Work Text:
Phil loves his working hours: four days a week, as much time as he needs to edit, leaving him free on Fridays and at the weekend.
On those days, he makes the most of his time by sleeping in, catching up on episodes of the series he’s watching, and finishing the book he’s currently interested in.
That’s why he can’t understand how he’s agreed to go with his best friend to a Zumba class at midday.
Don’t get him wrong, there’s nothing wrong with his best friend doing this, but he’s never been the sporty type and he’s well aware that he was born with two left feet; what’s more, the word ‘Zumba’ just made him think of older ladies dancing repetitive, tedious routines.
But, even so, there he is, squeezed into a pair of basketball shorts that are a bit tight, and a T-shirt that’s tighter than he’d have liked; being dragged along by Alex, who keeps telling him what a brilliant time he’ll have.
There are more people in the room than Phil had expected, and he’s even more surprised to see people much younger than he’d anticipated.
Alex stops dragging him when they’re standing in front of a raven-haired lad—who makes him feel enormous—and a brown-haired girl.
“Alex! I see you’ve finally managed to persuade him.” The girl says, hugging her best friend.
“Yes,” says Alex. “Phil, this is Mary,” she says, pointing to the brown-haired girl who greets him with a small smile, “and this is Rob.” She adds, pointing to the boy, who looks tiny in his eyes.
“Nice to meet you,” he replies.
"Shouldn’t Lisa be here by now?" asks Alex.
"Oh no, she swapped her timetable with Dan. From today, he’s teaching this class," explains Rob.
Alex looks excited and turns to Phil with a broad smile; he hasn’t a clue what’s going on.
“You’re really going to love it now!” she tells him.
“Who’s Dan?” asks Phil, who still hasn’t a clue.
“He’s an instructor who joined us recently; his classes are brilliant,” explains her friend.
“Oh…” is all Phil can manage, unable to share Alex’s enthusiasm.
“Plus, he’s got half the world head over heels for him,” adds Rob, making the girls blush.
“That’s not true!” they both shout at once.
Phil just watches the spectacle the girls and Rob are putting on, having only just realised who this Dan is.
"Good morning, everyone!" someone calls out, drowning out all the other conversations.
A few people wave in greeting, and the person speaks again:
"Ready to get started?" they ask.
Phil positions himself behind Alex, next to Rob, so he can use his best friend as a guide when following the steps.
And then, Phil sees it.
Bloody hell.
Loose-fitting black tracksuit bottoms through which, even so, his toned thighs are clearly visible.
A short-sleeved lycra T-shirt that leaves nothing to the imagination, perfectly highlighting every part of his sculpted torso and those broad shoulders.
Well-defined, slightly muscular arms that make Phil want to bite them.
And a face that looks as though it were carved by the angels themselves, framed by wavy, chocolate-brown hair styled into a mullet.
That lad, who must be about his age, has become his wildest fantasy in the space of just a few seconds. Is it even allowed to be that hot?
He realises he’s devouring the other man with his eyes when Dan smiles at him, revealing his dimple, causing Phil to blush instantly.
“God, I’m so gay,” he thinks.
He doesn’t have time to think any further when Dan speaks again:
“Ready?” The group shouts 'yes' in unison, whilst Phil shrugs resignedly; the instructor could be the hottest man he has seen in a while, but Phil still doesn’t want to be here. “Right, let’s go!” he says, jumping onto the platform and starting the warm-up.
♤
Phil has identified two types of dance so far in the class: the first type consists of more aerobic dances that send his heart rate skyrocketing, leaving him almost breathless and making him want to get out of here right this very moment, especially when Dan makes them jump or move up and down very quickly, accompanied by remixed and even somewhat repetitive music; whilst the second type consists of more danceable routines. He finds it difficult to move his feet so quickly, with so many turns and twists; he’s starting to worry about his ankles, and he also has to move his hips and waist. He feels pathetic, stiff as a board – how on earth can he not manage something so simple?
The music is in Spanish; he doesn’t understand a word, but he hears Dan say the odd phrase now and then and smiles. He notices that Dan prefers the second type of dance, and watching the instructor dance is a real treat.
Dan moves with enviable ease; his feet are nimble, and it’s hard to keep up with him. He moves with such grace that he almost seems to float. What’s more, the tight T-shirt he’s wearing perfectly highlights the movement of his waist and hips, and Phil couldn’t help thinking impure thoughts.
‘God, I need a cold shower,’ he tells himself after realising what he’s thinking.
♤
Just as quickly as the class began, it ends. Phil is exhausted and, without a doubt, what he needs most is a shower.
“Did you enjoy the class?” Alex asks him.
Mary and Rob also join them, waiting to hear the answer.
“It wasn’t too bad,” he decides to say.
“Oh, come on, you were totally into Dan!” exclaims Rob, giving him away.
The girls, taken aback, turn to look at Phil, who is blushing and lost for words.
“N-no, that’s not true!” he manages to say, though nobody believes him.
“Don’t worry, Philly, we’ve all been there,” Alex assures him, somewhat teasingly, as they start walking towards the exit.
“I don’t know what you’re on about,” he says, trying to keep up his act.
Almost at the door, they come face to face with Dan, who is smiling at them. Phil looks at him again: he’s very tall, a little taller than him; now he can see his muscles are much more defined than they were during the class, and he finds it hard not to stare at the instructor’s toned, tempting arms. He looks up at his face, finding it covered in subtle freckles that seem to make him even more handsome.
Actually, Dan is more than just handsome; he’s very attractive.
"Hi Alex, how are you?" he greets her cheerfully.
"Hi Dan, I’m fine, thanks," she says with a smile.
"I haven’t seen your friend round here before – did you enjoy the lesson?" he asks, all the while keeping his eyes on Phil, who’s a bundle of nerves.
Dan’s chocolate-brown gaze is intense, and it’s clear that he’s also staring at him a bit too much – deliberately and brazenly. Phil can’t find the words.
“He’s loved it,” replies Alex.
“Well, I hope to see you again then,” says Dan, winking directly at Phil, making him blush deeply.
Phil simply nods; it’s clear he’ll be back next week.