Get Down Tonight (1/2)
Title: Get Down Tonight
Rating: R
Word count: 11,400
Pairing: Aiba Masaki/Sakurai Sho
Warning: Catchy tunes, funky dudes
Summary: Aiba Masaki has three weeks to turn his new dance partner, Sakurai Sho, into a disco champion.
Authorβs Note: βResearchβ alone for this fic made the entire experience a blast. Thank you so much to the people who supported me in getting this done, you know who you are. Originally for astrangerenters at the aibaexchange
"I brought chocolate cake," Aiba announced with a grin, holding up the paper carrier for Ohno to see.
They were in the exact opposite of celebratory circumstances, but Aiba didn't want to wallow in self-pity and defeat. He cared about Ohno and his health more than a dance competition, even if he had been looking forward to it for months now. With Takki going pro and Tsubasa entering early retirement, it was supposed to be their turn. The Captain and Disco Star on top!
But if they couldn't have sweet victory, they could have sweets.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Aiba asked as he set the cake on the coffee table, plopping down beside his friend on the sofa. It was odd to see Ohno with his leg up, rather than curled beneath him on the cushions as usual.
"I don't deserve cake," Ohno answered as he bowed his head, "I'm the worst."
It wasn't funny, not really, but Aiba still snorted at the sight of Ohno looking so deeply apologetic. If their positions were reversed, Aiba would likely be begging for forgiveness himself. He might have done the same thing to his ankle walking down some stairs. At least Ohno had a story to tell at parties - betrayed by tequila and stormy seas.
"I'll find you someone to dance with," Ohno promised, hugging Aiba's arm to his chest, "You still have to go."
Aiba shook his head in disagreement. There were only three weeks left until the competition. Even if he could find a dancer on Ohno's level, something that already felt impossible, there would also have to be an instant chemistry between them. It would have to be as if they'd been dancing together all along, and Aiba highly doubted he'd be able to fake that feeling with some stranger. He and Ohno had built up a trust over time that you just didn't get from a quickly choreographed routine.
Well, that and Aiba could admit he had some insecurity he didn't like to face within himself. That echoing question of what if I'm not any good without Ohno dazzling everyone beside me? He never brought it up with Ohno, because there was no point in making him feel guilty about being so talented. Aiba also wasn't exactly thrilled to admit his confidence was lacking, so he kept his small doubts to himself.
"I thought we were in this together! So if we win, we win together, and if we lose, we lose together," Aiba reminded.
He freed his arm from Ohno's grasp and pat his friend's knee before standing up again. It was better to eat cake, and maybe have a little something to wash it down with too.
"What about some beer? Beer will lift our spirits!" he suggested, ready to head for the fridge.
"No. Aiba-chan, I'm hurt, so you have to listen to me," Ohno demanded, slapping his hand against the arm of the sofa. "I love Disco Star. I'm Disco Star's biggest fan, and if he doesn't dance at that competition, my spirits will never be lifted again. I'll become a zombie. I'll be a zombie fisherman for the rest of my life."
"A zombie??"
"A zombie. And I'll only catch zombie fish," Ohno concluded sadly.
Ohno knew exactly what he was doing. Aiba had already confided in him once at practice that his newest big fear was his friends turning into zombies, as highly improbable as that may be. As Nino always said, 'Improbable is not impossible. Not when viruses advance at a faster rate than even modern science. Are you ready for the zombie epidemic, Aiba-chan?'
Okay, so he'd said it once. Once was enough.
"Maybe. Maybe. I will go. If there's somebody to dance with me," Aiba gave in. It was easier to reluctantly agree than to watch Ohno pout any longer.
If he was honest, the idea that there may still be some hope for him to dance made him smile too. There was something about the thrill of the music, the sound of people cheering for him, that rare moment in the spotlight - it was addicting.
"Good," Ohno said cheerfully. He scratched the side of his nose, then pointed toward the kitchen. "I kinda do want a beer though."
Aiba laughed and responded with a salute. With a few beers behind them, they'd likely forget all about this. He was looking forward to joking around about how to incorporate crutches as a prop, instead of worrying about some new partner.
They'd win for sure! Next time. The dream would simply just have to wait.
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Aiba loved his job. While everyone else was simply passing through the department until they could become project managers, Aiba truly liked designing marketing emails. Sometimes he'd add an extra exclamation point if he thought no one would notice and call it 'unprofessional', and sometimes he had full control over the font.
He also got to work with his friend Nino, who claimed to have no desire to rise above the ranks until it became necessary to sustain his gaming habit. They often abused the companyβs inter-office chat to send rude messages to each other, despite their cubicles being side by side.
"Why couldn't he have waited a few weeks to nearly kill himself? It's not going to be as fun to win if I can't shove your faces in it," Nino complained across the divider as they prepared to head to lunch.
It would sound harsh to the outside ear, but Aiba knew how much Nino had been looking forward to beating Ohno. He was competitive when it came to disco. In fact, Aiba wouldn't be dancing now if Nino hadn't started taking lessons first. His grumpy demeanor was only because he was as disappointed as Aiba was about this turn of events.
They liked to joke that disco was the unofficial company sport, since Nino's partner had been the one to get the rest of them pulled into it. It just wasn't the same if they couldn't all participate.
"Go ahead and win this time, and then next year we'll see if you have what it takes to stay on top," Aiba suggested with a shrug.
He logged out of his computer profile, then began to search his desk for his wallet. Going out to lunch with Nino meant treating, even if he was only a senpai by a couple of months. What had he done with that wallet, anyway? He'd come in this morning and tossed it right behind his desk calendar, or was that yesterday?
Hearing what he thought was an impatient cough behind him, Aiba rolled his eyes.
"Yeah yeah, I'm coming already."
He swiveled around in his chair quickly, but leapt up when he realized it wasn't Nino waiting for him.
"Aiba-san? I was hoping I could have a word with you at lunch. If you don't already have plans, of course," Sakurai Sho requested with a soft smile.
Sakurai Sho.
There were three things that immediately came to mind when Aiba thought about Sakurai Sho, star employee of the Public Relations department. One, that he was somehow always both working late and present at after-work drinking sessions as if that were humanly possible. Two, that he had weird taste in casual clothing, but picked out the best accessories. Three, that Aiba had gotten drunk and made out with him at the company retreat when they'd been the last ones at the campfire and declared a mutual love for barbecue.
The last point was fairly recent, but had so far not been a problem. Aiba thought a man who liked a good barbecue and had Sho's face was pretty hot. No big deal.
Before he answered Sho's request, Aiba's eyes drifted to Nino, who was standing behind Sho and enthusiastically giving two thumbs up.
"I don't have plans," he lied.
"Great! I thought we could go across the street and grab some curry. Are you free now?" Sho asked.
"Yep!" Aiba confirmed, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair and slipping into it easily. "Let's go!"
