alright. have fun! Nik texted back, putting his phone away and gathering Smoke into his arms, pressing his face into the kitten's fur and inhaling. You're safe you're safe you're gonna be just fine. You aren't going to get hurt. You're just going to be part of the crowd. No one is going to recognize you or hurt you or show everyone your scars. You're going to go, and you'll be fine, and you'll have fun.
"Hi guys! Thanks for working with me today!" Avon exclaimed at the small crowd of people standing onstage. He gathered with them as if he were their equal, not as if he were higher than they. Each worker wore the same face, one of shock and joy. "After this, I'll treat you guys to a buffet." He promised them. He felt like it would stand too true, though. Well, at least he can venmo them some money.
Nik let out the breath, and let go of Smoke. He checked that his clothes were satisfactory, and that his phone was fully charged. He closed his eyes. Let's go. He had plenty of time, but he knew that even once he was in the parking lot he would need some time to get his nerves up.
Avon finished up with the last preparations he had to make, and went off of the stage. He walked out to peek at the medium crowd that already gathered at the door. People of all sorts were gathered there, and it made him proud. He noticed that diversity wasn't an issue. He listened in on the conversations of a few louder people. "Avon has to be gay." "No way. He's a pan baby." "Either way, Avon definitely might be dating that other singer,""What? No way!" Avon couldn't help but laugh at how much he hadn't told the people.
Nik drove to the place and, as he had expected, had to spend about five to ten minutes psyching himself up to go inside. He doublechecked that he had his ID and wallet and phone, and then headed inside, tucking his keys in his pocket. He put his hands into his jacket pockets to hide the fact that they were trembling just a little bit, and then entered the building, sticking to the side, away from the crowd of people that had gathered.
Avon laughed, one final time, before standing on the under-stage platform. He was ready for its raising, the concert was in very few minutes now. With a few silent lyrics, he was sure that he was prepared for the concert. His mind drifted off to Nik, again. "I hope you're here, dear. Are you here for me?" It sounded like perfect words. He heard the concert's lights turn on, he heard the background music playing. It was really happening.
(just gonna be honest: I've never been to an actual concert so i have no idea how tf ticket-taking works at these lmao)
As people were let in, Nik eventually joined the line, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. Calm down, you'll be fine. You'll be fine. You're fine. No one here cares who you are, except maybe Avon. He told himself again, knowing it wouldn't be the last time.
( loool it's okay! so basically the person takes your ticket, in my case they gave it back after scanning, and let me in. VIP tix guarantee front rows~ )
Avon slowly began hearing voices. People were crowding into the stadium, and it sped his heart up a little. He hated the beginnings of his concerts the most, because he wasn't able to see the appearances of his fans, and how quickly they piled in. He knew, though, that each of them wanted to see him, and that feeling was one of his favorites.
(ah alright cool cool, makes sense. thanks!)
Nik waited as they scanned his ticket and let him in, taking the ticket and putting it in his pocket. He headed towards where he was supposed to be, feeling like his heart was being strangled as he passed by more and more people. It's gonna be so loud and there are so many people-! His heart was pounding and he took a deep breath, clenching his fists and sinking his nails into his palms, trying to calm down.
( yeeeee :) )
There were maybe a few minutes left until the concert, then. Avon took a cold, hard breath. He was majorly excited for the idea of the concert, and literally couldn't stop his heart from racing. He cleared his mind, and then froze in his starting position. That platform was going to raise at any minute now, and he was one hundred percent ready for its movement.
Nik was where he was supposed to be, now, and was waiting for it to start, his hands still in his pockets. He looked uncomfortable and a little awkward, which made sense when one considered that he wasn't used to being in places like this. He ran a hand through his hair, biting his lip nervously.
In that moment, millions of lights focused on the center stage. Avon was propelled, basically, onto the stage from the platform below. It fastened into the stage to hide itself from the crowd. "What's up, Valerians?" He cried at the crowd, using the name for his fans. He smiled a flashy, white smile. Screams erupted from practically everyone.
Nik only blinked. He wasn't the type to scream like that, though he did smile when he saw Avon, shoulders relaxing a little bit. None of the attention is on you. See? You're fine. He reassured himself, feeling a little calmer now that everything had actually started.
