The morning sun filtered through the thin curtains of Nalani's hotel room, casting a warm glow over the bed where she and Noah lay tangled together. She stirred awake, eyes fluttering open to the sight of Noah's peaceful expression, his dark hair tousled and a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips. It felt surreal, waking up next to him, the world outside their little bubble completely forgotten for a moment.

"Morning," Noah whispered, his voice husky from sleep.

"Morning," she replied, grinning as she reached up to touch his cheek. He turned his face into her palm, pressing a light kiss there.

"I could get used to this," he said, eyes twinkling as he studied her.

"Don't get too comfortable," she teased. "I've been known to kick in my sleep."

"Oh, I know," he chuckled, "I think I'm going to have a scar to prove it."

She rolled her eyes, swatting him playfully on the chest. "Drama queen."

He caught her hand and laced their fingers together, the simple touch sending a warm shiver down her spine. They shared a few more quiet moments, the only sound being the distant city hum from the streets below.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Noah asked, propping himself up on his elbow.

"Well," Nalani said, thinking it over, "I was going to spend the morning sneaking you out of my room like some sort of spy movie." She smirked.

He grinned. "Sounds thrilling."

Before they could say another word, a sudden knock at the door made both of them freeze. They exchanged wide-eyed, panicked glances as the knocking continued, more insistent this time.

"Uh-oh," Noah whispered, eyes darting around the room for a hiding spot like a guilty teenager.

"Wait, wait!" Nalani hissed, scrambling off the bed and frantically smoothing her hair down. She pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for him to stay quiet, then tiptoed to the door.

"Who is it?" she called, trying to sound casual.

"It's Edward!" came the familiar voice from the other side, full of energy as always.

Nalani mouthed, "Oh no," and Noah's eyes widened in horror. He scrambled to sit up, but there was nowhere to hide. All he could do was duck under the covers like a kid playing hide-and-seek, leaving just the tip of his messy hair sticking out.

Nalani cracked the door open just enough to see Edward's grinning face, blocking the view of her room with her body. "Hey, Eddie," she said, forcing a smile. "What's up?"

Edward tilted his head suspiciously. "What's up with you, Nalani? Why are you answering the door like you're hiding a vampire or something?"

She laughed nervously. "Vampire? What are you, twelve? What do you need?"

He opened his mouth to respond but then paused, frowning as a faint rustling sound came from behind her. Nalani's heart dropped into her stomach. She felt a bead of sweat form on her temple as Edward's eyes narrowed, shifting to the door frame and back to her face.

"Are you... hiding someone?" he asked, leaning in like he was trying to peer over her shoulder.

"No, of course not!" she said quickly. "Why would I be hiding—"

Before she could finish, Edward pushed the door just enough to slip his head inside. His gaze landed on Noah, who was now frozen in the most awkward position imaginable, half-hidden under the covers with wide eyes.

The silence that followed was painful. Edward's mouth opened, closed, and then opened again, but no sound came out. He looked like a malfunctioning robot.

"Edward?" Nalani said hesitantly, trying to snap him out of his trance.

"Mark is... uh, Mark is... gathering everyone in his room," Edward finally managed to stutter, eyes still locked on Noah. "Fifteen minutes. Be there." Without waiting for a response, he stepped back, nodded mechanically, and started down the hall, his eyes still wide with shock.

Noah peered over the blanket, his eyes crinkled in amusement. "Is he okay?"

Nalani shook her head, suppressing a laugh. "Absolutely not."

The moment the door clicked shut, the tension broke, and both Noah and Nalani burst into uncontrollable laughter. Noah doubled over, holding his sides as he laughed, and Nalani wiped away a tear, gasping for air.

"Oh my God, did you see his face?" Nalani choked out between giggles.

"He looked like he'd just walked in on a murder scene," Noah said, grinning so wide his cheeks hurt.

"He's never going to let me live this down," Nalani sighed, a smile still on her face.

"Better brace yourself for the interrogation," Noah teased, sitting up and ruffling his hair.

"Oh, I will. And you owe me for staying calm under pressure," she pointed out, smirking as she crossed her arms.

He leaned forward, closing the space between them until their noses almost touched. "I'll make it up to you," he whispered, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Nalani's pulse quickened, but before she could say anything, there was another knock at the door. This time, it was followed by Edward's muffled voice: "Hey, uh, sorry to interrupt again, but... are you two good? Do you need water or... something?"

