No Way

Part 2

You were finally led into the room and the image she presented herself with as you walked inside made your heart flutter in your chest. There she was, in the flesh, right in front of you, in a different stage outfit and welcoming the next person in line. Seeing how they interacted made you wish it was already your turn. Everything went by very quickly, leaving each person barely a minute to speak with her. You were getting more nervous as there were fewer and fewer people in front of you, until only Ryan was left.

The security that surrounded Gaga was already intimidating on their own and one of them let each person know when their time was up with a gentle pull at their arm. You watched Peter lead Ryan away, who seemed to have forgotten you existed, waving at Gaga when he stepped away.

The sound of her voice was like a song you heard many times and that you never got tired of, but right now her voice sounded particularly sweet to you. You took a deep breath, ready to introduce yourself, and then you forgot to say your name completely when she took your hand before you even had time to process what was happening.

Your introduction bubbled out of you, how she helped you become who you were and how much you adored her music. You knew there wouldn't be enough time to tell her everything you wanted to say. "...I love you." Was the last thing that you managed to stammer out.

"Aw, I love you, too."

Then her lips curved into something that looked very much like a smile, which might as well have been one too, and she drew you into a hug you had been too nervous to ask for. Someone took your photos then but you barely noticed because you could swear you could feel her lips against your neck.

That couldn't be happening, could it?

She sighed deeply, her head resting in the crook of your neck as her arms around your waist tightened. You closed your eyes as she pressed herself close to you and you inhaled deeply, her hair brushing against your nose, the scent like vanilla and something new. It was almost dreamlike but it felt so real and warm that you couldn't help but wonder if maybe she could see you, the way you wanted to be seen, and if she could even feel all the same way.

Did she hold onto anyone else like this before it had been your turn?

This didn't happen when it was Ryan's turn, you were sure of that. Your heart was beating so fast that it felt like it would fly out through your chest. Fortunately you couldn't see yourself and how obviously you were blushing when you saw Peter's face with an annoyed but restrained expression on it next to both of you.

Maybe she was overwhelmed after the day and tired, you knew how she often said the shows with everything they brought with them were getting too much for her. You couldn't help but feel awed by how she held you there for so long without letting go in spite of that.

Someone cleared their throat and you were startled, your hands still on Gaga's back. But it wasn't you still holding onto her, it was her, and you wondered if she was aware of it. Your eyes were suddenly wide open and you were beginning to focus on your surroundings again and you saw how the other members of her team were staring at you. Bobby's hand moved to his cheek, his head tilting in disbelief and then he stepped closer, putting his hand on Gaga's shoulder. She flinched back as if she'd been burned with a fire, her skin crawling with a feverish sweat.

It made you feel cold all over when she loosened her grip on you and you felt Peter's hand on your arm instead, pulling you to the side. The chatter of fans behind you had quieted down and all eyes were on you.

Gaga's lips moved silently like she was going to tell you something, but wasn't sure what it would be. The heavy stage makeup wasn't hiding the mix of confusion and shock on her face and you were beginning to grow worried you had said something that disturbed her. You opened your mouth to say something, but it still felt like there was electricity coursing through your body and then her assistant from earlier suddenly slipped between you, blocking your view of her.

"Here you go, this is the code you can use to get your photo after it's been approved." The woman handed you a slip of paper with a number on it and smiled at you warmly. "It'll take a few days, but I promise it will show up!"

There was barely time to thank her and everyone moved very quickly, leading you out of the room and onto the hallway where you were still in a daze, still surrounded by her scent. Ryan waited for you outside and looked at you expectantly like you had to know more than he did. "What the hell was that?"

You shrugged in response. All you knew was that you didn't want to think about the fact that this had been over too fast and it was very likely that you would not get another chance to see her that close ever again. There had always been that feeling like you're missing her and now that was even stronger than before.