(i gtg soon, sorry)
( I don't mind, it's okay! Same here. )
Avon's eyes searched the important concert-goers, before he found someone who looked pretty similar to Nik. He wasn't sure if it was Nik, or someone else, but he winked at them anyways. "I've got a great show coming today! I'll give it my all for you guys! You're the real stars!" He called to the crowd, eliciting a few more loud cries. He posed for a second, before going right into his first song, dazzling choreography possessing his body.
Nik smiled again at the wink, and listened and watched as Avon began singing and dancing. Slowly but surely, the young man was relaxing more as his anxiety began to release its hold, at least for a little while.
He kept going at the choreography, viciously taking down his dance moves. Awe swept through the audience that laid their eyes upon him. He even slipped his coat off a little, revealing a hot portion of his shoulders. His vocals were strong, and never failing. It was near the end of his first song, and he was going to have a small speaking session before finishing up with the rest of his music.
Nik was smiling a little as he watched, pulling his hands from his pockets and shooting a quick video. He sent it to Tessa, along with a quick explanation that he was at a concert in the front row. He didn't bother to see what her response was before putting the phone away again.
Avon finished the song with an explosive ending. He made his way to a center-stage stool after that, resting on the seat. "I'm having so much fun! I truly feel so blessed that you're all here for this! I've got a little bit of news, too! Drama stations, get ready, this'll be for you…" He paused, before continuing with his words. All of the background sounds completely died down. "I think I might be coming down with something. Ever heard of the possible love fever?" He said to his fans. Screams, so so many of them, took to the air. "I mean, it's not too certain, but-" He didn't even finish his words thanks to the cheers.
Nik raised his eyebrows a little bit at that, but smiled, happy for Avon and whoever the singer liked. He ran his fingers through his hair. His phone buzzed in his pocket, a signal that Tessa had responded to his message. He ignored it, simply waiting to see if or when Avon would be allowed to continue by the fans.
"Well, you see, he's wonderful. And for that matter, he's here right now. But I think he's a little shy, so I won't say who he is. Anyways, I have a few more songs to get to! Here we go!" Avon said. He, through the screams, continued with a few good songs, his vocals overpowering the crowd.
Nik blinked at the "he". He…well. He hadn't quite expected Avon to admit something like that. The press could be notorious for cruel treatment of LGBTQ celebrities, especially those that were openly in a relationship or something like that.
Avon bit his lip before he started to sing. He was completely accepting of himself, but he didn't know how good it would fare with Rosalia or the rest of his staff. Damn, he might have just fired himself from the entire music industry. He continued on with his next song, stunning choreography and beautiful moves interrupting the thoughts of many of his fans. Back stage, Rosalia and Avon's producer gasped, and furiously began to decide something, before the media could interfere with their star.
Nik watched Avon with a smile on his face. The smaller male's jacket had words stitched into the left shoulder: "love is love is love", in the colors of the Pride flag. He was gay, had known for years. So he just goes that people would accept Avon.
Avon continued through the rest of his songs, passing them with literal flying colors. He stood, center stage, as lights fell onto him. "All of my V.I.P.s meet me back here after the show! I hope the rest of you had a great night!" He shouted. Many people sighed, but then screamed their thank yous. A small, select crowd began to be directed to the back of the stage.
Nik bit his lip as he was directed back to the back of the stage. He looked nervous, but he was smiling, having enjoyed the show more than he had expected he could. Once he'd managed to shed the anxiety, anyway.
Avon carefully signed certain merchandise items that his fans had, and offered to get pictures with them. He passed each person with a giddy smile. Eventually, he finally got down to Nik, who had been carefully put to be last. "Hey there, Nik." Avon purred, smiling even more wider at the sight of the other.
Nik gave him a quick smile in response, thankfully not looking or feeling as nervous as he had at the beginning of the show. "Hi." he greeted simply. "I don't have anything for you to sign, sorry. But I do have my phone for pictures." he shrugged, letting out a soft laugh.
"Oh, I got you something special." Avon purred. He went into a small room nearby, and brought out a huge gift basket, with a lot of merch, and some snacks. It even included a signed album, of the song they listened to whenever they met. "Say cheese~" Avon then said, as he completely posed for a photo with the other.
Nik's eyes went wide when he saw the basket. "I…er…" he stammered for a moment, having handed his phone over for the photo. He was blushing slightly. "I…I can't take this, I…" he didn't know what to say.