Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bright lights, flashing, jumping. The banging of electronic drums, the thumping of a thousand hearts beating at once as friends embrace each other in tears. Screams, shrieks, and squeals as fans reprocess the fact that they are here . Strangers become friends as they exchange specially made bracelets. Sections cheer and gush as couples get engaged during the climax of slow, mushy love songs.

God, you loved it. 

This had been your life before you were even a thought. Your parents had met at a concert in their teens. They got engaged at a concert, your mother told your father about her pregnancy at a concert and heaven knows that pregnancy wouldn’t stop her from being at the barricade. 

There was never a time where music wasn’t playing in your house. There was always something lingering in the background. What genre depended on the day. Your parents were quite literally any kind of music people, including country. They taught you about how culture impacted and created the genres that existed today. The fundamentals, the first songs from the beginning of time.

You could sing, but you preferred instruments. Playing with people, backing them up, supporting them. It sent sparks through you when your instrument harmonized with the singer. Orchestra, jazz band, marching band. If someone in the school choir needed an accompanist, you were the first person they asked. “Wild card” is what they called you. Five seconds and you could play anything on an instrument you don’t even know the name of.

Eventually you started recording your own stuff. You learned the ins and outs of various audio mixing programs which eventually let you compose unique backing tracks for the dance program. It was in your junior year that the stage tech teacher approached you. You learned how to take care of the theater you played in and eventually, got you into managing the soundboard.

Music, sound, it was your everything. 

So the day you found your baby cousins notebook was the day you knew she’d be something golden .

You remember the day she was born. Your mother, her fathers oldest sister, her “first kid” she joked, had to talk him down over the phone while she sped to the hospital as fast as she can. You remember laughing at your mom telling him to calm down because “it’s not like you’re the one about to push a baby out of your-!” 

The hospital was boring, but when your uncle said you could come inside and meet her, you could feel the world shift. With good manners, you checked on your aunt first and then you saw her. 

Your Hummingbird. Your Zoey. The cutest little thing you’d ever seen. As she grew, she was the kindest soul you’d ever met. Always offering to help, always sticking it out for the long run. 

You were always asking your mom to call your aunt to check on her and Zoey just in case she needed help. Maybe that’s why her mom tried pushing you back, pushing you away. 

When Zoey was around 12 or 13, her maternal grandmother came from Korea to live with her. The air in the house changed. Your uncle and aunt began arguing, fighting that Zoey should be more immersed in her culture. She started calling you every night. It got worse when her mom and grandma started ignoring her until she learned Korean. You’d pick her up after your classes were over for the day just so that she’d get out of the house for a while. 

“You know,” you started. Today’s menu was ice cream. It’d been hot all week and you hadn’t had the time to pick her up due to finals being so close. “When I was learning Spanish, I used to listen to the old boleros Claudia would play in the shop.” Claudia, the woman who ran the little bodega at the end of your street. Wanting the experience, she hired you right when you turned 15. “I mean, I didn’t have much of a choice when I was working, but I would listen to them at home too. We just need to find your grove and run with it.” You nudged her arm as she pushed her ice cream around with her spoon.

“I’ll learn with you.” Her eyes lit up a little as she turned to smile at you. 

“Really?” Zoey leaned over a bit. She looked tired and a bit sad. The kid was only 13 and she was already burnt out and exhausted from everything.

“Of course. Anything for my little hummingbird.” You ruffled her hair a bit after setting your now empty cup aside. “Now how about we go check out that game store you were eyeballing earlier?”

So, every time you picked her up you’d spend a small while practicing Korean. A group she was particularly drawn to was a group called Sunlight Sisters . It lead you both down a long rabbit hole and eventually, an obsession with Kpop. Zoey especially loved the rappers of the newer groups. 

But of course, things don’t stay good for long. When her parents divorced, her grandma wanted to move back to Korea and her mom had to take care of her. Zoey didn’t want to leave. She just started high school and now she had to deal with the idea of moving across the ocean? Maybe it was you stepping in that made your aunt try and push you away, but you were able to argue that she should be able to at least finish high school here in the States. 

You could tell the change in her demeanor when her mom left. She loved her dad, of course, but it hurt. You and Zoey still hung out a bunch, but she began pulling away and getting more in her head a bit. Your uncle had to pick up more shifts to stay on top of bills so you began picking her up from school. 

“So, how was school today?” Really? That's the best you could come up with?

“Oh, it's going good. I have this really big project coming up.” She went on to retell what was going on in school while her favorite Sunlight Sisters song played in the background. 

As the car pulled up to her house, she said her goodbyes and grabbed her stuff, promising to call later. It wasn’t until she’d already gone into the house did you see the notebook that got left on the floor of the passenger seat. When you reached out to pick it up, a couple of loose pages fell out. One in particular stood out to you. There were doodles all over the page. A sketch of her singing with stars and something written in Korean.

“I really need to keep up on my reading skills…” you muttered to yourself as you glanced over the words at the top. There were a bunch of eraser marks and it was just a concept but it looked like… lyrics? 

Okay like I know I ramble

But when shootin’ my words I go rambo

Took blood, sweat, and tears 

to look natural

That’s how it’s done, done, done

Shuffling through a few more pages, you were shocked. Hummingbird always had a knack for song, but these lyrics? Songs nearly completed; they were gold. It made tears prick at the corner of your eyes as you put the loose pages back in the notebook neatly and rushed out the car. Zoey had been stepping out of the house in a hurry once you got to the porch.

“You wrote these?” Her eyes darted between you and the notebook as she started to get embarrassed. “Hummingbird, these are amazing!” You grabbed her shoulders as her expression began to change into shock.

“You really think so?” 

“I know so.” 

You had always been her number one supporter but now? You were her number one fan. You helped her find the beats and taught her everything you knew about mixing. She was able to push out one, then two, then three songs all written by herself in the makeshift recording studio your parents had. 

Her rapping? Genius unmatched. You’d take her to freestyle events and she’d tear them up every time. Anytime she opened her mouth, it was like she would touch your soul. 

Then Celine came along. 

You were both so shell shocked to see her in person let alone her niece, a sweet girl named Rumi. She’d been searching for a lyricist for a new group called Huntr/x and thought that Zoey would be the perfect fit. Zoey was over the moon, of course. Once she moved to Korea with her mom, her training would begin. You encouraged her all the way but something felt… odd. 

Rumi looked like she was carrying the world on her shoulders. It wasn’t hard to tell that something had been bugging the poor girl. You just hoped she was okay.

Once Zoey had graduated, it took them a year and a half to debut. She had called you as much as she could, asking for tips on new songs to perfect the perfect debut album. 

And now you're here. Seven long years and you finally got to see your Hummingbird on stage. 

Chapter Text

June 1st, 2025. SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA. Huntr/x World Tour, North American leg. 3rd show.

You’d been to a lot of concerts and worked twice as many. From punk to blues to classical to electronica to musical theater. The electric feeling beneath your skin when you felt as you let the speakers drown out your thoughts.

This was different. Tonight was different. 

You were near the front of the stage. Far enough ahead that you could see clearly but far enough back that Hummingbird wouldn’t know you were there. Despite the seats, everyone was up, jumping up and down. Their Huntr/x light sticks had been programmed to match the venue's lights, colors blinking all around the stadium as the girls on stage captured the hearts of the fans. 

Knocking you out like a lullaby

Hear that sound ringing in your mind

The two young girls next to you squealed with delight, their parents even joining in. (You’d heard them earlier when they had been complaining about the late night concert. Music changes minds) The couple behind you screamed the lyrics out while three Mira fans copied her moves in the space they had.   

Better sit down for the show

'Cause I'm gonna show you (I'm gonna show you)

(I'm gonna show you) How it's done, done, done

I don't talk, but I bite, full of venom (Uh)

Spittin' facts, you know that's

How it's done, done, done

You never got to meet Mira in person. Zoey had told you all about her and she’d say “hi” when she walked in on your calls. The same went for Rumi. She was very nice, you remember that, but a lot of the times when Zoey would call you it would be either very early for the girls or very late for you. It never bothered you when she called. You missed her a lot and you were so, so proud of her. 

