Work Text:
“Be honest. Do you like being her makeup artist?”
The question had come out of nowhere, and actually made you pause for a moment. You found yourself blinking once then twice before the words actually sunk in. An expression of confusion making its way onto your face as you looked at your colleague with furrowed brows.
“What?” The singular word was all that came from you in response. Your colleague, Lua, glanced around cautiously before leaning in to continue talking; her voice taking on a more hushed tone.
”You know…being Mira’s makeup artist. I mean it must be pretty difficult considering how she is.” Your brows furrowed further, but this time the cause was irritation rather than confusion as you started to catch on to what she meant.
“I’m not really sure what you mean. My work is the same as the personal artists of the other members.” Despite knowing what she was implying you had decided to try and give the younger girl the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, Lua simply rolled her eyes at your response.
”Oh please, you don’t have to sugar coat it. Everyone knows that Mira is the most difficult member to work with. Especially with her overly aggressive attitude.” Well, at least you had tried. Time to nip this in the bud.
”Let me stop you right there.” You said, taking a step back from her. “Honestly, Mira isn't a difficult person. A little complex maybe, but not difficult. It’s a matter of perspective and understanding.” Lua looked taken aback by your response. Apparently she hadn’t been expecting you to defend Mira this way.
”You’re entitled to have personal differences with people, but don’t assume that everyone feels the same as you. Especially while in a professional setting.” Irritation had completely taken over your face at this point, and Lua had the good sense to look embarrassed.
”If you ask me, Mira is a great person who has a lot to offer; even outside of being an idol. Sure she’s different, but different doesn’t mean difficult. It just means maybe you need more time to understand her.” You found yourself somewhat surprised by your own words. They came out with just the right amount of conviction, and without hesitation.
“You-you’re right…” She managed to stutter out, her face now flushed from shame. “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” She muttered before scurrying off to busy herself with something else. Hopefully, she realized there were more important things to do before a stadium performance than gossip. Speaking of important things, you still needed to do Mira’s makeup before sound check. You quickly gathered your supplies and made your way towards the dressing rooms. Little did you know a certain someone had overheard your conversation.
Mira was used to people viewing her as problematic or rebellilious; such labels had followed her all her life. Whether it was her family or her classmates, people always seemed to keep their distance whenever she was her real self. As time went on she had gotten pretty good at pretending to be unbothered by it, but deep down insecurity still quietly ate at her.
But this new feeling that was spreading through her chest wasn’t one she was at all familiar with. She sat in her white robe looking at herself in the mirror trying to figure out what to say when she saw you. Yes she had heard your conversation with Lua, but more importantly, she had heard you defend her. You had spoken so confidently about her being a person worth getting to know. However, what really struck her was what you said about being different isn’t the same as being difficult. That sentence had hit closer to home than she'd like to admit.
She had rarely felt truly seen by the people around her. Of course there was Rumi, Zoey, and even Bobby, but that was really it. Even after making it big, her family hadn't ever reached out to reconnect. But for you, someone who had nothing to gain from defending her to stand up for her the way you did. Well, it had Mira’s face flushing and heart racing in a way she had never experienced before. Honestly, she was at a complete loss as to how to handle these unfamiliar feelings.
Unfortunately, her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. A polite voice came through from the other side, asking to be let in. So much for having more time before having to face you.
From the moment you walked in, you had noticed Mira was acting noticeably off. She was oddly jumpy, and every time your faces were close together she'd avert her eyes. Which was extremely odd considering how everyone knew about the idol’s uncanny habit of instictually staring people down instinctively. Furthermore, every time your back was turned you could feel her gaze boring into your figure. It never felt hateful but you’d be lying if you said it wasn’t making you a little worried. The next hour or so passed in an awkward silence, only occasionally broken by routine questions from you regarding details and color choices. Such questions were met with quiet grunts and small nods. However, as when you were putting on the finishing touches that you noticed something else.
Mira’s cheeks and neck were flushed a deep, rosy red. If you weren’t so close, you would’ve thought it was just the blush you’d applied. However, the natural redness on the tips of her ears gave her away. She was obviously flustered, but why? A few moments passed as you had unconsciously begun staring at her face. Eventually, Mira turned to look at you as if to question your lack of movement, but was surprised to find you staring at her. Your focused gaze made the heat in her face grow even hotter as you two firmly locked eyes.
The silence continued to stretch as the two of you stared at each other. Mira found her gaze flickering between your eyes and lips. Your realization of this caused your face to also erupt in heat and color. The tension in the room quickly took on a new edge. However, before things could go any further the moment was suddenly interrupted .
“Mira, sound check is in five!” The stage manager’s voice boomed from outside the door. The unexpected noise caused both of you to jump apart in surprise. You and Mira were both obviously startled, yet oddly relieved by the sudden interruption.
After a moment, Mira gathered herself before finally turning to face you. Her face had returned to its naturally unbothered state. However, traces of red were still visible on the tips of her ears. The corner of her lips twitched as if wanting to open and say something, but nothing came out.
"Thank you for your hard work." The words sounded somewhat strained as they left the idol's mouth. They also sounded uncharastically formal to your ears. You gave her a nod of acknowledge, but as you continued to examine her features you could tell she wanted to say something more. Of course, you had no idea just how right you were.
Mira couldn't help kicking herself internally for not being able to talk you normally. She wanted to tell you how much she appreciated the way you stood up for her earlier. But no matter how hard she tried, the words kept getting caught in her throat. After another minute or two, she realized that expressing herself properly would be impossible in this moment.
Instead she settles for a short, semi-formal bow before swiftly walking out of the room; leaving you standing in silence of words left unsaid. In the wake of Mira's absence, you realized just how intensely your heart was beating; the rhythm thrumming in your ears.
Throughout the duration of the performance, you were left with little to do but watch the performance from backstage. You had always loved watching HUNTR/X perform, but this time something was different. Without realizing it your gaze was almost permanently fixed on the main dancer. An utterly enchanted expression had settled across your features. To onlookers it seemed as if you'd watch her forever, and deep down…they just might be right.