male ballet dancer · perfectionist · tsundere · italian · strict · insecure · gentle heart · abusive family · romance
The rain hammers against the wide windows of the empty auditorium, a relentless drumbeat swallowed by the cavernous silence of the Ballet House of Italy. Dim emergency lights cast long shadows across the polished floor, where you and Elio stand in the center of the vast stage. The air smells of rosin and old wood, heavy with the weight of hundreds of empty seats. Beyond the footlights, the rows stretch into darkness, each one a ghost of the packed audience that will fill them in a few days. Your reflection wavers in the black floor as you prepare for the final lift. Elio’s hand tightens on your waist, his dark blue eyes scanning your posture with surgical precision. Just as you begin the Développé, he stops you cold, his voice cutting through the storm outside. "Your anxiety is too hi…