Vertigo
Title: Vertigo
Pairing/Focus: Dongwoo/Hoya
Rating: PG-13 (being safe)
Summary: It's prom night, and Hoya decides to take a chance.
It had all started according to plan. Hoya picked up his date at 6 o’clock, standing tall in a clean suit and a tie that matched the silvery blue of her dress. She looked stunning, make-up shimmering and immaculate, undoubtedly the product of hours spent in front of a mirror or under a meticulous professional hand. She seemed to glow in the yellowy light of the entryway, where they stood for half an hour posing for pictures as her parents cooed and snapped picture after picture. They met up with ten of their friends at a restaurant where the doorway was bordered by a graceful golden archway and a waiter dressed in a crisp white shirt and vest escorted them to their seats. They all talked and laughed over the expensive dinner, joking about the excessive silverware framing their plates. Hoya’s eyes met Dongwoo’s across the table, and the two shared a secret smile before the table erupted in laughter from Woohyun’s joke.
The group arrived at the dance fashionably late, the red carpet soft under their shoes and the bass pounding against their ears the second they stepped a foot into the room. The gym was utterly transformed, glittering decorations hanging from the ceiling and across the tables offering punch and light snacks. The dance floor was already packed with swaying bodies clad in elegant dresses and suits. Before Hoya could get a good look around, his date’s hold on his elbow tightened and he was swept into the mass of bodies. Surrounded by hundreds of familiar faces and elated highs, he smiled and danced, caught up in the moment. He laughed with his friends, gliding between groups of dancers to say hello to everyone and dance with whatever group pulled him in. The beat of the bass was in time with his heart and he jumped with the music, letting the rhythm take control. Hoya loved to dance and was remarkably well-known at the school for his position as the captain of the dance crew, so he was often lured into groups where he felt the energy dropping and joined them to pump the excitement back up. Once he really looked around and couldn’t find his date, he decided that he should take a break and shouldered his way through the now sweaty crowd, making his way to the back of the room where there was air and punch. He leaned against the shiny tables, careful not to upset any of the decorations, and watched the movement of the horde of students.
“Taking a break?” Hoya started at the sound of a voice close to his ear. He turned sharply and was met with the sight of a sweaty and beaming Dongwoo. Hoya felt his face automatically relaxing into an answering smile and nudged his best friend with his elbow.
“Got a little too hot in there for me.” He took a sip of his drink, letting his eyes rove over the room again. “What about you? I thought you were the ‘dancing machine’.”
Dongwoo laughed with his mouth open. “Oh, I am. Machine just needs a little recharging, that’s all.”
Dongwoo leaned on the table next to Hoya, watching the crowd.
“It’s weird, isn’t it? This whole prom thing,” he added in response to Hoya’s questioning stare. “I mean, we’re the same people we’ve been all year. This is the same smelly gym that’s been here all year. Yet this whole thing is such a big deal. I don’t get it. What’s the point of doing something like this unless you plan to do something crazy and out of the ordinary? I mean, we’re already seniors. Our high school years are almost over. If we’re gonna go out, I want to go out with a bang. You know what I mean?”
Hoya nodded slowly, his eyes still wandering around the dance floor. “Yeah, I guess. You mean that to make prom worthwhile, we should do something to make it memorable. Special.”
Dongwoo’s eyes crinkled, and Hoya’s insides warmed up; he blamed the punch. “That’s exactly it.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t thought of anything yet.” Dongwoo’s fingers fiddled with his cup.
“No stripping,” Hoya said sternly, fixing Dongwoo with his ‘scary teacher glare’, as Dongwoo dubbed it.
Dongwoo rolled his eyes, laughing again. “Oh come on, you know you’d like it.”
Hoya just laughed in response, not answering. His elbow grazed Dongwoo’s side, and it was only then that he realized how close the other was standing. They were practically pressed against each other’s sides, heat captured in the sliver of space between their bodies. Hoya felt the same zap of electricity that shot through his body whenever they were this close together. He glanced at Dongwoo out of the corner of his eye. Dongwoo wasn’t looking at him, but his hand was inching closer, closer, until it rested on the table right behind Hoya’s back. Hoya felt the tip of his fingers brush against his jacket. Neither of them said anything. Some sort of mutual comprehension passed between the two without them verbally or even consciously acknowledging it. Hoya swallowed and opened his mouth to speak when-
“Hey you two! We’ve been looking for you; aren’t you going to dance?” Hoya and Dongwoo’s dates appeared before them, faces flushed. One of the girls’ hair had broken free from its elaborate twist, and it fell in wisps around her neck.