Okay, like, I know I ramble

But when shootin' my words, I go Rambo

Took blood, sweat, and tears, to look natural (Uh)

That's how it's done, done, done

Like the Zoey fans around you, you erupted into screams when she rapped. That was your girl! You remembered when those lyrics were just a thought and now here she was. Singing, rapping, in a sold out stadium on a world tour.

“Yeah Hummingbird!!” You yelled out. She wasn’t going to be able to hear you, which kept your cover for the time being. 

Hear our voice unwavering

'Til our song defeats the night

Makin' fear afraid to breathe

'Til the dark meets the light (How it's done, done, done)

Damn that girl can sing. Despite the lights being programmed to a flashing purple, you swore you saw blue. You need to talk to the light and sfx programmer because that was unreal!

When the show ended, you felt an adrenaline rush like you’d never felt at any other concerts. As people began walking out, some running to the merch table for any last minute purchases, you began to walk towards the backstage area. You pulled the backstage pass Zoey had sent you a few weeks ago. She’d been hoping you would be able to make it. You told her you’d try, pretending you hadn’t already gotten tickets when the tour was announced. 

After showing the guard your pass, someone helped lead you to the girls’ dressing room.

“Great show tonight girls!” A voice you could recognize as Rumi said. “We’re getting closer and closer to gold, I can feel it.” There was a mix of squeals and chatter before you heard Zoey speak.

“I’m so happy we get a mini break though. I love our fans, but I think I need a break from everyone. No fans for just a day.” She exhaled as the others agreed.

“Not even your number one fan?” You leaned your shoulder against the door frame, arms crossed as you smiled at her.

“Y/n!” She rushed towards you as you stood up straight and opened your arms. “You came!”

“Of course I did!” You said as you squeezed her as tight as you could. “Wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” Letting her go after kissing the top of her head, she turned, grabbed your arm and jumped up and down with excitement.

“Oh! Oh! This is Mira! And you remember Rumi.” Zoey led you closer to the girls. “Girls, this is my cousin Y/n! Formally. You know, not on call.”

You let out a few soft laughs at Zoey's behavior as you waved at the other two. “It’s nice to see you both in person.”

Mira nodded at you. “It's nice to meet you in person. Zoey’s always talking about you. Love your work.”

Rumi smiled. “Yeah, you helped us get out of more creative blocks than you know of.” 

“You girls are so sweet. I know you guys must be tired, but-”

“Girls, that performance was the best of the tour! You guys are off the charts!” A voice cut you off. A man, a bit shorter than you, walked in. He had black, shaggy hair and was wearing a grey blazer with matching pants and a Huntr/x t-shirt. His eyes were glued to his phone as he walked in with a huge grin. “The latest TWICE single has hardly made an impact on these numbers. You guys are killing it out there!” His gaze finally moved from his phone to the four girls in front of him. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know there was someone else in here.” 

Zoey let out another excited squeal. “Bobby, this is my cousin, Y/n! The Wild Card. The one that does all that super cool audio mixing and stage tech-y work.” She turned to you. “This is our manager, Bobby!”

You felt Zoey push you a little towards the man, Bobby, as you now know. “Hi.” Extending a hand, you introduced yourself politely. “It’s nice to meet you.” You couldn’t take your eyes off him. Managers are fickle creatures, most of them being the devil incarnate to stars, especially Kpop managers. Something about him felt different though. He seemed kind, loving. The way he spoke with enough excitement to rival Zoey, or maybe the fact his compliments sound genuine and not just number hungry, or maybe it was the warmth you felt from his soft hands when he shook yours.

“Its nice to meet you too.” The world seems to shift a bit when he smiles at you and your gaze lingers on each other for a little too long. 

Clearing your throat and pulling your hand away. “Oh, uh, before I forget.” You turned your gaze back Zoey. “I know you guys must be crazy tired, but since there's no performance tomorrow your dad wanted to know if you and the others would want to come by. Everyone misses you a lot and they want to meet the others- as family!” You felt the need to clarify. “Not, like, a crazy fan swarm meeting. The whole block misses you. Claudia misses you a lot more than me.”

After finding her notebook full of lyrics, Zoey ended up at your apartment more often than she was at her own house. You were lucky enough to get a smaller place on the block you grew up in, just a bit away from your parents. The neighborhood get-togethers always meant music blasting until sunrise and anytime she’d have a new song finished, the block was the first to hear. Claudia ended up taking a huge love to her songs. Not that you were jealous (you were). 

“All three- four-? Of you are invited. As well.” Kill me, kill me, kill me, kill me. Why couldn’t you talk normally?? What has happened in the last ten minutes that has removed the ability to talk like a normal living person?

“Only it’s alright with you guys?” Zoey looked at Bobby and then to the girls. 

“Sounds fun.” “I don’t mind.” 

“That’d be great…” Bobby trailed off. He couldn’t let the shake weird, almost embarrassing like feeling off of him. He tried keeping his eyes on the girls but for some reason it just kept falling back to you. 

Clasping your hands together. “Great. I’ll, uh, send the details over. I mean- I know you already know where it is but you know. And any dietary restrictions just let me know and we’ll handle… it.” You took a quick glance down at your watch. “Oh shoot, I need to- to go. I don’t know how to get out of here…” 

Bobby straightened up and stepped a bit to the side to let you walk through first. “Oh, I can show you.”

“Really? Thank you so much.” You turned to Zoey one more time and gave her a quick hug. “See you tomorrow, Hummingbird.”

With that, you nervously followed Bobby out of the backstage area.

Zoey watched as you both left, seeming a little concerned as she tilted her head. “Did they seem like they were acting weird to you guys?”

Mira snickered, “Yeah, totally weird. ” 

“Definitely a little weird.” Rumi said as she fought off her own laugh. “Like school kids.”

Chapter Text

6:30pm. June 2nd, 2025. Zoey’s ‘Welcome Home’ Block Party. 

The heat of the day was swept away by the soft breeze carrying the scent of freshly made food. The whole block had met at the self made community center (a half-alley between two apartment complexes). Claudia’s bodega had closed early. She’d been prepping for tonight by making as much food as she could. Erwin, her husband, who’d been moping over his soccer team being last in the rankings, forced himself up and out to set up the outside. 

Upon arrival, Zoey was immediately swarmed by the kids she used to babysit. Most of them were in middle school now and were determined to tell her everything they’d done since she left. Claudia commented on how much she’d grown, then turned to Rumi with a concerned expression.

“Mama, aren’t you hot in that?” She fanned herself as she motioned towards her jacket and turtle neck. “I feel like I’m overheating just looking at you.”

“Oh, no, I’m fine.” Rumi smiled politely, waving it off.

Mira had her arms crossed, rolling her eyes with a smile “She always wears that jacket. Never takes it off.”

“You kids and your jackets…” Claudia shook her head. “Come get food, all of you. You look like you haven’t eaten a proper meal in 7 years.” 

This felt weird. A good weird, but still weird. For the first time in five years, or in Rumi’s case, her life, they weren’t being treated like pop stars. For at least tonight, they were just people. 

You’d showed up about a half hour after the girls. The theater company that you were currently working with just wrapped up their latest performance and today was the last day of disassembling the set. You were tired, hot, and a little smelly from all the heavy lifting so you had to stop by home to shower quickly and get into more comfortable clothes. 

You let out a content sigh as you were suddenly enveloped in the warm atmosphere. The mixture of smells from each of the different foods everyone had brought, along with Erwin’s asada, put your mind at ease as you picked up on Claudia’s old CD player. Her favorite album, Eydie Gormé canta en español con Los Panchos, was playing faintly in the background and mixed perfectly with the hum of the fairy lights that had been strung up in the community center years ago.

Other than the usual small picnic tables, there were extra white folding tables placed tactfully around the space. Small flower arrangements were placed in the center of each, no doubt made by Cierra whose mom ran the flower shop down the street. You could hear a few of the older women you consider your aunts fighting over who would take which home. 

After making a detour to greet your parents, you came up behind Zoey, who had been sitting in a circle with some kids, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey Hummingbird. What did I miss?”

“Y/n!” She sprung up and hugged you. “Kids were just catching me up on stuff. Rumi’s talking to Claudia about Eydie Gormé,” she pointed to the pair. Rumi had become enamored with the music and was listening to Claudia rant about it. “And Mira got stuck listening to Natalie and Lily’s gossip.” As if on cue, Mira raised her hand to cover her laughs of disbelief as the twins filled her head with whatever nonsense they’d heard that day.

