Archive of Our Own

It felt like an ordinary school day for Johnny Joestar at first, the kind of morning that followed a familiar rhythm he had already grown used to, walking through the same halls, hearing the same overlapping voices, the same lockers opening and closing, the same distant laughter echoing along the corridor, and yet beneath all of that routine there was something else sitting quietly in him, something sharper, something that made his steps just a little faster than usual as he made his way toward his acting class, because today was the day the roles would be announced, and even though he wasn’t saying it out loud, even though he wasn’t showing it too clearly, there was a strong sense of confidence in him.

The kind that came from knowing he had done well before, from believing that he deserved it, that he would be chosen, that he would be given something important, maybe even the lead role, and that thought alone was enough to make him feel lighter as he walked into the school building, his posture more relaxed, his expression calm but focused, his mind already drifting toward the stage, toward the lines, toward the feeling of standing under the lights where everything made sense.

He adjusted the strap of his bag slightly as he walked down the corridor, his boots making a steady, familiar sound against the floor, his thoughts moving ahead of him, already imagining the list before he had even seen it, already picturing his name near the top, already preparing himself for that moment when he would see it and feel that quiet satisfaction settle in his chest, and it was that exact moment, when he was most caught in his own expectations, that he suddenly heard fast footsteps approaching from behind, followed by a voice that broke through his thoughts completely, pulling him back into the present before he could even react properly.

“Johnny—hey, Johnny! The roles are out, man, they already posted them!” Gyro Zeppeli called out as he rushed up beside him, slightly out of breath but clearly excited, his energy immediate and impossible to ignore, his presence shifting Johnny’s focus in an instant.

Johnny blinked, surprised at how fast it had happened, his calm expression breaking just slightly as his excitement rose all at once, sharper now, more real now that it wasn’t just anticipation anymore. “Already?” he asked, his Southern accent slipping through more clearly now as his voice picked up with that sudden rush of energy, his pace increasing without him even thinking about it.

“Yeah, yeah, everyone’s already there,” Gyro replied quickly, nodding toward the end of the corridor, his grin wide as if he already knew how much this mattered to Johnny, how much he had been waiting for this.

Johnny didn’t hesitate for even a second after that, his thoughts snapping into focus as he followed immediately, his steps quicker now, almost impatient, the quiet confidence he had earlier now mixing with something more restless, something more urgent, because now it was real, now it was happening, now there was something to actually see instead of just imagine.

They moved quickly together down the hallway, their footsteps echoing in rhythm with the noise of the school around them, and as they reached the end of the corridor, the reason for the noise became obvious immediately, because a large crowd had already gathered in front of the notice board, students standing close together, some leaning in, some trying to push forward just enough to read the names, voices overlapping as people reacted to what they saw, some excited, some disappointed, some already talking loudly about who got what role, and the energy of it all felt heavy, tense, alive in a way that made Johnny’s chest tighten slightly.

He slowed down just a little when he saw how crowded it was, his excitement still there but now mixed with impatience, his eyes trying to catch a glimpse of the list through the people standing in front of it, his body leaning forward slightly like that alone might help him see it faster.

Gyro noticed that immediately and glanced at him with a small grin, clearly amused by how focused he had become. “Hey, we don’t have to rush in like that,” he said, his tone casual, a bit teasing. “We can just wait a minute, let the crowd clear out a bit, then check properly.”

Johnny shook his head almost instantly, not even needing to think about it, his voice quick, a little strained with the weight of his excitement. “No, no, Gyro, I can’t wait,” he said, already stepping forward, his eyes still locked on the board ahead. “This is important… I gotta see it now. I ain’t standin’ around while everyone else already knows.”

Gyro laughed softly at that, clearly entertained, but didn’t argue, because he understood, and instead just followed behind Johnny as he moved closer to the crowd, watching him push forward just enough to make space for himself, not aggressively, but with clear determination, his focus narrowing more and more with every step he took.

Johnny could feel it now, that tight feeling in his chest, that mix of excitement and pressure building all at once, his breathing slightly uneven as he got closer, closer, until the voices around him started to blur into background noise, until all that mattered was the list in front of him, the names written there, the one name he was looking for, the one moment he had been imagining all morning.

As Johnny moved closer through the crowd, his steps slower now not because he wanted them to be, but because the space in front of him kept tightening with people shifting, turning, whispering, and the closer he got the more aware he became of the way the atmosphere had changed around him, the noise no longer just random chatter but something focused, something watching, and even though no one said his name out loud, he could feel it in the way conversations dipped and rose again when he passed, in the way shoulders angled slightly to make room but not too much, like everyone wanted to see what would happen without getting in the way of it, and then the whispers reached him more clearly, not loud but close enough, slipping between the space of movement and breath, “He’s coming—” someone said quickly, followed by another voice that sounded certain in a way that made it worse, “Yeah, that’s him—”, and then just ahead of him, almost directly in front of the board, another student murmured with open curiosity, “So who got Romeo… and who’s Juliet?” and that question, simple as it was, hit differently now, heavier than it should have, because suddenly it wasn’t just about a list anymore, it was about expectation, about attention, about something that felt like it was already decided before he had even seen it.

He didn’t stop, even though something in him wanted to, something that told him to slow down, to wait, to let the crowd clear like Gyro had suggested, but he ignored it, because stopping now would mean letting that hesitation grow, and he didn’t want that, not here, not in front of everyone, so he kept moving, closing the last bit of distance until the crowd finally opened just enough for him to step into that narrow space in front of the notice board, his shoulders tense, his breath just slightly uneven, his focus pulling tight as everything else around him began to blur into something distant, like the noise and the movement didn’t matter anymore compared to what was right in front of him.

For a moment, he didn’t read it, not immediately, because even though he had come all this way, even though this was the exact moment he had been thinking about all morning, there was still that small pause, that split second where his eyes stayed still, fixed on the paper without actually taking anything in, like part of him wasn’t ready yet, like part of him needed just a little more time before turning expectation into reality, his heartbeat louder now, steady but heavy in his chest, his fingers tightening slightly at his sides as he finally forced himself to focus.

Then his eyes began to move, slowly at first, scanning from the top of the list downward, taking in each name one by one, his thoughts trying to keep up, trying to stay ahead, already searching for his own name before he had even reached the right section, his confidence still there but starting to shift into something sharper, something more tense with each second that passed without seeing it, until finally-they stopped.

His heart stopped beating.

For a moment after reading it, Johnny did not react the way he had imagined he would, because the name was there, clear and undeniable, and it was a main role, something he had wanted, something he had been almost certain about, and yet it was not exactly what he had pictured in his mind, and that small difference left him standing there in a strange pause, caught between reactions, unable to decide whether he should feel disappointed or satisfied, his thoughts slowing down just enough to make everything feel heavier, more deliberate, as he tried to process what he was actually looking at.

Juliet.

His name was next to Juliet.

He stared at it again, not because he had read it wrong, but because he needed to see it more than once to let it settle properly, his eyes moving over the same line again as if repetition would make the meaning clearer, and as that moment stretched, the first wave of confusion began to fade just slightly, replaced by something quieter, something more thoughtful, because when he really considered it, when he allowed himself to move past the expectation he had carried into that hallway, he realized that Juliet was not a lesser role, not something to dismiss, it was still the center of the story, still important, still something that required presence, emotion, control, and if he was being honest with himself, the kind of performance Juliet demanded felt closer to him than Romeo ever had.

That thought changed something.

His shoulders relaxed just a little, the tightness in his chest easing as he let himself accept it, not fully at first, but enough for a small sense of satisfaction to take its place, because a lead role was still a lead role, and that was what he had been working toward, what he had expected, and he was not going to ignore that just because it did not match the exact image he had created in his head, so slowly, without him forcing it, a faint smile began to form, subtle but real, as he stood there in front of the list, letting that feeling settle in. Then his eyes shifted. Not randomly or with purpose but because there was something else he needed to know.

Romeo.

His gaze moved slightly upward along the paper, scanning the names again, this time with a different focus, a quiet curiosity replacing the earlier tension, because whoever had been chosen for that role would be standing across from him on stage, would be the one he would rehearse with, the one he would share every important scene with, and for a brief moment, that thought did not carry any weight, it felt distant, unimportant compared to the relief he had just begun to feel that was - until he saw the name.

Diego Brando.

The small smile on his face did not vanish instantly, it did not drop sharply or break apart all at once, but it faded, slowly and quietly, as recognition settled in, as the name became more than just letters on a page, as it connected to a face, to a presence, to everything he had already sensed before even speaking to him, and the ease that had just begun to form in him tightened again, this time sharper, more uncomfortable, more immediate.

Out of everyone.

It had to be him.

And just like that, the calm he had managed to build for himself shifted into something far more complicated, something harder to place, something that sat uneasily in his chest as he kept looking at the name longer than he meant to, as if looking away would not change the fact that it was there.

The moment that voice reached him from behind, low and controlled in a way that felt far too intentional to be casual, Johnny reacted before he even had time to think about it, his shoulders tightening sharply as he instinctively stepped forward, putting space between himself and whatever had just entered it, his breath catching slightly as the warmth of that closeness lingered for a second longer than he wanted it to, and when he turned around, the movement was quicker than necessary, edged with tension that had already been building long before this exact moment, because even without seeing him, even without needing confirmation, he already knew who it was.

Diego stood there exactly as expected, not rushed, not bothered, not even slightly affected by the reaction he had just caused, his posture relaxed in a way that did not look careless but instead deliberate, like he was always aware of how he carried himself and never needed to adjust it, his expression calm but not empty, his eyes steady and observant in a way that made it feel like he had already read the situation before anyone else had the chance to react to it, and when he spoke again, his voice remained smooth, almost quiet, but with a clear edge of amusement that made it obvious he was not taking any of this seriously in the same way Johnny was. “What’s wrong, JoJo,” he said, letting the nickname sit there like it belonged, like it was not something that needed permission, before continuing with a tone that was almost conversational but still sharp underneath, “don’t tell me you’re disappointed, is it because I’m Romeo.”

Johnny did not answer immediately, because the words did not just reach him on the surface, they pressed deeper, stirring up something that had already been there, something that had been building long before today, and for a moment he simply looked at Diego, really looked at him, taking in everything that made him so frustrating to deal with, the way he never seemed uncertain, the way he never hesitated, the way he always stood like he already belonged wherever he was, and that alone was enough to make Johnny’s jaw tighten, because it reminded him of every time things had gone the same way before, every time Diego had been chosen over him, every time someone had said he was better without even thinking twice about it.

The anger did not come all at once, it came in layers, building under the surface as those thoughts connected together, and Johnny could feel it clearly now, the frustration, the irritation, the sense of something being taken from him again even when he had worked for it just as much, and for a brief second his hand tensed at his side as if he might act on it, as if he might finally do something instead of just standing there and taking it, but he stopped himself before it could turn into anything real, forcing his posture to hold, forcing his voice to come out instead. “Diego… this don’t change nothin’ for me,” he said, his Southern accent more noticeable now, not exaggerated but less controlled, his tone uneven at first before he steadied it, his gaze fixed firmly on Diego as he took a small step forward without fully realizing it.

“My role’s still more important than yours,” he continued, his voice gaining strength as he spoke, not loud but firm enough to carry his intent, even if there was still something defensive underneath it, something that made it clear he was trying to hold onto his position rather than fully confident in it, and he did not stop there, because once the words started coming, it became harder to hold them back, harder to keep them measured. “And I’m gonna do it better too, so don’t stand there actin’ like you can laugh at me,” he added, the last part sharper, the frustration showing more clearly now even if he was still holding it just under the surface.

Diego did not react the way someone else might have, he did not argue immediately, he did not raise his voice, he did not even look particularly interested in proving anything in return, instead he simply watched Johnny for a moment, quiet and steady, as if he was taking in the entire reaction rather than responding to any single part of it, and when he finally spoke again, his tone had not changed, it remained calm, controlled, almost indifferent in a way that made it more unsettling than open mockery would have been. “Better than me,” he repeated slowly, as if considering the idea rather than rejecting it, his gaze steady, his posture unchanged.

“That’s quite a claim,” he added after a short pause, his voice still smooth, still even, and there was no sign of anger in it, no sign of irritation, only that same quiet certainty that made it feel like he did not see Johnny as a real challenge in that moment, and then he shifted slightly, just enough to show that he was still fully present, still engaged, but not affected. “You’re taking this far more seriously than necessary,” he continued, his tone almost thoughtful, though there was a clear lack of concern behind it, “it’s only a role, after all,” he said, and the way he said it made it sound smaller than it actually was.