His mind was racing with every possible reason Sho might ask him to lunch as they walked together to the elevators. It didn't have to be about what had happened between them at the retreat. It could be a number of office-related scenarios! Maybe he was needed for one of Sho's new advertising projects. Maybe Sho simply wanted advice on whether it was best to send a mass email on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. Aiba loved chatting about that sort of thing (and it was definitely Wednesday, as he'd figured out over time).
But as the lunch hour was nearing a close and the only thing they'd discussed was how great the curry was and how often they went to karaoke, Aiba was starting to doubt Sho had work questions at all.
"The reason I asked you to lunch is because of Satoshi-kun, actually. We've been friends a long time and when I heard about his ankle, I asked him if there was anything I could do for him," Sho finally explained.
He didn't need to finish for Aiba to understand where this was going. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he grew more nervous about what was happening here. There was no way this could be about the competition. He would rather Sho give him a long speech about being full of kissing regret!
"Oh?"
Aiba took an unnecessarily long gulp of his tea, hoping that it would somehow hide the panic he was feeling inside.
"I don't have a lot of experience with disco, I admit, but I took some dance lessons when I was younger? I think I could at least get the basic idea of the moves," Sho continued with a bright grin, "So what do you think?"
When Aiba did take a second to think about it, it didn't seem like a terrible idea. Sho was a dedicated guy who worked hard at everything, so disco would probably be no different. But hard work was only the start of what would be required. Aiba just wasn't sure what Sho was offering would be enough for achieving his dream. Pretending like it was enough might only make the inevitable defeat hurt more.
Aiba wiped some tea from his chin and nodded his head politely. He'd just have to let Sho down easy.
"I'm glad you want to help, Sakurai-san! But I also don't know if we have time. We'd have to meet every single day after work, for hours probably. Otherwise we won't even be close to ready," Aiba answered.
And this was assuming that Sho could actually dance, which Aiba had yet to see.
He'd thought he'd kept that last part to himself, but then Sho smirked at him and leaned a little closer to say, "Do you want me to audition?"
"No! No, no need to audition."
Aiba hardly had candidates lining up to partner him. He could feel his cheeks warming up at the thought that Sho even wanted to do this. Not just dance disco at all, but dance a disco routine as his partner. Even if Sho had known Ohno a long time, it seemed a lot to take on just as a friendly gesture.
"So you'll give it a try with me?" Sho asked again, pressing his hands together as if begging for the opportunity.
How was Aiba supposed to turn him down? He'd never been in a position with someone so eager to do him a favor. He couldn't look Sho in the eye, still a little embarrassed, but he nodded in agreement. Okay. It couldn't hurt to just see where things went.
"We can start tomorrow."
"I'll free up my schedule," Sho promised.
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It turned out that having a night to sleep on things was the right call. When Aiba woke up the next morning, he found himself actually looking forward to his meeting with Sho. The only thing holding him back from having a good time was his own attitude. Rather than be afraid that everything would be a disaster, Aiba would do his best to make sure it wasn't!
It was with that mentality that he'd managed to secure them a rehearsal spot. Aiba and Ohno danced at studio not far from the office, but that was because they only spent an hour rehearsing every few days and the studio sponsored the dance competition. Creating a brand new routine that suited his change of partner was going to require far more time than the studio could provide him.
"The passes are temporary, the space is temporary, but my job I want to be more than temporary... so please don't break anything," his best friend requested as he handed Aiba a lanyard with a small card and a key.
"We'll be super good! You won't even know we were here," Aiba replied.
"And if anyone asks you what you're up to?" Kazama prompted.
"I tell them that Kazamapon throws secret parties here at night," Aiba responded as if it was what they'd agreed upon. He laughed when his friend tried to snatch the lanyard back from him. It was too late! He'd given Aiba a room to rehearse for three weeks, and as such, Aiba would forget about the time that Kazama had puked on his favorite sweater.
Kazama insisted that Aiba had been the one to puke that night, but Aiba didn't remember it that way, so this was only fair.
"Good luck with everything," Kazama wished him.
Aiba kissed the top of his head, "You better be there when I win!"
It was easy enough to set the room up for dancing, as it was already used as a meeting room and dress rehearsal space for various skits and variety show segments. At least one wall had a set of mirrors, perfect for seeing how they moved together. If anyone asked, what he was really supposed to tell them is that he and Sho were practicing for a television special. Weirder things made it to broadcast every day, and weirder things had been cut before too. No one would suspect that a producer was pulling strings for two disco dancers.
All he had needed was a stereo, which he moved from his apartment with Kazama's help, and their new practice space was complete.
All the arranging had seriously cut into practice time tonight, but that was okay. They'd start with something so basic, Sho would probably need less than an hour to fully master it!
"The hustle?" Sho struggled to repeat.
"Yeah! Everyone does it at some point. It's a good way to move across the floor between bigger steps," Aiba informed him.
He demonstrated the first part slowly, pointing to his right leg. Always start on the right leg! From there, step back - two - three - four and clap your hands. Step forward on your left foot - two - three - four and clap again.
Sho followed along as Aiba had expected, clapping his hands loudly each time he hit his mark. If the hustle ended right there, Aiba would say they were on a smooth track to victory. But, naturally, it was more involved than that.
"Okay, so, next you turn to the right and clap. Then to the left and clap, and then we're going to do the disco fever thing. Hang on, uh... let me show you."
Somehow Aiba hadn't fully processed the idea that taking on a new partner meant becoming a teacher too. Ohno had been dancing long before Aiba ever tried, and he'd been the one to both lead and choreograph all of their dances. It was one thing to dance the moves himself, it was another to try and break them down for someone else to understand.
"It's called a punching bag. So like you're punching something right in front of your face," Aiba described the next move, laughing as Sho looked more like he was slapping someone on the cheek.
"You wanna hustle? I'll hustle you right here, right now," Sho acted out as he practiced his punching bag stance.
Aiba laughed and shook his head, facing Sho and demonstrating the move again. He wasn't sure how long they went back and forth trying to perfect the punching bag, but by the time they were done, Aiba was beginning to lose some of the optimism he'd come into the lesson with earlier.
It wasn't Sho's fault, really. When Aiba turned on the music and they pieced the entire hustle together, complete with funky chicken, they didn't look half-bad! But the clock on his iPhone painted a difficult picture. One complete set of dance moves had sucked up nearly all of their rehearsal time.
And then?
Then there was the hip thrust.
"Sakurai-san... you look like a signpost being rattled by some wind."
Aiba hadn't meant for it to sound so harsh, but it was the best comparison that had come to mind. Aiba thought that everyone essentially knew how to hip thrust, even if they'd never tried to disco. Unfortunately, Sho looked as if he wasn't aware that he had hips at all.
"Sorry," Sho apologized with a sheepish laugh, "I'm not very flexible."
Aiba wasn't sure that inflexibility was the real problem here. But, well, it was only their first time dancing. Sho was probably still nervous, much like Aiba had been when he'd first heard Sho wanted to partner with him. Once they became more comfortable with one another, he'd loosen up! Yeah!
