Not gonna teach him how to dance with you for exobubz
For: exobubz
Title: Not gonna teach him how to dance with you
Pairing(s): Chanyeol/D.O, side Suho/Chen
Rating: PG
Length: 7k
Summary: Highschool!AU with a tiny bit of Cinderella - There’s a dance coming up at school that Chanyeol doesn’t really want to go to, but that doesn’t mean he’s not stressed about finding a date.
Author's note: dear recipient, i hope you dig this :’D it’s been a long process of switching prompts 3 times. sorry @ everyone that i scream-texted abt this fic while i was trying to figure it out, i hope yall enjoy it. catch me on the flip side being chinguline af
Chanyeol squints up through the gaps in the branches above him, frowning at the scant rays of light shining down. It’s probably a beautiful day, but he can’t quite be sure. “Tell me again why we aren’t lying in the sun.”
“Because I don’t feel like sweating through my clothes or getting sunburned today,” Baekhyun mumbles from beside him, lying on his front with his head pillowed on his arms. “If you’re into that, be my guest.”
Chanyeol sighs and flops down on his back in the shade. Baekhyun had chosen a spot under the best tree in the courtyard - the only one with grass underneath instead of a patch of dirt - and spread out their belongings enough so that no one uninvited would try to join them. It helps, of course, that most other students are currently in class. Not for the first time, Chanyeol thanks his lucky stars that whoever approved their timetables allowed them this midday free period.
Granted, it’s supposed to be used for catching up on schoolwork, and Chanyeol does, for the most part, use the time wisely. But today, his math textbook only made it halfway out of his bag, before being abandoned for sunrays filtering down through the tree branches and relaxing with the cool grass tickling his neck. Baekhyun is basically asleep anyway, and Chanyeol doesn’t really want to try and figure out how to graph radical equations on his own.
He’s about to give in to his tired eyelids when as backpack suddenly drops a little too close to his head, and Jongdae is flopping onto the grass beside him. He stretches out on his back with a contented sigh that cuts off when Baekhyun pokes him in the ribs.
“Finally,” Baekhyun huffs, apparently wide awake now that he has someone to annoy. “We were about to get our nap on without you. What took so long?”
“Quit it,” Jongdae laughs, batting Baekhyun’s hand away. “Our chem test ran late, no big deal.”
Chanyeol props himself up on his elbow to look down at them. “Isn’t Kyungsoo in that class with you?”
“Yeah, but you know how he is,” Jongdae says with a shrug. “Gotta check his answers a few million times before he-- Baekhyun, no matter how many times you try, I’m never going to be ticklish there.”
Baekhyun sticks his tongue out at him as he retracts his hand, then rolls onto his back and crosses his arms over his chest. “I can’t believe all four of us managed to snag the same free period, and yet we’ve never actually spent the full thing together.”
“Aw, Baek,” Chanyeol coos. “Do you really miss us that much during the day?”
“I never knew you cared,” Jongdae says with an exaggerated sniffle.
Baekhyun scowls, his cheeks a little bit pink, and jabs him in the ribs again. “Shut up and tell me how your day’s been.”
Jongdae scoots away from him, still snickering, then lies down again on his back to looks up into the branches above them. He takes a moment, like he’s really thinking about it, then sighs a happy sigh and closes his eyes. “It’s been good.”
He lilts it in such a way that Chanyeol knows means he has more to say, but wants them to ask about it instead of going into detail himself. Chanyeol glances at Baekhyun and catches him mid-eye roll, and they both have to hold back giggles as they sit up.
“Alright,” Baekhyun starts, resting his elbows on his knees and propping his chin on his palms. “What is it?”
Jongdae opens his eyes to blink at him innocently. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Come on, I’ve never seen anyone come out of a chem test looking as content as you,” Chanyeol laughs. “What happened to make your day so great?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Jongdae sighs again, folding his hands behind his head. “Just, you know, hitting one week on the official countdown to the greatest student body event of all time, happening next week at a high school gymnasium near you.”
“So, no big deal, then,” Baekhyun says, moving to lie back down.
Jongdae flings one arm out to whack him in the leg. “Excuse me for being a little bit stoked. I organized it, I’m allowed to get excited about my event.”
“You’ve been excited for the last three full months,” Chanyeol points out.
“Probably longer,” Baekhyun adds, muffled by the grass.
Chanyeol fondly remembers that time, months ago, when Jongdae had first collapsed face first across their lunch table to complain about his marketing project. Plan and budget a school community event, must be able to be student-run, must require more effort than a bake sale, etcetera - or, as Jongdae had referred to it, A Nightmare. When Jongdae had demanded a 3 A.M. Skype call to whisper excitedly about the idea that had just hit him, Chanyeol started calling it that too.
Over the next few days, Jongdae put together a detailed plan for a school dance; hypothetical at first, but after a lot of enthusiasm and a little bit of whining from his classmates, the teacher agreed that the dance should happen for real. And so, months later, it’s one week until the dance, and Jongdae hasn’t quite shut up about it.
“Yeah, so what?” Jongdae says, sounding a little offended. “It’s not like I’m the only one. I’ve heard people talking about it in the halls nearly every day.”
“Awesome,” Chanyeol says with a nod. “I’m sure it’ll be really cool.”
Jongdae goes quiet for a moment, then sits up on his elbows. “You guys are coming, right?”
“Uh.” Chanyeol rubs the back of his neck, glancing at Baekhyun again. “It’s not really…”
“Not really our scene,” Baekhyun finishes for him, rolling onto his back. “Yeol isn’t very good at dancing, you know.”
Chanyeol frowns at him. Baekhyun shoots him an exaggerated wink.
“But you have to,” Jongdae whines, sitting up with a pout. “It’ll be lame if the head organizer’s friends aren’t even there.”
Baekhyun squints at him. “Didn’t you just say it’s the greatest student body event of all time?”
“I meant for me,” Jongdae huffs. “C’mon, it’ll be fun! I’m the one who planned it, so how could it not be?” He crosses his arms. “Also, I bought your tickets already. You both owe me ten bucks.”
Baekhyun gives an indignant squawk and scrambles to sit up. “You can’t just buy random shit and expect me to pay you back!”
“It’s not random, it’s-- Baek, you’re going to come anyway, I’m literally just saving you time.”
“You fiend!” Baekhyun cries, throwing his arm dramatically over his eyes. “You know how much I love wasting time!”
He continues moaning and groaning on the grass while Jongdae tries to curb him with a rundown of the event plan. Chanyeol figures he should probably try to back Baekhyun up, but right when he opens his mouth, Kyungsoo finally wanders into the shade to join them. He sets his backpack on the ground and sits down next to Chanyeol, who immediately tunes out the others’ bickering.
“Hey,” Chanyeol greets with a wide smile. “How was the chem test?”
Kyungsoo just groans in response. He shifts to lie down and claims Chanyeol’s thigh as his makeshift pillow, head turned away to glare down the length of his leg. Chanyeol can’t bring himself to mind that much. “That bad, huh?”
“I am literally incapable of doing any more thinking today,” Kyungsoo grumbles, monotone. “Why didn’t I drop that class when I had the chance, Chanyeol? Why did I let it come to this?”
“Because you need science credits,” Chanyeol reminds him gently. He cards his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair, brushing flyaway strands back into place. “Graduation requirements, remember?”
Kyungsoo rolls over so he’s facing upwards instead, his eyes catching Chanyeol’s for a moment before he closes them with a sigh. “How awful.”
“You’re coming to the dance, right?” Jongdae says suddenly, pushing Baekhyun’s face away and turning his pout on Kyungsoo. “You won’t ditch me like these two, would you?”
Kyungsoo opens his eyes to stare blankly at him for a few seconds, then blinks and rubs a hand over his face. “Ask me later, when my brain is less fried, please.”
“Want to come over?” Baekhyun asks, sitting up from where Jongdae had knocked him over. “Speaking of later, I mean. And brain-frying via video games.” He looks around at the other three with a grin. “Baekbeom finally found our extra controllers, so we can do something four-player.”
Chanyeol and Jongdae both promptly agree, but Kyungsoo frowns when they all look down at him expectantly. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” Jongdae whines, pouting again. “It’s Friday, there’s no school tomorrow. Did you make plans without us?”
“As if,” Kyungsoo snorts, sitting up suddenly. “My dad wants me to work tonight.”
“Again?” Chanyeol asks, watching him try to fix his hair. His leg tingles a little where it had started to go numb, but the sudden lack of pressure almost feels weirder than the pins and needles. “For how long?”
“Five ‘til midnight. As usual.”
Jongdae groans. “Does he not trust anyone else to close the store, or something?”
“I guess not,” Kyungsoo sighs, frowning down at the grass. “I wouldn’t mind if he actually gave me some sort of schedule instead of just springing shifts on me.”
“Well, it’s not a big deal,” Baekhyun says with a shrug. “Let’s do Saturday instead, alright?”
The end-of-period bell rings just then, and the four of them agree on the new date as they pick up their things. They all head in separate directions for their next classes, except Baekhyun and Chanyeol, who are at least headed to the same hallway of rooms.
“Remember to pay me back for your tickets,” Jongdae calls over his shoulder as he leaves. He catches Kyungsoo’s eye roll and the mock-glare Chanyeol sends his way, but entirely misses Baekhyun flipping him off when he turns back around.
