Work Text:
Step, two, three, four-
Minori nearly trips over his own feet, struggling to keep time with Tsukasa’s movements. He’s a tornado of a human being, blond hair whipping around his face as he tries his best to teach Minori the newest choreography. He figured he needed to branch out, so he’d asked the troupe leader to teach him some of his group’s choreography, which wasn’t going great so far.
“Minori…do you want to try something else?,” Tsukasa asks, surprisingly gentle. Embarrassed, he nods while staring at his feet. “Very well! I can teach you to waltz, if you like. I used it in our show about the masquerade ball.”
“That’d be great,” Minori replies softly. Tsukasa nods, reaching out for his hand. He knows how this part goes; he’s read enough romance novels. Hesitantly, the idol lets his left hand rest on Tsukasa’s shoulder and slides the other into his friend’s surprisingly warm grasp. “Like this, right?”
“Excellent,” Tsukasa nods. “Okay! First, you step backwards, starting with your right foot,” he instructs, and Minori does as told, with Tsukasa stepping forward with his left. “Now, step to the side with your left foot, keeping your feet parallel.” Minori feels himself stumble, but Tsukasa’s firm grip keeps him from falling over. “Good! Now move your feet so they’re touching, and step forward with your left after.”
“How are you doing all this?!” Minori gasps, shocked at how the elder boy executes each step so flawlessly. “I’ve learned idol choreography, but you have this down to a T. It’s amazing!”
Surprisingly, Tsukasa seems almost bashful. “Ah-um, I learned when I was younger. It’s hard to forget once you learn it.” Minori nods vigorously. “Now step again, moving your right foot parallel to your left foot.” Simple enough. “Make your feet touch again, and if you can repeat all that from the beginning you’re golden!”
He can’t stop himself from smiling as Tsukasa begins slowly waltzing, careful to keep the speed low to let Minori adjust. It’s not hard, but he’s grateful that Tsukasa has taken his clumsiness into account. Once he feels confident enough to stop watching his feet move like a hawk, he glances up at Tsukasa and instantly feels his knees go weak. Different from the typical enthusiastic shine in his eyes, instead they carry a sort of warm reverence, just as comforting as the grip he has on Minori’s hand. He’s got soft hands. And pretty eyes. And-
“Minori? Are you alright?” Tsukasa asks, briefly snapping him out of his thoughts. Embarrassed, his eyes go wide and he almost steps back with the wrong foot.
“F-fine!” he squeaks. “Just. Um. Thinking.”
Tsukasa slips the hand holding Minori’s around his waist instead, and he yelps as the actor pulls him forward, and yet they continue their dance. “Still doing okay?” Minori can’t even find the words to respond, simply nodding frantically. Step, parallel, touch, step. It’s so simple, and yet Tsukasa’s attempts(?) to fluster him are threatening to make him trip over everything.
“C-“ his voice catches in his throat-“Can we take a break?”
“Of course,” Tsukasa says, flopping back dramatically onto his bed, which makes Minori giggle. “You can sit if you’d like!” He nods, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress.
“T-Thank you again for teaching me!! This’ll definitely save me from having two left feet at the next school dance…” he laughs, kicking his feet when Tsukasa grins back at him.
“Anything for a rising star much like myself!” Tsukasa exclaims, and Minori flushes, averting his eyes. “Maybe you could teach me some MORE MORE JUMP! choreography sometime!”
“Ah-um, that might be better suited for Haruka; they’re way less clumsy than I am…” he mumbles. Tsukasa’s face drops a bit, and Minori instantly regrets everything he’s ever said.
“Actually, I asked you specifically because I enjoyed our time tonight,” Tsukasa explains, a bit red in the face. “I’d like to do this again!”
“T-Tsukasa…” Minori stutters, feeling very much like the protagonist of a lame romance anime. “I’d love to see you again, too…”
“Are you feeling alright?,” Tsukasa asks, tilting his head like a confused puppy and placing a hand to Minori’s forehead, which only causes his face to heat up more. “If you’re running a fever we should postpone-“
“No!” he squeaks, embarrassingly fast. “Just…it’s hot in here.”