"Do what I do," Aiba instructed as he placed his hands on his hips, "Bump, bump, bump to the front. Bump, bump, bump to the front."
He popped his hip to the left, then to the right, then followed it up with a hip thrust. If Sho could feel what his body did as he moved his hips to the side, he might get a better idea of how to snap his hips forward.
At least Aiba had hoped, but to his dismay, Sho continued to struggle. He knew his concern was written all over his face, especially when Sho looked back at him as if he'd let Aiba down. Aiba hated feeling as if he was crushing Sho's self-esteem. It wouldn't be fair to let one short lesson decide how Sho was as a partner, would it? Aiba hadn't unlocked Sho's strengths yet. If everything else went well, it didn't matter that thrusting might need extra work.
"Let's meet again tomorrow. But earlier! We'll get more time together," Aiba suggested as they gathered up their belongings.
"Really?" Sho asked in surprise.
"Yeah!"
"I thought for sure you'd fire me. Fire me? Maybe that's not the right term," Sho said with a laugh. Aiba noticed that he was far more graceful in his movements when he was relaxed. The casual way he draped his coat over his shoulder, his hand in the pocket of his sweats. Sho looked effortlessly cool to him.
There was a disco dancer in there somewhere.
It was now Aiba's mission to find him.
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"Masaki, YEAH!" Sho greeted him as they passed one another at work the next day, holding up his hand for the newly customary high-five.
"Sho-chan, YAY!" Aiba returned the greeting cheerfully.
It earned them a few stares from around the office, but as far as anyone knew, it was a thing they did because they were positive and supportive work colleagues. Which was true in its own way, but was also part of a bigger plan that Aiba had come up with to get them on more comfortable terms.
First names, casual touching, a sense of familiarity would all go a long way in making them stronger dance partners. If it didn't pan out that way, at least Aiba could say he had an instant boost of popularity at the workplace.
"So, it went well I take it?" Nino asked when Aiba neared his desk.
That was one way of putting it! It hadn't gone badly, was what Aiba had decided. He nodded his head, but then began to worry his lip. There were so many things still on his mind.
"But he's so stiff," Aiba whispered. He felt bad enough talking about Sho right here in the open. If the man were to come walking back this way as Aiba was complaining? That would be the end of their dance partnership.
"Stiff isn't always a bad thing," Nino responded with a chuckle.
Aiba glanced both ways to make sure the coast was clear before continuing to speak quietly.
"Every time I push, he wobbles. When I tell him to shake his hips, his whole lower half moves."
"I don't think Oh-chan would give you someone that helpless," Nino countered, perfectly happy to speak at his normal volume, "He must have something to offer. You know, aside from looking good in the costume."
That was possibly true. If they were really going to go to the competition together, Aiba would need to get Sho an outfit and soon. If it were Sho out there with him, they wouldn't even need anything flashy. Sho stood out enough on his own by being the most handsome man Aiba knew. Sho in a fitted pair of pants that flared at the ends? A slightly unbuttoned shirt, maybe in black... or what about white?
Aiba zoned out, watching Nino twirl a paper clip between his fingers while he thought about all the possibilities. Why not be more bold? Red. As red as Sho's lips had been the other day when he'd watched him eat curry and...
"Aiba-shi, are you seriously telling me you haven't plastered that man in sequins yet? Body glitter? At least you've made up an excuse for the shirt to come off," Nino interrupted his daydreaming.
Of course not! He shook his head and answered, "It's been one day, Nino, seriously."
Sequins, though. Aiba really did need to find out how Sho felt about sequins.
π₯πππ₯'π€ π₯ππ π¨ππͺ π ππππ ππ₯
UP ONE DOWN TWO AND THREE AND FOUR
UP ONE DOWN TWO AND THREE AND FOUR
UP ONE DOWN TWO AND THREE AND FOUR
They would never have a perfect routine without the basic bounce, one of the most important elements of any disco number.
Sho could throw his arm up and drop it back down, but it was tight and robotic, like someone who had seen John Travolta dance and assumed if he pointed at the sky a few times he had disco down. Disco was about more than the dance moves, it was a feeling. It was opening yourself up and connecting on another level with your partner. If you were going to demand all eyes on you, you had to have something to show off.
"Uh huh, uh huh," Aiba tried to sing along with the music as he demonstrated a thrust. Each time the lyrics circled back to that's the way, Aiba prepared himself for another quick snap of his hips.
As the lyrics continued to I like it, Aiba watched Sho get ready to mimic his movements with the most concerned eyebrows he'd ever seen on another human's face.
"Uh huh, uh huh," Sho mumbled, rocking forward and backward, his movement centered entirely in his knees and thighs.
No matter how many times he explained to Sho that a hip thrust was all about the glutes, he couldn't seem to get the man to understand. It looked like Aiba was going to have to take things into his own hands. Literally.
He stepped up behind his new partner and placed his palm across Sho's butt, trying not to blush as he heard Sho's high-pitched squeal of surprise.
"You should feel it here," Aiba told him.
"I feel your hand," Sho responded with a nervous laugh.
Aiba knew you couldn't rush technique, but he'd hoped that things would have improved since the last lesson. He'd thought that maybe Sho's eagerness to learn would inspire him to hip thrust around his apartment until dawn. However, Sho looked as unsure about it now as he had the day before, and Aiba was still confused as to how he could be so rigid in the first place.
Sakurai Sho had the body of an athlete and the face of a dream. Even if he devoted more time to his career than his personal life, there had to be bodies in his bed occasionally. Aiba had nearly dragged him into his tent at that company retreat, and that was only after a kiss.
It would be too rude to ask his new partner, "So you have sex right? Let's imagine sex for a second..."
But it was tempting. Very, very tempting.
Aiba paused the music and grabbed some water bottles from the small bench beside the sound system. He tossed one to Sho, the two of them sipping quietly until Aiba couldn't keep his frustration inside any longer.
"I'm shy," he announced.
"What?" Sho responded, tilting his head slightly in confusion.
"I'm shy. But I realized you might not know that, because you don't see me much outside of here and at work. When I'm out in the world, meeting new people, I'm... I'm not like a hermit or anything, but I'm shy. I'm not always comfortable. Public speaking, parties, those things can be scary. I need a confidence boost. Usually."
"I see," Sho acknowledged with a small nod, "You wouldn't guess when you dance, or when you teach. Didn't you touch my ass two minutes ago?"
Aiba laughed and aimed his water bottle at Sho accusingly.
"I wouldn't have to if you'd figure out how to pop that thing yourself! But seriously, I had a point."
Aiba liked the way Sho looked when he tossed his head back in laughter, especially when it was because of something he said. Sho had a strong, inviting neck. But that wasn't what Aiba was trying to focus on right now.