“What about Bobby? Is he still coming?” You questioned hopefully.

“Oh, he should be here soon! He got caught on some boring business call with the production team.” Zoey waved.

You hummed. “Did you eat yet?” 

“Claudia wouldn’t let us do anything unless we ate.” Zoey groaned in mock annoyance.

“Yeah, that sounds like her.” You both talked for a bit longer. Zoey showed you a bunch of pictures she’d taken during the tour as well as some new song ideas. She was very enthusiastic and just… her. 

You loved your job. You got to work on a bunch of different shows and performances. When you weren’t needed in the tech booth, you were in the orchestra pit. You missed this though. A lot. With well known musicals, not to mention plays, your composition skills weren’t really needed. It was like you left a part of you behind. Not to mention you’d lived in California, Los Angeles for that matter, your whole life. The farthest you’d gone was to a concert in San Diego three years ago and that was it. 

It was like you hit a roadblock. You needed something more, something to revive your love of music production. You just hoped it would come soon. 

For now though, you were finally at peace. It felt just like the old days where you and Zoey would hang out in your car, trying to find the beat to a new song she’d wrote or think up new lyrics for a rap. God, you still can’t believe how much she's grown. Not just as a star, but as herself. Your little Hummingbird wasn’t so little anymore. All of the obstacles, the pressure from her family, she overcame it.

“Oh! There's Bobby!” Zoey snapped you out of your thoughts right before you could tear up. “Hi Bobby!” She waved the man down.

Bobby looked tired, to say the least. His hair was a little messy, like he’d been pulling at it stressfully. His eye bags seemed a little darker tonight and he seemed defeated. Bobby was wearing an outfit similar to last nights, just with a basic white t-shirt rather than a Huntr/x one. He was holding a box of store bought brownie bites. How sweet.

Bobby waved back at Zoey and made his way over to your table. “Sorry I was so late. There was this whole fiasco with one of our audio mixers and…” He let out a sigh as he placed the plastic box on the table and sat down. 

It was dark now, around 8pm. The youngest of kids had fallen asleep either in their parents arms or their laps while another group had managed to get their hands on sparklers. They ran around the center with them, some of them trying to burn writing into the pavement. 

“I didn’t know if I should bring anything or not. I didn’t want to be rude or anything.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“Don’t worry about it. It was very nice of you to.” You smiled at him.

“You should watch out for the kids though.” Zoey whispered. “They tend to  get a little crazy whenever they see swe-”

As if on cue, each of the kids caught sight of the plastic box. “He’s got brownies!” Tyler, the craziest of the bunch, yelled. 

Sparklers still in hand, the group of about 10 kids ran towards them. Your heart clenched as they seemingly pushed each other and almost burned each other with those damned fire sticks . 

You stood up quickly and stopped the kids before they could crowd Bobby.

“No, no, no. You kids aren’t allowed to have any till you're done playing with those fire hazards.” You waved your hands, gesturing to the sparklers.

Tyler whined. “But Aunt Y/n!” 

“No buts. Go finish playing with them, you pack of demons.” You shooed them off quickly, not noticing the tensed side eyes from a specific group of three. 

As the crowd of rabid children dispersed for the minute, one of the youngest ones stayed behind. Clutching her rabbit plush in both arms, Lydia looked past you and at Bobby. “I don’t have a sparkler. Can I please have one mister?”

Bobby's heart exploded. If he had even one less shred of self control, he would’ve given her the whole box. Taking a breath to control himself, he smiled at her. “Of course! If it's okay with your aunt?”

You nodded. Bobby took a brownie out of the box and put it in the little girl's outstretched hand. Lydia's eyes lit up. “Thank you mister!” She took a quick bite before running off back to her parents. 

You could see Bobby physically melt from her cuteness and you felt your heart warm at the interaction. 

“Aww. She’s so cute.” Zoey gushed before getting a notification on her phone. She checked it quickly, a little confused, but stood from her spot at the table. “I’m… going to take these if that's okay. Spare you from dealing with those rabid kids.” 

Bobby nodded as you squinted at Zoey a bit. She didn’t seem sure of herself when she said it, but you didn’t say anything as she walked away and called the kids over for brownies.

“So,” you ran your fingers over the table, still standing. “Have you eaten yet?”

“Ah, no. I was so busy I kinda… forgot.” Bobby nervously bit at his lip. 

“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” You smiled at him as you beckoned him over, beginning to walk towards where the food was. “No better way to get to know someone than over food, right?” 

Erwin had stopped grilling just a little bit before Bobby had gotten there, but the meat was still fresh and, due to Claudia always over cooking, there was still enough food for a decent plate. While getting your plates, unbeknownst to you, Claudia had seen you come up to the food table for the first time tonight.

A quick slap on your arm drew you out of whatever brief conversation you had been having with Bobby. “Aye, Y/n, barely eating now. You’ve been here for how long? Waiting for your little boyfriend to get food.” 

Your eyes widened at her remark as you rubbed your shoulder. “He’s not my- I was busy! I didn’t mean to.” Behind you, Bobby kept his head turned down towards his plate, eyes wide and biting his lip as he fought off the embarrassment.

“And you wonder why you look so ghoulish. You don’t eat on time.” The older woman remarked before sauntering off. 

You gasped, jaw dropped. “ Ghoulish?! The hell does she mean ghoulish? ” You stared off as she walked away before hearing Bobby failing to not laugh. You gasped again, feigning hurt. “Bobby, you’re laughing at this? My new friend, a traitor. ”

Bobby couldn’t hold himself together as you both began walking back to your seats. “I’m sorry- I just- The way that she said it was really funny.” He covered his mouth while he bit his lip to try and suppress his laughter. 

Holding back a laugh of your own as you sat down, you shook your head at him with the stupidest smile on your face. “I cannot believe this betrayal right now. I am so hurt.” A few more seconds went by, just staring at each other trying to hold yourselves back before breaking out in a full laugh. 

Your meal was rather pleasant. You found yourselves bouncing off each other about the randomest things, a lot being work related too.

“You know, I was an idol trainee before becoming a manager?” The food on your plates had been long gone as Claudia’s CD begins to loop to the top again. Half the people had left, mostly the people with children. You could feel the nighttime dew begin to settle on your skin. 

“Really?” You tilted your head a bit.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I really wanted to be an idol. I was one of the best dancers but then something happened with my mom and… I just never finished.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t think it would’ve worked out either way. My manager was a literal devil. That's why I ended up becoming a manager. I wanted to create a safe space for someone, not just milk them for money. I really wanted to help someone.”

You smiled at him. “That’s really nice of you, Bobby.”

“I can’t imagine what my life would be like without the girls.” Bobby looks down and smiles. “They’re so much more than Huntr/x. And besides, I wouldn’t have gotten to spend such a nice evening with someone as pretty as you.” 

You felt your face heat up a bit as you waved him off with a giddy smile. “Flatterer.”

“No, I really mean it! You’re very pretty, Y/n.” Bobby smiles at you with the cutest smile that makes you just want to scoop him up and run away. 

“Thank you. You’re very handsome yourself.” Your  ears suddenly caught the tune of the intro to one of your favorite songs, Cuando Vuelva a Tu Lado. You could see Claudia and Erwin swaying with each other in the corner.

Cuando vuelva a tu lado

No me niegues tus besos

Que el amor que te he dado

No podrás olvidar

“Oh, I love this song.” You hummed along to the opening lyrics. Bobby smiled, watching you as the crickets accompanied the soft melody. An idea quickly came to mind as he rose from his seat with newfound confidence. 

No me preguntes nada

Que nada he de explicarte

Que el beso que dejaste

Ya no lo puedes dar

Bobby held his hand out to you. “Come on.” He nodded in the direction of the CD player.

“What? What do you-?”

“Dance with me.” You blinked at him, dumbfounded. Every guy you’ve tried going out with in the past has always shot you down when you wanted to dance and now he was offering a dance. You’d be a damned fool to refuse.

