iv. twenty nights - megan skiendiel
synopsis 𓂁 y/n is the bassist and one of four vocalists for an up and coming rnb band. surprisingly early into their career, they start getting invited to award shows and parties where he meets megan. unfortunately for him, he’s too shy to talk to her
pairing 𓂁 idol!megan x band member!y/n
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The bass from the after-party pulsed through the venue, vibrating through the floor beneath everyone’s feet. Everywhere Y/N looked there were celebrities, producers, artists, influencers, execs, and industry veterans, despite Daniela saying it was just going to be people their age, mingling beneath dim lights. Every few minutes someone would spot somebody famous and let out a startled laugh or excited shout. It was chaos in the most glamorous way possible.
Forget About It had only existed for a little over a year, but somehow they’d just stepped off the VMAs stage after receiving a standing ovation.
Even now, twenty minutes later, none of them had fully processed it. Salem kept randomly stopping mid-conversation as though the memory had physically stunned him. Apollo looked like he was floating six inches above the ground. Even Damian, who normally acted unfazed by everything, seemed quieter than usual.
Y/N wasn’t doing much better.
The masks the band wore as part of their image suddenly felt like the greatest invention in human history. If people could see his face, they’d immediately know he was overwhelmed.
“Dude,” Apollo said for what felt like the hundredth time.
“They stood up.” — “Yeah.” — “The whole room.” — “Yeah.”
Apollo stared off into space.“There were Grammy winners in there.”
Y/N laughed despite himself.
Salem appeared beside them and rubbed both hands over his face. “I genuinely don’t remember half our performance.”
“You played the whole thing.”
“It still doesn’t feel real.”
Before anyone could respond, Salem suddenly froze and his eyes widened. Apollo followed his gaze, then he froze too.
Damian immediately noticed. “Oh no.”
Y/N looked toward the bar area and immediately understood—Girlset had just arrived.
The group was laughing amongst themselves near one of the lounge sections, completely unaware that Salem was moments away from combusting.
“No,” Damian said immediately.
Salem didn’t look away. “Damian,” Salem said carefully.
Apollo joined in, “Please.”
“Why am I always responsible for this?”
“Because you’re the only one of us that’s socially functional,” Apollo answered.
“Compared to you three, that’s not exactly a high bar.”
A few minutes later Damian found himself reluctantly escorting Salem and Apollo toward the group while Y/N followed behind, mostly because watching his friends embarrass themselves sounded entertaining, but partially because he didn’t want to stand alone.
As soon as they approached, one of the members recognised them.
“Hey!” she said with a smile. “Your performance was amazing.”
Salem nearly died on the spot.
Y/N watched in fascination as his bandmate somehow transformed into the smoothest person alive the second Camila started talking to him. Every trace of panic disappeared. Suddenly he was making her laugh, complimenting her, and carrying on a conversation like they’d known each other for years.
Apollo wasn’t doing much worse.
After Damian subtly nudged him in Savanna’s direction, Apollo somehow managed to strike up a conversation that was going surprisingly well. Savanna seemed thoroughly entertained by him.
Y/N shook his head. “Unbelievable.”
“They’re actually pulling this off.”
Damian glanced over. “They’ll never let us hear the end of it.”
As the others continued talking, Y/N noticed something strange—Damian hadn’t made any effort whatsoever to speak with Lexi. Which was weird. They all knew she was his celebrity crush.
Y/N nudged him. “Why aren’t you talking to Lexi?”
Damian didn’t even look in his direction. “Because then you’d be standing here by yourself.”
Damian shrugged, “Salem’s occupied. Apollo’s occupied. If I disappear too, you’re just gonna awkwardly wander around pretending you’re checking your phone.”
Y/N opened his mouth, then closed it because Damian was right.
Y/N laughed. “You’re passing up your celebrity crush for me?”
“I’m making sure one of my best friends doesn’t get stranded at a party full of celebrities.”
Unfortunately for Damian, the conversation was interrupted when Y/N spotted someone across the room.
His stomach immediately dropped. Megan. She stood near one of the lounge areas talking with several people. Every time she laughed, Y/N felt his brain short-circuit a little.
Unfortunately Damian noticed immediately. A grin spread across his face. Unlike Y/N, Damian genuinely enjoyed watching his friends suffer.
“You’ve been talking about her for hours.”