"When I'm dancing, I'm not shy anymore. I'm not afraid I'm going to be laughed at or worried about saying the wrong thing. I'm not thinking about everybody else, I'm just thinking about me and my partner. Me, and the music, and how fun it is to dance. It's supposed to be fun," Aiba explained, closing most of the gap between them. He smiled as he placed his free hand on Sho's shoulder.
"I bet no teacher's ever said this to you before, but... stop taking things so seriously, Sho-chan! Loosen up."
He thought he saw something change in Sho's eyes then. It was a risk to tell someone who was doing this for Aiba's benefit to essentially stop caring so much, but Sho seemed to understand what he meant.
"Find a way to be passionate without being inside my own head," Sho summarized, returning Aiba's shoulder squeeze.
Exactly! Aiba pulled back from Sho's grip and rushed to turn the music back on. He had to use this precious moment to the best advantage. Use the fire he'd seen in Sho's gaze and turn it into the best hip thrust he could.
"UH HUH, UH HUH!" Aiba cheered, hip thrusting his way across the room.
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It was lesson four when Aiba realized there was no reason he had to come up with every part of the routine himself. Ohno was physically injured, but that didn't mean he had to be cut out of the entire dance process. Ohno was still as much his partner as Sho was now, and since they already knew one another, it was even better!
Ohno agreed to drop in once a week. Aiba had hoped for more than that, considering they only had two more weeks after this one, but Ohno was apparently in the middle of an art project now.
He moved on fast. But so had Aiba, actually.
"Why didn't you tell Aiba-chan that you did ballroom dancing? There's so much that crosses over there, you know!" Ohno complained, shaking his head at Sho.
"Well, I did mention I'd danced before, I just didn't know that the type was that important," Sho defended himself. Aiba laughed when Sho added in a mumbled, "I mostly took piano lessons anyway."
"Less talking, more dancing!" Aiba requested as they entered into another ballroom hold.
Being with Sho this way, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted. The heavy burden of having to teach Sho all the basics was gone. Sure, the actual routine was going to need a lot of care and practice, but Sho could lead Aiba across the room as well as Ohno ever had. He just didn't quite know how to make it funky.
It was getting fun now. When Sho dipped him, Aiba actually grew a little flustered. A spin out and back into Sho's arms was sharp and precise. Maybe they weren't close to a first prize, but Aiba was remembering why it was he loved to dance.
"I think you should grapevine in opposite directions, and when you come back to center, then you bump hips," Ohno suggested. He waved his crutch each time he wanted them to repeat what they'd done.
When it came time to end rehearsal, Aiba actually found himself wishing they could keep going. There was a magic about Ohno when he took charge. Seeing him think through the start of a routine, and the way he allowed Sho to slightly change a step if it felt more natural for him, it was inspiring.
And Sho! Sho had been like an entirely new person. As soon as he'd understood that he had skill with certain moves, that he could be the supportive partner that pushed Aiba along, he'd completely stepped up. It was... thrilling!
He didn't want to keep thinking about Sho's hands on his back, beneath his arms, against his hip as they'd moved across the floor tonight. But every time he looked at the man, he wanted to reach out again.
"You were amazing today," he spoke. He had to let Sho know. He probably didn't compliment his partner enough, or thank him enough for doing this when he really hadn't needed to give up so much of his time.
Sho shook his head, then placed a hand on Aiba's shoulder.
"It's all you."
"HEY!"
"And Satoshi-kun," Sho amended with a bubbly laugh.
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Although Sho had made some great improvements over the past few lessons, especially with Aiba's discovery that he could lead an impressive ballroom spin, he still seemed stressed out whenever Aiba let go of his hand.
Any choreography that required Sho to move on his own posed a problem. He'd remember the dance steps, but he'd look painfully awkward doing them. If Aiba needed his left arm to go up as his right leg kicked out, Sho reversed it somehow.
Aiba was patient about it, but Sho looked ready to scream. Aiba had been there before. There were times when Ohno gave him a move he couldn't seem to master, and seeing Ohno do it so fluidly had driven him into a self-pitying rage. Being that hard on yourself only made it more difficult to relax into a step. There was no choice now but to take a break.
"Sho-chan, stop. Let's stop. I think I see a vein popping out," Aiba tried to make light of it.
Sho didn't find it so amusing, tossing the towel at his neck to the ground with a frustrated grunt.
"Listen, it's only a wall. It would be weird if you didn't hit one with how long we've been practicing. Let's... let's freestyle!" Aiba offered with a cheerful fist pump.
When Aiba felt the pressure closing in on him, whether it was during practice or at work or in his life in general, he liked to take a brief moment to break the rules. Tiny acts of rebellion that made him feel like everything was still in his control. For example, secretly opening up another tab in his photo editing software and drawing a mustache on a picture of a kitten. Something silly, and not meant to be done at work, but so completely satisfying.
Freestyling was basically like that! They could make up their own steps. There were no rules to freestyle, except for maybe one. Feel the music.
"I don't know how," Sho stated, his head hanging as if in defeat.
"No one does! That's the beauty of it!"
Aiba dared to press a little closer to his partner, lightly tapping his fingers against the back of Sho's hand. When Sho turned his hand around to give Aiba his palm, Aiba laced their fingers together and began to swing their joined hands.
"C'mon, Sho-chan. Let's just dance. We'll put on a song, and let it play the whole way through, and whatever you want to do is what you do," Aiba encouraged him.
It took a few more nudges to get Sho to agree, but Aiba knew it was worth it. As the music started playing, Sho seemed lost, simply shifting his weight from foot to foot. Aiba stood directly in front of him to lead by example.
"I call this the snake charmer," Aiba announced, moving his arms in a wave as he lowered himself near the ground and back up again.
When he saw Sho crack a smile, he immediately started in on the funky chicken. Sho began to laugh, softly at first, but then loud and full as ever as Aiba dropped down to do the worm - or at least tried to, but it wasn't really in his disco arsenal and honestly it kind of hurt his groin.
"Masaki, are you okay?" Sho asked through his laughter. When he held out his hand, Aiba latched on and pulled himself up.
"Not really! I feel like I'm doing everything here," he accused, giving Sho a gentle prod in the stomach.
Sho cleared his throat and backed up slightly, appearing as if he wanted to give himself some room. Aiba could see the wheels turning in his mind, but his eyes were shining again.
"This," he announced, "is the Hokkaido mountain bop."
Aiba clapped and cheered as Sho began to mimic skiing downhill, bending his knees and working his hands at either side as if he were holding onto poles. Ski poles! Ski poles, of course. Aiba didn't need the image of Sho working any other kind of pole in his brain.
Well, he didn't mind it. He might save it for later.
"Ramen boogie!" Aiba shouted. He pretended to slurp some noodles as he did a body roll. Sho really liked that one, joining him in it for another few bars of the song.
As they continued their weird dance off together, Aiba had to wonder if it wouldn't be worth it to fill the competition choreography with more snake charmers and mountain bops.
It felt worth it. Seeing Sho this happy.
