Hey babes! Back again with a new story for ya. I absolutely love this story, and it's a pretty quick turnaround from when I started writing to when I posted. Because I started writing it last night and I'm pasting it today. This is highly unusual for me.
Anywho, this story, and the title of the story, comes from the song Ballerina by Jeremy Shada. It's such a beautiful song and I highly recommend listening to it. He wrote it for his wife and after I listened to it a few times I instantly thought of Bellarke. So I had to write something.
Enjoy!
Stepping onto the stage under the hot lights with his trusty acoustic guitar, Bellamy breathes deeply in and out, keeping his heart rate under control. This is nothing new for him, playing a live show. Yet it's the biggest show he's ever played up to this point in his career. It's nowhere near the caliber of somewhere like Madison Square Garden, and most people would probably call it small. But he doesn't mind. He thinks any venue is perfect as long as his fans are there.
He settles himself on the wooden stool at the center of the stage, a single mic stand in front of it. There's a keyboard off to one side, another acoustic guitar on the other, and a drum kit behind him. But they're done being used for the night. It's the end of the show, so the guys who play those instruments for him during shows are off relaxing backstage. But he has one more song he wants to play.
As he sits there, staring out into the crowd that he can hardly see because of the stage lights, it takes him back to the first public show he ever played, and he's so happy with how far he's come since that day.
.
Wincing at the feedback that comes from the mic, Bellamy takes a small step back and gets a tighter grip on the neck of his guitar. He hadn't intended to accidentally hit the microphone with it, but now here he is.
Stepping back up to the mic, he clears his throat, looking out at the few people who are milling around the bookstore. No one at the bookstore is ever too interested in whoever's up on the stage, all of them too focused on whatever books they have. It makes him wonder why this place thought an open mic would be a good idea. But it's giving him a place to share his music, so he can't complain.
"Um, hi," he says into the mic. "I'm...my name is Bellamy. And this is just a little something I threw together recently. I hope you guys like it."
Unfortunately, no one there is listening to his music. Which he supposes is a good thing since he messes up a few times and realizes that his guitar strings are slightly out of tune partway through the song. It's a mess of a performance and he heavily contemplates finding a more stable career. But music is his passion. He loves it. He can't give it up. But he doesn't know if he'll ever be good enough.
.
Smiling to himself, Bellamy wishes that he could go back and tell that scrawny, awkward fifteen-year-old that it all gets better. That everything works out and he becomes successful. But he can't. So he lives his life the best way he can for that fifteen-year-old version of himself that always dreamed of living this way.
"Hey guys," he says to the crowd. "Thank you all so much for coming out tonight. I hope you've all enjoyed the show so far. The night's almost over but I have one more song I'd like to play for you."
The crowd cheers and it makes his heart swell. He loves playing live shows, loves getting instant feedback and reactions from the people who listen to and love his music.
"This song...this song holds a very special place in my heart. It was written for an amazing woman that I met almost six years ago now. She is my rock and has been supporting me every step of the way since the day we met. I couldn't ask for a better partner in life than her."
.
"Hey. Are you Bellamy Blake?"
Turning around at the voice, Bellamy's breath catches in his throat when he sees the beautiful blonde standing in front of him. She has a duffel bag hanging off one shoulder with the logo for the local dance studio printed on it. Her cheeks look a bit flushed, probably from the cold air blowing around them, and her hair is pulled up in a bun on top of her head.
He clears his throat quietly. "Uh, yeah. I am. Do I...do I know you?"
She shakes her head. "No, but I know you. I saw you playing the other night at the coffee shop on campus the other night." She gives him a soft smile and pushes a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. "You were great. I really enjoyed the message in your song, about not giving up and to keep fighting for your dreams. It was beautiful."
He smiles back at her. "Well, thank you. You don't know how much that means to me to hear that."
"Too many negative reviews?" she asks him curiously.
He lets out a heavy breath. "More like no reviews. The first show I played when I was fifteen discouraged me for quite a while. The show at the coffee shop was the first time I've played in front of a crowd since then."
Her eyes go wide. "Wow. Really?"
"Yeah. That first show was...a mess. But I'm glad to be back on stage again, to play live. It's a feeling unlike any other."
"I'm sure it is." She breathes deeply and smiles. "Well, if the rest of your music is as good as that one, I can't wait for your first album to come out."
"Yeah?"
She nods. "Mm-hmm. I'll even be the first in line at your first signing."
He can't help the quiet laugh that escapes. "Well, I look forward to seeing you there."
"Me too. It was nice to meet you, Bellamy." She gives him one last smile as she walks past him down the sidewalk, her gym bag hitting lightly against her leg as she goes.
"Wait!" he shouts, turning around quickly. "You never told me your name."
She turns around and walks backward, throwing him a smile. "Clarke. Clarke Griffin."
.
Shifting a little on his stool, Bellamy adjusts the guitar in his lap, lightly strumming some of the strings. "I hope you guys don't mind me gushing about her for a moment. Like I said, she's been incredibly supportive of me and my career the last few years, and sometimes I wonder why she agreed to marry me." He laughs lightly. "But she's the best thing to happen to me."