Y/N was thankful for the mask because his face was burning.
Megan glanced in their direction briefly.
Y/N immediately looked away.
“You literally just performed in front of thousands of people.”
Y/N crossed his arms. “I’m not talking to her.”
Damian sighed dramatically. “You’re useless.”
Damian started guiding Y/N toward her anyway.
Y/N immediately resisted. “Damian.”
Eventually Damian gave up. Mostly because he could tell Y/N was genuinely panicking. “Fine.”
The noise inside suddenly felt overwhelming. The adrenaline from the performance still hadn’t faded. Every conversation felt louder than it should. Every light seemed brighter.
Y/N pointed toward the balcony, “Want to get some air?”
Damian didn’t hesitate.“Absolutely.”
The two slipped away from the crowd and stepped through the glass doors onto the rooftop balcony. The music became muffled. The cool night air replaced the heat of the party. The city stretched endlessly below them, lights glittering in every direction.
For the first time all evening, things felt quiet.
The two settled onto one of the outdoor couches. Y/N reached into his pocket, pulling out an old mint container.
Damian immediately grinned. “Y/N, I could kiss you right now”
A lighter flicked and the tip glowed orange. Smoke drifted upward into the night sky, neither of them spoke for a moment; they just sat there, passing the joint back and forth while staring out over the city.
Eventually Damian broke the silence. “You realise a year ago we just had an idea and a group chat.”
“And tonight we got a standing ovation at the VMAs.”
For a while they just sat there enjoying the quiet. The biggest night of their lives unfolding behind them. Just two friends trying to process how much their lives had changed in a single year.
For a while, neither Y/N nor Damian said anything. The after-party continued behind the glass doors, muffled bass thumping through the walls while laughter and conversation occasionally spilled onto the balcony whenever someone stepped outside.
Y/N leaned back into the couch and stared at the skyline. For the first time all night, he felt relaxed.
Then Damian ruined it. “You should talk to Megan.”
Y/N groaned immediately. “No.”
Damian passed the blunt back. “Because you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared,” Y/N rolled his eyes.
Damian wasn’t letting it go. Normally Y/N appreciated how persistent his friend could be. Tonight he wanted to throw him off the balcony. “You’re acting like she’s gonna bite you.”
“I don’t know that she won’t.”
Damian laughed. “She’s a person.”
“No. You’re acting like she’s some mythical creature.”
Y/N sighed. “Leave me alone.”
The argument continued for another few minutes. Every time Damian found a new angle, Y/N found a new excuse.
Maybe after another drink.
Eventually Damian pinched the bridge of his nose. “You are exhausting.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
Damian thought for a moment. Then suddenly perked up. “If you talk to her, your next batch is on me.”
Y/N immediately shook his head. “No.”
“You don’t even know how much I was gonna offer to pay for.”
Damian laughed. Of course.
Y/N hated when people paid for things for him. It didn’t matter whether it was food, clothes, gas money, concert tickets, or literally anything else. The moment someone offered to pay, Y/N would somehow become even more stubborn.
Y/N pointed at him. “If.”
Damian already hated where this was going.
“You have to go talk to Lexi,” Damian’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve been avoiding that all night.”
“I haven’t been avoiding it.”
Damian looked away briefly. The truth was that he absolutely could’ve gone over and talked to Lexi at any point during the night. But every time he’d considered it, he’d glanced back and seen Y/N awkwardly hovering by himself.
Damian knew his friends. Apollo could talk to anyone if he wanted to. Salem could somehow charm an entire room when motivated enough. Y/N would rather disappear into a wall than approach a stranger. Especially at a celebrity-filled after-party. So Damian had stayed.
Before he could speak further, the balcony doors opened. Apollo stepped through first, Salem following immediately behind him.
The moment they spotted the couch, both headed over. Y/N watched them sit down while simultaneously pulling their masks back into place.
The masks had been resting around their necks while they were inside talking to Savanna and Camila. Now they slid comfortably back over the lower halves of their faces.
Damian noticed the expressions in their eyes immediately though. “Oh,” Apollo and Salem looked way too happy. “Went well then?” Damian asked.
The two exchanged a glance. Then both started grinning. The kind of grin that made everyone else immediately regret asking.
“Oh my God,” Y/N muttered.
Apollo looked ready to explode and Salem somehow looked worse. Neither could stop smiling. “We got their numbers.”
