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Hongjoong's steps squeaked on the hardwood floor, unconsciously in sync with the music in her headphones. Her messy ponytail was gone, short blond hair framed her face, dripping on her shoulders.
Freshly washed in the shower, she smelled like Seonghwa. She had stolen some shampoo from her girlfriend's locker earlier. No regrets.
The perks of working together were never ending, she thought, strutting down the hall.
The company hallways were almost empty. The few people still in the building occupied the third floor. Hongjoong massaged her stiff back as she approached the stairs. The charms on her bag clunked while it hung haphazardly from her shoulder.
The black tights cut as shirts covered her cutout leotard. It was still a bit cold, but she was too lazy to stop and search for her sweatshirt. There were way too many things in her bag.
After a long day of classes and never-ending rehearsals, there was nothing she wanted more than to see Seonghwa. And hopefully cuddle on their bed. Hongjoong wasn't usually that clingy, but when exhausted, that side of her tended to come out. And after learning three different spots in the ensemble, and standing still for ungodly long moments during the Giselle rehearsals, her body was all tight and sore.
She just wanted to see Seonghwa.
Their company was big, traditional, but slowly changing with the world. Hongjoong stood out among the other ballerinas, with all her piercings and tattoos, but she used to stand out more. She felt at home there.
The place felt somewhat like home for them. Three years of her life were dedicated to that place, and Seonghwa had been there for five. She was the prettiest dancer in the world.
Hongjoong still remembered the first time she saw her, on her first day after being hired. Seonghwa was a vision in pink, with a perfect bun and ethereal elegance. She smelled of bubblegum.
One glance and Hongjoong was gone. And luckily, after some shameless flirting, Seonghwa fell for her just as hard.
Now, all she had to do at the end of the day was climb some stairs and meet her beautiful girlfriend.
Pushing the hair out of her face, she climbed the stairs slowly, greeting one of the guys from early rehearsals on the peasants' pas.
He was funny, and made the work less stressful. Also, it helped that he was confident and easy to trust. Hongjoong liked partnering with him.
“See you tomorrow, Hongjoong?” he asked, with a charming smile.
Hongjoong paused for a second, one hand on the rail. “Only if you promise to not drop me this time.”
Kimi opened his mouth in mocked offense.
“I didn't drop you, you slipped out of my hands!”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, man.”
Kimi pushed Hongjoong lightly, cursing her while laughing as he walked away. Hongjoong could hear the faint music from the studio already. Finally she made it to the last floor.
There was piano music coming from one of the rooms. Hongjoong stopped by the glass door and looked for her. The room was packed with dancers, a pianist, and choreographers. The creative director was sitting in a corner too, with hawk-like eyes. But in the middle of it all was Seonghwa.
Hongjoong's breath was punched out of her.
Seonghwa was wearing her long soft pink skirt. The long veil her character wore fell over her head, falling past her finger tips.
Hauntingly beautiful.
Seonghwa floated across the room with the most flawless bourrées she had ever seen.
Weightless.
Effortless.
Oh.
Wow.
Hongjoong exhaled slowly, watching her move. She fell in love again, her heart thundering in her chest. Hongjoong could barely hear the sound of her pointe shoes tapping the ground. Her chest swelled with pride, so much it almost burst.
It wasn't the first time she got tearful watching Seonghwa. The most primal parts of her wanted to shout, scream and let anyone know that this ethereal beauty was her girlfriend.
Seonghwa had just gotten promoted. She'd debut as principal soon. The world was about to witness a rising star. Hongjoong almost wanted to keep her all to herself, but she needed to see Seonghwa shining more. She belonged on the center of the stage, with the world applauding her.
Hongjoong dropped her bag to the floor and sat in a corner to watch and wait. She put her headphones away and just admired from afar.
Seonghwa was mesmerizing. She gave an eerie and majestic feel to her character. Hongjoong was both terrified and enamored by her. The audience would feel the same.
Hongjoong knew the ballet, each step. And she had some shoes to sew with the rare free time, but her eyes were still stuck on Seonghwa's every move like it was the first time.
Seonghwa executed every step with perfect technique. She had flawless transitions, so damn smooth.
Hongjoong couldn't compliment her enough. She was an artist down to the letter.
One of the choreographers stopped the rehearsals to correct some things a couple of times. She could see Seonghwa being mindful of the corrections. A tiny smile appeared on her face watching Seonghwa pursing her lips, the way she did when she was focused. It was so cute how she was trying to catch her breath in a discreet manner.
Then they got to the jumps, and Seonghwa was just… flying through the room.
They would have rehearsals together soon. And as part of the corps, Hongjoong was one of the Wilis. The spirits under Seonghwa's command. She couldn’t wait to share the stage with her again.
It never got old, the thrill of doing what you love with someone you love.
Hongjoong watched the practice for about an hour before people started to filter out. The directors first, then the pianist and dancers. Some of them said bye, Mingi, one of Seonghwa's best friends, gave her a knowing smirk.