--
On Monday, Jongdae somehow ropes Chanyeol into manning the ticket table with him. Chanyeol vaguely remembers some promise of sugary vending machine snacks as Jongdae had skipped off down the hall to the cafeteria, but at the moment he can’t really focus on the specifics. The table has been pretty busy, which is both a little stressful and a lot cool - it’s nice to see so many people interested in attending Jongdae’s event. Chanyeol almost feels proud. The steady stream of students buying tickets lasts almost as long as it takes for Jongdae to return, red-faced and out of breath.
“You okay, dude?” Chanyeol asks slowly, as Jongdae nearly vaults over the table. “You look like you ran here.”
“I did,” Jongdae pants, sliding into the seat beside him. He tosses a bag of candies at Chanyeol and squints in both directions down the hall they’re set up in. “Minseok texted me. Kim Junmyeon is on his way.”
Chanyeol pauses halfway through tearing open the bag. “You mean, like... student council president Kim Junmyeon?”
“Who else?” Jongdae huffs, rolling his eyes. “Yes, student council president. Every teacher loves him, the majority of the student body agrees, he’s the nicest most beautiful man in the whole school and he’s going to buy a ticket to my event--”
He seems to realize right then how loud he’s talking, and quiets down to a whisper. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Of course you can,” Chanyeol laughs, patting his shoulder. “This is your event, like you said. You have, like, home field advantage.”
Jongdae nods uneasily, but still manages to charm the next few people who comes up to buy tickets. Eventually, just when his anxious foot-tapping has started to get on Chanyeol’s nerves, a crowd in the hall parts and Junmyeon is suddenly there, walking up to the table. Chanyeol hears the deep breath that Jongdae takes in and watches a wide, friendly, only-a-little-forced smile spread over his face.
“Hi,” Junmyeon greets when he stops in front of them, smiling kindly. “I’d like a ticket, please.”
“Sure,” Jongdae says, sounding more enthused than he has all lunch hour. “That’s ten dollars.”
Junmyeon hands him a folded bill and Jongdae takes it with steadier fingers than Chanyeol was expecting. “You can write your name on the list there, and then you’re set.”
“Hard to believe it’s only a few days away, isn’t it?” Junmyeon asks, scribbling his name down on the sheet. “Once posters went up, I must’ve mentioned it at least twice every council meeting. Some of the members might be more excited about this than they are about prom.”
The red in Jongdae’s cheeks returns with a vengeance. “I’m so glad you’re coming,” he says, smiling shyly. “I mean, as student council president and all that.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Junmyeon says with a shrug. “It sounds like a lot of fun. I’d be going even if I wasn’t on the council.”
Chanyeol swears he can hear Jongdae screaming internally.
“Th-thanks,” Jongdae manages, holding out the ticket. “Here you go.”
Junmyeon smiles as he takes it. “Hey, you’ll be there too, right?”
Jongdae nods. “Yep, all night. I’ll be sure to say hi.”
“Well, actually…” Junmyeon glances down at the table, shuffling his feet a little. “I’ve seen you walking home a couple times, and I think our houses are pretty close.” He looks back at Jongdae with a tiny, unsure smile. “I was thinking I could pick you up, and we could go together?”
Jongdae gapes at him. Chanyeol pinches his leg under the table until he remembers to react. “Y-you want to?”
“I do, yeah.”
It takes a moment, but Jongdae’s lips slowly curl into a bright, happy grin. “I-- yeah. That would be great.”
Chanyeol watches amusedly as they exchange phone numbers, and holds in his laughter when Junmyeon leaves with a wave and Jongdae’s eyes follow him all the way to the end of the hall. It’s only when Jongdae slumps over on the table with a sickly sweet sigh that the thought of a certain terrible possibility hits him.
He nudges Jongdae’s arm and gets a low, content hum in return. “Um, hey, question. Is this supposed to be, like…” He swallows. “A couples-type event?”
Jongdae slowly sits up, raising an eyebrow. “Uh, not necessarily, no. I mean, you don’t need to have a date to go, but…”
Chanyeol stares at him. “But?”
“But most people are going as couples, I guess,” Jongdae admits, then waves his hand. “Either way, whatever, right?”
“No, not whatever,” Chanyeol groans. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“Because I didn’t think it mattered? Cool your jets,” Jongdae snickers, patting Chanyeol’s shoulder as he slumps in his chair. “Look, Baekhyun’s going alone, too. It’s not a big deal.”
“Easy for you to say,” Chanyeol huffs, crossing his arms. “I literally just watched you and Junmyeon start dating. Like, right in front of my face.”
Jongdae flushes red. “I-it’s not like I planned it that way! He’s the one who asked me.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Chanyeol sighs. He sits up and leans his elbows on the table instead. “You’re right, it’s not a big deal.”
But Jongdae is barely listening, and when Chanyeol glances over at him, he’s staring down at the table with his cheeks still tinted pink. Chanyeol doesn’t have to think very hard to guess who’s on his mind. He rolls his eyes and turns away, watching students pass by and trying his best to shake off the bit of dread that accompanies the dance in his mind.
--
Halfway through the week, the dread is still there, only worse. Chanyeol glares up at the ceiling of Baekhyun's room from his position on the bed, flopped on his back with his legs hanging off one side. Baekhyun is curled up in his desk chair, game controller in hand and some cartoon-y shoot-em-up flashing on the TV. Kyungsoo is supposed to show up a little later, after work, but Jongdae had been too caught up with dance preparations to attend - Chanyeol isn't too torn up about that, though. It's probably better that Jongdae isn't around while his precious event is the very thing making Chanyeol's glare sharper.
"I can't believe he tried to tell me it wasn't a big deal," he huffs. "Who would go stag to a, a high school date-like event like this? It'll be so awkward if everyone is paired up and I'm just-- just there. Like an idiot. God." He presses the heels of his palms over his eyes with a groan. "It's like, every time I think about it, I want to go less and less - but Jongdae would kill me if I skipped out. What do I do?"
"I'm thinking of spiking the punch,” Baekhyun says, eyes still on the screen. “Or wait, will there even be punch? Jongdae probably opted against a punch bowl solely so I wouldn't try anything. Damn, he knows me too well."
Chanyeol rolls over to glare at him right-side-up. “This is serious.”
“Sorry, sorry.” Baekhyun pauses the game and turns in his chair to face him. “What’s the problem?”
With a heavy sigh, Chanyeol flops onto his back again and frowns at the ceiling. “I don’t want to go alone if everyone else has a date, but I don’t have anyone to go with. This is like, a lose-lose situation.”
Baekhyun hums, spinning the chair in slow circles. “What about… Sandara?”
“Are you joking? Her friends would eat me alive.”
“Joohyun?”
“She’s friends with my sister, it’d be too weird.”
“Kyungsoo?”
“I-- what?” Chanyeol lifts his head, unsure if he heard correctly, but Baekhyun is looking thoughtfully out the window. “Are you-- really?”
“Yeah, why not?” Baekhyun says with a shrug. “You could ask him to go as friends, or whatever.”
Chanyeol bites his lip, considering. Going to the dance with Kyungsoo sounds… nice. Even just showing up together, walking in side-by-side? They wouldn't have to stay attached at the hip during the night or anything, after all, they're just friends - but it could be fun. Baekhyun makes it seem so simple, Chanyeol wonders why he never thought about it before. “I… I guess I could.”
Baekhyun turns to smile at him. “Yeah? You wanna do it now?”
“What-- no,” Chanyeol splutters. “I have to think of what to say to him first.”
“Well, you still have about a minute.”
Chanyeol blinks at him for a moment, then scrambles up to look out the window. Sure enough, Kyungsoo is outside, and just about to walk up Baekhyun’s driveway. "I thought he was coming at eight," Chanyeol hisses, swatting Baekhyun in the arm.
"It is eight," Baekhyun laughs, shoving him away. "You've been whining about the stupid dance for the past hour. Now, are you going to ask Kyungsoo, or not?"
Chanyeol sits back down on the bed with a huff. He's sure that if he tried to ask right now, it'd come out confusing and jumbled and not at all what he really wants to say. "Tomorrow, I will," he decides, glancing warily at the door. "Don't say anything about it tonight, okay?"
Baekhyun waves him off and scoots a little closer to the TV. "No problem, I know you've got this." He tosses a second controller at Chanyeol and unpauses the game just as footsteps approach the room, and Chanyeol jumps a little when the door opens.
"Hey," Baekhyun greets, not even looking up when Kyungsoo comes in. He's still wearing his work uniform, Chanyeol notices, but he starts untucking his shirt as soon as the door is closed. "You ready to take over player two? Chanyeol only brought his C-game."
Kyungsoo snorts, rolling his sleeves up as he sits next to Chanyeol on the bed. He takes the controller from Chanyeol's limp hands and gives him a vaguely concerned glance before his eyes find the TV screen. "You alright?"
"Yeah," Chanyeol manages to choke out. He gives himself a shake when the other two are fully distracted by the game, then tries his best to follow their example - but he catches his eyes wandering to Kyungsoo more than a few times, and keeps having to drag his gaze back to the colourful explosions on the screen.
--
He spends both of his classes the next morning hyping himself up, rehearsing what exact words he’ll say to Kyungsoo when the time comes. It’s more stressful than he expected, no matter how many times he tells himself it doesn’t need to be. Just two friends going to a dance together, not a huge deal - except he can’t stop feeling like it is.
