Noah felt a lightness in his chest as he walked back into the band's backstage area, the echo of his conversation with Nalani lingered in his mind. He hadn't expected their talk to be so calm, so uncharacteristically gentle compared to their usual sparring matches. It left him feeling both relieved and perplexed, a combination that had him wearing a subtle, rare smile. The room felt warm as the voices of his friends surrounded him, but his thoughts were still caught outside in the quiet with her.

What was it about her that always managed to leave him off-balance? he wondered, the question playing on a loop in his head. It wasn't just the sharp retorts or the defiant spark in her eyes—it was the moments in between, the ones where her defenses dropped, even if only for a heartbeat. Tonight had been one of those moments.

He could almost see the way she had crossed her arms, her expression guarded but her eyes softer, searching his as if trying to read him. He replayed the way her voice had dropped, not in frustration but in curiosity, as they spoke about life beyond the chaos of shows and band politics. It felt raw, unfiltered. And that was rare for them.

"Well, well, look who's got a spring in his step," Jolly called out, leaning against a stack of equipment cases with a smirk.

He shrugged, trying to mask the shift in his expression, but he knew it was too late. The others were already staring at him, eyebrows raised and teasing smirks forming on their faces.

Jolly leaned forward, eyes narrowing playfully. "We know you were outside talking to Nalani. Matt spotted you two heading out."His tone was teasing, but there was genuine curiosity beneath it. "Care to share why you looked like you were about to storm out but came back looking like you won the lottery?"

Noah couldn't help the short burst of laughter that escaped him, shaking his head. "You guys need a new hobby."

Matt, lounging in the corner with a smirk, raised an eyebrow. "If our lead singer suddenly decides to have a heart-to-heart with a certain fierce lead vocalist instead of brooding, it's worth taking note."

Noah felt a twinge of embarrassment mixed with the amusement bubbling inside him. He looked down, shoving his hands into his pockets. Why did it matter so much to them? And yet, why did part of him like that they were interested?

Nicholas, the ever-curious observer, tilted his head. "So, did you say something stupid, or was it just awkward silences and stolen glances?" He leaned back, a grin spreading across his face. "Come on, give us a hint."

A part of Noah wanted to shrug it all off with a flippant answer, but another part hesitated. What would he even tell them? That for once, they didn't argue? That the conversation had left him more intrigued than he wanted to admit?

Noah's lips twitched into a grin despite himself. He shook his head as he walked past, making his way to the fridge for a bottle of water. "You guys really don't let anything slide, do you?" he said, unscrewing the cap.

"Oh, not at all," Nicholas said, feigning shock. "Why would we? You know we live for this stuff."

Jolly, who had been sitting nearby flipping through a stack of notes, raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Noah. Spill. Matt said you were out there talking to her."

"'Her' as in Nalani, obviously," Nick emphasized with a grin. He leaned forward, eyes gleaming with interest. "Was it round two of Who Can Out-Sarcasm the Other?"

Noah burst into laughter, the sound deep and unrestrained. It was rare for him to let go so freely, which only made his bandmates more eager to dig into whatever had shifted his mood. "Nope. Sorry to disappoint," he said, the remnants of his laughter still tugging at the corners of his mouth. "We actually just talked."

Jolly exchanged a glance with Nicholas before turning back to Noah. "Wait, so you mean to tell us that you managed a conversation without snark, tension, or one of you storming off? Are we still talking about the same Nalani and Noah?"

"Did you hit your head or something?" Nicholas chimed in, eyes wide with faux concern. "Or did aliens replace you both with peaceful doppelgängers?"

Noah rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress the smile creeping back onto his face. He plopped onto the armchair across from them and took a sip of his water. "It was just a normal conversation. Nothing dramatic."

Matt squinted, skeptical. "Normal? You and Nalani?" He leaned back and gestured vaguely. "Sorry, but that's hard to believe."

Nick grinned mischievously, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other. "So, what was this normal conversation about? Weather? The superiority of cats over dogs?"