Then, after a brief pause that felt intentional rather than accidental, he stepped just slightly closer, not enough to invade space completely but enough to make the distance between them feel chosen, controlled, and when he spoke again, his voice lowered just a fraction, becoming quieter but sharper because of it. “You can try, if you like,” he said, his eyes still fixed on Johnny, unblinking, “to be better, I mean,” he clarified, as if there had been any confusion, before letting the final words settle with a deliberate calm. “If that’s what helps you stay steady on stage,” he finished, and even without raising his voice or changing his expression, the meaning behind it landed clearly enough to leave the tension exactly where it was.

That is how Gyro Zepelli stepped in.

The next morning, when Johnny Joestar walked through the front gates of the school, the anger from yesterday had not disappeared even slightly, it had stayed with him all night long, sitting heavily in his chest and growing worse every time he remembered Diego’s face, Diego’s voice, Diego’s calm expression while he stood there acting like he owned the entire damn hallway, and because of that, Johnny entered the building already irritated before the day had even properly started, his steps quicker and rougher than usual as he walked through the crowded halls with tense shoulders and an expression that clearly warned people not to bother him.

His mind kept replaying everything from yesterday over and over again no matter how hard he tried to stop thinking about it, the list on the wall, Diego standing too close behind him, that stupid mocking voice near his ear, the way he kept calling him “JoJo” like it was funny, and every single time Johnny remembered it, another wave of irritation twisted inside him so sharply that he almost felt embarrassed by how much it still bothered him, because the worst part was not even the teasing itself, it was the fact that Diego somehow always managed to get under his skin so easily while acting completely calm the entire time.

Johnny let out a frustrated breath as he pushed past a group of students standing near the lockers, his hand moving roughly through his hair before falling back to his side again, his jaw tight as he muttered angrily under his breath, “Damn it…” and right after that his thoughts shifted immediately toward Gyro Zeppeli, because now that the anger had settled properly into him overnight, he had started blaming Gyro too, at least a little, for stepping between them before Johnny could actually do something yesterday.

Because if Gyro had not gotten involved—Johnny knew exactly what would have happened. He would have thrown himself at Diego without thinking twice about it. And honestly, part of him still wished he had.

The thought alone made his chest tighten again as he kept walking faster down the hallway, his boots hitting the floor hard enough to turn a few heads briefly before students quickly looked away again, and even though Johnny noticed some people glancing at him, he did not care enough to slow down or calm himself, because right now all he could think about was Diego standing in that theatre room already waiting, probably calm as always, probably acting like nothing had happened at all. That thought irritated him even more.

Because Diego always did that.

No matter what happened, no matter how tense things got, Diego never looked shaken, never looked nervous, never looked embarrassed, and Johnny hated that more than anything because it made every argument feel one-sided, like Diego was standing above it while Johnny was the only one actually reacting.

Johnny exhaled sharply through his nose again as he turned another corner, his hands curling briefly into fists before relaxing again, because no matter how angry he was right now, he kept forcing the same thought into his own head over and over while walking toward the theatre classroom.

He was not going to lose control today.

He was not going to give Diego the satisfaction of seeing him angry again. And most importantly—he was not going to let Diego think he could look down on him.

Johnny repeated those thoughts in his mind almost like a warning to himself while approaching the theatre room doors, his heartbeat still heavier than usual from frustration alone, and when he finally reached the classroom entrance, he did not hesitate even slightly before pushing the door open with quick, tense movements and stepping inside immediately, already preparing himself mentally for another day of dealing with Diego Brando.

The moment Johnny stepped inside the theatre classroom, the irritation he had been carrying all morning loosened slightly without him even realizing it, because the room itself immediately pulled his attention away from everything else, the large stage glowing warmly beneath the lights while students moved around excitedly with scripts in their hands, voices echoing throughout the theatre as rehearsals had already clearly begun before he arrived, and for a brief moment Johnny simply stood there near the doorway taking it all in, his eyes slowly moving across the deep red curtains surrounding the stage, the polished wooden floor reflecting the golden lights overhead, the colorful props scattered around the room waiting to be used, and despite all the noise and movement around him, something about the theatre always made him feel calmer inside, because acting was one of the few things in his life that felt completely real to him, one of the few places where he genuinely felt important.

Johnny slowly stepped further into the room while adjusting the papers and books in his arms, his gaze still wandering across the theatre with quiet admiration as the excitement from yesterday slowly returned beneath all his frustration, because no matter how angry he was about the casting results, no matter how irritated he still felt after his argument with Diego, he could not deny how much he loved this place, how much he loved the feeling of being near the stage, hearing rehearsals happening around him, seeing students practicing lines dramatically beneath the bright lights like they were already part of something bigger than school itself, and for a small moment Johnny allowed himself to focus on that instead of his anger until, unfortunately, his eyes finally landed on the one person capable of ruining that mood almost instantly.

Diego Brando stood near the middle of the stage already surrounded by several other students, speaking calmly while gesturing with one hand as if he naturally belonged at the center of attention, and even from across the room there was something irritatingly confident about him, the way he moved without hesitation, the way people listened when he spoke, the way he acted like he already knew he was the best actor there without ever needing to say it directly, and the second Johnny noticed him, his expression tightened immediately as irritation returned to him just as strongly as before. “God… he really thinks he owns the damn place,” Johnny muttered quietly under his breath while rolling his eyes hard enough that he almost annoyed himself, because Diego somehow managed to act like the director, the lead actor, and the most important person in the room all at the same time despite being just another student like everyone else.

Not long after that, the teachers began walking around the room handing scripts and scene papers to different students, and when one of them finally reached Johnny and placed several pages into his hands before quickly moving away again, Johnny immediately lowered his gaze to read them properly, his excitement returning for a brief second before slowly fading into disbelief the more he looked through the scenes, because almost every important page placed Romeo and Juliet together in ways far closer than he had expected, long emotional conversations, hand holding, standing inches apart beneath the balcony scene, moments where they would need to stare directly into each other’s eyes for long periods of time while speaking softly, and by the third or fourth time rereading the pages, Johnny could already feel annoyance settling heavily into his chest again at the realization that he was going to spend an unbearable amount of time extremely close to Diego Brando during rehearsals. His mouth tightened slightly while staring down at the papers, already imagining Diego making smug comments every five seconds just to irritate him further, and that exact irritated thought was still sitting in his mind when he suddenly noticed footsteps approaching from directly in front of him, causing Johnny to slowly lift his head only to immediately see Diego himself walking straight toward him through the crowded theatre room.

Before Johnny Joestar even had enough time to properly process the fact that Diego Brando was walking directly toward him, Diego had already stopped in front of him with that same calm posture and irritating confidence that somehow always made it feel like he was the one in control of every situation around him, and after briefly glancing down at the script papers still in Johnny’s hands, Diego tilted his head just slightly before speaking in a smooth, mocking tone that immediately made Johnny’s irritation rise all over again. “Well, look at that,” Diego said casually, his British accent calm and effortless while the faintest smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, “Joekid finally managed to arrive. I was beginning to think you’d run away before rehearsal started.” His eyes moved slowly over Johnny for a second before he added with obvious amusement, “Would you like a coffee as well, or are you already nervous enough?”

Johnny immediately rolled his eyes hard at that comment, his patience already thin enough from the morning alone, and without even bothering to hide his annoyance he looked directly at Diego and answered sharply, “Fuck off,” his Southern accent becoming thicker from irritation alone while tightening his grip on the script pages in his hands. Diego only looked mildly entertained by the reaction instead of offended, which somehow made Johnny even more irritated because the older boy never seemed bothered by anything, always staying calm while Johnny felt like he was constantly seconds away from losing his temper around him.

The argument could not continue much longer because only moments later the teachers loudly called everyone toward the center of the theatre room, gathering students together while explaining that they would begin with improvisation exercises before moving properly into script rehearsals, and after briefly giving instructions, they told everyone to split off with their assigned scene partners and begin practicing together immediately.

Johnny felt his stomach tighten slightly the second those words left the teacher’s mouth because now there was no avoiding it anymore, no chance to stay across the room or pretend not to interact, and after swallowing quietly he turned his head toward Diego again only to see him already looking back with complete indifference, as if the situation did not bother him in the slightest. “Come on then,” Diego said simply, not waiting for agreement before turning and walking toward a quieter corner of the theatre room with slow, confident steps that made it obvious he already expected Johnny to follow him.

Johnny stared at his back for a second before finally forcing himself to move too, his irritation mixing heavily with disbelief as he followed after him through the noisy room, because the closer reality became, the harder it was for him to understand how he was actually supposed to do this entire play while standing inches away from Diego Brando almost every single rehearsal. The thought alone made his chest tighten uncomfortably as he walked beside him toward the corner of the theatre, already imagining the amount of close scenes, touching, staring, and emotional acting they would be forced to do together over the next several weeks, and honestly, Johnny still could not decide whether the role itself was worth putting up with Diego for that long.

When they finally reached one of the quieter corners of the theatre room, far enough from the louder groups rehearsing near the stage but still close enough to hear voices echoing throughout the theatre, Johnny stopped walking and let out a slow, frustrated breath through his nose while tightening his grip slightly on the script papers still in his hands, because even though he hated the idea of working with Diego, he hated the idea of ruining the play even more, and after forcing himself to calm down for at least a moment, he finally looked directly at Diego with visible seriousness in his expression. “Look, Diego…” Johnny began, his Southern accent softer now but still tense underneath, clearly trying to control his irritation while speaking, “this role’s important to me, alright? So just for this play, let’s stop fightin’ all the damn time and act professional.”

The second the word left his mouth, Diego’s expression shifted almost immediately into faint amusement, his shoulders relaxing further as though Johnny had just said something unintentionally funny, and after staring at him for a brief moment with that annoyingly calm look in his eyes, Diego let out a quiet laugh under his breath before replying smoothly, “Professional is rather a large word for you, isn’t it? Professional…” he repeated with obvious mockery, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly while he looked Johnny up and down. “How ambitious of you.”

Johnny’s patience snapped almost instantly at the response, his face tightening in irritation as he rolled his eyes hard enough to physically turn his head away for a second before looking back at Diego again with visible frustration. “God, fuck off,” Johnny muttered sharply, his Southern accent becoming heavier again as his temper immediately returned, “talkin’ to you is impossible.” Diego barely reacted to the insult at all, remaining completely calm while lazily adjusting the sleeves of his shirt before glancing back at Johnny with complete indifference. “And yet you still keep trying,” Diego replied smoothly, sounding almost bored rather than insulted, which somehow irritated Johnny even more because the older boy never seemed emotionally affected by anything around him.

“Though I can’t imagine why,” Diego continued casually, briefly glancing down at the script in Johnny’s hands before meeting his eyes again, “it’s not as though I was especially eager to work with you either.”

Before Johnny could answer Diego again, one of the teachers suddenly called loudly from near the center of the theatre stage for everyone to begin rehearsal properly, the sharp sound of clapping hands immediately pulling the attention of the entire room while students quickly started moving around with scripts and props in their hands, and after gathering everyone’s attention, the teacher explained that they would begin practicing the first ballroom scene between Romeo and Juliet, the scene where the two characters meet for the very first time during the Capulet ball, but thankfully, before Johnny’s thoughts could spiral too far ahead, the teacher quickly added that they would only focus on dialogue, positioning, and movement for today because the kiss scene would be practiced much later after everyone became more comfortable with each other on stage.

The second Johnny heard that, relief hit him so fast and so strongly that he nearly sighed out loud in front of everyone, his shoulders relaxing before he could stop himself while quietly thanking God in his own head because the idea of rehearsing that scene with Diego this early already sounded unbearable enough without adding kissing into it. Unfortunately, the moment he relaxed even slightly, Diego immediately noticed it.

“Well, that expression alone tells me quite a lot,” Diego murmured beside him in a smooth, amused voice while slowly stepping closer with the script still loosely held in one hand, his posture relaxed in that same irritatingly confident way that always made it feel like he enjoyed every second of making Johnny uncomfortable. “You looked positively terrified for a moment there, JoJo.” Johnny instantly frowned and looked away from him with irritation, trying to ignore the comment while opening the script again as if suddenly becoming very focused on the lines. “I wasn’t terrified,” Johnny muttered quickly, his Southern accent sharper now from embarrassment alone. Diego gave a faint hum that clearly meant he did not believe him at all before glancing down at the script himself. “Of course not,” he replied calmly. “I’m sure the thought of standing close to me simply overwhelmed you emotionally.”

