Work Text:
"How do you do it?"
"What?"
"Sound so..." Colton was struggling for the words, gesturing helplessly with a furrowed brow. "...Southern!"
Skylar couldn't figure out if she felt shocked or offended. Maybe neither of those. She stared at Colton for a long moment before she laughed in uncertainty. "Wait, are you serious?"
"Yeah!" He was laughing too, spreading his arms wide in question. "Yeah, I just-"
"Should I be offended?"
"No! Nonono. No, it's an honest question and I really wanna know."
The relieving thing about hanging around Colton was that he was always up front and honest about what he was feeling. She didn't have to try to figure out if he was just saying those things to hurt her feelings, like a girl, or if he really didn't care but only said it because he thought she was cute, like a guy. Instead she had a deep certainty that he wouldn't bother with her if he wasn't genuinely curious about her.
When she didn't respond at first, Colton winced. "Oh geez, I did it again."
"What?"
"Said something stupid."
"N-no, don't worry about it. I'm just trying to figure out what you're talking about."
His wince this time looked like it could break his face. "Oof..." He tugged his cap off and ruffled his bangs, considering. "Okay, let's...let's think about this for a second."
The atmosphere in the hallway was always busy, always intense, and Skylar was just happy to get away from the even more rabid tension of the stage. Everyone was in rehearsal mode at the moment. Jessica was on stage blowing the roof off the place, as per usual, and she knew that Colton was due to go right after her. Not a lot of time to think, but then again, Colton always did like to push the limits of time.
"...where are you from again?"
She smiled. "Mississippi."
"Okay." He waited for her to hand off her mic to the technician before he joined her on her side of the hallway. "So you've got some Southern roots in there."
"Some?"
"Bear with me, I'm trying to be all explainy." He leaned against the wall, his slender figure outlined immediately by his t-shirt and jeans. She wondered, not for the first time, if those were girl pants. "So you've got some Southern roots in there," he repeated, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But...not enough to...make that happen."
"What's 'that'?"
"Your singing voice."
She chuckled. She didn't exactly want to crush the ruffles on the back of her dress, but she was tired of standing stick-straight like a doll, so she gave in and reclined next to him. "Keep explaining?"
"But why?" he whined.
"'Cuz I'm not gonna make this easy on you!"
The music came to a stop. They both glanced toward the stairway up to the stage for a long moment before it cued up again. A second go-through meant they might have enough time to finish the discussion.
"Like..." He waved his hands around again, nearly hitting her in the arm with his enthusiasm. "...okay, let's think about me."
"What a surprise," she teased. She was rewarded with a gentle flick on the arm and a smirk that made her heart flip.
"I'm from Tennessee."
She nodded.
"Born and raised there."
She nodded again, just in case he needed her approval and acceptance. Guys liked that, right? Or was that girls?
"I don't sound anything like you." His voice shook with laughter. "And we've got the country music capital of the world!"
"Well, you know what?" Her face hurt from grinning so hard. It always did around him. She loved it. She intentionally thickened her accent until it was almost impossible to understand. "You know what, Mr. Colton Dixon?! Just 'cuz I ain't ashamed of my roots-"
"Stop it, that sounds awful!"
"-don't mean you c'n jest cum on in here an' mock me!"
He pushed her playfully and they laughed so hard that they could barely hear the music on stage. "You're silly."
"Boy." Skylar elbowed him and cocked an eyebrow. "That ain't gonna do. C'mon. Practice with me."
"No."
"You GOTTA! Your fans'll think it's great."
"They'll think I'm a poser!"
"It'll be cute. C'mon. 'Ye're awl Ah wahn!'"
"Stop it."
"'Ye're awl Ah nayeed!'"
"Stop it!"
"'Ye're everythin'!'"
"Oh my word!" He threw his head back with a guffaw and tossed his arm around her shoulders. The companionable squeeze he gave her made her want to melt. "Skylar Laine, you are just. Too. Much."
"You love it," she teased with a cheeky grin.
His eyes grew soft and warm and she noticed he wasn't letting go. If anything, he pulled her a little more snugly against his side. "I do, actually," he murmured, smile never leaving his face. "I really do."
They stared at each other. When her heart took off like a bat out of hell, she was left blushing and flustered, eyes huge, and wondering if she was sweating.
"Mr. Dixon?"
He watched her for just one moment longer, eyes twinkling. And then he looked at the stagehand. "Yes sir?"
"They're ready for you."
The music had stopped. How had she not heard the music stop?
"All right. Thank you." He let her go and instead gently grabbed at a lock of her hair. He gave it an affectionate tug. "You gonna come hear me sing?"
"Depends," she said with a soft chuckle. "You gonna sing like a real Tennessee boy?"
"Fat chance!"