fic: In the Beginning {HanWook}
Title: In the Beginning
Length: One-Shot
Series: prequel to Empty Smiles
Author: M_K Yujji
Rating: PG-13 for theme
Genre: friendship, humor, pre-slash
Pairing/Characters: HanWook, Heechul, Donghae
Warnings: RPS
Disclaimer: Though real people are used as characters, this fic bears no resemblance to Real Life and these people are not owned by me.
Comments/Notes: I wanted to show the beginning of HanWook's relationship. ^^ I may write another, I'm not sure. I've already started a sequel to Empty Smiles, as well.
Summary: Everything has a beginning...
~*~*~*
"So. The new kid has a crush on you.” Heechul said as he dropped down next to Geng.
Geng frowned at him for a moment as he considered the 'new kid' in question. “How can you tell? He's so quiet.”
“Well,” Heechul's voice took on that conspiratorial tone as he leaned closer. “Donghae has been trying to help him learn the choreography faster with extra lessons and he asked about you.”
“A lot of people ask about me. I'm the only Chinese guy in the group.”
“Ah yes, but most guys don't ask if you're seeing anyone or if you're straight.”
Geng was skeptical. “He asked that?”
“Not exactly,” Heechul admitted with a grin. “But Donghae is pretty sure that's what he meant.”
“Heechul. Donghae thinks that there are aliens and the government is hiding them from us.” He rolled his eyes when Heechul gave him a blank look that said that somehow that hadn't translated as well as Geng had meant it to. Where was Siwon when he needed him?
“Whatever,” Heechul waved him off as he tried again. “It's obvious once you're looking for it. He's totally into you. I think he wants a little taste of China to call his own.”
He turned that over in his mind, trying to make sense out of Heechul's loose grammar and odd turn of phrase. Then he shrugged it off. Even if he didn't get the exact meaning, he got the gist. “He's kind of cute.”
In the way that quiet little mice were.
~*~*~
Dancing was not Ryeowook's strong suit.
In fact, every day he was growing to hate dancing just a little bit more.
Why couldn't he just be a singer? Where in the rule books did it say 'to be a singer, you must also be a dancer'?
Donghae kept trying to reassure him that with such a large group, a few little mistakes would go unnoticed, but Ryeowook had seen the others dance together. Even if he got put in the back - and he was really, really hoping he would - his mistakes were going to stick out like a sore thumb. Having eleven guys doing the same move perfectly and one looking a little like a flailing rag doll was going to be obvious.
“No, no, no. Your other left.”
Ryeowook dropped his head in shame and wished for the hundredth time that hour that he'd listened when his mother had expressed her doubts about this whole entertainment venture. “I'm sorry, hyung. I just... I don't think I can do this.”
“Anyone can dance, Ryeowook. It just takes... practice.” Even the ever optimistic Donghae was starting to sound doubtful.
Behind him, he could hear the door open and close, and he just wanted to sink through the floorboards. It was embarrassing enough having Donghae witness his complete ineptitude. He wasn't sure he could handle anyone else knowing just how bad he actually was.
“Still having problems?”
Ryeowook couldn't quite hold back the strangled noise he made at the sound of that voice. Of everyone, why did it have to be the one person in the entire band he least wanted to screw up in front of?
Donghae sighed. “I don't think I'm a very good teacher.”
“Well, maybe it just needs a new touch. Why don't you break? I'll take over for a while.”
From under his floppy bangs, Ryeowook watched Hankyung throw down his sports bag and head over to the stereo.
They hadn't been using music for the last couple of days. Donghae had hoped going back to the basics without the pressure of moving in time with the music would help.
It hadn't.
If anything, Ryeowook was sure he'd gotten worse.
He watched as the older boy stretched and twisted before moving over to stand in front of Ryeowook. They stood there silently for a moment, letting the beat and rhythm of twins wash over them. The song drew to a close and finally Hankyung nodded as the song began to loop through again. “Let me see what you've got.”
Ryeowook blushed slightly, but stepped back and started counting the beats off in his head. His eyes slipped closed as he tried to concentrate and remember.
He barely got halfway through before hands on his hips made him stumble to a stop. Eyes flying open, Ryeowook couldn't help but blush and stammer slightly. “H-hyung!”