Yeah, Hongjoong wasn't subtle in her obvious feelings towards the ballerina.
When the room was finally empty, she entered quietly, and found Seonghwa sitting near her bag by the wall. Seonghwa heard her squeaky steps on the wooden floor and looked up. Her exasperated face was taken by a huge pout.
“Oh god, were you watching that?” she whined, her eyebrows scrunched. As if she had done something awful, and not just enchanted Hongjoong once again.
Hongjoong just rolled her eyes, ignoring the dramatics to sit beside her.
“Yeah, you're so… Please marry me before you get famous and find some hotshot principal ballerina.”
It was Seonghwa’s turn to roll her eyes.
“You gotta stop proposing every chance you get, it gets old.”
“You haven't said yes,” Hongjoong muttered, crossing her legs to get more comfortable.
“I'm too young for a ring.”
“So you keep saying,” she grumbled, with a frown, her lips jutting out.
Seonghwa ignored her exaggerated drama, but her lips curved slightly up. Amused at something. They sat in silence for a while, Hongjoong fiddling with the charms hanging on her bag until she caught her massaging her left hip. Hongjoong frowned. She didn't remember Seonghwa complaining about any pain recently.
“Everything ok?”
“Yeah, just… Tight. You know,” she sighed, shoving leg warmers inside her pastel pink bag.
“Do you want me to give you a massage later?” she asked softly, the gentleness she saved for Seonghwa only.
Her cheeks blushed, shaking her head no and looking away.
It took Hongjoong a second to parse her reaction, giggling in return.
It hadn't been a suggestive offer, at all. No second intentions, but Seonghwa shifted slightly, all red cheeked and coy. Hongjoong's face warmed, heat all the way to the tip of her ears. She looked away, a slow smirk spreading across her face.
Of course, Seonghwa's mind went there.
It wasn't rare for her to touch Seonghwa without one of them getting ideas. Hongjoong had yet to have an impulse she didn't act on. She liked to think she was loyal to her feelings. And Seonghwa was just so sensitive to anything she did. A single touch on her thigh, a praise whispered in her ear, and she melted. Hongjoong's smirk grew, memories of Seonghwa soft and pliant under her flashed through her mind.
Seonghwa swatted her shoulder.
“This is our workplace,” she admonished in a whisper.
“Then you shouldn't look so good.”
Dirty thoughts plagued her mind while taking in the blush across Seonghwa’s cheeks. Her pink, plush lips, the glimmer in her eyes. Even the glisten of sweat over her skin looked good on her. Hongjoong may be too far gone, because she'd love to lick the salt off of her golden skin. She licked her lips instead, and Seonghwa exhaled, oh, so slowly.
“Oh, I shouldn't?” she asked, aiming for teasing, but sounding out of breath.
Hongjoong’s heart was pounding at that dangerous speed again. The way it did after an intense variation, or whenever Seonghwa was near. She cleared her throat, being the first to look away for once. “Actually you should, but you get the point.”
Seonghwa just rolled her eyes affectionately, still a bit out of breath. Hongjoong wanted to kiss her, but gave a shrug instead. Despite being reckless and quite determined to get her hand on Seonghwa at all times, she actually liked her job and wanted to keep it.
Seonghwa started untying her pointe shoe, the knots refusing to untie. She fussed about it a while longer, finally slipping it off. Hongjoong whined a second later. Seonghwa's toe pad was all shredded, barely a tissue anymore. Then she removed some tapes off the blisters. One of them was open, moist and angry red. Not a pretty sight.
Seonghwa just sighed in defeat. Hongjoong had one similar on her feet, she sympathized more than anyone, but Seonghwa wasn't helping herself with those pads.
“What the heck, why are you still with these pads?” she cried, picking up the barely there tissue, inspecting it closer. It was painful just to think about wearing them for hours inside the pointe shoes. “Oh babe, this is just emotional support at this point.”
“Shh. They give me good luck. And If you're gonna complain just buy me new ones.”
“But I did!”
“I prefer these,” she huffed, taking off her other shoe. “Do you mind if we stay for like, fifteen minutes?”
“Of course not, do you feel ok?”
“Yeah, my legs are just… Mushy.”
“Ok.”
Seonghwa nodded, with a sigh. She laid down with her bag as a pillow. Hongjoong patted her left thigh a couple of times. Seonghwa hummed, closing her eyes for a bit. Hongjoong felt that pull again, the feeling of falling in love and nodded to herself. Yes, she loved Seonghwa so much.
Then she picked up the shoe she started sewing after lunch. Silence washed through the room again. Only the consistent glide of thread and needle through ribbons filling the room. A while later, when Hongjoong was almost done with the left foot, Seonghwa started asking about her day. Hongjoong told her everything in detail, Seonghwa soaked it all up, big shiny eyes trained on Hongjoong’s face.