Maybe it’s just the act of it, Chanyeol supposes, the whole ‘asking someone to the dance’ cliche teen romance scenario that’s making him nervous and jittery. Or maybe it’s the fact that the dance is tomorrow night.
At lunch he meets up with the other three in the cafeteria. Baekhyun and Jongdae head off to join the line while Chanyeol goes with Kyungsoo to find a free table, and as they sit down together Chanyeol realizes an opportunity has presented itself. They’ll be alone for at least a few minutes, and it’d be best to ask as soon as possible, right?
He takes a deep breath, opens his mouth, and… closes it. The words stick in his throat, too shaky to come out. He watches Kyungsoo unpack his homemade lunch and lets his breath out in a long sigh. Asking him seemed a lot easier before they were face to face.
Maybe it’s just not the right time - this is the first he’s seen of Kyungsoo all day, after all. They do have the same class after lunch, though, and it’s routine to walk there together. He could ask then, maybe right before class starts, when it’ll be just him and Kyungsoo in the empty hallway. No chickening out, Chanyeol tells himself, then puts on a smile and hopes it gets him through the rest of lunch hour.
When the bell rings, the four of them start towards the cafeteria exit, laughing at Baekhyun’s moaning misery about his next class - but someone calls out to Kyungsoo, and they all turn around.
It’s Yixing, a senior, beckoning Kyungsoo over. He has a few friends with him, and Kyungsoo seems a little wary as he steps towards them, but Yixing’s smile is kind.
“You know the dance tomorrow night?” he asks quietly, maybe trying for some privacy even with all their friends around. Chanyeol resists the urge to narrow his eyes at him.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo answers, still a little hesitant. “What about it?”
Yixing ducks his head shyly and smiles up at him. “I was wondering if you would go with me?”
Jongdae gasps. Baekhyun whispers something that sounds a lot like no fucking way. Chanyeol’s stomach drops.
“I-I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo stutters, after a moment, “I’m not going.”
Chanyeol doesn’t hear the rest of their conversation, preoccupied with trying to get his insides to feel a little less like they’ve shifted out of place. By the time he zones back in, Yixing is walking away with his friends’ arms around his shoulders, and Kyungsoo is headed back over, a strange expression on his face.
“What do you mean, you’re not going?” Jongdae asks immediately.
Kyungsoo shrugs. “I mean I’m not. I have to work that night.”
“Can’t you book it off?” Baekhyun tries.
“It’s a little late for that.”
“You could still ask? It’s worth a shot--”
“Leave it,” Kyungsoo cuts them off, exasperated. He grabs Chanyeol’s arm and drags him off down the hall. Chanyeol is still trying to figure out how to pick his stomach up from where it’s ended up around his knees, so he lets Kyungsoo lead him all the way to their classroom.
“Sorry,” Kyungsoo sighs once they’ve sat down together. “They just… they get on my nerves when they push like that.”
He looks annoyed, but he sounds tired - and a little sad. Chanyeol frowns, watching him take out his notebook. “Are you really not going, then?” he asks quietly.
“I already said, I can’t.”
“Even though Yixing asked you?”
Kyungsoo immediately rolls his eyes. “Come on, not you too.”
“I just mean, like, he’s…” Chanyeol flounders a bit. “He’s super nice, everyone knows that, and he asked you with all his friends around, and--”
“I know,” Kyungsoo deadpans, “I was there.”
Chanyeol rubs the back of his neck, half wishing he’d never said anything. “Sorry, I just… I don’t know. It sucks that you can’t go with Yixing. I’m sure it’d be a good time.”
The annoyance bleeds out of Kyungsoo’s expression, and he’s left frowning down at his desk until the teacher starts speaking. Chanyeol sneaks glances at him for the rest of class, feeling worse and worse with every glimpse of his furrowed brow or downturned lips.
The feeling of dread returns to him, although this time it’s not anything to do with his own dance date worries. Instead, it’s the thought of Kyungsoo, alone and kept away from a happiness that Chanyeol would give anything to be able to grant him.
--
Baekhyun catches up to him in the parking lot after school, taking a moment to complain about his long legs and fast pace before delivering him his dance ticket. “Jongdae’s still really serious about us paying him back,” he snickers, handing it over. “I’m thinking about just giving him ten dollars’ worth of something. Like shitty bulk candy.”
Chanyeol snorts. “You’d rather go through that much effort than just pay him back?”
“Uh, yeah? Can you imagine his face if I gave him ten bucks of knockoff gummy bears? Or like, napkins? Plastic cutlery?“
“Or you could give him something he’d actually use, like--”
“Condoms,” Baekhyun says, snapping his fingers. “Perfect. I knew I could count on you.”
Chanyeol rolls his eyes but laughs along with him until they reach his car. Baekhyun didn’t mention anything about needing a ride home earlier in the day, but he doesn’t make any move to leave, either, so Chanyeol figures he’ll offer, just in case. As he’s digging his keys out of his bag, though, Baekhyun clears his throat. “Hey, uh. About Kyungsoo. Sorry it didn’t turn out.”
Chanyeol raises an eyebrow at him, but Baekhyun is looking at his feet instead. “Yeah, I… me too, I guess,” he says eventually. “It sucks, he seemed really bummed about it afterwards.”
“Huh?” Baekhyun gives him a weird look. “What’re you-- I meant, like, about Yixing asking him before you.”
“Oh.” Chanyeol swallows thickly. “Well, he’s not going anyway, so it doesn’t really matter, right?”
“Yeah, but if he was, wouldn’t you want to…” He trails off, searching Chanyeol’s expression, then shakes his head. “You know what, nevermind.”
Chanyeol doesn’t press, but he spends his whole drive home thinking about what Baekhyun could’ve meant. Wouldn’t he want to… what? To take Kyungsoo to the dance? He frowns at the taillights of the car in front of his. He would want that, if he’s being honest. Watching Yixing ask Kyungsoo instead of him, his entire body felt off.
Maybe it’s better that Kyungsoo not go to the dance at all, rather than go with Yixing instead of him-- but Chanyeol shakes that thought out of his head and steps on the gas. There’s no point in being bitter, or thinking about things going another way, because it’s not going to happen. If Kyungsoo could go, he would be going with Yixing. End of story.
--
The next day passes far too quickly, and before he knows it Chanyeol is smoothing down a black button-up and heading out to his car. His bright red tie feels a little silly around his neck, but he’d rather be overdressed than under, high school semi-formal dance or not.
Getting ready to go alone had been kind of a downer, especially after he had gotten his hopes up. He’s going to go anyway, of course. Jongdae is one of his best friends, and Chanyeol wouldn’t miss something important to him on purpose - but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t rather be staying at home tonight. It’s not that the whole event is going to suck, or anything. Actually, Chanyeol is pretty sure it’s going to be great for everyone else attending. For his own night, though, his expectations aren’t very high.
He pulls out of the driveway and pauses, glancing at the clock radio. He’s already late, and stalling further won’t make him dread the dance any less, but…
Chanyeol stares until another minute passes, then turns onto the street, heading in the opposite direction from the school. Someone deserves to have a good time at this thing, even if he doesn’t, and he can already think of one person whose night he could make suck a little less.
He pulls up to the curb outside a certain shop and clambers out of the car, not even bothering to lock the doors before he hurries through the entrance. Maybe if he does this quick enough, his nerves won’t get in the way.
Kyungsoo looks up when Chanyeol all but bursts through the door, nearly dropping the broom in his hands. They stare at each other for a moment while Chanyeol catches his breath, hoping he looks more determined than hysterical.
"Hi," Kyungsoo finally says, giving him a confused look. "Why aren’t you at the school? Hasn't the dance started already?"
"Um, yes," Chanyeol squeaks, glancing around. “Are you the only one here?”
Kyungsoo nods slowly. “The shop’s empty for most of the night, so it’s really just a clean-up shift…” He looks down at the broom in his hands, then back at Chanyeol. “What are you doing here?”
Chanyeol clears his throat and squares his shoulders. "I'm here to pick you up," he says decisively.
Kyungsoo looks unimpressed. "Chanyeol, seriously."
"I am serious!" It does sound kind of ridiculous though, and Chanyeol deflates a little, wishing he had thought of something better in the car. "Look, I just... I don't want you to miss out on this, okay? Jongdae really wants you to be there. Baekhyun too, and Yixing."
Kyungsoo drops his gaze to the tiled floor, twisting the broom handle between his palms. Chanyeol flushes in embarrassment. He really should've planned this better. It'd save them both a lot of awkwardness if Kyungsoo just tuned out his rambling and went back to cleaning so Chanyeol could leave, and hey, maybe they could pretend this never happened!
But something about that outcome seems even worse, somehow. Chanyeol takes a deep breath and a careful step forward, back into Kyungsoo's line of sight. "And... I do too. It won't be fun without you there."
Kyungsoo looks up at him again, biting his lip. "I mean it," Chanyeol adds, before he can ask.
That makes him laugh a little, but he still looks conflicted. "I do want to go," he admits eventually, voice quiet, "but... I'm not really dressed for it, or anything."
Chanyeol glances at the uniform Kyungsoo's wearing, a simple white button-down tucked into his black jeans. "It's only semi-formal, but... you know what, here." He loosens his tie and slips the loop over his head. "You don't even have to tie it, just put it on and tighten it."
