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It had happened way too fast for Tony to notice anything at first.
His band started their set like they usually did when they performed. Tony was always the one to be the most nervous before shows, no amount of warming up or practice ever made him feel like he was fully prepared.
The crowd slowly warmed up to their performance, a mixture of cheers and bodies being pushed around, allowing Tony to feel a bit more confident with how he was playing.
Tony could feel the adrenaline start to build up in him, the feeling of the bass reverberating all throughout his body. He figured he could let loose and try not to mind the amount of eyes that were on him.
He let his guitar slip from his fingers, giving it a push by the base and slinging it around his back, before quickly catching it back into his grasp. He wouldn’t admit it, but he had spent days trying to perfect it, never quite coming close to fully achieving it. He felt a small rush of pride at how he managed to pull the small trick off, and he smiled to himself, looking back into the crowd.
They were still lively, though he couldn't help but notice the small worried looks and pointing fingers from a couple of people. He felt his stomach drop, wondering if maybe he had looked a bit too silly trying to imitate something that he had picked up from his bandmates.
Tony’s eyes followed the crowd, when he noticed that they weren’t pointing at him, instead, they were pointing behind him. He furrowed his eyebrows as he turned his body slightly, his eyes widening as he spotted what everyone else was looking at.
Jaime was a couple feet away from him, gritting his teeth, trying to concentrate on playing as a small line of blood had begun to drip down the side of his forehead.
Tony felt his own fingers slipping up on the fretboard at the sight, his palms getting sweaty and his heart racing. He should’ve known better than to think he could pull something like that off in such a small stage.
He wanted to stop playing, to go over to Jaime and apologize as many times as he needed to, yet he knew he couldn’t do that in the middle of a performance. The fact that he had hurt Jaime was making his heart ache, and he wondered if it was a normal thing to feel for someone who was only supposed to be your friend.
Tony threw a small, pleading look over to their vocalist who seemed to catch on, before giving Tony a small nod. There was only a minute or two left on their current song, which just so happened to be the second to last one on their set, and Tony couldn’t be more grateful. He would’ve hated it if they had to cut their entire set short because of his mistake.
Tony watched as Jaime tried to use the sleeves of his shirt to wipe away the blood that was starting to get into his eyes, making him fumble the notes he was supposed to play. Tony chewed on his bottom lip, his stomach churning, and suddenly the last minute of their performance had felt like an eternity.
The song came to an end, and Tony quickly made his way over to Jaime, taking his guitar off and letting it sit on a rest by the side of the stage. Jaime stood at the edge of the stage, still dabbing his forehead with the sleeves of shirt, though it did little to minimize the bleeding.
Tony watched as Jaime sat down on an amp right behind the small curtain from the stage. Tony approached slowly, almost scared. Jaime looked up, a small smile playing on his lips. “Dude…you hate me that much?”
Tony frowned at Jaime’s sarcasm and reached for Jaime’s bass, taking it off of him and leaned it against the wall. He grimaced as he watched the blood continue to slide down Jaime’s cheek. “We should probably get you to a hospital.”
“No way. My mom would freak. She probably wouldn’t even let me play anymore if she found out.”
Tony sighed, shaking his head at him, but he knew his mom would be the exact same way, so he couldn’t protest. He kneeled down in front of him, hands placed delicately on his knees to steady himself.
“Can I see?” he asked quietly, and Jaime gave a hesitant nod, slowly removing his arm.
Tony took in the sight of the small gash, trying to mask his wincing face with a neutral expression, but it was difficult when it was Jaime being hurt.
He gently pressed around the wound with his fingers, his brow furrowing at the way Jaime bit his lip to try and hold back the noise that threatened to slip from his lips. It was deep and was still bleeding.
“We can’t just leave it,” Tony said, more for his own sake than for Jaime’s. The guilt he felt was immeasurable, “I’m really sorry…”
“It’s fine..” Jaime mumbled, a small reassuring smile on his face. “It’s just a cut… it’ll heal.”
His eyes flicked down to the way Tony was grasping his knee, then to his tender, guilty eyes. It was making a strange, unknown feeling flutter in his stomach.
“At least you looked cool,” Jaime said, trying to lighten the very obvious worry etched onto Tony’s face.
