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Adrenaline. That was pumping through Van, flowing from his veins and throughout his body. Sweat dripped off him like live waves as he moved across the stage, droplets pettling the floor now and then. He was drenched underneath his latest get-up, and was at least thankful this one didn't have sleeves. The flashing stage lights around him illuminated him in an almost ethereal glow, his shadow looming behind him and making him look like an angel sent from Heaven. And to the hundreds of thousands of fans in the crowd, he was.
This , the sound of the music pulsing behind him, the roar of the crowd as they screamed, cried, and chanted all at once, the sounds merging to become one singular force, the energy running through his veins, this is what Van lived for. To be on stage, in front of an audience of thousands, as he gave it his all.
The group's tight, practiced choreography captivated the crowd, and their smooth voices created a mesmerizing symphony. But if there was one person who stuck out amongst all of them, it was Van.
He was a bit of a fan favorite….well, the favorite. It caused some tensions at points with the other members, but it's not like he could help that other people liked him. Eventually, they got over it, after all, there's bound to be a favorite in any group; Van just got lucky it was him. Not that he credited it to all luck. It might be self-centered or pretentious to say, but he knew he looked good, sounded good, and talked well. He had the charm, so maybe it was only natural that things turned the way they did in the fan ratings?
Either way, he couldn't pretend he didn't relish it every now and then. He had worked hard for this. Ever since he was a kid, he had a passion for music. He longed to share his songs with the world when he was a teen, for them to hear him and listen. And now he had gotten all of that and more. It wasn't easy to get here.
"You kid, you're gonna be a star"
Those were the exact words Van was told after his audition. He could remember them as clear as day. He had been told something similar many times before, but none ever felt as genuine as in that moment. You see, sitting before Van at that moment was a person who could make him a star. And all Van had to do was prove he was worthy.
To say he did well would be an understatement, all the other judges were similarly blown away by his performance. There was a part of him that took pride in proving them wrong. Just a few moments earlier, when he had first entered the audition room and stood before them, scanning each face nervously as he introduced himself, he could see that look in their eyes. Always that fucking look. One he had seen before, and resented every time like he wasn't good enough to be here.
You see this wasn't your typical audition. Not the kind for one of those reality singing shows that promised fame for the chance to humiliate the average Joe and generate some income. This was an audition to be the newest member of X-Change. The X-Change, as in the 5 member boy band phenomenon that currently had the world in a chokehold. Brett Cross, by far considered the breakout of the group, had finally decided he'd outgrown his time with the band and had departed, conveniently leaving a spot open for whichever talented new up and comer could secure it. The fight for such a coveted position was far from easy, and the whole drive to the audition, Van had his doubts he'd even be in the running.
Every other person there had a history in the industry, even if it was just the occasional commercial or Disney promo here or there. You had to have connections to get into an audition like this one, and Van did not have. At least, not any that would do him good here. But that didn't matter to Van, because he had the talent, and he wasn't going to be deterred from trying to show it to the world even if his mind was telling him it was going to be a lost cause.
Not turning tail and running the moment he hopped out of his moms' car would go down as the single smartest choice he could have ever made in his life. Because after that day, he was whisked into an entirely new world. Though the audition still ran, it was clear the primary judge had his mind set on who would cut. One or two others made it to the final running, but
'There's just something about him. It has to be him.
Those words led him here, in this moment, in front of this crowd, and soaking in the captivating energy around the arena. There were uproarious cheers as the group finished their last set for the show. Van flinched a little as the fireworks went off behind him. They were a little too flashy, in his opinion, but it wasn't his choice. They stood there for a moment, soaking in the cheers and applause before the group moved again.
Van was the first to speak, letting out a whoop as the crowd roared. "Thank you all for coming out tonight!" he shouted as he began moving across the stage, shouting out as he went along.
"Thank you to our band for coming here to play for us, our amazing dancers, and crew. And of course, to all of you for supporting us, we wouldn't be here if it weren't for all of you. So thank you!"
With the sound of thousands of cheers in response, Van smiled. You just couldn't recreate the feeling of a moment like this, and after every show, he tried to soak it up for as much as he could, trying to cement the visceral feeling into his memory. After rejoining the group on the main platform, there was one last release from the fireworks as they posed in their signature X formation.
"Goodnight everybody!"
Van called to the crowd. The lights began to dim, and the group exited the stage. He dabbed his forehead with a towel and downed the rest of his water as he walked down the steps to the main stage and entered the backstage area. He was vaguely aware of the array of people rushing to and fro, getting ready to take down the stage and pack everything up. He stopped to talk to a production assistant, who let him know there'd be a debrief soon.
