Breaking Free for yeolcarp
Title: Breaking Free
Author: tokio_jonas
Characters/Pairing: Zelo/Youngjae
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Wordcount: 1,163
Summary: TS High's star athlete, Zelo, can't seem to get the school musical or the brainy new kid Youngjae off of his mind. [High School Musical AU.]
Zelo bounces the basketball in his hands against the gym floor 1, 2, 3, 4 times. As he keeps dribbling, it starts to form a rhythm in his head, almost like a song. 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. He stops dribbling as soon as he notices, turning and throwing the ball towards the hoop. It hits the backboard and bounces off, not going anywhere near the net.
Zelo lets out a grunt of frustration, picking up the ball and starting to dribble it against the floor once again. After a few more bounces, he makes another attempt at a goal, but this time, the ball doesn’t even go near the basket. He lets out an anguished cry. This isn’t working.
Shooting a few hoops after class has always helped him clear his head whenever something is on his mind. Normally, when he hits the court his worries seem to roll away like the sweat rolls off his skin. But this time he hasn’t made any goals, and now he feels even more stressed than he did when he changed into his basketball uniform after class.
He sighs, going to retrieve the ball from where it landed when he hears the double doors of the gym clang open, announcing the arrival of another person. Zelo turns to see who entered the gym, expecting to see Coach Bang or one of his teammates. Instead, he sees a boy in glasses nervously clutching his backpack to his shoulder as he looks around.
“Youngjae?”
Zelo switches directions, ignoring the noisy clattering of the basketball as he rushes towards the gym doors. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore?”
Youngjae shakes his head, taking a seat on the bottom row of the bleachers and setting his backpack down next to him. “I never said that.”
Zelo furrows his brow in confusion, taking a seat beside Youngjae on the bleachers. “You didn’t? But Daehyun said -”
Youngjae lets out a quiet laugh. “Do you really believe everything Daehyun tells you?” He shakes his head. “I’ve only been here a week and even I know better than to do that.”
He’s right, of course. Daehyun has a reputation for being the school gossip, and Zelo should have taken that into account when he told him the news. He looks down. “Well when you hear one of your friends doesn’t want to be friends anymore, you’re usually too hurt to want to check the facts.”
Youngjae doesn’t say anything. After a few moments, Zelo looks back up at him, asking, “If you didn’t say that, what did you say?”
Youngjae looks down at his hands, playing with the sleeves of his sweater. “I said maybe we should stay away from each other until the audition drama blows over.”
Zelo stays quiet for a moment, thinking over his words. “But you’re here now. Why is that?”
Youngjae sighs, looking up into Zelo’s eyes. “Because you’re nice to me. When I started school here, I had every reason to believe you’d be the asshole jock who would steal my glasses and trip me and make me drop my books every time you pass me in the hallway. But you’re not like that.”
Zelo cracks a smile. “Himchan wishes I was.”
“Screw Himchan! Why is it that he gets to rule the school and put down anyone who challenges the status quo? Just because he’s good at acting? How is that fair?”
“It’s not,” Zelo says. “But no one cared enough to even think about changing it until you came along.”
Youngjae sighs, fidgeting with his sweater again. “If it were just Himchan it wouldn’t bother me… but everyone at this school seems to think it’s a heinous crime that we auditioned for the musical. It’s not worth dealing with the constant drama.”
“Is that why you’re not auditioning anymore?”
Youngjae nods.
Zelo moves a little closer. “That’s a shame… I heard you practicing for the solo. You sounded beautiful singing it. Much better than anything Himchan’s done in his four years with the drama department.”
Youngjae looks back at him, studying him carefully. “Why are you always so nice to me?”
Zelo shrugs, looking away. “I don’t know. It’s just in my nature, I guess.”
Youngjae shakes his head. “No. Showing me around on the first day of school was being nice by nature. This is more than that.”
Zelo looks up to find Youngjae’s gaze fixed on him. He stares back, feeling his heart pound against his ribs as his eyes slowly trail from Youngjae’s eyes down to his lips.
Youngjae seems to notice. “What are you staring at me like that for?”
Zelo moves closer, placing his hand on Youngjae’s shoulder. “You’re right. This is something more.”
