Chapter Text
The studio lights were never kind to Megan, but today, it felt as if they were mocking her.
Megan could see everything.
Every mistake, every imbalance, and even every fraction of a second that her body moved more than it was meant to.
The lights overhead hummed softly, vibrating in a way that only she would notice. She did, in fact, she noticed everything.
“Five, six, seven, eight-“ Sophia’s voice boomed across the room.
Once music filled the room again, bass started thudding through the floor, the speaker causing the room to vibrate.
Megan inhaled slowly, grounded her body the way she had taught herself to the past years.
Pain and control.
She took a stray breath, before beginning the choreography.
She matched her breathing to the count, tucking the extra energy within her in her ribs.
As she continued, she couldn’t help but notice Daniela in front of her, ponytail swinging as she hit the choreography with quick precision.
Megan followed, steps clean and effortless. She reined herself in, consciously softening the power in her movements.
Still, Daniella glanced back.
It wasn’t obvious enough, just a flicker of attention, as if she had felt a change in the air.
“Again” The music stopped abruptly, Sophia standing by the speaker, her hand on her hips.
“Come on, guys, our tour starts in a few weeks, we NEED to be in sync” She was using her leader voice.
Calm and steady, and practically impossible to argue with, “Let’s go from the top”
Groans echoed lightly throughout the room
“Again?” Yoonchae whined dramatically, collapsing against Lara’s shoulder, “We’ve done this like, 50 times”
Lara laughed, brushing her off, “Still aren’t used to rehearsal?” Her smile beamed at Yoonchae, “Come on, we got this, girl”.
Manon leaned against the wall, watching their reflections with an amused expression.
She always did that, she was observant and cautious.
Megan never tried to stare directly at her
The six reset into their positions once more, “Gabriella, from the top” Sophia repeated, standing at the front,
“We can do this” Megan wasn’t sure if Sophia was reassuring herself, or all of them.
She’d noticed that the group’s pressure had been put primarily on Sophia, being the leader and all, and nobody but her had noticed that Sophia’s demeanor was slowly starting to crack.
Megan felt the energy through her body, as the music started.
The hum through her skin, the pull that made her muscles want to move faster and harder.
She swallowed, her jaw subconsciously tightening, and forced herself to remain in position.
As they danced again, Megan’s mind raced with the same two thoughts,
“Perfect timing, Perfect control”
“Okay,” Dani said breathlessly as the music cut off. She turned, her hands on her knees, grinning, “Can we PLEASE talk about how Megan made that look so perfect?”
Megan froze, feeling all their gazes go to her, before changing her expression into something more neutral, her hand rubbing the back of her neck,
“H-huh?”
“You hit all those moves so cleanly, and you having even broken a sweat” Dani continued, laughing, “ I swear, it’s like you’re not even human”
There it was.
Megan forced a laugh, sharper than she intended it to be, “You’re so dramatic”
Sophia shot Daniela a look, not a warning, but something similar, “Guys, focus”
“I am focused” Daniela said easily, straightening her posture. She glanced back at Megan again, eyes lingering longer this time, “Just impressed”.
Something warm and dangerous coiled in Megan’s chest. She looked away.
If Daniela had noticed, she clearly didn’t comment
————————————
They ran the choreography again.
And again.
Sweat was soaking through Megan’s shirt, but her breathing remained steady. Her heart beat slower then it should have after this much exercise
By the time Sophia had finally called for another break, Megan’s nails were indenting crescents in her palms
“Ten minutes!!” Sophia exclaimed loudly, “Hydrate!”
Yoonchae fell onto the floor in a heap, “I think I’m dying.” Her tank top was a symbol of her gnarly workout
“You say that all the time” Manon replied, giggling while handing her a water bottle
Lara sat down beside Megan, who had found her spot against the mirror, “You alright? You’re quiet today”
Megan started opening her water bottle, carefully, “Yeah, just tired” She tried to muster a smile
She looked back up at Lara, who was studying her with soft eyes, “You’ve..been saying that a lot..”
She shrugged, “I’ve been locked in, what can I say?”
“Mmm”
Lara hummed, unconvinced, but she was willing to let it go
Across the studio, Dani stretched, her arms over her head. Megan tried not to watch, and failed immediately
Dani caught her looking, and smiled. A private one just for her
Megan’s heart skipped a beat. It felt like something out of an AO3 fic
She got up, and turned away quickly, knocking into Sophia
“Oh shit, sorry!” Megan stuttered, quickly
Sophia stared at her questioningly, “You good?”
“I’m fine” She turned the other way. Sophia didn’t argue. She never did when Megan used that tone of voice
She made a mental note anyways.
————————————
Later, in the break room, everyone was sitting at the table, talking to each other.
Yoonchae was retelling some story Mega only half-listened to, her attention split between Yoonchae’s animated expressions, and the way her skin felt too tight
She adjusted her position, her towel draped around her neck, head bowed down.
“Hello? Earth to Megan?” Dani, snapped her fingers lightly in front of her face, to her surprise
Megan looked up, her face close to Dani’s. She smelled of sweat and citrus shampoo, her heartbeat steady and warm.
Megan’s senses flared instinctively, and she had to clamp her nails down on her thigh to keep her pupils from blowing wide
“What?”
Daniela tilted her head, “You zoned out. Again.”
“Sorry.” She looked back down
“You don’t have to apologize every time,” Daniela said, softer now, tilting Megan’s chin back up to look at her, before sitting beside Megan, shoulders brushing,
“Look, if something’s wrong-“ Her hand started going towards Megan’s thigh
It’s like time was slow for a moment, inhaling as she stared at Dani’s hand.
She knew her body would freak out if they touched.
“Nothing’s wrong.“ Megan said immediately
Dani pulled her hand back, raising an eyebrow, “Are you sure?”
Megan stood abruptly, “I just-I need some air.”
She didn’t wait for a response
————————————
The hallway outside the studio was quiet, lights dimmed. Megan leaned against the wall, eyes closed, her breathing measured.
Three weeks.
Three weeks till the next full moon.
She was practically fucked for the tour.
Her phone buzzed on her pocket. A message from Sophia, questioning where she was.
Megan swallowed hard, and didn’t reply
She pushed off the wall and headed towards the exit. Slipping into the cool air, relief washed over her instantly
She always felt good being outside, as if she always belonged
The city hummed with cars and distant music. She could hear it all without even trying
For a second, she let herself feel it
Then, she heard footsteps behind her, straightening herself
“Megan”
Daniela.
Megan stiffened, “You shouldn’t be out here alone”
Dani laughed lightly, “You’re saying that as if I’M the one sneaking off”
They stood awkwardly, “You were AMAZING today” Dani said finally, “You always are”
Megan looked down at her hands, sighing, “You don’t know the half of it”
“Then tell me” Dani stepped closer
For a beat, Megan genuinely considered it. The truth pressed against her ribs, sharp and ached
“I can’t” She shocked her head, turning back
Dani searched her face, disappointment flickering, before being replaced by softness, “Okay, but..I’m not going anywhere without you.”
Megan turned back, meeting her gaze then, something dark twisted inside her again
“That’s what’s scaring me” She whispered
Dani didn’t hear her. Or maybe she did, brushed it off, and chose not to push
They stood together under the streetlight, and somewhere above, hidden behind the clouds,
The moon waited.