Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor do I own Dancing With The Stars.
It's been YEARS since I've written a Zemyx oneshot, let alone any fanfics for Kingdom Hearts in general, so I'm finally glad to write this for all of you, and in time for Zemyx Day 2018! I hope you enjoy reading! XD
Warning: Zemyx (Zexion/Demyx), Dancing With The Stars AU.
An Unexpected Partnership
Summary: After Zexion loses the partner he was supposed to have for the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars due to the pro getting injured, he ends up getting paired with the partner's cousin instead, who happens to be a guy named Demyx. It doesn't take either of them long to pick up on the 'showmance' built between them, as well as real romance...
"What do you mean, Namine got into an accident!?"
"That's exactly right, Zexion." Larxene sighed on the phone. "She broke her leg falling down the stairs because of a stunt she did for an upcoming film. She's not going to be your celebrity partner this season, sadly."
The steel-blue-haired pro dancer groaned, pacing around his room. "But wasn't the point of Namine being on the show supposed to be a thing? So she and Roxas could battle it out, brother versus sister? My pairing with Namine against Roxas being paired with Xion was supposed to be what brings up the ratings for this season!"
It was true. The potential showdown of actors (and twin siblings) Namine and Roxas had been heavily advertised for the show ever since the reveal that both of them would be competing in the upcoming (very soon upcoming) season.
And now, Namine was dropping out because of an accident? It made Zexion want to rip his hair out.
"What does this even mean for me as a Pro? Does that mean I'm demoted to Troupe member for the season!?"
"Whoa, whoa, no!" He heard her laugh, and he snorted.
"Larxene, I'm serious. I do not want to be stuck in the Troupe like was last season because the partner I was supposed to have at the time got into an accident, too!"
"Relax, bookworm." Her voice, smooth like honey, only made him even more irritated. How could she be so calm about this? "They already got a replacement for her—a cousin of her and Roxas, I think."
"Cousin?" Zexion blinked. "No one told me they had a cousin."
"He's kinda out of the spotlight compared to the two, but apparently he's a DJ and an actor like them."
"Oh." Zexion paused, then blinked. "Wait, did you just say he?"
"Yes, he! His name's Demyx, by the way. Apparently he's a big fan of the show and so he signed up immediately when they asked him if he could replace Namine." Larxene snorted with laughter. "Gods, it's gonna be hilarious seeing him with you!"
"Please don't tell me he's taller than me."
"…Yeah, he is."
"AAAAAARGGH!"
This is just great.
This is just…great.
Zexion paced around the practice room, doing his best to breathe deeply, hold it for four seconds, then slowly exhale for eight. He could not lose his cool right now (even if he did do that over the phone with Larxene just now).
He was being paired with a guy.
Who so happened to be taller than him, too.
He wasn't sure what was weirder. The fact that his partner would actually be taller than him, or the fact that the person he was paired with was…well, a guy.
Probably the former. Height was more of an issue than anything right now.
To be fair, Zexion never performed on the show as a Pro with anyone taller than him. He often got all the celebrities that were on the short side (about his height or an inch taller at most), and that was a blessing to work with.
He also then remembered that all of said celebrities were ladies. None of them were guys.
Huh.
Was this the show just trying to get good ratings up, by having Demyx, a guy, be paired with him? He supposed it would cause all the viewers to scream and shout at the sight of them together. He wasn't oblivious to the concept of fangirls, after all.
But at the same time, he wasn't sure how to take that. What should he expect, people shipping them together in real life? That would be damn weird!
Before he could think any further of it, the door to the rehearsal room opened, and in walked Demyx.
Or rather, in ran Demyx, who emitted the LOUDEST fangirl shriek that Zexion ever heard in a long, long time.
"OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH I ACTUALLY GOT YOU!"
Zexion gasped as Demyx wrapped him a huge, tight hug, and the short Pro strained to breathe. "Demyx…Demyx…let go!"
