#anyway. small detail you may have missed: the performer announcmenet is given in french because the world circus org originates in monaco

[allsassnoclass]

19 & 57 for the 100 ways to say i love you prompt list? whichever pairing you vibe with for it 😊 -💙

okay roll with me here blue heart but let me give you some context for this. michael and luke are part of a youth circus. michael is an acrobat. luke is an aerialist. this is part of a larger universe that has not been written yet but this prompt said muke and i've been thinking too much about youth circuses lately.  there is not a festival for world circus day yet but if there was. whoo boy. it sure would be something.

muke: “Can I hold your hand?” and " There is enough room for both of us.”

The circus festival is huge.

Logically Michael knew that it would be, since it's the first World Circus Day festival and over 100 circus groups signed up, but it's still shocking to get to the festival space and see all of the people and tents.  They've been here for three days already and performed five times, but it's still boggling his mind.

Luke seems equally mystified but a lot more excited, so when he invites Michael to go exploring with him after their morning hand balance routine he accepts eagerly.  They've changed out of costume but haven't wiped off their makeup yet, but Luke is bouncing on his toes and already chattering excitedly about all of the other performances and booths they could hit, so Michael decides to forgo the makeup wipes.  Besides, Luke looks good in glitter, even if circus makeup is ridiculous and big.  Everyone else here is wearing it, so they're not going to stick out or anything.

At least, Michael won't.  Luke draws eyes naturally, especially when he's in the air.  He's the only aerialist that makes Michael want to stop being so scared of heights.

There are dozens of other performances happening simultaneously around the grounds, but Luke bypasses the offers of maps and a program and dives into the crowd instead.  Michael almost loses him immediately in the press of other people, and when he pushes through the bodies and finds Luke again Michael immediately snatches for his hand.  Luke startles, but doesn't pull his hand away, and Michael's stomach swoops like it did the first time he truly gained height on the Russian swing.

"Can I hold your hand?" he asks.  "It's too crowded.  I don't want to get separated."

"Oh," Luke says, face still flushed like it was right after they finished performing.  "Yeah, good idea."

He readjusts their grip, threading their fingers together, then tugs Michael forward again.

They find another performance soon enough, some contortionists from Sweden on a platform twisting around each other.  They watch for a few minutes, but Luke is still bitter that he's not flexible enough to be a contortionist so they move on quickly.  A sword swallower is next, which they watch for longer and with equal parts fascination and disgust.  Danger acts like that aren't taught at their school, and Michael wants to look away but can't find it in himself to.

"How does he do that?" he asks.  He's not sure if he wants to know.

Luke shrugs.  His face is doing something weird, a grimace mixed with curiosity, and they clap enthusiastically when the performer finishes but don't stick around to see what he does next.

Luke takes his hand before they move on.  Michael doesn't let himself read into it, because it's still crowded and Michael really doesn't want to get separated.

There's a Capezio tent, so Luke makes them stop because his are wearing out and he wants to see how much variety is here rather than at their local dance store.  Michael actually should see about ordering another pair before the fall session starts, but his don't have any holes in them yet so it should be fine.  His teeterboard shoes still work and that's all that really matters to him, anyway.

Luke is delighted by the fact that they have more colors than tan, white, and black, but there's not much to see when they're not going to buy anything and they quickly move on.

There's a booth selling cotton candy.  Michael immediately buys some and offers Luke a bite.  He takes some of the fluff and pops it in his mouth, then complains about how his fingers are sticky from just one touch.  For a split second Michael considers doing something ridiculous and gross like offer to lick the sugar off his fingers, but he catches himself and tries not to turn a noticeable shade of red.  Thankfully, Luke is already scouting out their next stop.

The next stop happens to be one of the larger tents on the grounds.  Luke grabs Michael's hand again and beelines for it, stopping short outside and checking his phone for the time, then the schedule for when the next act will be.

"Come on, we're just in time!" he says, pulling Michael into the tent.  He wants to ask what they're just in time for, but the two straps hanging from the ceiling give him a pretty good idea.  At least it's not high wire.  Michael's heart still hasn't recovered from watching Ashton do that without a net, even though he knows that he had a harness.

"I think I see some spots over there," Luke says, pulling him along again.  They pass by other audience members to get to one of the benches near the middle.  The woman near the end scoots over a little when she sees them coming and Luke beams.

"Come on, there's enough room for both of us," he says, plopping down.  He may be right, but barely.  If Michael wants to fully fit on the bench, he has to sit pressed fully against Luke from shoulder to knee.

Luke also hasn't let go of his hand yet, which Michael definitely is still not reading into.  Nope.  No reading happening here.  In fact, Michael is illiterate.

Luke squeezes his hand excitedly when the audience lights dim and the stage lights come up, a voice announcing the performers and country of origin in French, English, and what's probably Russian, given that that's where the performers are from.  Luke watches with rapt attention as two men enter the ring, then the music begins and they start their routine, full of lifts, tricks, and impressive displays of strength.  If Harry and Louis had been a bit stronger, Michael thinks that the duo straps routine from last year's summer show probably would've looked a little like this.  It's impressive, but what's more impressive is the way the stage slight still shimmer off of Luke's makeup and the delighted laugh he gives when the performers do something he hadn't predicted.  He's completely reeled in, smile wide and eyes lighting up like fireworks with each trick.  Watching his reaction is almost better than watching the performance itself, although Michael would never tell him that.  Luke gets offended every time Michael reminds him that aerial acts aren't for everyone.

"Did you see that?" Luke asks excitedly, leaning closer with his eyes fixed on the arena.  He glances at Michael and stops when their faces are about an inch away.

"What?" Michael asks.

Luke's smile shifts into something softer.

"I think they're getting to the finale," he says instead of actually replying.  "You should pay attention."

He turns his gaze back to the performers, hand flexing in Michael's grip.  Michael looks back at the ring where the performers are holding each other up in the air.  He still finds himself in tune with Luke's reactions more than the performance, noticing every sharp intake of breath and relaxed exhale when a trick lands.

When the performance ends, Luke finally detaches their hands to clap.  Michael tries not to mourn the loss.

"Do you want to keep watching these guys?" Luke asks, leaning close to be heard over the cheering.  "I think they have a few more routines, but acrobats from the Chinese State Circus are going to perform at the East Tent soon.  I only really wanted to see the straps routine, anyway."

"Do you have the whole festival memorized?" Michael asks.

"Just the things I thought you'd want to see," Luke says.  "Also, Lena is here, so Ashton wants all of us to see her German wheel routine and say hi, so we're going to do that in the afternoon."

"Oh," Michael says, still stuck on the fact that Luke specifically looked up the things he thought Michael would like.

"Come on," Luke says, nudging him towards the entrance.  "Let's go see the Chinese State Circus."

Once they get outside, Luke takes his hand again.

They pass by a trapeze set up on the way to the East Tent, and Michael's stomach swoops when he looks up and sees the performers so high above them.  Luke just continues pulling them forward, though, and Michael thinks that his feelings about heights are no match for the acrobatics his stomach does when Luke glances back and smiles at him.