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The cheerful and upbeat melody of Robin’s latest hit thrummed through the rehearsal studio. Nestled in the idol’s hand was a faux microphone and her body swayed side to side with the rhythm. Behind her, the backup dancers did the routine that, for them, was almost second nature now. Since the release of her third full-length album and her title song, “Sway to My Beat in Cosmos”, Robin’s stardom had taken the galaxy by storm and they’d already performed on numerous planets.
Among those backup dancers was a quieter woman. Her movements were sharp and technical, and her need to dance verged on obsession. Just as Robin was committed to performing, Hotaru was devoted to dance. She didn’t need the limelight, didn’t need to stand out. The young woman loved performing and since signing with Robin’s agency and becoming one of the idol’s backup dancers, she’d been living her dream. It was difficult and a lot of work, but each bead of sweat, sore muscle, and blister was worth it.
The earworm of a song finally wrapped up and Robin lowered the mic from her face. She smiled at the dancers in the full-length mirrors before her, eyes tracing over them as they caught their breath.
“That was wonderful everyone,” Robin praised cheerfully. She turned around, her empty hand coming to brush a strand of her light periwinkle hair away from her face. The dancers were graced by her warm expression. “If it isn’t too much of an inconvenience, I’d like you all to stay for a few more minutes.” She glanced back towards her manager and also her brother, Sunday. “Everything is prepared, right?”
He nodded before heading to the phonograph. “As many of you know, Miss Robin has worked diligently while touring. Although, it hasn’t been relegated to the stage.” While speaking, he removed the record from the phonograph to replace it with another. “She has earnestly created two new songs, which are very different from her previous ones. Please take a seat and have a listen,” he instructed with a wave of his hand.
Hotaru sat down along with the other dancers. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Robin leaning casually against the barre mounted to the wall without mirrors. Although she looked calm, Hotaru noticed how the tip of her foot tapped subtly, a simple sign that she’d come to realize was a nervous tick of the woman. More often than not, she seemed composed and put together, but through the tour, small quirks like this reminded Hotaru that the idol was just as human as everyone else.
The dancer was pulled from her thoughts as a deep base filled the studio and a simple snare accompanied it. The tempo was much slower and sensual, complimented by the delicate keys of a piano. Hotaru’s head automatically started to bob faintly. The composition was unlike anything she’d heard from Robin and then her stunning voice joined the instruments. It was airy, her falsetto showcased in a way that caused a shiver to run down Hotaru’s spine and goosebumps to spread across her arms. They stayed there, everyone completely enraptured by the new song, by the new Robin. And it wasn’t until the piece concluded that Sunday began to speak.
“The name is ‘Deserve’.” He focused his attention on Robin. “Would you like to share anything about the song?”
“I, well,” Robin started as she collected her thoughts, her wings beneath her ears shifting ever so slightly. “There are depths to individuals that are affected differently depending on the emotions we share. I wanted to expand on my abilities, to continue demanding more from myself as an artist, so I worked with the team to create ‘Deserve’ and the next song you’ll hear, ‘Shhh…’. I’d like to share a different side of myself with my fans and to do this, we’ll be performing both of these songs live at our next concert. I know it’s not much time to prepare, but I’m confident in your abilities and am sure that I can rely on you all.”
“We have three weeks before then. I will play the next song, but after, if Hotaru, Louis, Oksana, and Jay would remain, that would be appreciated. The rest of you are dismissed once the song concludes.”
Hotaru’s brow furrowed, not having expected her name to be brought up. Glancing to the side, she met Jay’s gaze. The young man shot her a reassuring smile in a clear attempt to assuage her worries. She returned the sentiment before dropping her gaze to stare at her hands sitting in her lap. Her fingers were locked together, the left nail of her thumb scratching the side of her other thumb. She worried her lower lip, but then a thrumming beat and airy vocals filled the space again.
The second song gave off the same emotions as the first, but also unique in its own way. It was heavily focused on a sensual R&B melody and Hotaru could already imagine how provocative a dance for the song would be. She bit her lower lip harder as she tried to shift her thoughts away from imagining Robin performing to such a number.
It didn’t help that when the song wrapped and Hotaru lifted her eyes from her hands, she met Robin’s gaze immediately. The idol quickly shifted her eyes away and pushed herself from the barre. She walked towards Sunday before standing beside him.
“Thank you for listening,” Robin said warmly. She scanned the dancers as she continued to speak, “That is it for today and we’ll reconvene tomorrow for rehearsal. Oh, but if the four Sunday mentioned could stay, we’d like to talk to you about the choreography for the new songs.”