"What?" Demyx looked down at him, and Zexion saw green and bluish eyes in his gaze, before the taller celebrity gasped and let go of him. "Ah, sorry! I'm just….I'm just such a huge fan of the show and I've always voted for you regardless of who you're partnered with….I-I-I just can't believe I'm finally on the show and dancing with YOU!"
"Wait," Zexion's eyes widened. "What!? You…You've watched the show?"
He pictured it in his mind's eye—Demyx fanboy screaming over the show as he watched Zexion and all his partners dance in every season, Demyx constantly voting for Zexion regardless of how great or crappy the dances were—and he couldn't help but chuckle at that, himself.
"You gotta be kidding me."
"I'm not kidding!" Demyx stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. "I seriously really mean it!"
Oh man.
His partner was not just the cousin of Roxas and Namine, but also a total fanboy of him too?
What the hell had he gotten himself into?
It was the night of the first dance, and before the first dance was….well….the rehearsal package.
"Our first dance is the Tango." Zexion smiled faintly at that. "Demyx claimed he had two left feet, but I hope he doesn't!"
The rehearsal footage cut to Demyx tripping. A lot. Several times. The audience got a great laugh out of that.
There was also, regrettably embarrassing to Zexion, a whole lot of Demyx just straight-up fanboy-screaming at all the things Zexion demonstrated for him.
"I can't help but just GAZE at him, you know!" Demyx laughed in the interview clip. "He's so put-together and everything! Also, he's just really hot."
Zexion's jaw dropped, then he forced it shut.
Did Demyx just call him hot? On national television?
Ohhh shit.
Zexion managed to keep his cool for the whole dance, thank goodness, and Demyx did NOT trip over his feet, which was also good, but when the judges and the host were commenting on their performance, the host happened to ask one particular question…
"Demyx, do you think you have what it takes to get to the finale with Zexion?"
Zexion's eyes widened as he looked to Demyx, who simply nodded and ran his hand through his own hair, chuckling.
"Yeah, totally! Why not? I mean, I'm a good student. I can learn from him. And Zexy is an awesome dancer, too!"
"Zexy?" Zexion repeated, jaw dropping.
Demyx nodded, looking to him. "Yeah, Zexy. Short for Zexy. Also totally sexy."
"What."
The host and the live audience broke into some chuckles, with the judges looking just as amused.
As they got offstage and received their points (seven, seven and seven with a final total of twenty-one points, not bad), Zexion couldn't help but stare at Demyx. Demyx, so proud and totally lost in the moment, looked to him.
"Was it…wait…" Demyx's face fell, and he bit his lower lip, suddenly sheepish. "Was it a bad idea to call you Zexy? I mean, if you don't like that…."
"I…liked it." Zexion finally admitted, after a moment. "I just…I just wasn't expecting it. Especially live."
"Yeah, got it." Demyx slowly inhaled, then exhaled. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I won't do it again."
"No, um," The Pro felt his face flush a bit more, "actually, I…kinda liked it."
How could he not like it? It's been a while since anyone actually called him sexy, after all.
Demyx can't help but smile. "I'll call you Zexy from hereon, then!"
Zexion can't help but wonder what hell he's thrown himself into.
The rehearsals for the next dance, the Jive, were…interesting. There was a lot of Demyx cheering for Zexion, and the energy from last week just didn't dwindle. Zexion hopes that he can transfer some of that energy of cheering into the actual dancing itself, but at least Demyx is enthusiastic, and Zexion can't remember a more enthusiastic partner than him.
It's kind of nice, actually. Really wild, but nice.
The only problem is, how the hell does Zexion refine the wildness that is Demyx's feet? They can move, that's for sure, but can they do the footwork properly?
It took several extra rehearsals for both of them to pull it together in time for the performance, and Zexion thought they got it covered.