"A-are you sure?" Kyungsoo asks, but at Chanyeol's shrug, he takes the tie from him and tucks it under his collar. Chanyeol watches him slide the knot up to the base of his throat and swallows heavily. Once it's straight, Kyungsoo smooths a hand over the red fabric and looks down at himself, smiling wryly. "How does it look?"
Chanyeol grins at him. "Better on you than it does on me."
After that, it doesn't take much to get Kyungsoo to close up the shop a little early. Chanyeol waits by the doors while Kyungsoo puts the broom away and makes sure everything's locked. It's only when they're stepping outside and Chanyeol is digging his keys out of his pocket that Kyungsoo pauses, one foot inside the store and the other on the sidewalk, and looks up at Chanyeol with a frown.
"You only have your learner's permit, right?" he asks, worry creeping back into his expression.
"Yeah, why?"
"Then you can't drive me," Kyungsoo sighs, stepping back. "Not without someone who has a real license in the car. If we get pulled over--"
"We won't," Chanyeol assures him. He goes around the back of his car and peels off the reflective red L magnet. "Just for tonight, okay? We'll be fine."
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but he turns around and locks the front doors anyway. Grinning, Chanyeol unlocks the car and settles in the driver's seat. He tosses the magnet into the backseat just as Kyungsoo opens the passenger-side door and ducks in beside him. He's just about to turn the key in the ignition when Kyungsoo grabs his wrist. Chanyeol looks over to find him staring right back with a serious expression.
"I have to be back before midnight," he says, his eyes boring into Chanyeol's. "That's when Dad comes to pick me up. If I'm not here when he arrives, he'll freak out and probably call the cops or something."
Chanyeol nods carefully. "Alright, yeah. Midnight. Can do."
Satisfied, Kyungsoo leans back in his seat. He looks out the windshield at the road ahead of them and lets out a long breath. "We're really doing this."
"We are," Chanyeol agrees. He watches Kyungsoo's fingers stroke over the point at the end of his tie. "You ready?"
Kyungsoo turns to him and smiles, just a little. "Let's go."
--
The gym is packed by the time they arrive, but Jongdae finds them easily, even through the crowd milling around by the entrance. He appears with Junmyeon in tow, beaming at Kyungsoo. “Hey, you made it!” he yells, both from pure enthusiasm and to be heard over the music echoing around the room.
“It wasn’t entirely my decision,” Kyungsoo sighs, but he accepts Jongdae’s one-armed hug with a grin.
“Baekhyun’s here already, he and the rest of the drama club are leading the dance floor.” Jongdae pulls away and looks between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. “Did you guys come together?”
“I’m just the chauffeur,” Chanyeol explains quickly. He can already see Yixing near the edge of the gym, and points him out to Kyungsoo. “There’s your prince charming.”
Kyungsoo follows his gaze, but only takes a couple steps before he hesitates and looks back. “Chanyeol?”
Something about how he looks against the backdrop of flashing coloured lights that makes Chanyeol’s heart feel weird. Kyungsoo’s eyes are on him, but he’s headed for someone else. “What?”
“Thank you,” he says, his gaze soft as he searches Chanyeol’s face. “For everything.”
And then he’s leaving, dodging around people to make his way over to Yixing. Chanyeol watches him go and, very suddenly, feels terribly out of place.
He moves off to the side of the gym, figuring that surrounding himself with people won’t help much. It seems that everyone is having a better time than he is - Jongdae is dragging Junmyeon back to the centre of the dance floor with a grin; Baekhyun is somewhere within the mass of dancers, comfortable in the noise and lights; Kyungsoo is across the room with Yixing - and to be fair, this is exactly what Chanyeol had expected.
He hangs around for a few more songs, each one seeming louder than the last, and spends a few moments wishing Baekhyun had been serious about spiking the punchbowl - and when a slow song begins to croon out of the speakers, he makes his way to the back doors of the gym. One of them is propped open so the cool outside air can get in, and Chanyeol slips through the gap.
To his surprise, there’s someone else already sitting on the outside steps - someone wearing a very familiar red tie.
“Hey,” Chanyeol says, a little hesitant, and sits down beside Kyungsoo. “What are you doing out here?”
Kyungsoo gives him a small smile. “I could ask you the same thing.” He shifts over until their sides are nearly pressed together. It is kind of cold out, compared to the warmth and noise inside. Chanyeol is just glad they can hear each other without shouting.
“Where’s Yixing?” he asks.
“He’s inside,” Kyungsoo says, and leans his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder.
His hair tickles a bit under Chanyeol’s jaw, but Chanyeol doesn’t dare move away. “Shouldn’t you be with him?”
Kyungsoo shrugs one shoulder. “He doesn’t mind.”
Chanyeol tries his best to read Kyungsoo’s expression without actually seeing his face, but his hands remain still in his lap, his feet flat on the step below him - but he feels the deep breath that Kyungsoo takes in just before he starts to speak. “Yixing isn’t the reason I wanted to come, you know.”
That throws Chanyeol a little. Wasn’t this whole situation happening because Kyungsoo wanted to go to the dance with Yixing, but couldn’t? He frowns down at Kyungsoo, confused. “Then what was?”
“Well, I didn’t really want to at all, at first,” Kyungsoo explains, lowering his voice like it’s a secret. “But when you showed up and tried to convince me to come, I started thinking, like… maybe it won’t be so bad if I’m there with you.”
Chanyeol feels his face turning pink. “Really?”
Kyungsoo nods against his shoulder. “Really.” He’s stroking the tie again, running his fingers over it gently, like it’s something delicate.
“I wanted to ask you,” Chanyeol admits, forcing the words out before they can get stuck. “Like, to go with me. But I was-- I don’t know. Too scared.”
“I would’ve said yes,” Kyungsoo says quietly.
Chanyeol’s heart does something close to a backflip in his chest. He feels like he has too much energy, like he should do something crazy, scream into the night or grab Kyungsoo’s hand or kiss him-- but the next tune to filter through the gap in the door is one that he actually knows, and suddenly Chanyeol can’t keep the smile off his face.
“Hey, um.” He lifts Kyungsoo off his shoulder and stands up, holding a hand out to him. “Do you want to dance?”
Kyungsoo laughs at him but takes his hand anyway, and they head back inside together.
Dancing is-- nice. Freeing. Chanyeol doesn’t even know how to dance, but his heart is so light that he can’t bring himself to care about anything except Kyungsoo, grinning at him under the flashing lights and never once letting go of his hand. Each song melds into the next and before he knows it, Kyungsoo is tugging him out of the mass of dancers and whispering in his ear that it’s nearly midnight.
They slip away through the back doors and run across the parking lot, gasping for air in between bouts of breathless laughter. Their fingers only untangle when they have to get into opposite sides of the car, and when they’re finally on their way, Kyungsoo’s hand sneaks across the console and finds Chanyeol’s again.
--
They pull up outside the shop with ten minutes to spare. Chanyeol grins at Kyungsoo as he unclips his seatbelt. “See? Told you I’d make it.”
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but he can’t hide his smile. He hesitates with his hand on the door handle. “I, um. I want to thank you. Again.”
“For what?” Chanyeol asks, opening his own door and stepping out.
Kyungsoo gets out on the other side and comes around the car to stand with him on the sidewalk. “For making me go with you.” It’s not so cold that he can see his breath, but when Kyungsoo comes close Chanyeol fights the urge to shiver. “I had a really good time.”
“I still feel bad that I never got to ask you properly,” Chanyeol says, and Kyungsoo looks down at his feet.
“Well, there’s still, like… prom, I guess.”
Chanyeol stares at him, turning the words over in his mind until the meaning hits him. “You-- you want to go to prom with me?”
Kyungsoo glares up at him, his cheeks flushed red. “Why do you sound so surprised?”
“I’m not,” Chanyeol splutters. “Well, I am, but-- I didn’t think you-- I mean--”
He cuts off when Kyungsoo starts laughing, blushing when he steps closer and slides his hands over Chanyeol’s forearms. “Will you ask me to prom?” Kyungsoo asks, voice quiet and lips curved.
“Yes,” Chanyeol answers quickly, just a little overwhelmed with the feeling of Kyungsoo so close to him. “Um. Will you go to prom with me?”
Kyungsoo laughs again and tugs on Chanyeol’s shirt collar until he stoops down. “Yes,” he repeats, then leans up and presses their lips together.
It’s soft and sweet and a thousand times better than Chanyeol could’ve ever imagined. Kyungsoo hums into his mouth and presses just hard enough to make Chanyeol’s knees weak - and then he’s gone, pulling away and scurrying back to the shop before Chanyeol can say anything. Chanyeol watches him go, getting a glimpse of his red face just before he disappears inside, and smiles to himself.
He gets back in his car and starts the engine, figuring he probably shouldn’t be hanging around when Kyungsoo’s dad arrives - even as bad as he wants to see Kyungsoo explain how his night went, and watch him flush red when asked whose tie is still around his neck.
Kyungsoo can keep it, Chanyeol decides. He won’t need it for himself, not even at prom, now that he’ll have someone to match with. It’s a strange feeling, catching himself looking forward to an event like prom, but Chanyeol supposes it’s alright. Just something new to get used to, like kissing Kyungsoo, or the way his mouth tingles the whole way home from the memory of Kyungsoo’s lips on his.