The majority of dancers exited the studio, leaving the siblings with the four named. This time, Sunday was the one to address them as they stayed seated on the hardwood flooring.
“The choreography for the new songs has already been completed,” he stated. “Tomorrow we’ll need you all to begin rehearsing it properly. Hotaru, the team discussed who should be the lead dancer, and you were decided upon. We will need you to stay an hour later as the parts you will have are more extensive,” he explained.
“It won’t just be you,” Robin interjected. “The dance relies heavily on us performing in sync and practice will be imperative to ensure the routine goes well.”
“Yes. The choreographers will go over the routine tomorrow with you. Do any of you have questions?”
Jay cleared his throat, gaining everyone’s attention. “I don’t have a question, but wanted to thank you for the opportunity. I don’t often speak for all of us, but I think it’s safe to say we all really enjoyed the new songs and look forward to performing them on stage with Miss Robin.”
Robin's face beamed with unrestrained happiness. “It makes me so happy to hear you say that. I’m excited to try something new and work with you all more closely. Gosh, we really have kept you later than planned.” She smiled at them as she hooked her arm with Sunday’s. “We should let them go so they can rest appropriately.”
Sunday nodded in agreement. “Yes. We’ll see you all tomorrow.”
Hotaru leaned back, her hands locked behind her head. Sweat ran down the side of her face as she sucked in the chilled air in an attempt to catch her breath. Beside her, Jay and Louis were slumped over, their hands propped on their knees as they did the same. They’d already completed a handful of run-throughs of “Deserve”, with each one improving upon the former. The only one who didn’t seem as winded was Oksana, the woman always seemed to have an endless energy supply. Even Robin seemed more worn than usual, which was saying something considering that the idol often was the first in the studio and the last out.
“Great work, everyone,” Robin encouraged as she took a bottle of water from an assistant. “I think we’ve got this one down. We’ll just have to tighten up our movements and timing with practice. Let’s take five and reconvene to learn “Shhh…”.
Hotaru was the first of the dancers to leave the room, going into the hallway to refill her water. The day had already been long, having rehearsed the typical set of dances for the concert. Only four dancers, an assistant, a single choreographer, Robin, and Sunday remained for the last sets.
As the water flowed from the fountain, Hotaru heard the door to the studio open. She looked over her shoulder to find Robin approaching, her hands fiddling with the bottle she had previously been drinking from.
“Hi,” Robin said quietly as Hotaru stepped aside to make room for the idol to use the fountain. “I actually wanted to speak to you before we start working on ‘Shhh…’,” Robin continued. “The dance, well… the best way I can explain it is, it’s intimate. I wanted to give you a heads-up. The last thing I want is to have you feel uncomfortable in any way.”
“Oh.” Hotaru wasn’t sure how to respond, but luckily Robin gave her time to think her words over. “It can’t be that bad,” Hotaru finally said before drinking her water.
“Well, if you do feel uncomfortable, please inform me,” Robin said before smiling gently at the dancer. Hotaru was about to leave the idol, but before she could, Robin spoke up again. “It’s funny actually. I made this request and was the one to push trying something new, but I’m so nervous,” she confided. “Sunday’s worried too. He hasn’t told me, but I can tell. The songs don’t fit the image that was so carefully crafted for me over the years, so there may be some backlash.”
“I don’t know all the ins and outs of how things work in the music scene, but I’m almost positive people will love this. And if they don’t, it’s not their place to stop you from doing what you want. From my perspective, individuals making choices for themselves is their birthright. Plus, if they’re true fans of yours, then they’ll support any work you release.”
Robin held Hotaru’s gaze for a moment longer before smiling softly at her. She reached out and Hotaru’s breath hitched as the idol brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear.
“Sorry. I didn’t want it to bother your eyes,” Robin stated as she withdrew. She turned and began to fill the water bottle as if remembering the initial reason she was in the hallway.
“T-thanks,” Hotaru stuttered slightly. “I’ll, um… see you in the–” For some reason she couldn’t remember the word for a studio, but thankfully Robin covered for her.
“Yeah, see you in a few minutes.”
Hotaru watched intently as the choreographer began showing them the routine. She swallowed hard right away as he dropped to one knee right in front of Robin, the idol cupping his chin and lifting it so that he met her eyes. Without missing a beat, the choreographer began sliding across the floor on his knees, Robin strutting behind him as she continued to mouth the lyrics of the song.