Unfortunately, those extra rehearsals did not help. Demyx took a fall halfway through the routine, but quickly rebounded after Zexion pulled him to his feet.
They got seven, six and six from the judges, for a final score of nineteen.
Demyx offered Zexion a sheepish look. "Sorry 'bout the fall. I'm pretty sure we would've gotten all 7s if I didn't."
"I don't blame you for falling." Zexion managed, offering his partner a soft grin. "The jive is particularly difficult, and it's not often given out during the second week. I thought you did pretty good other than the fall. Your footwork improved."
"It did?" Demyx's eyes lit up, and the next thing Zexion knew, he was wrapped in a bear hug. "Oh my gosh, thank you!"
"Y-you're…welcome…need to breathe!"
"Ah, right." Demyx let go of him, running his hand through sweat-soaked hair. "I'm sure we'll get all 8s next time!"
Oh gosh. Zexion hoped so.
I SHIP IT!
I SHIP THEM!
They're gonna make it to the finale because of how cute they are!
Zexion couldn't help but read all the various comments that people put online on their dances. It was only Week 3, and people were already shipping them!?
Gods, this was just…weird.
Ugh, ANOTHER showmance! One commenter wrote. At least have them BOTH be good dancers! Demyx can't even dance!
Zexion would have punched that commenter in the nose. He knew that Demyx was getting particularly better at his footwork, and sure he fell during the Jive, but they could totally make it up with the…
Quickstep.
Aw, shit. It was Quickstep.
Why couldn't it be an Argentine Tango or a Foxtrot?
Well, at least it wasn't the Paso Doble.
"What's up?"
Zexion shrieked, turning to see Demyx reading over his shoulder. "Demyx! At least tell me you're here!"
"Sorry!" The blond laughed, offering him a grin. "It's just that…I've seen those comments, too!"
"Wait, what?" Zexion stared back at him, pushing his bangs out of his face as best as he could. "You…you've seen them, too?"
"Yeah, I have. How am I not to have seen any by now? I've been getting messages from fans since Week One about this, even before the first performance!"
Zexion's jaw dropped. Then it closed. Then it opened, to actually speak this time.
"…Is this why you dropped the line about me being sexy?"
Demyx paused, then slowly, awkwardly, smiled. "Maaaaybe?"
For the love of Quickstep, Zexion prayed this would not get too awkward.
"We're going to get revenge on the low scores!" Demyx half-roared in the rehearsal package for Week 3. "So, we're going at it with a spooky Quickstep!"
Zexion shrugged. "We don't have a Halloween Week this time, so I figured we might as well have one of our own early. At least, for Demyx and me. He's getting a lot better at his footwork, but I just hope we don't fall!"
"Hey!" Demyx's face flushed. "It was just last week! Third time's the charm, right? We gotta get nines!"
"Demyx, barely anyone gets 9s on the third week."
"But stillllll!"
Eight, eight and eight ended up being their scores, for a final score of twenty-four. Better than last week, but Zexion could tell that Demyx was a tad disappointed.
Even worse? They were one of two couples potentially getting eliminated. Zexion felt himself squeeze Demyx's hand as they ended up standing side by side.
Thankfully, they were spared. And thank goodness for that, because Zexion didn't want to stop dancing with Demyx yet.
"Okay, can we just clarify something here?"
Week Four, the Argentine Tango. Zexion was thankful for something a bit less fast-paced this time around, but there was something they needed to clear up before it got too awkward.
"Yeah," Demyx looked to Zexion, the two drinking from water bottles for a brief break, "What is it?"
"Do you…What do you think about the two of us being a showmance?"
Hopefully the cameramen weren't recording this right now. Zexion knew they liked to record as much as possible, so they could edit things for the rehearsal packages shown to the audiences. Thankfully, it didn't seem like said cameramen were around. Thank goodness.
"Well…" Demyx tilted his head to the side, then looked to Zexion. "I get that it can be bothersome, but…I kind of want to think of it as a game, you know? I mean, this is a competition."
