AARON TVEIT IMAGINES

Stage Door

On an autumn evening, you stepped out of the Al Hirschfeld Theatre and into the chilly air. Looking to the left, you noticed a small crowd gathered around the stage door of the theatre. You put on your coat and joined the crowd, leaning against the barricade.

Clutching your Moulin Rouge Playbill, you awaited the cast, a bit nervous. The truth was, you loved Aaron Tveit, who played Christian in the Broadway musical. And you absolutely hated just being a fan.

Every show you went to, you longed to jump up on stage with them. You wanted more than anything in the world to perform in a Broadway musical... But your grades weren't great, money was a struggle, therefore you would be able to attend a swanky theatre school. And most of your favorite musical actors were alumni of such schools.

You looked down at your feet, suddenly hearing the crowd around you scream and cheer. Shooting your glance up, you saw him - Aaron Tveit had just exited the stage door... And your heart did a little flip.

He smiled at fans as he began to autograph and take selfies. You were positioned near the very end of the barricade, so you waited awhile before he finally got to you.

When he did, he avoided all eye contact with you.

"Hey, I loved the show." you said, handing him the Playbill to sign. You tried to lighten the mood with a small smile.

He looks up at you, then at the Playbill, then at you again... Doing a double take.

"Th-Thank you."

He spoke very quietly. Was he tired? Resting his voice? Just shy? And that's when you noticed, he was staring at you. Like... Into your eyes staring.

You raised your eyebrows, awkwardly trying to regain his attention.

"I'm sorry," he stuttered, snapping out of the daze. "Here you go."

That's when he nearly shoved the Playbill back into your hand and moved onto the next fan, his face red and eyes glued to the floor. You wondered what you did wrong. Did you come on too strong? Scare him? You don't recall saying or doing anything out of the ordinary. A little bit hurt and very confused, you stumbled out of the crowd, and headed toward the Subway station.

You walked down the stairs into the station, sitting down on one of the wooden benches. You pulled out your phone and scrolled through Instagram for a bit. The N train was delayed and would take 10 minutes to get to the station.

A couple people joined you on the bench as a few minutes passed. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a man step up to stand next to the bench. You looked up... To see Aaron.

And he looked down at you, his face mortified. Why did he hate you so much? Was there something on your face?

"Uh... Hi." he said.

"Hello... What are you doing here?" You asked.

"Going home."

"You take the train home from work?"

He nodded.

"Where do you live?"

"That's a little stalker-ish." he chuckled, still barely able to look at you in the eye.

"I mean- I mean what part of town?"

"Astoria. Is that where you're headed?"

You nod.

"That's a coincidence." he started to fiddle with his hands nervously. "Hey, I'm sorry I like, stared at you at the stage door."

"It's fine. Do you want to sit? We still have a few minutes till the train comes. I'm sure you're exhausted." you motioned to a space next to you on the bench. He nodded politely and took a seat next to you. It felt weirdly normal... Not like he was this big celebrity you had looked up to for years.

"Why did you stare?" you ask, and regret it as soon as it comes out of your mouth. That was a weird thing to say.

His eyes widened and he cleared his throat.
"Because I... Think you're beautiful."

That's when it was your turn to widen your eyes.

"You asked!" he chuckled a little.

"Well, that's... Very flattering."

There's a silence for a moment. He scratches the back of his neck.

An elderly woman sitting beside Aaron on the bench clears her throat and speaks up, "Son, this is when you ask her out."

You can't help but laugh, Aaron turning bright red again.

"Good idea, ma'am." he turns to you. "What was your name?"

"Y/N."

"Y/N, would you like to have dinner on Monday night? That's my only night off."

"I'd love that, Aaron."

He smiles and breathes a small sigh of relief. "Awesome. Could I get your number?"

You exchange numbers, and the train arrives. The elderly lady taps Aaron on the shoulder and whispers "Atta boy.", which earns a laugh from you and Aaron.