Dongwoo slipped his hand away and pushed off of the table. He cocked his head to the side and held out a hand to stop them. After a moment, a smile dawned on his face. “Hoya,” he said, smile evident in his voice, “isn’t this our song?”
Hoya listened, and the familiar sharp beats tugged his lips into a smile. “Yeah, it is!”
Dongwoo laughed and grabbed Hoya’s hand (Hoya tried to ignore the small explosion in his chest) and dragged him to the front. “Let’s see what you got, captain!”
Soon, there was a wide circle around them as Dongwoo and Hoya danced, performing their routine that had won them their last dance battle. Each move was met with loud claps and cheers from the onlookers, and the routine ended in thunderous applause and shouting.
The slow, melodic strumming of a guitar filled the room, and the dance floor divided into pairs, couples standing so close it looked like they were one being. Hoya enclosed his arms around his date’s waist, and her head dropped onto his shoulder. She smelled nice, sweet, but Hoya’s heart didn’t beat any faster for her. They had agreed on going together as friends, and it was nice to enjoy dancing with her without the nervousness and pressure or awkward tension between them. Through the sea of pairs around him, Hoya’s eyes found Dongwoo. He was dancing with his date, also a just-friends date, with his arms around her thin waist and her hands about his neck. She was a beautiful girl, and her eyes were closed as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Hoya tried to look away but found that he couldn’t. He stared until Dongwoo’s eyes met his over the head of his date. Hoya didn’t avert his gaze, and neither did Dongwoo. Their eye contact remained steady, Hoya trying to read Dongwoo’s eyes while trying to figure out the feelings in his own chest. Even when he rotated, slowly swaying to the song, he could feel Dongwoo’s gaze on his back.
The next song saw a re-energized dance floor, and the air was hot and humid from sweat but no one cared. Hoya danced like he had never before, shouting the lyrics to the songs he knew and enjoying the ones he didn’t. It was honestly one of the best times in his life, surrounded by his friends and dancing to the tune of his high school memories. Before he knew it, hours had passed and he was still as invigorated as ever. Everyone’s dresses were a little more crumpled, painstakingly styled hair fallen from high up-do’s, jackets and ties missing and shirt sleeves rolled up. There was an interminable buzz about the gym, everyone wanting to have fun and make one more lasting memory, and no one wanting the night to end; everyone wanting to move on, but no one quite ready to let go yet. As the DJ announced the last song, there was a feeling of desperation, of please don’t let it end, I’m not ready. It wasn’t just prom; it signified a whole part of their lives, their whole high school career. When prom ends, there’s only graduation and then….they’re gone. Moved on. Launched into the real world.
As the low rumble of the DJ’s “this last one is for you lovebirds out there, grab your sweetheart and end this party with a little romance”, Hoya searched for the shiny brown hair or the silvery dress of his date, but to no avail. She seemed to have disappeared. Sighing, Hoya returned to his post beside the punch bowl, deciding to sit this one out, only to find Dongwoo already there.
“Where’s your date?” he asked, taking his place beside his friend.
Dongwoo lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “I can’t find her.”
Hoya nodded. “Me neither.”
They stood in silence, watching the couples scattered all over the dance floor gaze at each other with stars in their eyes. Hoya’s eyes shifted to Dongwoo, and he started to think. This was their last year in high school. A whole period of their lives was ending. Soon, everything was going to be totally different. Dongwoo was his best friend, had been all through their school years, and they had no idea what the future would look like. Will they still be friends? Will they still see each other, still laugh together, talk together, goof off together? Hoya didn’t want to lose that. He didn’t want to lose his love for his best friend, he didn’t want to lose this….this feeling in his chest that he gets whenever they are together. He’d been too afraid to address it, too afraid of what would happen if he acknowledged it. But now? Suddenly, he felt like none of that mattered anymore. This was prom, the end of their lives as teenagers, and maybe it was time to take a chance. Maybe it was time to do something unexpected, something crazy. Dongwoo’s words echoed in his head: If we’re gonna go out, I want to go out with a bang.