Cuando vuelva a tu lado

Y esté solo contigo

Las cosas que te digo

No repitas jamás

Por compasión

Never parting from his gaze, you placed your hand in his and stood up. You had enough space that you could dance right there. You were about an inch or two taller than him, but it didn’t change much. 

You let him lead. Your heart felt like it was beating out of its chest at every movement. Your breath caught in your throat as you just let yourself feel. Feel the music, the coolness of the night, the warmth of him. 

Une tu labio al mío

Y estréchame en tus brazos

Y cuenta los latidos

De nuestro corazón

He spun you once before pulling you back towards him. His smile, big and warm while his heart beat like crazy. How long had it been since he got to dance with someone? Years. Not since his trainee days and even then, that wasn't like this. That was dancing together, this was dancing with someone . Someone sweet. 

Cuando vuelva a tu lado

Y esté solo contigo

Las cosas que te digo

No repitas jamás

Por compasión

You couldn’t help but giggle a little as he pulled you back in. Your movement slowed to just simple swaying, much like Claudia and Erwin had done earlier. You didn’t know what to say, you just couldn’t stop looking at him. 

Une tu labio al mío

Y estréchame en tus brazos

Y cuenta los latidos

De nuestro corazón

As the song ended, you stayed still for a moment just smiling at each other. You bit your lip, looking down as you both finally pulled away. “Thank you for dancing with me, Bobby.”

“Anytime.” He pushed a loose strand of hair behind your ear. He cleared his throat. “You know, since we travel and I do live in Korea and all, I can’t ask for your number but… could I have your Instagram?”

“Of course.” You smiled as you pulled out your phone.

Best night ever. 

Chapter Text

June 16th, 2025. 8:00 am (PST)

You groaned, rubbing your eyes before shutting off your alarm. Phone still in hand, you flopped back down on your bed and put your arm over your eyes with a sigh. You’d been on a brief break. The last show your small theater company had done had really sucked the energy out of everyone; cast, crew, and orchestra. Today it was back to work. New set, new roles, and having to figure out if you’re going to be on the sound board or in the orchestra pit. 

There was a deep pit in your chest. This was your dream. You loved playing with people, for people. You loved supporting a cast and watching everything come together. You were tired of it though. Tired of the same theater on the same street in the same city you’ve been in for your entire life. You don’t hate it, of course you didn’t. You loved your city and the people in it, but you needed a change. You wanted to travel, to see the world. It just seems like it wasn’t in the cards for you.

Ping!

Lifting your arm, you blinked the dark spots away before checking the notification on your phone. 

WhatsApp: One new message from Bobby .  

You smiled a bit before opening the message. You’d swapped Instagrams after your little dance at Zoey’s welcome home party. The app had gone down one night last week in the middle of a late night conversation and you both decided it would be better to switch apps. 

Bobby

Good morning Y/n! Good luck with starting the new production today!

Bobby

Or is it break a leg? 

You giggled as you messaged him back. 

You

Good morning!! Thank you Bobby :) I hope tonight's show goes well <3

Feeling a little more energized, you got out of bed and started your morning routine. You studied yourself in the mirror for longer than you intended. You looked tired but at the same time, hopeful. Like someone had sparked something inside of you that made you feel more energized than you had in months.

You walked out of the bathroom, grabbed your bag, keys, and walked out the door.

-

Bobby was losing his mind. One of the people on the audio team had been driving him up the walls. There was just something wrong everyday, with them or with their surroundings that they just refused to work. 

He was so tired of it. The only thing that kept him going was thinking of that night two weeks ago. He had so much fun. Not just dancing with you, but being able to see the girls just… being themselves around a large group of people warmed his heart. 

They were currently in Tennessee which had a two hour time difference. He’d waited as patiently as he could to send you a message, considering he’d been up since 6 am, and he didn’t want to schedule the message because he thought that wouldn’t be genuine. So he waited. Dealt with the obnoxious audio tech as much as he could, making sure the girls had eaten, patching up small tears in their costumes. He even went out to get the girls a bunch of snacks from multiple stores and it still felt like time was dragging on and on and on and on and…

Oh, it's 10:59. 

Bobby hurriedly took out his phone, nearly dropping it, as he opened WhatsApp. 

You

Good morning Y/n! Good luck with starting the new production today!

He suddenly remembered all the old theater superstitions; don’t say MacBeth, don’t say “good luck,” don’t forget to leave the ghost light on. Bobby quickly typed out a message which sounded way more nervous when he read it than it did to you. 

You

Or is it break a leg? 

God, why was he so awkward? Why couldn’t he talk - or type - normally? A pretty lady takes interest in him and he just- 

You texted back!!

Y/n

Good morning!! Thank you Bobby :) I hope tonight's show goes well <3

…

Someone help him. Any God or spirit or even that obnoxious audio tech, please help him control his heart. It's just a heart. Two characters put together. It doesn’t mean anything, right? God, Bobby,  you’ve barely known the girl for two weeks! 

“Bobby! Jen has a problem! Again.” One of the stage hands said.

Whatever, it probably meant nothing

-

It definitely meant something.

It meant enough that anytime you thought of the little heart you sent, you got giddy. Like that middle ground embarrassed by hyper kind of giddy. There was nothing wrong with it. It was just a sweet “wish you well" message. And if you were to flirt with him, you’re into him. That's not a crime. Even if he is your cousin's manager, you’re both adults and it's fine. 

“Y/n! Did you hear what I said?”

“Oh, sorry Layla! Here I come.”

-

June 30th, 2025. 9:30 pm (PST)/12:30 am (EDT)

“So you’re in the orchestra pit this production?” 

“Yeah!” You said. “I’m really happy. I missed playing.” 

Huntr/x had just finished their Miami show and were back in their hotel for the night. Bobby, having gotten stressed out over the same audio tech again, needed to do something to decompress so he decided to call you.

“You said you guys were doing Hadestown, right?” He sounded tired. His voice was a bit groggy and, what you couldn’t see, was him laying on his side, looking at his phone with the biggest, giddy, tired smile on his face. Just talking to you was calming him down and he was trying his best to not fall asleep. “What’s it about?”

You gasped excitedly. “You’ve never heard of it? It’s based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.” You went on to explain the plot, now laying in your own bed. Your phone was on your bedside table while you laid on your back. About halfway through your retelling, you heard small snores coming from his end.

You stopped, smiling before biting your lip. You didn’t want to hang up, too scared the sound would wake him up.

“Good night, Bobby.” You switched off your lamp and settled into bed, shutting your eyes and falling asleep with one of your favorite people on the line.

-

July 2nd, 2025. 10:00 pm (PST).

Everyone was gathered on the stage. A couple of the actors were sitting on the floor, reciting lines and rehearsing songs. You and a few other band members were tuning your instruments while the crew fit the remaining cast in their microphones. It was one of the last rehearsals before next week's performances and Joel, the owner of the theater, had called everyone to a meeting. 

The older man stepped on the stage. He looked upset, defeated. It made everyone immediately quiet down and look towards him as he took a deep breath. “Well, I don’t know how to put this. I, along with the rest of the community, have been working day and night to combat the city’s plans to buy out the arts center. Many of you even accompanied me to numerous city halls.”

“I appreciate all the work that you and the rest of the community has put into this project but, it is with a heavy heart that I…” He took a breath.

No. Please, no. Please just be messing with us. You felt your heart drop, holding your breath. You set your instrument down on your seat slowly.

Tears welled up in Joel's eyes as he confirmed your fears. “That I must announce that the city has denied our appeal and that they’ve moved up their construction date to two weeks from now.” 

The theater erupted in gasps and sobs as cast and crew, those who’ve been here since the start and new talents that had only joined in the last two months embraced each other, fell to ground, pulled on their hair. 

“I am so sorry.” Joel could hardly maintain himself. “This theater has been my dream for years. To be able to work with you all has truly been a gift and I-” A choked sob escaped him as you and others tried to console him. You hugged the man as tight as you could as the theater dealt with the news.

Someone from the cast, you couldn’t tell who through your tears, spoke up with a fire in her voice no matter how many tears fell from her face. “Then let's knock this show out of the park. They can take our theater, but they can’t take our hearts.”

She was right but… what would you do now?

-

“You know what, I’m done. I’m putting in my two weeks. Once we’re out of this country, you better have found yourself a new sound tech.” Jen rolled their eyes at Bobby. “You’re lucky I don’t just leave now.” 

