Stick To The Stuff You Know || Thayne Jasperson x Reader

18

Thayne sat in the audience area of the Richard Rodgers Theater and watched the stage in thoughts.

The interview Y/N had with Jimmy Fallon had aired about a week ago and, so to say, his and Y/N's social media accounts had blown up. A lot of theories started popping up about if they were dating or not, photos started to show up on social media where the two of them were featured, of fans who had taken them but had forgotten to upload them.

Online gossip magazines started to post articles conspiring about the two of them, mentioning how Thayne's been seen visiting the rink Y/N practices at, how they walk to Starbucks together and of course, the picture Carleigh had posted and the theories.

And all of this let Thayne think. Think, think think.

His feet rested on top of the seat in front of his and his hands were fidgeting with the hems of his jacket's sleeves slightly. His gaze went into nothing.

So it was no wonder that he didn't notice Lin sitting beside him until said man had tapped his shoulder to grab his attention.

Thayne jumped slightly and turned towards Lin too abruptly, making Lin grin "Someone's in love."

Right, not to mention the teasing that the cast had started. All of them had started to join Carleigh in teasing Thayne from time to time considering his relationship with Y/N.

Thayne frowned a little and turned his gaze back to the stage.

Lin leaned back in his seat and fixed his gaze onto the stage for a moment as well, before turning his attention to Thayne and asking "What's on your mind?"

Thayne pressed his lips to a thin line, trying to form the words in his head, before he finally said "Y/N."

Lin smiled softly at that and then asked "And why do you look like that? You look so depressed thinking about her."

Thayne let out a low sigh and started fidgeting with his hands again. He had no idea how to say this without embarrassing himself and apparently Lin noticed this, so he came to his rescue just a little by asking "Do you like her?"

Thayne nodded and glanced down at his hands, mumbling a "Yeah."

Lin beside him nodded slowly, thinking about what he could ask next considering this situation.

"I like her a lot," Thayne spoke up from beside Lin, taking the musical mastermind by surprise a little. "I like her a lot lot. Hell, I think I'm starting to fall in love."

"Then what's the problem?", Lin asked softly and tilted his head slightly as he looked at the depressed man beside him. Thayne didn't quite look like he enjoyed the fact that he was falling in love with Y/N.

"Is it because she's always touring the world?", Lin asked then when no answer came, slightly confused by this reasoning though. Why would Thayne not like this? Y/N isn't gone 24/7.

Thayne shook his head and pulled his knees to his chest, resting his chin on his knees, like a child would when it's sad.

"Then what is it?"

Thayne pursed his lips, before quietly answering "I'm too old."

Lin frowned in return, unlike what Thayne had expected. Thayne had expected him to laugh at his ridiculous reasoning. Thayne did feel ridiculous.

"And that is stopping you from admitting your feelings?", Lin asked carefully, not wanting to walk down the wrong path here. 

"She turned of age just a couple of months ago and here I am, fourteen years older than her," Thayne said and finally turned his head to look at Lin, the inner conflict of his obvious in his eyes.

"That isn't-" Lin began, but Thayne interrupted him by saying "Lin, she's 21. I'm 35. There's a huge age gap. I can't just act like it doesn't exist!"

"But you acted like it never existed in the first place," Lin shot back just as quick and Thayne pressed his lips to a thin line.

"From the moment you met her and up until now nothing mattered to you. I've watched the two of you and you two are like you're living in a different world. Age had never been a problem between you two, you both accepted each other as you are, so I don't see where this is starting to become a problem now."

Thayne turned his head back towards the stage and sighed lowly through his nose "It is a problem."

Lin thought for a moment, until it clicked.

"You found an article questioning your age difference, didn't you?"

From the looks of it, Lin hit the bullseye. Thayne seemed to grow smaller, curling himself up even tighter and burying his face in his arms.

"What did they say?"

"They questioned everything. If I maybe do twisted things to Y/N to make her like me. If I like younger women. If maybe I've got issues for liking someone almost half my age," Thayne's voice was muffled, but Lin heard him clear as day.

"And are any of those things true?", Lin asked, to which Thayne shrugged and replied "Maybe."

Lin sighed lowly and said "Listen up, Thayne. Looking at your and Y/N's relationship as an outsider I can tell you that none of that is true. Your relationship is so pure and loving and the most adorable thing I've ever witnessed so far in my life. You two have a natural sense of understanding the other without words, of being just as obsessive of something as the other. You two are made for each other. 

"When I look at you two, I see the most adorable future couple the world has ever seen. You two lighten up everyone around you. And I don't know if you've noticed, but whenever you just hear her name, you're immediately a different person. She's the best thing that's ever happened to you. So don't you dare let those articles get you down and live your life as you always do."

Thayne looked up at Lin and Lin grinned in success when he saw the small smile Thayne now showed him.

"Now, make that smile a little brighter and get your butt into your dressing room. We've got a show to get on in a couple of hours."