Zelo closes the distance between them, pressing his lips lightly to Youngjae’s. He stays like that for a few seconds before pulling away, blushing and awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “S-sorry…”
He looks back at Youngjae, planning to mumble another apology, but his plans are derailed when he feels Youngjae’s soft lips on his once again. This kiss is surer, more certain, and Zelo moves to hold him close as Youngjae tangles his fingers in Zelo’s hair.
“I like you, Youngjae,” he murmurs, love-struck, when Youngjae pulls away.
Youngjae laughs, a good-natured smirk on his face. “I kind of gathered that from the fact that you kissed me.”
Zelo blushes again, laughing a little as well. “Good point.”
Youngjae smiles, taking one of Zelo’s hands in his own. “I like you too, for the record.”
Zelo smiles back. “Good, ‘cause this would’ve been really embarrassing if you didn’t.”
“Could you imagine?” Youngjae smirks. “TS High’s star athlete turned down by the nerdy new kid. It would be Daehyun’s biggest story for at least a month.”
Zelo laughs. “Himchan would hate it. It would be the biggest shake-up of the status quo this school’s seen yet.”
“I don’t know. It would also keep us from auditioning for the musical together. And I think right now Himchan would be on board with anything that keeps me out of his theatre.”
“True.” Zelo smiles. “But I really do think you should audition.”
“You mean that?”
Zelo nods. “Your voice is amazing. The audience deserves to hear it every night.”
Youngjae smirks. “You’re just saying that because you like me.
“Maybe,” Zelo chuckles. “But I really do love your voice.”
Youngjae looks at him, thinking. “You know if we do it, Himchan’s going to have it out for us for as long as we go to school here right?”
Zelo nods. “I know.” He grins. “But that’s what makes it so fun right?”
Youngjae laughs. “You’re crazy, Zelo.”
Zelo nudges his shoulder playfully. “So is that a yes?”
“On what planet is me saying you’re crazy a yes?”
“On Zelo Planet.”
Youngjae shakes his head. “That wasn’t a yes.” He smiles. “But okay. Let’s do it.”
Author: tokio_jonas
Characters/Pairing: Zelo/Youngjae
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Wordcount: 1,163
Summary: TS High's star athlete, Zelo, can't seem to get the school musical or the brainy new kid Youngjae off of his mind. [High School Musical AU.]
Zelo bounces the basketball in his hands against the gym floor 1, 2, 3, 4 times. As he keeps dribbling, it starts to form a rhythm in his head, almost like a song. 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. He stops dribbling as soon as he notices, turning and throwing the ball towards the hoop. It hits the backboard and bounces off, not going anywhere near the net.
Zelo lets out a grunt of frustration, picking up the ball and starting to dribble it against the floor once again. After a few more bounces, he makes another attempt at a goal, but this time, the ball doesn’t even go near the basket. He lets out an anguished cry. This isn’t working.
Shooting a few hoops after class has always helped him clear his head whenever something is on his mind. Normally, when he hits the court his worries seem to roll away like the sweat rolls off his skin. But this time he hasn’t made any goals, and now he feels even more stressed than he did when he changed into his basketball uniform after class.
He sighs, going to retrieve the ball from where it landed when he hears the double doors of the gym clang open, announcing the arrival of another person. Zelo turns to see who entered the gym, expecting to see Coach Bang or one of his teammates. Instead, he sees a boy in glasses nervously clutching his backpack to his shoulder as he looks around.
“Youngjae?”
Zelo switches directions, ignoring the noisy clattering of the basketball as he rushes towards the gym doors. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore?”
Youngjae shakes his head, taking a seat on the bottom row of the bleachers and setting his backpack down next to him. “I never said that.”
Zelo furrows his brow in confusion, taking a seat beside Youngjae on the bleachers. “You didn’t? But Daehyun said -”
Youngjae lets out a quiet laugh. “Do you really believe everything Daehyun tells you?” He shakes his head. “I’ve only been here a week and even I know better than to do that.”
He’s right, of course. Daehyun has a reputation for being the school gossip, and Zelo should have taken that into account when he told him the news. He looks down. “Well when you hear one of your friends doesn’t want to be friends anymore, you’re usually too hurt to want to check the facts.”