Bobby has never been more happy to see a crew member quit, but now he only has two weeks to find a replacement? Well, it's time to get looking.

-

The rest of rehearsal was hard, but you all pushed through. Locking your apartment door behind you, you set your instrument case down and drug your feet all the way to your bed. Falling face first, you fished your phone out of your pocket and called Bobby. You didn’t even bother to check the time, you just called him in hopes that you could talk to someone .

And to your luck, he answered. 

“Hi Y/n!” You felt the tightness in your chest loosen just a bit.

“Hi Bobby.” God you sounded pathetic. 

“Hey, what's wrong? Are you alright? Did something happen?” He was worried. He didn’t like hearing you sound so upset. 

You took a deep breath in, bracing yourself as if when you say it, it’ll happen faster. “The theater’s closing down. The city denied the appeal and moved the construction date up. We have two weeks.” You let out a shaky breath. “What am I going to do, Bobby? I haven’t worked anywhere else since I graduated college. Where am I going to find someplace to hire me that’ll let me do what I love? All the other theaters are full.” You held your hands over your face, refusing to let your tears fall.

He took a minute to comfort you. Let you process a bit more until he got an idea.

“Hey, I know it's really big, but our main sound person quit. Do you want to come work with us?”

Chapter Text

July 16th, 2025.

It all went by so fast.

You took your final bows on stage, holding on to your coworkers - your family - all together one last time. Like the musical itself, it was a sad song and the outcome would be the same no matter how hard you tried to prolong it. A tragedy, full force. 

“Don’t forget to text!” “We’ll all meet up sometime! Or, you know, FaceTime.” “I’ll always love you guys.”

You still felt a little dehydrated from all the crying. Joel, you remembered crying with the most. The poor man was so heartbroken. Not only was it his dream, but his husband's too. Steven, who had passed away from cancer two years ago. You remembered him well. He was the one who hired you. In fact, he sought you out personally. Musically advanced and adept in stage tech? That was pure gold. 

And God, did it make you feel awful that you were leaving. 

Your breathing had stopped. “What?” You replied. Your voice was still shaken, but now it was out of pure shock.

“Come work with us?” Bobby had said a little quieter. Maybe it was a bad idea to ask right now. He should’ve waited. 

You blinked out the rest of your tears, sitting up in your bed. “Work?”

“You’d help run the audio and then, if you wanted, you could be the girls’ producer? The label will hook us up with one when the girls need to get out of a block but having you on board would help tremendously!” He said really fast. You’d gone quiet on your end so Bobby quietly asked one more time, slower now. “Are you willing to come work with us?”

“I- Yes! I mean wait- no.” You groaned. “Maybe. Can I think about it?” 

“Of course! Take all the time you need… except I do need to know at least a week before.” You laughed softly, Bobby smiling on the other end. You were still upset, but you felt a bit better.

“Thanks Bobby.” 

“Anytime Y/n.”

The phone call didn’t actually end until the next morning. Falling asleep on the phone with Bobby had become a recent occurrence. Not every night, no. Just when you knew you both needed it most. 

“Don’t forget about us, Wild Card.” “Yeah, you better bring us all souvenirs from your little world tour.” “And get in contact with us as soon as you’re back in LA, okay honey?” “Oh! Can you bring me a stick from each city?”

Yeah, the guilt was seared into your stomach.

You, of all these performers, had scored a position to work for the world's number one girl group and travel all over the world without a single interview or resumé needed. God, you felt terrible. Almost as terrible as the conversation you had with your parents.

“So let me get this straight.” Your mom sets her mug down on the table. “You whine on and on about how you feel oh so trapped in LA,” you look down in embarrassment as you bite your lip. “And the sweetest position in the world falls into your lap and you put it on the backburner to come to me and your father to whine on and on about it?”

You look up and fidget nervously. “I was just worried about you guys! What if something happens while I’m a gazillion miles away?”

“It's sweet, Mel.” Your dad responds as he nudges her arm. “It's dumb, Richard.” She shoots back. “Sweetheart,” your mom takes your hand in hers. “If you don’t call that nice young man back and accept that job proposal, I will.” She deadpans as her voice feigns sweetness. 

“What she means,” your dad intercepted. “Is that we support you and we’ll be just fine. Go, get out of LA. Live your dreams.” 

So you called Bobby back. Or rather, made it the main topic in your nightly call. He sent over paperwork for you to sign (e-documents that pasted your signature everywhere without question. Weird. Scary), had you give him a couple of extra background information, got carried away pretending to do an interview. When it got down to your pay, considering you would be employed by Huntr/x and not the label, it was quite the conversation. 

Your jaw was wide open as you turned away from the dish you were scrubbing and to your phone. “You make that much on 3%?!”  You gaped at him. The man just laughed as he walked down the hallway in whichever hotel it was they were staying in tonight. 

“Yeah so trust, you will be living comfortably.” He flipped the camera to show some weird painting. “Look, ugly hotel hallway art.”

“Ew,” you scrunched your nose. “And that will make me live more than comfortably.”

After it was all said and done, you were officially a part of Huntr/x’s production and audio team. 

And now you were in the airport. The girls had done an… unusual tour map. Instead of starting on the East Coast and coming west, they started west and went east meaning they were looping around to get to Mexico, passing through Canada on their way back. You were going to hop on a plane and meet them in Toronto. 

Were you nervous? Extremely. Instead of working in the same theater everyday, you’d be in different stadiums all over the world with different programs and setups. On top of it all, you’ve never flown before. And you’re alone. Boarding what you deem to be an iron maiden, waiting to crush you. You wrung your hands as you waited for your boarding time. This was fine, perfectly fine.

Your phone rang and you hurriedly pulled it out of your pocket.

It was Bobby. Thank god. 

“Hi Bobby!” Jesus, you could hear the nervousness in your voice. 

“Hi Y/n!” He responded. “I just wanted to check in on you. Are you doing okay?” 

Taking a deep breath you responded, “I’m… okay. A little nervous.” Pause. “A lot nervous…”

“Hey, you’re going to be okay. I know it's a little nerve-racking, but the only thing that's a little weird is take-off and landing. After that, smooth sailing.” He was so sweet you were going to rip out your insides. “Once you land, I’ll be there to pick you up and take you to the hotel.”

“Okay, thank you Bobby. Really. You’ve done a lot for me.” You did feel a lot better now. You won’t die on the plane. Maybe. Hopefully. “You haven’t told Zoey yet, right?”

“Nope! It’ll be a complete surprise.” You could hear the smile in his voice.

The chime went off for you to begin boarding. Taking a deep breath, you stood from your seat and grabbed your stuff.

“Okay, we’re boarding now. I’ll see you when I land?”

“See you when you land, Y/n.”

-

Bobby was right, it really wasn’t that bad. It was actually kind of fun. You got to see the scenery change from your window and it was beautiful. You’d left at 8 am in LA and the flight was about 5 hours long, landing at 4pm as there was a three hour time difference. Man, did it feel good standing up out of that seat. 

You got out of the plane, all jittery, and got your suitcase. Finally getting past all of the security things, you passed by the crowds of people waiting for their loved ones before hearing someone call your name.

“Y/n! Y/n! Right here!” Bobby waved his hands. He wasn’t wearing his usual blazer combo, instead just a plain white t-shirt, jeans, sneakers, and a big jacket that looked similar to Rumi’s. It was yellow and had the same embroidery as Rumi's, including one on his right that said his name. You remembered Zoey saying something about Mira embroidering their clothes whenever she got bored. 

You smiled at him, waving as you hurriedly walked up to him and hugged him tightly. “I’m so happy to see you!! I’m so tired.” You let out a groan as you felt him hold you tighter. 

Bobby laughed. You were so warm. Man, was it nice to see you again. He missed you a lot. “I told you you’d make it alright. Let's get to the car so you can sleep.” Pulling away, he took your suitcase from your side and began leading you out of the airport. 

“Oh, I can-”

“Nope.” He cut you off with a smile. “I got it.”

You felt your insides warm and oh how you just wanted to-

“Thank you, Bobby.” You smiled and shook your head, hiding whatever mental battle you were having. 

“For you, anytime Y/n.” 

OH MY GOD.

