Dance Partners

[andersenmom]

Title: Dance Partners
Author: Me
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: YoungJae never did actually find out why she insisted on him.
Author's Note: This came because of a mashup I saw of "Power" and "Follow Me" called Try to Got a Power. It sparked my imagination, and you have... this.



"I'm supposed to what?" YoungJae asked, staring at their manager.

"Dance. With a girl."

"What girl?" The sheer possibilities could have overwhelmed him if he'd let it, but he was trying not to think about them.

"Gong Minji."

This time his jaw actually dropped. "You... what... why?"

He really wanted to ask 'why me', because if anyone in B.A.P. was qualified to dance with her, it wasn't him. He wouldn't deny he was flattered, but....

"She asked for you. We told her Jongup would probably keep up with her better, but she insisted."

YoungJae couldn't even feel insulted. "But... why are we doing this at all?"

Manager Kang smiled and named a show, and YoungJae just stared at him. "So, are you game?"

"I'm going to die," YoungJae said, and shrugged, nowhere near as casual about it as the shrug might indicate. "Sure. I'm game."

"Good. I'll let them know, and I'll get back to you with the schedule."

The schedule was the nightmare he'd expected, but he didn't spend as much time away from the rest of the group as he might have, some sort of saving grace. They were used to him going off on his own, if not quite as often, and certainly not with a manager tagging along with him.

He spent the first two weeks just working out the steps, struggling to get them into his head and his muscles, to not get them mixed up with everything else - which, when he thought about it, wasn't as hard as he made it out to be. It was a completely different style than what B.A.P. did on a regular basis. And once that sank in, it went faster.

The weird thing was the no vocals part. YoungJae was a singer, actually, not a dancer, even if he was good at dancing, or so some said. He'd just never done something that didn't involve singing before.

They didn't tell him the first day she came to practice with him, and he looked up from where he sat, trying to catch his breath, when the door opened. Then he scrambled to his feet.

It wasn't just that 2NE1 had been around for so much longer than B.A.P., but she was his age - only six days older, in fact - and gorgeous. Becoming a pop star hadn't changed his tendency to go completely geeky when he met a beautiful girl.

"Okay, you've got to explain why," CL said, folding her arms.

Minji shrugged. "Why?"

CL stared at her, and then hit her on the arm. "Because I want to know."

"Because I want to."

CL glared at her. "Why do you want to?"

The car stopped and Minji grinned. "Gotta go. See you later, unni." She dodged CL's grab for her, and slipped out of the van, following the manager inside and into the elevator.

Just now she could admit she was nervous, her hands fisted in her pockets. The choreographer had said YoungJae was doing just fine, that he'd match her well, but she knew from Dara's experience that having an actual girl thrown into the mix could make for a rough start - and a rough experience all around. At least, it had with TaeYang. But then, he'd been pretty awkward with Lollipop, so... maybe it was just him.

YoungJae looked up when the door opened, and her breath stopped in her throat as he scrambled - almost gracefully - to his feet. "Hi," he said. "Welcome."

Not even a stutter. She'd never have managed to get it out. "Thank you," she managed, setting her bag just inside the door.

The choreographer quickly took care of introductions - not exactly needed, but she relaxed a little after that - and got them started. The first two times through were as awkward as she'd heard, and her heart dropped. This would be horrible. She gulped down some water, watching as YoungJae spoke quietly with the choreographer, his hands moving subtly with his words. His expression was as intense as she'd ever seen him during a performance (yes, she watched, it was one reason she'd chosen - insisted on - him), and she suddenly wanted to know what they talked about. Before she could go over, they'd finished, and YoungJae took a drink of his water, swishing it around in his mouth before the choreographer called them back to practice.

The next time through the song was so different - and anything but awkward - that she just stared at him when they'd finished. YoungJae smiled, his eyes lighting up. "Better?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, and smiled back, only partially because it relieved her that he'd felt it too and had done something about it.

No, she most definitely hadn't chosen wrong. By the time their hour together finished, even the choreographer looked cautiously optimistic. This would work.

YoungJae sang quietly as he let himself into the dorm, carefully locking the door behind him. He took his shoes off and tiptoed through the darkened main room toward the bedroom, song dropping to a whisper as he got closer.

"You were out late," DaeHyun said, and YoungJae jumped (without squeaking, somehow). DaeHyun sat up on the couch and eyed him. "Where were you?"