It was funny, they danced all day. But they still loved talking and thinking about it afterwards. Hongjoong complained mildly about a part where she was struggling, coming off too strong. Seonghwa just laughed, calling her “her little rocketship.”
“I wanna see, maybe I can watch it tomorrow. I know you will figure it out,” she said. Her face taken by a fond smile towards Hongjoong.
She just smiled back, her ears tinted pink, a rare display of shyness.
After a moment of soft eye contact, Seonghwa's eyes fell to the ground. A shift in her demeanor.
“Joongie, we're ok, right?”
Hongjoong tilted her head, a strand of hair fell on her face. She frowned, chest tight in a funny way.
“What do you mean?”
Seonghwa hesitated for a second, sitting up right. Hongjoong put the shoe and the needle down. Seonghwa stalled, playing with the hem of her skirt. It was serious, Hongjoong realized, shoving everything inside her bag and shuffling closer to Seonghwa.
“Baby?”
“It’s just… Like… With my promotion?” she asked, her voice thin. “We haven't talked about it.”
Hongjoong’s heart dropped. She hugged Seonghwa around the shoulders, pulling her close.
“Seonghwa! Of course we are. I couldn’t be prouder,” she smiled, rubbing her arm up and down, soothingly. “No one deserved it more than you.”
If there was someone who knew how hard working Seonghwa was, it was Hongjoong.
Seonghwa was obsessed with perfection. Not in an unhealthy way, but the way all artists were. Always striving to be better at everything.
Hongjoong was used to waking up at six, just to find Seonghwa already awake. Warmed up, stretching in their living room, or training after hours just because she thought she could do better. Hongjoong was obsessed with it in a more reckless approach.
Everyone told her how expressive and explosive she was as a dancer, but how she lacked the subtlety in some aspects. That was a work in progress.
Sometimes she'd work on her technique in front of a mirror until it was perfect. Then she'd repeat again and again to make sure she really got it. She also watched the more soft, elegant dancers and studied their moves. She had a million videos saved to her tablet for that.
Watching Seonghwa with her long limbs and floaty moves helped a lot too.
Hongjoong was a first artist, but she knew it was a matter of time before getting right there with Seonghwa. She wasn't worried. But of course, her angel of a girlfriend was. Was there anyone as perfect?
“Baby, you have no idea how happy I am for you, don't worry, ok?”
Seonghwa moved away to look her in the eyes, Hongjoong smiled softly, she could see in her face how worried she had been about this. And to think she waited this long to say something, suffering alone.
Hongjoong cupped her cheek, smiling at her.
“I’m so fucking proud of you, Seonghwa.”
Seonghwa bit her bottom lip. “But like, we're in this together and-”
“We still are. Besides, I'll just work harder to be on my girlfriend's level, so she won't be embarrassed of me and kick me out…”
“I would never- you know I love you,” she said softly. Her big doe eyes were shining with unshed tears. Hongjoong wanted to kiss her senseless. “Stop saying nonsense. For me, you're the best.”
“I love you,” Hongjoong said with a silly smile, shoving her things back inside her bag. “Are you hungry? Fried chicken and beer?”
“Joongie, we have classes at seven.”
“Ok, so, just chicken?”
Seonghwa gave her a pensive stare. Hongjoong shot to her feet and offered a hand to Seonghwa. She grabbed it promptly, her hand was warm and her long fingers engulfed Hongjoong's smaller hand.
“Hmmm…. Maybe.”
Hongjoong rolled her eyes affectionately. Seonghwa wasn't smooth at all. Hongjoong helped her stand.
“Chicken, and ice cream after?"
“It's starting to get good..”
Seonghwa quickly dressed up in grey sweatpants and a pink puffer jacket.
“Strawberry milkshake?” Hongjoong offered one last time. Seonghwa stopped moving to give her a big bright smile.
“Now we're talking.”
She zipped up her jacket, stepping on her pink crocs. Hongjoong let out a giggle when she groaned in relief. Rolling her eyes and everything.
“Oh my God, so comfy!” she whined.
Hongjoong was still laughing when she passed her arm around Seonghwa’s tiny waist.
“I know right.” She planted a soft kiss on her cheek.
“But they're still ugly,” Seonghwa muttered as they walked out in matching crocs, Hongjoong's idea.
They left the room and started down the stairs joined at the hips. Seonghwa sighed softly, leaving a kiss on the crown of Hongjoong's head.
“Love you so much, Joongie.”
“Love you too, stinky.”
“I’m not stinky Kim Hongjoong!” she yelled, her voice echoing down the empty company halls.
Hongjoong cackled when Seonghwa pushed her away to give herself a discreet whiff, glaring when she realized she fell for the easy teasing.
Ah the wonders of working with your girlfriend, Hongjoong thought, with a smug smile. She finally gave in, kissing Seonghwa's soft lips. They tasted like strawberry chapstick. The flavor was familiar and inviting.
Hongjoong couldn't find one bad thing about working with the love of her life.