What About Us
The Greatest Showman
P.T. Barnum x singer! female reader
Warning: some violence
Specifics: fluff, romance
People: P.T. Barnum, you, Tom Thumb, Charity, Jenny Lind
Words: 2,379
Requested: By @jetblackheartandsoul request for pt barnum x reader — reader and if the reader could be a singer???
You walked around town feeling tired and stressed.
“There it is y/n, you just have to get it…”
You then ran to a outdoor cart shop and stole a loaf of bread from the basket.
“Hey thief,” the store owner yelled running after you.
Ever since you were little you have been poor. You had a small cabin / shack as a house that you shared with your mother. Your mother is ill and needs food and water something you can’t provide. If someone were to ask you, “how many jobs have you worked in your life?” You would probably tell them, “count how many of babies are born a day?”
You ran through an alleyway trying to take the shortcut.
“Young lady...stop right there!”
This store owner did not want to give up. But your legs did, you were scrawny and if a man came to you he wouldn’t dare to give you another glance. You were not strong so you tripped and fell in the garbage bags. The man gasping for air came and hit you a couple of times taking the bread from you. Your eyes started to tear up. You needed to change your life and quick.
“I guess I’ll ask him again,” you whispered to yourself.
By this you meant you would ask your lifetime friend...P.T. Barnum. You and him grew up together poor. Helping each other out stealing and enjoying each others company. You have and had for a very long time a love for him. You aided him when his father passed. But now it didn’t matter. (In this he is not married to Charity her are just dating) You saw the way he looked at Charity, it was full of love and hope. Hoping one day he would be with her and not with...you. You looked at him like that. But you knew it was never to be. So at least a good friendship is better than not seeing and being with him at all.
You stood up walking to the facility of his circus. You also helped there but not as a job, you thought it would be too much if you asked P.T. for working money, or to ask for a job there. You loved it there though. Almost everyday you went, it was a getaway from all your problems in life.
“Hi Phineas,” you called as you went inside the circus.
“Y/n, over here.”
You ran up and P.T. was helping Tom Thumb on his horse for practice. You waited for his attention to be on you and when he took a glance at your face he smiled. You grinned back and walked up to him to embrace him.
“How are you y/n,” P.T. beamed while talking to his best friend.
“Oh same old same old. How are you doing, with the place and all,” you said moving your hands all over.
P.T.s eyes went to your arms and he saw bruises. He grabbed your hand abruptly and took you to the back room. He moved your sleeves up.
“I know these bruises. Have you been stealing again?”
“I had to! I got fired again at this job. They wanted me to stay more hours but...mom needs my help. I just don’t know what to do,” you sobbed all of a sudden.
“Hey shhh,” P.T. whispered soothingly, hugging you and rubbing your arms lovingly. “I’m right here. Its okay, remember you can always work here. But you would probably be annoyed looking at me everyday,” P.T. laughed when you giggled at his joke.
“No it's alright. Plus, what would I be? I am not talented at all, but I need a job that can sustain me and help me and mom. But just know I wouldn’t mind seeing you all day.”
“Well here take this for now,” P.T. pulled out a ton of cash. Since he worked here he was getting richer and richer everyday. You on the other hand were the opposite, you were getting poorer and poorer everyday.
“Are you sure? I don't want you to think I want to be with you because of that,” you told him.
“Not at all y/n. Please take it,” P.T. assured you.
“Thank you Phineas,” you thanked him again and kissed his cheek.
You being oblivious didn’t notice that when you gave him a peck on the cheek he blushed. As you walked out Phineas jumped for joy at your actions smiling like a love struck boy.
You helped all day with Phineas, being entertained by his stories. When it turned dark P.T. came to you, “ are you going with us to the opera house?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” started Phineas. “I have this lady named Jenny Lind that is going to sing for me today. Man oh man does she sings like an angel, just like a bird. She is going to sing for the audience and blow them away.”
“If you want me to go...I don’t want to impose,” you shook your hands back and forth in front of you.
“Nonsense, please y/n, be my guest,” P.T. smiled putting his hand in front of you to take.
You took it and he dance with you a little. You stopped suddenly, “Oh I can’t go.”
P.T. looked at you with the saddest puppy eyes, “why not?!?”
“I don’t have anything to wear.”
“I can arrange that,” P.T. smiled.
After searching in the closet for a while he pulled out a dress. You gasped at the beauty of it. It was the definition of perfection.
“Oh my god! It's gorgeous,” you exclaimed with happiness. “It’s mine?”
“Only if you want it,” P.T. grinned.
“Of course! Aghhh thank you so much my Phineas,” hugging P.T. tightly. You grinned from ear to ear.
“No thank you...my y/n,” P.T. whispered the last part soaking up your hug.
You came out after you tried it on.
“What do you think?” You twirled around like a ballerina.
“You look beautiful, like a goddess,” P.T. stated mesmerized by your appearance.
You looked up shocked, your cheeks turning red at his compliment.
“You always look charming and handsome, Phineas,” you spoke softly back.
Everyone came to the opera. You talked a little with Anne and Lettie, then you joked around with the rest of the group. You guys laughed and had so much fun. P.T. could see you far away just enjoying your evening with everyone from the circus. But then Jenny Lind reminded him that he was on a job and there was no getting unfocused from it, but he was by you.
You went to try to find your seat but then you saw her, Charity. She saw you looking at her so you quickly had to force a smile.
“Oh wow look at you, you are just...glowing,” you said as you walked up to her embracing her shortly.
“Look at you y/n, that dress fits so well on you,” Charity said as she moved a hair away from her face.