Before he knew it, Hoya was pushing off of the table and standing in front of Dongwoo. Dongwoo regarded at him with confusion. “Wh-”
Hoya held out a hand. “Dance with me.”
Dongwoo stared at him for a long moment. “What?”
“Dance with me. I want to dance with you.”
Dongwoo started to laugh, but then stopped when he noticed the sincere expression on Hoya’s face. “Wait- you’re serious? What the hell, Hoya! We can’t dance together!”
“Why not?”
“B- because we’re both guys. Two dudes don’t just slow dance together.”
“So?” Hoya grabbed Dongwoo’s hand before the other could say anything else. “Look me in the eyes right now and honestly tell me that you don’t want to dance with your best friend.”
Dongwoo’s cheeks colored. “Well, I mean-”
Hoya jerked Dongwoo forward so that he fell against his chest. “You said you wanted to go out with a bang, right? Won’t this get people talking?” He chuckled, winding his arms around Dongwoo’s waist. He quieted Dongwoo’s grumbles of wait why am I the girl by tightening his arms, bring their bodies together. He heard a few gasps from behind them and a little murmur from a couple next to them, but he kept his eyes trained on Dongwoo’s face. His eyes were wide as they looked back at Hoya.
“You can relax,” Hoya said into Dongwoo’s ear. “We’re only dancing.”
“At prom,” Dongwoo added, voice sarcastically stolid. “Together. In front of everyone. No big deal.”
“No big deal,” Hoya echoed, closing his eyes and burying his nose in Dongwoo’s hair. His date smelled sweet, but Dongwoo smelled better. He was beautiful in a way no one else could be, with his childish laughter and messy blond hair and endless desire to make other people happy. After a moment, he felt Dongwoo’s arms slide behind his neck. He smiled into Dongwoo’s hair.
“So…what?” Hoya heard Dongwoo say. He pulled back, meeting Dongwoo’s eyes.
“What do you mean ‘what’?”
“What does this mean? This whole dancing thing.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Come on, Hoya. What are we doing right now?”
Hoya scrunched his eyebrows together. “Dancing?”
Dongwoo rolled his eyes. “No shit. I mean, why are we dancing?”
“I want to dance with you.”
Dongwoo’s eyes were deep as they stared at Hoya’s face. “Why do you want to dance with me?” His voice was laced with trepidation, and Hoya felt the weight of his answer settling on his heart.
Hoya’s lips trembled, just a bit, as he pressed them against Dongwoo’s ear. He left them there for a second before taking a deep breath. “Because I think I love you.”
He felt Dongwoo’s body stiffen. He didn’t release his hold though, and after a moment, he felt a head hesitantly rest against his shoulder. Raising his eyes, he saw several people staring at them, some whispering behind their hands, but he didn’t care. Dongwoo’s body was warm and fit almost too perfectly against his. His voice was so quiet Hoya almost missed it. “You think?”
Hoya chuckled, pressing his face into Dongwoo’s hair. “Fine, fine. I don’t think, I know. I love you.”
He felt Dongwoo’s body shake with laughter against his. “I love you too, you idiot. And now the whole school knows, too. We’re gonna be the talk of the town now.”
Hoya pulled away, getting a good look at Dongwoo’s face. The whole room was moving around them, the world was spinning around them, but it felt like they were at a standstill. It was just Hoya and Dongwoo, Dongwoo and Hoya, and nothing else mattered. Dongwoo was smiling at him, and it was so beautiful Hoya was almost dizzy. So maybe everyone was staring at them. Maybe on Monday everyone will watch them walk down the hallway and whisper behind their hands. Maybe people will throw them curious or unfriendly glances. So what? Honestly, Hoya couldn’t bring himself to care about anything at that moment except how close Dongwoo’s face was to his.
And so, with a grin and a hand under Dongwoo’s chin, Hoya whispered, “Well, then let’s really give them something to talk about, yeah?” And if there happened to be gasps of surprise or hushed whispers running through the crowd around them, Hoya didn’t notice. Dongwoo’s lips kept him fairly distracted.