“That doesn’t matter,” Tony said, shaking his head. “Just stay here, I’ll go find a first aid kit or something…” He gently patted Jaime’s knee as he rose to his feet.
Jaime nodded, though a small frown tugged at his lips when he noticed Tony pulling away. It was a strange feeling, really, but it made his heart feel warm. Tony quickly left him to go look for a first aid kit and Jaime exhaled the pent-up breath he had been unconsciously holding, feeling the warm air ghost over his wound and causing a spike in pain.
Jaime watched as the fans who had formed a small crowd began to disperse one by one as they returned to the main part of the hall, the music of the next band beginning to play as soon as he lost sight of Tony.
The sound was soothing, like a distant, washed-out thump through the walls, and he felt himself relaxing against the wall behind him, letting his eyes close as he tried to ignore the tickling sensation of blood dribbling down his face.
A small gasp alerted Jaime’s eyes open, to find Tony standing there, a mini first-aid kit clutched in his hands. As soon as Tony met his eyes, he seemed to visibly relax.
“Jesus, I thought you died or something…” Tony said, moving to crouch in front of him again.
Jaime let out a small chuckle, “You’re so dramatic, Tone. I’m not gonna die from a little wound…”
Tony huffed a laugh at that, his expression softening in relief that Jaime was still here and that he was able to respond with his little sarcastic remark.
“A little wound? You’re covered in blood…” he said, but Jaime just waved it off as he watched Tony unzip the kit, his eyes scanning over the items before they landed on what he wanted.
“This should do…” he said, lifting out a pack of disinfectant wipes.
“That’s gonna sting…” Jaime said, his voice flat with reluctance at the pain he was about to endure. But still, a small part of him was feeling warm and fuzzy with the way Tony seemed to care about him so much.
“It’s a necessary evil,” Tony said back as he moved closer, reaching out a hand to tilt Jaime’s face towards himself.
The contact made Jaime’s heart lurch in his chest, made his skin tingle, and he had no idea where it came from. He was starting to wonder if he was concussed or something.
Tony gently pressed the wipe to his wound, a ripple of pain shooting through Jaime’s face and making Tony’s lips purse.
“I’m sorry..” he said softly, being as delicate with his hands as possible.
Jaime just sighed, trying to relax against his touch and the pain stinging at the wound. Tony was being so gentle with him, almost reverent as he moved down his face, wiping off the blood that had started to dry on his cheeks. And Jaime felt himself leaning into his touch, almost seeking more.
“You’re so gentle..” Jaime said, his voice almost a whisper as he let his eyes flutter closed. He couldn’t deny the effect he was having on him, making his heart feel all warm around the edges with the way he was caring for him. It felt nice.
Tony was tempted to say something in response, to say something sarcastic or teasing like he would normally do, but he couldn't find the right words. They were stuck in his throat with the way his pulse was starting to pick up, with the way the proximity was making him feel. And he was just so distracted by how pretty Jaime looked under these lights.
Tony felt his hands tighten around the wipe in his hands as his heart fluttered in his chest, his eyes lingering on the subtle expressions on Jaime’s face as he worked.
And Jaime stayed still for him, his eyes following as Tony set the bloodied wipe down. The silence that followed felt almost intimate, with the noise of the band in the hall slowly fading away and being replaced by a gentle hum.
Neither of them spoke, Jaime’s gaze fixed on Tony as his eyes roved over his face, trying to check that the bleeding had finally stopped. Their faces were so close, his warm breath ghosting over his skin, making goosebumps form on his arms. He swallowed dryly, trying to ignore the flutter in his chest.
“Is it okay..?” Jaime asked, just needing to break this heavy silence, his voice suddenly too quiet.
“Yeah,” Tony said, his eyes coming back to meet Jaime’s, and the care in them almost knocked the breath out of him. “The bleeding stopped.”
Tony found it hard to look away with the way Jaime was staring at him, as if expecting something. He swore Jaime’s eyes had briefly flickered down to Tony’s lips, making a small chill run down his spine, before shaking the thought away and standing up.
“That’s good..” Jaime’s voice trailed off as he watched Tony dig into the small kit, watching as his hand trembled slightly. He was starting to realise that he wasn’t the only one being overtly conscious at how close they were, and it somehow made his heart beat even faster.
“These band aids aren’t big enough…” Tony sighed as he took out a large gauze pad along with some adhesive tape. “This’ll have to do.”
