The lights had barely dimmed after Bad Omens' show before the roar of the crowd started to fade into the low buzz of backstage chatter. The band members were still soaked with the energy from the night, sweat glistening under the harsh bulbs as they exited the stage. Noah Sebastian kept his eyes forward, jaw tight, as they made their way through the labyrinth of equipment cases and soundboards. The familiar chaos of post-show hustle was something he thrived on, but tonight, his thoughts were already shifting elsewhere.

"You guys were incredible!" one of the crew members called, and Nicholas flashed a thumbs-up. Noah barely acknowledged it, a small smirk playing at his lips as he pushed through to the dressing room.

"Great set, guys," Nicholas said, slinging an arm over Noah's shoulder in a show of camaraderie. His face was flushed from the adrenaline, hair damp and sticking to his forehead.

Noah shrugged off the arm. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered, though the corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. "Let's just get this over with. I need to make a call."

Nick shot a look at Jolly, who raised an eyebrow in return. Noah's detached attitude wasn't new, but tonight, there was an edge to it that piqued their interest. The band filed into their dressing room, the hum of distant music from the opening acts vibrating through the walls.

"Okay, so, what's the plan for tonight?" Nicholas plopped down on the worn-out leather couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table. "Please tell me it doesn't involve anything related to work. I need food. Actual food, not whatever sad sandwich we had yesterday."

Jolly snickered, tossing a half-empty water bottle at him. "We've been running on junk and caffeine for a week. I'm all in for real food. Maybe even a sit-down meal where nobody's yelling at us."

"Hey, man, are you even with us?" Noah's voice cut through, eyes narrowing at Nick, who was staring down at his phone with a grin.

Nick's head snapped up, startled. "Oh, yeah, sorry, guys." He slid his phone into his pocket but not before Jolly noticed the mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Lemme guess," Jolly teased, leaning forward. "Texting Nalani again, huh?"

Nicholas let out a dramatic gasp, eyes wide. "Oh, please tell me it's Nalani. Because if it isn't, I'm going to be severely disappointed."

Nick rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the smile. "Alright, yes, it's Nalani. We were just chatting about the upcoming festival lineups."

"Is that all?" Nicholas waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Just 'talking shop,' or are there... other topics?"

"Oh, give it a rest," Nick laughed, the room filling with the sound of shared amusement. "She's a friend, nothing more."

"Right, because we all have 'friends' who make us smile at our phones like that," Jolly said, earning a round of laughter.

Noah shifted in his seat, eyes flicking from Nick to the others, a smirk playing on his lips. But the amusement didn't quite reach his eyes. "Well, don't let your little 'friendship' get in the way of anything important," he said, voice dripping with casual indifference.

Nick's smile faded a notch, confusion knitting his brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that we're here for the band. Distractions are distractions, that's all." Noah's tone was dismissive, a clear signal that the topic was over.

Nicholas exchanged a glance with Jolly, silently communicating their shared thought: What was eating at Noah?

"Hey, chill out, man. It's just talk," Jolly said, trying to diffuse the tension. "You don't need to go all Captain Serious on us."

Noah leaned back against the wall, towel still around his neck. "I'm not being serious. Just calling it how I see it. You can't waste time on things that don't push you forward."

Nick's jaw tightened, the friendly atmosphere dissipating for a moment. "I appreciate your... concern, but I can handle my own priorities, Noah."

Noah's expression didn't change, but the air between them felt charged. He was always confident, always calculating, but something about Nick's connection with Nalani seemed to bother him, even if he'd never admit it. It wasn't jealousy, not exactly. It was more that he didn't understand why someone would risk focus on something as flimsy as camaraderie with a rival band.

Jolly cleared his throat, sensing the need for a topic change. "So, anyway, anyone else remember Josh trying to chat up Poppy at Ironstorm? Now that was a sight."

Nicholas laughed so hard he nearly fell off the couch. "Oh, my God. He walked up to her like he was Casanova reincarnated."

"And she just stared at him like he was a bug she was deciding whether or not to squash," Nick added, chuckling.

The room erupted with laughter, breaking the tension. Even Noah's stern expression cracked as he let out a low chuckle. "I heard she did follow him back, though," he said, shaking his head.

"No way!" Nicholas gasped. "That's gotta be a pity follow."

"Pity or not, you know Josh will never let us hear the end of it," Jolly pointed out, grinning.