Johnny immediately rolled his eyes hard at that, already regretting every life decision that had somehow led him here. “God, you really never stop talkin’, do you,” he muttered under his breath while stepping toward the marked rehearsal area near the stage.

The teachers soon instructed the two of them to begin from the moment Romeo first notices Juliet at the ball, and after taking their positions beneath the warm stage lights while the rest of the class watched nearby, Johnny suddenly became much more aware of how close Diego actually was standing now, because the scene required them to move slowly toward one another while speaking softly and maintaining eye contact the entire time, and even though there was still enough space between them to breathe comfortably, it somehow still felt far too close already.

Johnny tried to focus on the script in his hands instead of Diego himself, but that became difficult almost immediately when Diego leaned slightly closer with a faintly entertained expression and quietly said, “Careful, JoJo, if I stand any nearer you might faint entirely.” Johnny looked up at him immediately with visible annoyance. “I ain’t gonna faint,” he shot back quickly, though his voice sounded more defensive than confident. Diego only seemed more amused by that reaction, his eyes remaining fixed steadily on Johnny’s face while he calmly adjusted the position of Johnny’s hand during the scene as if he naturally had the right to do so.

“You’re rather tense,” Diego commented casually, his tone smooth and maddeningly calm. “Romeo and Juliet are meant to look attracted to one another, not like one of them is preparing for physical combat.” Johnny’s face immediately heated with irritation as he jerked his hand back slightly. “Maybe I’d act better if my Romeo wasn’t such an asshole,” he muttered sharply. Diego let out the quietest laugh at that before stepping even closer again for positioning, close enough now that Johnny could clearly hear his breathing beneath the theatre noise around them. “You’ll survive,” Diego replied mockingly while maintaining complete eye contact.

“Though I admit watching you struggle through this is becoming rather entertaining.”

The moment the two boys finally managed to get through the dialogue without interrupting each other, one of the teachers watching from near the front rows suddenly clapped her hands together lightly before standing up from her chair with an encouraging smile, clearly pleased enough with the progress to move things forward faster than Johnny had hoped, and before he could even properly prepare himself mentally, her voice echoed across the theatre again. “Alright, you two are doing well enough,” she said while flipping through her own script pages, “so let’s begin working on physical closeness too. Nothing serious yet, obviously,” she added quickly after noticing several students react immediately, “we’ll save the actual kiss scene for later rehearsals. For now, Romeo can simply kiss Juliet on the cheek so both of you get used to the stage intimacy.” The second those words left her mouth, Johnny felt every muscle in his body tense all over again, the relief he had felt earlier disappearing almost instantly as he stared blankly at the teacher for a moment like maybe he had misunderstood what she said, but unfortunately, judging by the faint amusement already appearing on Diego’s face beside him, he had understood perfectly.

“Oh, this is getting better already,” Diego murmured quietly beside him in a smooth voice filled with obvious amusement while slowly lowering the script papers in his hands, his expression calm in that same irritatingly confident way Johnny had already started hating more and more with every passing minute. “Look at you,” Diego continued while glancing openly at Johnny’s face, clearly enjoying the visible panic and embarrassment trying to hide itself beneath all the irritation, “you look as though someone just informed you of your own execution.” Johnny immediately frowned hard at that while trying to ignore the warmth rising into his face out of pure frustration alone. “Shut up,” Johnny muttered quickly, his Southern accent becoming thicker the more irritated he got, which only seemed to amuse Diego further. “Relax,” Diego replied lazily while stepping slightly closer to him beneath the stage lights, “I’m not going to devour you, JoJo. Though honestly, with the way you’re staring at me, one might think I’m about to.” Johnny rolled his eyes immediately at that comment and crossed his arms tightly for a second before realizing the posture completely ruined the scene they were supposed to be rehearsing.

The teachers soon instructed them to take their starting positions again, and now that Johnny knew exactly what was expected from the scene, he suddenly became painfully aware of every inch of space between himself and Diego while they slowly moved into place beneath the warm golden lights of the theatre stage, the sound of students quietly whispering and flipping through scripts fading slightly into the background as Johnny focused entirely on not embarrassing himself in front of everyone watching. Diego, meanwhile, looked completely unaffected by any of it, standing there with relaxed shoulders and steady posture as if this entire thing was the easiest task in the world, which only irritated Johnny more because it felt unfair how naturally confident he always seemed no matter the situation. “You’re tense again,” Diego commented quietly while reaching forward to lightly adjust the angle of Johnny’s shoulders for the scene without even asking first, his fingers briefly brushing against the fabric of Johnny’s shirt before pulling away again. “God, stop touching me like that,” Johnny muttered immediately while glaring at him. Diego barely reacted. “Then stop standing like a frightened animal and perhaps I won’t have to fix your positioning for you,” he replied calmly, the faintest smirk appearing on his face afterward.

The teacher finally signaled for them to begin the scene properly again, and after taking a quiet breath to prepare himself, Johnny forced his attention back onto the script and started speaking his lines while slowly stepping closer toward Diego as instructed, trying his hardest to focus on the acting itself instead of the uncomfortable awareness building stronger in his chest with every second, because now they were standing extremely close beneath the stage lights, close enough for Johnny to clearly see the sharp details of Diego’s face, close enough to notice the calm expression in his eyes even while teasing him, and somehow that only made things worse. Then came the moment the teacher had mentioned earlier, and before Johnny could mentally prepare himself properly, Diego leaned slightly closer again with that same smooth confidence and quietly murmured near enough for only Johnny to hear, “Try not to faint when I kiss your cheek, JoJo. I know this is likely the most attention you’ve ever received.” Johnny immediately shot him an irritated glare strong enough that several nearby students noticed it and quietly laughed under their breath, but before he could snap back with another insult, the teacher interrupted again with a sharp clap. “Romeo, now,” she instructed. And with that, Diego gently placed one hand near Johnny’s arm for positioning before leaning down slowly toward his face while maintaining complete eye contact the entire time, clearly enjoying every second of how uncomfortable Johnny looked beneath the stage lights.

For a brief moment, Johnny completely forgot about the script in his hands, forgot about the other students watching from nearby, forgot about the teachers sitting near the front row with notebooks in their laps, because all he could focus on was the fact that Diego was suddenly far too close beneath the warm stage lights, close enough that Johnny could clearly feel the heat from him, close enough that he could see every tiny shift in Diego’s expression while the older boy looked completely calm through all of it, and the closer Diego leaned down toward him, the more painfully aware Johnny became of how stiff his own body felt in comparison, his shoulders tense, his heartbeat suddenly much louder than before as he tried to remind himself over and over again that this was only rehearsal, only acting, only part of the scene, but somehow those thoughts did very little to calm the nervous tension twisting uncomfortably inside his chest.

Diego noticed immediately.

Of course he did.

Johnny could tell from the faint amusement appearing in his eyes even before he spoke again, his hand still resting lightly near Johnny’s arm while he leaned just close enough to quietly murmur, “Honestly, Johnny, you look terrified,” his smooth British accent soft enough that only Johnny could hear him properly over the theatre noise around them, and before Johnny could even think of an angry response, Diego added with obvious mockery hidden beneath that calm tone, “it’s only your cheek, not a marriage proposal.” Johnny immediately frowned hard at him while trying not to react too obviously in front of the rest of the class, but the irritation still showed clearly in his expression as he muttered back under his breath, “Would you just get it over with already…” Diego’s lips curved slightly upward at that response, not fully into a smile but enough for Johnny to notice, enough to irritate him further. “Careful,” Diego replied smoothly while maintaining steady eye contact, “you almost sounded impatient.”

Before Johnny could snap back at him again, the teacher interrupted from the front rows with visible impatience. “Romeo,” she called loudly enough for the room to hear, “please kiss Juliet sometime before graduation.” Several students nearby immediately laughed at that comment, causing Johnny’s face to heat up instantly from embarrassment while Diego, unbelievably, remained completely calm through all of it. “Right,” Diego answered casually before finally turning his full attention back toward Johnny again, and for the first time since rehearsal started, the teasing expression on his face softened slightly into something more focused, more serious for just a second as he slowly leaned closer the rest of the way. Johnny’s breath caught slightly despite himself as Diego carefully placed the kiss against his cheek exactly as instructed, brief and light enough to remain completely harmless, and yet somehow the moment still felt far more intense than Johnny had expected simply because of how close they already were standing, because of how aware he had become of every movement and every second leading up to it.

The second Diego pulled back again, Johnny immediately stepped away a little too quickly, clearly trying to regain some kind of control over himself while avoiding eye contact with nearly everyone in the room, and the sound of quiet laughter from a few classmates only made him feel more irritated and embarrassed at the same time. “God, you’re unbelievable,” Johnny muttered sharply while rubbing the side of his face almost instinctively as if that would somehow erase the entire moment from existence. Diego looked entirely unbothered by the reaction while casually fixing the sleeve of his shirt again before glancing back toward Johnny with that same calm confidence. “And yet,”
Diego replied smoothly, the faintest trace of amusement returning to his voice, “you survived perfectly well after all.” The teacher quickly clapped her hands together again after writing several notes down.

“Good,” she announced while looking pleased with the scene overall, “that was much better than before. You two actually have excellent chemistry when you stop trying to kill each other.” The second those words left her mouth, Johnny looked horrified while several nearby students laughed again, and beside him, Diego quietly smirked without saying a single word because honestly, Johnny’s reaction alone had already entertained him enough for one rehearsal.

When the next week started, Johnny Joestar quickly realized that he had spent far too much of his free time thinking about Diego Brando without ever meaning to, and that fact alone irritated him more than anything else because it kept happening no matter how hard he tried to distract himself with literally anything else during the past several days, whether he was trying to study, trying to sleep, or even trying to rehearse his lines alone at home, his thoughts somehow always circled back toward the theatre, toward Diego standing too close beneath the stage lights, toward the balcony scene, toward the stupid cheek kiss rehearsal that should not have mattered at all and yet somehow still replayed itself inside Johnny’s head at the worst possible moments.

He hated remembering Diego’s smug expression afterward, hated remembering the way several students laughed while Johnny stood there embarrassed in front of everyone, and most of all, he hated the fact that Diego seemed capable of dragging reactions out of him so naturally every single time while Johnny himself reacted exactly the way Diego expected him to. That realization made Johnny even angrier because he knew perfectly well Diego enjoyed getting under his skin, enjoyed watching him become flustered or irritated during rehearsals, and despite knowing all of that, Johnny still kept letting it happen anyway.

By the time rehearsal began again that afternoon, Johnny already felt tense before even entering the theatre room properly, his shoulders tight while students filled the stage carrying scripts and props around beneath the bright golden lights, and despite trying to focus on normal things instead, his attention kept shifting automatically toward Diego whenever he noticed movement across the room. Diego looked completely calm as always, casually speaking with one of the teachers near center stage while holding his script loosely beneath one arm, and somehow that only irritated Johnny further because the older boy honestly looked unaffected by everything while Johnny himself had spent nearly an entire week internally losing his mind over rehearsals he was pretending not to care about. Johnny quietly cursed under his breath while moving toward the side of the stage, trying to convince himself to calm down before today’s rehearsal started because there was absolutely no way he was going to embarrass himself in front of Diego again no matter what scene they practiced today.

Unfortunately, the moment the teachers finally gathered everyone together near the front rows, everything immediately became much worse. One of them explained calmly that opening night was approaching quickly now and that rehearsals needed to become more serious from this point forward, which meant important scenes could no longer be avoided simply because certain students felt awkward about them, and then came the sentence that made Johnny’s stomach drop almost instantly. Today they would finally rehearse Romeo and Juliet’s actual kiss scene properly for the first time.

The second those words left the teacher’s mouth, Johnny felt every muscle in his body tense painfully fast while his grip tightened around the script pages in his hands hard enough to wrinkle the paper slightly, heat immediately rushing into his face despite how hard he tried to stay calm, and before he could even stop himself, his eyes instinctively shifted sideways toward Diego only to realize with immediate horror that Diego had already been looking directly at him the entire time.

