some dinner.”

“You should come up with me.” Baekhyun offered, “You’ve been so helpful; I feel like I owe you a meal, at least.”

“Oh…” Chanyeol’s brain stalled for a second, “You really don’t have to. I mean, you don’t owe me anything, that’s silly.”

Baekhyun smiled and opened his door, “Just come on.”

Chanyeol hesitated, but he really didn’t have anything better to do with his evening, and with a flash of horror he imagined Baekhyun trying to climb the stairs to his apartment and somehow falling and breaking his back. He hastily climbed out of the car, fumbling to lock it before Baekhyun could get too far in front of him.

The dancer was doing his best to walk confidently, but Chanyeol felt a rush of worry as he watched the way Baekhyun was carefully balancing on the outer edges of his feet, avoiding putting any weight onto his toes.

He jogged to catch up to Baekhyun, and grabbed his shoulder, “Hop on, I’ll carry you up to your apartment.”

Baekhyun shook his head defiantly. “There’s no way in hell that my nosy neighbors are seeing my dumb ass getting hauled into my apartment. The painkillers have kicked in, and I can walk on my own.”

Chanyeol followed Baekhyun up several flights of stairs to his apartment, anxiously waiting to catch the other boy if he needed it. Despite his misgivings, they made it up the stairs to Baekhyun’s apartment without any incidents. They took their shoes off as soon as they entered, and Baekhyun told Chanyeol to have a seat on the couch while he went into the kitchen.

Chanyeol did as he was told, eyes roaming to take in the details of the dancer’s apartment. It wasn’t really messy, but Baekhyun definitely didn’t seem to mind a little bit of clutter. The apartment wasn’t huge, but it felt spacious enough to be comfortable, and Chanyeol’s eyes were drawn to a series of photographs that hung above the fireplace. There were five frames, each divided in half. On one side of the frame was a ballet program listing the name of the ballet and the composer, as well as artwork. On the other side was a picture of Baekhyun dancing, presumably in the corresponding ballet.

Chanyeol stood up to get a closer look at the pictures. Baekhyun’s beauty and strength when he danced never failed to captivate him.

“Okay, I’m going to attempt to make some japchae. I already have some beef made, so it should only take about thirty minutes.” Baekhyun re-entered the living room, drying his hands with a dishtowel. “You can come chat with me while I cook if you want.”

Chanyeol tore his eyes away from the pictures and nodded enthusiastically, following Baekhyun back into the kitchen.

They talked about some of Chanyeol’s previous jobs as an accompanist, as well as some stories from Baekhyun’s early days in the ballet industry. Small talk came easily to the two of them as Baekhyun chopped vegetables and Chanyeol stole little tidbits of food.

Everything was going fine until Baekhyun turned on the stove. Chanyeol’s eyes narrowed when he watched the other boy crank the heat on the burner all the way up to high, but he chose to remain tactfully silent. He would have left Baekhyun to his own devices, but he gasped when he watched the other boy take the cutting board over to the oven and prepare to dump everything into the pan at once.

“What are you doing?” He asked before he could stop himself.

Baekhyun paused, looking over his shoulder with confusion, “I’m… cooking the vegetables?”

Chanyeol gulped, “All of them? At the same time?”

Baekhyun bit his lip, “Is that wrong?”

Instantly, Chanyeol regretted speaking up. Baekhyun looked positively dejected as he waited for Chanyeol to tell him what he did wrong.

“It’s just…” Chanyeol stood up and walked over to the stovetop, “Different vegetables have different cook times. And cooking them together will get rid of the flavors of the individual ingredients.”

Tentatively, he reached over and turned the heat down and took the cutting board from Baekhyun, using the knife to scrape only the carrots into the pan.

Baekhyun watched him take over, his lower lip sticking out slightly as he pouted. “I’m sorry. I’m… not actually very good at cooking. I should have just ordered takeout after I invited you over.”

“No way!” Chanyeol replied, grabbing a spatula from the counter and moving the carrots around, “It would have tasted fine your way, but I’m a weird perfectionist when it comes to food. My grandma taught me how to cook, and she always took it so seriously that I can’t help but do the same.” He turned to smile at his host, “I appreciate the effort that goes into preparing a meal for someone else though, even if it isn’t perfect.”

Baekhyun huffed, “Well now that I’ve been demoted to sous chef, is there anything I can do to help?”

Chanyeol chuckled, “Could you grab a bowl for me to put the vegetables in as they finish cooking?”

Together, the two of them completed the meal, Baekhyun accepting his supporting role and dutifully fulfilling the tasks that Chanyeol assigned to him. Finally, they sat down at the table to enjoy their food.

As soon as Baekhyun took a bite of his noodles, his eyebrows furrowed, and he frowned. Chanyeol felt worry surge through him at the expression, “You don’t like it?” he asked.