"A game?" Zexion repeated, lips firmly pressed together. "What kind? What's the outcome?"
"Well, I mean, we gotta win the competition. If people think we're actually romancing each other, don't you think we'd get more votes?"
The show was, after all, about who was the favourite dancer. The scores did affect them to some degree, but it also came down to voting from the audience as well. Zexion thought about it for a moment, thought about what Demyx just said, and it all clicked.
"Okay, then." Zexion looked Demyx straight in the eyes, taking a deep breath. "We've been doing all these fast, energetic routines, which are fun. But since we have the Argentine Tango this week…we've got an opportunity to show the audience a different side of you."
"And our chemistry?" Demyx prompted.
Zexion couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Yeah, that too."
They danced their Argentine Tango, the audience cheeering wildly. Zexion felt that it showed a refined Demyx, a Demyx the judges would gladly see and a Demyx that Zexion would be happy to explore.
"Nine!" The first judge shouted.
"A nine!?" Demyx screeched, hopping up and down. He and Zexion were in the dressing room at this point, waiting for the rest of their scores. "It's only Week four!"
The second score flashed: a nine. Zexion's eyes widened at that.
Two nines in a row already? What would the next one be? Another nine? Or maybe an eight. Or maybe…
"TEN!"
ZExion yelped as Demyx hug-tackled him to the ground, the DJ howling in his ear.
"WE GOT A TEN, ZEXY! A TEN!"
Zexion gasped, looking up, past Demyx to see the large 10 on the screen.
"A-A ten?" He repeated.
Oh god.
Oh god.
They got a ten, in the fourth week.
Twenty eight out of thirty. A near-perfect score.
They had their work cut out for them.
"What's a foxtrot?"
Zexion couldn't help but offer Demyx a grin, "It's like a waltz, but it's in common time instead of triple. Elegance is key in this number."
"So…slow dancing?"
Zexion shook his head. "Not that slow, I promise. I think the waltz can be even slower than a foxtrot, honestly. It depends on the tempo of the music."
"Oh, I see."
Zexion had noticed something, throughout all these past rehearsals. Because Demyx was a DJ, but also (apparently) had some classical music training in the past, he was pretty good at keeping up with the timing of the choreography and the music.
Though this was helpful for the past, fast routines they'd done so far, this was especially helpful for their foxtrot.
Also turned out that 'pretending' any chemistry between them didn't need to be pretended.
"Hey, Zexy?"
"Yeah?" Zexion was getting used to that nickname. "What is it, Dem?"
Short for Demyx, he figured. Also, easier than saying Demyx.
"I think I'm starting to like the foxtrot a lot."
Zexion smiled. "I think it's becoming a favourite, too, dancing it with you that is."
Demyx's jaw dropped, then it closed, and Zexion swore that the other was blushing.
"I…" Demyx swallowed, tugging at the collar of his t-shirt, "I think I'm liking it too. Dancing with you that is, and not just the foxtrot!"
He proceeded to scream and bury his face into his shirt.
"DAMN IT, WHY DO I HAVE WEIRD WORDS!?"
Zexion laughed, gave him the time to take a break and get some water, and then the two continued their rehearsal.
The Foxtrot was smooth, elegant, everything that Zexion wanted in a Foxtrot, especially since he was dancing it with Demyx. He knew there were partners that just didn't click when dancing, and there were some that did.
Right now, it was clicking. It was clicking really well.
And so Zexion was utterly, horribly, disappointed when the judges gave them all eights, which led to a score of twenty-four out of thirty.
UNDERSCORED! Many comments online read. Should've gotten at least all nines!
HELL, GO FOR TENS!
YOU CAN DO IT, TEAM ZEMYX! GO FOR ALL TENS!
Team Zemyx is always a perfect score in my eyes~
"Zemyx?" Zexion repeated, staring at the screen. "That's what they're calling us now?"