The two of them exchanged another look and started laughing all over again.

Nalani's heart raced as she stepped into Mark's room, trying to suppress the nerves that bubbled under her skin. She'd left Noah lounging in her room, amused and carefree, while she braced herself for whatever was coming next. The room was filled with the familiar faces of her bandmates: Jeremy, Josh, Nicole, Mark, and, of course, Edward, who was still looking a bit shell-shocked. Mark glanced up as she entered.

"There you are," he said with a smile, then immediately turned to Edward, who looked like he'd just seen a ghost. "Are you okay, Ed?"

Edward nodded slowly, blinking rapidly as if trying to process what he'd just witnessed. The room was silent, everyone waiting for him to speak, but Mark moved on, assuming it was just pre-show nerves.

Nalani took a place next to Josh, who looked at her with a wide grin on his face. She sent him death glaze in response, before he whispered, "Did you like my surprise ?"

"I'm gonna kill you, Josh," she tried to keep her voice low, "But yet, I did like it."

"Alright, everyone, let's talk about the upcoming show on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Mark began, excitement lacing his voice. "This is a big opportunity—"

But before he could finish, Edward shot to his feet, eyes wide with hysterical disbelief. He began waving his arms as if he was trying to caution them from any upcoming danger, "Are we just going to ignore the fact that Noah Sebastian is hiding in Nalani's room?!"

The room fell into stunned silence, jaws dropping in unison. Nicole gasped, her eyes darting to Nalani for confirmation. Jeremy, who had been leaning back in his chair, nearly tipped over as he tried to process what Edward had just said. Josh, the only one unfazed, stifled a laugh behind his hand, while Mark looked like he'd just been told aliens had landed in their hotel.

"Well, Edward," Mark tried to speak calmly, "I don't know what did you take, but, buddy, you really need to calm down—"

"It's Noah !!! There !!! In Nalani's room !!!" Edward interrupted Mark, this time his tons was more hysterical and more convincing.

"Excuse me, what?" Nicole finally blurted out, looking between Edward and Nalani with wide eyes. "Is that true ?"

Nalani didn't respond, but just buried her face into her hands. That was enough for others to understand.

Jeremy rubbed his temples and shot a glare at Edward. "You just buried our ship, Edward. Thanks a lot."

Nicole's face lit up with realization, and she let out an ear-splitting squeal. "Oh my God! Team Noah won! Our ship is blooming!" She jumped out of her chair, throwing her hands up in celebration. "I knew it! I KNEW IT!"

Mark chuckled, shaking his head as he exchanged a look with Josh. "Looks like you were right, Josh," Mark said, giving him a playful nudge. Josh simply shrugged with a smirk.

Nicole was already dragging Josh into a celebratory dance. "We called it, we called it!" she chanted, with Josh half-heartedly joining in, a knowing smile on his face.

Jeremy's death glare shifted from Edward to Nicole. "I can't believe this. You guys and your damn 'Team Noah' propaganda." He looked at Edward, who was still standing in disbelief. "You had one job, Edward. One job."

Edward threw his hands up. "Hey, how was I supposed to know he was literally in her room? I wasn't prepared for that!"

Nalani, who had been silent and red-faced the entire time, cleared her throat. "Guys, can we maybe focus on the show instead of... this?"

Nicole shook her head, grinning from ear to ear. "No way, Nalani. This is the highlight of the week. We'll talk about the show tomorrow. Right now, we need details!"

"Yeah, we definitely need that," Edward supported Nicole, "And you owe an explanation for me especially. For giving me a sudden trauma."

"When it started ? How long you to have been together ?" Jeremy raised his eyebrows.

"How we missed that ?"Nicole's voice was still way to excited.

"Well, talk about yourselves. I knew that from a very start," Josh said proudly, but his proud disappeared as he met Nalani's eyes.

"Wait, what ?" Edward went back to his hysterical tone, "You told him, and not us ?" he looked at Nalani, who was searching for a hole to hide.

"You, idiot, she didn't tell me anything. I spotted them kissing outside on your birthday," Josh answered, receiving another death look from Nalani.

"Josh !" she shouted at him.

