DalKenzie Oneshots [Dalton Rapattoni x MacKenzie Bourg]

• keeping secrets •

[For the sake of DalKenzie, they are still roommates in this one-shot. :')]

    Dalton ran his hand through his hair for the billionth time that evening, fidgeting in his seat. He was about to perform his second song, but before that, his Idol Feature video was going to be shown on screen in front of thousands of people at home and in the same room as him. And he did not know how he felt about that.

    "Hey, Dalton, you okay?" He heard a familiar voice from behind him ask. He turned in his seat, forcing a smile at MacKenzie. "Yeah, just jittery," He lied. MacKenzie nodded, not looking convinced.

    "And our first performer is Dalton Rapattoni! But first, let's take a look at this video," Ryan spoke as Dalton stood, heading back stage, taking deep breaths.

    MacKenzie looked up at the screen on the stage, curious to see what Dalton had done for his feature video.

    "I really feel like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be when I'm on the American Idol stage," Dalton's recorded voice echoed. "But it was a really long road to get so comfortable in my own skin."

    "Ever since elementary school I've felt like I've had two sides."

    MacKenzie watched intently, wondering if this bit was what Dalton was talking about on Instagram, when he had posted saying he had stared at a camera for 16 minutes that day.

    "Every emotion that, like, every kid would feel, I'd feel a thousand times, whether it was excitement, or sadness; it all was amplified. It got pretty bad."

    MacKenzie blinked, realizing where this was going.

    "I was having a really bad meltdown in my driveway." "He was screaming and crying, and saying 'I just wanna die'," Dalton's mom spoke on the video.

    When Dalton started tearing up on the screen, so did MacKenzie. He blinked repeatedly, not wanting anyone to notice. The thought of Dalton ever feeling that way physically pained him.

    "I don't like to think about...that time...a lot. But nine years old, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Even though I got diagnosed and treated, I still had severe emotions to deal with, and no way to express them."

    MacKenzie felt the pieces clicking into place. After being roommates with Dalton for weeks, he had noticed that a lot of times he seemed off - now he knew why.

    "And then for Christmas one year, my uh, grandma bought me guitar lessons."

    Dalton's mom started taking again. "As soon as Dalton found music, it was like everything fell into place."

    "I didn't think that you could...enjoy something that much. It changed my life."

    MacKenzie was already trying to hold back any emotions as there were cameras everywhere, but the fact that they were playing emotional music in the background was definitely not helping.

    "I definitely still deal with bipolar disorder on a day to day basis. But there's no greater medicine than getting on stage and singing to people."

    That last statement concluded the video, and music began. MacKenzie was hypnotized as he watched Dalton sing. It was like he had a special aura about him that always entranced him.

    His eyes didn't leave the figure on stage, taking everything in. When the song and applause and judges' opinions had finished, he was woken up from this trance when he heard his name being called. "And now, MacKenzie Bourg, everyone!"

    Dalton made his way back to the contestant area as MacKenzie headed backstage, and he took his seat again, able to breathe properly. The other contestants smiled, hugged him, gave him words of encouragement, things like that. Then MacKenzie's feature video began.