If Hotaru thought that would be the worst of it, the routine progressively got more and more intense as Robin dropped to the floor, her movements sensual and drawing all of their attention. Hotaru should have been watching the choreographer, should have been taking notes of what she needed to be doing, but instead, she was focused on Robin. The woman was stunning, and even if it sounded cliché, her performance took her breath away. It was honestly ridiculous considering that the woman was dressed so casually in leggings and a form fitting t-shirt, but even in that she was beautiful. It solidified why and how Robin had attracted so many fans with such ease. She was captivating.
The song continued to progress and with each passing moment, Hotaru grew to see how much Robin had already practiced. The sensual way her body rolled and her hips swayed was fluid and looked effortless. Although the style was new, it suited her better than anyone could have ever predicted.
The choreographer and Robin stopped midway through the song though and indicated for the music to be cut.
“That’s the first half, but obviously all of you will be dancing. We’ll go over the first parts for each of you and then the latter half as the floor routine is more difficult. There will be a prop as well,” the choreographer explained. “Hotaru, the routine I just did with Robin will be what you’ll focus on. Robin already knows the routine well, so you two can work together while I break off with everyone else.”
“Okay,” Hotaru responded as she walked across the room to Robin who had a white towel in her hand, wicking away the little sweat that had gathered on the sides of her face.
“It’s not too much, is it?” Robin asked as soon as Hotaru was close enough to hear.
“No, it’s really good. The movements pair perfectly with the song,” she complimented.
Robin laughed warmly and stepped closer to Hotaru. “That’s good to hear. So we should start at the beginning. Do you remember it, or would you like a demonstration?”
Hotaru quickly waved her hands in front of her as she spoke, “No need for that. I remember most of it.”
“Fantastic. You’re always so quick at picking up the choreo. It’s one of the main reasons I pushed for you as the lead,” Robin stated nonchalantly.
“Oh. Thank you,” Hotaru returned.
“You don’t have to thank me. But I think we should practice before Sunday comes to reprimand us,” Robin said as she looked over the dancer’s shoulder. Hotaru glanced back, spotting the manager whose arms were crossed and was staring at them from the other side of the room.
“Right, right,” Hotaru laughed awkwardly.
Without hesitating, Robin nodded to the assistant who in turn started the phonograph. The music was quieter, allowing the others to work without distraction. Instantly, Hotaru began doing what she recalled the choreographer doing. She wasn’t as sharp as him and was slightly delayed, but her body did as she commanded.
Robin played off of her, adjusting when needed and subtly correcting the dancer as well. To an untrained eye, the microcorrections wouldn’t have even been perceived, but with each simple step or placement of her body, Robin was silently aiding Hotaru with the new routine.
The biggest obstacle for Hotaru was when the dance called for her to be closer to Robin to the point that their bodies would be touching. She hesitated, her touch gentle and distanced each time. Her actions were contrasted by the more confident and sure ones of Robin. Even from the beginning, when she had held Hotaru’s chin and lifted her head, she had been assertive and led. By the time they had messily gone through the first twenty seconds of the dance, Hotaru was sure that her cheeks were rosy, not from exertion, but from bashfulness.
Robin motioned for the music to be cut and then paid attention to Hotaru. “Come here,” she instructed the dancer. She extended her hand, Hotaru staring at it in return. “Take it,” Robin giggled.
Hotaru did as she was told, Robin’s soft hand cradling her own. She lifted her gaze to find Robin’s emerald ones locked onto her and then the idol’s grip tightened and she tugged Hotaru closer to her. Without missing a beat, the woman placed Hotaru’s hand on her hip, holding it in place.
“You’re allowed to touch me,” Robin explained. “I know it’s a lot, but I know you can do it.”
Hotaru swallowed thickly, and she was sure that if Robin wasn’t holding her hand down, her fingers would have been trembling. Her heart was racing and for the first time in her life, she was nervous and apprehensive about her ability to dance. She took a steadying breath, collecting herself before meeting Robin’s eyes again.
“Okay. If I make you uncomfortable, let me know,” Hotaru said, echoing the sentiment Robin had previously shared in the hallway.
“Of course. Let’s go again.”
Two weeks passed in a blur. Hotaru was in the dance studio for more hours than she’d ever been before and at this point, the routine was becoming as effortless as the others for Robin’s concert sets. But as the dancing got easier, her ability to separate her innate attraction to Robin became harder.
Although she tried to keep things strictly professional, Robin didn’t make it easy. Due to ending rehearsals around dinner time, the idol had asked on multiple occasions if Hotaru would like to join her for a meal. Each time, the dancer had made up an excuse, not trusting herself alone with Robin in a setting that wasn’t for work. Robin had also grown to casually place her hand on Hotaru’s shoulder, fix her hair, and linger with her at the water fountain during breaks.