"That's kinda cool." Demyx finished drinking his water as he read over Zexion's shoulder again. "I mean, it's a mix of our names. Demyx, Zexion….you get Zemyx."
"Oh my gosh. You're right." Zexion looked him in the eyes (those really pretty eyes), and took a deep breath. "I guess we're Team Zemyx all the way?"
Demyx grinned one of those really pretty grins, and nodded. "Team Zemyx all the way!"
Turned out the cameramen caught that whole conversation about 'Team Zemyx' and promptly put it in the rehearsal package for Week Six, when they were doing the Samba.
Zexion was surprised that they hadn't gotten anything like the Rumba or Samba until now, but he supposed it would be quite a challenge.
Also, Sambas were supposed to be kinda sexy. It made him wonder if the recording of his and Demyx's conversation was what influenced the dance chosen for them. However, both the DJ and the Pro took it in stride in their rehearsals…
Kind of.
Despite how goofy Demyx was, Zexion had to admit that Demyx was sexy.
Also, this dance was a good excuse to have a shirtless Demyx. There would be some shirtless Zexion, too, but he mostly wanted to showcase shirtless Demyx for his own selfish reasons.
"Do we ever pick up the shirts again at the end?"
Zexion nodded. He and Demyx were halfway through rehearsing the routine, and he had a good feeling this would be in the rehearsal package for this week.
"Yeah…after the routine is over, of course."
"What if we slip and fall on the shirts?" Demyx frowned. "Or if a crazy fan takes the shirts?"
Zexion shuddered at the second suggestion. "Hopefully that doesn't happen."
"I hope not, too."
When they went on to perform, later, a crazy fan did steal the shirts, halfway through the routine.
Which left the shirtless and sweating Demyx and Zexion standing side by side as close as they could to keep each other warm. Though they were a bit warm from the Samba performance, the rest of the room was actually pretty cool to make sure the audience wasn't overheated, so they quickly found themselves getting cold.
All the fangirls and fanboys in the audience screamed and cheered for them, purely because of this.
"You okay?" Zexion asked Demyx as they cut to commercial break.
Demyx nodded, wrapping his arms around himself. "Yeah, I'm okay! I think, I..okay," He groaned, "I'm shivering."
Zexion paused, feeling his face flush, before looking to him. "Uh…wanna hug and just…awkwardly walk to the dressing room like this? We can stay warm that way!"
That had to be a really weird suggestion. But Demyx couldn't help but laugh a bit, before nodding.
"Sure!"
With that, he wrapped him in a big bear hug. Zexion realized how warm Demyx's hugs were, even if they were a bit on the tight side. It was…kind of nice, actually.
"How are you two lovebirds doing?"
"Larxene!" Zexion's face went hot as he looked to the Pro walking in on their rehearsal for the Week 7 Paso Doble. "We're in the middle of rehearsal!"
"What?" The blonde laughed, looking to them. "I thought I'd just drop by and say hi! All the other Pros and Troupe members are talking about you two inbetween rehearsals!"
"All of them?" Zexion's jaw dropped. "Do-do they seriously think Demyx and I are…?"
"A thing? Uh huh." Larxene snickered, leaning against the doorway. Demyx thankfully didn't seem to be paying attention to the conversation, as he was currently downing a bottle of water.
"Good luck on your Paso Doble and Contemporary." Larxene chuckled, before leaving again. Zexion did his best to stop blushing as Demyx looked to him.
"Wait, wait, wait…" The other blanched. "We're doing TWO routines this week!?"
"Yeah, we are." Zexion felt himself blush, and he internally cursed himself for not telling Demyx sooner. "Because it's the semifinals, we have to do two routines."
"Isn't there usually a redemption round if that's the case?"
"Yeahh, but apparently they changed the formatting this time around. We have the Redemption dance at the finals instead now, and the Freestyle will be there too."
