AU: Actor AU

TW: Minor Swearing

WC: 2000

Date: 8/2/2021

The applause was deafening in the best of ways; Roman bowed as he fought back tears. This was his first time in a leading role. He had worked so hard for this, all of the showings had gone amazingly. He knew future roles in a lead role were far from guaranteed, but it was a step in the right direction. He was on the right path to making all of his dreams come true and that was a high he knew he would be chasing after his whole life.

A smile lit up his face as he went backstage, ready to take his outfit off. He wasn't expecting any visitors after the show. Remus was still in college in another state, studying to do special effects for horror movies, he would have come if not for finals. Their parents had come to the first showing and that alone had made Roman happy, so he was ready to clean the makeup off and prepare for the after-party.

He wasn't expecting a knock at the dressing room door, most of the other actors were off to find their family.

"Roman?" The director was standing there with an envelope in his hands. "I have something for you."

Curiosity filled him as he jumped to his feet. "Do I already have admirers?"

"Of sorts."

Roman took the letter and opened it.

'Dear Roman,

I am the owner of the Jam Theater. I direct all of the shows there and would like to extend an invitation to my next cycle of auditions, dated one week from your final show.

I was rather impressed with your recent performance, and believe you would make a rather outstanding Orpheus in the musical Hadestown.

I do hope to see you there; I would be rather disappointed if you found something better to do with your time.

Sincerely,

J'

The note was short, and Roman reread it multiple times. He was actually being invited to an audition, an audition for Hadestown no less. This was more than he had expected when he got the lead in "The Play that Goes Wrong", but he also knew the rumors surrounding the Jam theater. The plays that came out of it were always amazing, but the owner/director was known to replace actors mid rehearsal. He was also known for his strictness, and for the mystery that surrounded him. Apparently, though he was the director, he had never shown his face, either to his cast or to the general public. He was cloaked in shadows and mystery, but Roman couldn't give up this opportunity.

"Thank you." He said to his current director, "I am so thankful that you gave me this opportunity."

"It was all your hard work," He answered, patting Roman's shoulder before walking off.

For the time being, he would push the thought to the back of his head. Tonight was about the cast and crew, but in a week's time, he would be auditioning for the next big part of his life.

A week later, Roman was standing at the front doors of the Jam Theater, letter in hand, and stress buzzing around his head. He really wanted this, and he had been practicing almost non-stop for the past week. Taking in a shaky breath, Roman made his way inside, lining up with the others there for the audition. He signed in and took a seat in the audience, listening to each person perform.

It wasn't that Roman didn't have confidence in his own abilities, but listening to all of these amazing actors did deflate his ego a minuscule amount. He took in a shaky breath as his name was called from over the mic, all of their names had been called this way, and their instructions were given without interacting with the director. Roman didn't like mysteries. He liked when the world was shown to him in plain colors so that he could choose what colors he wanted to paint into the gaps. He wanted all of the information so that he could make his own informed choices and decisions.

Not knowing who the director was, was going to kill him if he got the role and chose to take it.

"Thank you Roman," the voice over the mic called. He gave a bow and headed back to his seat taking in a deep breath.

~~~~~

He did get the role, the mystery did drive him nuts, maybe that's what drove him to leave notes backstage after rehearsal. They started as small things, turning into more intricately written notes as the days went on. Maybe he was hoping for some kind of reveal, but eventually, it just became a habit to help him through the play. The first day he got a note back, there was only a single line written.

'You should save your energy for your acting.

~J'

It was only eight words long, and yet Roman could feel the sarcasm in each word. He had been praised thus far for his acting ability, given very little direction and what directions he was given, he implemented immediately. He knew that his acting wasn't an issue, at least he hoped so... no, he knew better. The director was apparently a stickler for having things done a specific way, and if Roman was doing it wrong, then he would have been told already.

Taking a pen out of his bag, he added an addition to the note he was planning on leaving for today. 'I'm always focused on my acting unless of course, you want me to focus on you.'

The next letter he received was much longer, but Roman was drawn in by a single sentence. 'Flirting with the director will get you nowhere.'

He bit his lip, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he was understanding this right, and the director was flirting back. Sure there was more to a relationship than beautiful penmanship, and Roman would never pursue something with a boss, but when the play was over...

Well, he would have to see where the universe led him.