When Sho winked at him and slurped more noodles, Aiba shook his head and laughed. He placed a hand over his chest and declared, "I'm full."
PART 2
Rating: R
Word count: 11,400
Pairing: Aiba Masaki/Sakurai Sho
Warning: Catchy tunes, funky dudes
Summary: Aiba Masaki has three weeks to turn his new dance partner, Sakurai Sho, into a disco champion.
Authorβs Note: βResearchβ alone for this fic made the entire experience a blast. Thank you so much to the people who supported me in getting this done, you know who you are. Originally for astrangerenters at the aibaexchange
"I brought chocolate cake," Aiba announced with a grin, holding up the paper carrier for Ohno to see.
They were in the exact opposite of celebratory circumstances, but Aiba didn't want to wallow in self-pity and defeat. He cared about Ohno and his health more than a dance competition, even if he had been looking forward to it for months now. With Takki going pro and Tsubasa entering early retirement, it was supposed to be their turn. The Captain and Disco Star on top!
But if they couldn't have sweet victory, they could have sweets.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Aiba asked as he set the cake on the coffee table, plopping down beside his friend on the sofa. It was odd to see Ohno with his leg up, rather than curled beneath him on the cushions as usual.
"I don't deserve cake," Ohno answered as he bowed his head, "I'm the worst."
It wasn't funny, not really, but Aiba still snorted at the sight of Ohno looking so deeply apologetic. If their positions were reversed, Aiba would likely be begging for forgiveness himself. He might have done the same thing to his ankle walking down some stairs. At least Ohno had a story to tell at parties - betrayed by tequila and stormy seas.
"I'll find you someone to dance with," Ohno promised, hugging Aiba's arm to his chest, "You still have to go."
Aiba shook his head in disagreement. There were only three weeks left until the competition. Even if he could find a dancer on Ohno's level, something that already felt impossible, there would also have to be an instant chemistry between them. It would have to be as if they'd been dancing together all along, and Aiba highly doubted he'd be able to fake that feeling with some stranger. He and Ohno had built up a trust over time that you just didn't get from a quickly choreographed routine.
Well, that and Aiba could admit he had some insecurity he didn't like to face within himself. That echoing question of what if I'm not any good without Ohno dazzling everyone beside me? He never brought it up with Ohno, because there was no point in making him feel guilty about being so talented. Aiba also wasn't exactly thrilled to admit his confidence was lacking, so he kept his small doubts to himself.
"I thought we were in this together! So if we win, we win together, and if we lose, we lose together," Aiba reminded.
He freed his arm from Ohno's grasp and pat his friend's knee before standing up again. It was better to eat cake, and maybe have a little something to wash it down with too.
"What about some beer? Beer will lift our spirits!" he suggested, ready to head for the fridge.
"No. Aiba-chan, I'm hurt, so you have to listen to me," Ohno demanded, slapping his hand against the arm of the sofa. "I love Disco Star. I'm Disco Star's biggest fan, and if he doesn't dance at that competition, my spirits will never be lifted again. I'll become a zombie. I'll be a zombie fisherman for the rest of my life."
"A zombie??"
"A zombie. And I'll only catch zombie fish," Ohno concluded sadly.
Ohno knew exactly what he was doing. Aiba had already confided in him once at practice that his newest big fear was his friends turning into zombies, as highly improbable as that may be. As Nino always said, 'Improbable is not impossible. Not when viruses advance at a faster rate than even modern science. Are you ready for the zombie epidemic, Aiba-chan?'
Okay, so he'd said it once. Once was enough.
"Maybe. Maybe. I will go. If there's somebody to dance with me," Aiba gave in. It was easier to reluctantly agree than to watch Ohno pout any longer.
If he was honest, the idea that there may still be some hope for him to dance made him smile too. There was something about the thrill of the music, the sound of people cheering for him, that rare moment in the spotlight - it was addicting.
"Good," Ohno said cheerfully. He scratched the side of his nose, then pointed toward the kitchen. "I kinda do want a beer though."
Aiba laughed and responded with a salute. With a few beers behind them, they'd likely forget all about this. He was looking forward to joking around about how to incorporate crutches as a prop, instead of worrying about some new partner.
They'd win for sure! Next time. The dream would simply just have to wait.
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Aiba loved his job. While everyone else was simply passing through the department until they could become project managers, Aiba truly liked designing marketing emails. Sometimes he'd add an extra exclamation point if he thought no one would notice and call it 'unprofessional', and sometimes he had full control over the font.
He also got to work with his friend Nino, who claimed to have no desire to rise above the ranks until it became necessary to sustain his gaming habit. They often abused the companyβs inter-office chat to send rude messages to each other, despite their cubicles being side by side.
"Why couldn't he have waited a few weeks to nearly kill himself? It's not going to be as fun to win if I can't shove your faces in it," Nino complained across the divider as they prepared to head to lunch.
It would sound harsh to the outside ear, but Aiba knew how much Nino had been looking forward to beating Ohno. He was competitive when it came to disco. In fact, Aiba wouldn't be dancing now if Nino hadn't started taking lessons first. His grumpy demeanor was only because he was as disappointed as Aiba was about this turn of events.
They liked to joke that disco was the unofficial company sport, since Nino's partner had been the one to get the rest of them pulled into it. It just wasn't the same if they couldn't all participate.
"Go ahead and win this time, and then next year we'll see if you have what it takes to stay on top," Aiba suggested with a shrug.
He logged out of his computer profile, then began to search his desk for his wallet. Going out to lunch with Nino meant treating, even if he was only a senpai by a couple of months. What had he done with that wallet, anyway? He'd come in this morning and tossed it right behind his desk calendar, or was that yesterday?
Hearing what he thought was an impatient cough behind him, Aiba rolled his eyes.
"Yeah yeah, I'm coming already."
He swiveled around in his chair quickly, but leapt up when he realized it wasn't Nino waiting for him.
"Aiba-san? I was hoping I could have a word with you at lunch. If you don't already have plans, of course," Sakurai Sho requested with a soft smile.
Sakurai Sho.
There were three things that immediately came to mind when Aiba thought about Sakurai Sho, star employee of the Public Relations department. One, that he was somehow always both working late and present at after-work drinking sessions as if that were humanly possible. Two, that he had weird taste in casual clothing, but picked out the best accessories. Three, that Aiba had gotten drunk and made out with him at the company retreat when they'd been the last ones at the campfire and declared a mutual love for barbecue.
The last point was fairly recent, but had so far not been a problem. Aiba thought a man who liked a good barbecue and had Sho's face was pretty hot. No big deal.
Before he answered Sho's request, Aiba's eyes drifted to Nino, who was standing behind Sho and enthusiastically giving two thumbs up.
"I don't have plans," he lied.
"Great! I thought we could go across the street and grab some curry. Are you free now?" Sho asked.
"Yep!" Aiba confirmed, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair and slipping into it easily. "Let's go!"
