Damian wasn't one to hold back. When he wanted someone to know something, by gods, they were going to know it, but when it came to this particular instance, there really was no good way to put it, and therefore, he never really told anyone. The truth was that, he was in a true infatuation over hefty Hannah. The others liked to make fun of her behind her back. They never did it to her face, but once they were alone, the others, boys and girls, would stuff their clothes and put on a deep voice and pretend to be Hannah. He was really the only one who ever said anything, though. He tried to keep Cameron and Lindsay, the two closest friends he had managed to make while on The Glee Project out of it, but nonetheless, Lindsay liked to flap her lips about anything that moved, most of which was not truth.
As luck would have it, the one time Damian walked in on it and remained silent, was the one time Hannah came out of the recording studio sooner than expected and had caught a glimpse of what had been happened behind her back. They had come up with a song.
Hefty Hannah
Hannah Banana
Fatty on the left
That was all he was willing to hear, before he took off after Hannah, who was surprisingly speedy for her stature. He had to run at a fairly brisk pace until he came to a door that he dared not to open, without being formally invited in first. The girl's dormitory. He took in a breath, then knocked on the door, quickly making a concoction of what he was going to say once he had finally gained entrance.
"Go away." her voice was bland. She wasn't happy Hannah anymore. She had gone to a place of anger and terror, and even sorrow, and Damian didn't blame her.
"It's Damian." he whispered into the frame, feeling slightly uncomfortable talking to a closed door.
He could hear a sniffle, then her hard voice, which almost growled out the words, "I don't care who it is. Go away."
He hadn't considered that she wouldn't allow him entrance. He really didn't know what to say. May as well go with the obvious, he supposed, "Hannah, I'm sorry!" he called inward, "Can we talk about this, please?"
That was when she decided to open the door, and when she did, she had a bag slung over her shoulder, and tears streaming down her face. He knew she only packed enough to get herself home, because he distinctly remembered her neon purple suit case, that he bet he could fit three or four of Matheus in at once, that she had dragged to the dorms the first day. This small bag was just enough to bring a change of clothes, a phone, and some cash. Damian knew he had to stop her, even as she groaned in a voice that was as cold as ice, "This isn't for me. I'm going home, where at least I have my family. I hate it here. I'm ready for this to be over."
"Hannah, that isn't true!" he attempted to grab her wrist as she began to storm out again, "You have friends here."
"Like who?" she nearly yelled, but there was no chance of anyone else hearing. They were too focused on their recordings to be listening for anything else.
"You've got me and Cameron!" he exclaimed dumbly.
She scoffed, but stopped walking half way down the hall, "Like either of you were doing anything to stop it. Cameron- he's just shy. He kind of slinks into a corner and stays there, but you- the Damian McGinty, who faces hundreds of adoring fans on a good day- I just thought you would have done something. I mean, at the very least, tell ask them to stop."
It was at that time that he saw the tears begin to perk at the edges of her eyes again, "Hann, I did! Every single day Cameron and I tried to stop them. I figured if they wouldn't stop, the best thing to do was to keep you away from it. I really tried. I mean it in all honesty when I say, I never wanted you to feel this."
"Well I guess that's just how it goes," she gave him a phoney smile that he could see straight through to the anger in an instant, "This is a competition, after all. One more opponent down. That pretty much pushes you straight to the finish line. So, I don't know. Maybe I'll Skype you once I'm home or something."
"You're not hearing me!" he yelled after her once more, blocking her only exit. Of course he knew that when she was ready to leave, she had full capability to body-check him out of the way, but he stood his ground as firmly as possible, "I want you to stay." his voice dropped along with his eyes, as he peered down at their shoes, "I'll miss you."
"Damian," she tried to shake her head. It was no mystery that she had had a huge crush on him in the early weeks of shooting for The Glee Project, but she had finally managed to tame that animal. Was he really saying what she thought he was? Or was she making it all up in her head. She definitely was not making up what came next. She felt a pair of incredibly unthinkable lips fall onto hers. It was only for a moment, and it left her in a daze. What the hell had just happened?
"I want you to stay." he said again, in a more confident tone.
Her face turned nearly as red as her hair as she nodded, "I guess I'll think about it." she said, her voice almost oozing with the overwhelming happiness that had overcome her. They both knew that after the show that kiss probably wouldn't amount to anything, but for a time, they had both pulled out their courage, put their hearts on their sleeves, and spoke the truth, and this is what came of it.
That next week, Hannah was eliminated, and sent home. They Skyped every night that week and talked for hours on end, until either Samuel or Alex finally told him to shut the hell up, which typically fell around 2 or 3 in the morning.
Two weeks later, Damian was eliminated at the final 3 last chance performance. He had made it far, but in the end, he was beat out by Lindsay, who was basically a shoe-in to begin with, as she was, more or less, a secondary Rachel Berry.
They really didn't have much contact after that. They Skyped whenever they were both on, but the freakish time difference between Derry, North Ireland and California pretty much guaranteed that they were never on at the same time. The occasional text message was exchanged, but not often, considering an oversees message cost upwards of 7 dollars a text to send and receive.
Their falling out didn't leave them with any bitter feelings, and they never really forgot each other. They were always there, in the back of the others mind. Hannah even went to one of Damian's concerts when Celtic Thunder came near her town He didn't know she was there. How would he? She was so far in the back, she couldn't even tell who she was seeing on the stage, but when she heard Damian, she knew it was him, and held up her hand made sign that read, McGinty's Army and she cheered at a rate that even frightened herself, but that was the last she saw of him for years, and that was enough. She got to live out every girl's fantasy. Her. Hefty Hannah; even if it was for a short while. Her life was complete.