Staff got to her when the platform vanished deep into the darkness.
The moment she'd stepped off there were towels dabbing at her temples and brushes across her face. But Amber stumbled loosely, a technician was in her face talking and questioning. What's wrong Sieon? What happened? Are you okay?
God, she didn't know, how the fuck would she know if she was okay? There were bottles of water pushed against her chest, then icepacks rubbed against her skin, someone tugged at her clothes wanting it off. She pushed them all away with a heavy grunt, but someone took her hand. The smell of wood was thick in the air, and it fell in motes of dust and heat.
The stage was vibrating, and she could hear the beginning of Ezra's solo. The thumps of the dancers' feet led to the quaking of the stage above her head. MinJae held her shoulders, his attempt to stabilize her, his eyes sweeping over her face. He looked her over once, then twice.
"Are you okay Sieon?"
What?
Her nose scrunched in confusion and she wanted to explain. But his brow tightened, and he shook his head, eyes sweeping to the coordinators, the technicians, staff that seemed frightened for her. Oh, they couldn't know. They weren't supposed to know to protect her identity, to protect their reputation.
The amount of money they'd spent to protect her ass wasn't a small sum over the years, and she'd fucked up royally more than once. Perhaps this would top it all. She snapped her mouth shut and looked at MinJae. His lips pulled tight into a straight line and waved them off with a promise that Sieon just needed a break.
"Come on," MinJae pulled her to her feet, and people tried to help her up, but he assured them that he could handle it. They took a step back eyeing them both but giving him space. "Can you walk?" She nodded, stumbling, faltering but his grip was strong.
The lights pounded from above her as they walked, bent under scaffolding through a tunnel that only grew narrow. He held her hands, his fingers now smaller than before. Someone bumped into her, a bucket under one armpit and a tank of oxygen in another. The stranger smiled, shoving the mask against her face. It hissed, sprouting smoke, and she inhaled in shock, but MinJae took it away with a shake of his head.
"He's fine, just needs some rest, I'll talk to him."
The stranger seemed confused then brightened. "Need to pee?" Her brows raised when he lifted the bucket motioning to her fly, already his hands were reaching for his pants. "There's a lot of buttons I can take it off for you—"
"No, thanks we've got the time to walk there." MinJae pushed, shaking his head. "I'll take him there."
"If you say so," the staff bowed and left.
But instead of going straight ahead, MinJae turned to her this time, hushed as he pulled her to a corner in the darkness. He tucked her into the space between flashing lights and dark shadows, out of the path, between metal bars and shaking wood.
His hand left hers and he pulled it back into his pocket. She couldn't help herself, couldn't help her eyes from dancing down to his hands, distraught. He didn't want to touch Sieon, but she imagined it was her he didn't want. It was hard getting that thought out of her head.
"Do you actually need to pee?" MinJae asked quietly, looking around for people, fidgeting with his sleeves.
"You pee in buckets?"
"Yeah," he answered, licked his lips. "It's that or the nearest bin or a bottle…We'll take whatever we can get. Daniel asked because you-I was supposed to—" he cut himself off with a breathy laugh, albeit a little strained. "Forget it." She understood his panic now that she was freed from the spotlight.
"Sieon's main act, he had more than one song…"
"He's just got a couple more pieces, but it's okay." MinJae shrugged, but there was panic in the bite of teeth upon lip. He nibbled, then pressed a tongue to the corner of his mouth. "Ezra's got plenty in his head. He'll just rap something." He stared at her, eyes flickering with a strange emotion then glanced away. "Professionals don't think about what could have been perfected, we think about what can be fixed, so don't worry about it. He's got it covered, okay?"
"Okay," she rubbed her nose, and he patted her shoulders a little too manly for her liking. "God, Sieon's body is so strange."
"Yeah?" he smiled, and this time he wasn't so weird anymore, "changing bodies with you was wild." This time she couldn't help the embarrassed smile, withering at his words.
"Bad wild?"
"Don't get me wrong, baby." He looked alarmed, and the nickname came out easily when he was afraid of her emotions. "It was nauseating but…You—" he exhaled, scratching his upper lip, "you really hurt."
"It's a little disorienting." She agreed quickly. "The stretching skin, the changing sexual organs—"
"No, you're in a lot more pain than I thought you would be in."
"Pain?"
"You ache all over. Haven't you realised how much lighter Sieon's body must feel to you?"
"Oh." She hadn't realised too caught up in her panic she'd assumed this was all just adrenaline. "I couldn't tell, I'm used to it."
He hummed softly, leaning against the pole. "I'll rub your feet more when we get back, massage your back." This time his voice grew softer, but he pulled out his phone before she could meet his gaze, typing quickly. It didn't take a genius to know who he was talking to or what he was trying to solve.
"Rumiko?" she whispered, mouth going dry. Fuck, she had to be okay.
"She's fine, Sieon's called the nanny. Didn't want an accident happening while we're still trying to figure out what's going on," his eyes were glued to the screen. And she stared at him, at the glitter of eye shadow, and at the swell of full lips, the sharpness of his jawline, sexier with bronzer. "He's asking if you're okay."
"Tell him his pants are too tight," she tugged at her ass, "they're up his crack."
MinJae chuckled, a burst of a giggle fell through his lips, and she saw her MinJae for a second. And he seemed to notice her gaze, magnetic voice growing warm with exasperation. "God, this is so weird. You in his body, can't even kiss you even though I've wanted to for so long." His voice curled into a smooth flirty groan and her heart stuttered. "And that's not a wedgie, it's a dance belt, darling."
She smiled; anxiety soothed but her heart skipped three thousand beats. "You wouldn't kiss me in this body even with Sieon's consent?"
"Switch with Ezra and we'll talk." He murmured, but there was no husky lull in this voice when his eyes met hers. He patted her back like a good bro, his gaze snapping back to his phone. "But no, my handsome young soulmate. We aren't even a couple ship, and there's good reason for that."
"Can't get it up?" she teased a little hurt, but nothing too bad.
"I could, but this is a bro code I wouldn't cross." He dropped forward, taking her hand. "But this, this I can do. And this?" he wrapped her in a hug, patting her back wildly, it helped just a little and she curled into the crook of his neck, pressing her face against his skin. "This. I do all the time, including cuddles." Then he released as if she were fire and he were oil, shuddering just a little. "But it's weird with him, doesn't feel right."
"Am I too tall for you now?" She giggled, hand to her mouth, her fingers searching for his weak spots. But he pushed her away, hands not letting her close. And she felt just a little dejected, heart falling quickly. Right, she wasn't in a body he was attracted to.
"Everyone's watching," he said aloud, then whispered. "Try to act a little bit more like him if you can." That was his reason. "Just until the concert is over. And we get you back in your body, okay?"
"Fine."
"Then you can tickle me all you want."