Baekhyun shook his head, “It’s really good. It’s way better than when I make it, and that makes me really angry and jealous.”

They laughed and dug into their food. When they were finished eating, Chanyeol found that he was reluctant to leave. “I’ll help you clean up.” He offered, eager for an excuse to keep talking with Baekhyun for a little while longer.

“That’d be great!” Baekhyun agreed, standing up to take his bowl back to the kitchen. He started filling the sink before realizing that his bottle of dish soap was empty. Chanyeol watched as he opened a cupboard above the sink, where there were a few spares. He stood up onto his tiptoes, trying to get a grip on the closest bottle and just missing. Baekhyun huffed in frustration and tried to reach higher, his fingers barely catching on the label.

Chanyeol stepped in behind him and grabbed the bottle of soap easily, smirking as he handed it to the shorter boy.

Baekhyun smacked his chest, “Would you stop embarrassing me! I could have gotten it myself.”

“Sure you could have.” Chanyeol teased lightly.

Baekhyun’s eyes darted from Chanyeol’s eyes down to his lips, and in a moment Chanyeol became aware of how close they were.

“Chanyeol…” Baekhyun started hesitantly, “I appreciate you bringing me home today. I appreciate… everything you’ve done today actually. There aren’t a lot of people who I would trust to take care of me after a situation like what happened in class today.”

Chanyeol felt his ears heat up with embarrassment, but he stopped himself from stepping back. “I don’t mind taking care of you, Baekhyun.” he replied honestly.

The words had barely left his lips when there was an aggressive knock at the door. Both men flinched, breaking the moment as they jumped away from each other.

“Byun Baekhyun, I’m coming in!” A voice called from the living room after the door swung open, “Kyungsoo texted me, and you’re lucky Yixing was with me when I got the news, because otherwise I would be here to break your legs myself. What the hell is wrong with you?”

Baekhyun’s chin fell forward against his chest, “It seems that Minseok found out.”

Minseok and Yixing appeared in the doorway to the kitchen and paused when they saw Chanyeol standing there.

“Why is your accompanist here?” Minseok asked before shaking his head, “Actually, you know what, I don’t care. Chanyeol, you have to go. This is an intervention.”

“Um…” Chanyeol wasn’t sure how to respond. Leaving now felt like abandoning Baekhyun to the wolves.

Baekhyun smiled at him ruefully, “Thanks for coming over, Chanyeol. Dinner was excellent. I’ll see you tomorrow at practice?”

Chanyeol nodded, “Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

He went back to the living room and picked up his shoes, leaning against the arm of the couch to lace them up.

Before he left, he heard Minseok shove Baekhyun down into a kitchen chair and demand that he roll up the leg of his pants.

“God fucking dammit, Baekhyun.” He heard the older man hiss.

After Minseok, he heard Yixing’s softer voice reassure him, “It’s okay, Baek. We’re gonna fix it. The pain medicine is in Minseok’s bag; we’ll fix it.”

Chapter Text

It was a week before Baekhyun asked Chanyeol to stay late after dance class again. The instructor looked nervous as he asked, “Would you mind playing for me for a while?”

Chanyeol stiffened, “Baekhyun… you’re not allowed to practice. It’s your choice, but I can’t help you hurt yourself again.”

Baekhyun shook his head, “I know. Don’t panic, I wasn’t planning on dancing. I just wanted to listen to you play for a while.”

Chanyeol’s fingers paused over the sheet music he had been preparing to put away. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Baekhyun nodded, “You watch me dance all the time, but I’m always distracted while you play. I want to hear you perform.”

The tips of Chanyeol’s ears flushed red, “Oh… I’m not a performer. I’ve always preferred being an accompanist to a soloist.”

Baekhyun cocked his head to the side, “Why? You play well enough to pursue a concert career, I think. Yixing was a soloist for at least five years before he came here, and you’re at least as good as him, if not better.”

Chanyeol sighed, “It’s kind of complicated. I studied piano performance at college, and my professors urged me to pursue something along those lines. It just wasn’t for me.”

“But why?” Baekhyun pressed, taking a seat next to Chanyeol on the piano bench. “Do you get stage fright?”

“No.” Chanyeol answered, “Nothing like that. I just prefer the feeling of enabling someone else to create something beautiful rather than doing it all on my own. It’s like… when I hear the difference between hearing a singer practice on their own versus practicing with the piano to support them. The piano is such a complimentary instrument. It’s transformative—voices, strings, woodwinds… they all sound beautiful on their own. But with an accompaniment, they become ethereal. I like the feeling of collaborating with musicians, or vocalists, or dancers to make something that’s better than any of us could make on our own.”