-

The ride to the hotel wasn’t long. You and Bobby just… talked. The whole time. There was never a moment that you felt uncomfortable or awkward. In fact, you felt the exact opposite. But now was not the time for that. On top of that, he was your coworker now. Or, boss? Since he manages everything else for Huntr/x ? Either way, not. The. Time. 

But boy, was the current conversation not helping. 

“I once had a guy say that I had sexy elbows.” You both laughed. Somehow the topic of the weirdest things someone had ever “complimented” you on.

“ Elbows?!” Bobby laughed hysterically. “Why elbows?”

“He said that he ‘liked the way they looked when I was carrying things.’” You laughed.

“What?” 

“Yeah, and you wanna know what we were doing that day?” You bit you lip to contain yourself. 

Bobby shook his head. “Oh no.”

“I was helping him move and he would pat my elbow anytime he walked past me.”

As the car pulled up to the hotel, Bobby’s jaw dropped as he let out an anguished laugh. “Oh my god that is awful.”

After catching your breaths, you thanked the driver and got your suitcase out. You followed him through the hotel, still talking and laughing the whole way up to the top floor of the hotel where you, Bobby, and the girls were staying. Was it favoritism that you were staying up top with them? Yes. Definitely. Your argument? The rest of the crew was hired by the label and you were employed under the group. 

This totally won’t cause potential drama amongst the crew. You hope. 

Bobby took you to drop your stuff off in your room, which was sandwiched between his and the girls, before taking you in front of the girls’ room. 

“Alright, you ready?” Bobby asked, lifting his hand and knocking on the door at your nod. 

Rumi opened the door with a smile “Hi Bobby! Is the-” She gasped, throwing the door open wider and pulling you both in. “Y/n, you’re the new audio tech?!”

“Rumi, did you just say-” You could hear Zoey gasp before running and nearly tackling you in a hug as she squealed. “I can’t believe you’re here! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” She pulled away, her hands now resting on your shoulders tightly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Slow down, Hummingbird.” You removed her hands, a little dizzy now. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“This is actually genius.” You heard Mira say, now standing around you guys with the others. “You’re going to be such an amazing help. You’re the new producer too, right?”

You nodded and Zoey squealed again. “Oh, this is so great!! We’re actually working on a song right now and we needed a little help with-” She rambled quickly before Rumi placed her hand on her shoulder.

“Let's let her rest first. She seems tired.” 

“Oh, yeah, right. Sorry Wild Card.” Zoey hugged you quickly again.

“Don’t worry about it, Hummingbird.”

You talked a little more, almost forgetting you didn’t eat till the girls brought it up. You all went to grab something quick to eat and separated after. It felt nice to shower after the long day. Your back still ached from sitting for such a long period of time. 

Dressing in your pajamas, you were about to go to sleep before something felt… off. You were away from home, of course it would feel different but that wasn’t the feeling. Instinctually, you reached out for your phone and were about to call Bobby when it hit you. You felt lonely. The past two weeks, you had been falling asleep on the phone with him a lot more. And by a lot, I mean every single night. 

Would it be weird to call him? Definitely. Could you… go next door? Now would that be weird. Maybe? Yes? You should just suck it up and go to bed. 

Or you could go to his room, hang out a bit more and then sneakily fall asleep and play it off like that. Yes. You were smart. No you weren’t, you’re just weird. You’d just have to suck it up tonight. Doesn't mean you can’t say goodnight in person though.

Sighing, you walked towards your door and when you opened it, Bobby was standing there, fist raised ready to knock on the door. He looked shocked and embarrassed as he quickly tried to explain himself.

“Oh, Y/n, I just- I wanted to- I wanted to come say goodnight and…” He blushed. “Sorry.” His voice was quiet as he looked down.

“I, uh, it's okay. I was actually going to come over and do the same.” A blush of your own appeared on your face as you rubbed the back of your neck. “I actually couldn’t sleep. I… got too used to sleeping on call with you.” Oh, you didn’t mean to say that. Okay, I guess we’re being honest now. Great job, Y/n.

Bobby let out a breath of relief. “I’m glad it wasn’t just me.” SCORE!!!!!

Swallowing your excitement, you opened the door wider. “Did you want to have a sleep over?” Very slow, choosing your words carefully. In your mind, saying “want to have a sleep over” and “want to sleep over ” were very different. One was way more direct and… romantic like. And that's totally NOT what you were doing. 

“Oh, um, if that's okay with you!” Oh you want to eat him up. 

“Of course, Bobby.” You stepped out of his way and opened the door a little wider so that he could come in. The tension eased after a little while. You both sat on your bed, talking and laughing just like you did earlier. 

You didn’t even realize when you both laid down in the only bed in the room (obviously because it was just your room), got under the covers, and fell asleep. It was like it was natural.

You totally weren’t sleeping with your coworker (employer?) who was also your baby cousin's manager. And you totally didn’t end up in his arms in your sleep. 

Because you are normal and you don’t do things like this. Because you’re not falling for the sweetest guy you met only a month and a half ago. That is so not happening because that is way too fast. That would be crazy

Yeah, you’re normal.

Chapter Text

July 17th, 2025.

When you first checked the bed in your hotel room, you figured that you wouldn’t get that great of sleep. The bed was too soft, too squishy you felt like you couldn’t find that comfortable of a position. The pillows were the opposite. They were hard, stiff almost. You had accepted your fate before hopping into the shower that barely shot out any water. 

Surprisingly though, as you began to stir, you felt really well rested. And warm, you felt really warm. 

You hummed and nuzzled into the warmth, still not fully awake. The warmth pulled you closer like an inviting void trying to lull you back to sleep. The only sense of awareness you had reminded you of the alarm you had set the night before and it obviously hadn’t gone off yet so you were fine. Sound check wasn’t until 6:30pm and the only other thing you’d be doing today would be helping the girls with that new song. You didn’t need to be up until 9:00 am here, which was 7:00 am back home, your usual wake up time.

While you let go of the last little bit of consciousness, you could feel warmth move up and down your back. As you slipped back into sleep something reminded you of last night. You remembered Bobby. You remembered inviting him in, talking and laughing for an extra hour longer. You remembered how easy it was to get in bed, raise the covers, say good night to each other. Neither of you had been thinking. Both too tired to care and on top of that, it just felt natural. And you know what? 

You didn’t care. 

The small part of you that remembered that the warmth was Bobby completely disregarded. Actually, you relished the fact. Met the cutest, sweetest guy, talked to him everyday non-stop, scored an amazing job, and accidentally fell asleep in his arms. You’ll take the win now and deal with the consequences later. For now, you’re going back to sleep.

Bobby had the same mentality. 

He was always an early riser and the constant time zone changes didn’t help. He felt tired all the time, surviving off coffee and sheer willpower. Right now though? He felt like he wouldn’t need all that coffee today. 

Bobby had woken up full about 5 minutes before you (almost) did. Was he shocked? Definitely. Was he going to do anything about it? Nope. He panicked slightly when you began to move, noticing the small change in your breathing before he felt you tuck yourself closer to him. He definitely wasn’t moving now. Instead, he pulled you closer, rubbing your back as you fell asleep. 

What had you done to him? 

His hand moved upward, beginning to run his fingers through your hair. Six weeks. It had been six weeks since he met you. Six weeks since he danced with you, five since you began texting non-stop, four since you started calling him, three since those calls became every night, two since you started sleeping together on the phone, and one since he started dreaming about what it would be like to sleep next to you for real. Well, he knows now. 

Bobby never felt like this before. Sure he had crushes in the past, especially in his youth. This wasn’t that. No, even in the short amount of time, he was able to tell. His interest in you was something else. Even then, he didn’t want to rush it. Bobby wanted to let it happen as naturally as possible and last night, hell, he didn’t even realize it until he was falling asleep. Speaking of, he seemed to be falling back asleep himself. Pulling the covers up higher, Bobby situated himself better while keeping you close. A few more hours wouldn’t hurt, right?

-

The ugly blaring sound of your alarm made you groan. Annoyed, you reached backwards and turned it off and tucked yourself back into Bobby. Bobby? Oh, yeah, Bobby. That’s right. Last night, this morning, whatever. Don’t freak out about it. Stay calm. 