Noah shook his head, feigning exasperation. "I'm not telling you guys anything more. That's all you're getting."

"Oh, come on!" Jolly protested. "We're your bandmates. We know when you've got something brewing."

Nicholas rubbed his chin dramatically. "I bet they talked about how Nalani's band is opening for BMTH again. Maybe they shared some heartfelt musician moment. You know, all deep and philosophical."

Jolly snorted. "Nah, that's too tame. I bet Noah said something dumb and Nalani had to school him on concert etiquette."

Noah threw his head back, laughing again. "Okay, okay, this is getting ridiculous. Keep guessing, though. It's entertaining."

Matt shook his head, a small grin forming. "Let's be real. You're not going to tell us anything, are you?"

Noah's eyes sparkled with mischief as he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "Nope. Not a thing. Just know it was... nice. Different."

The room went quiet for a moment as the four men exchanged looks, processing that simple word: nice. For Noah, who often brooded over lyrics and spoke with a serious intensity, 'nice' was practically a declaration of joy.

Nick broke the silence first, raising an eyebrow and looking around the room. "Alright, place your bets. I say they talked about band stuff, but Noah being Noah, he probably threw in a compliment and made it awkward."

Jolly waved him off. "Nah, I'm with Nicholas on this one. Some philosophical exchange with bonus eye contact."

Nicholas nodded, winking. "Always with the eye contact."

Matt chuckled, rubbing his temples. "You guys are like detectives on a case with no evidence. Give it a rest."

Nick leaned forward, smirking. "Not until we get to the bottom of this. Noah, we're not going to let this go, you know that, right?"

Noah raised his bottle in mock salute. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you guys."

The room erupted into more banter, with each band member pitching their theories, no matter how wild or improbable. Noah watched them, an amused smile playing on his lips as they squabbled over who had the most accurate guess.

Jolly leaned back, sighing with fake exhaustion. "Alright, here's my theory. Noah told Nalani that he secretly respects her music, and she had no idea how to respond, so they ended up just staring at each other until someone coughed."

Nicholas burst out laughing, slapping his knee. "Or better yet, maybe Noah accidentally said something so nice that Nalani thought he was joking and roasted him back, and he didn't know how to recover."

Noah rolled his eyes, half-smiling. "Your theories are getting worse by the minute."

Nick nudged Jolly with his elbow. "Honestly, I'm putting my money on the idea that Noah asked her what she thought of their set, and she gave him that 'you're-not-as-cool-as-you-think-you-are' look she always gives."

Matt leaned back in his chair, arms crossed with a bemused smile. "I wouldn't be surprised if you all woke up one day and started a gossip column."

Nicholas pointed at Matt, grinning. "Oh, don't pretend you're not invested. You were the one who asked first."

Matt chuckled, hands raised in surrender. "Fine, guilty. But you guys are relentless."

"Relentless and proud," Jolly said, raising his fist dramatically. "We're going to crack this one."

Nick turned to Noah, eyes narrowed in mock suspicion. "You're being too quiet, which only means one thing: this conversation was important."

Noah's smile turned secretive, and he stood up, stretching. "Believe what you want. I'm going to make some coffee. Anyone want in?"

Nicholas groaned. "Don't you dare deflect with caffeine, Noah! This is serious business."

"I'm serious about coffee," Noah called over his shoulder as he walked to the kitchen.

"See, this is why we can't have nice things," Jolly said, tossing a cushion at Nicholas. "He's too good at dodging."

Nicholas caught the cushion and smirked. "One day, we'll get the truth. And when we do, we'll be ready to remind him of every awkward detail."

"Deal," Nick said, leaning back with a content sigh. "Until then, we'll just have to keep pestering him."

The bandmates shared a collective nod, silently agreeing that they wouldn't let it go. Noah, listening from the kitchen with a faint smile, knew he wouldn't hear the end of it anytime soon. But for now, he didn't mind. There was something strangely comforting in their relentless curiosity, their ability to make everything a chaotic mess of laughter and teasing. It made the mysteries — and the moments he wanted to keep to himself — all the more worthwhile.