“Thanks Phineas gave me this dress. I didn’t have one because,” you didn’t want to tell Charity that you were poor. She would probably laugh at you and then joke around your struggles with P.T. She might convince him that you aren’t enough for him. You know you are not but still maybe there is a chance that you could be. “Over here is too glamorous for my old dresses,” you finished.
You can see Charity’s face turning sour, “well I hope you enjoy yourself...yn.”
You notice her attitude and just excused yourself to the group again. There you felt comfortable and yourself. They loved you and you loved them even if they were different.
P.T. Barnum point of view:
“So P.T. are you nervous for me, you always are when I’m up here,” Jenny pressed her palm against my chest.
I gulped, “sometimes, but I know you will do just fine.”
“You seem so tensed would you like me to help you out in my makeup room. I promise you will enjoy it,” she whispered in my ear. She then went eye level with me and tried to kiss me.
“No Jenny I’m not going to do this! I don’t love you I love,” I gasped when I realized all this time who I truly loved. See I never asked myself that question who do I truly love in this world? Who would I give up everything for just to see her smile? All this time it was..y/n. “I don’t love you Jenny,” I repeated. “Because I love y/n.”
Jenny stood up and walked up and yelled, “then you can forget about the show. I quit!”
“Great now what was I supposed to do? That's it! I know just the person,” I thought.
End of P.T. Barnums point of view
You were talking to the group when a distressed P.T. came running to you. Out of breath he tells you, “I need you to sing...now!”
“What,” you pull P.T. to the side. “What do you mean Phineas? What happened to that Jenny girl?”
“She quit! Please y/n you are my only hope, please!”
“You don’t even know how I sing! And I have never sang on a stage in front of this many people before. I, I just can’t I’m sorry.”
“No y/n you can please I need your help. I’m begging you...please,” he begged you holding your face with both his hands and looking in your orbs. You can already tell you were about to make a fool out of yourself.
“Fine, but only because I love you so much,” you gave in.
P.T. looked so relieved, “thank you y/n. I promise I will make this up to you!” He gave you a quick kiss on the forehead and took a hold of your hand. You both ran up to the stage, everyone already getting in their seats. Your palms were already sweating and you thought all the worst scenarios. You were thinking of backing down but then you saw P.T.s face, you couldn’t do that to him. You took a deep breath as they announced your name. Everyone looked around wondering why they didn’t say Jenny Lind. You stood in the middle of the stage with the curtain still down as P.T. came to you quick.
“You got this sweetheart. I believe in you,” P.T. smiled then moved a piece of hair from your face, he left and the curtain lifted.
This was it, you stood silent like a deer in headlights. You closed your eyes, breathed in and out and put your hand up to make the music stop.
“This song is about those who are in the shadows. Who think they are unloved and have problems in their life. For those who are struggling and think they are freaks and ugly. For those who fight everyday for their lives. What about us, what happens with us?”
You put your hand down and the music started playing.
the song is “What About Us - P!nk (cover by: Davina Michelle)” look up these exact words in youtube
As you started singing P.T.s face was more mesmerized, almost crying. Your beauty and everything made him love you more. (His reaction to your singing)
the video is “ The Greatest Showman Cast - Never Enough (Official Lyric Video)” look up these exact words on youtube
You closed your eyes singing because you were afraid of the stares. What people would think but then why did you care, you spent all your life trying to satisfy everyone, fighting, no, not anymore. “What about us!” You opened your eyes and sang with every fiber of your body. “What about all the times you said you had the answers. What about us, what about all the broken happy ever afters. What about us, what about all the plans that ended in disasters. What about love, what about trust, what about us!”
You looked to the side to see P.T. laughing and crying at the same time. You smiled at him, everyone was captivated by your singing. You were magnificent. Some were even crying at your performance. You never thought you had a voice but now here you are. At the opera… singing. You were now moving your arms feeling more and more comfortable up on the stage. Than at the ending chorus came and you gave it your all!
“What about us! What about all the times you said you had the answers. So what about us, what about all the broken happy ever afters. What about us, what about all the plans that ended in disasters. What about love, what about trust, what about us! ...We are searchlights we can see in the dark…”
Everyone rose to their feet applauding. Throwing not fists and punches but roses. You laughed and cried at the reaction you got. You ran to P.T. jumping and curling your legs around his waist. He twirled you around with you laughing and him cheering.
After you sang P.T. asked you for the millionth time for you to work at the circus, and you finally said yes. You both left hand in hand. Charity came up and asked for P.T. to come home with her. To make a long story short, P.T. told Charity that he is unable to be with her anymore.
You and P.T. walked hand in hand. Walking by stores, you patting his back.
“Sorry you feel that way Phineas. You guys actually looked good together,” you lied.
“Really? I was expecting you to say something worse,” P.T. joked.
You gave him a glare and smacked his arm. You both laughed and he brought your waist to him. “You sang amazing back there. Better than any other voice.”
You smiled at him getting closer and closer until you both kissed. You both kissed passionately, your lips meeting each other hungrily. Breathing each other in, tasting each other. After you guys kissed for a while he closed his eyes and rested his forehead with yours.
“Wow,” he breathed. “That was..”
“Incredible,” you cut in. “I wanted to do that from the moment I met you. I mean not like that whole make out but a kiss. I just didn’t know if you felt the same.”
“I have always loved you, I just thought you wouldn’t love me for who I was when I was young,” P.T. confessed looking down, ashamed.
“I never felt that way! It was always you Phineas and it will always be you, forever.”