Work Text:
toby’s dance bag was getting significantly heavier by the day. since he got his first professional job that requires him to dance en pointe, he’s had to carry around the heavy shoes for every rehearsal and training he attended, and after 2 months he’s gone through quite a few pairs. it doesn’t help that the dance studio he assistant teaches at is allowing him private studio time at night and his boyfriend follows him there like a lost puppy. ranboo always sticks snacks and extra water bottles into his bag, and occasionally a warm hoodie of his.
the dancer set his bag down by his locker and pulled off his boots and track pants, leaving him in one of his boyfriend’s large hoodies and a pair of dance shorts. he picked up his pointe shoes and turned to the freakishly tall boy in the corner. “if you’re gonna follow me to every solo rehearsal, you don’t need to stand in the corner the whole time. come on, the studio’s empty.”
toby pushed the door into the main dance room and held the door for ranboo to walk in. “you’re on music duty, boo. turn something good on and come help me warm up.” toby say on the ground with his legs in butterfly and gently began leaning his chest forward. ranboo had just turned on the love songs playlist they had made together, loving is easy by rex orange county careening through the studio’s speakers. toby pushed his legs out to straddle and gestured ranboo to sit down in front of him.
ranboo awkwardly sat criss cross in front of him. “what do you want me to do?”
“put your feet on my calves, yeah, like that. ok scoot forward so your legs are bent. yeah, so grab my arms and pull me forward and straighten your legs.” toby instructed, guiding ranboo’s limbs where they needed to be.
“oh god, i’m not gonna hurt you am i?” ranboo asked nervously, squeezing toby’s arms.
“i’ve been dancing for 16 years, ranboo. i promise you i’m flexible enough to be pushed into a middle split.” he deadpanned. this was going to be a long warmup. but, anything to make his hopeless boyfriend feel involved. “ok, you ready? go ahead and start straightening your legs.”
ranboo gently pushed toby’s legs outwards by the calf and toby lifted his hips to place himself in a middle split and held it. “now stop pushing and move your feet back but keep holding onto me,” toby instructed, pulling himself further towards ranboo and picking his feet up to his knees up off the ground, overextending his split. after a few seconds he put himself back down and let go of ranboo’s arms so he could pull through to where he was laying on his stomach with his head basically in ranboo’s lap. they made eye contact and busted out laughing, rolling over on the floor and clutching their stomachs. “sorry, boo, stretching is awkward but you signed up for this when you became my boyfriend.”
“mhm, sure. what next, dancer boy?” ranboo asked, poking the tip of his nose.
“hmm. i can stretch my own feet and arms but i’ll need help with my back afterwards.” toby continued on with his stretching routine and ranboo stood and walked over to where his phone was playing music. he skimmed through a few songs until he landed on “out of my league” by fitz and the tantrums.
by the time he walked back over to where toby was in front of the mirror, he was laying on his stomach while arching his back with his arms supporting his weight in front of him. he relaxed and laid with his head on his arms so he could tell ranboo what to do.
“ok, so this ones a bit less awkward and i’ll try and make it cute and shit. so, i’m gonna do that same thing, but you’re gonna grab my arms and pull me back so i’m like, folded backwards. does that make sense?”
ranboo nodded and went to grab his arms, but toby interrupted him. “here, try to pull me back far enough so you can kiss me.”
ranboo blushed a bit and nodded, slowly letting toby go back as far as he could on his own and then beginning to pull as soon as he stopped. once toby was parallel with the ground, ranboo leaned down and gently pressed a kiss to his lips. toby immediately grinned and leaned back up for a moment so he could go back down further. as soon as he got as far as he could, he got a kiss. they did this a couple times until toby’s head nearly touched the back of his thighs.
“it’s like a spider-man kiss but contortionist edition,” ranboo said as toby sat up and turned around to face him. toby smiled at him and they shared one more kiss before he stood up and went to lace up his pointe shoes.
“get me some music i can practice some turns to,” toby asks, standing up and doing a couple jumps to get himself used to walking en pointe again. he’s been doing it so often now that it didn’t take long to get comfortable again.
the opening melody of “tiny dancer” by elton john rang through the studio and toby set his feet down and stared at ranboo. “who are you calling tiny?” he said mock angrily.
ranboo laughed and leaned his back against the wall, crossing his arms and watching toby begin to dance again. he ran through all the turn sequences and difficult combos he had to perform on stage. ranboo just watched with utter infatuation written all over his face, and toby was so focused in his element that he barely noticed. a few songs passed and toby walked over towards ranboo and pulled up the show music so he could run through each of his numbers to perfection, not before receiving a forehead kiss from the smitten boy on the wall.
they were there for another couple hours, ranboo eventually sitting down on the ground but keeping that same entrancement with his boyfriend’s dancing that he’s kept since they met when they were both 14. the dancing that’s gotten them a small yet cozy studio apartment downtown that they could afford, even while ranboo was studying at film school. the dancing that’s really the reason they met, as ranboo had found him practicing turns by their school’s track during the lunch period. the dancing that he didn’t even realize had stopped because he was so lost in thought about how much he loves this boy and his talents.
“boo? you there?” toby said, crouched down in front of him and poking his cheek. ranboo smiled and brought his hand up to hold toby’s over his jaw.
“yeah. just love you a lot, is all,” he said, adoration dripping from his words.
“i love you too, but it’s 10pm and i’m tired. let’s go home, yeah?” ranboo smiled at toby and stood, wrapping his arm around his hoodie clad shoulders and leading him back to the locker room. toby put his pants and boots back on, grabbed his dance bag, and they headed out of the studio. as toby locked the door, the two boys only illuminated by the street light outside, ranboo took one of toby’s hands in one hand and pulled him close by the waist with the other. the shorter boy’s other arm came up to cradle around his neck, dance bag still dangling from his shoulder.
“i’m proud of you, you know. i think you’re the best dancer the uk’s ever seen,” ranboo told him, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple. toby smiled and fidgeted with their entwined fingers.
“thank you for supporting me through all of this. i know it’s a lot, long hours and i don’t get to stay home with you too often. means a lot that you’ve always stayed by my side even when you couldn’t physically be there.” toby said, pressing his ear against ranboo’s heartbeat.
“wouldn’t do it for anybody else, tobes.” he said, dropping their hands so he could pick toby’s head up and press a soft and chaste kiss to his lips.
toby smiled as he pulled away. “now the only thing i can’t do is drive, so take me home tall boy. maybe i’ll make you carry me up the stairs.”
ranboo rolled his eyes and opened the passenger door for him. yeah, he thought, this is what he wants his world to look like forever.