Pairing/Focus: Dongwoo/Hoya
Rating: PG-13 (being safe)
Summary: It's prom night, and Hoya decides to take a chance.
It had all started according to plan. Hoya picked up his date at 6 o’clock, standing tall in a clean suit and a tie that matched the silvery blue of her dress. She looked stunning, make-up shimmering and immaculate, undoubtedly the product of hours spent in front of a mirror or under a meticulous professional hand. She seemed to glow in the yellowy light of the entryway, where they stood for half an hour posing for pictures as her parents cooed and snapped picture after picture. They met up with ten of their friends at a restaurant where the doorway was bordered by a graceful golden archway and a waiter dressed in a crisp white shirt and vest escorted them to their seats. They all talked and laughed over the expensive dinner, joking about the excessive silverware framing their plates. Hoya’s eyes met Dongwoo’s across the table, and the two shared a secret smile before the table erupted in laughter from Woohyun’s joke.
The group arrived at the dance fashionably late, the red carpet soft under their shoes and the bass pounding against their ears the second they stepped a foot into the room. The gym was utterly transformed, glittering decorations hanging from the ceiling and across the tables offering punch and light snacks. The dance floor was already packed with swaying bodies clad in elegant dresses and suits. Before Hoya could get a good look around, his date’s hold on his elbow tightened and he was swept into the mass of bodies. Surrounded by hundreds of familiar faces and elated highs, he smiled and danced, caught up in the moment. He laughed with his friends, gliding between groups of dancers to say hello to everyone and dance with whatever group pulled him in. The beat of the bass was in time with his heart and he jumped with the music, letting the rhythm take control. Hoya loved to dance and was remarkably well-known at the school for his position as the captain of the dance crew, so he was often lured into groups where he felt the energy dropping and joined them to pump the excitement back up. Once he really looked around and couldn’t find his date, he decided that he should take a break and shouldered his way through the now sweaty crowd, making his way to the back of the room where there was air and punch. He leaned against the shiny tables, careful not to upset any of the decorations, and watched the movement of the horde of students.
“Taking a break?” Hoya started at the sound of a voice close to his ear. He turned sharply and was met with the sight of a sweaty and beaming Dongwoo. Hoya felt his face automatically relaxing into an answering smile and nudged his best friend with his elbow.
“Got a little too hot in there for me.” He took a sip of his drink, letting his eyes rove over the room again. “What about you? I thought you were the ‘dancing machine’.”
Dongwoo laughed with his mouth open. “Oh, I am. Machine just needs a little recharging, that’s all.”
Dongwoo leaned on the table next to Hoya, watching the crowd.
“It’s weird, isn’t it? This whole prom thing,” he added in response to Hoya’s questioning stare. “I mean, we’re the same people we’ve been all year. This is the same smelly gym that’s been here all year. Yet this whole thing is such a big deal. I don’t get it. What’s the point of doing something like this unless you plan to do something crazy and out of the ordinary? I mean, we’re already seniors. Our high school years are almost over. If we’re gonna go out, I want to go out with a bang. You know what I mean?”
Hoya nodded slowly, his eyes still wandering around the dance floor. “Yeah, I guess. You mean that to make prom worthwhile, we should do something to make it memorable. Special.”
Dongwoo’s eyes crinkled, and Hoya’s insides warmed up; he blamed the punch. “That’s exactly it.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t thought of anything yet.” Dongwoo’s fingers fiddled with his cup.
“No stripping,” Hoya said sternly, fixing Dongwoo with his ‘scary teacher glare’, as Dongwoo dubbed it.
Dongwoo rolled his eyes, laughing again. “Oh come on, you know you’d like it.”
Hoya just laughed in response, not answering. His elbow grazed Dongwoo’s side, and it was only then that he realized how close the other was standing. They were practically pressed against each other’s sides, heat captured in the sliver of space between their bodies. Hoya felt the same zap of electricity that shot through his body whenever they were this close together. He glanced at Dongwoo out of the corner of his eye. Dongwoo wasn’t looking at him, but his hand was inching closer, closer, until it rested on the table right behind Hoya’s back. Hoya felt the tip of his fingers brush against his jacket. Neither of them said anything. Some sort of mutual comprehension passed between the two without them verbally or even consciously acknowledging it. Hoya swallowed and opened his mouth to speak when-
“Hey you two! We’ve been looking for you; aren’t you going to dance?” Hoya and Dongwoo’s dates appeared before them, faces flushed. One of the girls’ hair had broken free from its elaborate twist, and it fell in wisps around her neck.
