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“Are you sure Mr. Silva won’t mind me coming back here?” Elliott asked nervously as he followed Octavio along the corridor, “I still haven’t closed down the bar-”
“Ah, don’t sweat it!” Octavio replied, never looking in Elliott’s direction. His laughter echoed down the halls. “My pops may own the academy, but I own these floors” he replied confidently as his duffle bag crashed to the ground. The dancer crouched beside it as his fingers searched the familiar findings inside, “lo siento, I don’t think I caught your name” Octavio admitted as he retrieved a key.
“Oh” Elliott nodded, his eyes fell down to his name badge decorating his work shirt, “It’s Elliott, Sir” He told him through a timid smile.
“Oh please, I’m not like those other fuddy duddies ” Octavio scoffed with a playful eye roll, “Call me Tav” He promptly unlocked the door, and searched for the light switch, with a confident flick of his finger the blinding white lights of the studio flickered into life, Illuminating the space.
Elliott found himself wandering to the centre of the small room, enlarged by a mirrored wall spanning its length. “So, Elliott, you have any experience?” Octavio asked as he tended to a small heater in a corner. Elliott studied him in the mirror, watching as Octavio lowered himself and twisted the dial prompting the heating device into action. It rumbled as it coughed out a slug of dust before kicking in, filling the air with a sudden warmth.
“No… Um, not really” Elliott replied with a shrug of his shoulder. Unless you count drunken dancing inside dingy bars…
“So, what makes you wanna try?”
“It looks fun… I guess” Elliott shrugged shyly, “It’s emotional, I’ve watch how you perform every night and every time it just feels like the first and you look-” he rambled, “It’s, incredible”
“Heh, you give me too much credit” Octavio let out a low sound of laughter before he began to approach Elliott, joining him in the centre of the room.
“You really want to learn how to dance?” Octavio asked with a raised brow, “Take off your clothes”
A look of fret washed over Elliott’s expression. He was frozen still, unable to decide if the instructions were a joke or an order. It appeared to be the latter, he realised as he watched Octavio’s fingers tug away his own belt, causally tossing it to one side. He slipped out of his trousers, kicking them away from around his feet before lifting his tight tee from above his head, exposing his immaculate torso. Elliott’s wonderfilled stare was abruptly interrupted as Octavio turned to face him with impatient fingers tapping against the skin of his hips.
“You need some help undressing, compadre?” Octavio teased with a soft chuckle. A clicking sound echoing a tut rattled from inside his throat, “ C’mon , I’m serious”
Elliott watched himself in horror as his fingers began to automatically follow Octavio’s instruction. A sense of dread was growing inside of him as he slowly twisted open the buttons of his shirt. He slipped the garment off of his shoulders. His nervous gaze flickered between his reflection inside the large glass wall and the burning stare from the dancer across the room. Elliott’s fingertips trembled as they gripped hold of the hem of his undervest and pulled the garment over his head. The brunette flashed an awkward smile in Octavio’s direction as he swallowed a fretful gulp. “I, uh” Elliott sighed, attempting to speak to break the deafening silence that made the air heavy. His eyes dragged slowly towards the mirror as he watched himself reach for the button that fastened his pants as he slowly began to feed it through the loop. His cheeks warmed, tainting in a shade of embarrassment. Elliott glanced in Octavio’s direction through the mirror, trying to get a read on what the other man was thinking, or perhaps it was better not to know.
You certainly don’t look the part , the voice echoed inside his mind. He was now standing in just his underwear. He took in the sight of himself with a slow, shaky breath. His chest was sunken in fear. Elliott’s eyes scanned over his torso, noticing the hair decorating his chest that sparingly trailed down his torso. He held some definition in his arms, a result of lifting heavy crates all day long but as his eyes met with his middle, he noticed how his softer hips spilled over his boxers. How many late-night take outs rested on them. He grimaced at the sight as he took a moment to compare himself to his counterpart.
“We need to fix that” Octavio eventually broke the silence, and instantly Elliott spiralled into panic. His stance became defensive as his arms wrapped around himself. A look of doubt sparked Octavio’s next movements as he carefully placed his hand along the stretch of his Elliott’s back. His fingertips were electrifying. He stood round the barman, and attentively tilted Elliott’s chin upwards, “Posture” Octavio smiled in a whisper, “It’s important”
“Let’s begin, just footwork” Octavio told him, “I’ll start, you follow”
Elliott nodded in silence as he quietly swallowed a gulp. He watched Octavio’s feet begin to move in a repetitive pattern. He was unable to tell how much time had gone past before his feet began to move. His gaze never strayed from Octavio’s feet as he mimicked his steps. In a low mumble under his breath he counted, attempting to keep up with the other man’s effortless rhythm.
“Uno, dos, tres, cuatro” Octavio began to command the room and eventually they moved in sync. Elliott unknowingly found himself perfecting his newly learnt footwork, and a proud smile etched across his face.