Johnny Joestar stayed near the side of the theatre after the teachers finished explaining today’s rehearsal, barely hearing the rest of their instructions anymore while students around the room slowly separated into groups again, some beginning warmups while others quietly practiced lines beneath the soft stage lights, but Johnny remained still for several seconds with the script hanging loosely in his hand because his thoughts were completely stuck on one thing now. The kiss scene. Every time he tried forcing his attention somewhere else, the thought immediately returned again, making irritation settle deeper into his chest because honestly, this entire situation already felt humiliating enough without adding Diego into it too. Johnny rubbed one hand down his face tiredly before glancing toward the stage where several props had already been rearranged for later scenes, and unfortunately that was exactly when Diego casually walked over toward him like the timing had been planned on purpose. “You look miserable already,” Diego Brando commented smoothly after stopping beside him, his expression calm in that irritating way that always made it seem like nothing ever bothered him at all. Johnny immediately frowned. “You ain’t exactly makin’ the day better.” Diego looked faintly amused at that answer. “How tragic. I was under the impression my presence improved every room I entered.” Johnny snorted quietly before looking back down at the script again. “Yeah, in your dreams.” Diego leaned slightly closer afterward just enough to glance at the page Johnny had opened. “You’ve been reading the same line for nearly two minutes.” Johnny’s face tightened immediately before he shut the script halfway. “Mind your own damn business.” Diego’s mouth curved upward slightly. “Ah, so you are nervous.”

Johnny immediately looked up at him again with irritation rising all over his face. “Why do you keep sayin’ that?” he muttered sharply. “Because you keep proving it,” Diego answered calmly without missing a beat. Johnny scoffed and shoved the script against his chest. “I’m not nervous about kissin’ you, alright? I just think this whole thing’s stupid.” Diego raised one eyebrow slightly at that. “Romeo and Juliet is built around romance, Johnny. You seem surprised by this.” Johnny muttered another curse under his breath before running one hand roughly through his hair. “I thought they’d wait longer.” “They already have,” Diego replied lazily. “You’ve survived nearly two weeks somehow.” Johnny narrowed his eyes immediately. “You act like this is funny.” “It is funny,” Diego answered honestly, completely unashamed. “You look like you’re preparing for surgery every time the teachers mention physical scenes.” Johnny looked genuinely offended by that comparison. “I do not look that bad.” Diego stared at him for one second too long afterward before answering smoothly, “You absolutely do.”

Several students nearby laughed quietly after overhearing that, making Johnny glare toward them before lowering his voice again. “God, I swear everybody in this class is annoying.” Diego gave the faintest shrug while crossing his arms loosely. “Perhaps they simply enjoy watching you panic.” Johnny opened his mouth immediately to deny it before stopping halfway because unfortunately that would only prove Diego’s point again, and judging by the knowing look appearing in Diego’s eyes, he realized that too. “See?” Diego murmured smoothly. “You’re doing it right now.” Johnny groaned quietly in frustration before finally shoving the script back against Diego’s chest harder than necessary. “I hate rehearsing with you.” Diego caught the papers easily without even looking surprised. “No, you don’t,” he answered calmly. Johnny blinked once in disbelief. “Excuse me?” Diego tilted his head slightly before handing the script back. “If you truly hated it,” he replied in the same calm tone, “you would’ve asked the teachers to change partners days ago.” Johnny immediately froze for half a second because annoyingly enough, that thought had actually crossed his mind several times already—and somehow he had never done it. Diego noticed the hesitation immediately and the faintest trace of satisfaction crossed his expression before he stepped back toward the stage again. “Come along, Juliet,” he said smoothly while turning away. “We do have a romance to rehearse.” Johnny stared at him in disbelief for a second before groaning quietly and following after him anyway, already knowing this rehearsal was going to ruin his entire day.

The moment the teachers finally called Johnny Joestar and Diego Brando toward the center of the stage, Johnny immediately felt his stomach tighten again in a way that became impossible to ignore no matter how hard he tried acting normal about it, and while the rest of the theatre continued moving around them with students rehearsing quietly near the back curtains and teachers organizing props beneath the warm lights, Johnny suddenly became painfully aware of every step he took toward the stage itself, his heartbeat feeling heavier the closer he got to the center where the rehearsal would happen, because now there was no delaying it anymore, no sarcastic comment or argument distracting him from what they were actually about to practice.

The stage lights felt warmer than usual once he stepped fully beneath them, the soft golden glow spreading across the polished wooden floor while shadows from the curtains stretched around the edges of the theatre, and Johnny quietly swallowed while adjusting the script pages in his hands for what was probably the tenth time in the last few minutes, though he was no longer even reading the lines properly anymore because his thoughts were moving too fast to focus clearly on anything. He hated this feeling. Hated how aware he suddenly felt of himself, of where he was standing, of how close Diego would need to get during the scene, and worst of all, he hated that his own nervousness was probably obvious again despite how hard he tried hiding it. His shoulders remained tense while he stepped into position, and when he finally risked glancing sideways toward Diego, he immediately regretted it because Diego looked completely calm again, standing beneath the stage lights with relaxed posture while casually rolling the sleeves of his shirt slightly upward as if rehearsing a kiss scene in front of half the class was the most normal thing in the world.

Johnny quickly looked away again before Diego could say anything about it, but unfortunately that did nothing to calm the heat slowly rising into his face the longer they stood there waiting for instructions. He could already feel warmth spreading across his cheeks, embarrassing and impossible to stop no matter how much he mentally yelled at himself to get under control, and he lowered his gaze toward the stage floor for a second while exhaling slowly through his nose, trying to steady his breathing before rehearsal started properly. Around them, several students had noticeably gone quieter now that everyone realized which scene was about to be practiced, and somehow the awareness of people watching only made Johnny feel even more restless beneath the lights. Then one of the teachers finally instructed them to move into starting positions, and as Diego slowly stepped closer exactly where Romeo was supposed to stand during the scene, Johnny felt his chest tighten hard enough that for one horrible second he genuinely worried Diego might actually hear how fast his heart was beating.

Diego definitely noticed something, though.

Johnny could tell immediately from the faint shift in Diego’s expression once they stood face to face beneath the lights, close enough now that Johnny could clearly see the tiny details in his face again, the calmness in his eyes, the almost amused look lingering near the corners of his mouth while he watched Johnny trying very hard not to visibly panic in front of everyone. For once, however, Diego did not tease him immediately. That somehow made the moment feel even worse. Johnny kept his eyes stubbornly fixed somewhere near Diego’s shoulder instead of directly at him while tightening his grip slightly on the script pages still in his hand, but then Diego quietly spoke anyway, his voice low enough that only Johnny could hear it beneath the silence settling across the theatre. “Your face is red again,” Diego murmured smoothly, and the second those words reached him, Johnny felt the heat in his cheeks worsen instantly out of pure embarrassment alone. “Shut up,” Johnny muttered under his breath without looking directly at him, which only caused the faintest trace of amusement to appear across Diego’s expression while the rehearsal scene finally began around them.

The theatre became strangely quiet once the rehearsal for the balcony scene properly began, the usual noise of students whispering or moving props fading softer into the background while the warm stage lights focused almost entirely on Johnny Joestar standing above on the small balcony set, one hand resting nervously against the wooden railing while the script pages trembled slightly in his other hand no matter how much he tried steadying them, because now that the scene was actually starting, now that everyone’s attention had shifted fully toward Romeo and Juliet, Johnny suddenly felt painfully aware of every little thing around him, the heat from the lights against his skin, the quietness in the room, the sound of his own breathing, and especially the fact that Diego Brando was standing directly below him waiting for the scene to begin. The balcony scene had always sounded romantic when Johnny read it alone at home, emotional and dramatic in the beautiful exaggerated way theatre often was, but standing here now beneath the lights while Diego slowly looked up toward him with Romeo’s expression already settled naturally onto his face made the entire thing suddenly feel far more personal than Johnny had expected it to.

For a few seconds, Diego said nothing at all because the scene began with Romeo secretly admiring Juliet from below the balcony before speaking, and honestly, that silence alone somehow affected Johnny more than teasing ever had, because Diego was simply standing there beneath the soft golden lighting with his gaze completely fixed upward toward him in a way that felt impossible to ignore. Johnny hated how naturally Diego looked at him during scenes now. There was no hesitation in it anymore. No awkwardness. Diego acted as if Romeo’s feelings came easily to him, as if standing there admiring Juliet beneath moonlight was the simplest thing in the world, and meanwhile Johnny could barely remember how to breathe properly while trying not to react too obviously beneath all that attention. Then Diego finally began speaking Romeo’s lines softly into the quiet theatre, his British accent smooth and controlled while the romantic dialogue echoed warmly beneath the stage lights, and Johnny immediately felt his chest tighten because Diego’s voice sounded different during serious scenes now, quieter, calmer, almost sincere in ways Johnny was no longer sure were entirely acting anymore.

When Johnny finally answered with Juliet’s lines from above the balcony, his voice came out softer than usual without him meaning it to, the nervous sharpness he normally carried around Diego fading slightly beneath the atmosphere of the scene itself, and as the dialogue continued between them, something strange slowly started happening that Johnny did not notice immediately at first. He stopped thinking so hard about the audience. He stopped thinking about classmates watching nearby. He even stopped thinking about how embarrassed he had been earlier before rehearsal started. Instead, his attention narrowed more and more toward Diego alone beneath the balcony while they spoke Shakespeare’s lines back and forth beneath the warm lights, and the longer the scene continued, the more natural it strangely became to look directly into Diego’s eyes while speaking. Romeo and Juliet were supposed to sound desperate to be near each other despite knowing they should not, and somehow the tension between Johnny and Diego made every line feel heavier than it normally should have. Every pause between sentences suddenly felt intimate. Every glance lingered too long. And when Diego slowly stepped closer beneath the balcony during one of Romeo’s quieter confessions, lifting one hand lightly toward the railing while keeping his eyes completely fixed on Johnny’s face, Johnny actually forgot his next line for a full second because his heartbeat had suddenly become so loud in his chest that it nearly drowned out everything else around him.

Diego noticed immediately, of course. Johnny could tell from the faint shift in his expression beneath the stage lights, the smallest trace of amusement appearing briefly in his eyes before fading again once the scene continued, but surprisingly, Diego did not tease him this time. Instead, he stayed fully in character, continuing Romeo’s lines softly while looking up toward Johnny with such focused attention that it almost became difficult for Johnny to remember where Romeo ended and Diego himself began anymore. That realization unsettled him more than anything else had during rehearsals so far because now the scene no longer felt like awkward practice between two classmates who annoyed each other constantly, now it felt emotional in a way Johnny had not prepared himself for at all. By the time Juliet’s confession scene arrived near the end of the rehearsal, Johnny was leaning slightly forward against the balcony railing without even realizing it, his cheeks warm beneath the lights while speaking his lines much more quietly now, and below him, Diego watched him with complete focus the entire time as though there was genuinely nothing else in the theatre worth paying attention to. The teachers sitting near the front rows had completely stopped interrupting by then, both of them silently watching the scene unfold while writing notes less and less often, because even they could clearly feel that something between the two actors had shifted during the performance, something softer and far more believable than simple rehearsal anymore.

The moment the final lines before the kiss left Johnny Joestar’s mouth, he immediately regretted how soft his own voice had sounded beneath the stage lights, because now Diego was looking at him differently again, calmer somehow, more focused, and Johnny hated the effect that look had on him every single time during rehearsals. The theatre around them had grown quieter without him noticing exactly when it happened, students near the curtains lowering their voices while several teachers watched from the front rows with full attention now fixed on Romeo and Juliet standing together beneath the balcony lights, and suddenly Johnny became painfully aware of how close Diego Brando already was before the kiss had even started. Diego’s hand still rested steadily against his waist for the scene blocking while the other loosely held the script pages near his side, and the closer Johnny looked at him now, the harder it became to keep his own breathing steady. Diego noticed almost immediately, of course. He always noticed. “You keep doing that,” Diego murmured quietly while tilting his head slightly, his British accent smooth beneath the dim theatre silence. Johnny frowned automatically. “Doing what.” Diego’s eyes moved slowly over Johnny’s expression before answering. “Looking at me like you’re about to either punch me or panic.” Johnny’s face heated instantly. “I ain’t panicking.” Diego hummed softly as though unconvinced. “No?” he asked quietly while his fingers shifted slightly at Johnny’s waist, guiding him closer into proper positioning. “Then why are you holding your breath?” Johnny immediately exhaled without realizing he had actually been doing exactly that, which unfortunately only made Diego’s mouth twitch with amusement.