Apollo looked like he’d just won the lottery. Savanna had apparently laughed at nearly every joke he’d made.
Salem and Camila had spent almost thirty minutes talking about music, touring, and mutual artists they liked.
According to Salem, Camila had called him funny.
For a few minutes they simply enjoyed the moment, the fact that somehow they were actually here.
Then Damian decided he’d had enough peace. He pointed directly at Y/N. “Y/N was just working up the courage to talk to Megan.”
Y/N’s head snapped toward him. “You—”
A voice interrupted. “Yeah?”
Every muscle in Y/N’s body locked up. The four of them slowly turned around. Standing a few feet away was Megan and she looked genuinely confused. Like she’d heard her name and was trying to determine whether someone had been talking to her.
Y/N’s heart immediately forgot how to function. Pictures, Videos, Interviews—None of them had prepared him.
She somehow looked even prettier in person.
The balcony lighting cast a soft glow across her features while the city lights sparkled in her eyes.
For one horrifying second, Y/N forgot how breathing worked.
Then Megan smiled slightly. “You were looking for me or something?”
Damian stood immediately. Traitor. Y/N made a mental note to slap him later. “My friend, Y/N, was just coming to find you.”
Y/N stared at him in disbelief. Apollo immediately looked down to hide his laughter. Salem wasn’t even trying, the smile visible in his eyes was enormous.
“Damian,” Y/N said. Too late, the damage had been done.
“Well,” Damian said cheerfully, “we’ll leave you two be.”
Y/N stood so fast he nearly tripped. “Wait. Guys—!” Nobody listened.
The three of them disappeared inside and the balcony doors closed.
Y/N contemplated jumping off the balcony. Megan watched the whole thing unfold with increasing amusement.
Finally she laughed. A soft, genuine laugh. “They seem nice.”
Y/N stared after his friends. “I hate them.”
That made her laugh again. Which somehow made things worse. Or better. He couldn’t tell. His brain wasn’t operating correctly anymore.
Megan stepped closer and nodded toward the empty seat beside him. “Can I sit?”
“Oh,” Y/N immediately moved aside. “Yeah. Of course.”
He wanted to disappear. Instead Megan sat down beside him and glanced out at the skyline.
For a few moments neither spoke, then she looked over, “I really liked your performance tonight.”
The second the words left his mouth, he wanted to punch himself. Of course she watched it. They were literally at the same event.
Brilliant. Outstanding conversation skills. Someone give him an award.
“I think the masks were cool,” she continued.
Y/N finally managed to recover enough to answer like a normal person. “Thanks.”
“And honestly? That standing ovation was deserved.”
For the first time all evening, his nervousness eased slightly.
Talking about performing was easier than talking about literally anything else.
The conversation slowly started flowing. Y/N had expected talking to Megan to be awkward.
He’d expected long silences, nervous stammering, and at least three moments where he accidentally embarrassed himself beyond recovery.
What he hadn’t expected was how easy it felt.
Not immediately, obviously.
The first few minutes had been rough. He stumbled over words, forgot where he was going halfway through sentences, and accidentally repeated himself more than once. But Megan never seemed bothered by it. If anything, she looked amused.
They stayed sat together on the balcony couch overlooking the city, the sounds of the party muted behind the glass doors. The cool night air helped calm Y/N’s nerves, and little by little, the conversation began flowing naturally.
After a while, Megan tilted her head and studied him. “Can I ask you something?”
Y/N immediately became suspicious. “Depends.”
She smiled. “What’s under the mask?”
She leaned back against the couch and crossed her arms.
“I’ve seen some fan theories.”
“What, like how everyone thought EsDeeKid was Timothee Chalamet?”
Megan stared at him before a laugh escaped her. Then she pointed at his face. “Take it off.”
Y/N adjusted the mask dramatically.
“It’ll ruin my mysterious aura.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Megan burst into laughter. “Your mysterious aura?” she repeated.
Her expression changed slightly, “I saw two of your bandmates without their masks.”
Y/N immediately knew who she was talking about. He sighed. “Yeah.”
“So why can they take theirs off but you can’t?”
Y/N rolled his eyes. “Because Salem and Apollo go completely brainless whenever they see a pretty face.”
Megan frowned, making Y/N’s stomach drop. His brain immediately began replaying everything he’d said.