Jaime hummed lightly as he felt Tony come slower, gently placing himself in between his knees as he looked down at him. Tony’s legs coming into contact with his was sending a wave of warmth all over his body, reaching the back of his neck. He had really hoped the somewhat dim lighting would hide his reddening face.
“C’mon, look up for a bit.” Jaime obeyed and tilted his head up, averting Tony’s gaze. “It’s going to look a bit silly but…gauze is better than nothing.”
Jaime nodded slowly, closing his eyes as he felt Tony’s fingers trail across the side of his forehead, the rough calluses on his fingertips feeling oddly pleasant against his skin.
Tony began to patch him up, placing small pieces of tape against the gauze and onto Jaime’s forehead, watching as Jaime leaned forward again at his touch. Tony tried not to read into it, but it was hard to ignore the way Jaime had been staring at him earlier, and the way he seemed to melt underneath his touch.
“All done,” Tony breathed out, stepping away from Jaime, watching as his dark brown eyes fluttered open and landed on him.
Jaime reached up to touch the piece of gauze that had been poorly taped to his forehead before letting out a small laugh, “What a professional you are.”
Tony playfully rolled his eyes as he moved to sit next to Jaime. The amp was barely big enough for both of them, making their knees touch, their shoulders almost pressed together. Jaime kept his eyes on their legs, his heart racing once again and he wondered if it was the loss of blood that was making him feel this way towards someone who was only supposed to be a friend.
“Again, I’m really sorry. I should’ve been paying attention.” Tony’s voice was wavering, and Jaime could tell from his knitted eyebrows that he would never stop feeling guilty even if Jaime reassured him a million times.
“Hey, it’s okay. It happens.” Jaime smiled and placed his hand on Tony’s knee, giving it a small squeeze, “But thanks for caring so much. I could’ve cleaned myself up.”
Tony felt his body tense at Jaime’s hand. They had touched each other countless times before, yet this was different. They both knew it. Tony swallowed thickly before responding, “You don’t need to thank me.”
Jaime nodded gently, lifting his hand off of Tony’s leg before leaning back into the wall behind him. “Of course I do. I practically forced you to patch me up since I didn’t want to go to the hospital.”
“Well, I did it because I wanted to.” Tony said firmly, “I’m serious.”
Jaime let out a small laugh before turning to look at Tony. He felt his heart stop at the way Tony was staring at him, and he wondered if this was how he looked when he would stare at Tony too. The intensity of Tony’s gaze had started to make Jaime’s skin itch, sending small goosebumps all over his arms.
Jaime couldn’t stop himself from looking at Tony’s lips, before looking back up at Tony to see him do the same. He thought back to when this small feeling inside of him had started to blossom; The feeling of wanting to be something more with the boy he’d known almost his entire life. He couldn’t pinpoint when it had started, but he knew every time he thought of something in his future, Tony was the only thing he had hoped would remain constant.
“I believe you.” Jaime said, before inching closer to Tony, their shoulders now touching. “You know I care about you too, right?”
Tony felt his face heat up, and he would’ve been ridiculously embarrassed if it weren’t for the fact that Jaime was almost the same shade of red he was. He nodded slowly, “Yeah...I know.”
There was another pause, only the muffled sounds of the crowd filling the air. Jaime knew he should say something, anything to make Tony understand what he was getting at. But the way Tony was leaning forward too had made Jaime know that he didn’t really need to say anything else. Tony knew.
Jaime rested his hand on Tony’s thigh before bringing his face closer to Tony’s, watching as Tony slowly closed his eyes and slightly puckered his lips. Jaime couldn’t help but let out a giggle, God he was adorable.
He finally closed the distance between them, placing a soft gentle kiss against Tony’s lips. Jaime felt Tony still for a moment, before he relaxed and placed his hand on top of Jaime’s. Jaime’s heart swelled at the small act of reassurance, making him deepen the kiss a bit more. The feeling of Tony’s lips working against his was making his head spin, and even though he knew anyone could walk back here and catch them, Jaime didn’t care. All that mattered was the fact that he was finally kissing his best friend.
Jaime felt Tony getting a little breathless, struggling to keep up with the rhythm of his lips, so he gently pulled back, instead resting their foreheads together as Tony caught his breath.