“God, I hate you,” Johnny muttered under his breath while trying very hard not to look embarrassed in front of everyone watching. Diego leaned slightly closer afterward, enough that Johnny could feel the warmth of his voice near his face when he answered. “No, you don’t,” Diego replied calmly. Johnny immediately frowned harder. “You sound real confident about that.” “I usually am,” Diego answered without hesitation, his tone so natural that Johnny almost rolled his eyes again before realizing Diego’s face was suddenly much too close for that to feel safe anymore. For a second neither of them moved while the silence stretched softly around the stage, and then Diego quietly added, “Relax your mouth a little.” Johnny blinked once in confusion. “What?” Diego looked genuinely unimpressed by the question. “You’re pressing your lips together like you’re preparing for a funeral.” Johnny’s entire face immediately warmed again while several students somewhere near the side curtains laughed quietly after overhearing that. “Would you stop sayin’ weird shit right before this?” Johnny whispered irritably. Diego’s expression softened into faint amusement again. “You’re the one making it dramatic, JoJo.” Johnny stared at him for another second before muttering, “You’re enjoyin’ this way too much.” Diego’s eyes flicked briefly toward Johnny’s mouth again before lifting back upward. “Perhaps,” he admitted smoothly.

Then Diego finally lifted one hand toward Johnny’s face as part of the scene, his fingers brushing lightly against the side of Johnny’s jaw before settling there carefully, and the simple touch somehow affected Johnny more than the kiss itself had in his imagination all week, because Diego touched him so naturally beneath the stage lights like there was nothing awkward about any of this at all while Johnny still felt painfully aware of every inch between them. “There,” Diego murmured softly after tilting Johnny’s face slightly upward for the scene. “That’s better.” Johnny swallowed hard before speaking again. “You rehearsed this in a mirror or somethin’?” Diego’s lips curved faintly upward. “No,” he answered quietly. “I’m simply better at this than you.” Johnny almost scoffed at that before Diego leaned even closer again, close enough now that Johnny could feel his breath properly while the theatre around them seemed to disappear into blurry silence. “You blush every time I touch you,” Diego whispered smoothly, low enough that only Johnny could hear him. “It’s becoming rather distracting.” Johnny’s heart nearly stopped from embarrassment alone. “Shut up,” he whispered back immediately, but his voice came out quieter than intended while Diego watched him with obvious satisfaction for another second. Then, finally, Diego closed the remaining distance between them beneath the warm golden lights.

The kiss was softer than Johnny expected.

That surprised him first.

Not rough.

Not teasing.

Not mocking.

Just slow and careful beneath the stage lights while Diego kept one hand steady against his waist and the other lightly resting near his jaw to keep the scene positioned correctly, and for one horrible second Johnny completely forgot there were other people in the theatre at all because Diego kissed him like Romeo actually meant every word from the balcony scene earlier, calm and focused and close enough that Johnny’s thoughts immediately scattered the moment their lips met. Johnny’s fingers tightened slightly around the script pages still trapped loosely in his hand while heat rushed across his face again, and when Diego shifted just slightly closer during the kiss, Johnny accidentally leaned toward him without thinking first. Diego noticed immediately. Of course he did. Johnny felt the faintest trace of amusement return against the kiss itself before Diego finally pulled back slowly, though not very far, their faces still close enough that Johnny could barely think properly while trying to catch his breath again. Diego looked directly at him for one quiet second afterward before murmuring softly, “See? And here you were acting like I was about to kill you.” Johnny stared at him in complete embarrassment while several students nearby suddenly started clapping and laughing loudly from the side of the theatre, causing Johnny to jerk backward immediately in horror while Diego only looked entertained by the entire situation.

The applause slowly faded as rehearsal finally ended, students still talking excitedly while grabbing their bags and scripts from the chairs scattered around the theatre, and Johnny Joestar immediately stepped away from the center of the stage the second the teachers dismissed everyone, his face still warm while irritation and embarrassment twisted together uncomfortably inside his chest. He could still feel the ghost of that kiss sitting heavily in his mind no matter how much he tried ignoring it, and honestly that annoyed him more than anything else because he hated how easily Diego managed to stay calm afterward while Johnny himself still felt completely thrown off balance. Around him, students continued whispering and laughing quietly about the rehearsal while walking toward the exits in groups, and Johnny avoided nearly all eye contact while shoving loose script pages into his bag with rough, irritated movements near the side curtains. “That scene looked insanely real,” somebody muttered while passing nearby, causing Johnny to immediately mutter, “Yeah well, mind your business,” under his breath without even looking up properly. A few students laughed before disappearing out through the theatre doors, and slowly the room began emptying until the loud atmosphere from earlier softened into quiet echoes beneath the dimming stage lights.

By the time Johnny finally looked up again, most people had already gone. The teachers had disappeared backstage discussing costume changes while the remaining students drifted out into the hallway one by one until eventually only the soft humming of the theatre lights remained overhead. Johnny adjusted the strap of his bag while heading toward the exit himself, still trying very hard not to think too much about rehearsal, but the moment he reached the edge of the stage, a voice behind him interrupted his thoughts again. “You missed your cue near the middle.” Johnny stopped immediately before turning around with visible annoyance already written across his face. Diego Brando stood near center stage beneath the softer lights now, one hand loosely holding a forgotten script while the other rested casually inside his pocket, looking completely relaxed despite the fact they were finally alone for once. “What’re you talkin’ about,” Johnny muttered. Diego glanced down briefly at the pages in his hand before looking back up. “During the balcony scene. You skipped half a sentence because you were staring at me again.” Johnny immediately frowned harder. “I was not starin’ at you.” Diego tilted his head slightly. “You absolutely were.” Johnny scoffed while walking closer again despite himself. “You seriously keep track of this stuff?” “Someone has to,” Diego replied calmly. “You’re surprisingly easy to distract for a lead actor.” Johnny rolled his eyes immediately. “Maybe I’d focus better if Romeo wasn’t such a smug asshole all the time.” Diego’s mouth twitched faintly upward afterward. “And yet your Juliet still sounds disappointed whenever Romeo leaves the stage.”

Johnny stared at him for a second after that, caught somewhere between irritation and confusion because Diego’s tone had changed again, quieter now, less openly mocking than earlier during rehearsal, and that somehow unsettled him more than the teasing normally did. “You always talk like you’re in some damn movie,” Johnny muttered while dropping his bag onto one of the empty theatre seats nearby. Diego looked genuinely thoughtful for a second before answering. “That’s rich coming from someone literally standing on a stage.” Johnny huffed quietly at that and leaned back against the edge of the stage, crossing his arms while avoiding direct eye contact for a moment. The theatre suddenly felt much bigger now that everyone else had left, shadows stretching around the empty seats while only a few warm lights remained above the stage itself. Then Diego stepped a little closer again, not enough to crowd him completely, just enough that Johnny noticed immediately. “You know,” Diego said calmly while folding the abandoned script in half, “you’re very different once you stop yelling at me.” Johnny immediately narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean.” Diego looked at him for a quiet second before answering. “You listen more than you realize.” Johnny frowned slightly, caught off guard by how unexpectedly serious that sounded. “You’re bein’ weird again.” Diego gave the faintest shrug afterward. “Perhaps.” Then after another short silence, he glanced toward the empty theatre seats before speaking again in a lower voice. “Still,” he added smoothly, “you kissed Romeo far better than you treat Diego.”

Two weeks passed faster than Johnny Joestar expected, the days disappearing beneath endless rehearsals, costume fittings, script corrections, stage adjustments, and late afternoons spent inside the theatre until eventually the performance day itself finally arrived, and from the moment Johnny stepped inside the school building that evening, everything already felt completely different from normal rehearsals. The hallways were crowded with students rushing around carrying costume pieces, makeup boxes, flowers, stage props, and folded programs while teachers tried desperately to organize everyone before the audience began arriving, and somewhere deeper inside the theatre building Johnny could already hear distant orchestra music warming up beneath the noise of backstage preparations. Even the air smelled different tonight, filled with hairspray, makeup powder, old curtains, perfume, and warm stage lights instead of dusty rehearsal rooms and script paper, and despite how nervous he already felt walking through all of it, Johnny could not deny the excitement building inside his chest at the same time because this was no longer practice anymore. Tonight was the real performance.

The theatre itself looked beautiful once Johnny finally stepped inside backstage, almost unrecognizable compared to the rehearsal space they had spent weeks arguing and practicing in together, because now everything had been transformed properly for opening night. The red curtains looked richer beneath the glowing lights hanging above the stage, the balcony set had been painted and decorated in far more detail than before, golden candle props flickered softly near the edges of the scenery, and rows upon rows of audience seats stretched outward beyond the stage already beginning to fill with parents, teachers, students, and visitors speaking excitedly while waiting for the show to begin. Backstage meanwhile was complete chaos. Actors hurried past one another in full costume while makeup artists fixed hair and powder beneath bright mirrors, costume assistants adjusted sleeves and collars at the last second, and everywhere Johnny looked there seemed to be movement and noise happening all at once. Someone quickly pulled Johnny toward one of the dressing mirrors before he could even fully process anything, immediately sitting him down to begin makeup preparation while voices echoed loudly around the backstage area. “Hold still, Johnny,” one of the makeup girls complained while fixing powder beneath his eyes. “You keep moving.” Johnny muttered something irritated under his breath but obeyed anyway, his stomach twisting tighter with every passing minute because the reality of opening night was finally settling properly into him now.

Once the makeup was finally finished and Johnny was handed Juliet’s costume for the evening, he stood quietly for a moment inside the dressing area simply staring at himself in the mirror afterward because honestly, he barely recognized the person staring back anymore beneath the stage makeup and elaborate Renaissance costume. The outfit itself was beautiful, layers of soft cream and pale gold fabric falling elegantly around him while detailed embroidery decorated the sleeves and collar in delicate patterns designed specifically to catch the warm theatre lights during emotional scenes, and after his hair had been properly styled for the performance too, Johnny suddenly looked far more like Juliet than he ever had during rehearsals. The realization made his face warm slightly despite himself while he adjusted the sleeves nervously in front of the mirror. “You clean up real nice, JoJo,” somebody joked while passing behind him backstage, causing Johnny to immediately roll his eyes even though several nearby actors laughed in agreement. “Shut up,” he muttered automatically before turning away from the mirror with visible embarrassment.

Then—

he saw Diego.

Diego Brando had just stepped out from the opposite dressing area already fully dressed in Romeo’s costume, and for one dangerous second Johnny genuinely forgot what he had been about to say because Diego looked unfairly perfect beneath the warm backstage lights. Romeo’s dark formal costume fit him effortlessly, deep black and rich crimson fabrics tailored sharply around his figure while silver detailing along the sleeves and collar caught the golden lighting every time he moved, and combined with the styled hair, stage makeup, and calm confidence Diego naturally carried already, he honestly looked exactly like the kind of dramatic romantic lead people imagined when they thought about Romeo himself. Worse still, Diego clearly knew it too judging by the faintly amused expression appearing the second he noticed Johnny staring. “Careful,” Diego said smoothly while adjusting one of his gloves beneath the backstage lights, his British accent calm and elegant tonight beneath the theatre noise around them. “You’re doing that thing again.” Johnny blinked immediately. “What thing.” Diego’s mouth curved faintly upward afterward while his eyes moved slowly over Johnny’s costume. “Forgetting to speak whenever I look particularly good.” Johnny’s entire face warmed instantly while nearby actors laughed under their breath again, and Diego only looked more entertained by the reaction while stepping closer beneath the glowing backstage lights like opening night itself belonged entirely to him already.

The moment the theatre lights finally dimmed across the enormous audience, a heavy silence slowly spread throughout the room as hundreds of quiet voices disappeared one by one beneath the darkened ceiling, and backstage, Johnny Joestar immediately felt his stomach tighten so sharply that for one terrible second he genuinely thought he might forget every single line he had spent weeks memorizing. The noise backstage suddenly sounded distant compared to the silence waiting beyond the curtains, actors whispering final reminders to one another while stage crew members hurried carefully through the shadows adjusting props before the opening scene began, and Johnny stood near the side curtains gripping the fabric of Juliet’s sleeves tightly between nervous fingers while trying to breathe normally beneath the heavy costume layers wrapped around him. From where he stood, he could barely see pieces of the audience through the curtain gaps, rows upon rows of people seated beneath soft golden theatre lighting while quiet orchestra music began playing gently near the front of the stage, and seeing how full the theatre actually was somehow made the reality of opening night hit him even harder than before. His father was out there somewhere. Teachers. Students. Parents. Half the damn school probably. “You look ill,” Diego Brando murmured quietly beside him while adjusting the cuff of one black glove beneath the dim backstage lights. Johnny immediately shot him an irritated glance. “I ain’t ill.” Diego looked unconvinced. “Your hands disagree.” Johnny looked down only to realize his fingers really were trembling slightly. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath before quickly clasping his hands together to hide it. Diego watched him for another second before speaking again, though surprisingly his voice softened slightly this time. “You’ll be fine once you step on stage.” Johnny frowned immediately. “That your way of bein’ nice?” Diego’s mouth twitched faintly upward. “Don’t get used to it.”

