[TC03] The Hidden Stage
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Eunhyuk/Henry
Genre: AU!Romance, Minor!Drama
Theme: Pins
Summary: Eyes naturally focus on the spotlight, but he turns to see his own admirer, one who preferred his shadowed setting. Something he couldn't grasp at first, but gradually came to light.
Warning: Unbeta'd
-
With a single pin that was stabbed in the center, the calendar hung on the wall between the two corridors. Eunhyuk pursed his lips, glancing at the circled dates coming soon, and felt a sense of dread overwhelming him.
"Why not the day of his birthday?"
"Because," Eunhyuk started as Zhou Mi interrogated him. "That's a time better spent with his family, not with me."
"I don't understand your logic, it's clear he's waiting for you to ask him out. To have something planned, to even ask me to find out what exactly you're planning... He'll be disappointed to know it hasn't even come across your mind."
Eunhyuk sighed, sinking back into his booth seat. "It's not that." He said gloomily.
Zhou Mi smirked, "Do something, before he throws a fit."
-
It began with a single play.
Eunhyuk helped up with whatever he could, exchanging scripts to and fro, cleaning up the stage and seats after, doing what work needed to be done on the moment. It was never his goal to be an actor, or a playwright, his goals may not have seemed too high for others to appreciate. But simply being in the theatre was enough.
He pinned the notice papers on the board, discussing the future upcoming plays and auditions to come, along with reviews and screen-caps from newspapers.
He held up one photo and hesitated, his heart skipping a beat over the single name that appeared beneath the photo's caption, his eyes slowly scrolling up the family in the photo.
"Busy, are we?"
Eunhyuk turned around, in a fluster panic, he dropped the things onto the ground. He heard a chuckle before him, and hurriedly reached for the things before the other could offer to help. As he always had, Eunhyuk simply wished this hadn't been the first time it happened.
"Your father is backstage," Eunhyuk informed.
"I know." Henry replied, beaming a smile. "I wanted to see how you were doing. Anything new?"
Eunhyuk was nearly startled by the revelation that Henry had bothered to ask him on his day, and struggled to form an answer of any sort. "Nothing new," He finally managed to say.
"How disappointing," Henry said, stepping beside him, leaning against the board, purposely blocking his view and interrupting his work. "I was hoping we could talk more, but you're making this difficult."
Eunhyuk had nothing to add, always stumped when Henry had teased him this way.
They had known each other as kids since Henry's father first began using the theatre to display his work, thinking nothing much of one another, exchanging polite words every so often. With his father's early success, they continued returning to the theatre to present his many plays.
But as they both matured, aged, Eunhyuk couldn't help but sought him out amongst the theatre. As he cleaned the second floor, he'd stop every so often, his attention whisked away by the rehearsals, and instead shifted to the young man who kept to himself.
Admiration, possibly.
Respect, definite.
This intangible feeling that encased him, stumped him when speaking, caused his thoughts in disarray, but his heart to act erratically whenever around one another. To be honest, he wasn't sure.
He thought as he grew older, things would become simpler. But in fact, they were becoming complicated, indescribable.
He asked himself what it could be, but he received no answer.
-
Zhou Mi sighed, looking over the tickets in the booth outside. "You two are growing close I see."
"Are we?" Eunhyuk honestly questioned. "It seems like fun to him."
Zhou Mi smirked. "Aren't all relationships like that at first?"
Eunhyuk wasn't so sure of that, and attempted to answer other underlying questions in the empty theatre, cleaning up the thrown away pages and trash left behind by the cast.
He heard a sigh and looked up on the stage, only to see Henry laying on the ground, eyes closed.
He thinned his lips, debating whether to continue on as normal, but Henry had opened his eyes before he could bolt for it. Henry smiled and sat up, "I didn't think you'd still be here... you're truly responsible."
"I do what I can."
"Which is enough, but despite the actor's attitudes, my father's constant yelling, I don't see how you can find it relaxing to keep picking up their trash for them."
Eunhyuk laughed, Henry arched an eyebrow. Eunhyuk explained, broom steady in his grip, "I just like it here. It's the best place to be."
"You always said that, but you've never proven it to me. No matter how many times I ask." Henry uttered, "I don't see what you see."
"You haven't seen it as I have." Henry stared blankly when Eunhyuk lowered the broom onto the floor, gesturing for his hand. He wasn't sure where this confidence came from, but neither of them asked as Henry jumped from the stage to the floor beside him, and followed alongside him.
