Author's Note: Highly recommend viewing this video first:

youtube watch?v=uvqiSCH8C3g (ffn doesn't let me type full links in, so just type that into google video search.)

"John, we're going to be running Dancing Through Life today," James said, coming up to stand in front of the sound board, "And it's a tricky one for floor mics. In the beginning, Sherlock throws a lot of books on the floor, so be watching the levels."

"I can do that."

"And you'll need Kelly on her toes in case a book knocks one over."

"I'm on it, sir." Kelly said, saluting with a smile.

"Awesome. Keep up the good work, guys." James turned toward the stage where actors stood milling around, and spoke into his handheld, "Alright guys, let's take it from the top of Dancing Through Life. I only want to run the beginning, though. I'll let you know when I want to stop."

Actors scrambled in all directions to take their places. Some stood around, some lounged on the statue in the center of the stage, but all had their noses in a book. Nick was already up on the catwalk, and Kelly was now sprinting to get under the stage. Jessica, however, volunteered to stay behind and watch the board with John. "You just want to watch Sherlock perform for the first time."

"I told you, I want to see what all the hype is about." Jessica stuck her tongue out at him.

"Let's take it from 'Biq do you know who that is?'." James said, sitting down next to Brandy in the front row. "Ready when you are."

Mary gasped loudly on stage. "Biq do you know who that is? That's Fiyero Tiggular. The Winkie Prince who's reputation is so scandalacious!" She rushed over to where Sherlock was standing on stage. "Looking for something? Or," She tossed her hair, "Someone?"

"Uhh.. yeah. History class? I don't know.. somewhere?"

Sean pointed his fellow actor in the opposite direction of Mary and said, "The history building is way over that way, my friend."

Mary quickly grabbed him and spun him back. "But that class just ended."

Sherlock looked relieved. "Perfect timing! So what do you do for fun around here?"

Mary got closer to him. "Nothing really... Until now."

Sean stepped between them. "We've been studying."

Sherlock put an arm around his shoulder and said, "Well, it looks like once again the responsibility to corrupt my fellow students falls to me. Fortunately, I'm up to the task." Then, Sherlock began to sing. "The trouble with schools is, they always try to teach the wrong lesson. Believe me, I've been kicked out of enough of them to know. They want you to become less callow, less shallow. But I say why invite stress in? Stop studying strife," Sherlock tossed Sean's book and when it hit, a mic hissed, causing John to look down and try to fix it.

"And learn to live, the unexamined, life. Dancing through life, skimming the surface, gliding where turf is smooth." When John looked back up, Sherlock was dancing across the stage as effortlessly as possible. Every move he made flowed gracefully into the next with no stutters or hitches. Like a stone on water, he skipped across the floor to his next mark. "Life's more painless, for the brainless. Why think too hard? When it's so soothing dancing through life. No need to tough it, when you can slough it off as I do! Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters. It's just life, so keep dancing through..."

The music was picking up now, and John found himself captivated, caught in the gravity of Sherlock's performance. He watched, dazzled, as the actor's hard lines turned to fluid edges and back again. Over and over like a dance streamer, as he sang with gathering intensity. "Dancing through life, swaying and sweeping, and always keeping cool. Life is fraught-less, for the thoughtless. Those who don't try, never look foolish. Dancing through life, mindless and careless, make sure you wear less trouble and strife! Woes are fleeting, blows are glancing. When you're dancing through life!" This last note he belted and held as he leaned back and practically hung upside down from the statue prop. Then, he jumped down smoothly and slung and arm around Mary. "So, what's the most swank-i-fied place in town?"

John hadn't realized that he'd moved his chair forward so he could lean his head on his hand, but right at that moment, his elbow slipped from the ledge he had rested it on and smashed into the sound board. The annoying sound of feedback rang through the auditorium and the stage came to a screeching halt before Mary could say her line.

"That's alright." James said, "That's where I wanted to stop anyway. But, if that happens during a real performance, don't you dare stop."

"John, what was that?" Jessica said, crossing her arms and giving him and playful, scolding look.

Busted. John felt his cheeks warm from embarrassment. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Should I clarify?" John didn't respond. Jessica was smiling as she poked him in the side and said, "I'm talking about you drooling all over the freakin' equipment the past few minutes before drawing a shit ton of attention to yourself by causing feedback. All because you fancy-" Jessica shut up very quickly just then.

Sherlock was making his way up through the rows of audience seating towards them. "That wasn't my mic, was it? That had all that feedback?" Jessica tried to stifle her laughter behind her hand, but was failing. "What's funny?"

"Nothing, just an inside thing." John still didn't look up from the sound board. "It was a technical error on my part back here, you're fine." Jessica was laughing harder than ever now.

Sherlock looked at her. "Aren't you normally backstage? Why are you here?" Sherlock asked, annoyed, before stomping off.

Jessica waited until he was out of earshot before she went back to teasing John. "Oh you so fancy him." She turned her headset on so Nick and Kelly could hear, "John's in love, guys."

"He gets it!" Kelly said, laughing. "Hooray!"

"Ah, amore." Nick said briefly.

"I hate you guys." John said. "Can we seriously drop it? I don't appreciate the teasing."

Jessica patted him on the back. "I'm sorry, John. But, in all seriousness, are you going to ask him out?"

"What? No."

"Why not?"

"Are you kidding me? He's a Broadway actor, on his way to being the next Idina Menzel, and I'm just a tech crew member. He's got a lot better options than me, and he's probably got his eye on one of them already. Plus, how do we even know he's gay? We don't. There's too many reasons for him to say no, and I'm not going to face that kind of rejection again. I'm just going to sit here in my fantasy bubble and pretend that none of this exists."

"You're boring." John shrugged. "And you said you're not going to face that rejection again? What happened before? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't to."

"I fancied a guy in my first year in Uni. He played football and was also in my theater appreciation class. I was really sure he liked me back, but when I asked him out, he not only turned me down, but made it public. He got his teammates to mock me, etc. It was an awful semester, and I was heart broken. I mean, Sherlock doesn't seem like the kind of guy to taunt me for something like that, but I'm not going to embarrass myself like that again."

"Well, who knows. Maybe he'll ask you out." John shrugged. "Would you say yes if he did?" John's cheeks turned red again this set off another round of giggles in Jessica.