.
Rubbing his palms against the fabric of his jeans, Bellamy breathes deeply, shifting from foot to foot. He doesn't know why he's so nervous about this. They love each other. They've been together long enough to know that they don't want to be with anyone else ever again. So he should not be this nervous.
"Bellamy? You okay?"
He nods, smiling down at his girlfriend. "Yeah, I'm fine. I guess it's just a little hotter out here than I'd like."
She laughs. "You're the one who suggested we come here."
"I know. And now I'm wondering why."
She wraps her arms around his torso and rests her chin on his chest to look up at him. "I love you."
He smiles down at her, snaking his arms around her and holding her close. "I love you too." He leans down to kiss her lips slowly, smiling when she deepens the kiss. He reluctantly pulls away when the line they're in starts moving so they can move with it, but he keeps his arms around her. He manages to move them forward a few steps and then they're stopped again, waiting.
Looking down at Clarke as she scrolls through her phone, leaning into him, he can't help the way his heart flutters. She's just wearing normal everyday clothes and has done the bare minimum to her hair and makeup, but he still thinks she looks as gorgeous as ever. "Marry me," he says before he can stop himself.
Clarke freezes and looks up at him with wide eyes. "What?"
He sighs heavily. "That is...that is not at all what I had planned. That's why I brought you here, so I could propose to you in a really romantic way. But standing right here with you, I couldn't help myself because I am so incredibly in love with you and I just want to marry you. If you want to marry me too."
She grins, surging up on her toes to connect their lips, one of her hands cradling the back of his head to pull him closer. "Yes," she says against his lips. "Yes, absolutely."
.
"So, this is just a little something I've been working on for a while that I finally want to share with the world." He breathes deeply, shifting again on the stool as he looks down at his guitar. He strums it a few times and then looks at the crowd. "This one's called Ballerina and I hope you guys like it."
Looking down at his guitar once more, he makes sure his fingers are in the correct position on the neck and then begins strumming. He starts singing as soon as he strums the first chord.
Performing on auto-pilot, having played this song numerous times recently to make it as perfect as it can be, Bellamy lets his mind drift back to the first time he saw Clarke dance. It was right after they had started dating and at that point, he only knew that she was a dancer. But he'd never actually seen her dance ballet before; her main focus. It was...magical, to say the least.
.
Stepping through the doors of the dance studio, Bellamy makes his way toward the room where the dancing takes place, his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he goes. He and Clarke are meeting up for a quick bite before he has to go to work, and although the original plan was to meet her a bit later, he got done early and figured he'd surprise her.
Finding the correct room, he peers around the doorway, letting out a relieved breath when he sees other people occupying the bench along the back wall. He won't be the only one which is a good thing. He won't stand out.
Lowering himself onto an empty section of the bench, he relaxes in the seat and focuses on the class that's currently in session. About a dozen or so people are spread out across the wooden flooring, a large, multi-panel mirror reflecting their images back at them. They all look so uniform in their dance outfits as they listen to their instructor; an older woman with graying hair and a very tight bun on her head.
Then he sees her. Clarke's standing somewhat off to the side, her eyes fully set on the instructor. He doesn't understand most of what's being said, but he can the way Clarke absorbs all the information and stores it in her mind.
And then she's moving across the floor with the rest of the dancers to stand on the side. Music starts and one by one the dancers make their way to the center to perform a solo number.
When Clarke goes to dance, his heart jumps at how comfortable she looks. How at ease and carefree she seems. She moves fluidly across the floor, every dance step just as graceful as the one before it. It's like nothing he's ever seen before.
.
Nearing the end of the song, he casts a glance to the side wing of the stage, finding Clarke standing there as she always is whenever he has a show, a proud smile on her face as she watches him. Every show she's able to attend, she's right there in the wing cheering him on. Once they became friends, that is.
.
"You've got this, Bellamy. Now get on out there and show them all how talented you." Clarke gently pushes on his shoulders, making him move toward the stage.
Stumbling just a little right before he steps onto the stage, he keeps the smile on his face and hopes that no one in the crowd saw his mishap. He wants them to remember his song, not his misstep walking onto the stage.
Waving to the cheering crowd, he walks to the microphone that set-up center stage. He adjusts the angle just enough and then he's addressing the people, "Hi there. I'm Bellamy, thank you guys so much for being here. I'm gonna play a few songs for you, I hope that's okay."
The crowd cheers again and he smiles. It's not a huge crowd by anyone else's standards, but it's pretty significant for him. He doesn't care how many people are out there, just that he gets to play for someone.
Jumping right into his first song, he chances a glance over at the wing of the stage, half-expecting Clarke not to be there, for her to be off doing something else. But she's still in the same spot she was a moment ago, an encouraging smile on her face. She gives him two thumbs up and then starts swaying a little to the music he's making.
