Me again with more theatre actress x art š¤«šāāļø I need her in phantom of the opera where she has to go through a lot of classical training and they are all so impressed or something idk š š
stanford!art donaldson x theatre actress!reader
a/n: art is a certified loverboy in this š my baby
you stand in the wings, heart pounding like a timpani. tonight is opening night of phantom of the opera, and after months of vocal exercises, ballet barre drills, and breathācontrol practice that left you gasping for air, youāre ready. your costumeāwhite lace, a corseted bodice, and that delicate, flowing dressāclings to you like a promise. the stage lights cast your shadow long across the floor.
you inhale, taste the faint tang of hairspray and stage smoke, and step into the glow. the orchestra swells beneath you. every note, every measure, is one youāve lived and breathed through your endless mornings of scales and runs. you feel the drama flow through your veins as you deliver your first noteāpure, trembling, and triumphant.
in the audience, art sits in the third rowāwearing a crisp blazer over a plain tee, chinos pressed so sharply they look ironed on, and polished leather shoes that click on the marble floor. heās never been to a musical , has no idea how many hours of arpeggios youāve endured to make this moment sing, but he wanted to look his best for you. when your voice risesāsoaring over the orchestra, fragile yet unbreakableāhis breath catches. eyes wide, mouth slightly parted, he leans forward as if gravity itself can pull him closer to you.
as soon as the delicate piano introduction to āthink of meā drifts over the orchestra, you sense him leaning forward. his adamās apple bobs; his breath catches on each tremulous phrase. when you nail that high note, his jaw drops and a single tear wells in his eye. he swallows, stunned, as though your voice has rewired his heart.
you know heās never seen phantomānot the movie, not on stageābecause you can almost feel his pulse quicken as the lights dim and the chandelier begins its slow descent. then comes the crash of crystal, the collective gasp from the houseāand art canāt help himself: he throws his head back and laughs, breathless with exhilaration, awe and delight mingling in his expression.
ā
you step offstage, heart still dancing with the echo of applause, and there he isāart, waiting at the stage door with a bouquet nearly as big as his grin. roses, lilies, and those tiny wildflowers you love, wrapped in a silk ribbon that matches your costume.
he spots you and for a moment you swear he might collapse from the force of his own happiness. he drops the flowers into your arms with a little laugh of relief, eyes already glistening. āyou were unbelievable,ā he breathes, voice thick. āevery note was perfect. i didnāt even know it was humanly possible to sound like that.ā
he turns on his heel and practically tugs you through the crowds, weaving through well-wishers. āhere she is! the woman of the hour!ā he gushes to your parents, bowing slightly in mock formality. āyour daughter just blew the roof off the entire theatre.ā
to your friends clustered by the door he starts again: āpatrick, tashiāyou have no idea how hard sheās worked. extensive ballet classes, voice lessons till midnight (he was exaggerating wholeheartedly).⦠she deserves every bit of that standing ovation.ā
you watch, charmed and a little embarrassed, as he reruns every highlight of your performance. heās so earnest, so in love with every syllable you sang, that his excitement spills overāyou can practically see it.
and then heās looking at you, that sweaty, beautiful art donaldson glow on his cheeks, hand still pressed to his heart. āiām so proud,ā he says, voice catching. a few tears slips free and he blinks them away, embarrassed but unwilling to hide it. āyou were magic tonight, pretty girl.ā
you laugh softly, brushing his hand with your fingertips. he squeezes back, leaning close enough that you can feel his breath, sweet with awe.
youāre still laughing when he pulls you in.
itās instinctiveāhe has no other way to show you how completely, hopelessly gone he is for you. one hand cradles your cheek, the other still tangled in the ribbon of the bouquet, and then his lips are on yours. gentle. the kind of kiss that says i watched you become someone else tonight and somehow youāre still the girl i love.
you feel him smile against your mouth, just before he pulls away. and then he remembers.
his eyes flick to the side and land directly on your parents, standing a few feet away with identical expressions of poorly concealed amusement. art freezes.
āoh my god,ā he whispers. he takes a full step back, nearly trips over the bouquet tissue paper, and turns a shade of red youāve never seen on him beforeānot even mid-match in the sun.
your mom raises an eyebrow. your dad crosses his arms, fighting a smile.
āuhāsorry,ā art stammers, brushing his hair back with a shaky hand. āi forgot you were here. just celebrating y/nās wonderful talent.ā
you snort, covering your mouth with your hand, while your mom lets out a soft laugh. āwhy are you freaked out? we see you kiss all the time.ā
āiāi didnāt know,ā art stammers, running a hand through his already-messy blonde hair, eyes darting like heās searching for a way to escape. āi thought we were being, likeāstealthy!ā
and then, right on cue, patrick appears again.
āstealthy? bro, you make out like youāre trying to win something. pretty sure i heard you whisper āi love youā outside the stage door like, five times.ā
art whips around. āpatrick. not now.ā
āno, no, please, letās relive it,ā patrick says, grinning. āāsheās so radiant, sheās an angel, iād die for her, do you think her parents like me? should i bow when i see them again?āā
āi did not say that.ā
āyou definitely said that.ā
your cheeks are flushed, but youāre laughing now, hand still tight in artās. he looks at you helplessly, red to his ears.
āi really do love you,ā he mutters under his breath. ābut this is the worst moment of my life.ā
you just grin and kiss his cheek, brushing your thumb along his jaw. āyouāll live.ā














