I will note that this is a complete work of fantasy. This story is set in a completely fictional world. It is just a flight of my fancy. Please feel free to email me at moonlitrain@protonmail.com with feedback, comments and suggestions!
Chapter Six - Falling
In the mad rush of my new relationship with Kenton, there had still been commissions to do and art to make. The performance of the ballet for which I'd drawn the program portraits was approaching. I was doubly thankful for the work because not only had it resulted in payment, but it had first brought me and Kenton together. Now I was going over the printer's proofs and ensuring that everything would be ready for the final assembly. I had shown my dancer his portrait while it was still just a drawing and had received a lush kiss in thanks. I was excited to show him the final result and the ballet's director had invited me to watch them rehearse. There was a month to go still and I'd barely seen Kenton, so intense had his dance schedule been.
I was deeply thrilled to be able to see the one I loved doing what fired his artistic passion. I hadn't wanted to ask him if I could attend for several reasons. The first was that I didn't want to embarrass him. The second was that my friend who had first taken me to see him dance had warned me off, out of supposed concern for Kenton's focus. Thankfully she was in no position to prevent me from going as an invited guest. I wasn't about to let anyone keep me from showing support for Kenton.
I stepped into the theatre with my heart racing at the thought of watching Kenton in his element. I had always had an appreciation for dance as an art form and the sheer physical beauty that my dancer possessed only added to the feeling of joy that suffused me as I took my seat. The dancers were all stretching and warming up on the stage, starting the process of readying themselves to perform. I could see Kenton's lithe, lean form as he prepared his finely honed body for what was to come. A flash of our naked forms intertwined, drowning in pleasure passed through my brain as I watched him move.
Now their dance director came on stage and the dancers circled her, having all finished their preparations. I felt the electric energy in the air, crackling between the dancers as they drew closer to fulfilling their passion for what was to come. There's something intoxicating about watching passionate dancers, artists or musicians about to express themselves and their love for what they do. Now the dancers spread out, ready to work on their various pieces of the performance.
I enjoyed watching each dancer work on their solo parts, but my full attention was drawn to Kenton as he began to work on the graceful leaps that would carry him upward. Seeing a dancer in full flight is a truly breathtaking experience as they briefly defy gravity. It is stunning to watch the combination of grace and power that goes into the process of a dancer taking flight.
Everything was smoothly proceeding until Kenton launched himself upward once more. His trajectory seemed alright, but when he landed he staggered forward one step, trying to correct himself and gave a yelp of pain. He went to one knee on the stage and my heart seized in my chest.
The other dancers and the director began to converge on hm rapidly and I, without thinking, stood and ran down the aisle and up onto the stage. Getting injured is a part of dance but there's always a concern that the injury could impact a dancer's career. Better training methods and treatments mean that injuries are far less worrisome than they once were, but the risk remains regardless. My heart was racing as I reached Kenton, seeing him clutching his ankle and groaning. The sound of the one for whom I felt so deeply in pain was wrenching.
However as the other dancers and the director poked, prodded and examined Kenton's ankle, it became clear that he'd likely sustained an ankle sprain. It seemed more serious than some, but the director seemed to relax as she examined him. Eventually it was determined that they ought to send him to get his ankle checked out by the doctor used by the dance company. Tensors were quickly produced and Kenton's ankle was bound up. One of the other dancers handed him an ice pack and I offered to help him off the stage and get him settled. As he stood gingerly, I slid an arm underneath his and helped support him. He leaned against me and I felt his warmth and solidity. He leaned into me and whispered softly, "Thank you Steven. I feel so stupid now, I shouldn't make amateur mistakes like that at this point. Shit!"
I whispered back gently. "Don't beat yourself up, sweetie. It was an accident. We'll get you set up and I'm sure your brother will come get you. I'd offer to drive you home but I think that now might not be the time to meet your family."
In spite of his discomfort, he chuckled softly. "Nah I think we'd better wait for that."
Settling him into a chair and propping his foot up, I leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Call me when you get home huh? I'll be waiting."
I wished that I could sit with him, just to hold his hand and support him but I had no desire to subject him to awkward questions from his family and the other dancers. Ruefully I drifted away and headed back out to my car.
In spite of assurances that he'd had a nasty sprain, but no more I found it difficult to concentrate on my work for the rest of the day. As is often the case, once an idea takes root in my brain, it's a bit of a challenge to dislodge it. I replayed the way Kenton fell, the pain written across his features and the surge of panic that seized my heart when I saw him on the stage. I imagined an even more catastrophic injury and what that might do.
The thoughts would rise in my mind and I'd push them away, but they were persistent and lingering. I found myself musing about Kenton's wider future. Dance is unforgiving and careers can be short, I hoped that he was considering what he might do once the inevitable happened. I knew that choreography, coaching and other dance-related jobs were possible but when one's young, many of these considerations don't get made. Hell I was young too, but 25 seemed a great deal older than 18 at the moment.
All of my rambling musings came to a halt when my phone flashed Kenton's number. I answered and heard his sonorous and soothing voice. I asked, "How's it feeling? When do you see the doctor?"
I was amazed by his calm reply. "Oh it's not very comfortable but it'll be okay. I had a stress fracture of my foot last year and that healed quicker than I expected. I just wanna know how much ligament damage was done. The biggest problem is that it can become unstable. I don't think this I the most serious sprain I've ever seen. It just pisses me off mostly."
I asked him how he managed to stay so cool and I could picture his wry smile as he replied. "One of us has to be the calm one and it sure ain't you."
I had to laugh because he was already becoming more perceptive about my character in the short time that we'd known each other. I felt a sudden and deep surge of affection for this beautiful, charming and incredibly talented human being. "It's true Kenton. I...I love you."
There was a pause that seemed to me to stretch out and out, although it was really only a matter of seconds. "I love you too, Steven. I really do."
After we ended the call with promises to speak again later, I sat staring out the window of my apartment. Time had both compressed and extended in this relationship. We were moving rapidly on one hand and on the other, it seemed that our time together felt less fleeting and more substantial. Our bond of both physical and emotional intensity was being cemented and reinforced as we continued to grow our relationship and a part of me was dreaming of a much longer and more powerful connection that could grow between us.
My usual rationality was coming up for a challenge at the moment. I knew that the likelihood of a long relationship growing between us wasn't that high but I didn't care. I was happier than I had been for a very long time and it was all due to Kenton and the fine filigree of connections that intertwined between us. At least I had a sense of hope with him, a feeling that what we had wasn't empty or meagre. Unlike so many of the hookups and other flimsy connections I'd had, this was strong and fully realized.
I will stop here and leave you with the fact that Kenton and I were shortly to learn how his momentary setback could provide us with a rather exciting series of possibilities for play.