His mind was racing with every possible reason Sho might ask him to lunch as they walked together to the elevators. It didn't have to be about what had happened between them at the retreat. It could be a number of office-related scenarios! Maybe he was needed for one of Sho's new advertising projects. Maybe Sho simply wanted advice on whether it was best to send a mass email on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. Aiba loved chatting about that sort of thing (and it was definitely Wednesday, as he'd figured out over time).
But as the lunch hour was nearing a close and the only thing they'd discussed was how great the curry was and how often they went to karaoke, Aiba was starting to doubt Sho had work questions at all.
"The reason I asked you to lunch is because of Satoshi-kun, actually. We've been friends a long time and when I heard about his ankle, I asked him if there was anything I could do for him," Sho finally explained.
He didn't need to finish for Aiba to understand where this was going. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he grew more nervous about what was happening here. There was no way this could be about the competition. He would rather Sho give him a long speech about being full of kissing regret!
"Oh?"
Aiba took an unnecessarily long gulp of his tea, hoping that it would somehow hide the panic he was feeling inside.
"I don't have a lot of experience with disco, I admit, but I took some dance lessons when I was younger? I think I could at least get the basic idea of the moves," Sho continued with a bright grin, "So what do you think?"
When Aiba did take a second to think about it, it didn't seem like a terrible idea. Sho was a dedicated guy who worked hard at everything, so disco would probably be no different. But hard work was only the start of what would be required. Aiba just wasn't sure what Sho was offering would be enough for achieving his dream. Pretending like it was enough might only make the inevitable defeat hurt more.
Aiba wiped some tea from his chin and nodded his head politely. He'd just have to let Sho down easy.
"I'm glad you want to help, Sakurai-san! But I also don't know if we have time. We'd have to meet every single day after work, for hours probably. Otherwise we won't even be close to ready," Aiba answered.
And this was assuming that Sho could actually dance, which Aiba had yet to see.
He'd thought he'd kept that last part to himself, but then Sho smirked at him and leaned a little closer to say, "Do you want me to audition?"
"No! No, no need to audition."
Aiba hardly had candidates lining up to partner him. He could feel his cheeks warming up at the thought that Sho even wanted to do this. Not just dance disco at all, but dance a disco routine as his partner. Even if Sho had known Ohno a long time, it seemed a lot to take on just as a friendly gesture.
"So you'll give it a try with me?" Sho asked again, pressing his hands together as if begging for the opportunity.
How was Aiba supposed to turn him down? He'd never been in a position with someone so eager to do him a favor. He couldn't look Sho in the eye, still a little embarrassed, but he nodded in agreement. Okay. It couldn't hurt to just see where things went.
"We can start tomorrow."
"I'll free up my schedule," Sho promised.
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It turned out that having a night to sleep on things was the right call. When Aiba woke up the next morning, he found himself actually looking forward to his meeting with Sho. The only thing holding him back from having a good time was his own attitude. Rather than be afraid that everything would be a disaster, Aiba would do his best to make sure it wasn't!
It was with that mentality that he'd managed to secure them a rehearsal spot. Aiba and Ohno danced at studio not far from the office, but that was because they only spent an hour rehearsing every few days and the studio sponsored the dance competition. Creating a brand new routine that suited his change of partner was going to require far more time than the studio could provide him.
"The passes are temporary, the space is temporary, but my job I want to be more than temporary... so please don't break anything," his best friend requested as he handed Aiba a lanyard with a small card and a key.
"We'll be super good! You won't even know we were here," Aiba replied.
"And if anyone asks you what you're up to?" Kazama prompted.
"I tell them that Kazamapon throws secret parties here at night," Aiba responded as if it was what they'd agreed upon. He laughed when his friend tried to snatch the lanyard back from him. It was too late! He'd given Aiba a room to rehearse for three weeks, and as such, Aiba would forget about the time that Kazama had puked on his favorite sweater.
Kazama insisted that Aiba had been the one to puke that night, but Aiba didn't remember it that way, so this was only fair.
"Good luck with everything," Kazama wished him.
Aiba kissed the top of his head, "You better be there when I win!"
It was easy enough to set the room up for dancing, as it was already used as a meeting room and dress rehearsal space for various skits and variety show segments. At least one wall had a set of mirrors, perfect for seeing how they moved together. If anyone asked, what he was really supposed to tell them is that he and Sho were practicing for a television special. Weirder things made it to broadcast every day, and weirder things had been cut before too. No one would suspect that a producer was pulling strings for two disco dancers.
All he had needed was a stereo, which he moved from his apartment with Kazama's help, and their new practice space was complete.
All the arranging had seriously cut into practice time tonight, but that was okay. They'd start with something so basic, Sho would probably need less than an hour to fully master it!
"The hustle?" Sho struggled to repeat.
"Yeah! Everyone does it at some point. It's a good way to move across the floor between bigger steps," Aiba informed him.
He demonstrated the first part slowly, pointing to his right leg. Always start on the right leg! From there, step back - two - three - four and clap your hands. Step forward on your left foot - two - three - four and clap again.
Sho followed along as Aiba had expected, clapping his hands loudly each time he hit his mark. If the hustle ended right there, Aiba would say they were on a smooth track to victory. But, naturally, it was more involved than that.
"Okay, so, next you turn to the right and clap. Then to the left and clap, and then we're going to do the disco fever thing. Hang on, uh... let me show you."
Somehow Aiba hadn't fully processed the idea that taking on a new partner meant becoming a teacher too. Ohno had been dancing long before Aiba ever tried, and he'd been the one to both lead and choreograph all of their dances. It was one thing to dance the moves himself, it was another to try and break them down for someone else to understand.
"It's called a punching bag. So like you're punching something right in front of your face," Aiba described the next move, laughing as Sho looked more like he was slapping someone on the cheek.
"You wanna hustle? I'll hustle you right here, right now," Sho acted out as he practiced his punching bag stance.
Aiba laughed and shook his head, facing Sho and demonstrating the move again. He wasn't sure how long they went back and forth trying to perfect the punching bag, but by the time they were done, Aiba was beginning to lose some of the optimism he'd come into the lesson with earlier.
It wasn't Sho's fault, really. When Aiba turned on the music and they pieced the entire hustle together, complete with funky chicken, they didn't look half-bad! But the clock on his iPhone painted a difficult picture. One complete set of dance moves had sucked up nearly all of their rehearsal time.
And then?
Then there was the hip thrust.
"Sakurai-san... you look like a signpost being rattled by some wind."
Aiba hadn't meant for it to sound so harsh, but it was the best comparison that had come to mind. Aiba thought that everyone essentially knew how to hip thrust, even if they'd never tried to disco. Unfortunately, Sho looked as if he wasn't aware that he had hips at all.
"Sorry," Sho apologized with a sheepish laugh, "I'm not very flexible."
Aiba wasn't sure that inflexibility was the real problem here. But, well, it was only their first time dancing. Sho was probably still nervous, much like Aiba had been when he'd first heard Sho wanted to partner with him. Once they became more comfortable with one another, he'd loosen up! Yeah!