"Ohh, okay." Demyx then stared even more. "Wait, does that mean we have to have even more rehearsals!?"
"Yup."
Zexion couldn't help but feel quite pleased at Demyx's look of pure horror.
"Don't worry," The steel-haired Pro reassured him, "You'll be fine. I think you'll like the Contemporary, too. It's Peter Pan-themed."
"Peter Pan!?" Demyx's horror turned into glee, with him literally jumping up and down. "Do I get to be Peter Pan!?"
"Yes."
"AAAAAAAAGHHHHH YESSSSSS! IT'S MY DREAM COME TRUE!"
Turned out that Peter Pan was one of Demyx's favourite stories. Zexion couldn't help but smile, knowing that he'd picked something Demyx would absolutely love.
As the time went by in their rehearsals, however, Zexion felt a bit of sadness.
Sadness that the time he had, dancing with Demyx, was dwindling.
He was determined to make every moment count.
And that was when he realized, right then, that he'd fallen for Demyx.
Their spy-themed Paso Doble earned them three nines, three points away from a perfect score.
Despite their strong fanbase, he and Demyx had yet to get a perfect score. They'd gotten a twenty-nine for their Samba, but that was still one point away from thirty.
And if they didn't get a full score now, Zexion would be miffed. Demyx would be miffed.
The Zexion fans would especially be miffed. Zexion and Demyx were no stranger to the fact that many of them complained that they were being underscored for the Samba (which earned them, also three nines).
"Ready?" Zexion breathed to Demyx.
Demyx looked Zexion in the eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded.
"Ready."
Here it was.
Now or never.
Both of them got on stage for their Contemporary routine. Zexion felt these nerves within him, but it wasn't because of the routine itself.
It was because he wanted to make sure it went right, for Demyx's sake. He'd based it off the guy's favourite story, after all! He didn't want to ruin it!
But he also knew that worrying wouldn't help. He had to focus on the dance, for Demyx. All they could do was try their best.
And so he did focus on dancing with Demyx. Not that it was too hard to do so, of course. They'd been dancing for weeks by now.
It felt so easy, perfect. Zexion had even incorporated a couple of lifts in the routine, and Demyx's steady hands held him high at the right times.
It felt like he was really flying, with Demyx flying with him.
As they held each other at the end of the routine, curled up together, the audience roared. Zexion smiled, looking to Demyx—
Just in time for Demyx to kiss him on the forehead.
This elicited several "awwwsss" from the audience, and Zexion's face went red. The judges and the host thankfully didn't seem to catch them in the act, however, and did judging without any comment on it.
As they waited in the dressing room for their scores afterwards, Zexion looked to Demyx, taking a deep breath.
"Demyx?"
"Yeah?" Demyx was once again guzzling a bottle of water. It made Zexion wonder how the hell he drank all that water and not have to pee constantly.
"That kiss you gave me on the forehead, um," Zexion felt his face flush even more, "Was that just a spur of the moment thing….?"
"Uh…" It was Demyx's turn to go red. "Well, uh, kinda. I probably should've asked, huh?"
"Well, yeah, but, uh…um." Zexion shut his mouth, trying to compose himself. He hated how he got so flustered around the other man, really. This was the awkwardness that lingered between them. Or maybe it was just Zexion projecting his own awkwardness onto Demyx, he wasn't sure.
"Wait, wait." Demyx's eyes widened. "Do…do you have a total crush on me?"
"Yes."
The word escaped Zexion's lips before he could stop them. Now here it came—what would Demyx think? He didn't care what the fans thought, or what anyone else thought right now, but…what about Demyx?
Demyx swallowed, closed his eyes, then opened them again, before speaking.
"Zexy…I like you, too. In the same crush kind of way."
It took ten seconds for Zexion to fully process that before screaming.
"What!?"
The flashing of scores on the screen didn't snap Zexion out of his shock, even though it was a perfect score.
