moments behind set || tommyinnit x genderfluid oc

3: no one is alone

Packing was already on her agenda, they just didn't know they'd be moving to yet another location. The cast had been given, at most, three days to get to their next location in the UK. A day had already passed, leaving them a mere two days to fly across the Atlantic. The time constraint didn't matter to Maristella that much, but the toll it would take on her upcoming EP did seem to fog her mind up a bit.

Maristella, as well as being a world-famous actor, was also a renowned music artist. Crush Culture, the song that had won her the golden buzzer on AGT, was a hit which the world demanded to be released. She complied, releasing an EP at 13 and an album at 16, just after lockdown.

Although she'd been acting a lot, the world wanted more. So at 17, she was sent on a world tour. The set list was compiled of all of their music, from both young but golden, the EP, and lockdown meltdowns, the album. Since then, Aris had released her most recent single, two, but had been working on a new EP since its release.

Aris and Melanie had decided to keep her schedule clear for at least the next month for them to hunker down and finally finish the songs, so luckily there wouldn't be any immediate conflicts with the sudden change in plans. Obviously it wouldn't take them the whole month, but Melanie had suggested that she take some time off as well. The leftover weeks would be for Aris to relax and take time off.

But, plans changed. So, after packing, they made their way to the airport, flight and hotel already booked. The production manager had booked all of the hotels for the UK tour even before the cast knew, so Aris could only hope for the best when it came to sleeping arrangements. It was rare that they had to share rooms, but seeing as the cast had no input, Aris wasn't so sure that it would stay that way. Getting them all to the UK was hard enough, so she couldn't blame them.

Maristella was sitting in one of the airport's lobbies, wearing a typical "celebrity disguise". She was just waiting for her flight, when their phone started buzzing. They fished it out of their pocket and answered the call, barely glancing at the caller ID.

"Maristella Finnley, I swear if you booked your own flight, I will send you to hell myself-"

"Well... about that."

"Maristella!" the person in question's manager yelled through the phone. "How many times do I have to tell you that you can't be by yourself!"

"And how many times have I told you that I can handle myself, Mels?"

Melanie only sighed in response. "You could at least let me know, Mari. You're risking your life by just walking outside, and you've seen that first hand."

She was right. Aris shuttered at the thought, recalling memories she wished to forget.

"Mels, we're not gonna have a repeat of the tour. I've grown since I was 17-"

"By one year-"

"I'm sorry, okay?" she said in a genuine tone. "I shouldn't have scheduled it so hastily. I honestly didn't know I hadn't let you know."

And she was telling the truth. Aris had conveniently left out the part where they had bought the ticket after her drunk Q&A stream the other day. She genuinely had forgotten.

"It's fine," said Melanie, and Aris could practically hear Melanie's head fall into her hand on the other end of the call through another sigh. "I'll send over someone and try to find a way to get them on the plane with you. I know that's not what you want, but you're well known all over the globe, Maristella."

"You're telling me," Aris scoffed back, fiddling with her rings. "The word 'normal' practically isn't even in my vocabulary."

"Normal's overrated anyway, Mari." Typing could be heard from Melanie's end as she reassured Aris. "Everyone would rather be in your position, trust me. However, whoever took my job would probably lose their mind. I love you, but I do have to go."

"How dare you leave me alone, Mels," Aris fake gasped. Melanie simply rolled her eyes even though Aris wouldn't see it, an ocean away from her seeing as she was ironically already in the UK.

"You'll survive, Sean will be there in less than five minutes-"

"Wow, it's like I have my personal secret service or something-"

"-and you wanted to be on your own anyway," Melanie pressed on, ignoring Aris' comment. "Okay, I think you're all set. Sean won't be able to accompany you, but I'll be able to fly out the team and meet you here. Text me when you land, ok?"

"Sure, mom," Aris giggled. Jokes aside, Melanie had become a sort of mother figure for her, seeing as they had grown up with only their dad and sister.

"Yeah, yeah. Be safe. Willow and I will meet you here when you land-"

"Yes! I get to see Mom number 2! I miss your wife."

"Context, Mari, context," Melanie laughed at them. "Now, bye."

"Bye, Mels!"

Hanging up the phone, Maristella soaked in her last few minutes of "freedom" before Sean arrived. Although Sean was one of her favorites, they didn't like the feeling of constantly being watched by a bodyguard. It was freaky enough being under constant surveillance, but thinking about why she had to be kept under constant surveillance is what really fucked with her psyche.

Aris scrolled through their "Maristella" phone, Pinterest taking up all of their attention until Sean walked over, bringing a Khaotic Monster for her and a straight black coffee for him. That probably was her only complaint about him, the taste in coffee.

That and the constant surveillance.

a/n: hey everyone! 

i hope you enjoyed the chapter! the next part is the songs that maristella has "written". obviously she hasn't actually written them, but you'll just have to imagine for me lmao. i'll put the actual  artist in parenthesis but yeah lmao

take care of yourselves and i'll see you next chapter!

<3, lemon ?