NOSTALGIA. － p.sh + k.hj

- 08

at the end of every year, their summer school held a performance for which they'd put on a musical with practised choreographies and such. hongjoong tended to avoid participating in them, but that year seonghwa's unwavering will for him to join had done its part, and the brunet found himself spending many afternoons with the rest of some back-up dancers － seonghwa was chosen for a lead role － learning his parts and cues.

when the night of the show finally came, all electric breaths and bustling teens, hongjoong's adrenaline and excitement overrode his stage fright, bringing his feet to constantly hop and pace, his teeth to gnaw on his bottom lip and his stout fingers to fiddle with his hair.

he'd been waiting alone by a wall as the rest of the cast continued with last minute preparations, when seonghwa came hurtling towards him, a melodic laugh playing from his mouth and eyes shining with the same energy that seared hongjoong's every vein.

"they did my make-up, joong!" he announced with an under-lying satisfaction, "thoughts? do i rock it or do i rock it?"

hongjoong focused his sight on the taller's face, then taking note of the yellow circles on his cheeks from beneath which some pink shone through, a dark brown that covered his nose with a line meeting the cupid's bow of his upper lip and parting to the sides to end in a curl. he had multiple whiskers drawn on and black liner around the rim of his lashes, going out at the edges.

"the best human simba i've ever seen," he assured with a smile, eager eyes scrupulously taking in every detail of the boy before him and how, when the white lights of the room struck him at certain angles, the golden glitter on his eyelids shimmered.

seonghwa snorted.

"i doubt you've seen many human simbas."

"that's true."

a pause.

"hey, let me add on to your make-up."

hongjoong arched a brow, the tips of his ears dusting a strawberry red.

"but i'm just a back-up dancer," the statement left him sounding to be more of a question, voice lilting at the end in a way that made seonghwa roll his eyes dismissively.

"who cares? everyone is important."

the brunet's gaze softened, his sight trailing down to the other's chest, incapable of easing the pulse that pushed through him, fighting to break through his fingertips and throat.

"come," seonghwa said when he remained silent, taking hold of his forearm and guiding them to where a group of leaders were encircled by cast members. palettes and brushes littered the temporary foldable tables, sachets of open glitter spilled into plastic plates and face paint dripped onto the floor; hongjoong took the myriad of colours and sparkle in with an ineffable wonder.

"they're busy," the elder mumbled over the consistent choir of chatter, picking up some glitter and eyeliner that were left unused, "let's go to the balcony; the bathrooms will be full."

hongjoong obediently followed as they wove their way through the stream of people, some taller than seonghwa, most taller than himself.

upon reaching the balcony of the first floor, the black-headed boy dragged open one of its doors and a brisk breeze instantly blew in, sending a shiver all across hongjoong's body and reviving their lungs with its coldness.

"finally, we can breathe."

and then they sat upon the tiles, knees folded and grazing one another's, and seonghwa leaned closer, holding hongjoong's chin between his thumb and forefinger, their breaths colliding and swirling beneath the late afternoon sun.

"stay still," seonghwa muttered, and the younger gulped, tongue of lead and a skull full of bees.

"okay."

goosebumps adorned his bare arms and the pencil tickled at his eyes, but seonghwa seemingly glowed in the light of the setting sun that generously gave hongjoong the chance to see how the boy's shimmering eyelids looked like treasure chests and how his ruffled hair danced to the wind that enveloped them. hongjoong couldn't complain about the cold because seonghwa kept him warm
and there was you.

》》》

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