shawn mendes imagines

empty arena

( listen to the song at the asterisk )

The digital clock sitting on top of the counter ticked a quarter to midnight, flashing in red, bold numbers against the darkness of the bus. It was the beginning of Shawn's world tour, and though the day was long with his sound check, my eyes were not heavy and my body wasn't exhausted. I didn't do anything but watch Shawn perform, hearing his voice echo through the large arena, imagining the night of his concert that'd be happening the next day.

I didn't expect Shawn to be awake at the time. He had constantly worked hard throughout the cold day and I didn't expect to talk to him. I thought he'd be asleep by the time we got into the bus, but he stayed at the steps, strumming softly at his guitar. Random chords in the middle of the night was something so simple, yet so calming, and it wasn't something I heard often anymore.

With my back facing the center of the bus, Shawn suspected I was asleep when he walked over. He shook gently at my shoulder, getting an immediate response from me when I turned around. The neck of his guitar was held by one hand, while the other caressed my cheek.

"Are you tired, baby?" He whispered so quietly that the sound sent chills along my skin. The cold air added to the gesture.

I shook my head, feeling his hand still on my cheek, waiting for what he had to say.

"Come on." He urged me to get out of bed, which didn't take me too long for I didn't want to lay on it much longer.

Shawn handed me a sweatshirt of his, insisting for me to put it on; I didn't want to at first, just out of pure laziness, but once I walked out of the bus, it was immediately thrown on.

We walked through several unlocked gates along the back entrance, encountering one that needed to be climbed over in order to get to the stage. It was a small one, but with midnight strength, the climbing didn't come easily.

Shawn helped me down once he set his guitar aside, and when I touched the ground, he grabbed my hand, jogging toward the dark stage.

"Sit here." He mumbled, setting me down in the middle of the sea of chairs before disappearing in the darkness of the large stage.

Moments later, a clicking echo erupted along with the flashing of lights amongst the stage. Shawn appeared within the lit stage, turning the mic as he let his guitar play notes freely, without the speakers.

"Shawn...we're going to get in trouble." I remarked, only to receive a grin from Shawn.

He stepped up to the mic, socks slipping against the polished stage as he adjusted it to his liking. Shawn ran his fingers through his hair before grinning at me again.

"This song is for this one crazy, loving, goofy girl I call my girlfriend. I love you, _____. I'm forever grateful you've chosen to stay."

*

I laughed, loudly. His guitar played the chords perfectly, and his voice made the night phenomenal as it echoed beautiful throughout the arena. It had been a remarkable experience.

I kept my eyes opened during the whole performance, continuous chills running along my arms and back as he hit every note of the song. The moment he sang a word made me shudder, and when the sounds bounced off the walls and echoed, I shuddered again.

Shawn kept his eyes staring at me, breaking the gaze whenever he would close them to focus on a note, but the way he looked at me like I was a piece of diamond was something I didn't deserve. The way he cared and loved me so much was something I'm grateful for. He loved me, and I loved him in return.

It was just Shawn and I. Two lovers loving each other in the middle of an empty arena.

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