Chanyeol trailed off, gradually becoming aware of Baekhyun’s gaze on his face. The dancer looked… soft, his lips curled up in a soft smile and his eyes fond.

“That’s really cute.” Baekhyun leaned into his shoulder, letting his head fall into the crook of Chanyeol’s neck, “Play something for me, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol felt his entire face heat up into a dark blush at Baekhyun’s compliment and his closeness. He brought his hands up to the keys and let them rest there lightly, his mind stalling on what he should play.

“Something soft.” Baekhyun requested quietly. “Play something pretty.”

Chanyeol’s mouth went dry at the whisper of Baekhyun’s voice against his skin, but he did as he was told. Chopin’s Nocturne in E-Flat Major—a piece he had known for years and often played just for himself.

In the empty dance studio, the sound of the piano filled the whole space with its soft, mellow voice. The weight of Baekhyun on his right shoulder limited Chanyeol’s mobility a bit, so he left out the fast trills in the melody, making the song simpler and cleaner as he let the high notes stand on their own.

The song came to an end, and Chanyeol let his hands hover over the keyboard for another moment while the pedal kept the last notes sustained in the air. A warm hand touched his jaw, guiding him down to face Baekhyun.

The dancer’s lips were just as soft as they looked. Chanyeol felt his heart thud dramatically as his eyes shut and one hand left the piano to cup the back of Baekhyun’s neck. The kiss was soft, barely there, their lips just touching before they both pressed in for more.

They pulled away from one another, and Chanyeol opened his eyes as their breath mingled together in the centimeters of space between them. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and his thumb brushed a tear away from Baekhyun’s cheek.

“Why are you crying?” he whispered.

Baekhyun pressed his eyes shut tightly, more tears escaping from the corners. “Your music, Chanyeol. And this feeling. They make me want to dance.”

His voice broke on the last word, and Chanyeol’s heart clenched. He wrapped his arms around the dancer, and the smaller boy let himself break down, sobbing bitterly as Chanyeol held him against his chest.

Chanyeol had tried to offer Baekhyun a ride home, but he had insisted that he wanted to take a walk, as it would help him clear his head. Chanyeol was starting to think that wasn’t bad advice as he sat behind the wheel of his car with his mind racing. The threads of his thoughts were all tangled up between elation and sorrow. Part of him was overjoyed that his crush on the dance instructor seemed to be turning into mutual attraction, but the other part of him was starting to understand just how devastated Baekhyun still felt over the loss of his dance career.

He pushed his car into park and sighed when he got home. Instead of heading inside, he zipped up his jacket and headed out of the parking garage, resolving to take a stroll around the block to sort through his thoughts.

Chanyeol let his eyes wander as he walked, absentmindedly reading signs and fliers as he went. As he passed a local yoga studio, a bright poster caught his eye, and his thoughts stalled as he looked at the picture on the advertisement. He stopped and stared for a moment, the beginning of an idea forming in his mind as he looked at the photo of a woman suspended above the floor, legs spread into a split as she supported herself on two curtains of fabric.

He licked his teeth contemplatively, fidgeting as the thought in his mind grew.

He jumped a little when the door next to him opened, and a sweaty woman with a yoga mat tucked under her arm came out of the studio. She paused to hold the door open, “Are you going inside?” she asked politely.

“Um… yeah.” Chanyeol caught the door, “Thank you.”

Six Months Later

Stepping back into the ballet house made Chanyeol feel nostalgic for the time he had spent here as a replacement for Yixing. He touched the wood paneled walls affectionately, smiling as he remembered being lost in these hallways and following the sound of Baekhyun’s yelling to find his way.

He glanced down at his phone to remind himself of where he needed to go. Meet me in Auditorium C after you finish teaching today <3 I have a surprise for you! Chanyeol typed out a quick response to his boyfriend. I just got here. I’ll be there in a minute.

Weaving through the narrow hallways, Chanyeol eventually found his destination, pulling open one of the double doors to the performance hall. All of the seats were empty, and the only person in the auditorium was sitting up on the stage, legs dangling over the edge. Baekhyun was still in his dance clothes from teaching a class—tight black leggings and a loose black crop top that allowed his students to observe his body when he demonstrated a movement.

Chanyeol’s eyes widened as he took in the scene behind Baekhyun. At the edge of the stage was an open grand piano, and hanging from the ceiling were a pair of white aerial silks draped down to the floor.

Chanyeol smiled as he approached Baekhyun, “Is this my surprise? You’re finally going to let me see you use these?”

Baekhyun grinned back and hopped up onto his feet. “I can finally guarantee that I’m not going to fall flat on my back while doing my routine, so yes.”

Chanyeol planted a hand on the edge of the stage and vaulted up, pulling Baekhyun close to him once he was in reach and pecking him on the cheek. “I guess that’s fair, although I really would have liked to see you be the clumsy one for once. Is the piano for me?”