The sight makes his smile grow and his heart swell. He turns back to the crowd as he starts singing, more determined than ever to ask Clarke out on a date as soon as possible.
.
As soon as he strums the final cord, the crowd erupts into cheers. It makes him smile. The fact that they seem to love the song so much, it's an amazing feeling. One that he's not sure he's ever going to get over.
"Thank you," he says into the microphone. "Thank you guys so much for your support. Whether you're a longtime fan or just recently discovered my music, I appreciate each and every one of you. Your support means the world to me, and I don't think I could ask for better fans. Have a good rest of your night and drive safe."
He smiles as the stage lights slowly dim and then he lets out a breath. His body relaxes and he stands from the stool, passing by the stagehands getting ready to take the instruments down as he moves toward the wing of the stage.
"You were great out there, babe, just like always."
Without a word, he pulls his wife into his arms when he reaches her, letting his guitar hang down behind his back. He buries his face in her hair, nuzzling just a little and breathing deeply, the scent of her shampoo wafting into his sinuses. "I love you."
"I love you too."
They stay that way for a moment, their arms wrapped securely around one another and just living in the moment. It's definitely the best part of playing a show, in his eyes, getting to hug his wife and see how proud she is of him.
Reluctantly pulling away, he keeps his arms around her and smiles. "I'm so glad you're here, Clarke."
"Me too. And we loved the song, by the way," she tells him with a smile, her eyes drifting down.
He follows her gaze to her protruding stomach, sliding his hands around so they're resting on either side of her belly. He smiles when there's a small thump against his palm. He'll never get tired of that.
"She was doing that the entire time you were singing," Clarke tells him.
"Really?"
"Mm-hmm. Looks like I might have some competition for being your number one fan," she says and then laughs quietly. "No doubt you've already started writing songs for her."
He lowers to his knees so he can press a kiss to the swell where his daughter resides. "I started writing the moment you told me."
"Of course you did." Clarke lets out a content sigh, one her hands in his hair and gently scratching at his scalp. "You're going to be such a good dad."
.
"Bellamy?"
Looking up from the notebook lying open in front of him filled with his songs, he smiles at the sight of his wife walking toward him, still dressed in her pajamas. Her hair is pulled back halfway and her face is void of makeup. But he still thinks she looks as beautiful as ever. "Hey. How are you feeling?" he asks, knowing how under the weather she's been feeling lately.
"I'm good. I know why I haven't been feeling so well lately, though."
"You do? That's great. What is it?"
She bites her bottom lip between her teeth and sits down next to him on the couch. "Um, you should open this first, before I tell you." She holds a box out to him that he hadn't even realized she came into the room with.
He takes the box with slightly furrowed brows. "Okay. Should I be concerned?"
She shakes her head. "No. Just open the box."
"Alright." He quickly tears away the wrapping paper—solid gray with miniature guitars all over it—and then pulls the lid off, tossing it aside. He peels back the tissue paper inside and smiles at the guitar strap lying inside. He looks at his wife. "This is great, Clarke, thank you. But I'm still confused about how this explains why you've been sick."
She just smiles at him. "Turn it over."
He does as instructed and his eyes go wide, his breath catching in his throat. Embroidered on the front of the strap, are the words 'WORLD'S BEST DAD' in big block lettering. His eyes fill with tears almost instantaneously and he focuses on his wife again. "Clarke...are you...are you sure? This is real?"
She nods, tears in her eyes too. "Yeah, Bellamy, it's real. I'm pregnant. We're gonna have a baby."
Setting the present aside he reaches out to grab Clarke and pull her into his lap, his arms wrapping around her. He tilts his head up just enough to kiss her lips and then focuses on the still flat skin of her stomach hidden by her t-shirt. He dips his head so he's closer, lowering his voice just a little, "Hey in there. I'm your dad. And I love you so much. I can't wait to meet you."
.
"Are you done for the night?" Clarke asks him softly, pulling him out of his head. "Can we go home now?"
He stands up and lets out a small sigh. "No, I'm not done yet. I still have to do a few meet-n-greets with the fans who won the contest. I shouldn't be too long, though. Then we can go home and I'll make up a bath for you to soak in for a while before bed."
She just smiles and cups his cheek in her hand, her thumb absentmindedly rubbing at his skin. "You're too good to me, Bellamy Blake."
He laughs quietly and shakes his head. "No, I think you've got that the other way around."
She shrugs. "Agree to disagree."
He smiles. "Alright. Care to join me for the meet-n-greets? I might be able to find a chair for you to sit in."
"I think sitting down sounds amazing, doesn't matter where I get to sit."
He chuckles and wraps his arm around her waist to pull her close, his hand resting against the side of her baby belly. He drops a kiss to the top of her head as he guides her toward the room being used for the meet-n-greet.
Another thump against the palm of his hand and his heart swells yet again. If he could go back and tell his fifteen-year-old self one thing, he'd tell him that it's all worth it. That his life becomes far better than he ever imagined it could be.
.
.
Blue eyed ballerina
God only knows how much I need ya
From day one I knew you were the one
So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!