Hunter Hayes Imagines (Requests Closed Again)

Kiss Me Under the Light of a Thousand Stars

First of all, I would like to thank all of you out there for getting me 744 reads. That's more than I anticipated, and it feels amazing to see so many people have read my imagines. 744 might not seem a lot to most people, but it's a lot to me. So thank you, and hope your day is as amazing as you!

You were on the road with Hunter. You were the opening act for his tour, as you were an aspiring new country artist that no one could seem to get enough of. Matt Utterback was your uncle, so him and the entire band were the main reasons for your success. Even with your sudden rise to fame, you haven't changed any. You were still the fun loving country girl that wasn't afraid to get dirty.

You were currently on Hunter's tour bus, which was parked at a gas station. Your band and his both got restless for being on the road for a few days straight, so you guys decided to stop at a run-down gas station in the middle of nowhere. Everyone was milling about leisurely; some people in the gas station buying snacks, others hanging out in Hunter's bus. His had the biggest space, so your band (including yourself) were all hanging out in there.

The thing is, though; you've got social anxiety and being around all those people, no matter how well you knew them, was making it hard for you to breathe. You were sitting on the small couch, sandwiched between two of your band members, as everyone laughed at some joke Matt made. You weren't listening. Instead, you were focusing on breathing right. Every once and a while, you would feel someone's eyes on you. You look up and meet Hunter's eyes every time, but he would avert his eyes immediately and turn to talk to Sam beside him.

Light-hearted jokes and hysterical stories are tossed around carelessly throughout the night, but you can't seem to enjoy the light air surrounding you. Your skin felt hot and your head started throbbing. You really didn't like being around so many people.

After another one of Matt's hilarious tales, you decided to slip out while everyone broke into gales of laughter. Surely they'd be too preoccupied to notice your sudden disappearance, yeah?

"Where are you going?" Joey, one of your band members, asks. He was your drummer, and you were the closet to him in your entire band.

"J-just to go get some air....I'll be right back," you assured him as everyone's eyes shifted to you. Now, you were okay with the crowd watching you because the blinding lights that shone in your eyes on stage made the audience completely invisible to you. But seeing everyone watching you made your skin crawl.

"Okay..." Joey drawls out, noticing your change in mood. He knew about your anxiety issues; he was actually the one that made you calm down before each gig, so he knew something was wrong.

You give him a quick nod before ducking out the bus door. 

The fresh night air hits you like a ton of bricks. You lean against the side of the bus and try to control your erratic breathing. You feel sweat drip down the side of your face.

Eww, gross, you think, wiping it away.

"You okay out here?" a voice suddenly pipes up, making you jump and let out a yelp in surprise. Your head whips to the side, and to your relief, it's just Hunter.

You let out an airy chuckle and smooth a hand through your hair.

"Yeah, I'm good. Geez, you sure know how to scare a girl, Hayes!" You both laugh, although you notice they both sound strained. You peer over at him in the moonlight and notice concern illuminating his face.

"What's wrong?" you ask. He tries to look innocent and raises his eyebrows.

"Wha, uh, um, nothing." He clears his throat awkwardly and rocks back and forth on his heels.

"I don't believe you," you state, crossing your arms. You were quite the confident and stubborn girl, that is, as long as you're one-on-one. Hunter pretends to not have heard you, as he tilts his head toward the night sky.

"Have you ever noticed how pretty the stars are?"

"Avoiding the question, I see."

"Know any constellations?"

You sigh in defeat and look up as well.

"That's the Little Dipper." You point towards the stars that connect to make the constellation. Hunter nods and tries (and fails) to point out the Big Dipper.

After many constellations named, you found yourself sitting on the curb of the gas station next to Hunter. Neither of you have been saying complete sentences, just uttering the casual constellation name every once and a while.

"Scorpius," you say, finding yet another one. Beside you, you hear Hunter sigh. It wasn't a content or happy sigh, but the emotion behind it was unreadable. You open your mouth to say something, but he beats you to it.

"Joey told me," he blurts. You turn your head to face him with a confused expression.

"Joey told you...?"

"About your anxiety. That's why you left."

His eyes find their way agonizingly slow to yours. You hold his thoughtful gaze for a few seconds before you have to look away. Looking people in the eyes was never easy for you.

"Oh." Your voice cracks embarrassingly on the single syllable. Awkward silence envelops the two of you. You twiddle your thumbs, trying to build up the courage to say something. You were previously having an easy conversation with Hunter, but all traces of confidence left when he brought up your anxiety. It's almost as if acknowledging it made it more prominent.

"Why didn't you say anything in the bus? I could've-"

"It's really not that big a deal, Hunter. I've had it for as long as I can remember; I can manage, I always do."

"Yeah, but-"

"Look, I should probably start heading to bed. You should too, we've got a show tomorrow."

"Wa-"

"Goodnight," you cut him off once again, before standing and walking towards your deserted bus. You walk a few steps before Hunter springs up and his hand wraps around your wrist, gently making you stop in your tracks.

"You've got to stop interrupting me. I was trying to suggest that maybe next time we could hang out...just the two of us. If that's alright with you, of course," he says. You can't help the little upwards curl of your lips at his proposal. You surprise him by wrapping him in a hug. He immediately hugs you back.

"Thank you, Hunter."

"It's my pleasure."