Once they reached the second floor up the narrow stairway, they finally reached the entrance on the second floor. "You see?" Eunhyuk gestured to the view, the lights illuminating the stage. "It's the best spot there is."
"But it's not in good standards," Henry noted, glancing amongst the soiled appearance of it, no customer had ever sat in these seats in decades he reckoned. Yet as he looked up, recognizing the warmth held in Eunhyuk's gaze, he said quietly,
"I think I'm beginning to understand."
-
Eunhyuk nearly did a double take, when one afternoon during the rehearsal, watching absentmindedly in Henry's direction, the younger man looked up and met his gaze. Smiling warmly before he was called away.
Eunhyuk inched away from the second floor railing and disappeared to the back, his heart still recovering from the exchange.
These moments were become more frequent. Yet with their constant, subtle interaction, Eunhyuk began to notice something else. It was clear that Henry was tired of his own association, and needed to step out of his father's shadow.
"I'll make a name for myself," Henry said loudly in the empty stage, pacing around in circles.
"You can do it." Eunhyuk declared as he stood on the carpet grounds, confident in his own words as he leaned against the stage. Henry chuckled, hands stretched above him.
"And then what? What if no one comes?"
"I'll buy every ticket in the stadium." Henry raised an eyebrow and paused in the center.
"No actors dare to audition for my plays?"
"One-man acts are quite popular I hear." Eunhyuk suggested. Henry scoffed, shaking his head.
"You have an answer for everything."
"If it's what it takes, then I guess I do." Eunhyuk said simply, Henry seemed to consider this thought.
"If I asked you to step up here with me, what's your answer then?"
Eunhyuk shifted his gaze, looking up when Henry had laid on the floor once more, hands crossed on the edge of the stage, head lifted as they locked eyes.
"Aren't we close enough?" Eunhyuk murmured, unable to meet his eyes for much longer. Henry sighed,
"Not close enough."
Eunhyuk was tempted to ask him to elaborate, but he received his answer, and gladly accepted the brief, but memorable kiss.
-
Henry was growing restless.
He had initiated most of everything in their relationship, but he was now taking a backseat, waiting for Eunhyuk to make his own decisive move. Something the latter didn't understand until Zhou Mi, exasperatedly after hearing the other's ranting, had to point out to him.
Asking him out on his birthday, Eunhyuk opted against it. He stared once more at the calendar, pin in hand, with the struggle and impatience gnawing at one another internally, he decided to close his eyes, and simply hit.
He opened his eyes once it made contact, and glanced at the date it picked.
"Are you busy this Tuesday?"
Henry blinked, standing with him in the aisle seats. "Not particularly, why?" The random date didn't seem to occur to him at all.
"Two, at hwangshin and second... Don't be late."
Eunhyuk failed at presentation, that much could be noted.
-
"Whatever you did, keep doing it." Zhou Mi said, cleaning the counters. "He's been in a good mood all week."
Eunhyuk took that as good news, their date was simple, ordinary. A part of him thought it may have been too relaxed, that he wondered if Henry even remotely enjoyed the date.
When he arrived to work, greeted by a warm welcome, Eunhyuk took that as a sign that Henry did. He didn't spare a second when he told him once again, the man was never good at asking for anything. Henry didn't seem to mind.
-
He began to post up the articles by various newspapers, cutting up the reports when he stopped at a single page.
"Are you really leaving?"
Henry was backstage, reaching for a few things when he turned, Eunhyuk standing a good distance away. Rather than asking him to clarify, Henry's smile faded, Eunhyuk's questions were answered with that single look.
He nodded, "That's good then." Eunhyuk said, "It's an amazing opportunity for you, right?"
"I don't know if I even want to go." Henry said instead, his answer puzzled the other.
"Why not?"
"Because... They're only accepting me because of my father's name, not because of anything I've ever done. Their expectations, their delight, what if I don't achieve it? Why set myself up for their disappointment?" Henry confided lowly, stuffing the pages into his bag.
A pair of arms wrapped around from behind, cheek against cheek.
"You'll do fine." Eunhyuk encouraged, "I'll always support you, in whatever decision you make."
Henry lowered his eyes, "You make it sound as if you'll wait for me."
"I will." Eunhyuk replied warmly.
Henry's fingers graced over the pages, "It'd be wrong of me to ask you..."
