ddot stood backstage, scrolling through the comments on the "my baby" video, which had just hit 8 million views. his phone buzzed nonstop, notifications pouring in from fans, friends, and industry people congratulating him on the success. but all he could really think about was her—star. every time he saw her name next to his in the song credits or when fans would tag them together in posts, he felt a little rush.
they had been inseparable lately. ever since she got signed to the same label, it felt like she was everywhere he turned. whether they were in the studio, grabbing food with the label execs to celebrate, or performing at concerts, star was always by his side. and each time, his feelings for her grew deeper, something he hadn't expected but couldn't seem to shake.
"yo, ddot!" star's voice cut through his thoughts, making him look up from his phone. she bounced into the green room, all smiles, her hair cascading over her shoulders as she threw her bag down on the couch and flopped beside him. "can you believe it? 8 million views. it's crazy!"
"yeah, it's wild," ddot replied, his tone a bit more subdued than usual as he tried to hide the way his heart sped up when she got close. he leaned back, giving her a small grin. "you're killin' it, for real."
star smirked, nudging him with her elbow. "don't act like it's just me. we both killed it. it's our song, remember?"
he chuckled, nodding. "yeah, you right. but still, you were fire on that track. best feature I've ever had, no cap."
"aw, stop," she blushed slightly, though she tried to play it off. "you gassing me up too much. but thanks, I appreciate it."
they fell into a comfortable silence, but ddot couldn't help the thoughts racing in his mind. what happens when all this promo stuff is over? he wondered. they were together all the time now, but what about when the song faded from the charts? would she just move on, work with other people, and forget about him? the thought made his chest tighten.
"yo, you good?" star's voice broke through again, concern lacing her tone. she tilted her head to the side, narrowing her eyes at him. "you seem off today. what's up?"
ddot hesitated, then forced a smile. "nah, I'm good. just thinking, you know."
"'bout what?" she pressed, raising an eyebrow.
he shifted uncomfortably, unsure if he was ready to spill everything he was feeling. "just... how crazy everything's been lately. you know, the song, the performances. it's a lot."
"yeah, it has been wild," she agreed, her expression softening. "but it's been fun too, right? like, we're out here doing this. 8 million views, traveling, performing. we gotta celebrate."
ddot nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. he wanted to ask her if they'd still be this close once the hype died down, but the words stuck in his throat. instead, he took a deep breath and decided to pivot slightly. "speaking of the song... you ever thought about doing another collab?"
star's eyes lit up, intrigued. "another one? already? I mean, we did kill the last one, but you got something in mind?"
"yeah, kinda," ddot said, trying to sound casual. "I was thinking we could work on something new, just the two of us again. I feel like people love our vibe together. And... you know, it'd be cool to keep working with you."
"that sounds dope," she grinned, clearly excited by the idea. "i'm down for sure. you already know we make a good team."
he smiled, relieved at her response, but his heart was still heavy with everything he wasn't saying. 'you're more than just a good feature, star. i'm falling for you, and i don't even know if you feel the same.' the words echoing in his mind.