Dongwoo slipped his hand away and pushed off of the table. He cocked his head to the side and held out a hand to stop them. After a moment, a smile dawned on his face. “Hoya,” he said, smile evident in his voice, “isn’t this our song?”
Hoya listened, and the familiar sharp beats tugged his lips into a smile. “Yeah, it is!”
Dongwoo laughed and grabbed Hoya’s hand (Hoya tried to ignore the small explosion in his chest) and dragged him to the front. “Let’s see what you got, captain!”
Soon, there was a wide circle around them as Dongwoo and Hoya danced, performing their routine that had won them their last dance battle. Each move was met with loud claps and cheers from the onlookers, and the routine ended in thunderous applause and shouting.
The slow, melodic strumming of a guitar filled the room, and the dance floor divided into pairs, couples standing so close it looked like they were one being. Hoya enclosed his arms around his date’s waist, and her head dropped onto his shoulder. She smelled nice, sweet, but Hoya’s heart didn’t beat any faster for her. They had agreed on going together as friends, and it was nice to enjoy dancing with her without the nervousness and pressure or awkward tension between them. Through the sea of pairs around him, Hoya’s eyes found Dongwoo. He was dancing with his date, also a just-friends date, with his arms around her thin waist and her hands about his neck. She was a beautiful girl, and her eyes were closed as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Hoya tried to look away but found that he couldn’t. He stared until Dongwoo’s eyes met his over the head of his date. Hoya didn’t avert his gaze, and neither did Dongwoo. Their eye contact remained steady, Hoya trying to read Dongwoo’s eyes while trying to figure out the feelings in his own chest. Even when he rotated, slowly swaying to the song, he could feel Dongwoo’s gaze on his back.
The next song saw a re-energized dance floor, and the air was hot and humid from sweat but no one cared. Hoya danced like he had never before, shouting the lyrics to the songs he knew and enjoying the ones he didn’t. It was honestly one of the best times in his life, surrounded by his friends and dancing to the tune of his high school memories. Before he knew it, hours had passed and he was still as invigorated as ever. Everyone’s dresses were a little more crumpled, painstakingly styled hair fallen from high up-do’s, jackets and ties missing and shirt sleeves rolled up. There was an interminable buzz about the gym, everyone wanting to have fun and make one more lasting memory, and no one wanting the night to end; everyone wanting to move on, but no one quite ready to let go yet. As the DJ announced the last song, there was a feeling of desperation, of please don’t let it end, I’m not ready. It wasn’t just prom; it signified a whole part of their lives, their whole high school career. When prom ends, there’s only graduation and then….they’re gone. Moved on. Launched into the real world.
As the low rumble of the DJ’s “this last one is for you lovebirds out there, grab your sweetheart and end this party with a little romance”, Hoya searched for the shiny brown hair or the silvery dress of his date, but to no avail. She seemed to have disappeared. Sighing, Hoya returned to his post beside the punch bowl, deciding to sit this one out, only to find Dongwoo already there.
“Where’s your date?” he asked, taking his place beside his friend.
Dongwoo lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “I can’t find her.”
Hoya nodded. “Me neither.”
They stood in silence, watching the couples scattered all over the dance floor gaze at each other with stars in their eyes. Hoya’s eyes shifted to Dongwoo, and he started to think. This was their last year in high school. A whole period of their lives was ending. Soon, everything was going to be totally different. Dongwoo was his best friend, had been all through their school years, and they had no idea what the future would look like. Will they still be friends? Will they still see each other, still laugh together, talk together, goof off together? Hoya didn’t want to lose that. He didn’t want to lose his love for his best friend, he didn’t want to lose this….this feeling in his chest that he gets whenever they are together. He’d been too afraid to address it, too afraid of what would happen if he acknowledged it. But now? Suddenly, he felt like none of that mattered anymore. This was prom, the end of their lives as teenagers, and maybe it was time to take a chance. Maybe it was time to do something unexpected, something crazy. Dongwoo’s words echoed in his head: If we’re gonna go out, I want to go out with a bang.