"Then don't ask," Eunhyuk said, closing his eyes as he held him closer.
Henry, unfairly he thought, was tempted to, but held back in asking.
Eunhyuk wished Henry would offer him a promise, but knew it'd be too much to ask for. For the man who didn't wish for much, he hoped this one time, that this single hope was granted.
For Henry to succeed, to return in his own spotlight.
And if fate were ever kind, to return him by his side.
-
The flashes of light welcomed the man who strolled across the stage, the familiar surname uttered by the reporters, but a different first name entirely.
"Why do you always choose this theatre?" One managed to ask, her voice strained amongst the many around her, vying for the same attention.
"Simple," Henry began. "It holds something dear to me."
"What is that? Memories?" A reporter tried to guess, alluding to the memories spent with his father.
Henry, however, thought of someone else. His smile was alluringly sincere, and he continued on with the interview without much fuss.
He passed the board filled with his achievements, each pinned across, stuffed in whatever empty space there may have been. Whatever the language may have been, the countries the news reports came from, they were all sprawled across.
Finally, the world saw him as he had, but Henry's focus wasn't on the stage, but elsewhere in the vacant theatre.
"I wonder who this person could possibly be?"
Henry looked up to see Eunhyuk from the second floor and began to walk up the stairs.
"If it wasn't you, would you be disappointed?"
Eunhyuk may have started the playful exchange, but the brief hint of disappointment settled in his eyes. Henry laughed, "You can never be an actor."
Eunhyuk didn't take that into offense, plopping onto the carpet covered ground as he leaned against the rails. Obscured from view, to gain the guest secluded access, the younger couldn't help but admire it as he joined Eunhyuk by his side.
"You were right," Henry said quietly, "this is the best spot."
For the man who could stand on any stage in the world, this was one worth returning to.
Eunhyuk's smile was hidden as Henry met his lips, just as before, just as now, his heart couldn't stop. He may never be an actor, amount to the grand status others aimed for, but he was content with such a simple life.
With Henry in his life, it was more than he could have ever asked for.
rssj1314's HenHyuk
[Previous: Yebum (Snow)] | [ Next: HaeMin (Blinds)]
Comms: my-prection: SuJu Rare Pair Comm | zhouhenhyuk
Pairing: Eunhyuk/Henry
Genre: AU!Romance, Minor!Drama
Theme: Pins
Summary: Eyes naturally focus on the spotlight, but he turns to see his own admirer, one who preferred his shadowed setting. Something he couldn't grasp at first, but gradually came to light.
Warning: Unbeta'd
-
With a single pin that was stabbed in the center, the calendar hung on the wall between the two corridors. Eunhyuk pursed his lips, glancing at the circled dates coming soon, and felt a sense of dread overwhelming him.
"Why not the day of his birthday?"
"Because," Eunhyuk started as Zhou Mi interrogated him. "That's a time better spent with his family, not with me."
"I don't understand your logic, it's clear he's waiting for you to ask him out. To have something planned, to even ask me to find out what exactly you're planning... He'll be disappointed to know it hasn't even come across your mind."
Eunhyuk sighed, sinking back into his booth seat. "It's not that." He said gloomily.
Zhou Mi smirked, "Do something, before he throws a fit."
-
It began with a single play.
Eunhyuk helped up with whatever he could, exchanging scripts to and fro, cleaning up the stage and seats after, doing what work needed to be done on the moment. It was never his goal to be an actor, or a playwright, his goals may not have seemed too high for others to appreciate. But simply being in the theatre was enough.
He pinned the notice papers on the board, discussing the future upcoming plays and auditions to come, along with reviews and screen-caps from newspapers.
He held up one photo and hesitated, his heart skipping a beat over the single name that appeared beneath the photo's caption, his eyes slowly scrolling up the family in the photo.
"Busy, are we?"
Eunhyuk turned around, in a fluster panic, he dropped the things onto the ground. He heard a chuckle before him, and hurriedly reached for the things before the other could offer to help. As he always had, Eunhyuk simply wished this hadn't been the first time it happened.
"Your father is backstage," Eunhyuk informed.
"I know." Henry replied, beaming a smile. "I wanted to see how you were doing. Anything new?"
Eunhyuk was nearly startled by the revelation that Henry had bothered to ask him on his day, and struggled to form an answer of any sort. "Nothing new," He finally managed to say.