"Do what I do," Aiba instructed as he placed his hands on his hips, "Bump, bump, bump to the front. Bump, bump, bump to the front."
He popped his hip to the left, then to the right, then followed it up with a hip thrust. If Sho could feel what his body did as he moved his hips to the side, he might get a better idea of how to snap his hips forward.
At least Aiba had hoped, but to his dismay, Sho continued to struggle. He knew his concern was written all over his face, especially when Sho looked back at him as if he'd let Aiba down. Aiba hated feeling as if he was crushing Sho's self-esteem. It wouldn't be fair to let one short lesson decide how Sho was as a partner, would it? Aiba hadn't unlocked Sho's strengths yet. If everything else went well, it didn't matter that thrusting might need extra work.
"Let's meet again tomorrow. But earlier! We'll get more time together," Aiba suggested as they gathered up their belongings.
"Really?" Sho asked in surprise.
"Yeah!"
"I thought for sure you'd fire me. Fire me? Maybe that's not the right term," Sho said with a laugh. Aiba noticed that he was far more graceful in his movements when he was relaxed. The casual way he draped his coat over his shoulder, his hand in the pocket of his sweats. Sho looked effortlessly cool to him.
There was a disco dancer in there somewhere.
It was now Aiba's mission to find him.
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"Masaki, YEAH!" Sho greeted him as they passed one another at work the next day, holding up his hand for the newly customary high-five.
"Sho-chan, YAY!" Aiba returned the greeting cheerfully.
It earned them a few stares from around the office, but as far as anyone knew, it was a thing they did because they were positive and supportive work colleagues. Which was true in its own way, but was also part of a bigger plan that Aiba had come up with to get them on more comfortable terms.
First names, casual touching, a sense of familiarity would all go a long way in making them stronger dance partners. If it didn't pan out that way, at least Aiba could say he had an instant boost of popularity at the workplace.
"So, it went well I take it?" Nino asked when Aiba neared his desk.
That was one way of putting it! It hadn't gone badly, was what Aiba had decided. He nodded his head, but then began to worry his lip. There were so many things still on his mind.
"But he's so stiff," Aiba whispered. He felt bad enough talking about Sho right here in the open. If the man were to come walking back this way as Aiba was complaining? That would be the end of their dance partnership.
"Stiff isn't always a bad thing," Nino responded with a chuckle.
Aiba glanced both ways to make sure the coast was clear before continuing to speak quietly.
"Every time I push, he wobbles. When I tell him to shake his hips, his whole lower half moves."
"I don't think Oh-chan would give you someone that helpless," Nino countered, perfectly happy to speak at his normal volume, "He must have something to offer. You know, aside from looking good in the costume."
That was possibly true. If they were really going to go to the competition together, Aiba would need to get Sho an outfit and soon. If it were Sho out there with him, they wouldn't even need anything flashy. Sho stood out enough on his own by being the most handsome man Aiba knew. Sho in a fitted pair of pants that flared at the ends? A slightly unbuttoned shirt, maybe in black... or what about white?
Aiba zoned out, watching Nino twirl a paper clip between his fingers while he thought about all the possibilities. Why not be more bold? Red. As red as Sho's lips had been the other day when he'd watched him eat curry and...
"Aiba-shi, are you seriously telling me you haven't plastered that man in sequins yet? Body glitter? At least you've made up an excuse for the shirt to come off," Nino interrupted his daydreaming.
Of course not! He shook his head and answered, "It's been one day, Nino, seriously."
Sequins, though. Aiba really did need to find out how Sho felt about sequins.
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UP ONE DOWN TWO AND THREE AND FOUR
UP ONE DOWN TWO AND THREE AND FOUR
UP ONE DOWN TWO AND THREE AND FOUR
They would never have a perfect routine without the basic bounce, one of the most important elements of any disco number.
Sho could throw his arm up and drop it back down, but it was tight and robotic, like someone who had seen John Travolta dance and assumed if he pointed at the sky a few times he had disco down. Disco was about more than the dance moves, it was a feeling. It was opening yourself up and connecting on another level with your partner. If you were going to demand all eyes on you, you had to have something to show off.
"Uh huh, uh huh," Aiba tried to sing along with the music as he demonstrated a thrust. Each time the lyrics circled back to that's the way, Aiba prepared himself for another quick snap of his hips.
As the lyrics continued to I like it, Aiba watched Sho get ready to mimic his movements with the most concerned eyebrows he'd ever seen on another human's face.
"Uh huh, uh huh," Sho mumbled, rocking forward and backward, his movement centered entirely in his knees and thighs.
No matter how many times he explained to Sho that a hip thrust was all about the glutes, he couldn't seem to get the man to understand. It looked like Aiba was going to have to take things into his own hands. Literally.
He stepped up behind his new partner and placed his palm across Sho's butt, trying not to blush as he heard Sho's high-pitched squeal of surprise.
"You should feel it here," Aiba told him.
"I feel your hand," Sho responded with a nervous laugh.
Aiba knew you couldn't rush technique, but he'd hoped that things would have improved since the last lesson. He'd thought that maybe Sho's eagerness to learn would inspire him to hip thrust around his apartment until dawn. However, Sho looked as unsure about it now as he had the day before, and Aiba was still confused as to how he could be so rigid in the first place.
Sakurai Sho had the body of an athlete and the face of a dream. Even if he devoted more time to his career than his personal life, there had to be bodies in his bed occasionally. Aiba had nearly dragged him into his tent at that company retreat, and that was only after a kiss.
It would be too rude to ask his new partner, "So you have sex right? Let's imagine sex for a second..."
But it was tempting. Very, very tempting.
Aiba paused the music and grabbed some water bottles from the small bench beside the sound system. He tossed one to Sho, the two of them sipping quietly until Aiba couldn't keep his frustration inside any longer.
"I'm shy," he announced.
"What?" Sho responded, tilting his head slightly in confusion.
"I'm shy. But I realized you might not know that, because you don't see me much outside of here and at work. When I'm out in the world, meeting new people, I'm... I'm not like a hermit or anything, but I'm shy. I'm not always comfortable. Public speaking, parties, those things can be scary. I need a confidence boost. Usually."
"I see," Sho acknowledged with a small nod, "You wouldn't guess when you dance, or when you teach. Didn't you touch my ass two minutes ago?"
Aiba laughed and aimed his water bottle at Sho accusingly.
"I wouldn't have to if you'd figure out how to pop that thing yourself! But seriously, I had a point."
Aiba liked the way Sho looked when he tossed his head back in laughter, especially when it was because of something he said. Sho had a strong, inviting neck. But that wasn't what Aiba was trying to focus on right now.
"When I'm dancing, I'm not shy anymore. I'm not afraid I'm going to be laughed at or worried about saying the wrong thing. I'm not thinking about everybody else, I'm just thinking about me and my partner. Me, and the music, and how fun it is to dance. It's supposed to be fun," Aiba explained, closing most of the gap between them. He smiled as he placed his free hand on Sho's shoulder.