Title: Not gonna teach him how to dance with you
Pairing(s): Chanyeol/D.O, side Suho/Chen
Rating: PG
Length: 7k
Summary: Highschool!AU with a tiny bit of Cinderella - There’s a dance coming up at school that Chanyeol doesn’t really want to go to, but that doesn’t mean he’s not stressed about finding a date.
Author's note: dear recipient, i hope you dig this :’D it’s been a long process of switching prompts 3 times. sorry @ everyone that i scream-texted abt this fic while i was trying to figure it out, i hope yall enjoy it. catch me on the flip side being chinguline af
Chanyeol squints up through the gaps in the branches above him, frowning at the scant rays of light shining down. It’s probably a beautiful day, but he can’t quite be sure. “Tell me again why we aren’t lying in the sun.”
“Because I don’t feel like sweating through my clothes or getting sunburned today,” Baekhyun mumbles from beside him, lying on his front with his head pillowed on his arms. “If you’re into that, be my guest.”
Chanyeol sighs and flops down on his back in the shade. Baekhyun had chosen a spot under the best tree in the courtyard - the only one with grass underneath instead of a patch of dirt - and spread out their belongings enough so that no one uninvited would try to join them. It helps, of course, that most other students are currently in class. Not for the first time, Chanyeol thanks his lucky stars that whoever approved their timetables allowed them this midday free period.
Granted, it’s supposed to be used for catching up on schoolwork, and Chanyeol does, for the most part, use the time wisely. But today, his math textbook only made it halfway out of his bag, before being abandoned for sunrays filtering down through the tree branches and relaxing with the cool grass tickling his neck. Baekhyun is basically asleep anyway, and Chanyeol doesn’t really want to try and figure out how to graph radical equations on his own.
He’s about to give in to his tired eyelids when as backpack suddenly drops a little too close to his head, and Jongdae is flopping onto the grass beside him. He stretches out on his back with a contented sigh that cuts off when Baekhyun pokes him in the ribs.
“Finally,” Baekhyun huffs, apparently wide awake now that he has someone to annoy. “We were about to get our nap on without you. What took so long?”
“Quit it,” Jongdae laughs, batting Baekhyun’s hand away. “Our chem test ran late, no big deal.”
Chanyeol props himself up on his elbow to look down at them. “Isn’t Kyungsoo in that class with you?”
“Yeah, but you know how he is,” Jongdae says with a shrug. “Gotta check his answers a few million times before he-- Baekhyun, no matter how many times you try, I’m never going to be ticklish there.”
Baekhyun sticks his tongue out at him as he retracts his hand, then rolls onto his back and crosses his arms over his chest. “I can’t believe all four of us managed to snag the same free period, and yet we’ve never actually spent the full thing together.”
“Aw, Baek,” Chanyeol coos. “Do you really miss us that much during the day?”
“I never knew you cared,” Jongdae says with an exaggerated sniffle.
Baekhyun scowls, his cheeks a little bit pink, and jabs him in the ribs again. “Shut up and tell me how your day’s been.”
Jongdae scoots away from him, still snickering, then lies down again on his back to looks up into the branches above them. He takes a moment, like he’s really thinking about it, then sighs a happy sigh and closes his eyes. “It’s been good.”
He lilts it in such a way that Chanyeol knows means he has more to say, but wants them to ask about it instead of going into detail himself. Chanyeol glances at Baekhyun and catches him mid-eye roll, and they both have to hold back giggles as they sit up.
“Alright,” Baekhyun starts, resting his elbows on his knees and propping his chin on his palms. “What is it?”
Jongdae opens his eyes to blink at him innocently. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Come on, I’ve never seen anyone come out of a chem test looking as content as you,” Chanyeol laughs. “What happened to make your day so great?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Jongdae sighs again, folding his hands behind his head. “Just, you know, hitting one week on the official countdown to the greatest student body event of all time, happening next week at a high school gymnasium near you.”
“So, no big deal, then,” Baekhyun says, moving to lie back down.
Jongdae flings one arm out to whack him in the leg. “Excuse me for being a little bit stoked. I organized it, I’m allowed to get excited about my event.”
“You’ve been excited for the last three full months,” Chanyeol points out.
“Probably longer,” Baekhyun adds, muffled by the grass.
Chanyeol fondly remembers that time, months ago, when Jongdae had first collapsed face first across their lunch table to complain about his marketing project. Plan and budget a school community event, must be able to be student-run, must require more effort than a bake sale, etcetera - or, as Jongdae had referred to it, A Nightmare. When Jongdae had demanded a 3 A.M. Skype call to whisper excitedly about the idea that had just hit him, Chanyeol started calling it that too.
Over the next few days, Jongdae put together a detailed plan for a school dance; hypothetical at first, but after a lot of enthusiasm and a little bit of whining from his classmates, the teacher agreed that the dance should happen for real. And so, months later, it’s one week until the dance, and Jongdae hasn’t quite shut up about it.
“Yeah, so what?” Jongdae says, sounding a little offended. “It’s not like I’m the only one. I’ve heard people talking about it in the halls nearly every day.”
“Awesome,” Chanyeol says with a nod. “I’m sure it’ll be really cool.”
Jongdae goes quiet for a moment, then sits up on his elbows. “You guys are coming, right?”
“Uh.” Chanyeol rubs the back of his neck, glancing at Baekhyun again. “It’s not really…”
“Not really our scene,” Baekhyun finishes for him, rolling onto his back. “Yeol isn’t very good at dancing, you know.”
Chanyeol frowns at him. Baekhyun shoots him an exaggerated wink.
“But you have to,” Jongdae whines, sitting up with a pout. “It’ll be lame if the head organizer’s friends aren’t even there.”
Baekhyun squints at him. “Didn’t you just say it’s the greatest student body event of all time?”
“I meant for me,” Jongdae huffs. “C’mon, it’ll be fun! I’m the one who planned it, so how could it not be?” He crosses his arms. “Also, I bought your tickets already. You both owe me ten bucks.”
Baekhyun gives an indignant squawk and scrambles to sit up. “You can’t just buy random shit and expect me to pay you back!”
“It’s not random, it’s-- Baek, you’re going to come anyway, I’m literally just saving you time.”
“You fiend!” Baekhyun cries, throwing his arm dramatically over his eyes. “You know how much I love wasting time!”
He continues moaning and groaning on the grass while Jongdae tries to curb him with a rundown of the event plan. Chanyeol figures he should probably try to back Baekhyun up, but right when he opens his mouth, Kyungsoo finally wanders into the shade to join them. He sets his backpack on the ground and sits down next to Chanyeol, who immediately tunes out the others’ bickering.
“Hey,” Chanyeol greets with a wide smile. “How was the chem test?”
Kyungsoo just groans in response. He shifts to lie down and claims Chanyeol’s thigh as his makeshift pillow, head turned away to glare down the length of his leg. Chanyeol can’t bring himself to mind that much. “That bad, huh?”
“I am literally incapable of doing any more thinking today,” Kyungsoo grumbles, monotone. “Why didn’t I drop that class when I had the chance, Chanyeol? Why did I let it come to this?”
“Because you need science credits,” Chanyeol reminds him gently. He cards his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair, brushing flyaway strands back into place. “Graduation requirements, remember?”
Kyungsoo rolls over so he’s facing upwards instead, his eyes catching Chanyeol’s for a moment before he closes them with a sigh. “How awful.”
“You’re coming to the dance, right?” Jongdae says suddenly, pushing Baekhyun’s face away and turning his pout on Kyungsoo. “You won’t ditch me like these two, would you?”
Kyungsoo opens his eyes to stare blankly at him for a few seconds, then blinks and rubs a hand over his face. “Ask me later, when my brain is less fried, please.”
“Want to come over?” Baekhyun asks, sitting up from where Jongdae had knocked him over. “Speaking of later, I mean. And brain-frying via video games.” He looks around at the other three with a grin. “Baekbeom finally found our extra controllers, so we can do something four-player.”
Chanyeol and Jongdae both promptly agree, but Kyungsoo frowns when they all look down at him expectantly. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” Jongdae whines, pouting again. “It’s Friday, there’s no school tomorrow. Did you make plans without us?”
“As if,” Kyungsoo snorts, sitting up suddenly. “My dad wants me to work tonight.”
“Again?” Chanyeol asks, watching him try to fix his hair. His leg tingles a little where it had started to go numb, but the sudden lack of pressure almost feels weirder than the pins and needles. “For how long?”
“Five ‘til midnight. As usual.”
Jongdae groans. “Does he not trust anyone else to close the store, or something?”
“I guess not,” Kyungsoo sighs, frowning down at the grass. “I wouldn’t mind if he actually gave me some sort of schedule instead of just springing shifts on me.”
“Well, it’s not a big deal,” Baekhyun says with a shrug. “Let’s do Saturday instead, alright?”
The end-of-period bell rings just then, and the four of them agree on the new date as they pick up their things. They all head in separate directions for their next classes, except Baekhyun and Chanyeol, who are at least headed to the same hallway of rooms.
“Remember to pay me back for your tickets,” Jongdae calls over his shoulder as he leaves. He catches Kyungsoo’s eye roll and the mock-glare Chanyeol sends his way, but entirely misses Baekhyun flipping him off when he turns back around.
