Tobirama

"Stop fidgeting!"

"I'm not fidgeting."

I was fidgeting. I didn't know what to do with my legs. They were all over the place. Downside of being tall.

The seats were generous, however. Plush, red velvet on a golden frame, matching the golden interior and heavy curtains of the theatre. It was beautiful. And the stage was gorgeous, heavily decorated without being tacky.

"How long is the ballet?" I whispered to Hashi.

He leaned over towards me.

"Two hours."

Oh, for fucks sake. I tried to remember I was supposed to be grateful and didn't say anything out loud, yet it was hard. Spending time with Hashirama was nice, but sitting still watching girls and boys in tight costumes on stage for two hours without being able to say anything and without popcorn would be a challenge.

Rather this than his fucking party, I tried to tell myself.

I sighed and sagged down in the chair, slung one leg leisurely over the other and crossed my arms.

Then, the lights went out, and I would find myself begging for the show to go on for one more hour, for two more hours, five more, several days, a lifetime...

The first fifteen minutes were actually okay. They were good; I could tell they were not called the number one ballet company in the country for nothing. Maybe, I didn't hate ballet as much as I thought I did. Maybe, I had just adapted a dislike of it as part of my personality because it was expected of me, just as flirting with boys was.

Suddenly, Hashirama leaned over and whispered to me.

"Watch this. I've heard a lot of rumours about the man about to come on."

At first, I didn't see any new man coming on stage. There was a few new girls, though, and one of them stood out.

This one was shorter than the rest but not as frightfully thin, and she was a lot more flexible and clearly stronger. She was contortionist-bendy and did things with her body that made me gape.

Maybe, I'm straight.

Then, Hashirama leaned in again and whispered.

"He's been raising a lot of controversy." He? "Not only because of his body type, but because he's using his excess flexibility in a very graphic manner on stage. Some hate him for it."

It's a he...

When I realised, everything else around me disappeared.

I could hardly even begin to fathom the things he was doing with his body. He was dancing beautifully, but somehow it was also provocative. Each line was sickeningly perfect, each movement made just on time, his face a perfect display of the array of emotions his characters required. I was beyond delighted.

"Enjoying the show?"

My brother was teasing me, but I didn't hear him. Instead, I had sunk down so low in my chair I almost lay down, grabbing the armrests harshly, digging my nails into the gold-pleated wood. My legs were splayed; fuck trying to sit appropriately at my height.

When he went off the stage, I leaned forwards and to the side, trying to follow him with my gaze for as long as I could. I didn't even notice when the lady next to me tutted and even if I had, I wouldn't care. It was all about him.

I sat fidgeting for the entire two minutes he was of stage before he came back on, and when he did, I was as transfixed as before.

"Tobirama? Tobirama?"

I turned to my brother.

"What?"

"It's over. Let's go."

I looked around me and realised he was right. People were already standing up, ready to leave.

"Shit", I said, leaning forwards and pulling my fingers through my hair. "What the fuck was that?"

I didn't know it was possible to zone out like that. Hashirama smirked down at me.

"Glad you came?"

I stood up on unsteady legs.

"Yeah..."

Actually, it was more than that. I had completely forgotten everything that bothered me at the moment, like the missing people and that I probably had a depression. I didn't know how I could ever go back to that life, pretend that everything was normal. Actually, I knew I could not because everything had changed.

"Hey." I looked up at my brother as he called me. He handed me his car keys. I took them, mouth still slightly agape and not because Hashirama had given me access to his car. "Take the car and drive it up front. I'll just go see to something."

But after Hashirama went, I still had to sit down for a while in the empty theatre, in front of the stage that only moments ago had mesmerised me to such an unimaginable degree...

Feeling as if my entire life had just changed. 

Izuna

The cold water was delicious on my face, just what I needed after that heavily caked-on makeup. I was still backstage, and couldn't wait to get home to take a shower.

"Hi."

I jerked, seeing a nutcracker enter the backstage room out of the corner of my eye. My first instinct was defence; I didn't want to meet him again; that blonde, strong boy who always flirted.

But I realised it wasn't him. It was a much more willowy one with short, light brown hair who was just putting on a pair of big, black-frames glasses.

"Sorry", I said. "I thought you were..." I looked down, realising what I was going to say might not be that smart if I wanted to stay out of trouble.

"Someone else?" he asked, coming to the sink next to mine to wash his own face.

"Yeah", I said and smiled shyly at him.

"You don't mean... Henry, do you?"

I jerked. That was his name! Now this boy said it, I recognised it.

"I..."

"Don't worry", the boy said. "I have noticed him pestering you. I won't cause trouble." He reached his hand out wanting me to shake it. "Nor will I cause any trouble myself. I just split up from my girlfriend."

"You don't have to convince me you're straight!"
I snapped. "Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I'll suck just anyone's dick!"

The boy held up both hands in defence.

"Whoa, easy! I didn't mean any offence. I didn't mean it to protect myself, I meant it to make you feel protected."

I looked down, suddenly ashamed of my outburst. There was something awfully sweet and timid about this boy.

"Sorry", I said.

He grinned at me.

"I'm Martin, by the way."

"Izuna."

"Nice to meet you, Izuna. How was your show?"

"Oh, great!" I said. "I loved it. And you?"

"Quite a big deal, actually", he said with a shy smile. "Im hoping to get the main role for our next show. My competitor is Henry."

"Oh", I said. "I didn't know. I'm rooting for you."

"Thank you. I did my very best but I was so focussed, I have no idea how Henry did."

"You couldn't affect that anyway", I said.

"True", he said and smiled as if he hadn't thought of that.

I was staring to like this easy-going, smiling boy. I could see myself befriend him. My first friend in the company...

"Excuse me."

I looked up, and into our room came the most eccentric-looking man I had ever seen. He was tall and lanky, with a purple velvet suit that somehow made him look awfully classy and not like the Joker. He had long, chestnut hair cut in a perfect line, high cheekbones and full eyebrows.

"Yes, can we help?" Martin asked.

"Hashirama Senju, property owner", he said and handed us a card with a gloved hand. I just frowned, but Martin was clearly much more well-mannered than me and accepted it.

"Thank you", he said.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I won't be long. But I am holding a party tomorrow at the Sky Loft bar. Ten pm to early morning. I really enjoyed your show and would love for you to come. See it as my thanks."

"We already get a salary from the ticket sale", I said.

Martin elbowed me. Then, he cleared his throat.

"What kind of party?"

"Alcohol provided, especially champagne, no drugs allowed", he said. "I have invited all of my friends. And some enemies." He winked. "I would love to show them I am friends with the best ballet company in the world."

"In the country", I corrected, earning myself another shove from Martin.

"We'll think about it", he said, and even if I had known him for only a few minutes, I figured this meant we would definitely go.

I found I didn't mind. Could be fun.

He tipped an imaginary hat at us.

"I'll look forward to seeing you. I'll go ask your colleagues to come as well. Thank you for tonight."

And just like that, he was gone.

"Does that... Does things like that happen here a lot?" I asked.

Martin opened his bag and took out a package of something.

"Not really", he said. "We do get attention if we go out as a group and people recognise us. But that man was something else, just storming in here." He opened the bag and took out a chocolate-covered rice cake. "Want one?"

"Please", I said, and he threw the bag at me. I took two. "I'm not really a party-goer", I confessed. "Can we get ready together?"

"Sure!" he said and reached his hand out for me to throw him a rice cake. "Let's meet up here! We can find something fun to wear."

Suddenly, life felt incredibly hot and exciting.