"I bet no teacher's ever said this to you before, but... stop taking things so seriously, Sho-chan! Loosen up."
He thought he saw something change in Sho's eyes then. It was a risk to tell someone who was doing this for Aiba's benefit to essentially stop caring so much, but Sho seemed to understand what he meant.
"Find a way to be passionate without being inside my own head," Sho summarized, returning Aiba's shoulder squeeze.
Exactly! Aiba pulled back from Sho's grip and rushed to turn the music back on. He had to use this precious moment to the best advantage. Use the fire he'd seen in Sho's gaze and turn it into the best hip thrust he could.
"UH HUH, UH HUH!" Aiba cheered, hip thrusting his way across the room.
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It was lesson four when Aiba realized there was no reason he had to come up with every part of the routine himself. Ohno was physically injured, but that didn't mean he had to be cut out of the entire dance process. Ohno was still as much his partner as Sho was now, and since they already knew one another, it was even better!
Ohno agreed to drop in once a week. Aiba had hoped for more than that, considering they only had two more weeks after this one, but Ohno was apparently in the middle of an art project now.
He moved on fast. But so had Aiba, actually.
"Why didn't you tell Aiba-chan that you did ballroom dancing? There's so much that crosses over there, you know!" Ohno complained, shaking his head at Sho.
"Well, I did mention I'd danced before, I just didn't know that the type was that important," Sho defended himself. Aiba laughed when Sho added in a mumbled, "I mostly took piano lessons anyway."
"Less talking, more dancing!" Aiba requested as they entered into another ballroom hold.
Being with Sho this way, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted. The heavy burden of having to teach Sho all the basics was gone. Sure, the actual routine was going to need a lot of care and practice, but Sho could lead Aiba across the room as well as Ohno ever had. He just didn't quite know how to make it funky.
It was getting fun now. When Sho dipped him, Aiba actually grew a little flustered. A spin out and back into Sho's arms was sharp and precise. Maybe they weren't close to a first prize, but Aiba was remembering why it was he loved to dance.
"I think you should grapevine in opposite directions, and when you come back to center, then you bump hips," Ohno suggested. He waved his crutch each time he wanted them to repeat what they'd done.
When it came time to end rehearsal, Aiba actually found himself wishing they could keep going. There was a magic about Ohno when he took charge. Seeing him think through the start of a routine, and the way he allowed Sho to slightly change a step if it felt more natural for him, it was inspiring.
And Sho! Sho had been like an entirely new person. As soon as he'd understood that he had skill with certain moves, that he could be the supportive partner that pushed Aiba along, he'd completely stepped up. It was... thrilling!
He didn't want to keep thinking about Sho's hands on his back, beneath his arms, against his hip as they'd moved across the floor tonight. But every time he looked at the man, he wanted to reach out again.
"You were amazing today," he spoke. He had to let Sho know. He probably didn't compliment his partner enough, or thank him enough for doing this when he really hadn't needed to give up so much of his time.
Sho shook his head, then placed a hand on Aiba's shoulder.
"It's all you."
"HEY!"
"And Satoshi-kun," Sho amended with a bubbly laugh.
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Although Sho had made some great improvements over the past few lessons, especially with Aiba's discovery that he could lead an impressive ballroom spin, he still seemed stressed out whenever Aiba let go of his hand.
Any choreography that required Sho to move on his own posed a problem. He'd remember the dance steps, but he'd look painfully awkward doing them. If Aiba needed his left arm to go up as his right leg kicked out, Sho reversed it somehow.
Aiba was patient about it, but Sho looked ready to scream. Aiba had been there before. There were times when Ohno gave him a move he couldn't seem to master, and seeing Ohno do it so fluidly had driven him into a self-pitying rage. Being that hard on yourself only made it more difficult to relax into a step. There was no choice now but to take a break.
"Sho-chan, stop. Let's stop. I think I see a vein popping out," Aiba tried to make light of it.
Sho didn't find it so amusing, tossing the towel at his neck to the ground with a frustrated grunt.
"Listen, it's only a wall. It would be weird if you didn't hit one with how long we've been practicing. Let's... let's freestyle!" Aiba offered with a cheerful fist pump.
When Aiba felt the pressure closing in on him, whether it was during practice or at work or in his life in general, he liked to take a brief moment to break the rules. Tiny acts of rebellion that made him feel like everything was still in his control. For example, secretly opening up another tab in his photo editing software and drawing a mustache on a picture of a kitten. Something silly, and not meant to be done at work, but so completely satisfying.
Freestyling was basically like that! They could make up their own steps. There were no rules to freestyle, except for maybe one. Feel the music.
"I don't know how," Sho stated, his head hanging as if in defeat.
"No one does! That's the beauty of it!"
Aiba dared to press a little closer to his partner, lightly tapping his fingers against the back of Sho's hand. When Sho turned his hand around to give Aiba his palm, Aiba laced their fingers together and began to swing their joined hands.
"C'mon, Sho-chan. Let's just dance. We'll put on a song, and let it play the whole way through, and whatever you want to do is what you do," Aiba encouraged him.
It took a few more nudges to get Sho to agree, but Aiba knew it was worth it. As the music started playing, Sho seemed lost, simply shifting his weight from foot to foot. Aiba stood directly in front of him to lead by example.
"I call this the snake charmer," Aiba announced, moving his arms in a wave as he lowered himself near the ground and back up again.
When he saw Sho crack a smile, he immediately started in on the funky chicken. Sho began to laugh, softly at first, but then loud and full as ever as Aiba dropped down to do the worm - or at least tried to, but it wasn't really in his disco arsenal and honestly it kind of hurt his groin.
"Masaki, are you okay?" Sho asked through his laughter. When he held out his hand, Aiba latched on and pulled himself up.
"Not really! I feel like I'm doing everything here," he accused, giving Sho a gentle prod in the stomach.
Sho cleared his throat and backed up slightly, appearing as if he wanted to give himself some room. Aiba could see the wheels turning in his mind, but his eyes were shining again.
"This," he announced, "is the Hokkaido mountain bop."
Aiba clapped and cheered as Sho began to mimic skiing downhill, bending his knees and working his hands at either side as if he were holding onto poles. Ski poles! Ski poles, of course. Aiba didn't need the image of Sho working any other kind of pole in his brain.
Well, he didn't mind it. He might save it for later.
"Ramen boogie!" Aiba shouted. He pretended to slurp some noodles as he did a body roll. Sho really liked that one, joining him in it for another few bars of the song.
As they continued their weird dance off together, Aiba had to wonder if it wouldn't be worth it to fill the competition choreography with more snake charmers and mountain bops.
It felt worth it. Seeing Sho this happy.
When Sho winked at him and slurped more noodles, Aiba shook his head and laughed. He placed a hand over his chest and declared, "I'm full."
PART 2