Before he knew it, Hoya was pushing off of the table and standing in front of Dongwoo. Dongwoo regarded at him with confusion. “Wh-”
Hoya held out a hand. “Dance with me.”
Dongwoo stared at him for a long moment. “What?”
“Dance with me. I want to dance with you.”
Dongwoo started to laugh, but then stopped when he noticed the sincere expression on Hoya’s face. “Wait- you’re serious? What the hell, Hoya! We can’t dance together!”
“Why not?”
“B- because we’re both guys. Two dudes don’t just slow dance together.”
“So?” Hoya grabbed Dongwoo’s hand before the other could say anything else. “Look me in the eyes right now and honestly tell me that you don’t want to dance with your best friend.”
Dongwoo’s cheeks colored. “Well, I mean-”
Hoya jerked Dongwoo forward so that he fell against his chest. “You said you wanted to go out with a bang, right? Won’t this get people talking?” He chuckled, winding his arms around Dongwoo’s waist. He quieted Dongwoo’s grumbles of wait why am I the girl by tightening his arms, bring their bodies together. He heard a few gasps from behind them and a little murmur from a couple next to them, but he kept his eyes trained on Dongwoo’s face. His eyes were wide as they looked back at Hoya.
“You can relax,” Hoya said into Dongwoo’s ear. “We’re only dancing.”
“At prom,” Dongwoo added, voice sarcastically stolid. “Together. In front of everyone. No big deal.”
“No big deal,” Hoya echoed, closing his eyes and burying his nose in Dongwoo’s hair. His date smelled sweet, but Dongwoo smelled better. He was beautiful in a way no one else could be, with his childish laughter and messy blond hair and endless desire to make other people happy. After a moment, he felt Dongwoo’s arms slide behind his neck. He smiled into Dongwoo’s hair.
“So…what?” Hoya heard Dongwoo say. He pulled back, meeting Dongwoo’s eyes.
“What do you mean ‘what’?”
“What does this mean? This whole dancing thing.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Come on, Hoya. What are we doing right now?”
Hoya scrunched his eyebrows together. “Dancing?”
Dongwoo rolled his eyes. “No shit. I mean, why are we dancing?”
“I want to dance with you.”
Dongwoo’s eyes were deep as they stared at Hoya’s face. “Why do you want to dance with me?” His voice was laced with trepidation, and Hoya felt the weight of his answer settling on his heart.
Hoya’s lips trembled, just a bit, as he pressed them against Dongwoo’s ear. He left them there for a second before taking a deep breath. “Because I think I love you.”
He felt Dongwoo’s body stiffen. He didn’t release his hold though, and after a moment, he felt a head hesitantly rest against his shoulder. Raising his eyes, he saw several people staring at them, some whispering behind their hands, but he didn’t care. Dongwoo’s body was warm and fit almost too perfectly against his. His voice was so quiet Hoya almost missed it. “You think?”
Hoya chuckled, pressing his face into Dongwoo’s hair. “Fine, fine. I don’t think, I know. I love you.”
He felt Dongwoo’s body shake with laughter against his. “I love you too, you idiot. And now the whole school knows, too. We’re gonna be the talk of the town now.”
Hoya pulled away, getting a good look at Dongwoo’s face. The whole room was moving around them, the world was spinning around them, but it felt like they were at a standstill. It was just Hoya and Dongwoo, Dongwoo and Hoya, and nothing else mattered. Dongwoo was smiling at him, and it was so beautiful Hoya was almost dizzy. So maybe everyone was staring at them. Maybe on Monday everyone will watch them walk down the hallway and whisper behind their hands. Maybe people will throw them curious or unfriendly glances. So what? Honestly, Hoya couldn’t bring himself to care about anything at that moment except how close Dongwoo’s face was to his.
And so, with a grin and a hand under Dongwoo’s chin, Hoya whispered, “Well, then let’s really give them something to talk about, yeah?” And if there happened to be gasps of surprise or hushed whispers running through the crowd around them, Hoya didn’t notice. Dongwoo’s lips kept him fairly distracted.