“I suppose you’re right…” he concedes, pulling off his signature cream-colored sweater in favor of just a baggy blue t-shirt and Minori thinks he’s actually going to die. Tsukasa’s a lot more physically fit than he assumed; he’s not jacked or anything, but he looks like he gives ridiculously strong hugs, or something. “So! Did you enjoy our waltz?” Not the waltz. Our waltz. Like it was something just for them. He feels lightheaded.
“I-I did! You’re a great dancer!” Minori giggles despite himself, twirling a lock of dark hair around his finger when Tsukasa smiles at him. “You were like a fairytale prince…”
A grin spreads on his face, self-assured and bordering on a smirk. “Of course I was. You deserve nothing less than a prince, after all!”
Is he doing this on purpose??
“You-I-“ Minori replies smartly. Tsukasa laughs behind his hand, face turning red. Minori averts his eyes, instead taking in the soft lighting of the bedroom, the moonlight peeking in through the curtains, quiet noise coming from the TV and distant giggles from Saki’s bedroom. It’s all a very soft and welcoming energy, a nice break from the intensity of his idol career. And the most important part of the room is Tsukasa, the boy who had encouraged him and brought him back to reality before one of the biggest solo gigs of his life. Tsukasa always knew what to say. His face is still dusted with red, but now he’s sitting next to Minori, looking confident in himself .
“How are your idol duties going?” Tsukasa asks, seemingly just to make conversation. Minori would have been fine with just staring into his eyes, but this works too.
“Uhm-good!! Haruka says I’ve been projecting my voice better lately and there’s been a lot of support for me online!!” Minori explains, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “How’s your troupe?”
“Wonderful as ever! We’re…” he trails off, voice softening slightly. “Stronger than ever.”
Minori smiles at him as confidently as he can, instinctively leaning closer in interest. His face is closer to Tsukasa’s than it ever has been, and it makes him feel strangely warm. “I think-I think MORE MORE JUMP! is the same. We’re finally starting to spread smiles to everyone, and I’m glad we’re getting to do it together…!”
“Wonderlands x Showtime has such similar goals; perhaps we ought to collaborate sometime. I had lots of fun when you were practicing with us for the FanFes too!” Tsukasa beams, bright like the sun as he recalls the event. Minori finds himself in the same situation, grinning as he remembers the speech Tsukasa had given him to give him the motivation to go on.
“It’s not every day you get to spread hope to so many people like this! You can do it, Hanasato, just believe in all the hard work you’ve done!”
His impassioned speech still rings in Minori’s head, motivating him constantly. Tsukasa is just another person that Minori looks up to, but it’s more than just out of desire to be an inspiration. It’s the way he carries himself, the way he constantly reaches higher to achieve his dreams of stardom. It’s admirable, endearing, and all the other big words that maybe Haruka or Shizuku would use, but that he doesn’t quite know his way around yet.
“Yeah!! I hope we could collaborate, too-I’d love to maybe be in one of your plays or do a stream together…” he gushes, flapping his hands excitedly, for once lacking the capacity to suppress it. Tsukasa taps his foot rhythmically, dropping a bit of his usual composure and beaming almost childishly. It’s cute. How is he so cute??
“We’ll have to ask our groups; but for now! It’s getting late, and I’d hate for you to walk home in the middle of the night…” Tsukasa muses, standing up and extending a hand to Minori, who accepts it and pulls himself up. “But I had a lovely time! I hope you’d like to do it again!”
Oh, he has no idea. “Yes, I definitely would! And I’ll talk to Airi and Haruka and Shizuku about what kinda collab they want to do-but of course, only if you and your troupe are okay with it, ehe…”
Tsukasa nods as the two start towards the door of the Tenma household, and Minori involuntarily shivers when the cold air hits his skin. “Thank you so much for coming! I shall see you when we meet next, under the sun or the moon, by land or by sea-“
Minori inadvertently stops his ramblings by pecking him on the cheek, and before he can register what he’s just done and recognize how red Tsukasa turns he’s out the door, calling out a bye Tsukasa!! nervously as he speeds down the sidewalk, face heating up. When he finally makes it out of the neighborhood, he slows to a walk and starts to enjoy the night air.
He looks up, and the stars are brighter than he’s ever seen them.