He nodded and thanked them as he continued down the long corridor. Van let out a heavy sigh. They were usually allowed to hang around for an hour or two before actually leaving the venue. He'd have some time to unwind, hopefully finally shower, and relax for a little bit. He went to the secondary dressing room, the one with the shower. He hoped another member didn't beat him there this time.
As he approached, he suddenly felt himself growing more sluggish with each step, the toll of a 5-hour show and being up for almost 12 hours prior, preparing for said show, finally catching up to him. It took effort even to place one foot in front of the other, and he inwardly prayed the room was vacant so he could wash away the sweat that had been drying on him since the show began. He felt sticky and uncomfortable.
With a sigh, he made his way to the door and placed his hand on the knob before twisting it. He called out to make sure it was empty,
"Hello? Anyone in here?"
Once he had looked around to see the room was (thankfully) vacant, he let out a sigh of relief. Tensions in the group had smoothed over in the past 2 years Van had been a memeber, and he enjoyed spending time with them he really did. But sometimes he needed time to himself, just to think and gather his thoughts.
There was a particular thought on his mind as he mulled over what him and his agent had disussed just a few days ago. He chucked softly to himself.
"Her? Go on a date with you? I mean come on…"
He had to let out a laugh at the idea. There was no way the two would end up dating, they were on two different sides of the spectrum. Van was some boyband hottie who made hundreds of thousands swoon with a wink. And she…well she was a lot of things. An amazing performer, a real artist, a visionary, the voice of a generation, all things she had been called. And they were all true, Van couldn't compete with that surely? And there was no way someone of her status would-
There was a knock. Soft yet insistent. It sounded full of purpose. It was the kind of knock an agent or manager might give, one that meant business. Van let out a sigh, dealing with managerial things at the moment was far from his list of top priorities. Alas, when duty calls.
Resigning himself to whatever impromptou meeting he'd find himself, he began to head towards the door.
"Coming!"
He called out. Though internally, he was letting out the longest sigh known to man. Well, here we go with the BS
As he opened the door and lifted his tired eyes upwards, he was expecting to see another suit and tie with slicked back hair holding a list of upcoming events he'd have to attend. But instead he was met with..
Taissa.
There was no way. Standing outside of his door, was Taissa.
What was there to say about her that hadn't already been said? How could one describe her?
Ethereal. Angelic…. Untouchable
A star.
That's what she was.
She looked gorgeous. No, beautiful, majestic? Van wasn't sure a single word could encapsulate and describe her beauty. The TV definetly didn't do her enough justice. If she had told him she'd just got done shooting for a maganzine a few minutes ago, he probably would've believed her.
She wore black low-rise jeans tailored to perfection, hanging low on her hips and hugging all the right spots. They were flared at the bottom and just barely skimmed the top of her black high-heeled boots. An array of jewelry dangled on her belt loop that shimmered in the light,
Her belly button piercing, a shimmering diamond, seemed to sparkle. She was wearing a vintage band tee, and Van wondered if there was some irony in that. The hem rode up to reveal the smooth expanse of her stomach, toned from years of rigorous dance routines. Her hair looked as if it had just been styled, not a single curly hair out of place. It framed her face perfectly. Her makeup was just as well put together, perfectly winged eyeliner drawing attention to those ethereal brown eyes. Her nude lip gloss shone and drew Van's eyes to her lips.
He averted his gaze before he stared too long and made this whole thing any weirder than it already was.
Taissa was a real star. The kind you could tell would carry a legacy, a name that would be remembered from this generation to the next.
And she was here. Standing in front of him, looking like a Goddess sent onto Earth.
Ba-dump
There was a strange sensation in Van's chest. One he couldn't quite describe. He felt his face flushing, and his blood was starting to rush. He shook his head slightly. He needed to get a grip, but he couldn't.
Van was stunned. He stood there, hand on the door, unmoving, as he tried to understand what was happening. Taissa was backstage, in his dressing room. His brain seemed to individually process each part of that statement, trying to make it register faster than it did. Van realized he probably looked stupid right now, mouth half gaping as he stood there gawking.
Thankfully, Taissa decided to be merciful as she broke the awkward silence filling the room, "I know you're probably confused right now."
Yeah , real fucking confused
"Uhm, bit of a fucking understatement", Van finally responded. "What are you doing here? I mean, not that I mind, but this is kind of out of the blue, isn't it?"
Taissa smiled, "Well, if you let me in, maybe I can explain."
What the fuck is happening?
Like actually, what the fuck was happening?
