hi can i request a Malachi x reader where they’re dating and they’re both on broadway. reader is Veronica and Malachi is JD in Heathers, and it’s sorta like a compilation of moments between them in the show such as them during dead girl walking, seventeen, and meant to be yours. at the end of the show after the final bows there’s a part where Veronica is going to leave out one exit with the other cast members while JD stays behind, and Veronica is supposed to turn around and pull him toward another exit (that’s badly explained but if you go on tiktok on @broadwaysidegig the video is posted on 5-5, that’s basically exactly what it’s like) and as they’re exiting the stage reader kisses Malachi since everyone knows they’re dating and it’s just a fun detail to add.
theatre!reader x theatre!Malachi Barton
˙⋆✮ ˙ summary: Could there be real romance between you and Malachi?
˙⋆✮ ˙ a/n: tysm for the malachi request. i was cofused at first but i think i got it down. also, i have never seen the movie Heathers (okay sue me?!?!) anyways, enjoy
Being cast as Veronica Sawyer opposite Malachi's JD had seemed like a dream when rehearsals first started.
Actually performing together eight shows a week?
That was somehow even better.
Most of the time, the audience had no idea they were dating.
Onstage, they were Veronica and JD.
Offstage, they were just two exhausted Broadway actors trying to survive the week on caffeine and whatever snacks happened to be sitting backstage.
Still, sometimes little moments slipped through.
Dead Girl Walking was usually where it happened first.
Every night, as Veronica, you burst into JD's room with all the confidence and chaos the scene demanded.
The choreography was second nature now.
The lines came automatically.
Yet every once in a while, while grabbing his jacket or pushing him toward the bed, you'd catch Malachi fighting back a smile.
And suddenly staying in character became ten times harder.
One night you nearly laughed during a line.
The second you got backstage afterward, he was already grinning.
His laugh told you everything you needed to know.
Seventeen was your favorite part of the show.
Not because of the song itself.
Okay, maybe partly because of the song.
But mostly because it was one of the few moments where Veronica and JD got to slow down.
The stage lights softened.
The audience disappeared into darkness.
And there you stood, as Veronica, facing Malachi across the stage.
"We could be seventeen..."
Every night he reached for your hands.
Every night you looked into his eyes.
And every night there was a brief second where it stopped feeling like acting.
You knew exactly what JD was supposed to be thinking.
You knew exactly what Veronica was supposed to be feeling.
But sometimes all you could think about was how lucky you were that the person singing across from you was him.
Afterward, the cast would tease both of you.
Apparently your smiles during Seventeen were becoming suspiciously genuine.
Neither of you denied it.
Then came Meant to Be Yours.
A completely different story.
Watching Malachi transform into JD every night was honestly terrifying.
You'd seen the number hundreds of times.
Yet when he stormed around the stage, eyes wild and voice shaking with emotion, part of you still forgot you were watching your boyfriend.
You became Veronica completely.
Everything Veronica felt came naturally because Malachi committed so fully to the role.
Then, usually right before the scene ended, there would be a split second where his expression softened when he looked at you.
Not enough to break character.
Not enough for the audience to notice.
Just enough to remind you that after the curtain came down, he'd be waiting backstage asking if you wanted food.
Closing night arrived much faster than either of you wanted.
The entire show felt emotional.
You found yourself memorizing little things throughout the performance.
The way the audience reacted.
The sound of the orchestra.
The feeling of standing center stage as Veronica Sawyer one last time.
Before you knew it, the show was over.
The company lined up for bows.
The audience erupted into a standing ovation.
You could barely hear anything over the applause.
Standing beside Malachi, you squeezed his hand.
Then came the final exit.
A tradition the audience loved.
The cast began moving toward one side of the stage.
As Veronica, you followed them.
Meanwhile, Malachi—as JD—stayed behind for a moment beneath the lights.
The timing had to be perfect.
Standing alone center stage.
For a second, it hit you that this was the last time.
The last time you'd be Veronica opposite his JD.
Then you remembered your cue.
You ran back across the stage.
The audience immediately cheered.
Malachi saw you coming and started laughing before you even reached him.
Still laughing, he let you pull him across the stage.
The audience cheered even louder as the two of you sprinted toward the opposite exit together.
The moment you disappeared backstage, the cast exploded into applause.
You barely had time to react before Malachi wrapped his arms around you.
You hugged him back just as tightly.
And somehow, that felt exactly right.