Had that sounded rude? Did she think he was insulting her? Had he somehow ruined everything?
Then Megan tilted her head. “You don’t think I’m pretty?”
Y/N completely froze. Every coherent thought vanished.
“I—” Megan continued staring. “I mean—”
His brain had officially stopped functioning, then Megan suddenly laughed.
Y/N nearly collapsed from relief.
“I’m joking,” she said. “Don’t worry.”
He pressed a hand against his chest.
She grinned. “No, I’m really not.”
Y/N laughed despite himself. The truth was that Megan was pretty. Like, incredibly so. The kind of pretty that made normal conversations feel significantly harder than they should.
A few moments later, Megan stood up. Y/N looked up at her. “What?”
“You ask too many questions.”
“That’s not really an answer.”
Then she started walking. And somehow Y/N found himself standing and following her without another question.
The balcony doors slid open, and the noise of the party immediately rushed back around them. Music vibrated through the building. Conversations overlapped in every direction. Celebrities and industry execs filled nearly every corner of the venue.
Megan moved confidently through the crowd while Y/N trailed behind her.
Then they passed his bandmates. A terrible mistake. Apollo spotted them first, His eyes widening. Then Salem noticed, Then Damian.
The three exchanged looks immediately. Apollo gave Y/N an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Salem nodded dramatically. Damian looked like he’d just witnessed the greatest moment of his life.
Y/N rapidly shook his head, hoping to convey something along the lines of, “No. Absolutely not. Please help me.”
But none of them helped. Traitors, Every single one of them.
Megan continued walking so Y/N continued following. The further they moved from the main party, the quieter things became. Eventually they reached a hallway lined with private rooms.
Megan stopped outside one of them. she opened a door and the room was empty. The door clicked shut behind them. Then he heard another sound, the lock, he realised. His heart immediately skipped a beat.
“No people, No cameras,” Then she pointed toward his mask. “Take it off?”
For a moment he simply stared at her. She wasn’t demanding, Wasn’t pressuring, Just asking.
Slowly, he reached up and pulled the mask away, The room suddenly felt very quiet.
Megan stared at him for a second Then her face lit up. “There he is.”
Y/N laughed. “There who is?”
“You!” The grin on her face somehow made him feel less nervous instead of more. “Much better,” she said.
And surprisingly, it really was.
Without the mask between them, the conversation felt even easier. They talked about music, touring, interviews, award shows, and the strange reality of suddenly becoming successful. They swapped stories about fans, weird online rumors, and embarrassing moments from performances.
At one point Megan laughed so hard at one of his stories she had to wipe tears from her eyes.
Then, out of nowhere, she asked, “Do you have a finsta?”
“A finsta. Like a private instagram account.”
“Oh, I know what a finsta is.”
He shrugged. “I mean, yeah.”
Megan looked interested. “You do?”
“It’s mostly for friends.”
“Oh,” She crossed her arms, “We’re not friends?”
Y/N looked at her. Then immediately looked away.
“Well… We’ve only spoken once.”
“But if we speak again then we’re friends,” Her smile started growing as he continued speaking. “So…”
Y/N took a breath. Could he actually do this?
“Could I get your number?”
Megan laughed immediately, not in a mean way. Just genuinely amused.
“That was smooth,” Y/N's face felt warm. Megan held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Y/N immediately handed it over.
That earned another laugh. Megan unlocked the phone and typed in her contact information.
Y/N watched in complete disbelief. He still wasn’t entirely convinced this was real.
Then she started to take photos on his phone. Y/N watched helplessly as she took them before she finally stopped and carefully looked through them.
“Hmm,” Y/N leaned forward slightly. After a moment she selected one. “There.”
She saved it and handed the phone back.
Y/N looked down. Her contact information sat on the screen. And above it was the selfie she’d chosen.
There was a knock at the door before he could speak up. “Meg, are you in here? Dani is looking for you,” Lara’s voice called through the door.
Megan immediately rushed to the door, saying a quick ‘text me’ before flinging it open and rushing out. Y/n pulled his mask back over his head and looked back down at his phone.
@meiyokstarr @ctrlamira @ijboljae @foxyokie @averydayimshuffiin @ningro97 @urmom2314 @karzlikemars @h0llyy @urwavvy @bennzzo @airballll @itz-0kay @yournextdooralien
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