Van was vaguely aware that he had opened the door and ushered her in. The sound of the door slamming behind him seemed to snap him back into reality. Taissa was now standing inside his dressing room, for whatever reason.
Well, that wasn't true. Van knew the reason, at least he thought he did, for why she might be there now. But he didn't expect things to go like this, and he damn sure didn't forsee her visiting him backstage after a concert. His head was starting to hurt, and a million thoughts were racing through his mind as he tried to comprehend what was happening. Taissa was looking around the dressing room. It wasn't that big, but it was comfortable enough for two people to talk in. And of course, it provided more than enough privacy.
As Van stood near the door, mouth open as the begining of a question was starting to escape his lips, Taissa spoke first.
"I think you might already know why I'm here" she started, "And I'm sorry for showing up unexpectedly."
Van laughed in disbelief, "Yeah, very unexpected."
Two weeks, that's how long he had been given to make a decision about the whole thing. And it damn sure hadn't been two weeks. Even if it were trying to see if he'd agree, you'd think an agent or manager would come instead. Not a world-renowned superstar.
"How'd you even sneak back here?"
Taissa ignored the question, "I wanted to talk," she started.
"About the date."
The date.
Right.
Van would be lying if he said he hadn't been thinking about it the last few days. But he was sure Taissa wouldn't agree to it, or that it would go all that well.
You see about a month prior, Van was in a meeting. Not with the band, and not about music, but about his love life of all things. Taissa, the international superstar who currently had the whole nation in a fenzy, was single.
"Oookay, so what?" he had asked. Not really following where iy was going.
His agents had explained to him that Taissa was currently looking for a partner, and somehow, by the luck of the gods themselves, Van had found his way onto the list of potential suitors. Or so he'd been told. He was doubtful how much of this matchmaking charade Taissa truly had input on, as he barely knew the singer. And he doubted the true integrity of a date some 40-year-olds were trying to set up for them for a cute photo-op and maybe boosting some record sales.
But apparently, the matter was more personal to Taissa than it seemed. I mean, it's why she came here. And that….intrigued Van. He snapped out of his thoughts as Taissa spoke once more.
"You're aware already. Manager telephone, mine reached out to yours.."
"And it went back to me. Yeah," Van finished for her. When he had first been told of the proposal, he had almost let out a laugh of disbelief. Of course, he knew of Taissa, everyone did, but they'd only talked briefly at a few awards shows here and there. To believe she wanted to go on a date with him ? It sounded incredulous.
"Exactly. And they're still waiting for a response," she concluded. Van raised an eyebrow inquisitively,
"Is that why you're here? To see if I'll say yes to going on some fake date?"
Taissa shook her head, "No. I wasn't supposed to come here; my agents all advised against it. But…" she trailed off.
Van shook his head at the mention of agents, he remembered the suit and ties trying to play cupid. He had been given a brief autobiography about Taissa's life. He was told all her hobbies and interests, what her favorite childhood toy was, and what she looked for most in a partner. It came off as stalkerish to him, and not the best way of getting to know someone, far from how he would go about it.
Oh and of course, he had been told endlessly about how the two of them together would be the world's latest power couple.
'You two would be unstoppable'
That was what he'd been told. But the whole thing had felt strange and uncomfortable, like he was being used as some doll in a playhouse, and to a degree, he was. The idea of a date with Taissa wasn't a problem, far from it. But if it was just some elaborate PR stunt by music executive bigwigs to sell some more records, he wanted no part.
"So, because people think we'd look good together, that means we should get together?" Van questioned. Though he couldn't stop the image forming in his mind, I mean..they would look good together.
Taissa paused a beat before turning and replying, "It wasn't my idea. And it's only one date, no one said we would have to get together after"
Van looked at her smugly, "Well, I'm not sure one date will be the end of it."
Taissa snorted sarcastically, "Right, because you're such a heartthrob. I'm sure I'll be madly in love and ready to run away and start a new life together after just one date, because you're just that charming."
"You said it, not me."
Taissa gave him an incredulous look and a muttered 'wow' of disbelief. Inwardly, Van was cursing himself for coming off so coy. It was the nerves he was trying to hide, masked under layers of slyness and perceived confidence. The truth was, he didn't want Taissa to see just how much this entire situation had him spiraling internally. But he couldn't deny he felt like a bit of an ass, and he cringed as he thought of presenting himself as this douchebag who could get any girl he wanted. He sighed as he spoke again.