~~~~~

What Roman forgot was that the universe was much more patient than he was. Six months of flirting letters, six months of a secret Roman was desperate to learn, and he still had not seen even a hair from the mysterious J. He had come close, a few conversations through a door, a gift accepted behind Roman's back with a quiet thank you. He would never want to push someone else's boundaries, but Roman was curious and his head filled in the gaps with wild fantasies. He knew the true answer was probably something more mundane, but his mind raced with the possibilities. Was their director a well-known and wealthy billionaire who directed plays as a side hobby, wanting to keep his identity a secret so that he had a safe place to be himself? Perhaps he was actually an infamous actor who had been thrown out of the business for his attitude. The second was actually very plausible with the way that he acted.

So far, three actors had been let go from the play, though Roman was surprised to say he agreed with all of the choices. All three were talented, but they were inconsistent, unable to show growth in their roles, and unable to prove they would be able to handle opening night. Their understudies had all performed leagues above and Roman was impressed. The man behind the curtain knew enough to know that sometimes a one-time audition wasn't enough to really prove long-term talent.

Each new thing that Roman learned or figured out about his mysterious employer made his respect for the man grow to exponential heights. He wanted to sign this man's praises, he wanted to shake him for his craftiness. Either way, Roman didn't want to lose him, so he had put his phone number in last night's letter, hoping to have received some kind of confirmation when he got to the dressing room today, but there was nothing.

It was mildly disheartening, but he had been trying to remind himself that he couldn't force his way past someone's walls. He had no right to the enigma that was J, and he would have to accept that.

His last performance was one of his best, and he could feel it in the high as he bowed with his troupe. The last performance was always a wonderful experience, although a sad one, and his sadness had the added undertones of knowing he might not hear from J again. He tried to keep his spirits up, tried to keep on his smile for the rest, but eventually decided he just needed a few moments to himself.

"You all go ahead, I'll meet you there. I just want to make sure I clean up first."

"That's Roman for you, diligent to the end. Want any help?" One of his crewmates asked.

"No, I will be fine, just want to say good night to the theater."

"Be safe."

He waved them off before letting his smile fall, a sigh escaping his lips as he cleaned up a bit. Tech crew would be back in the morning to do the real cleaning, especially since J seemed to have the same tech crew for every show, so Roman just picked up a few things here and there. It was always good to leave spaces clean, and it was nice to be able to say goodbye.

Roman walked out on stage, the curtain closed and the lights dim. He couldn't see much of the shadows backstage, but he didn't feel scared. He always felt at home on the stage.

"You should have left with the others."

The words weren't threatening, and it was a voice Roman had heard just once before. He couldn't help the small smile that slid across his face. "What fun would that have been? If I had left I wouldn't be able to say goodbye to you, Phantom of the Opera."

"You flatter me, Christine."

Roman blushed, "Are you complimenting my singing ability, or have you come to whisk me away?"

"If I said the latter would you be opposed?"

"Well, until recently you were my boss."

"But I'm not anymore."

"Still possibly a grey area."

"I need a yes or no, Roman."

Roman took in a deep breath before shaking his head. "No, I wouldn't be opposed to being whisked away."

"Even if I looked like the phantom?"

The thing about being an actor, especially a good one, was being able to identify and replicate emotions. He could hear the fear and trepidation in J's voice, and he didn't want to just blow off his concerns with a romantic statement that he wouldn't mind.

"I will be completely honest, it would take me getting used to the appearance because although scars, tattoos, and birthmarks should be considered normal, that's not the world I was raised in, but I've seen your personality J, I've peeked behind the mask, and I desperately want to get to know you."

"Pretty words, but at least you're honest."

Roman heard the sound of boots on stage, walking slowly across the stage floor, then he saw a man walk into the light.

He was shorter than Roman, though by how much was uncertain. He was wearing heeled boots and a bowler hat, his hands were adorned with bright yellow gloves that made them easy to track, and across his face was a litany of scars. He did his best not to stare, not wanting to ruin his chance.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you J," He bowed slightly before standing with a smile. "Have you come to steal my heart now?"

The man scoffed but hid a smile. "It's hard to steal something given so freely."

"Ah, tis true. Maybe instead I should offer compensation? Dinner?"

His eyebrow quirked, "Delivery?"

"Whatever will make you the most comfortable."

"Well if the handsome actor demands to buy me dinner, I guess I can acquiesce."

"A gentleman always lets his date choose."

"Then I will be sure to choose something expensive."

The clues to the mystery that was J began to fall into place, and Roman was adoring the picture they built.

"By the way, my name's Janus."

"Janus, it's a pleasure to meet you."