You felt him run a hand through your hair. “We have to get up.” His voice was low, quiet, that nice just waking up voice. 

“Do we?” You groaned again. “It's only nine.” 

“The girls want to get breakfast with us.” He tucked some hair behind your ear. You huffed as you pulled back enough to see his face. You pouted before relenting. “Fine.” You leaned back, away from Bobby and stretched. You pretended that you didn’t notice his eyes quickly glance over your figure and then away. 

“I’ll meet you in the girls’ room?” He asked as he got out of bed. You smiled at him and nodded before getting out of bed yourself. 

“Meet you there.”

-

The minute the warm water hit your face you began freaking out. What did you do? What were you thinking? Sharing a bed with your boss-coworker-whatever?! This has to be a violation of some sort of code. What would people think? If anyone found out it would- it would… do something catastrophic you’re sure! At the very least, create a rocky relationship with the rest of the crew. 

God, you were so stupid. Why were you so stupid. How were you so stupid. Seriously, Y/n, what were you thinking? You raised your hands to your face, forgetting there was soap on them, and got a bunch in your eyes causing you to shriek a bit. 

Way to go genius. 

You’d so do it again though. Sleep with Bobby, you mean. Not smack soap into your eyes. 

-

Surprisingly, you got to the girls’ room first. 

Zoey ushered you inside, already having called in a massive amount of food. At least she’s eating good. You were worried that they’d impose strict diets on the girls. 

“Ok, ok this is what we have so far.” She passed you her notebook that was open to a page titled “golden” in all caps and in sparkly gold ink. You flipped through the pages, some lyrics color coded to indicate which of the girls would be singing. The handwriting was different too, each of them wrote their own verses. You could tell it meant a lot to them. It was each of their backgrounds, Zoey’s breaking your heart a little but you knew that she was exactly where she was meant to be now. 

“You know, I think I might have something that would fit this already made. How fast were you guys thinking it would be?”

And like that, boom you got to work. Composing, oh how you’ve missed composing. Bobby came in at some point while you and Zoey were going over some fundamentals on the song. You both locked eyes and smiled, saying brief “good mornings” as if you hadn’t seen each other yet. The girls didn’t need to know.

You hung out in the room until it was time to head over to the venue. You had gotten pretty far along, only having to change a couple of lyrics. The track on the other hand, you did already have an outline made. It was nice and simple. You’d have to change the key, alter the tempo just a little bit and add a couple of new effects to it and you think it could work!

For now though, it was time for sound check.

“Okay Mira, go ahead and sing for me.” You made a quick adjustment and called it good. 

“Zoey, you next.” Raised her volume just a tad. 

“Rumi, your turn.” A little tweak. 

"Alright, everyone together.” Perfect. “And your earpieces, is the volume okay or do you need me to raise it a bit?”

“It's great!” “Sounds fine.” “All good, Y/n.”

“Alright, let’s run a bit of How It’s Done and you girls should be all set.” Just a few more tweaks and everything seemed to be in order. You sat back in your chair and exhaled. 45 more minutes till doors opened which meant you had to be back in your spot in 25 just to give yourself a little extra time to go over your cues. 

You turned to get up from your chair and take a step when you, literally, bumped into Bobby. “Oh, shoot, sorry Bobby!” You felt him grab ahold of your arms to steady you. “I didn’t see you there.” Your voice quieted and slowed at the last part.

“It’s okay, I just wanted to check on you.” His voice mirrored yours as you both just looked (stared) into each other's eyes. His hands were still holding you steady and you felt them tighten a little bit as he smiled at you. Thumb brushing over your skin once, he let his hands fall to hold yours while Anahi, the light board operator, got out as quietly as she could. She wasn’t weirded out, it was kind of cute, but she was so telling someone about this. Great job guys! Good on the subtleties!

“So, um,” Bobby cleared his throat before finally letting you go, a blush rising to his face. You missed the warmth of his hands. “How are you liking it?” 

Snapping out of your own trance, you blinked as you felt your face heat up. “Huh-? What do you-?” What was he talking about? What did he mean by “liking it?” Was that some sort of-

“The sound board!” He said quickly as if he could hear you thinking about something else. “Just- you know- it's all new. Bigger stuff.. .”

“Oh! Oh, yeah, it’s great. It’s really cool.” What was wrong with you? Freak. “Yeah it’s- it’s nice.”

Bobby nodded. “That's good!” Why was he so awkward all of a sudden? He’s been with you all day and for heaven's sake, he slept with you! Why is this so odd now? Pull yourself together Bobby. “Did you… want to come get something to drink with me before doors open?”

You smiled through your awkwardness. “I’d love that.” 

-

Man were you tired. You hadn’t even realized that you got back to your room until you changed into your pajamas for the night. Stretching out your back, you laid down in bed with the lights already off. You were just ready for sleep. So, go to sleep.

.

.

.

God damn it you’re not going to be able to sleep are you? It had been how long? Thirty minutes and it felt like two days. You knew what was going to happen. Why? Because you’re stupid. Okay, maybe not that. Maybe a little. Would he even let you sleep with him again? Is he going to tell you no? Brush you off? Say it was a one time mistake and kill you with that sweet, kind, awkward smile as you get rejected without him even saying it?

Might as well get it done and over with now so that you can get over these feelings, right. Or, alternatively, you keep doing it and stay with him in bed forever. Oh well, get up.

You dramatically threw your blankets off of you and trekked to his room. Knock. Knock on the damn door. You took a deep breath and knocked.

The door immediately opened. Bobby was about to go to your room again and, well, here you are. In front of him. Doing the same thing as you were doing last night. Looks like the roles are reversed. 

“Did you want to sleep over?” He asked with a smile. 

Biting your lip as you smiled giddy. “If that's alright with you.” He let you into his room. This time, you both knew what you were doing. You got under the covers. “Your bed is so much more comfortable than mine! Not fair.” You pouted while trying to hold back a laugh. 

“You could always just stay in my bed if you wanted.” Oh! You were so normal and casual about this. Face red, you laughed with him as he pulled you close to him. Arms wrapping around him, he pressed your foreheads together as you both whispered “good night” before falling asleep.

Were you crazy for this? Yeah. You know what though? You don’t care. Let the crew talk, let the girls (except Zoey for some reason?) give you knowing side eyes. You’re right where you wanted to be.

Chapter Text

Your first three weeks were exhausting.

Each stadium had their own systems, their own way of organizing things, not to mention how huge they were. You’d gotten lost in more than three stadiums in your first week. On top of dealing with all that , you’ve been working on the instrumentals for Golden . Something had happened in the middle of your editing, the software crashed and poof! All the work you had done in the last hour was gone. You stared at your laptop in shock with your hands over your mouth as tears began to well up in your eyes. Biting your lip, you frantically searched for any trace of your work in your files and found nothing. Frustrated, tired, and trying not to cry, you slammed your laptop shut.

You ran your hands over your face as a few tears escaped. You were so tired, so overwhelmed and you just wanted one thing, just one little thing to go right this week. Composition was supposed to be your stress reliever and it just made you feel worse and the quiet in your room was driving you insane. Tossing your laptop to the side, you stood from your bed and walked out of your room. You knocked on Bobby’s door and then wiped your face with your sleeve. You were wearing a Huntr/x hoodie that was two sizes too big and fit you almost like a dress, covering your short black sleep shorts. Underneath your hoodie was a normal white shirt.

Bobby had been waiting for you to come to bed, but he didn’t think that it would be this quickly. You had seemed so excited earlier, he thought that you’d be working on it a lot longer. Maybe you just got tired too quickly? Maybe it wasn’t even you, it could be one of the girls. They’d gone to bed about an hour ago but maybe someone needed something? 

Bobby got up and walked over to the door and opened it. He smiled before his expression switched to one of concern as he noticed how tired you looked and… had you cried a little? He quickly pulled you inside and shut the door. Immediately, Bobby's hands went to cup your cheeks. 

“Are you okay?” He whispered, voice was filled with concern. “What happened?”

You sniffled. “Stupid program crashed and I lost what I had been working on.”  You surged forward and pulled him into a hug. “I’m just really frustrated… and tired.” 

Rubbing your back, Bobby held on to you for a moment before speaking again. “Come on, let's lay down.” He led you to the bed and made sure that you were comfortable before getting in next to you. 

