What They Don't See
It’s almost like being punched in the gut, the sudden shock of it all. And he is shocked, more shocked than he’s been in a while. He looks at Allison, who is staring out into the crowd, looking as surprised as he feels. He takes a moment to wonder if it’s showing on his face, even though he knows that it is.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t relieved. After all, he wanted to win, and not being in the bottom three seemed like a step in the right direction. Still, though…
“How?” Allison mouths at him. He shrugs because he doesn’t have an answer. All he can think to do is stare across the stage. Matt isn’t panicking, but he doesn’t look happy, either. His expression is resigned, flat, defeated. It pains Danny to see him that way. He wants to tell him not to lose hope, but he’s rooted to the spot, and Seacrest is still talking, pacing in front of the bottom three.
That’s when Danny notices Kris and Adam and realizes that neither of them have ever been in the bottom three before. He also notices that they are reacting in two entirely different ways. Kris is shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He’s smiling, but it’s the nervous sort of smile, like he’s only doing it to suppress the gag reflex. Adam, however, is nothing short of statuesque. He seems calm, relaxed, the polar opposite of Kris, the polar opposite of how Danny knows that he himself would react in the same situation.
They cut to commercial, and the bottom three are led backstage. Matt walks with the same grim resolve, steeling himself for what he feels is inevitable. Danny nearly starts to walk after him, wanting so much to offer his support, but even as he’s thinking this he’s being herded to the other side of the stage. Kris is more or less walking, but his legs are visibly shaking, so much so that by the time they reach the wings he stops in his tracks. The crowd can’t see it, but Danny and Allison are privy to the scene playing out behind the curtain.
Kris stops and stands there, literally shivering. For a minute Danny thinks that he might be having a panic attack, so he sits forward and nudges Allison and nods at their friend. Allison turns to him with a worried look in her eyes, but she almost immediately turns back to Kris, who continues to shake on the spot.
Looking wildly around the stage, Danny is five seconds away from saying something to someone, but Allison’s hand rests on his arm, and he looks back. He’s just in time to see Adam take Kris by the shoulders, turning the shorter man towards him. Kris looks up at Adam, whispering something that Danny can’t hear and shaking the whole time.
Adam responds by smiling that confident smile of his and drawing him into a tight hug. Kris doesn’t expect the sudden embrace and finds his hands pinned to Adam’s chest. Instinctively, he grips at Adam’s lapel, the material of the taller man’s jacket bunching up in his hands. He calms down almost immediately, and Adam releases him, though his hand lingers at the small of Kris’ back, gently guiding him the rest of the way. Danny sincerely hopes that neither of them goes home tonight, as much as he wants Matt to stay. Matt would be missed, but what Kris and Adam have bypasses “want” and makes a direct dive into “need.” Danny may need glasses, but he isn’t blind. That hug was just as comforting to Adam as it was to Kris.
“This really sucks,” he mutters under his breath. Allison nods in agreement.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t relieved. After all, he wanted to win, and not being in the bottom three seemed like a step in the right direction. Still, though…
“How?” Allison mouths at him. He shrugs because he doesn’t have an answer. All he can think to do is stare across the stage. Matt isn’t panicking, but he doesn’t look happy, either. His expression is resigned, flat, defeated. It pains Danny to see him that way. He wants to tell him not to lose hope, but he’s rooted to the spot, and Seacrest is still talking, pacing in front of the bottom three.
That’s when Danny notices Kris and Adam and realizes that neither of them have ever been in the bottom three before. He also notices that they are reacting in two entirely different ways. Kris is shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He’s smiling, but it’s the nervous sort of smile, like he’s only doing it to suppress the gag reflex. Adam, however, is nothing short of statuesque. He seems calm, relaxed, the polar opposite of Kris, the polar opposite of how Danny knows that he himself would react in the same situation.
They cut to commercial, and the bottom three are led backstage. Matt walks with the same grim resolve, steeling himself for what he feels is inevitable. Danny nearly starts to walk after him, wanting so much to offer his support, but even as he’s thinking this he’s being herded to the other side of the stage. Kris is more or less walking, but his legs are visibly shaking, so much so that by the time they reach the wings he stops in his tracks. The crowd can’t see it, but Danny and Allison are privy to the scene playing out behind the curtain.
Kris stops and stands there, literally shivering. For a minute Danny thinks that he might be having a panic attack, so he sits forward and nudges Allison and nods at their friend. Allison turns to him with a worried look in her eyes, but she almost immediately turns back to Kris, who continues to shake on the spot.
Looking wildly around the stage, Danny is five seconds away from saying something to someone, but Allison’s hand rests on his arm, and he looks back. He’s just in time to see Adam take Kris by the shoulders, turning the shorter man towards him. Kris looks up at Adam, whispering something that Danny can’t hear and shaking the whole time.
Adam responds by smiling that confident smile of his and drawing him into a tight hug. Kris doesn’t expect the sudden embrace and finds his hands pinned to Adam’s chest. Instinctively, he grips at Adam’s lapel, the material of the taller man’s jacket bunching up in his hands. He calms down almost immediately, and Adam releases him, though his hand lingers at the small of Kris’ back, gently guiding him the rest of the way. Danny sincerely hopes that neither of them goes home tonight, as much as he wants Matt to stay. Matt would be missed, but what Kris and Adam have bypasses “want” and makes a direct dive into “need.” Danny may need glasses, but he isn’t blind. That hug was just as comforting to Adam as it was to Kris.
“This really sucks,” he mutters under his breath. Allison nods in agreement.