“Wow…” Jaime let out, a giddy grin on his face. If it wasn’t for his lips still tingling, the taste of Tony still lingering in his mouth, he barely would’ve been able to believe what’d just happened.
Tony finally opened his eyes, sparkling with a thousand different emotions as he stared into Jaime’s, “Yeah…” he agreed, his mouth curving into a smile. Tony gently took Jaime’s hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the soft skin. “That was really good…”
“It was,” Jaime said, letting out a disbelieving laugh, pulling back to scan over Tony’s face, and the words were spilling from his mouth before he even realised they were, “You’re so pretty..”
Tony’s eyes widened, redness seeping onto his cheeks. He never expected Jaime to say anything like that to him, and the way he was looking at him, the way he could tell he meant it, was affecting him more than he ever would have realised.
“You really think so?” Tony said quietly, and Jaime gave his hand a soft squeeze as he nodded.
“I really do,” he doubled down, because he couldn’t take it back now. He didn’t even want to.
Tony’s eyes dropped to the floor with the sudden rush of emotion that overtook him, and he found himself grinning like an idiot. “I think you are, too…”
Jaime leant against Tony’s body as they sat cramped on the amp beside each other. They stayed in content silence for a moment, enjoying each other’s body heat, letting their hearts settle down. Until Jaime found himself gripping Tony’s fingers a little tighter, using him as a lifeline as he forced himself to speak.
“I like you, Tony.”
Tony’s eyes moved over to the boy beside him, stars dancing in them with the revelation. His mouth dropped open for a moment, trying to come up with a response, but he was struggling against this lump in his throat. So, he just moved to wrap his arms around Jaime’s shoulders, gently embracing him.
“I like you, too…” he said, his voice a little muffled in the crook of his neck.
Jaime smiled at those four words, letting his arms snake around Tony’s waist to bring him as close to him as possible. They remained in each other’s arms for a little while longer before Tony pulled away, looking at Jaime with his bright brown eyes.
“Are we…?” Tony trailed off, chewing on his bottom lip as he stared at Jaime expectantly.
It took Jaime a second before he caught on, giving Tony a small grin. “Boyfriends?” The way Jaime had said the word had made Tony’s heart leap, a hopeful smile creeping on his lips before he nodded slowly. “Only if you want to be.”
Tony let out a small huff, “You’re an idiot.”
Jaime laughed and placed a small kiss on Tony’s cheek, making Tony shudder slightly. He would have to get used to Jaime’s touches, now that he knew he wasn’t just imagining the way his fingers would linger on him for a bit too long all those times before.
Jaime felt such satisfaction at the effect he had on Tony, giddy at the fact that he no longer had to hold back. He stood up from the amp, his hand still interlocked with Tony’s as he took a few steps away.
“C’mon, I don’t think the guys are going to be too happy with the fact that we left them to clear out the stage all by themselves.”
Tony’s eyes remained on their hands that were woven together, before looking up at Jaime. “Hey, you’re injured. They’d be assholes to make you do some heavy lifting.”
“But you’re not injured.”
“And who’s the one that helped you out?”
Jaime raised an eyebrow at Tony, before letting himself be pulled back on top of the amp. He sat back down with a small grunt, watching as Tony pressed himself close to Jaime once again, resting his head on his shoulder. “Let’s just stay here for a bit, please?”
Jaime hummed as he leaned his head on top of Tony’s, looking down at their hands resting on his thigh. “I can’t say no to you when you’re asking so nicely.”
Tony chuckled and he gripped onto Jaime’s hand even tighter, feeling as though none of this was real. He moved his head slightly to look up at Jaime, who was staring down at him with such a loving gaze that made Tony’s heart ache. Jaime smiled and placed a small kiss on Tony’s forehead. There was a comfortable silence, not even the sounds of the crowd or the small hum of guitars being played had disrupted the moment.
Jaime heard a small unexpected giggle, feeling Tony’s body shake slightly. He looked down at Tony, admiring the small scrunch of his nose as he laughed. Jaime swore there couldn’t be anyone more adorable in the world. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, it’s just…” Tony bit back another laugh. “I think I should be the one giving you kisses on the forehead, Hime.”
Jaime raised his eyebrows, a small mischievous smile on his face.
“Then what are you waiting for?”