Backstage Romance (Aaron Tveit)

18.

"I like your friends." Olivia remarked as she and Aaron walked away from the restaurant after saying goodbye to the group. They had all stayed out long after their meals had finished, neither of them wanting to be the first to leave.

"They like you too. I think Brynn and Soph are starting to prefer your company over mine," he laughed out.

A beat of silence passed between them. Olivia took in a deep breath of the cool night air.

Aaron chuckled to himself, and Olivia looked over at him in amusement. "What?"

"You know... Nate asked me if you are seeing anyone at the moment."

"He did?" Olivia thought about Nate's charismatic behaviour and eagerness to strike up conversation with her the whole night. He was a nice guy and did seem to like talking to her.

"Mhmm. He's quite taken by you. I told him he'd have to ask you that himself."

She hummed in agreement, before cracking a small smile."It's funny..."

Aaron looked at her with curiosity.

"Brynn and Soph kinda assumed we were dating! They also seemed to be under the impression that we knew each other long before Moulin Rouge," her lips quirked upwards as she remembered their earlier conversation.

"Yeah?"

She nodded. Aaron shook his head, smiling at the ground.

"I mean, I do see why they might have thought that. We get along pretty well, don't we?" He grinned. "To be fair, I haven't really introduced many people to them, and the people I have had them meet aren't just anybody. Close friends that I've made over the years, one or two long-term girlfriends and family members are really the only people I've introduced them to. Those folks are basically extended family, kind of like my chosen brothers and sisters-" he cast a brief glance at her out of the corner of his eye before finishing, "-and so they must have thought you were someone special for me to have insisted you come tonight, and introduce you to them."

Olivia was silent as she took in his words, appreciating that he was sharing all this with her. He turned to face her, his tone changing into a more serious one. "Which you are, of course."

Olivia smiled. It meant a lot to her that he valued their friendship enough to introduce her to such a special group of people. She knew that Aaron liked his privacy, and was careful about who he chose to let in to his life out of the spotlight. She was very much the same way. "Well, I had a great time so thank you."

"I'm glad." Aaron hesitated a bit before he spoke up again, voice softer than it was previously. "Do you- are you going home now?"

She quirked an eye oddly at him. "Where else would I be going?"

Aaron cleared his throat with a cough, and stuck both hands into his pockets again. "Well, I've really liked spending time with you outside of work.... I don't know- I guess I was going to invite you over to see Miles? You both hit it off last time."

Olivia looked at the time on her phone. She could get home a little later...

"How could I refuse the opportunity to see that pup again?" She said finally, beaming at him. Aaron's face lit up upon hearing her response.

_________________

The door to Aaron's apartment opened swiftly with the turn of the key in the lock. He stepped aside, gesturing towards the open door.

"Welcome to my humble abode." He laughed breathily.

Olivia moved past him into the space, and looked around. The apartment was nice and spacious, a lot of the colour in it a mix of brown, white and grey tones. Small potted plants lined the windows, and white-washed brick walls were left exposed, giving the space a charm to it. Posters of old-timey singers hung on the walls, as well as a few framed photos and posters documenting Aaron's time in various shows over the past few years. The Tony Award he had won the previous season caught her eye on a shelf, where it was given pride of place. She smiled as she took in her surroundings. It was quite the contrast to her own eclectic home, but she couldn't imagine Aaron living anywhere else.