"H-how long have you…had the crush…? I-I only realized it during the past week but I think I felt it for a while even before that—"
"Since Week One." Demyx supplied, breaking into chuckles. "Oh my gosh, Zexion, the look on your face—!"
"Week One!?" The Pro's jaw dropped. "You're saying that you had a crush on me since Week One?"
"Yes!" Demyx fist-pumped the air, before running his hand through his now-messy blond hair. "I mean, I didn't want to tell you at first, because I wasn't sure how awkward that would get, but then the fans started shipping us and then that got even more awkward for me at least, and…"
"And so you didn't tell me until now, because you didn't want to get the fans' hopes up or make me uncomfortable." Zexion finished.
"Exactly."
Wow.
That…suddenly explained a lot. No wonder Demyx hadn't gone too much beyond fangirling at Zexion's own dancing. He'd been holding back for Zexion's comfort.
"Well, Demyx," Zexion managed, "I think it's safe to say that you…can stop holding back so much on the affection."
"Sweet!"
With that, Demyx wrapped him in a bear hug. Zexion's face flushed red, but at least he wasn't squished to death this time around.
"Does this make us boyfriends?" Demyx asked, after a few moments of still-hugging Zexion.
Zexion could only chuckle, wrapping his arms around him in return as well as he could.
"I think it does."
It was the last week of finals, with three dances. Demyx and Zexion did their best to hold back on too much affection, for the sake of the cameramen and because they needed to focus on rehearsing their Redemption Jive and the Freestyle, but it was hard to.
Why?
Because of the Zemyx fans.
OH MY GOSH THAT FOREHEAD KISS THO
THEY'RE SO CUTE
ZEMYX FOREVER
VOTE SO THEY MAKE IT TO THE FINALE AND SO WE CAN SEE THEIR CUTE FACES
WILL THEY KISS!?
"Dem?"
"Yeah?"
"What have we done?"
"I feel like this is my fault."
"Honestly, it's probably my fault as much as yours that they're going wild."
"Yeah, probably."
Both of them laughed at that.
"Zexy?"
"Yeah, Dem?"
"I'm gonna miss you after it's over. Just…dancing in this competition with you."
Zexion offered Demyx a reassuring grin. "Even after this is over…if you wanna dance with me, Demyx, all you have to do is ask."
Demyx smiled back at him. "..Thanks, Zexion."
The Redemption Jive, beach-themed and featuring more shirtless Zexion and Demyx, got a perfect score from the judges. Zexion was pleased, especially since they did not fall this time compared to the last Jive they did.
However, now came the big Freestyle. It was going to be a high-energy Jazz freestyle with some Tap dance incorporated, a lot of fancy footwork, and a lot of fun. Because Demyx was all of those things—he had the energy, the footwork, and the fun.
So why not celebrate that? The Freestyle was meant to show off the result of Demyx's journey. And Zexion couldn't think of a better way to pull it off than through something like this.
Another perfect score followed, and the crowd went wild. Demyx and Zexion hugged each other, Demyx squealing with excitement. Zexion felt like he was on a high—not just from the dance, but from the perfect scores and Demyx hugging him right now.
Zexion, tightly, hugged Demyx back, and the fans went even wilder.
"The support is insane!"
"I know, oh my god, look! Look, they're basically saying we should get married!"
"Whoa, whoa, we just confessed our crushes a week ago!" Zexion's face flushed. "Look, Demyx, I love dancing with you and I love your hugs and I love your shirtless body and your energy, but….let's not rush this?"
Demyx awkwardly chuckled. "Yeah, don't worry. Just hugs for now."
"Thanks."
Ever since they confessed their crushes to each other at the semifinals, Zexion sensed him and Demyx feeling a lot closer. And that was nice, because he felt that that closeness was getting into their dancing, and that meant more chemistry.
He and Demyx did have quite the chemistry, didn't they?