The opening scene finally began moments later, the red curtains slowly pulling apart while warm golden lighting flooded across the stage to reveal the crowded streets of Verona recreated beautifully beneath painted buildings, stone archways, hanging lanterns, and bustling actors already moving through the scenery in elegant Renaissance costumes while dramatic music echoed softly throughout the theatre. The audience immediately fell completely silent watching the first actors step forward into the scene, and backstage Johnny carefully peeked through the curtains despite himself while waiting for his own entrance much later in the act. Everything looked different tonight compared to rehearsals. Bigger. Richer. More alive somehow. The stage lights reflected beautifully across polished props while actors delivered their lines with far more energy than during normal practice, their voices carrying clearly through the massive theatre as sword fights and arguments unfolded dramatically beneath the glowing lights of Verona. Johnny swallowed nervously while listening to the audience react in real time, occasional laughter and applause rising naturally from the seats whenever scenes landed especially well, and slowly, almost without realizing it, his fear began mixing with excitement instead. This was why he loved acting. This exact feeling. The stage transforming into another world entirely while hundreds of people sat completely absorbed inside it.

Then Romeo entered the stage.

And suddenly the audience reacted louder than before.

Several girls somewhere near the middle rows audibly gasped the moment Diego stepped into the Verona set beneath the golden stage lighting dressed entirely as Romeo, his dark costume elegant beneath the warm lights while his calm confident posture immediately commanded attention without effort, and backstage Johnny rolled his eyes instinctively after hearing the audience reaction even though part of him understood exactly why they responded like that. Diego looked unreal on stage tonight. Worse still, he knew exactly how to use the audience’s attention too, every movement smooth and deliberate while he delivered Romeo’s early dialogue naturally beneath the theatre lights like he had been born for the role itself. “Show-off,” Johnny muttered quietly under his breath while watching from backstage. Unfortunately Diego somehow heard him anyway because after finishing one line near center stage, his eyes briefly shifted toward the wings where Johnny stood hidden, and even from that distance Johnny could clearly see the faint trace of amusement appear in his expression before Romeo smoothly continued the scene without missing a beat. Johnny immediately looked away afterward with visible annoyance despite the warmth returning faintly into his face again.

By the time the first scene neared its ending, the entire theatre already felt completely trapped inside the world of the play, audience members leaning forward in their seats while actors crossed elegantly through Verona’s glowing streets beneath dramatic music and shifting lights, and backstage Johnny finally heard one of the stage crew whisper sharply, “Juliet entrance in thirty seconds.” His entire body tensed instantly again. Around him, costume assistants hurried past carrying props while the orchestra shifted softly toward the next transition scene leading into the Capulet ball, and Johnny moved carefully toward his starting position near the side curtains while trying very hard to ignore how violently his heartbeat had suddenly returned. Somewhere onstage, Romeo was still speaking confidently to the audience beneath the warm golden lights. Then the music changed. The ballroom lights brightened beautifully across the stage. And Johnny finally stepped forward into the beginning of Juliet’s first scene while the entire theatre watched.

The ballroom scene began with music first.

Soft violins drifted through the theatre while masked dancers slowly filled the stage beneath warm amber lighting, their expensive costumes flashing gold, silver, and dark velvet every time they turned across the polished floor, and the audience immediately reacted to the sudden beauty of the scene, quiet whispers spreading through the seats while the fake Capulet celebration transformed the entire stage into something elegant and alive. Servants crossed through the background carrying trays of fake wine and candles while laughter echoed naturally between the actors already dancing together, and for the first time that night, Johnny Joestar almost forgot he was terrified because the second he stepped fully into the scene as Juliet, the theatre lights swallowed him completely. Everything beyond the stage disappeared into darkness. The audience vanished. Even backstage noise faded away. There was only the music, the lights, the costumes, and Verona stretching around him like a dream.

Johnny moved carefully through the ballroom scene exactly how they had practiced dozens of times before, his long costume sleeves shifting elegantly whenever he turned beneath the lights while other actors danced around him in smooth circles, and somewhere near the opposite side of the stage, Romeo finally entered the party scene disguised behind his mask. The second Diego Brando stepped beneath the brighter ballroom lighting, the audience reacted again almost immediately, not loudly enough to interrupt the play itself but enough for Johnny to hear the soft excitement spreading through the crowd while Romeo crossed slowly through the dancers searching for Juliet. Diego looked completely different onstage tonight compared to rehearsals. During rehearsals he teased people, rolled his eyes, mocked teachers, acted irritatingly calm all the time. But here under the theatre lights, none of that existed anymore. Romeo looked sincere. Young. Completely captivated the moment his eyes landed on Juliet across the ballroom. And somehow that expression made Johnny’s chest tighten unexpectedly because Diego was looking at him again with that same focused attention from rehearsals, except now it felt heavier somehow in front of a real audience.

The ballroom dancers slowly separated around them as the scene narrowed naturally toward Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting, and Johnny suddenly became painfully aware of how close Diego was getting with every step crossing the stage toward him. The audience had gone nearly silent now. Even the orchestra softened beneath the dialogue beginning between them. Romeo stopped directly in front of Juliet at last, close enough now that Johnny could clearly see the stage makeup around Diego’s eyes beneath the lights while Romeo delivered his opening lines softly. “If I profane with my unworthiest hand…” Diego spoke smoothly while gently taking Johnny’s hand for the scene, and even though Johnny had rehearsed this moment dozens of times already, something about doing it tonight in costume, in front of everyone, made the touch suddenly feel far more real than before. Johnny answered with Juliet’s lines almost automatically, but his voice came out quieter than usual because Diego’s thumb had shifted lightly against his hand beneath the performance itself, a movement subtle enough that nobody else would notice yet distracting enough to completely throw Johnny’s thoughts sideways for a second.

Diego definitely noticed.

Of course he did.

A faint flicker of amusement crossed his expression for barely half a second before Romeo continued the scene perfectly, still holding Juliet’s hand beneath the ballroom lights while the audience watched in complete silence. Then while another group of dancers passed briefly around them as part of the choreography, hiding their faces from the audience for only a moment, Diego leaned slightly closer beneath the movement and quietly murmured, “You’re staring again.” Johnny nearly missed his next line entirely. “I am not,” he whispered back quickly through clenched teeth while trying desperately to stay in character at the same time. Diego’s eyes flicked downward briefly toward their joined hands before returning calmly to Johnny’s face. “Dangerous habit for Juliet to have,” he replied smoothly. Johnny wanted to shove him directly off the stage. Instead he forced himself to continue the scene while the ballroom dancers circled around them again beneath the glowing Verona lights, though now his heart was beating much too fast for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with stage fright anymore.

The ballroom music continued echoing beautifully through the theatre while dancers moved around Romeo and Juliet in slow elegant circles beneath the warm golden lights, their masks flashing softly every time they turned across the polished stage floor, and at the center of all that movement, Johnny Joestar suddenly felt trapped inside the scene in a way rehearsals had never fully managed before, because tonight everything looked too real, sounded too real, and worst of all, Diego Brando was acting far too naturally again beneath the lights while Romeo slowly guided Juliet through the ballroom choreography with one steady hand around his own. Johnny hated how calm Diego looked during performances. Nothing ever seemed rushed with him. Every movement felt smooth and deliberate while Johnny himself still felt painfully aware of every touch, every glance, every second they stood this close together onstage. The audience had gone completely silent now watching Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time, and as the dancers slowly passed around them beneath soft violin music, Diego leaned slightly closer during one of the turns and quietly murmured near enough for only Johnny to hear, “You’re late on the next movement.” Johnny immediately frowned beneath Juliet’s softer expression. “Then stop distractin’ me,” he whispered back while trying not to miss the choreography again. Diego’s eyes flicked briefly toward him afterward, faint amusement hidden carefully beneath Romeo’s calmer expression. “You were distracted long before I said anything.”

The sonnet dialogue between Romeo and Juliet began moments later, their voices softer now beneath the quieter music while the ballroom dancers gradually moved toward the edges of the stage to leave the two leads standing more alone beneath the glowing Verona lights, and Johnny suddenly became painfully aware of how exposed the scene felt with the entire audience focused directly on them now. Romeo gently took Juliet’s hand again during the scene exactly as rehearsed, his fingers warm and steady around Johnny’s while Diego delivered Shakespeare’s lines with enough sincerity that Johnny’s chest tightened unexpectedly beneath the costume layers wrapped around him. This was the problem. Diego stopped feeling like Diego onstage sometimes. The teasing disappeared during scenes like this and suddenly Romeo existed completely in his place beneath the lights, looking at Juliet with such focused softness that Johnny occasionally forgot his own irritation for dangerous little moments at a time. “Did my heart love till now…” Diego spoke quietly during the scene while looking directly at him, and Johnny nearly missed his own line afterward because Romeo’s attention felt too intense beneath the silence filling the theatre. Then while Juliet answered softly beneath the ballroom lights, Diego’s thumb shifted lightly against Johnny’s hand during the scene, subtle enough that nobody watching would ever notice it, yet distracting enough to send another wave of heat straight into Johnny’s face immediately. Diego noticed that too, of course. He always did. “You blush under stage lights remarkably easily,” he murmured smoothly while another pair of dancers briefly crossed between them. Johnny glared at him quietly. “I swear to God, if you make me forget another line—” Diego’s mouth curved faintly upward. “Relax, Juliet. You’re doing fine.”

The orchestra slowly swelled louder near the end of the ballroom scene while the dancers returned toward center stage around them again, signaling the moment where Romeo and Juliet would soon be forced apart by the growing tension between their families, and Johnny finally felt himself breathe properly again once the scene shifted away from the unbearable closeness of the sonnet exchange because honestly, standing face to face with Diego beneath the full attention of the audience for that long had started affecting him far more than he wanted to admit. As the choreography moved them slowly apart again, Romeo’s hand slipped from Juliet’s while the lights softened warmer across the ballroom set, and for one brief second before the scene ended, Diego glanced back toward Johnny over his shoulder exactly as Romeo was supposed to before exiting through the crowded dancers disappearing toward the edge of the stage. The audience reacted immediately once the ballroom scene finally closed, applause breaking loudly throughout the theatre while the lights dimmed beautifully across Verona’s ballroom, and backstage Johnny exhaled sharply the second he stepped behind the curtains again because his heart was still beating much too fast from the entire scene while somewhere nearby, Diego’s quiet laughter reached him through the noise backstage.

The ballroom scene slowed beautifully beneath the warm Verona lights while violins echoed softly across the theatre, dancers continuing their elegant movements around Romeo and Juliet as if the entire stage itself was breathing with the music, and at the center of everything, Johnny Joestar suddenly felt trapped between the play and reality in a way he had never experienced during rehearsals. The audience had gone completely silent now, every person watching the two leads standing close together beneath the glowing chandeliers while Juliet spoke softly to Romeo for the first time, and Johnny hated how easy it had become to fall into these scenes whenever Diego Brando looked at him like that onstage. Diego was different during performances. The teasing never fully disappeared, but it became quieter, hidden underneath Romeo’s softer expressions and calm voice, and somehow that made everything worse because Johnny could never fully predict what version of Diego he was about to get next. Romeo slowly stepped closer through the ballroom crowd while speaking his lines beneath the music, and Johnny’s breath nearly caught because Diego’s eyes remained fixed on him so steadily that it genuinely felt like the rest of the theatre had disappeared around them.

Their hands met as rehearsed during the sonnet exchange, fingers brushing carefully beneath layers of expensive costume fabric while the ballroom dancers turned around them in slow circles, and Johnny tried focusing on Juliet’s lines instead of the warmth of Diego’s hand holding his own beneath the lights, but concentrating became harder every second Romeo stood this close. “You look less angry tonight,” Diego murmured quietly beneath one of Romeo’s lines while the audience remained too focused on the romance of the scene to notice anything strange. Johnny blinked once in surprise before whispering back under his breath, “I’m literally workin’.” Diego’s mouth curved faintly upward afterward. “That bad mood of yours usually survives performances.” Johnny wanted to answer something sharper back, but Romeo gently lifted Juliet’s hand higher during the next movement of the choreography, and suddenly the audience was leaning forward again because the famous scene was approaching faster now. “You know what your problem is?” Johnny muttered quietly while smiling through Juliet’s softer expression for the audience. Diego looked almost entertained already. “This should be interesting.” Johnny narrowed his eyes slightly. “You enjoy winnin’ too much.” Diego’s answer came smoothly beneath Romeo’s next line. “No,” he murmured while stepping closer again, “I enjoy when you stop pretending you hate me.”