Nick's phone buzzed again, and he glanced at it quickly, stifling a smile. Noah noticed and rolled his eyes, this time more amused than annoyed. "I'm telling you, Nick," he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice, "you'd better be careful, or you'll end up joining War in the Hell full-time."

Jolly leaned in, voice mock-serious. "Ah, yes, the age-old story: friends to festival stage-mates, to... forbidden band-crossing relationships."

Nicholas added, with a mischievous glint, "Enemies to lovers, the classic trope."

Nick's ears turned red as he waved them off. "Alright, that's enough out of you guys."

But Noah's eyes darkened at the playful mention. The idea of crossing professional lines, of losing focus, left a bad taste in his mouth. He pushed off the armrest and stood up, grabbing a fresh shirt from his bag. "I'm hitting the shower. Don't get too lost in your soap opera while I'm gone."

As Noah disappeared down the hallway, the room exhaled collectively. Nicholas leaned back, throwing a sly grin at Nick. "Well, that was fun."

Nick sighed, shaking his head. "I don't get it. What's his problem?"

Jolly shrugged, his eyes thoughtful. "Maybe he's just trying to keep everyone focused. Or maybe... he's got a thing about trust."

"Or he's secretly shipping you two and doesn't know how to express his emotions," Nicholas said with a mock-serious face. The others laughed, and even Nick couldn't help but join in, the tension easing.

"Let's just hope he showers that attitude off," Nick joked, earning a round of chuckles.

The room, though filled with laughter moments ago, hummed with a newfound energy as Jolly leaned forward, mischief twinkling in his eyes. "Or—and hear me out here—maybe Noah's got a thing for Nalani."

A beat of silence fell as the rest of the band registered his words. Then Nicholas let out a loud, incredulous laugh. "Noah? Interested in someone? You must be joking. The guy's married to the band."

Nick, still half-amused and half-curious, smirked. "I don't know, man. You saw how he reacted back there. He doesn't normally get that defensive."

"Exactly!" Jolly pointed at Nick, eyes wide as if he had just solved the world's greatest mystery. "It's suspicious. Like, why would he care so much about who you're talking to unless he's got some weird stake in it?"

Nicholas sat up straight, tapping his chin in mock thought. "So, let me get this straight—Noah Sebastian, the man who doesn't give a damn about anyone else's business, is secretly pining for Nalani?"

Nick shook his head, trying to suppress a grin. "Nah. There's no way. He's too... too Noah for that."

"I'm telling you, it's a possibility!" Jolly insisted, leaning back with a smirk. "Think about it. He's always acting like he doesn't care about anything outside of us. Maybe this is his way of overcompensating."

Nicholas' eyes narrowed in playful suspicion. "So, if we're entertaining this ridiculous theory, we'd have to admit that he'd never, ever confess it, right?"

"Exactly!" Jolly snapped his fingers. "And that's where it gets interesting. Even if he did have a thing for her, he'd rather chew glass than admit it."

Nick, still unconvinced but warming up to the idea, nodded slowly. "You might be onto something. But imagine if he ever found out we're even talking about this. He'd have our heads."

Nicholas chuckled. "No kidding. The guy would probably deny it so hard that we'd end up doubting ourselves."

They shared a laugh, picturing Noah's stony face if he caught wind of their conversation. The mental image was both terrifying and hilarious.

"So," Jolly leaned in closer, eyes darting between Nick and Nicholas conspiratorially, "here's the plan. We keep an eye on this. And if we're right, we subtly push things along."

Nick's eyes widened. "You mean, ship them?"

"Quietly," Jolly said, raising a finger for emphasis. "We ship them quietly. If Noah even suspects we're meddling, it's game over."

Nicholas laughed again, the sound echoing around the room. "Oh man, I can't believe we're having this conversation. The great Noah Sebastian, getting soft? The world would end before he admits anything."

"Agreed," Nick said, grinning. "But imagine how good they'd be together. She's got enough fire to match his intensity. It'd be a mess, but the best kind of mess."

Jolly raised an imaginary glass. "To secret ships and rock star love stories."

Nick and Nicholas joined him, tapping their fists together in an unspoken pact. For now, the secret was safe, and the game was on. The three of them burst out laughing again, their voices carrying down the hallway where Noah, now freshly showered and none the wiser, was headed back to the dressing room.

The thought of what lay ahead, the potential chaos they were silently endorsing, made their laughter only that much sweeter.