Youngjae doesn’t say anything. After a few moments, Zelo looks back up at him, asking, “If you didn’t say that, what did you say?”
Youngjae looks down at his hands, playing with the sleeves of his sweater. “I said maybe we should stay away from each other until the audition drama blows over.”
Zelo stays quiet for a moment, thinking over his words. “But you’re here now. Why is that?”
Youngjae sighs, looking up into Zelo’s eyes. “Because you’re nice to me. When I started school here, I had every reason to believe you’d be the asshole jock who would steal my glasses and trip me and make me drop my books every time you pass me in the hallway. But you’re not like that.”
Zelo cracks a smile. “Himchan wishes I was.”
“Screw Himchan! Why is it that he gets to rule the school and put down anyone who challenges the status quo? Just because he’s good at acting? How is that fair?”
“It’s not,” Zelo says. “But no one cared enough to even think about changing it until you came along.”
Youngjae sighs, fidgeting with his sweater again. “If it were just Himchan it wouldn’t bother me… but everyone at this school seems to think it’s a heinous crime that we auditioned for the musical. It’s not worth dealing with the constant drama.”
“Is that why you’re not auditioning anymore?”
Youngjae nods.
Zelo moves a little closer. “That’s a shame… I heard you practicing for the solo. You sounded beautiful singing it. Much better than anything Himchan’s done in his four years with the drama department.”
Youngjae looks back at him, studying him carefully. “Why are you always so nice to me?”
Zelo shrugs, looking away. “I don’t know. It’s just in my nature, I guess.”
Youngjae shakes his head. “No. Showing me around on the first day of school was being nice by nature. This is more than that.”
Zelo looks up to find Youngjae’s gaze fixed on him. He stares back, feeling his heart pound against his ribs as his eyes slowly trail from Youngjae’s eyes down to his lips.
Youngjae seems to notice. “What are you staring at me like that for?”
Zelo moves closer, placing his hand on Youngjae’s shoulder. “You’re right. This is something more.”
Zelo closes the distance between them, pressing his lips lightly to Youngjae’s. He stays like that for a few seconds before pulling away, blushing and awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “S-sorry…”
He looks back at Youngjae, planning to mumble another apology, but his plans are derailed when he feels Youngjae’s soft lips on his once again. This kiss is surer, more certain, and Zelo moves to hold him close as Youngjae tangles his fingers in Zelo’s hair.
“I like you, Youngjae,” he murmurs, love-struck, when Youngjae pulls away.
Youngjae laughs, a good-natured smirk on his face. “I kind of gathered that from the fact that you kissed me.”
Zelo blushes again, laughing a little as well. “Good point.”
Youngjae smiles, taking one of Zelo’s hands in his own. “I like you too, for the record.”
Zelo smiles back. “Good, ‘cause this would’ve been really embarrassing if you didn’t.”
“Could you imagine?” Youngjae smirks. “TS High’s star athlete turned down by the nerdy new kid. It would be Daehyun’s biggest story for at least a month.”
Zelo laughs. “Himchan would hate it. It would be the biggest shake-up of the status quo this school’s seen yet.”
“I don’t know. It would also keep us from auditioning for the musical together. And I think right now Himchan would be on board with anything that keeps me out of his theatre.”
“True.” Zelo smiles. “But I really do think you should audition.”
“You mean that?”
Zelo nods. “Your voice is amazing. The audience deserves to hear it every night.”
Youngjae smirks. “You’re just saying that because you like me.
“Maybe,” Zelo chuckles. “But I really do love your voice.”
Youngjae looks at him, thinking. “You know if we do it, Himchan’s going to have it out for us for as long as we go to school here right?”
Zelo nods. “I know.” He grins. “But that’s what makes it so fun right?”
Youngjae laughs. “You’re crazy, Zelo.”
Zelo nudges his shoulder playfully. “So is that a yes?”
“On what planet is me saying you’re crazy a yes?”
“On Zelo Planet.”
Youngjae shakes his head. “That wasn’t a yes.” He smiles. “But okay. Let’s do it.”