Mark raised his hands, signaling for calm. "Alright, alright, leave the gossip for later. Go back to your rooms, everyone. We'll go back to our conversation later, but this time, without any surprises. And you"—he pointed at Nalani with a smirk—"go back to your... special guest."

The room erupted into laughter and cheers, and Nalani's face burned as she tried to hide her smile. She playfully rolled her eyes and turned to leave, but not before hearing Nicole's final triumphant shout.

"Team Noah forever!"

As she walked down the hallway, the sound of her bandmates' laughter echoing behind her, Nalani couldn't help but smile. She pushed open the door to her room, where Noah was waiting, sprawled across the bed with a smug grin.

"Everything okay?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," she laughed, shaking her head. "Just my band being insane."

"So," Noah drawled, his lips curling into a sly smile, "should I be worried about Edward recovering from whatever shock you just put him through?"

Nalani couldn't hold back her laughter as she closed the door behind her. "Oh, you have no idea. Poor Edward looked like he was going to faint right then and there."

Noah chuckled, the sound deep and warm. "I'm surprised he didn't. Sounds like we've been outed," he said, pulling her into his arms as she sat beside him.

She let out an exaggerated sigh. "The whole band knows now, thanks to Edward's over-the-top announcement and Josh's big mouth. And now, apparently, Team Noah has officially won."

"I can live with that." Noah chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple. "And how did they take it? Judging by your flushed cheeks, I'm guessing it was quite the scene."

"Oh, you mean Team Noah declaring victory, Nicole dancing around like she'd just won the lottery, and Jeremy yelling at Edward for ruining their ship? Yeah, it was a scene alright." Nalani rolled her eyes, but the smile never left her face.

Noah burst out laughing, falling back on the bed and dragging Nalani down with him. She landed next to him, their faces inches apart, sharing the kind of laughter that came from pure happiness. He reached over to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes searching hers.

"I'm glad," he said softly, his voice carrying a rare sincerity. "That they know. That I don't have to keep pretending I'm okay when I'm not with you."

Nalani's heart clenched, warmth spreading through her chest. "Me too," she whispered.

They lay there for a moment, the laughter fading into a comfortable silence. She rested her head on his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat beneath her ear.

"I'm never going to hear the end of it from Nicole, though," she said after a while, the hint of a smile in her voice.

Noah's chest rumbled with a low chuckle. "Good. Let her celebrate. If it means I get to be here with you, she can cheer all she wants."

Nalani tilted her head to look up at him, their faces so close that their noses almost brushed. "Careful, Sebastian. You're starting to sound like a romantic."

He smirked, eyes sparkling. "Only for you, Caddle."

They stayed like that, close and wrapped in each other's presence. And for the first time in a long while, Nalani felt that everything was exactly as it should be.

Meanwhile, as soon as Nalani left Mark's room, the bandmates exchanged glances, a wave of silence sweeping over the room before Nicole broke it with a knowing smirk.

"So... are we just going to ignore the fact that Edward here had a full-on freak-out when he saw Noah in Nalani's room?" Nicole asked, breaking the ice with a smirk.

Edward's cheeks flushed pink, and he groaned. "Can we not talk about that? I swear my brain short-circuited for a moment."

Josh, who had been quietly sipping on a soda, nearly choked from laughing too hard. "You should've seen your face, man. It was like you saw a ghost."

Nicole joined in, her voice teasing. "More like he saw a ghost who owed him money. Honestly, you looked like you were about to pass out."

"Okay, we're not going to ignore what we just found out, right?" Mark said, leaning back in her chair, eyes glinting with mischief.

Edward, who was still a bit stunned, blinked a few times before finding his voice. "I still can't believe it. Noah? In Nalani's room?" He shook his head as if trying to process the absurdity of it all. "I mean, how did I not see this coming?"

Jeremy laughed, slapping Edward on the back. "Because you're always too focused on whatever new conspiracy theory you're making up about Mark's coffee addiction."

"Hey!" Mark protested, crossing his arms. "My coffee habit is perfectly reasonable. We're not here to talk about me; we're here to discuss the romantic soap opera that's apparently been playing out right under our noses."

Josh grinned, eyes flicking between the others. "So, are we officially calling this a victory for Team Noah? Because I need to rub this in Jeremy and Edward's faces if that's the case."

