Work Text:
Deep breath.
Deeper breath than that.
This is it. This is her big break. This one will be the one. This time she’ll get cast, and then she’ll be appreciated, and discovered, and re-cast, and…
Okay, so it’s probably not going to be the one. But it’s another chance. Another lead to shoot for, another ensemble to end up in, and another shot to get her name out there. And that’s enough for now.
One more deep breath, and she opens the door.
Ah, shit.
Lucy recognises a fair few of the actresses in here, and she knows that they’re all good. Not to mention all these potential Veronicas have partnered off with their J.D.s, and Heathers-to-be are practising alongside their Heathers and Heathers. That’s not good news for her. She’s already dragged Natsu to more auditions than he can stand this month, there’s no chance of pulling him in last minute for this one. But if she can’t find an audition partner, then she’ll be randomly paired up and have no chemistry -- or worse, be forced to audition alone and ruin her chances entirely. She’s going to have to find someone, and fast.
She scans the room for any lone guys she can pull to the side, and quickly comes up empty. They’ve all been snatched up by someone else. That’s what she gets for showing up late.
No one spares her a second glance as she finds a lone corner of the room and takes her script out -- as if she needs it. It just gets laid across her bag as a safety net. A year ago she would have felt silly practising on her own in a corner, but she is more than used to this routine now. She gets right into running vocal warm-ups, still keeping an eye out around the room for potential partners.
With how close she was watching, she was sure she would spot anyone who walked in before they spotted her. That’s why when a voice comes from behind her, she isn’t ashamed to say she jumped.
“Auditioning for Veronica?”
It’s a smooth, flat voice; strangely familiar to Lucy. She whirls around, almost leaping back, to find a man a significant few inches taller than her, dark hair, smoky eyes, leather jacket…
“Did you really come in costume?”
He looks confused, looks down at himself, and then back up to her. “Is it better or worse if I say I just dress like this?”
“Makes you look less arrogant, I suppose.” She knelt to pick up her script, just to have something to do with her hands. “And yes, I am. What’s it to you?”
“My audition partner bailed, doesn’t look like you have one.”
Lucy stands back up, straightening her skirt and fixing her ponytail. “Sounds like you need a better audition partner.”
The guy starts to look quite sheepish. “I’m gonna start again. Hey, I’m Gray. My audition partner bailed, and you seem like you know what you’re doing. Would you like to audition together?”
Lucy looks the guy – Gray – over. “I do know what I’m doing. What do you bring to the table?”
“I’m pretty well known around here. Auditioning with me will put more attention on you. You clearly know your role inside and out, you deserve the right chance for it. I think we can get you that together.”
“’Pretty well known’? What have you been in?”
He shrugs. “A few things, here and there. Are you in, or not?”
Lucy looks around the room as if she has other options. She really doesn’t, and they both know it. “Alright. But if I miss out on this part, I’m declaring it officially your fault.”
“I’ll take those odds. I was watching you practise.”
“How very in-character.”
Gray looks confused for a second then glances at his jacket again. “Oh. Not in a creepy way, you’re just… I’m gonna stop talking now. What scene are we using?”
Lucy gets set explaining the scene, and her song choice, and getting Gray properly into it. She’s surprised to find that they work together well – their chemistry seems to click as soon as they get into their characters. Gray seems to warm up to her plenty throughout the process, getting more comfortable in pushing his character until Lucy things they make quite a convincing pair.
There is usually a moment of anxiety before Lucy steps onto a stage; a final crisis before she quells her nerves and steps into her character.
Today doesn’t have that. Today, Gray squeezes her hand and whispers “You’re gonna do great,” before they step out, and Lucy’s stomach doesn’t get the chance to drop. They just go.
Deep breath.
Deeper breath than that.
This is it. This is the one.
No longer wishful thinking, now just sure.
Gray was amazing. She was amazing. It was by far her best audition. Instead of vague smiles and flat “we’ll let you know”s, they walked out to a short applause and a “We’ll be in contact.”
Deep breath, Lucy.
Even after she got home, it still bothered her that she knew Gray’s voice. On a whim she tossed it into Google. The theatre name and “Gray” –
It auto-filled the rest. Gray Fullbuster.
Lead of the last three plays at that location, good roles in many others. As far as she could find, this was his first foray into musical theatre, unless you were counting his brief stint in High School Musical at thirteen. ‘Pretty well known’, my ass.
Not that she could really complain. He got her the role. She was fairly certain of that already. She would just have to berate him for it backstage.