"Rehearsal. Geez, DaeHyun, what's up with trying to kill me?" YoungJae asked.

"What sort of rehearsal?" DaeHyun asked, sounding frustrated.

YoungJae shrugged and started walking again. "I'm going to bed," he said. "I'm tired."

He heard DaeHyun get up to go after him, but he reached the bedroom before DaeHyun caught up with him. Thankfully. That meant no interrogation. YoungJae changed into a tank top and sleep pants, and fell into his bed.

DaeHyun surprised him by clapping a hand on his shoulder. "I still want to know what's going on," he murmured.

"Good-night," YoungJae responded, and closed his eyes.

The next rehearsal went even better, the awkwardness completely gone. The smile Minji turned on him made him smile back and hope that the way his heart skipped wasn't too obvious.

"I was scared this wouldn't work," she told him at a break, both of them sitting (collapsed) in the middle of the room.

"Why?" YoungJae asked.

"Dara-unni had a really bad... well, it wasn't bad, just awkward experience with TaeYang- shhi when she was in his MV."

YoungJae nodded. "I remember seeing that."

Minji laughed. "I think it's just him, frankly - he was like that with Lollipop. Her bad luck, I guess." She brushed her fingers along the shaved side of his head, and he smirked at her startled look. "It doesn't look like it'd be so soft," she murmured.

"JunHong says the same thing," he told her.

"He pets you?"

YoungJae laughed, throwing his head back. "Yes, sadly. He's too tall and too cute to deny him that."

Minji barely heard his words, enchanted by how much younger he looked when he laughed. Luckily, the choreographer saved her, calling them back to work before she had to respond to that. By the end of the session, the man looked amazingly pleased. "Next practice will be in costume," he told them. "Wear something easy to change out of."

She stopped the choreographer on his way out - YoungJae had already left, thankfully - to ask a question. "What sort of costume is it going to be?"

He smiled. "Something appropriate," he said, but her manager called her and she had to go before she could ask that he elaborate.

"Unni, do you have a minute?" Minji asked Dara when she got back to their dorm.

Dara smiled at her. "Do you really need to talk to me, or are you trying to avoid CL?" she teased, glancing past Minji's shoulder.

Minji checked behind her and stuck her tongue out at CL before smiling at Dara. "That's just a bonus," she said.

Dara laughed. "Sure, I've got time. What's up?"

"Next rehearsal is in costume."

"And that makes you nervous," Dara said. "How was today?"

Minji grinned. "Really good. Easy. Relaxed. Well, not so much, exactly, but not awkward."

"At all?" Dara asked. Minji shook her head. "So... what's your costume like?"

"I don't know."

CL sat down across from her. "You don't know?"

"The choreographer said 'something appropriate'," Minji said, and rolled her eyes.

"Which would make me nervous," Dara said. "Because he might get awkward."

"What do I do if he does?"

CL barked a laugh. "Slap him."

"And make it worse?" Minji asked.

Dara nodded. "Or kiss him."

Minji's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"You don't want to?" CL asked.

"I-I don't see how kissing him is better than slapping him," Minji stuttered.

Dara laughed. "Then try talking to him."

"Just... talking to him."

"You haven't said why you chose him," CL interrupted.

"Do you know who?" Dara asked.

CL shook her head. "She won't even tell me why."

"I did too," Minji protested. "Because I wanted to."

"But why?" CL asked, and then shrieked and bolted from the table when Minji crooked her fingers at her and started around the table to fulfill her promise to tickle the next person who asked her "but why?"

The leather pants fit like a second skin, but he could move in them. The boots worked, too, which didn't surprise him. The shirt, though. White button up - a misnomer, in this case - unbuttoned halfway down, an open black vest over the top.

Something more for Moon Jongup than for Yoo YoungJae.

As grateful as YoungJae was - because dancing with Minji was fun and amazing - he still didn't get why Jongup wasn't here. Or why, if Manager Kang had told the truth, she'd insisted on him. It made no sense. It was (probably) too late to change now, so it didn't actually matter, but still.

When he walked out of his part of the wardrobe, he stopped dead, staring.

Minji brushed her hands down the fairly tight black leather miniskirt, trying to smooth what didn't need it, and bringing attention to her long legs. A flowing white shirt topped the skirt - not open as far down as his, thankfully, because that would be more distraction than he could take - and heels on her feet, making her legs look even longer. Thankfully she'd been rehearsing in those....

