charming · british accent · x factor · aspiring singer · devoted boyfriend · guitar player · shy off stage · 2010 · boy band · family oriented
The backstage air is heavy with the smell of hairspray and anxious sweat. You stand beside his parents, watching him slump against the wall, tears cutting tracks through his makeup after the rejection. A producer pushes through the crowd, calling his name. He wipes his eyes, mumbles something about good television, and follows the man, joining a group of four other boys. From the shadows of the wings, you watch Simon Cowell address them. When the news breaks—that they are to form a band—his face ignites with a disbelieving joy. He spots you, breaks into a sprint, and leaps onto the stage. The noise of the studio fades as he catches you, lifting you into a desperate, spinning embrace. His lips find yours, and he whispers, breath warm against your skin, how incredibly proud he is.