Hankyung grinned and shook him a little at the hips. “I've seen you walk, Ryeowook. I know you've got more rhythm and sway here than you're putting into this.”
There was nothing else to call the noise that escaped Ryeowook then except squeak and he just knew that even his ears were red. “Hyung!”
A soft laugh and then Hankyung moved around to stand behind him, bodies pressed together chest to back.
Ryeowook didn't think he'd ever stop blushing and he really hoped the older boy didn't realize that at least half of that was because having his crush plastered against his back and ass was more than his libido could reasonably stand without getting excited.
When Hankyung spoke again, it took Ryeowook a few seconds to think through the fog of omgomgomg and eep! to register that it wasn't Korean. He glanced back, confused, and Hankyung shook his head slightly and hesitated, seeming to work the proper words out in his head slowly.
“When you sing....” Hankyung pressed a hand against the side of Ryeowook's head. “You sing with this?”
“err...” Ryeowook blinked, slightly confused and unsure as to where Hankyung was going. “I sing with my mouth.”
“No, no,” The older man rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then he moved a hand down to rest over Ryeowook's heart. “Heard you. Seen you. You sing with this.” His hand moved back up to Ryeowook's head. “Not this.”
“Oh. You mean... oh...” For a moment, he wasn't really sure what to say.
He'd been mostly quiet since he'd joined the group, trying desperately not to remind anyone that he wasn't even supposed to be there, lest someone decide it was a mistake and whisk his dreams away from him yet again. No one had been overtly hostile yet, but he'd seen more than one set of eyes settle on him, waiting for him to fail.
The only times he'd knowingly opened his mouth - outside of the profuse apologies he had to give Donghae for being incompetent - was when he was tucked away practicing the one thing he was good at - that he had always thought he was good at anyways, even though SM clearly hadn't agreed until they were desperate - in private. He hadn't been aware that anyone from the band had heard him singing yet.
Hankyung thought he sang with heart.
That knowledge went a long way in soothing the sting of not being good enough for SM.
“Thanks,” he said softly.
Hankyung smiled, then nodded towards the mirrored wall where Ryeowook could see their reflections. “Dancing is like that.” He slowly started to move them through the steps, his hand sliding back down against Ryeowook's chest. Two fingers tapped out the rhythm over his heart. “Knowing the steps is only part. You have to feel it here.”
Ryeowook's eyes dropped to his feet and his brow furrowed as he concentrated on not tripping them both up, but Hankyung was having none of it. The hand that had been on his hip came up to force him to look up at the mirror again.
“Eyes up. Watch my eyes. Your body knows the moves. You're over-thinking.” Hankyung smiled and nudged Ryeowook's hair with his nose. “Trust me. I won't let us fall.”
As their eyes met and held, he couldn't have looked away even if he'd wanted to. Even from afar, Hankyung had always captivated him. Having him close and focused entirely on Ryeowook only magnified the effect.
He wasn't sure how much time passed as they moved through the basic routine, over and over again.
In stark contrast to his previous thoughts, Ryeowook felt like he could have danced forever with Hankyung against his back, guiding him.
He was actually disappointed when the older man finally slowed to a halt.
Hankyung smiled and hooked his chin over Ryeowook's shoulder. “See? You didn't stumble once.”
“Oh....” Ryeowook was startled to realize that Hankyung was right. They'd gone through the entire routine several times over and he hadn't messed up. “Yah!”
He whirled around and hugged the older man tightly, unable to keep from bouncing slightly in his excitement. “I did it!”
Hankyung's laugh was beautiful and it made Ryeowook just as happy as his success had. Hankyung held on to him despite the bouncing and kissed him on the cheek. “You did.”
Ryeowook stilled abruptly as the world seemed to narrow down to just Hankyung and the warm spot on his cheek. “Hyung....”
“Tomorrow, we'll do it again, yes?”
“Okay,” Ryeowook agreed, faintly.
Suddenly dancing seemed a lot less evil and a lot more vital to everything he wanted.
~*~*~
Donghae never asked how or why Ryeowook suddenly started improving by leaps and bounds, he was just glad he wasn't reducing the kid to apologies and tears anymore.