“Head up, Elliott, mirror - watch yourself”
Elliott stuttered nervously as he glanced from Octavio’s feet to his own reflection. He repeated the footwork over and over until suddenly, it felt fluid.
“Si!!” Octavio clapped, the noise of his hands cast an echo around the almost empty room, causing Elliot to stumble a little as he looked up into the reflection. He noticed Octavio, who was leaning against the wooden bar, eagerly watching his every move, “You’re doing it!”
Elliott’s footwork stumbled as he flashed a smile in Octavio’s direction. He quickly recovered himself, “I ha, I didn’t even notice you’d gone” Elliott admitted as he performed the steps without missing a beat.
“That’s because you were focusing on yourself,” Octavio replied with a warm smile.
Elliott awkwardly glanced at himself in the mirror, holding his head high as he performed the steps perfectly without now watching his own feet. “I’m still not sure why I had to strip for this,” he chuckled.
“Ah” Octavio nodded as he stepped towards him, “That’s because now you know how to move your feet, I’m going to show you how to move your body” he grinned wildly. In a confident strut, he circled Elliott before meeting behind him, “May I?” Octavio asked as he gestured his hands towards Elliott’s bare hips.
Elliott found himself nodding his consent, perhaps a little too quickly. Soon, Octavio’s warming hands had found their place against the soft flesh of his hips. He held him tightly with strong, muscular arms encasing his frame, “Now we learn to move our hips” Octavio spoke softly as his hand pressed into his right side, prompting movement from Elliott’s torso. “Repeat the footwork, I’m right behind you”
Elliott’s heart seemed to beat in double time as he felt warm breath linger upon his skin. He attempted to ignore the rushing beat in his pulse.
“That’s it, you’ve got this” Octavio encouraged as he guided Elliott’s timid hips to sway with the rhythm, rolling them to match his practised footwork.
The brunette felt his breath freeze as Octavio carefully swooped around him, now witnessing his movements from the front Octavio’s lips curled into a proud smile, to which Elliott's lips temporarily reflected as he met with the shorter man’s hazels.
“Watch your body move, not me” Octavio told him, “It’s important”
Elliott’s gaze slipped from the dancer, and upwards focusing on himself. The only time he’d usually spend in front of the mirror was to pick his insecurities apart but in this moment he found himself curious about his own physique. His hips rolled and rotated in a way he hadn’t seen before, they slid with ease matching his careful steps; filling him with a sense of achievement. A smile curled in his lips. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so bad at this.
Without a spoken word, Octavio stepped forward towards Elliott; in a way that never allowed his steps to falter. He slipped his arm around Elliott’s waist, sending a shock through his skin. Octavio’s other hand searched for Elliott’s fingertips, fingers that were shyly tucked behind him. Octavio took control as he interlocked his fingers inside Elliott’s. He began to guide his body across the floor, finding a courage he never knew he possessed.
Now face to face with the beautiful dancer, Elliott felt a rush flood his being. Octavio’s touch, feverish, sent an electrifying heat around Elliott’s spine, driving his senses into a frenzy. The pair glided across the wooden floors, wrapped in a tight embrace. Every touch from Octavio’s fingertips bled into Elliott’s warming skin. A sensation flourished inside of him, sending a fluttering beat to his heart.
“Just follow me,” Octavio whispered, his lips pressed so close to Elliott’s ear. His hands snaked around his waist as he twirled him outwards.
Elliott mumbled an awkward “ Oh ” as he gracefully fell into Octavio’s sturdy arms. He had him captured in a warm embrace as a careful hand slid across Elliott’s rosy cheeks. Every time he closed his eyes, Octavio managed to steal a breath.
Sweat prickled from his pores as they shared a synchronised breath. Elliott’s eyes were filled with wonder as Octavio touched him in a way no other had before. It was a performance, deep down - Elliott knew that. Yet his heart filled in a way that made the sensual muscle threaten to burst through his chest. Octavio must have sensed it, as his hand swooped across his pectorals, smiling at the strong, fluttering beat emitting from his rising chest. “Perfect, Ell” Octavio hushed him as he held him close. The warmth of his breath lingered across his skin, causing every hair to stand to attention. A hand wrapped around Elliott’s neck tilted him downwards until he met with Octavio’s forehead. They shared a gaze, one like he’d seen in movies. Elliott bit his lips in an attempt to cease every temptation to kiss him. He’d never fall for someone like you , his mind told him but yet, Elliott’s heart interpreted Octavio’s actions in another sense. It was nothing short of madness; falling for someone you barely knew. But the way the couple swayed in a timeless motion had Elliott believing that he’d known him since the beginning of time. There was never a beat of music playing but yet, Elliott’s ears were filled with a tune from a love song that had him wondering what it’d be like to be loved by someone like him.