"How disappointing," Henry said, stepping beside him, leaning against the board, purposely blocking his view and interrupting his work. "I was hoping we could talk more, but you're making this difficult."
Eunhyuk had nothing to add, always stumped when Henry had teased him this way.
They had known each other as kids since Henry's father first began using the theatre to display his work, thinking nothing much of one another, exchanging polite words every so often. With his father's early success, they continued returning to the theatre to present his many plays.
But as they both matured, aged, Eunhyuk couldn't help but sought him out amongst the theatre. As he cleaned the second floor, he'd stop every so often, his attention whisked away by the rehearsals, and instead shifted to the young man who kept to himself.
Admiration, possibly.
Respect, definite.
This intangible feeling that encased him, stumped him when speaking, caused his thoughts in disarray, but his heart to act erratically whenever around one another. To be honest, he wasn't sure.
He thought as he grew older, things would become simpler. But in fact, they were becoming complicated, indescribable.
He asked himself what it could be, but he received no answer.
-
Zhou Mi sighed, looking over the tickets in the booth outside. "You two are growing close I see."
"Are we?" Eunhyuk honestly questioned. "It seems like fun to him."
Zhou Mi smirked. "Aren't all relationships like that at first?"
Eunhyuk wasn't so sure of that, and attempted to answer other underlying questions in the empty theatre, cleaning up the thrown away pages and trash left behind by the cast.
He heard a sigh and looked up on the stage, only to see Henry laying on the ground, eyes closed.
He thinned his lips, debating whether to continue on as normal, but Henry had opened his eyes before he could bolt for it. Henry smiled and sat up, "I didn't think you'd still be here... you're truly responsible."
"I do what I can."
"Which is enough, but despite the actor's attitudes, my father's constant yelling, I don't see how you can find it relaxing to keep picking up their trash for them."
Eunhyuk laughed, Henry arched an eyebrow. Eunhyuk explained, broom steady in his grip, "I just like it here. It's the best place to be."
"You always said that, but you've never proven it to me. No matter how many times I ask." Henry uttered, "I don't see what you see."
"You haven't seen it as I have." Henry stared blankly when Eunhyuk lowered the broom onto the floor, gesturing for his hand. He wasn't sure where this confidence came from, but neither of them asked as Henry jumped from the stage to the floor beside him, and followed alongside him.
Once they reached the second floor up the narrow stairway, they finally reached the entrance on the second floor. "You see?" Eunhyuk gestured to the view, the lights illuminating the stage. "It's the best spot there is."
"But it's not in good standards," Henry noted, glancing amongst the soiled appearance of it, no customer had ever sat in these seats in decades he reckoned. Yet as he looked up, recognizing the warmth held in Eunhyuk's gaze, he said quietly,
"I think I'm beginning to understand."
-
Eunhyuk nearly did a double take, when one afternoon during the rehearsal, watching absentmindedly in Henry's direction, the younger man looked up and met his gaze. Smiling warmly before he was called away.
Eunhyuk inched away from the second floor railing and disappeared to the back, his heart still recovering from the exchange.
These moments were become more frequent. Yet with their constant, subtle interaction, Eunhyuk began to notice something else. It was clear that Henry was tired of his own association, and needed to step out of his father's shadow.
"I'll make a name for myself," Henry said loudly in the empty stage, pacing around in circles.
"You can do it." Eunhyuk declared as he stood on the carpet grounds, confident in his own words as he leaned against the stage. Henry chuckled, hands stretched above him.
"And then what? What if no one comes?"
"I'll buy every ticket in the stadium." Henry raised an eyebrow and paused in the center.
"No actors dare to audition for my plays?"
"One-man acts are quite popular I hear." Eunhyuk suggested. Henry scoffed, shaking his head.
"You have an answer for everything."
"If it's what it takes, then I guess I do." Eunhyuk said simply, Henry seemed to consider this thought.
"If I asked you to step up here with me, what's your answer then?"
Eunhyuk shifted his gaze, looking up when Henry had laid on the floor once more, hands crossed on the edge of the stage, head lifted as they locked eyes.
"Aren't we close enough?" Eunhyuk murmured, unable to meet his eyes for much longer. Henry sighed,
"Not close enough."
Eunhyuk was tempted to ask him to elaborate, but he received his answer, and gladly accepted the brief, but memorable kiss.
-
Henry was growing restless.