Jeremy's eyes widened in mock outrage. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just because Noah made a move doesn't mean Team Nick is out of the race, okay? It's just a... temporary setback."

Nicole rolled her eyes dramatically. "You two are ridiculous. Face it, Noah's practically won the grand prize."

Edward smirked. "And you're just saying that because you're on Team Noah, Nicole."

"Damn right, I am!" she said, raising her hand for a high-five with Josh, who met it eagerly.

"Listen, I'll give Noah credit," Mark interjected, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I mean, he did manage to sweep Nalani off her feet without getting knocked out first. That's an achievement in itself."

"True," Jeremy said with a chuckle. "But how long before their stubbornness kicks in, and we're watching a live-action rom-com complete with arguments and making up every week?"

Josh pretended to think for a moment, tapping his chin. "Three days, tops. But I'll bet it'll be entertaining."

They all laughed, the room buzzing with energy. Edward, still getting over the surprise, shook his head one last time and said, "We're going to need a new bet, then."

"Oh, I'm in," Mark said, eyes twinkling. "The stakes are high, boys. This is going to be good."

Nicole leaned forward, eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Alright, spill, Josh. How long have you known?"

Josh hesitated, the grin on his face widening. "Since Edward's birthday. I, uh, saw them kissing outside."

The room was fulled with gasps and laughter. Jeremy's jaw dropped comically. "Hold up. You saw them kissing and didn't tell us?"

"Dude, I'm not about to be the gossip king of this band," Josh replied, trying to keep a straight face. "Plus, it's not my secret to share."

Nicole clapped her hands, delighted. "Oh my God, that's even better than I thought. I knew something was up at the party, but I couldn't put my finger on it."

"Well, wait, was it a kiss-kiss ? I mean, lips on lips ?" Edward leaned over, trying to get more details.

"Yes, exactly,"Josh nodded in response, "And let me tell you: Noah kissed her first."

"No way !" Jeremy let out an exaggerated sight.

"And Nalani didn't hesitate kissing him back," Josh nodded as if confirming his own words.

"This is much more interesting than any TV drama, I swear," Mark laughed, shaking his head.

Edward shook his head, now laughing along with the others. "So, Team Noah was winning from that point, and we didn't even know."

Jeremy turned to Josh with a mischievous look. "Well, since you're Mr. All-Knowing, you gotta tell us—how's it going? Are they happy?"

Josh's expression softened, his eyes darting between his friends. "Honestly? Yeah. I think Nalani's really happy, and it's good to see her like that. And Noah's... different around her. It's like he can actually relax, you know?"

Nicole's eyes shimmered with excitement. "Well, it's about time. She deserves that, and if Noah's the one who makes her happy, I'm all for it."

The group nodded in agreement, but Jeremy's grin turned wicked. "Alright, but if he ever breaks her heart—"

"Oh, we're hunting him down," Edward interrupted, cracking his knuckles with a mock-serious expression.

Josh laughed, pointing at Edward. "Count me in. I'll bring the playlist for the road trip to track him down."

Nicole smirked. "And I'll bring the snacks. But, really, I think we're safe. Have you seen the way he looks at her? He's head over heels."

Edward sighed dramatically. "Guess Team Nick wasn't meant to be, huh?"

Jeremy patted him on the back. "Don't worry, buddy. There's always another ship to support. Maybe we'll start shipping Josh and Poppy full-time now that she's been hanging around."

Josh's face turned a slight shade of red, and he shot Nicole a warning look. "Don't start."

"Too late," Nicole teased. "Three dates and she showed up to Edward's birthday? I'd say we've got another ship on our hands."

Edward raised an eyebrow at Josh. "You know, they're not wrong. I mean, Poppy's practically family now."

Josh rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a grin. "Alright, alright. Just don't get too carried away, okay?"

Nicole leaned back with a triumphant smile. "No promises. But for now, let's just focus on making sure Nalani stays happy."

Edward raised an imaginary toast. "To Nalani, Noah, and the fact that Team Noah won after all. And to Josh and Poppy, our next project."

They all burst into laughter, the room filled with the warmth and camaraderie that came naturally to them. Even as they joked and teased, it was clear: this band was a family, and they'd do anything to protect their own.