Everything I Wanted

Billie's POV - 24

Billie's POV

Billie hummed to herself as she adjusted the mic stand during soundcheck, but her mind wasn't entirely on the task at hand. She couldn't stop thinking about Story, sick and curled up on the couch back in her dressing room. Billie hated seeing her like that—her usual spark dulled by fever and exhaustion.

She had noticed the signs earlier that morning when Story woke her up to tell her how she was feeling. The scratchiness in her voice, the way her eyes looked heavier than usual—it didn't seem like Story to admit she wasn't feeling well, so Billie knew it had to be bad.

After waking up this morning and seeing her condition, Billie made a beeline for her mom's proom to grab medicine, not wasting a second. Story was always so selfless, but Billie wanted her to know it was okay to be taken care of, too.

When soundcheck wrapped up, Billie bolted back to her dressing room, her mind racing. Story hadn't said it, but Billie could tell she was disappointed. Missing the concert? Being stuck in a room instead of soaking up the energy of the crowd? That had to fucking suck.

An idea struck as Billie passed by the tech crew. She stopped one of the guys. "Hey, do you think you could set up a live feed to my dressing room? Just for tonight?"

The guy scratched his head, but nodded. "Yeah, we can rig something up. Might take a bit, though."

"Please," Billie said, her voice soft but insistent. "It would mean a lot."

✨

When Billie finally wheeled the flat-screen TV into the room, she felt a mix of nerves and excitement. Story was sitting up on the couch, looking pale and tired but still trying to smile when Billie walked in.

"Okay," Billie said, positioning the TV so Story would have the best view. "I pulled some strings so you can still watch the show. It's not the same as being out there, but I figured this was better than nothing."

Billie barely finished speaking before Story's eyes filled with tears.

"Hey, hey, don't cry," Billie said quickly, kneeling beside her. She reached for Story's hand but stopped herself, remembering she was sick. "I know it's not the same as being out there, but I wanted you to feel included. You're part of this, Story."

Story let out a soft laugh through her tears, wiping her face. "I'm not crying because i'm sad. It's just—thank you. You didn't have to do this for me Billie. It means so much."

Billie shook her head. "Of course I did. I know how much this means to you, and... you mean a lot to me, too." She stood, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. "I just want you to be happy."

✨

As the concert began, Billie kept glancing at the backstage camera, knowing Story was watching. She gave her all to the performance, but she couldn't stop herself from sneaking in a moment to address her directly.

"You good back there, Story?" Billie teased into the mic, smirking at the lens. The crowd burst into cheers, and she could imagine Story rolling her eyes and smiling at the same time.

When she sang Happier Than Ever, Billie poured every ounce of emotion into it. By the time the show ended and Billie walked back into the dressing room, she was still riding the high of the performance. But all of that faded the moment she saw Story's face light up as she looked at her.

"Did you like it?" Billie asked, sitting down beside her.

"Like it?" Story's voice cracked slightly. "Billie, it was... perfect. You're perfect."