~*~*~
Length: One-Shot
Series: prequel to Empty Smiles
Author: M_K Yujji
Rating: PG-13 for theme
Genre: friendship, humor, pre-slash
Pairing/Characters: HanWook, Heechul, Donghae
Warnings: RPS
Disclaimer: Though real people are used as characters, this fic bears no resemblance to Real Life and these people are not owned by me.
Comments/Notes: I wanted to show the beginning of HanWook's relationship. ^^ I may write another, I'm not sure. I've already started a sequel to Empty Smiles, as well.
Summary: Everything has a beginning...
~*~*~*
"So. The new kid has a crush on you.” Heechul said as he dropped down next to Geng.
Geng frowned at him for a moment as he considered the 'new kid' in question. “How can you tell? He's so quiet.”
“Well,” Heechul's voice took on that conspiratorial tone as he leaned closer. “Donghae has been trying to help him learn the choreography faster with extra lessons and he asked about you.”
“A lot of people ask about me. I'm the only Chinese guy in the group.”
“Ah yes, but most guys don't ask if you're seeing anyone or if you're straight.”
Geng was skeptical. “He asked that?”
“Not exactly,” Heechul admitted with a grin. “But Donghae is pretty sure that's what he meant.”
“Heechul. Donghae thinks that there are aliens and the government is hiding them from us.” He rolled his eyes when Heechul gave him a blank look that said that somehow that hadn't translated as well as Geng had meant it to. Where was Siwon when he needed him?
“Whatever,” Heechul waved him off as he tried again. “It's obvious once you're looking for it. He's totally into you. I think he wants a little taste of China to call his own.”
He turned that over in his mind, trying to make sense out of Heechul's loose grammar and odd turn of phrase. Then he shrugged it off. Even if he didn't get the exact meaning, he got the gist. “He's kind of cute.”
In the way that quiet little mice were.
~*~*~
Dancing was not Ryeowook's strong suit.
In fact, every day he was growing to hate dancing just a little bit more.
Why couldn't he just be a singer? Where in the rule books did it say 'to be a singer, you must also be a dancer'?
Donghae kept trying to reassure him that with such a large group, a few little mistakes would go unnoticed, but Ryeowook had seen the others dance together. Even if he got put in the back - and he was really, really hoping he would - his mistakes were going to stick out like a sore thumb. Having eleven guys doing the same move perfectly and one looking a little like a flailing rag doll was going to be obvious.
“No, no, no. Your other left.”
Ryeowook dropped his head in shame and wished for the hundredth time that hour that he'd listened when his mother had expressed her doubts about this whole entertainment venture. “I'm sorry, hyung. I just... I don't think I can do this.”
“Anyone can dance, Ryeowook. It just takes... practice.” Even the ever optimistic Donghae was starting to sound doubtful.
Behind him, he could hear the door open and close, and he just wanted to sink through the floorboards. It was embarrassing enough having Donghae witness his complete ineptitude. He wasn't sure he could handle anyone else knowing just how bad he actually was.
“Still having problems?”
Ryeowook couldn't quite hold back the strangled noise he made at the sound of that voice. Of everyone, why did it have to be the one person in the entire band he least wanted to screw up in front of?
Donghae sighed. “I don't think I'm a very good teacher.”
“Well, maybe it just needs a new touch. Why don't you break? I'll take over for a while.”
From under his floppy bangs, Ryeowook watched Hankyung throw down his sports bag and head over to the stereo.
They hadn't been using music for the last couple of days. Donghae had hoped going back to the basics without the pressure of moving in time with the music would help.
It hadn't.
If anything, Ryeowook was sure he'd gotten worse.
He watched as the older boy stretched and twisted before moving over to stand in front of Ryeowook. They stood there silently for a moment, letting the beat and rhythm of twins wash over them. The song drew to a close and finally Hankyung nodded as the song began to loop through again. “Let me see what you've got.”
Ryeowook blushed slightly, but stepped back and started counting the beats off in his head. His eyes slipped closed as he tried to concentrate and remember.
He barely got halfway through before hands on his hips made him stumble to a stop. Eyes flying open, Ryeowook couldn't help but blush and stammer slightly. “H-hyung!”