From the beginning, Robin had been clear that they needed to get closer to make sure that the dance’s emotions would be conveyed adequately to the fans, but a small part of Hotaru felt that Robin’s actions were more than just professional. The other, larger part doubted this. Robin was always kind, polite, and honest. This meant that Hotaru could have been reading into every action too much. And maybe she was just falling for the idea of being with Robin, resulting in her projecting her feelings onto the woman.
“Do you want to go over it one last time before we call it a night?” Robin asked, breathlessly.
“Give me a second,” Hotaru responded as she plopped onto the floor and laid on her back. For some reason Robin had wanted to stay later tonight, everyone from the staff was gone and only the two of them remained in the studio. “You’re really pushing it today,” she pointed out as she caught her breath.
“We only have a week more after today,” Robin reminded as she sat beside Hotaru. “It needs to be perfect.”
“It will be,” Hotaru assured.
“I know. We’re so close.”
“After this becomes your next big hit, do you plan on doing more concepts like this?” Hotaru asked. She seemed to have caught the idol off guard though, causing Robin to furrow her brow and stare down at her.
“I think this is the first time you’ve asked me a question unrelated to dance,” Robin pointed out.
“No,” Hotaru chuckled. “That can’t be true.”
“I think it is.”
“I ask you how your day is going,” Hotaru quipped.
Robin jokingly scoffed at her words, playfully nudging her knee against Hotaru’s shoulder. “That’s just the polite thing to do when seeing someone. But… to answer your question, I’m not sure. I still don’t know if it suits me.”
“It does, but you should only do it if you enjoy it,” Hotaru said without missing a beat.
“I enjoy dancing with you,” Robin returned. “I mean, I enjoy the whole concept, but in all honesty, the future will be determined by the fans,” she quickly added, not allowing Hotaru to linger on her initial words.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Hotaru sighed. She sat up and dipped her head to the side. “One last time?”
“Mhmm.”
“Okay.” Hotaru stood up, extending a hand to help Robin up. The idol thanked her quietly before finding her starting point. She waited for the dancer to start the music and like they had for the past two weeks, they fell into place.
Without issue, Hotaru’s movements were more sure. Her touch was more firm as her hands traveled along Robin’s body, the woman rolling sensually. They danced in tandem, fluid and at ease. The two of them managed to make it through the first half, Hotaru stepping away and allowing Robin to perform the second floor routine. While the idol did so, Hotaru grabbed the prop, a single red ribbon that she wrapped around her wrists as she strutted back to the idol.
Hotaru dropped to her knees, her head cocked to the side as Robin danced before her as if this was a private show. She held her breath as the idol glided up from the floor and stepped toward her. Robin stopped beside her, her hand caressing Hotaru’s forearm before drifting to her wrist. The idol jerked Hotaru’s arms behind her head and then grasped the back of her neck, pulling Hotaru’s face towards her own. They were mere inches apart, their breath on one another’s lips before Robin pushed Hotaru away. The idol rounded her before dropping to a knee, slotting herself into Hotaru’s space.
Hotaru’s gaze dropped down to the woman’s body, the thin fabric of her tank top hugging her form, her chest rising and falling with each labored breath. Robin grabbed Hotaru’s hand, guiding her arm around her waist as the two of them fell into synchronized body rolls, the front of their bodies pressing together ever so subtly from the proximity.
The dancer bit into her lower lip, telling herself that it was just for the performance and not the fact that she had a crush on the idol. Her body moved naturally as the routine ebbed its way to the end, with herself leaning back, a single leg bent so that Robin could rest her foot on her knee. The woman bent forward, her finger coming to her lip as she gestured to be quiet, the action following the last part of the lyrics.
The final note reverberated through the room as Hotaru allowed her body to relax, laying on her back once more as she gasped for air. Even though she couldn’t see exactly what they had done, she could feel that that may have been the best set yet. She turned her head to find Robin’s back to her, the woman grabbing her water bottle near the wall with the mounted barre. Silently she observed the idol, allowing her some time to catch her breath too.
“Do you want to go over it again?” Robin asked still facing away from Hotaru.
“You said that was the last.”
Robin turned, her usually fair cheeks flush and her periwinkle hair tousled in an effortlessly attractive way. “Right,” she sighed.
Hotaru stood and made her way over to the idol. She stopped beside her, leaning against the barre as she spoke. “This may not be my place to say, but you shouldn’t push yourself so hard. You increase the chances of getting sick or injured.”
