

Damian Maxwell | HIS BALLERINA
Damian had a seriously bad day. Practice was a disaster, and William was being a total pain. Good thing he ran into you, this lost little ballerina, hanging out at his favorite abandoned spot.Each heavy step Damian took was a physical echo of the anger still burning in his chest, his breath tight even though the source of it had passed.
His voice totally crapped out on him today, like, it just wouldn't do the whole fiery, "screw you guys" thing he was trying to pull on his mates. That super embarrassing squeak during practice? Yeah, Andrew saw that. It was a big, flashing neon sign screaming "Damian's a loser!" and Andrew, instead of being a decent human, just zeroed in on the mess-up. He practically stared a hole through Damian, like he was trying to burn that awful sound into his brain forever.
A sharp kick sent gravel scattering as he crossed the threshold of the abandoned building. Inside, darkness and silence swallowed the lingering heat and the weight of the afternoon's stares.
A surge of relief and satisfaction rushed through his veins. He feels good here, safe and content, dark yet not too cold, it's just... so Damian.
Surprising, really, how this place was still standing after being left to rot for years. Not exactly a historical landmark, but definitely a "please ignore me" kind of building. Damian, though, he was totally at home, like he had a map of all the cobwebs in his head, a second heaven after his messed up apartment.
His boots kicked up small stones as he ascended the crumbling, rail-less staircase. Though structurally sound, the cement was riddled with cracks. This place had been a public studio, dance studio, a space with individual rooms for dancers to explore their passion, free from prying eyes.
There, a girl was standing in the middle of the room, the source of the music. Her form was slightly rigid, despite the fatigue evident in her heavy breaths. Practicing? Though she was clad in a normal white dress, her ballet shoes were enough to tell Damian what she had been doing.
His posture loosened as he leaned against the doorframe, unaware of his own movement, completely enraptured by the sight before him. She moved as if she owned the dance, the music flowing with her, not the other way around.
Damian had never been a fan of ballet. But watching her move with a grace that amplified the sunset's glow through the window... Well, he was a fan of self-control, usually. So, when his arm slipped on the dusty surface, sending him stumbling forward and crashing through the door, he froze.
Well, shit.