Hankyung grinned and shook him a little at the hips. “I've seen you walk, Ryeowook. I know you've got more rhythm and sway here than you're putting into this.”
There was nothing else to call the noise that escaped Ryeowook then except squeak and he just knew that even his ears were red. “Hyung!”
A soft laugh and then Hankyung moved around to stand behind him, bodies pressed together chest to back.
Ryeowook didn't think he'd ever stop blushing and he really hoped the older boy didn't realize that at least half of that was because having his crush plastered against his back and ass was more than his libido could reasonably stand without getting excited.
When Hankyung spoke again, it took Ryeowook a few seconds to think through the fog of omgomgomg and eep! to register that it wasn't Korean. He glanced back, confused, and Hankyung shook his head slightly and hesitated, seeming to work the proper words out in his head slowly.
“When you sing....” Hankyung pressed a hand against the side of Ryeowook's head. “You sing with this?”
“err...” Ryeowook blinked, slightly confused and unsure as to where Hankyung was going. “I sing with my mouth.”
“No, no,” The older man rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then he moved a hand down to rest over Ryeowook's heart. “Heard you. Seen you. You sing with this.” His hand moved back up to Ryeowook's head. “Not this.”
“Oh. You mean... oh...” For a moment, he wasn't really sure what to say.
He'd been mostly quiet since he'd joined the group, trying desperately not to remind anyone that he wasn't even supposed to be there, lest someone decide it was a mistake and whisk his dreams away from him yet again. No one had been overtly hostile yet, but he'd seen more than one set of eyes settle on him, waiting for him to fail.
The only times he'd knowingly opened his mouth - outside of the profuse apologies he had to give Donghae for being incompetent - was when he was tucked away practicing the one thing he was good at - that he had always thought he was good at anyways, even though SM clearly hadn't agreed until they were desperate - in private. He hadn't been aware that anyone from the band had heard him singing yet.
Hankyung thought he sang with heart.
That knowledge went a long way in soothing the sting of not being good enough for SM.
“Thanks,” he said softly.
Hankyung smiled, then nodded towards the mirrored wall where Ryeowook could see their reflections. “Dancing is like that.” He slowly started to move them through the steps, his hand sliding back down against Ryeowook's chest. Two fingers tapped out the rhythm over his heart. “Knowing the steps is only part. You have to feel it here.”
Ryeowook's eyes dropped to his feet and his brow furrowed as he concentrated on not tripping them both up, but Hankyung was having none of it. The hand that had been on his hip came up to force him to look up at the mirror again.
“Eyes up. Watch my eyes. Your body knows the moves. You're over-thinking.” Hankyung smiled and nudged Ryeowook's hair with his nose. “Trust me. I won't let us fall.”
As their eyes met and held, he couldn't have looked away even if he'd wanted to. Even from afar, Hankyung had always captivated him. Having him close and focused entirely on Ryeowook only magnified the effect.
He wasn't sure how much time passed as they moved through the basic routine, over and over again.
In stark contrast to his previous thoughts, Ryeowook felt like he could have danced forever with Hankyung against his back, guiding him.
He was actually disappointed when the older man finally slowed to a halt.
Hankyung smiled and hooked his chin over Ryeowook's shoulder. “See? You didn't stumble once.”
“Oh....” Ryeowook was startled to realize that Hankyung was right. They'd gone through the entire routine several times over and he hadn't messed up. “Yah!”
He whirled around and hugged the older man tightly, unable to keep from bouncing slightly in his excitement. “I did it!”
Hankyung's laugh was beautiful and it made Ryeowook just as happy as his success had. Hankyung held on to him despite the bouncing and kissed him on the cheek. “You did.”
Ryeowook stilled abruptly as the world seemed to narrow down to just Hankyung and the warm spot on his cheek. “Hyung....”
“Tomorrow, we'll do it again, yes?”
“Okay,” Ryeowook agreed, faintly.
Suddenly dancing seemed a lot less evil and a lot more vital to everything he wanted.
~*~*~
Donghae never asked how or why Ryeowook suddenly started improving by leaps and bounds, he was just glad he wasn't reducing the kid to apologies and tears anymore.
~*~*~