“If you keep talking that way, I may think you care,” Robin said suddenly. The woman stared straight ahead as she drank her water, Hotaru's attention drawn to her slender throat that shifted with each swallow.
“I mean of course I do,” Hotaru said quickly. “I work for you, Miss Robin. The last thing I’d want to see is for you to be harmed in any way.”
“I’m foolish, aren’t I?” Robin asked. She leaned down and placed her water bottle on the floor. When she righted herself, she turned her head to look at Hotaru. “This is all work for you.”
“I…” Hotaru’s voice trailed off as Robin took a few steps to stand right in front of her. The idol's eyes drifted over Hotaru's, trying to read the dancer’s expression in an attempt to decipher whatever was going on in her head.
“All this time, I’ve been hoping you’d feel something. I tried so hard to show you how I felt without outright saying it.” Robin sighed, her head dipping to shield herself from being seen. “I guess Sunday was right. Gods, I really am a fool thinking whatever was happening between us was more.”
“M-more?” Hotaru asked, dumbfounded by the woman in front of her. “I, what are you talking about?”
Robin lifted her head, her expression, unlike anything Hotaru had ever seen. The idol had been trained how to present herself every second of her life, but at this moment she was vulnerable in a way that made Hotaru’s heart ache. She wanted to reach out and cup her cheek, to assure her that she wasn’t a fool, but the dancer’s arms stayed plastered to her sides.
Whatever expression Hotaru had been making, it seemed to break something within Robin. Everything happened without the dancer truly realizing it. Before she knew it, Robin’s hands were on her cheeks, her soft lips against her own, and the barre pressing against her lower back. She was frozen in place, her mind a haze as it attempted to process every sensation. And it wasn’t until Robin had pulled back, her expression one of shock as if she couldn’t believe what she’d done, that it truly dawned on Hotaru that Robin had kissed her.
“I–”
Hotaru didn’t let the singer respond, surging forward to meet her lips again. Her hands fell to Robin’s hips, tugging her close so that their bodies were flushed. The idol naturally draped one arm over Hotaru’s shoulders, the others coming to tangle into her silver hair.
The world seemed to fade away for the enigmatic dancer as the idol returned her kiss in fervor. Hotaru had imagined scenarios like this before, more times than she’d like to admit, but actually experiencing Robin’s touch, sounds, and taste was overwhelming and more than she could have ever envisioned.
The idol’s lips were so delicate and tasted subtly of her chapstick. Hotaru’s body felt as if flames were engulfing it, the heat of the moment searing into every muscle, every bone, every fiber of her being. So when a muffled moan escaped Robin and the hand in Hotaru’s hair tugged gently, the dancer couldn’t help but slip her hands beneath the hem of the woman’s tank top and feel her soft skin directly. She smoothed over the sensitive skin, taking in the subtle rises and dips of her toned back. With a tease of the tip of her tongue against Robin’s lower lip, the kiss deepened, the passion flowing from both of them until they were breathless and their heads were hazy from adrenaline and pleasure.
If not for Robin pulling away, Hotaru wasn’t sure she would have ended the kiss herself. Robin’s lips were parted subtly, her eyes half-lidded and a flush ran down her chest. She looked so incredibly sexy that Hotaru didn’t want to let her go, didn’t want this to end, especially since she didn’t want this to be the only time she’d get to kiss and be intimate with the idol.
“We… we probably shouldn’t do this here,” Robin finally said, her hand leaving Hotaru’s hair to caress her cheek. Her gaze dropped to the dancer’s lips, lingering before meeting her eyes again. She sighed affectionately and leaned her head in, their foreheads resting against one another. Robin shyly tucked her wings close to her neck as she spoke. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” she confessed.
“Really?” Hotaru asked, still reeling from everything that had happened so far.
Robin giggled, the tip of her nose brushing against Hotaru’s. “I wanted to do this properly. To ask you on a date and then I went and kissed you,” she sighed. “I thought I’d be able to handle dancing with you, but I clearly overestimated myself.”
Hotaru hadn’t expected Robin to be so forward, but it left no room for doubt, which she appreciated. The galactic star had feelings for her, which filled her stomach with butterflies and her heart with hope that she hadn’t allowed to fester from just an idea.
“Well, Miss Robin, when would you like to take me out on a date?” Hotaru asked with a tenderness that she’d never used before.
“In one week, the day after the concert,” Robin answered immediately as if she’d already planned the whole thing. The idol pulled back, making eye contact with Hotaru. “If that works for you.”
Hotaru smiled, cocking her head to the side ever so slightly in the cutest of ways. “One week it is then.”