--
On Monday, Jongdae somehow ropes Chanyeol into manning the ticket table with him. Chanyeol vaguely remembers some promise of sugary vending machine snacks as Jongdae had skipped off down the hall to the cafeteria, but at the moment he can’t really focus on the specifics. The table has been pretty busy, which is both a little stressful and a lot cool - it’s nice to see so many people interested in attending Jongdae’s event. Chanyeol almost feels proud. The steady stream of students buying tickets lasts almost as long as it takes for Jongdae to return, red-faced and out of breath.
“You okay, dude?” Chanyeol asks slowly, as Jongdae nearly vaults over the table. “You look like you ran here.”
“I did,” Jongdae pants, sliding into the seat beside him. He tosses a bag of candies at Chanyeol and squints in both directions down the hall they’re set up in. “Minseok texted me. Kim Junmyeon is on his way.”
Chanyeol pauses halfway through tearing open the bag. “You mean, like... student council president Kim Junmyeon?”
“Who else?” Jongdae huffs, rolling his eyes. “Yes, student council president. Every teacher loves him, the majority of the student body agrees, he’s the nicest most beautiful man in the whole school and he’s going to buy a ticket to my event--”
He seems to realize right then how loud he’s talking, and quiets down to a whisper. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Of course you can,” Chanyeol laughs, patting his shoulder. “This is your event, like you said. You have, like, home field advantage.”
Jongdae nods uneasily, but still manages to charm the next few people who comes up to buy tickets. Eventually, just when his anxious foot-tapping has started to get on Chanyeol’s nerves, a crowd in the hall parts and Junmyeon is suddenly there, walking up to the table. Chanyeol hears the deep breath that Jongdae takes in and watches a wide, friendly, only-a-little-forced smile spread over his face.
“Hi,” Junmyeon greets when he stops in front of them, smiling kindly. “I’d like a ticket, please.”
“Sure,” Jongdae says, sounding more enthused than he has all lunch hour. “That’s ten dollars.”
Junmyeon hands him a folded bill and Jongdae takes it with steadier fingers than Chanyeol was expecting. “You can write your name on the list there, and then you’re set.”
“Hard to believe it’s only a few days away, isn’t it?” Junmyeon asks, scribbling his name down on the sheet. “Once posters went up, I must’ve mentioned it at least twice every council meeting. Some of the members might be more excited about this than they are about prom.”
The red in Jongdae’s cheeks returns with a vengeance. “I’m so glad you’re coming,” he says, smiling shyly. “I mean, as student council president and all that.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Junmyeon says with a shrug. “It sounds like a lot of fun. I’d be going even if I wasn’t on the council.”
Chanyeol swears he can hear Jongdae screaming internally.
“Th-thanks,” Jongdae manages, holding out the ticket. “Here you go.”
Junmyeon smiles as he takes it. “Hey, you’ll be there too, right?”
Jongdae nods. “Yep, all night. I’ll be sure to say hi.”
“Well, actually…” Junmyeon glances down at the table, shuffling his feet a little. “I’ve seen you walking home a couple times, and I think our houses are pretty close.” He looks back at Jongdae with a tiny, unsure smile. “I was thinking I could pick you up, and we could go together?”
Jongdae gapes at him. Chanyeol pinches his leg under the table until he remembers to react. “Y-you want to?”
“I do, yeah.”
It takes a moment, but Jongdae’s lips slowly curl into a bright, happy grin. “I-- yeah. That would be great.”
Chanyeol watches amusedly as they exchange phone numbers, and holds in his laughter when Junmyeon leaves with a wave and Jongdae’s eyes follow him all the way to the end of the hall. It’s only when Jongdae slumps over on the table with a sickly sweet sigh that the thought of a certain terrible possibility hits him.
He nudges Jongdae’s arm and gets a low, content hum in return. “Um, hey, question. Is this supposed to be, like…” He swallows. “A couples-type event?”
Jongdae slowly sits up, raising an eyebrow. “Uh, not necessarily, no. I mean, you don’t need to have a date to go, but…”
Chanyeol stares at him. “But?”
“But most people are going as couples, I guess,” Jongdae admits, then waves his hand. “Either way, whatever, right?”
“No, not whatever,” Chanyeol groans. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“Because I didn’t think it mattered? Cool your jets,” Jongdae snickers, patting Chanyeol’s shoulder as he slumps in his chair. “Look, Baekhyun’s going alone, too. It’s not a big deal.”
“Easy for you to say,” Chanyeol huffs, crossing his arms. “I literally just watched you and Junmyeon start dating. Like, right in front of my face.”
Jongdae flushes red. “I-it’s not like I planned it that way! He’s the one who asked me.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Chanyeol sighs. He sits up and leans his elbows on the table instead. “You’re right, it’s not a big deal.”
But Jongdae is barely listening, and when Chanyeol glances over at him, he’s staring down at the table with his cheeks still tinted pink. Chanyeol doesn’t have to think very hard to guess who’s on his mind. He rolls his eyes and turns away, watching students pass by and trying his best to shake off the bit of dread that accompanies the dance in his mind.
--
Halfway through the week, the dread is still there, only worse. Chanyeol glares up at the ceiling of Baekhyun's room from his position on the bed, flopped on his back with his legs hanging off one side. Baekhyun is curled up in his desk chair, game controller in hand and some cartoon-y shoot-em-up flashing on the TV. Kyungsoo is supposed to show up a little later, after work, but Jongdae had been too caught up with dance preparations to attend - Chanyeol isn't too torn up about that, though. It's probably better that Jongdae isn't around while his precious event is the very thing making Chanyeol's glare sharper.
"I can't believe he tried to tell me it wasn't a big deal," he huffs. "Who would go stag to a, a high school date-like event like this? It'll be so awkward if everyone is paired up and I'm just-- just there. Like an idiot. God." He presses the heels of his palms over his eyes with a groan. "It's like, every time I think about it, I want to go less and less - but Jongdae would kill me if I skipped out. What do I do?"
"I'm thinking of spiking the punch,” Baekhyun says, eyes still on the screen. “Or wait, will there even be punch? Jongdae probably opted against a punch bowl solely so I wouldn't try anything. Damn, he knows me too well."
Chanyeol rolls over to glare at him right-side-up. “This is serious.”
“Sorry, sorry.” Baekhyun pauses the game and turns in his chair to face him. “What’s the problem?”
With a heavy sigh, Chanyeol flops onto his back again and frowns at the ceiling. “I don’t want to go alone if everyone else has a date, but I don’t have anyone to go with. This is like, a lose-lose situation.”
Baekhyun hums, spinning the chair in slow circles. “What about… Sandara?”
“Are you joking? Her friends would eat me alive.”
“Joohyun?”
“She’s friends with my sister, it’d be too weird.”
“Kyungsoo?”
“I-- what?” Chanyeol lifts his head, unsure if he heard correctly, but Baekhyun is looking thoughtfully out the window. “Are you-- really?”
“Yeah, why not?” Baekhyun says with a shrug. “You could ask him to go as friends, or whatever.”
Chanyeol bites his lip, considering. Going to the dance with Kyungsoo sounds… nice. Even just showing up together, walking in side-by-side? They wouldn't have to stay attached at the hip during the night or anything, after all, they're just friends - but it could be fun. Baekhyun makes it seem so simple, Chanyeol wonders why he never thought about it before. “I… I guess I could.”
Baekhyun turns to smile at him. “Yeah? You wanna do it now?”
“What-- no,” Chanyeol splutters. “I have to think of what to say to him first.”
“Well, you still have about a minute.”
Chanyeol blinks at him for a moment, then scrambles up to look out the window. Sure enough, Kyungsoo is outside, and just about to walk up Baekhyun’s driveway. "I thought he was coming at eight," Chanyeol hisses, swatting Baekhyun in the arm.
"It is eight," Baekhyun laughs, shoving him away. "You've been whining about the stupid dance for the past hour. Now, are you going to ask Kyungsoo, or not?"
Chanyeol sits back down on the bed with a huff. He's sure that if he tried to ask right now, it'd come out confusing and jumbled and not at all what he really wants to say. "Tomorrow, I will," he decides, glancing warily at the door. "Don't say anything about it tonight, okay?"
Baekhyun waves him off and scoots a little closer to the TV. "No problem, I know you've got this." He tosses a second controller at Chanyeol and unpauses the game just as footsteps approach the room, and Chanyeol jumps a little when the door opens.
"Hey," Baekhyun greets, not even looking up when Kyungsoo comes in. He's still wearing his work uniform, Chanyeol notices, but he starts untucking his shirt as soon as the door is closed. "You ready to take over player two? Chanyeol only brought his C-game."
Kyungsoo snorts, rolling his sleeves up as he sits next to Chanyeol on the bed. He takes the controller from Chanyeol's limp hands and gives him a vaguely concerned glance before his eyes find the TV screen. "You alright?"
"Yeah," Chanyeol manages to choke out. He gives himself a shake when the other two are fully distracted by the game, then tries his best to follow their example - but he catches his eyes wandering to Kyungsoo more than a few times, and keeps having to drag his gaze back to the colourful explosions on the screen.
--
He spends both of his classes the next morning hyping himself up, rehearsing what exact words he’ll say to Kyungsoo when the time comes. It’s more stressful than he expected, no matter how many times he tells himself it doesn’t need to be. Just two friends going to a dance together, not a huge deal - except he can’t stop feeling like it is.
