The Deal * Seokmin x Joshua

Twelve

Seokmin bounded down the corridor. His life had taken such a turn in the last few weeks. Two months into the Deal and heads turned when he walked past. He swathed a path through the corridors on his way to dance class, smiling at people, his hands absentmindedly wandering to the stones hanging around his neck. He couldn't wait to see Joshua and tell him what happened in vocal class this morning.

"Hey Muppet," an arm wrapped around his neck just a little too tightly and he knew who it was. "Hey Boo," Seokmin grinned. He was about to rock his best friends world and waited for Hansol to catch up before he dropped the news. "So," Seokmin's initial jubilance soon descended into his typical shyness but the news was just too good. "I got tapped to audition for the school musical. By Professor Kang," he waited for it to sink in and Seungkwan's eyes shot open wide. "No way! Shut up no way!" Seungkwan yelled outside the dance studio and pushed Seokmin against the wall. "Yes way. And no I won't!" the joy in Seokmin's eyes was palpable as his smile stretched up to his eyes.

The school musical was the pinnacle of the school year. Auditions were by invitation only and first years were never invited to audition. Well there was a first time for everything.

"I don't even know what it is yet," Seungkwan said with dismay as they walked in to the studio. The regulars were already warming up and the two budding singers walked past with Hansol in their wake. A small murmur went up around the room, no doubt because of the musical gossip, and Seokmin tried to avoid the eyes of the Chinese students in the corner. Soonyoung wasn't there yet.

"Grease," Seokmin murmured as he sat on the floor and began to stretch. His new black Skins stretched with his body and he had to smirk when he saw Seungkwan watching enviously. "Wish I had those legs...." He murmured despondently and flinched when Hansol tried to back hug him. "Don't hug me, I'm sulking," he said and Hansol just laughed. He was well used to the mood swings of his boyfriend and just poked him in the ribs instead. "Stop being jealous boo," Seokmin said softly. "I can't have you being shitty and ruining my good feeling about this. I might not even get a part, it's just an audition, and if I do it will just be some side character."

"Yeah..." Seungkwan said slowly as he joined in the stretching. "You'd make a great Doody!" "Doody!" Seokmin howled and dived for his friend, knocking him to the floor, jumping on him and pretending to choke him, "You'd make a good Doody! Or Putzie!" Seungkwan pushed him off just in time to see Joshua join them with a sparkle in his eye. "Hey guys! What's all the excitement over?" Seokmin jumped up with delight and embarrassment at his boyfriend joining them; delight because he couldn't wait to tell him the news, embarrassment at being caught acting stupid in front of the much cooler and older boy. "I've been asked to audition for the school musical! I'll probably miss out or just get like a small role but still..."

His words were swallowed by Joshua's swift affection as he pulled the younger against his chest. "That's amazing, I'm so proud of you!" he said with his eyes ablaze. "You've never even heard me sing hyung," Seokmin felt suddenly shy. He knew he could sing well but he lacked confidence and was always being told to put more emotion into his voice. "You should try out too," he whispered and Joshua shook his head. "No way, but I'll come and watch you, okay? I'll be there for you every step of the way and I can't wait to see you shining on stage. I know you'll get a part."

Seokmin stared at the boy and wondered what he saw in him that he couldn't see himself. He wished he could see himself through the eyes of Joshua and work out why the other boy seemed to have endless confidence in him. He could tell by the look in Joshua's eyes that he really thought Seokmin would get a part.

But he wouldn't be there to support him on stage even if he did. He might be in the audience, a faceless member of the crowd, but the musical wasn't for four months and the deal was almost over. While he knew Joshua was making progress with Jeonghan, their casual flirtations developing a new level of interest, he hadn't made any progress with Soonyoung. A realisation washed over him, as cold and shocking as a cleansing rain, and just as sudden as an unexpected storm. He didn't care. He didn't care about Soonyoung, had barely noticed his absence from the dance studio, and hadn't thought about him in weeks.

Speak of the devil, he mused, as Soonyoung swanned into the room wearing a leather jacket. As soon as he saw it, he knew instantly. Soonyoung knew.

"Hey Joshua," he said as he walked straight up to them ignoring his friends. "Hey Seungmin," he said as he turned to Seokmin. "Heard you're going to audition for the musical. Not something a first year would usually have the balls to do." Seokmin cleared his throat and looked to Joshua but he couldn't rely on him forever. The deal had an expiration date. "Ok, it's not Seungmin, its Seokmin. And I'm auditioning because Professor Kang asked me to." Soonyoung smirked at the boy's quick response and moved in a little closer. "Well I hope you get a part. It will be nice to work together, I'm auditioning for Danny of course, and who knows? Maybe you might even get to be my understudy." He winked before turning on his heels and walking over to his friends with his freshly dyed orange hair flying wildly behind him.

As he looked from the back of the departing Soonyoung, headed towards his friends with an undoubted smirk on his face, and over to Joshua Seokmin was struck. His heart skipped a beat and his breath seemed to dangle somewhere in the middle of his throat as he watched Joshua stretching his long lean legs. And the feeling, the strange and uncertain feeling in his stomach, was a churning of butterflies and fire and excitement and terror. He'd thought all along he'd had a crush on Soonyoung. A falsely misplaced feeling based on very little besides looks and shallow similarities. Similarities which weren't really there the longer you listened and the harder you looked. He'd been so distracted over the last two months with the gentle and wonderful affections of Joshua he hadn't even noticed his attention slipping. It was noticeable today, he was dying to see Joshua and barely cared when Soonyoung spoke to him, and it struck him like a ton of bricks.

He had a crush. A real crush. Not on Soonyoung, a silly boyish crush based on nothing, but a real crush based on real attraction and real feelings. Seokmin had a crush on Joshua and he knew he couldn't ever confess. How could he? They'd entered this deal with open eyes, two adults looking for mutual benefits, and he couldn't ruin it.

It was him who hadn't been able to stick to his half of the deal. He'd caught feelings for his kind and adorable hyung and now he didn't know what to do.