The ballroom lights softened deeper gold around them while the orchestra quieted almost completely, and now Romeo and Juliet stood alone near the center of the stage as dancers slowly disappeared toward the edges of the ballroom set, leaving only the two of them beneath the warm theatre glow. Johnny could actually hear his own heartbeat again in the silence between lines while Romeo looked at Juliet like she was the only person left in Verona worth seeing, and honestly, that expression should not have affected him as much as it did. Diego’s hand rested lightly near Johnny’s waist during the scene blocking now, fingers steady and warm against the heavy costume fabric while Romeo leaned closer little by little through the final lines before the kiss. “You’re thinkin’ too hard again,” Diego murmured quietly enough that only Johnny could hear him. Johnny immediately frowned. “Can you stop analyzin’ me every five seconds?” Diego’s eyes flicked briefly toward Johnny’s face before returning calmer than before. “Can you stop reacting every time I speak?” Johnny opened his mouth to answer, but the orchestra swelled softly around them before he could think of anything, and then Romeo finally closed the remaining distance between them beneath the ballroom lights.

The kiss felt completely different tonight compared to rehearsal.

Not because it was rougher or dramatic.

Because it felt easier.

Romeo kissed Juliet softly beneath the glowing chandeliers while the audience watched in complete silence, and Johnny realized almost immediately that neither of them hesitated this time. Diego’s hand remained steady against his waist while Johnny instinctively leaned slightly closer without overthinking it first, and for one dangerous second the stage itself seemed to disappear completely beneath the warmth of the ballroom lights and orchestra music around them. The kiss lingered just long enough to feel romantic for the audience before Romeo slowly pulled back again, yet even afterward they remained close, breathing softly in the narrow space still separating them while applause had not started yet. Then quietly, beneath Romeo’s softer smile while the audience stayed completely silent waiting for the scene to continue, Johnny whispered first this time. “You’re smilin’.” Diego’s expression shifted faintly with amusement. “And you look surprised about it.” Johnny’s face warmed immediately while the orchestra finally rose louder around them again. “Don’t get used to this,” he muttered quietly. Diego glanced toward him one last time before the choreography forced them apart again. “Too late,” he replied smoothly.

The rest of the performance passed in a blur of shifting lights, orchestra music, costume changes, and roaring applause between scenes, and before Johnny Joestar fully realized how quickly time had disappeared, the play had already reached its final act. Verona no longer looked warm or romantic beneath the stage lights now. The ballroom decorations had vanished hours ago, replaced instead by cold stone scenery, dim blue lighting, and heavy shadows stretching across the stage while the orchestra played softer, sadder music through the theatre. Backstage, actors spoke in quieter voices than before while preparing for the ending because everybody knew this was the emotional climax of the performance, the famous tragic conclusion the audience had been building toward all night. Johnny sat near one of the dressing mirrors while a makeup artist quickly fixed the smudged eyeliner beneath his eyes for Juliet’s death scene, though honestly his hands were shaking too badly to sit completely still anymore. Not because of fear this time. The entire night already felt unreal enough on its own, but now the ending had arrived too quickly, and somewhere deep in his chest, Johnny strangely did not want it to be over yet.

A few feet away, Diego Brando stood quietly near the prop table preparing Romeo’s final costume adjustments beneath the dim backstage lights, dark fabric hanging elegantly around him while stage makeup shadows sharpened the tiredness beneath Romeo’s eyes for the tragic final act. For once, Diego was unusually silent before a scene. No teasing. No smug comments. Just calm focus while the orchestra echoed faintly through the curtains ahead of them. Johnny noticed immediately. “You finally run outta things to say?” Johnny muttered while adjusting the sleeves of Juliet’s pale dress. Diego glanced toward him briefly afterward. “Hardly.” Johnny waited for another sarcastic remark, but instead Diego simply looked back down toward the prop dagger resting beside Romeo’s costume gloves. “Final scenes matter more,” he said calmly after a second. Johnny blinked slightly at the answer because somehow it sounded honest instead of teasing for once. “You sound nervous,” Johnny replied before thinking about it. Diego’s eyes lifted toward him again beneath the backstage shadows, calmer than usual. “No,” he answered quietly. “Just trying not to ruin the ending.” Johnny stared at him for a second too long after hearing that because for the first time all night, Diego sounded less like somebody performing and more like himself.

Then the stage manager called their places.

Immediately the backstage atmosphere changed again.

Actors hurried into position while the orchestra softened lower beneath the curtains, stagehands adjusting the cold blue lighting surrounding Juliet’s tomb while smoke effects slowly rolled across the stage floor creating the illusion of moonlit fog beneath Verona’s crypt, and Johnny suddenly felt his heartbeat return all over again while moving carefully toward his final position lying inside the stone tomb set beneath the dim lights. The audience beyond the curtains had grown unbelievably quiet now. No whispers. No movement. Just complete attention waiting for Romeo’s final entrance. Johnny carefully lowered himself into Juliet’s position beneath the cold pale lighting, one hand resting loosely beside the fake poison vial while his eyes closed as rehearsed, and somewhere beyond the stage entrance he could already hear Romeo’s footsteps approaching through the silence. Then Diego finally entered the crypt scene beneath the blue stage lights, and even without opening his eyes fully yet, Johnny could somehow feel the emotional shift across the entire theatre the moment Romeo stepped onto the stage alone.

Romeo’s final monologue echoed through the theatre beneath the cold blue lighting while the audience sat completely silent listening to every word, and lying motionless inside Juliet’s tomb, Johnny Joestar could hear the emotion in Diego Brando’s voice growing heavier with every line Romeo delivered beside him. The entire stage felt hauntingly beautiful now, pale fog curling across the stone floor beneath dim moonlit effects while soft orchestra music trembled quietly underneath Romeo’s grief, and somehow Diego performed the final tragedy so sincerely that Johnny almost forgot this was still a school play at all. Even through closed eyes, he could feel Romeo kneeling beside Juliet during the final moments of the scene, could hear the faint shake in his breathing beneath the silence filling the theatre while the audience remained completely absorbed inside the tragedy unfolding beneath the lights. Then came Romeo’s final goodbye, the poison scene, the collapsing body beside Juliet’s tomb, and finally the terrible silence afterward before Juliet slowly awakened too late beneath the cold Verona lighting.

Johnny carefully sat upright inside the tomb scene while the orchestra swelled softly around them again, Juliet discovering Romeo beside her exactly as rehearsed, and for one painful second when his eyes met Diego’s lying motionless beneath the stage lights, the emotion inside the scene suddenly felt frighteningly real. Juliet’s grief filled the theatre while Johnny delivered the final lines of the play with enough raw desperation that somewhere in the audience somebody quietly gasped, and by the time Juliet lifted Romeo’s dagger beneath the cold blue glow of Verona’s crypt, the theatre had become so silent that even the smallest movements onstage sounded loud. Then came the ending itself. Juliet collapsed beside Romeo beneath the pale moonlit effects, the orchestra reached its final tragic note, and slowly—

the lights faded to black.

For one long second, the theatre stayed completely silent.

Then suddenly—

the audience exploded into applause.

The sound hit the stage all at once, loud enough that Johnny physically startled beneath the darkness while cheers, clapping, and shouting filled the theatre from every direction, and as the stage lights slowly brightened again for the final curtain call, the entire cast immediately began rising from their positions laughing breathlessly and helping one another stand after the emotional ending. Johnny sat up quickly while still trying to catch his breath beneath the heavy costume layers, and beside him Diego pushed himself upright too, dark stage makeup slightly smudged beneath the brightening lights while applause thundered endlessly through the theatre around them. Somewhere near the front rows people were already standing, teachers clapping proudly while students shouted excitedly from deeper in the audience, and the moment the full cast finally walked forward together for bows beneath the golden curtain-call lighting, the cheering somehow became even louder.

Johnny honestly felt dizzy standing there.

The lights.

The applause.

The adrenaline still rushing through him after the final scene.

Everything blurred together while the cast bowed repeatedly beneath the roaring audience, and when Romeo and Juliet finally stepped forward together for the final lead bow, the theatre erupted again almost immediately. Diego stepped beside him beneath the warm lights looking elegant even now despite the exhausting performance, and for one second before they bowed together, Johnny glanced sideways toward him instinctively. Diego looked back at him at the exact same moment.

Then, quietly beneath the applause loud enough to hide everything else, Diego leaned slightly closer and murmured with the faintest exhausted smile still lingering on his face—

“Not bad, Juliet.”

And despite himself—

Johnny laughed.

The curtain call lasted several more minutes beneath the warm golden theatre lights while applause continued echoing across the enormous room, audience members still standing from their seats while teachers waved proudly toward the cast and students shouted congratulations from deeper inside the crowd, and backstage the energy only grew louder once the curtains finally closed completely because suddenly everyone was talking at once. Actors laughed breathlessly while hugging one another between costume racks and scattered props, makeup artists rushed around congratulating students whose eyeliner had already started smudging beneath sweat and tears, and somewhere near the dressing rooms somebody had started crying dramatically because the performance was officially over now. Johnny Joestar still felt half trapped inside the adrenaline of the stage while people stopped him every few seconds to praise the play, compliment his performance as Juliet, or excitedly talk about the final scenes, and honestly his head felt too full and too loud to properly answer any of them anymore. He smiled awkwardly through most conversations while pulling loose pins from his styled hair one by one, the heavy costume suddenly feeling exhausting after hours beneath the stage lights. Across the room, Diego Brando seemed to attract attention just as easily, several teachers and students crowding around Romeo while praising his performance loudly enough that Johnny could hear pieces of it from across backstage. “You carried the ending beautifully.” “That final monologue was incredible.” “You two looked completely real together.” Johnny immediately looked away after hearing that last comment.

Slowly, though, the excitement began fading.

Parents started leaving the theatre lobby.

Students changed out of costumes.

The orchestra packed away instruments beneath quieter conversations drifting through the building.

One by one, the backstage rooms emptied until the loud celebration softened into scattered voices echoing through distant hallways instead.

Johnny had already changed out of Juliet’s elaborate costume by then, now sitting near the edge of the stage in normal clothes again while absentmindedly folding pieces of fabric left behind from rehearsal earlier, though honestly he was mostly just avoiding going home yet because something about tonight ending felt strangely heavy in his chest now that everything had finally quieted down. The stage looked different without the audience watching anymore. Colder somehow. The beautiful Verona lighting had already been shut off, leaving only a few dim overhead lights glowing weakly above the dismantled sets while stage crew slowly carried pieces of scenery away into storage. Johnny listened quietly to the distant sound of people talking somewhere near the theatre entrance before realizing after a moment that the building had become almost completely empty around him.

Then footsteps crossed the stage behind him.

Johnny already knew who it was before turning around.

Diego walked slowly out from backstage still half dressed in pieces of Romeo’s costume, the dark shirt sleeves rolled carelessly upward now while traces of stage makeup remained faintly visible near his eyes beneath the dim theatre lighting, and for once neither of them immediately spoke after making eye contact across the nearly empty stage. The silence between them no longer felt tense like it had during the first weeks of rehearsal. It felt tired instead. Heavy after everything that had happened tonight. Diego finally stopped a few feet away while glancing briefly toward the empty audience seats stretching out into darkness beyond the stage. “Strange without people screaming at us,” he said calmly after a second, his voice quieter now inside the nearly abandoned theatre. Johnny let out a soft breath that almost sounded like a laugh. “Yeah.” Then after another pause he added, “Still can’t believe it’s over.” Diego looked toward him again beneath the dim lights, his expression softer than usual, less guarded somehow after the performance exhaustion had stripped away most of the usual arrogance he carried around everyone else. “You did well tonight,” he said simply. No teasing hidden underneath it. No smug grin afterward. Just honest.

Johnny blinked slightly at the compliment because somehow hearing Diego say something sincere without mocking him afterward felt stranger than all the flirting and arguing they had survived during rehearsals combined. “You too,” Johnny answered after a moment while looking down briefly at the stage floor beneath his shoes. “Even if your ego’s probably unbearable now.” That finally pulled a quiet laugh from Diego, softer than the sharp amused ones Johnny normally heard from him, and for one brief second the entire theatre felt unbelievably calm around them, empty rows of seats disappearing into darkness while the last warm stage lights glowed weakly above the two boys left standing alone at the center of Verona after everyone else had already gone home.