Maybe it’s just the act of it, Chanyeol supposes, the whole ‘asking someone to the dance’ cliche teen romance scenario that’s making him nervous and jittery. Or maybe it’s the fact that the dance is tomorrow night.
At lunch he meets up with the other three in the cafeteria. Baekhyun and Jongdae head off to join the line while Chanyeol goes with Kyungsoo to find a free table, and as they sit down together Chanyeol realizes an opportunity has presented itself. They’ll be alone for at least a few minutes, and it’d be best to ask as soon as possible, right?
He takes a deep breath, opens his mouth, and… closes it. The words stick in his throat, too shaky to come out. He watches Kyungsoo unpack his homemade lunch and lets his breath out in a long sigh. Asking him seemed a lot easier before they were face to face.
Maybe it’s just not the right time - this is the first he’s seen of Kyungsoo all day, after all. They do have the same class after lunch, though, and it’s routine to walk there together. He could ask then, maybe right before class starts, when it’ll be just him and Kyungsoo in the empty hallway. No chickening out, Chanyeol tells himself, then puts on a smile and hopes it gets him through the rest of lunch hour.
When the bell rings, the four of them start towards the cafeteria exit, laughing at Baekhyun’s moaning misery about his next class - but someone calls out to Kyungsoo, and they all turn around.
It’s Yixing, a senior, beckoning Kyungsoo over. He has a few friends with him, and Kyungsoo seems a little wary as he steps towards them, but Yixing’s smile is kind.
“You know the dance tomorrow night?” he asks quietly, maybe trying for some privacy even with all their friends around. Chanyeol resists the urge to narrow his eyes at him.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo answers, still a little hesitant. “What about it?”
Yixing ducks his head shyly and smiles up at him. “I was wondering if you would go with me?”
Jongdae gasps. Baekhyun whispers something that sounds a lot like no fucking way. Chanyeol’s stomach drops.
“I-I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo stutters, after a moment, “I’m not going.”
Chanyeol doesn’t hear the rest of their conversation, preoccupied with trying to get his insides to feel a little less like they’ve shifted out of place. By the time he zones back in, Yixing is walking away with his friends’ arms around his shoulders, and Kyungsoo is headed back over, a strange expression on his face.
“What do you mean, you’re not going?” Jongdae asks immediately.
Kyungsoo shrugs. “I mean I’m not. I have to work that night.”
“Can’t you book it off?” Baekhyun tries.
“It’s a little late for that.”
“You could still ask? It’s worth a shot--”
“Leave it,” Kyungsoo cuts them off, exasperated. He grabs Chanyeol’s arm and drags him off down the hall. Chanyeol is still trying to figure out how to pick his stomach up from where it’s ended up around his knees, so he lets Kyungsoo lead him all the way to their classroom.
“Sorry,” Kyungsoo sighs once they’ve sat down together. “They just… they get on my nerves when they push like that.”
He looks annoyed, but he sounds tired - and a little sad. Chanyeol frowns, watching him take out his notebook. “Are you really not going, then?” he asks quietly.
“I already said, I can’t.”
“Even though Yixing asked you?”
Kyungsoo immediately rolls his eyes. “Come on, not you too.”
“I just mean, like, he’s…” Chanyeol flounders a bit. “He’s super nice, everyone knows that, and he asked you with all his friends around, and--”
“I know,” Kyungsoo deadpans, “I was there.”
Chanyeol rubs the back of his neck, half wishing he’d never said anything. “Sorry, I just… I don’t know. It sucks that you can’t go with Yixing. I’m sure it’d be a good time.”
The annoyance bleeds out of Kyungsoo’s expression, and he’s left frowning down at his desk until the teacher starts speaking. Chanyeol sneaks glances at him for the rest of class, feeling worse and worse with every glimpse of his furrowed brow or downturned lips.
The feeling of dread returns to him, although this time it’s not anything to do with his own dance date worries. Instead, it’s the thought of Kyungsoo, alone and kept away from a happiness that Chanyeol would give anything to be able to grant him.
--
Baekhyun catches up to him in the parking lot after school, taking a moment to complain about his long legs and fast pace before delivering him his dance ticket. “Jongdae’s still really serious about us paying him back,” he snickers, handing it over. “I’m thinking about just giving him ten dollars’ worth of something. Like shitty bulk candy.”
Chanyeol snorts. “You’d rather go through that much effort than just pay him back?”
“Uh, yeah? Can you imagine his face if I gave him ten bucks of knockoff gummy bears? Or like, napkins? Plastic cutlery?“
“Or you could give him something he’d actually use, like--”
“Condoms,” Baekhyun says, snapping his fingers. “Perfect. I knew I could count on you.”
Chanyeol rolls his eyes but laughs along with him until they reach his car. Baekhyun didn’t mention anything about needing a ride home earlier in the day, but he doesn’t make any move to leave, either, so Chanyeol figures he’ll offer, just in case. As he’s digging his keys out of his bag, though, Baekhyun clears his throat. “Hey, uh. About Kyungsoo. Sorry it didn’t turn out.”
Chanyeol raises an eyebrow at him, but Baekhyun is looking at his feet instead. “Yeah, I… me too, I guess,” he says eventually. “It sucks, he seemed really bummed about it afterwards.”
“Huh?” Baekhyun gives him a weird look. “What’re you-- I meant, like, about Yixing asking him before you.”
“Oh.” Chanyeol swallows thickly. “Well, he’s not going anyway, so it doesn’t really matter, right?”
“Yeah, but if he was, wouldn’t you want to…” He trails off, searching Chanyeol’s expression, then shakes his head. “You know what, nevermind.”
Chanyeol doesn’t press, but he spends his whole drive home thinking about what Baekhyun could’ve meant. Wouldn’t he want to… what? To take Kyungsoo to the dance? He frowns at the taillights of the car in front of his. He would want that, if he’s being honest. Watching Yixing ask Kyungsoo instead of him, his entire body felt off.
Maybe it’s better that Kyungsoo not go to the dance at all, rather than go with Yixing instead of him-- but Chanyeol shakes that thought out of his head and steps on the gas. There’s no point in being bitter, or thinking about things going another way, because it’s not going to happen. If Kyungsoo could go, he would be going with Yixing. End of story.
--
The next day passes far too quickly, and before he knows it Chanyeol is smoothing down a black button-up and heading out to his car. His bright red tie feels a little silly around his neck, but he’d rather be overdressed than under, high school semi-formal dance or not.
Getting ready to go alone had been kind of a downer, especially after he had gotten his hopes up. He’s going to go anyway, of course. Jongdae is one of his best friends, and Chanyeol wouldn’t miss something important to him on purpose - but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t rather be staying at home tonight. It’s not that the whole event is going to suck, or anything. Actually, Chanyeol is pretty sure it’s going to be great for everyone else attending. For his own night, though, his expectations aren’t very high.
He pulls out of the driveway and pauses, glancing at the clock radio. He’s already late, and stalling further won’t make him dread the dance any less, but…
Chanyeol stares until another minute passes, then turns onto the street, heading in the opposite direction from the school. Someone deserves to have a good time at this thing, even if he doesn’t, and he can already think of one person whose night he could make suck a little less.
He pulls up to the curb outside a certain shop and clambers out of the car, not even bothering to lock the doors before he hurries through the entrance. Maybe if he does this quick enough, his nerves won’t get in the way.
Kyungsoo looks up when Chanyeol all but bursts through the door, nearly dropping the broom in his hands. They stare at each other for a moment while Chanyeol catches his breath, hoping he looks more determined than hysterical.
"Hi," Kyungsoo finally says, giving him a confused look. "Why aren’t you at the school? Hasn't the dance started already?"
"Um, yes," Chanyeol squeaks, glancing around. “Are you the only one here?”
Kyungsoo nods slowly. “The shop’s empty for most of the night, so it’s really just a clean-up shift…” He looks down at the broom in his hands, then back at Chanyeol. “What are you doing here?”
Chanyeol clears his throat and squares his shoulders. "I'm here to pick you up," he says decisively.
Kyungsoo looks unimpressed. "Chanyeol, seriously."
"I am serious!" It does sound kind of ridiculous though, and Chanyeol deflates a little, wishing he had thought of something better in the car. "Look, I just... I don't want you to miss out on this, okay? Jongdae really wants you to be there. Baekhyun too, and Yixing."
Kyungsoo drops his gaze to the tiled floor, twisting the broom handle between his palms. Chanyeol flushes in embarrassment. He really should've planned this better. It'd save them both a lot of awkwardness if Kyungsoo just tuned out his rambling and went back to cleaning so Chanyeol could leave, and hey, maybe they could pretend this never happened!
But something about that outcome seems even worse, somehow. Chanyeol takes a deep breath and a careful step forward, back into Kyungsoo's line of sight. "And... I do too. It won't be fun without you there."
Kyungsoo looks up at him again, biting his lip. "I mean it," Chanyeol adds, before he can ask.
That makes him laugh a little, but he still looks conflicted. "I do want to go," he admits eventually, voice quiet, "but... I'm not really dressed for it, or anything."
Chanyeol glances at the uniform Kyungsoo's wearing, a simple white button-down tucked into his black jeans. "It's only semi-formal, but... you know what, here." He loosens his tie and slips the loop over his head. "You don't even have to tie it, just put it on and tighten it."