He had initiated most of everything in their relationship, but he was now taking a backseat, waiting for Eunhyuk to make his own decisive move. Something the latter didn't understand until Zhou Mi, exasperatedly after hearing the other's ranting, had to point out to him.
Asking him out on his birthday, Eunhyuk opted against it. He stared once more at the calendar, pin in hand, with the struggle and impatience gnawing at one another internally, he decided to close his eyes, and simply hit.
He opened his eyes once it made contact, and glanced at the date it picked.
"Are you busy this Tuesday?"
Henry blinked, standing with him in the aisle seats. "Not particularly, why?" The random date didn't seem to occur to him at all.
"Two, at hwangshin and second... Don't be late."
Eunhyuk failed at presentation, that much could be noted.
-
"Whatever you did, keep doing it." Zhou Mi said, cleaning the counters. "He's been in a good mood all week."
Eunhyuk took that as good news, their date was simple, ordinary. A part of him thought it may have been too relaxed, that he wondered if Henry even remotely enjoyed the date.
When he arrived to work, greeted by a warm welcome, Eunhyuk took that as a sign that Henry did. He didn't spare a second when he told him once again, the man was never good at asking for anything. Henry didn't seem to mind.
-
He began to post up the articles by various newspapers, cutting up the reports when he stopped at a single page.
"Are you really leaving?"
Henry was backstage, reaching for a few things when he turned, Eunhyuk standing a good distance away. Rather than asking him to clarify, Henry's smile faded, Eunhyuk's questions were answered with that single look.
He nodded, "That's good then." Eunhyuk said, "It's an amazing opportunity for you, right?"
"I don't know if I even want to go." Henry said instead, his answer puzzled the other.
"Why not?"
"Because... They're only accepting me because of my father's name, not because of anything I've ever done. Their expectations, their delight, what if I don't achieve it? Why set myself up for their disappointment?" Henry confided lowly, stuffing the pages into his bag.
A pair of arms wrapped around from behind, cheek against cheek.
"You'll do fine." Eunhyuk encouraged, "I'll always support you, in whatever decision you make."
Henry lowered his eyes, "You make it sound as if you'll wait for me."
"I will." Eunhyuk replied warmly.
Henry's fingers graced over the pages, "It'd be wrong of me to ask you..."
"Then don't ask," Eunhyuk said, closing his eyes as he held him closer.
Henry, unfairly he thought, was tempted to, but held back in asking.
Eunhyuk wished Henry would offer him a promise, but knew it'd be too much to ask for. For the man who didn't wish for much, he hoped this one time, that this single hope was granted.
For Henry to succeed, to return in his own spotlight.
And if fate were ever kind, to return him by his side.
-
The flashes of light welcomed the man who strolled across the stage, the familiar surname uttered by the reporters, but a different first name entirely.
"Why do you always choose this theatre?" One managed to ask, her voice strained amongst the many around her, vying for the same attention.
"Simple," Henry began. "It holds something dear to me."
"What is that? Memories?" A reporter tried to guess, alluding to the memories spent with his father.
Henry, however, thought of someone else. His smile was alluringly sincere, and he continued on with the interview without much fuss.
He passed the board filled with his achievements, each pinned across, stuffed in whatever empty space there may have been. Whatever the language may have been, the countries the news reports came from, they were all sprawled across.
Finally, the world saw him as he had, but Henry's focus wasn't on the stage, but elsewhere in the vacant theatre.
"I wonder who this person could possibly be?"
Henry looked up to see Eunhyuk from the second floor and began to walk up the stairs.
"If it wasn't you, would you be disappointed?"
Eunhyuk may have started the playful exchange, but the brief hint of disappointment settled in his eyes. Henry laughed, "You can never be an actor."
Eunhyuk didn't take that into offense, plopping onto the carpet covered ground as he leaned against the rails. Obscured from view, to gain the guest secluded access, the younger couldn't help but admire it as he joined Eunhyuk by his side.
"You were right," Henry said quietly, "this is the best spot."
For the man who could stand on any stage in the world, this was one worth returning to.
Eunhyuk's smile was hidden as Henry met his lips, just as before, just as now, his heart couldn't stop. He may never be an actor, amount to the grand status others aimed for, but he was content with such a simple life.
With Henry in his life, it was more than he could have ever asked for.
rssj1314's HenHyuk
[Previous: Yebum (Snow)] | [ Next: HaeMin (Blinds)]
Comms: my-prection: SuJu Rare Pair Comm | zhouhenhyuk