"Sorry, sorry. I…I don't know why I said that," he apologized. Taissa seemed to soften at his admission. "I'm just trying to understand all of this, I guess. I mean it seems disingenious, no? To fake a relationship"
"Nobody said it had to be fake" Taissa smirked, in a way that made it very hard to tell if she was joking. "But I felt the same way, and some blind date didn't feel right. So that's why I'm here now. So we can discuss this together.". She crossed her arms as she stood in front of Van.
Now he was interested; before this everything being set up was through teams and agents, he had no idea if she even liked him or if it was all some elaborate blind date set up. But coming to talk to him herself? That wasn't a move someone would make if they didn't care, at least a little bit. Or maybe it was wishful thinking, but Van wanted to believe it was the latter even if it was a delusion. There was a growing smirk emerging on Vans' face.
"A one-on-one, then?" he smiled. "Isn't that somewhat of a date in its own way?" he continued leaning back in his chair.
"I don't think having a private conversation backstage in a dressing room could be considered a date to most people, but everyone has their definition I guess," she quipped. She sat herself on the ledge of the vanity.
"Well, consider it a preview then" Van shrugged.
"Assuming we actually make it to the date, sure" Taissa retorted.
Van chuckled in response. "So what? I'm being screened to see if we're compatible?"
"If you want to see it that way."
"Isn't that what a date's for?"
Taissa let out a sigh, tucking a curl behind one her ears. "We're talking in circles. Also, do you go on dates with people you've never spoken to at least once?"
"Technically we have spoken before" Van tilted his head to the side, his long red hair falling over his shoulders.
"Not really. Small talk at awards shows isn't the kind of thing that tells you enough about a person. But that's not the point"
Taissa was still sat on the vanity, upon the ledge with her legs crossed. She looked elegant, like a timeless beauty from one of those black-and-white films Van loved to watch. The warm light of the vanity lights bathed her skin in a beautiful orange glow, as if she were sitting in front of a sunset.
"I didn't come here to talk technicalities or logistics", she started before looking Van straight in the eyes. "I came here for you."
For you.
Taissa had come to see Van. She had taken time out of her no doubt busy night to sneak backstage at an X-Change concert so that she could talk to Van.
Ba-dump
There it was again. That weird flutter in his chest. One he hadn't ever felt before.
She wanted to get to know him. The thought of Taissa, sneaking out to go into a concert and sneaking backstage, to talk to him because she wanted to get to know him.
"Not to force a decision or to set anything in stone. I wanted to chat. Y'know..talk." Taissa shrugged.
"Right, talk." Van nodded. A pause hung in the air as the two stared at each other. There was an undeniable tension in the room as they held each other's gaze, and Van felt something in his chest.
He suddenly sat up and pulled out a nearby chair. "Well here, why don't you have a seat? If we're going to be talking and all. That vanity will start hurting your ass if you sit on in it to long y'know." he smirked.
Taissa chuckled lightly in response, "A gentleman, noted"
As she made herself comfortable Van spoke again, "So…if you don't mind me asking. Why me? Out of everyone that is. I mean obviously there's the good looks and the charm" (Taissa rolled her eyes playfully at that) "There's bigger stars out there.
Taissa shook her head, "I don't care about any of that"
Her eyes showed a glint of vulnerability as she continued, "I'm tired of being paired up with people because we'd look good. God, do you know how many relationships I've been in for status sake? Just because we'd look good together? I'm not looking for another" she said, sounding exasperated at the mere thought.
"I don't want to keep letting others play matchmaker for me, I want to decide things for myself, find someone myself. And I'm not saying I'm looking for major commitment, definitely not marriage or anything, but I want something…real. Or at the very least to get with someone who I can at least tolerate"
Van nodded in understanding. Okay, so it was more than a PR stunt. He didn't quite know how to feel about that.
"Okay…but that didn't answer my question. Surely you could've found something real with anyone else. Why me?"
"I won't lie, your story intrigued me. An underdogs rise to fame, I like those" she began, "But feel good puff pieces rarely tell the whole story. I'm not interested in the media made-up version of you" she continued, leaning in close.
"I want to know about you . Before this, outside of all of it" she gestured around the room. "You know, the real you"
Van took a second to take in what she was saying. It wasn't often that he got to talk about his actual life; the polished version that was shilled out to the public was far from accurate. He felt that strange feeling in his chest again as he realized what this meant.
Taissa thought he was interesting. Taissa wanted to talk. And Taissa wanted to know about him…
Van Palmer had somehow caught this goddess of a woman's attention, and she wanted to learn about him. This could go two ways, the beginning of a convluted career stunt, or the start of something else entirely.
He smirked as he sat up in the chair.
"Well, what do you wanna know?"