"A-are you sure?" Kyungsoo asks, but at Chanyeol's shrug, he takes the tie from him and tucks it under his collar. Chanyeol watches him slide the knot up to the base of his throat and swallows heavily. Once it's straight, Kyungsoo smooths a hand over the red fabric and looks down at himself, smiling wryly. "How does it look?"
Chanyeol grins at him. "Better on you than it does on me."
After that, it doesn't take much to get Kyungsoo to close up the shop a little early. Chanyeol waits by the doors while Kyungsoo puts the broom away and makes sure everything's locked. It's only when they're stepping outside and Chanyeol is digging his keys out of his pocket that Kyungsoo pauses, one foot inside the store and the other on the sidewalk, and looks up at Chanyeol with a frown.
"You only have your learner's permit, right?" he asks, worry creeping back into his expression.
"Yeah, why?"
"Then you can't drive me," Kyungsoo sighs, stepping back. "Not without someone who has a real license in the car. If we get pulled over--"
"We won't," Chanyeol assures him. He goes around the back of his car and peels off the reflective red L magnet. "Just for tonight, okay? We'll be fine."
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but he turns around and locks the front doors anyway. Grinning, Chanyeol unlocks the car and settles in the driver's seat. He tosses the magnet into the backseat just as Kyungsoo opens the passenger-side door and ducks in beside him. He's just about to turn the key in the ignition when Kyungsoo grabs his wrist. Chanyeol looks over to find him staring right back with a serious expression.
"I have to be back before midnight," he says, his eyes boring into Chanyeol's. "That's when Dad comes to pick me up. If I'm not here when he arrives, he'll freak out and probably call the cops or something."
Chanyeol nods carefully. "Alright, yeah. Midnight. Can do."
Satisfied, Kyungsoo leans back in his seat. He looks out the windshield at the road ahead of them and lets out a long breath. "We're really doing this."
"We are," Chanyeol agrees. He watches Kyungsoo's fingers stroke over the point at the end of his tie. "You ready?"
Kyungsoo turns to him and smiles, just a little. "Let's go."
--
The gym is packed by the time they arrive, but Jongdae finds them easily, even through the crowd milling around by the entrance. He appears with Junmyeon in tow, beaming at Kyungsoo. “Hey, you made it!” he yells, both from pure enthusiasm and to be heard over the music echoing around the room.
“It wasn’t entirely my decision,” Kyungsoo sighs, but he accepts Jongdae’s one-armed hug with a grin.
“Baekhyun’s here already, he and the rest of the drama club are leading the dance floor.” Jongdae pulls away and looks between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. “Did you guys come together?”
“I’m just the chauffeur,” Chanyeol explains quickly. He can already see Yixing near the edge of the gym, and points him out to Kyungsoo. “There’s your prince charming.”
Kyungsoo follows his gaze, but only takes a couple steps before he hesitates and looks back. “Chanyeol?”
Something about how he looks against the backdrop of flashing coloured lights that makes Chanyeol’s heart feel weird. Kyungsoo’s eyes are on him, but he’s headed for someone else. “What?”
“Thank you,” he says, his gaze soft as he searches Chanyeol’s face. “For everything.”
And then he’s leaving, dodging around people to make his way over to Yixing. Chanyeol watches him go and, very suddenly, feels terribly out of place.
He moves off to the side of the gym, figuring that surrounding himself with people won’t help much. It seems that everyone is having a better time than he is - Jongdae is dragging Junmyeon back to the centre of the dance floor with a grin; Baekhyun is somewhere within the mass of dancers, comfortable in the noise and lights; Kyungsoo is across the room with Yixing - and to be fair, this is exactly what Chanyeol had expected.
He hangs around for a few more songs, each one seeming louder than the last, and spends a few moments wishing Baekhyun had been serious about spiking the punchbowl - and when a slow song begins to croon out of the speakers, he makes his way to the back doors of the gym. One of them is propped open so the cool outside air can get in, and Chanyeol slips through the gap.
To his surprise, there’s someone else already sitting on the outside steps - someone wearing a very familiar red tie.
“Hey,” Chanyeol says, a little hesitant, and sits down beside Kyungsoo. “What are you doing out here?”
Kyungsoo gives him a small smile. “I could ask you the same thing.” He shifts over until their sides are nearly pressed together. It is kind of cold out, compared to the warmth and noise inside. Chanyeol is just glad they can hear each other without shouting.
“Where’s Yixing?” he asks.
“He’s inside,” Kyungsoo says, and leans his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder.
His hair tickles a bit under Chanyeol’s jaw, but Chanyeol doesn’t dare move away. “Shouldn’t you be with him?”
Kyungsoo shrugs one shoulder. “He doesn’t mind.”
Chanyeol tries his best to read Kyungsoo’s expression without actually seeing his face, but his hands remain still in his lap, his feet flat on the step below him - but he feels the deep breath that Kyungsoo takes in just before he starts to speak. “Yixing isn’t the reason I wanted to come, you know.”
That throws Chanyeol a little. Wasn’t this whole situation happening because Kyungsoo wanted to go to the dance with Yixing, but couldn’t? He frowns down at Kyungsoo, confused. “Then what was?”
“Well, I didn’t really want to at all, at first,” Kyungsoo explains, lowering his voice like it’s a secret. “But when you showed up and tried to convince me to come, I started thinking, like… maybe it won’t be so bad if I’m there with you.”
Chanyeol feels his face turning pink. “Really?”
Kyungsoo nods against his shoulder. “Really.” He’s stroking the tie again, running his fingers over it gently, like it’s something delicate.
“I wanted to ask you,” Chanyeol admits, forcing the words out before they can get stuck. “Like, to go with me. But I was-- I don’t know. Too scared.”
“I would’ve said yes,” Kyungsoo says quietly.
Chanyeol’s heart does something close to a backflip in his chest. He feels like he has too much energy, like he should do something crazy, scream into the night or grab Kyungsoo’s hand or kiss him-- but the next tune to filter through the gap in the door is one that he actually knows, and suddenly Chanyeol can’t keep the smile off his face.
“Hey, um.” He lifts Kyungsoo off his shoulder and stands up, holding a hand out to him. “Do you want to dance?”
Kyungsoo laughs at him but takes his hand anyway, and they head back inside together.
Dancing is-- nice. Freeing. Chanyeol doesn’t even know how to dance, but his heart is so light that he can’t bring himself to care about anything except Kyungsoo, grinning at him under the flashing lights and never once letting go of his hand. Each song melds into the next and before he knows it, Kyungsoo is tugging him out of the mass of dancers and whispering in his ear that it’s nearly midnight.
They slip away through the back doors and run across the parking lot, gasping for air in between bouts of breathless laughter. Their fingers only untangle when they have to get into opposite sides of the car, and when they’re finally on their way, Kyungsoo’s hand sneaks across the console and finds Chanyeol’s again.
--
They pull up outside the shop with ten minutes to spare. Chanyeol grins at Kyungsoo as he unclips his seatbelt. “See? Told you I’d make it.”
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but he can’t hide his smile. He hesitates with his hand on the door handle. “I, um. I want to thank you. Again.”
“For what?” Chanyeol asks, opening his own door and stepping out.
Kyungsoo gets out on the other side and comes around the car to stand with him on the sidewalk. “For making me go with you.” It’s not so cold that he can see his breath, but when Kyungsoo comes close Chanyeol fights the urge to shiver. “I had a really good time.”
“I still feel bad that I never got to ask you properly,” Chanyeol says, and Kyungsoo looks down at his feet.
“Well, there’s still, like… prom, I guess.”
Chanyeol stares at him, turning the words over in his mind until the meaning hits him. “You-- you want to go to prom with me?”
Kyungsoo glares up at him, his cheeks flushed red. “Why do you sound so surprised?”
“I’m not,” Chanyeol splutters. “Well, I am, but-- I didn’t think you-- I mean--”
He cuts off when Kyungsoo starts laughing, blushing when he steps closer and slides his hands over Chanyeol’s forearms. “Will you ask me to prom?” Kyungsoo asks, voice quiet and lips curved.
“Yes,” Chanyeol answers quickly, just a little overwhelmed with the feeling of Kyungsoo so close to him. “Um. Will you go to prom with me?”
Kyungsoo laughs again and tugs on Chanyeol’s shirt collar until he stoops down. “Yes,” he repeats, then leans up and presses their lips together.
It’s soft and sweet and a thousand times better than Chanyeol could’ve ever imagined. Kyungsoo hums into his mouth and presses just hard enough to make Chanyeol’s knees weak - and then he’s gone, pulling away and scurrying back to the shop before Chanyeol can say anything. Chanyeol watches him go, getting a glimpse of his red face just before he disappears inside, and smiles to himself.
He gets back in his car and starts the engine, figuring he probably shouldn’t be hanging around when Kyungsoo’s dad arrives - even as bad as he wants to see Kyungsoo explain how his night went, and watch him flush red when asked whose tie is still around his neck.
Kyungsoo can keep it, Chanyeol decides. He won’t need it for himself, not even at prom, now that he’ll have someone to match with. It’s a strange feeling, catching himself looking forward to an event like prom, but Chanyeol supposes it’s alright. Just something new to get used to, like kissing Kyungsoo, or the way his mouth tingles the whole way home from the memory of Kyungsoo’s lips on his.