Though We May Fall {An Aphmau AU}

Will You Be Here For Me?

**Aphmau's POV**

    I peeked my head out of the dressing room, desperately trying to find the person I needed. My makeup and hair were already done, a tiara sitting perfectly on my head. It was opening night for The Nutcracker, and I was more anxious than I had been in ages. The first act was coming to a close, and in just twenty minutes, Aaron and I would be out on stage, preparing ourselves for the performance to come.

     Finally, I spotted Aaron, leaning against the wall by the stage, listening to the final strains of music from the first act. Grabbing my jacket, I left the dressing room and walked over to him, pointe shoes causing me to walk somewhat awkwardly. He smiled at me as I approached, and we stood there in silence for several long moments until we heard the curtains closing and the audience roaring with applause. There was a torrent of footsteps as everyone rushed off stage, hurrying to the dressing rooms to prepare themselves for the second act.

    Sighing, I wrapped my arms around myself and leaned against the wall. "Are you ready?" I asked quietly, still not quite believing that opening night was already here. It seemed nigh on impossible that four months of school had already flown by, but here we were, about to show the world what we had been practicing just for this night.

    Aaron chuckled, lifting one foot so it rested against the wall as his back. "Honestly I don't know. I feel ready. I know all of the movements and everything we need to remember. I don't think I'm ready to let go of the time that we spent on this show, to tell the truth." I nodded, closing my eyes and trying to ignore the pit in the bottom of my stomach. "Hey." my eyes opened at the sound of his voice and I locked eyes with him, feeling his left hand close around my right. "You're going to be perfect. We're both going to be perfect." My smile reappeared, and I squeezed his hand ever so softly. I was about to reply when I heard another voice coming towards us.

    "Aphmau!" I looked away from Aaron, letting his hand drop. I heard him shift, and I thought I heard something similar to a growl, but I ignored it. Ein was walking towards us, well, me, a big grin on his face. "Are you ready for the second act?" I laughed, glancing back at Aaron. The brief second I looked at him, I could see an emotion written across his face, plain as day. But it was too fast to tell which one.

    "To be truthful I'm scared out of my mind. But," I straightened up, giving him my best smile, "the show must go on." He chuckled, reaching out and taking my hand. It was the left one, not the one that Aaron had been holding seconds before. I could feel the differences in them just by the way they held my hand- Ein was kind and gentle, full of emotions waiting to burst through. Aaron was rough but kind, a wall somewhere within him holding back his feelings where no one could see them. They were completely different people, but the trust I had in them was equal. "How did the first act go? The stage crew wouldn't let me watch from the wings."

    Ein sighed, going off and talking about every little thing that had happened in the past hour. I stood there with a smile, listening closely. The two of us had only been dating for a couple of days, but my entire world felt flipped upside down. He texted me a least twice a day, made me smile, and was always there to help or talk when I needed it. He made me feel special and important, especially in this time where half the day I felt anything but.

    Behind Ein, a woman with titanium blonde hair and eyes a mixture of blue and indigo approached us. I recognized her immediately as Jenny, a girl in my class and the one who played Clara. She smiled at me, putting her hand on Ein's shoulder as she came into his view. I saw right through her expression, causing my heart to thud painfully and thoughts to race around my head.

    "Ein, we should take our places. Intermission is almost over." He nodded, giving my hand a squeeze before leaning towards me and giving me a light kiss on my cheek. I blushed hotly, looking down and pulling my hand from his.

    "I'll see you later darling. Good luck, and to you Aaron." I heard Aaron shift behind me, and with a pang of guilt, I realized I had forgotten about him standing there. I hope he doesn't take that personally.

    As the two walked away, Jenny looked back at Aaron, giving him a beautiful smile and a wink of her dark eyes. My own eyes narrowed, and I watched them disappear backstage. For some reason, I didn't like it when she flirted with Aaron, which was quite often.

    "Well, you heard them. Let's go get ready." I turned to Aaron, smiling and nodding. Together we walked through the wings and onto the stage, the closed curtains concealing us from the audience.

    "All of our friends are here," I whispered as we took our places. He nodded, biting his lip. "I hope they like the show." He looked down at me and smiled.

    "Of course they'll like it. They have to." I suppressed a giggle, pressing a fist lightly to my mouth to not smear my lipstick. His eyes shone with mirth, causing the knot in my stomach to loosen ever so slightly.

    "Aaron?" I muttered, leaning against him for the final moments before the music started. He kept his gaze on me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "Will you be there the whole time?" He squeezed me tighter, before letting me go as the beginning notes of the music swelled throughout the theater.

      "Always." And with that single word, I squared my shoulders and prepared myself for the show to come.