Odd, Zexion thought, given how I thought he was pretty unexpected.
He almost wanted to thank Namine for getting an injury, or else he never would have danced with Demyx in the first place.
The last dance of the competition—a twenty-four hour combo. Cha-cha-cha and Tango being combined, specifically.
Zexion was a tad worried, mainly because he and Demyx had never done Cha-cha-cha on the show before. The tango moves were fine, but they had to work on the footwork for Cha-cha-cha a bit.
But they were also exhausted from their earlier Freestyle and Redemption Jive, and so they collapsed on the floor together.
"I got a crazy idea," Demyx breathed.
Zexion turned his head to face him, laying on the floor beside him. "What is it?"
"We camp here for the night and rehearse in the morning."
"Camp here?" Zexion repeated. "Demyx, we don't have a bed. Or a blanket, even. I don't think that's going to work…"
"Huh." Demyx frowned. "Good point." His eyes then lit up. "But we can try, right?"
Zexion debated about how good or bad this might be.
Then he decided, to hell with it.
"Let's do it."
They woke up in the morning to feeling quite sweaty, in need of a shower, and in definite need of breakfast.
The two quickly went back to the hotel they'd been staying at (separate rooms of course) to shower, going out for breakfast afterwards before heading straight back to rehearsing.
During the break, Demyx and Zexion watched the music video for the song they were dancing to.
Demyx proceeded to squeal over the cute couple in said music video.
"Zexy? Can we wear prince costumes when doing this?"
Zexion hummed, looking from the video to Demyx. "I don't know if the costume department would let us do that on short notice…"
"They have to have something that's about our sizes, right? It doesn't have to be custom-made."
"True, but I'm not sure if they have anything that fits…your height."
"Aww, shucks."
Zexion chuckled, and ruffled Demyx's hair (or at least tried to). "Don't worry. You're already a prince as is."
Zexion got that responded to with a kiss on the cheek that left him with flushing cheeks for the rest of rehearsal.
Demyx and Zexion held hands as they waited to be announced for the final dance.
"Dem?"
Demyx looked to Zexion, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, Zexy?"
"After this is over, regardless of us winning or not…" Zexion paused, swallowing, before speaking. "Do you wanna…go out to lunch with me, tomorrow?"
Demyx smiled, knowing too well that they were a thing. And that they might have to announce it at some point (though maybe not until after the competition was over at least). And he loved dancing with Zexion, and he knew Zexion loved him, too.
"Yeah. We can do lunch."
He got responded to that with a kiss on the cheek from Zexion, right before they were announced to go onstage for their very last dance.
After the last dance, moments after they were announced as the winners, Zexion and Demyx decided 'to hell with keeping it hidden' and smooched live on television, regardless of the fans and everyone else watching.
Maybe it was an unexpected partnership, for themselves and for everyone watching, but it was a partnership that they wanted to last for a long, long time.
Author note: I have a playlist for all the songs I imagined them dancing to, and they are the following!
Tango—"Hit The Lights" by Selena Gomez
Jive—"Wonderland" by Alex Carpenter + Jason Munday
Quickstep—"Phantom" by Nathan Sharp (a.k.a. Natewantstobattle)
Argentine Tango—"Applause" by Lady Gaga (Sam Tsui's cover)
Foxtrot—"You're Welcome" from the Disney movie "Moana," sung by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Samba—"Follow The Leader" by Jennifer Lopez ft. Wisin + Yandel
Paso Doble— "Running Guns" by Alyssa Reid
Contemporary—"Neverland" (Lost Boys Remix) by VanLadyLove
Redemption Jive—"Kiss You" by One Direction
Freestyle—"Jump Up, Super Star!" by The Super Mario Players ft. Kate Davis
Cha-cha-cha/Tango—"Don't Wait" by Joey Graceffa
Thank you so much for reading the fic, and Happy Zemyx Day and Pride Month! XD