“I don’t want to go to sleep yet.” You mumbled while scooting closer to him. You were half sitting up and half laying down, him actually sitting up, far enough that you were able to rest your head on his chest. Bobby hummed before muttering a soft “ okay” turning on the TV. He rested his head on the top of yours as he put on the reality show you guys started together (trash TV as you called it). He leaned back a little, softly rubbing your arm with the tips of his fingers. 

Finally, you felt calm. You let yourself sink into the bed, into his warmth as the people on the show started arguing. At some point, you took Bobby’s hand and started tracing the lines on his palm. And you just sat there. In the arms of someone who really cared for you, cherished you enough to know what to do with you barely saying anything.

It made your heart ache.

He knew what you wanted and, more importantly, what you needed when you needed it. He was perfect, wasn’t he? Always so kind, so caring. Making sure you were alright all the time, calming you down, holding you close. Taking care of your Hummingbird, your light, your baby, the girl that was more than your cousin, she was your little sister. Your sister that had hurt for so long, felt like she wasn’t meant to be anywhere. He helped build a place where she was accepted. Ensured that she would never be alone again, that she had people that loved her for her. You owed Bobby your life, your soul. Your heart.

You weren’t even paying attention to the TV anymore. All you could think about was him. The way he held you, how he had smiled at you in the middle of the show after sneaking into the tech booth and made you almost miss a cue, the way he said your name like it was the most beautiful song. How his heart beat just a bit quicker when you took his hand just now. After college, hell, after high school you always felt like you were missing something. You knew you were doing the right things career wise. You felt fulfilled despite being contained in the same small world you’d been in since birth. Fulfilled but not full. Always missing something. A puzzle unfinished, a harmony without a melody, a story without an ending. After your whole life waiting, it paid off. 

Bobby breathed new life into you. Lit you up, drove you to keep going after what felt an eternity in the dark. It made you want to cry again. It also made you want to show him how you felt. You wanted to coddle him, make sure he knows how cherished he is. Whisper to him how he makes you feel, how much he is loved, how much he deserves this. You wanted to feel him. Share your warmth, your love. You didn’t want to erase his insecurities, you wanted to help him accept and grow into him the way he helped you. They way he noticed you pulling or tugging at your clothes, turning in the mirror, unsure of the outfit you had chosen for your singular day off and complimented all the parts you seemed to hate sincerely without you even muttering a word. 

You wanted to know him the same way he knew you and more.

You thought of kissing him. Letting him seep into your skin, see the parts of you no one else has seen. The parts of your body that you’d picked at, the various small scars you had from accidents in your youth that you got from doing things you shouldn’t have, the bruises that you got from that stupid table that this last venue had in the middle of nowhere, that weird mark on your arm that's finally disappearing after months. The parts you were shy about, the parts you loved. You imagined cradling his face in your hands and slowly peppering kisses all over his face before finally reaching his lips. 

Would he hold you tight? Like you were going to fade away at any moment? Like a man who hadn’t seen his lover in years, finally reuniting under the stars of a clear sky? Or would he hold you carefully as if you were glass, cradling you knowing that your hearts beat as one and he wouldn’t fear losing you? Gentle and sweet, not rushing and pulling, but cherishing and loving, knowing. Knowing that you’re safe, knowing your feelings, and learning the map of your body without having to rush in. 

You bit your lip, looking back up at the TV. That night wouldn’t be tonight and it wouldn’t be tomorrow, but maybe the day after. Or the week after, or the month, or, God forbid, the year after. Tonight would be just this. Trash TV, cuddling, and imagining. You were okay with that.

You were also okay with nudging it along a little. 

A surge of courage met with a yawn as you felt yourself get more tired by the minute. You took the hand, his hand, that you were holding and raised it a bit. Leaning down and meeting in the middle, you pressed the softest of kisses to his palm and shifted your body as you felt him stiffen a bit. You could hear his heart racing and his breathing hitch, not expecting the sudden action. Bobby’s hand raised to cup your cheek as he came down from his sitting position. He studied your face, memorizing each detail, gazing into your eyes that he loved so much. His expression was as if he was studying the most beautiful art piece in the world. 

Bobby's eyes flickered back to the TV. He reached for the remote and shut it off, leaving the room in total darkness. It took a moment for your eyes to adjust, but his hand had returned to your cheek. He ran his thumb over it, still studying you even in the dark before you pulled him into an embrace. Your head on top of his, leg over his as his face nuzzled into the crook of your neck. You ran your fingers through his hair as his hand rubbed your back, almost gripping it as he pulled you in closer. 

Tonight, you uttered no “goodnight,’ just existed in each other's presence. Your eyes closed at some point and you fell asleep with him in your arms. You slept even better than before. God, how you cherished him. 

-

“Okay so this part, the melody is like,” you turned to your little keyboard and played slowly as you sang. “ Waited so long to break these walls down.”  Rumi nodded and copied your tone as you nodded along. “Yeah, uh, that first little jump. Waited so,” you plated the note change on the keyboard. “Go ahead and get that.” She practiced it a couple of times until she felt that she got it. “Good! Run through that part”

Waited so long to break these walls down

To wake up and feel like me

“Good, this next part is the same.” You said as you kept playing.

Put these patterns all in the past now

And finally live like the girl they all see

“Okay, like the Post-Chorus. Same format, but lower.”

No more hiding, I'll be shining

Like I'm born to be

'Cause we are hunters, voices strong

And I know I believe

“Yes!” You squealed as you stopped playing, clapping for her a little bit. “Thats so good, your voice is amazing.”

“Your track is amazing. I can’t believe you’re done with it.” Rumi smiled at your enthusiasm as she took a sip of her water. “It took you like, what, two full days to finish it?”

“Well, I had a lay out already. It took two weeks.” You shook your head with a laugh.

“Okay, but you’re also our sound tech so that's, like, 3 times the work and you still got this out fast with all the late nights.” She argued as she set her cup down. “All together, that's like two days. It would’ve taken us a month to get all this done. I’m so happy you joined the team.”

You laughed as you shut off your little keyboard. “I’m really happy I joined too.”

“So,” she drew out the word. “How are you and Bobby?” Rumi took another sip of her drink as if she just 

That made you freeze for just a moment as you were packing up. Laughing it off and shaking your head. “Whatever do you mean?” 

Rumi narrowed her eyes at you as you turned your back to her so you could keep packing up. “The crew talks about you, you know. Anahi has a big mouth.” 

“That she does,” you sighed. 

“I also saw you sneak out of his room this morning.” She said in a sing-song voice that made you laugh.

“Okay, I wasn’t sneaking out.” You shut your laptop. 

“Then what were you doing?” Mira’s voice made you nearly jump out of your skin. “I don’t think producers normally sneak in and out of the manager's hotel room.” 

You placed a hand over your heart as you tried catching your breath. “Jesus, you scared me.”

“What are we talking about?” Zoey had also decided to walk in as Rumi tried holding back a laugh. 

“Yourr cousin's big, fat crush on Bobby.” Mira replied with a blank face as she walked over to sit next to Rumi.

You scoffed and put your hands on your hips. “I do not have a ‘big, fat crush’ on Bobby.” You shrugged before muttering, “just a normal sized crush.” 

Zoey was shocked. Her mouth hung open as she stared at you, hands on her head. “You like Bobby?!” Everyone turned to look at her shocked.

“You didn’t know?” You bit your lip. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“You can’t- He’s- You’re-” She looked like she was losing it. “He’s Bobby! My manager! And you’re my cousin! That's like three different worlds colliding and blowing up into dust like PCHEW!!” She mimicked an explosion with her hands. She thought about it for a moment. You could see the gears turning in her mind before her face filled with betrayal. Zoey ran up to you and shook you by the shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“I thought you knew!” You responded, grabbing her arms to try and stop her from shaking you. 

“I’m blind! I couldn’t tell!” Zoey finally let you go and hugged you as Mira and Rumi laughed. “It’s cute though…”

“Sickeningly.” “Super cute.”

“How long have you been sleeping with him though?” One of the girls asked. You couldn’t tell which because then Zoey yelled.

“You’ve been sleeping with him?!”

Guess you have a lot of explaining to do.