He realized abruptly that he was staring, and smiled. "Sorry. You look amazing."

Insecurity he hadn't initially noticed vanished from her eyes. "Thank you. So do you."

He grinned and offered her his arm, hiding just what effect that outfit - and her long legs - had on him.

"We'll take it slow the first time," the choreographer said when they stopped in the middle of the studio. "Get used to everything."

As long as he didn't think too much about how amazing she looked, YoungJae did just fine. And by the time they'd gotten up to speed, it was no longer a shock to see her in that outfit in the mirror. Once that happened, he could relax some, his mind completely professional again (not thinking about kissing her senseless).

When they finished that practice, the choreographer actually smiled. "Good. I'll see you both backstage next week," he said, and dismissed them.

YoungJae offered Minji his arm again and escorted her back to wardrobe. "See you in a week," he said as she withdrew her hand from his arm.

"Yes," she said, fingers brushing across the shaved side of his head again before she vanished inside to change. He didn't lose the stupid smile for hours.

Minji dressed for their performance with a meticulous attention to detail she didn't usually bother with. But she desperately wanted this to work out, and she actually wanted him to see her, not just his dancing partner.

It sounded so pathetic....

"You're shaking," Bom said, taking the brush from her hand. "Are you okay?"

"I just want this to go well," Minji said. "I don't know why I'm so nervous."

"Because this guy, whoever he is, is important to you," Bom said, carefully running the brush through her hair. No one squawked, so she did it again. "I'm impressed that you've kept it a secret even from us."

Minji closed her eyes. "Me, too," she murmured. "Only a couple more songs." She opened her eyes again and caught Bom's gaze in the mirror. "You'll have to tell me who wins."

"Wins?" Bom asked as the stylist took over. She stepped out of the way, to the side.

"Yeah. You all have bets on who he is, right? I just want to know who wins."

Bom laughed. "I won that one. CL and Dara thought you'd be too nervous to think we were doing this."

Minji snorted softly. "Right," she said.

Someone called her name, and she got up to head to her place in the back stage area.

Finally, their turn. She stepped onto the stage in the darkness, got into position, and smiled. She could feel him on the other side, radiating that masculine intensity she thought she could pick out of a crowd. Then the music started and she lost her smile just before the lights went up. It wasn't part of the dance.

Actual performances were always different, no matter what. This was electrifying. He was with her every step, hands warm, eyes intense and...

But most of that she realized afterward. The performance ended to thunderous applause, the lights went down, and they exited the stage the same sides they'd entered.

Minji couldn't stop smiling, and it didn't help to see YoungJae's smile when they met backstage. Someone yelled at them before they could do more than hug in excitement (and some relief, and some regret, at least on her part). "I'll call," he murmured in her ear, then YongGuk dragged him in one direction, and Bom pulled her the opposite way.

"YoungJae?" CL said - again - as Minji scrubbed her face at the end of the program, glad to have this makeup off. She rolled her eyes - again - at CL's disbelieving tone. CL had said the same thing at regular intervals through the night.

"Yes," Minji said, glaring at her through the mirror. "Would you stop?"

CL laughed.

"You stumped all of us," Bom told her in the car on the way home.

"Why YoungJae?" CL asked.

Minji hit her shoulder. "Like the answer is going to change now that you know who he is," she said. "Because I wanted to! There isn't any other reason."

Dara smirked. "It didn't look awkward at all," she said. "Nicely done."

"We didn't even consider B.A.P.," CL admitted later. "Jongup would have been too shy to do anything, and he's the one they consider their dancer. Him and Zelo, and Zelo's too young."

"They wanted Jongup, at first," Minji said.

"So, why YoungJae?"

"He's cute," Minji said. "Snarky."

"Pretty voice," Bom said.

"Kissable lips," Dara opined, and grinned at Minji's startled look. "What, you thought we wouldn't notice?"

"That's where you were?" Daehyun demanded, watching as YoungJae stripped and dressed again in jeans and a t-shirt.

"Yeah," YoungJae said.

"And you said nothing because...."

"Secret, idiot," YoungJae told him, words muffled by his shirt. He emerged from pulling it on just in time for DaeHyun to smack him on the back of the head. "Hey!"

"Why'd they pick you?"

"When I figure it out, I'll tell you," YoungJae said, and dodged another blow. "Would you stop that?"