Baekhyun nodded and pushed away from him, “Yeah, I want you to be my accompanist again.”

Chanyeol took his place at the piano bench, “Okay, but you should let me play through the song once before you do your routine. I don’t want to be distracted by trying to sight read the music while you perform.”

Baekhyun shook his head, “You have this one memorized. I want you to play Chopin’s Nocturne in E-Flat Major.”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow, “Oh, how romantic!” he teased lightly, “The theme music to our first kiss.”

Baekhyun glared at him, “Don’t ruin the moment, Yeol. I’ll tell you when to start.”

Chanyeol nodded obediently and played a few quick scales on the piano, quickly adjusting to the tension in the keys that was different for each instrument.

Baekhyun wrapped the silk around his arms a few times, grasping the fabric firmly in his hands. He turned toward Chanyeol and let out a deep breath, “Okay, you can start.”

For the opening notes of the Nocturne, Baekhyun just closed his eyes and stood still. Chanyeol let his hands move on autopilot as he watched the dancer begin to move, taking light steps as he began to circle the stage. Chanyeol noticed with curious eyes that Baekhyun was wearing his pointé shoes.

There was a hitch in the piano music when Baekhyun left the ground, as Chanyeol’s breath caught. The white fabric extended behind him like wings as he flew in a slow circle through the air. The grace and strength that Chanyeol had always observed in his boyfriend’s dancing translated perfectly into this new skill.

Baekhyun pulled himself higher up onto the silks as Chanyeol continued to play. He did a series of turns that wrapped the fabric around his waist, and Chanyeol’s heart stopped when Baekhyun let the silk unravel, spinning towards the ground before he caught himself and hung onto the fabric with only one arm and leg, letting the other side of his body hang freely as he spun in wide arcs.

Baekhyun’s feet came back onto the stage with a light tap. With his wrists still wrapped in the white fabric, Baekhyun pushed himself onto his toes and began to dance the way he had when they first met, when Baekhyun had insisted on using his pointé shoes after class. Chanyeol was grateful that he truly knew Chopin’s Nocturne by heart, or he would have been forced to stop playing as Baekhyun danced on his toes without actually supporting his weight on them.

The music rose into the final crescendo, and Baekhyun pulled himself up into the air again. As the song came to an end, Baekhyun arched his back and fell backwards, his head and torso hanging free while the silks kept him suspended. He swung from one side of the stage to the other, his eyes closed blissfully as he trusted the fabric to keep him safe.

The last notes of the song rang out with Baekhyun still hanging upside down from silks. He only opened his eyes when Chanyeol let go of the pedal and there was complete silence in the auditorium.

“You were right, Chanyeol.” he told him, “The piano really makes everything more beautiful.”

Chanyeol stood up and walked over to where Baekhyun was still hanging from the ceiling. As soon as he was close enough, Baekhyun wrapped his arms around his neck and unwound his legs from the silks, twisting to wrap his calves around Chanyeol’s waist before dropping to the ground.

“You get it right?” Baekhyun asked shyly, “That day in the practice room, I cried because I had all of these feelings that I couldn’t express. But I can now, Chanyeol. I can dance again because of you.”

Chanyeol pushed Baekhyun’s hair away from his face affectionately, “All I did was suggest it, Baek; you’re the one who did the work. You were breathtaking.”

Baekhyun smiled, “Did you understand my dance? What I was trying to tell you?”

Chanyeol blushed, “Well… it seemed pretty romantic to me.”

Baekhyun pushed himself onto his tiptoes, the pointé shoes making him tall enough to whisper in Chanyeol’s ear, “I was saying a love you, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol’s eyes went wide, “Well… that was going to be my guess, but it seemed a little presumptuous, but… Um… I love you, too.”

A pleased flush spread across Baekhyun’s cheekbones before he pouted dramatically, “Chanyeol!” he whined, “You’re not supposed to tell me!”

He gestured to the aerial silks behind him, “You’re supposed to show me!”

Chanyeol smacked the side of Baekhyun’s head playfully, “You’re such a brat.”

“Yeah, I know.” Baekhyun replied, a soft smile curling the edges of his lips before he brought his hands up to hold both sides of Chanyeol’s face, playing with the tips of his ears before his fingers moved to his neck and pulled Chanyeol down to press their lips together.

The kiss was slow and relaxed as they reveled in one another, and they soon pulled apart.

“Would you play something else for me, Chanyeol?” Baekhyun asked, “I don’t care what. I just want to dance for a little while longer.”

Chanyeol pressed another quick kiss to Baekhyun’s lips before responding, “Of course.”

Chanyeol sat at the piano, and Baekhyun took his place at the silks. Chanyeol played, Baekhyun danced, and together they made something beautiful.