DaeHyun smirked.

Later, YoungJae leaned against the side of the vain, staring out into the darkness, unable to get rid of his smile. He didn't want to, actually. That had been so much fun!

It took a while to actually talk to Minji; thankfully, he'd gotten used to this, trying to keep in contact with other friends (okay, one) in the business, so playing phone tag didn't bug him too much.

Relatively speaking. He didn't want to date / kiss / whatever JB.

DaeHyun, on the other hand, drove him absolutely insane. Which DaeHyun pointed out - a bit too quickly for YoungJae to like - "it's a short drive."

"Oh, thanks."

"So just tell me," DaeHyun said.

"It's none of your business," YoungJae retorted.

"Of course it is!"

"No, it's not! How do you think it is?" YoungJae's phone buzzed in his pocket, a text, but he refused to answer it with Daehyun right there.

DaeHyun couldn't answer his question, though, and finally left him alone. YoungJae checked his phone and smiled at the short message from Minji.

Free tonight. You?

YoungJae thought about it and frowned, biting the inside of his cheek.

"What's the frown?" Himchan asked, coming out of the bedroom.

YoungJae stared at him, startled, then shrugged. "Um. Are we doing anything tonight?"

"Nope," Himchan said easily. "Got plans?"

"Making them, maybe," YoungJae said. "Thanks." He went back to his phone. Yeah, we have a free night, too.

Her response came immediately. Meet?

Oh, yeah. He wondered if he should call and decided against it. DaeHyun surely hadn't given up. YoungJae's eyes narrowed as he thought. Yes. 19:00? He named a small, upscale cafe.

19:30 okay?

Yes. See you then.

He shut his phone off and shoved it in his pocket, that stupid smile on his face.

"So," Daehyun asked, popping up out of nowhere. YoungJae almost hit him. "Where are you going, and when?"

"Yah. So not your business," YoungJae retorted, and glared at him. DaeHyun grinned. "Seriously! Go away!"

"Why?"

YoungJae rolled his eyes and stalked off, slamming the bedroom door in DaeHyun's face. He grimaced at DaeHyun's laugh, and wanted to bang his head on the door. He refrained only because he didn't want to show up with a red mark or a bruise on his forehead.

He snuck out nearly an hour early when Daehyun was busy with something else. He waved to YongGuk, who grinned and flashed him a V-sign. YoungJae grinned back and made his escape.

Escaped early. Any chance you can join me?

Minji's hand closed over her phone, and she went to find Bom to ask.

"He's what?"

"He said he's escaped early. Can I go? We're mostly done here, you don't really need me, right?"

Bom grinned. "Go ahead."

Minji bowed her thanks and headed for the door, smiling way too widely. Where are you? she texted him back in the elevator.

His return text named a small cafe she knew, and she managed to escape the building without being seen. She met him there - beat him, actually - and had to smile when he came into sight. He grinned back. "Want to stay here, or get out somewhere else?" he asked.

"Out," she said, grabbed his hand, and tugged him down the street. Laughing, he followed.

Abandoning any plans they made, they spent the evening in the market for dinner, then some time at karaoke, and until late dancing at a club.

The buzzing in her back pocket from her phone finally registered, and she tugged him off the dance floor to find a quiet corner - well, okay, dim and unoccupied - so she could check her messages. He pulled out his phone as well, looking a little sheepish when he noticed the time.

Call me, Bom had sent, and quite a few times. Minji looked up to see a horrified expression on YonugJae's face. She leaned over his arm to catch a glimpse of a message from YongGuk, and laughed. He really swore like that?

YoungJae leaned closer to her. "Hyung's pissed," he yelled. "Your noona?"

"Yeah," Minji said, and sighed, not ready to end the night.

His fingers touched her chin, tilting her head up, and then he kissed her.

Automatically, her arms looped around his neck, and his went around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

Her phone buzzed again, and he jumped at the same time, breaking their kiss. "We'd better go," he said regretfully.

She smiled. "Yeah."

He took her hand and they walked toward the door; outside, he flagged down a cab. "Thanks," he said, grinning widely. "I'll call you."

Minji nodded and hugged him. "I'll hold you to it," she said, then got in the cab, waving as it pulled away from the curb. He waved back, and then she lost sight of him in the darkness.

She barely heard anything Bom said when she got home, too starry-eyed to listen.