The silence inside the empty theatre stretched comfortably around them after the last crew members finally disappeared through the backstage doors, leaving only the faint humming of overhead lights and the distant sound of rain beginning somewhere outside the school building. The enormous rows of audience seats had disappeared into darkness now that most of the stage lighting had already been turned off, and from where Johnny Joestar sat near the edge of the stage, the theatre no longer looked like Verona or Romeo and Juliet’s world anymore. It just looked tired. Half dismantled sets sat abandoned near the curtains while pieces of costume fabric and forgotten script pages still covered parts of the wooden floor around them, and somehow the mess left behind after the performance made tonight feel strangely real now that the excitement had faded. Across from him, Diego Brando leaned casually against one of the stage pillars with his sleeves still rolled upward from costume changes earlier, traces of dark makeup faintly shadowing his eyes beneath the dim lights while he watched Johnny quietly for a moment without speaking. That alone immediately made Johnny suspicious. “Why’re you starin’ at me again,” Johnny muttered eventually while avoiding direct eye contact by looking toward the empty audience seats instead. Diego’s mouth curved faintly upward afterward. “Because you’re unusually quiet.” Johnny scoffed softly. “Maybe I’m finally tired of listenin’ to you.” Diego let out the quietest laugh at that before glancing around the empty theatre. “No,” he replied calmly. “You’d miss it after a day.”

Johnny rolled his eyes automatically, but the insult lacked its usual bite tonight because honestly, he was too exhausted to properly argue anymore after everything that had happened during the performance. For a few quiet seconds neither of them spoke again while rain tapped softly somewhere against the theatre windows outside, and Johnny absently rubbed one hand against the back of his neck before muttering, “Y’know… when we first got cast together, I thought this whole thing was gonna be hell.” Diego looked almost amused by that confession. “Only at first?” Johnny snorted quietly. “Oh, shut up.” Diego stepped a little closer afterward, slow enough not to feel sudden while the weak stage lighting caught faintly against the silver details still remaining on pieces of Romeo’s costume. “You hated me immediately,” Diego said smoothly. Johnny immediately frowned. “You stole like half my roles before this.” “Correction,” Diego answered calmly. “I earned them.” Johnny gave him a genuinely offended look. “See? This is exactly why people wanna punch you.” Diego’s smile widened slightly at that. “And yet you never actually did.” Johnny opened his mouth to answer quickly before stopping halfway because annoyingly enough, Diego was right about that too. For all the arguing and threatening and irritation between them over the past weeks, Johnny had never really wanted to hurt him. That realization settled strangely in his chest.

Diego noticed Johnny going quiet again and tilted his head slightly beneath the dim theatre lights. “You’re thinking too hard.” Johnny let out a tired breath while leaning back against the edge of the stage behind him. “Maybe tonight’s got me messed up.” Diego’s expression softened almost invisibly afterward. “The play?” Johnny hesitated briefly before answering honestly for once. “Everything.” The empty theatre suddenly felt smaller around them after saying that aloud. Johnny could still remember every scene from tonight too clearly, the ballroom lights, the balcony scene, the final tragedy beneath the blue crypt lighting, and worst of all, he could still remember the kiss perfectly. Not because it had been embarrassing. Because it had not been embarrassing at all. That was the problem. Diego watched him quietly for another second before speaking again in a lower voice than before. “You kissed me differently tonight.” Johnny’s heart nearly stopped from embarrassment alone. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered while dragging one hand down his face immediately. “You really just say whatever comes into your head, huh.” Diego looked completely unbothered. “You didn’t answer me.” Johnny stared at the floorboards beneath his shoes for a second too long before muttering, “Maybe you kissed me different too.”

For once, Diego looked genuinely surprised.

Not dramatically.

Just enough for Johnny to notice.

The faint amusement in his expression faded quieter for a second while the rain outside grew heavier against the windows somewhere beyond the theatre walls, and suddenly the distance between them felt much smaller than before even though neither of them had moved yet. Johnny’s chest tightened awkwardly when Diego stepped closer again afterward, stopping directly in front of him now while the weak stage lights cast soft shadows across both their faces. “So what now?” Diego asked quietly. Johnny looked up at him immediately. “What’s that supposed to mean.” Diego glanced briefly toward the abandoned stage around them before looking back at Johnny again. “The play’s over.” His voice sounded calmer than usual now. Less teasing. “No rehearsals. No scripts. No pretending Romeo and Juliet gave us excuses to stand too close to each other.” Johnny’s face warmed instantly because hearing it said out loud somehow made everything feel far more real than before. “You’re bein’ dramatic again,” Johnny muttered weakly. Diego hummed softly. “And yet you still haven’t told me to leave.”

Johnny hated how unfairly easy Diego made this feel now.

The arguing should have been easier.

The teasing should have been easier.

But standing here alone inside the empty theatre after weeks of rehearsals and late nights and scenes that slowly stopped feeling entirely fake anymore, Johnny suddenly felt too tired to keep pretending he did not understand what was happening between them now. Diego stood close enough that Johnny could feel warmth radiating from him beneath the cool air left inside the theatre after the rain started outside, and for one dangerous second neither of them spoke at all. Then quietly, almost careful for once, Diego reached forward and brushed his fingers lightly against Johnny’s jaw near where traces of stage makeup still remained from earlier. The simple touch made Johnny’s breath catch immediately. “You missed some,” Diego murmured softly. Johnny swallowed hard while looking directly at him now. “You’re real bad at actin’ normal, y’know that?” Diego’s expression softened faintly again. “Normal is overrated.”

Then finally—

Diego kissed him first.

Not like Romeo.

Not for an audience.

Not beneath orchestra music and glowing Verona lights.

Just Diego.

One hand resting gently against Johnny’s jaw while the other steadied itself beside him against the stage edge, the kiss slower this time without choreography or rehearsed timing controlling it, and the moment Johnny kissed him back, every last bit of tension left inside the empty theatre seemed to disappear completely. Johnny’s fingers tightened instinctively against Diego’s sleeve while the rain echoed softly outside the darkened building around them, and for the first time since all of this started weeks ago, neither of them was acting anymore. Diego kissed him carefully but confidently like he had already decided this would happen eventually, and honestly that should have annoyed Johnny.

Instead, Johnny leaned closer.

When they finally pulled apart again, the theatre remained completely silent around them except for the rain tapping softly against distant windows and both of them breathing slightly harder than before beneath the dim stage lights. Johnny’s face still felt warm, though now he no longer cared enough to hide it while Diego stayed close beside him instead of stepping away immediately. “Well,” Johnny muttered quietly after a second while trying and failing to sound annoyed again, “that probably complicates things.” Diego’s mouth curved upward slowly afterward, softer than his usual smug grin. “Probably,” he agreed calmly. Then after another short silence, he added, “Still worth it, though.” And honestly, sitting there beside him in the middle of the empty stage while the storm rolled quietly outside, Johnny realized he agreed.

The silence after the kiss did not feel awkward the way Johnny Joestar expected it to. That honestly confused him more than the kiss itself. The empty theatre remained dim around them while rain tapped steadily against the windows somewhere outside the school building, and Johnny still sat near the edge of the stage trying very hard to process the fact that Diego Brando had just kissed him without a script, without an audience, without Romeo and Juliet standing between them anymore. Diego stayed close afterward too, leaning one arm against the stage beside Johnny while watching him with that calmer expression he rarely showed anyone else. Johnny could still feel warmth lingering embarrassingly across his face while his heartbeat refused to slow down properly. “You’re smilin’ again,” Johnny muttered eventually while avoiding direct eye contact by staring toward the empty audience seats instead. Diego’s voice came quietly beside him. “You noticed.” Johnny rolled his eyes weakly. “Hard not to.” Diego looked faintly entertained by that answer. “You know,” he murmured while glancing toward the rain-dark theatre, “for somebody who spent weeks threatening to punch me, you kiss surprisingly gently.” Johnny’s entire face warmed again instantly. “Can you not talk right after doin’ something like that?” Diego tilted his head slightly. “Why? Nervous?” Johnny immediately frowned. “No.” Diego’s expression remained unconvinced. “Liar.”

Johnny groaned quietly under his breath before leaning back against the stage with visible frustration because honestly, Diego somehow still found ways to sound smug even after kissing somebody, which really should not have been possible. “You’re unbelievable,” Johnny muttered tiredly. Diego looked almost pleased by the insult. “And yet here you are.” Johnny immediately pointed toward him accusingly. “See? That. That right there. That’s the exact reason I couldn’t stand you when this started.” Diego crossed his arms loosely afterward while studying him with quiet amusement. “Couldn’t?” Johnny froze for half a second after hearing that. “Shut up.” Diego laughed softly beneath the dim lights, the sound quieter and warmer than the sharp mocking laughs Johnny had grown used to during rehearsals. “Interesting choice of words, Johnny.” Johnny dragged both hands down his face immediately. “God, I hate how annoyin’ you are.” “No,” Diego answered calmly while stepping closer again. “You simply ran out of convincing ways to pretend you dislike me.” Johnny opened his mouth to argue immediately before stopping because annoyingly enough, he genuinely could not think of a response fast enough this time. Diego noticed the hesitation and looked unbearably satisfied afterward.

The rain outside grew heavier for a while, thunder rolling softly somewhere far away beyond the school building while the theatre lights hummed weakly overhead, and for a few moments neither of them spoke again. Johnny’s thoughts felt tangled now in ways he did not know how to explain properly because everything between them had changed too quickly tonight. Weeks ago he genuinely hated Diego Brando. Or at least he thought he did. Diego stole his roles. Mocked him constantly. Acted smug about nearly everything. Yet somehow those same arguments slowly turned into late rehearsals, inside jokes whispered during scenes, and stolen glances across stage lights Johnny pretended not to notice. “This is weird,” Johnny admitted quietly after a while. Diego looked toward him immediately. “What is.” Johnny gestured vaguely between them with visible awkwardness. “This.” Diego’s eyes softened slightly beneath the weak theatre lights. “You’re disappointed?” Johnny looked horrified instantly. “What? No.” Diego’s mouth curved upward faintly. “You answered that rather quickly.” Johnny glared at him. “Don’t start.” Diego leaned lightly beside him against the stage afterward. “I’m serious.” Johnny hesitated before finally muttering, “I just didn’t think this’d happen.” Diego looked thoughtful for a second. “Neither did I.” Johnny blinked immediately after hearing that because somehow Diego admitting uncertainty about anything felt stranger than the kiss itself.

Johnny studied him carefully after that confession, suddenly realizing how tired Diego actually looked beneath the remaining traces of stage makeup and dim theatre lighting. The performance had exhausted both of them more than Johnny noticed earlier while adrenaline still rushed through the building, and now that everything had gone quiet, Diego looked less like the untouchable Romeo everybody admired tonight and more like just another exhausted teenager sitting alone in an empty theatre after a school play. Somehow that realization made Johnny’s chest ache strangely. “You were really good tonight,” Johnny admitted quietly after a moment. Diego raised one eyebrow slightly. “That sounded dangerously sincere.” Johnny immediately rolled his eyes. “Don’t ruin it.” Diego’s expression softened with amusement again. “You were good too.” Johnny looked away awkwardly toward the audience seats. “Yeah well… Juliet’s easier than I thought.” Diego hummed softly beside him. “You liked the role.” Johnny shrugged weakly. “Maybe.” Diego looked directly at him afterward. “You liked the romance scenes too.” Johnny nearly choked. “Jesus Christ.” Diego laughed quietly again while Johnny groaned in complete embarrassment. “You are never lettin’ this go, are you.” Diego answered without hesitation. “Absolutely not.”

Johnny shoved lightly against Diego’s shoulder after that, though the movement carried no real irritation behind it anymore, and Diego barely moved from the push at all before glancing downward toward Johnny’s hand still resting against his sleeve. The simple closeness between them no longer felt tense now. Just warm. Familiar in a strange new way Johnny still had not adjusted to properly. “You know what’s unfair?” Johnny muttered after another quiet second. Diego looked mildly interested already. “Do enlighten me.” Johnny frowned toward the stage floor. “Everybody already likes you.” Diego looked genuinely confused. “And?” Johnny exhaled slowly. “This whole thing’s easy for you.” Diego stayed quiet for a moment before answering. “You think this is easy for me?” Johnny finally looked back at him again. “Kinda.” Diego shook his head faintly afterward while the amusement in his expression softened quieter. “Johnny,” he said calmly, “I spent half this semester trying to figure out whether you actually hated me or were simply dramatic.” Johnny looked offended instantly. “I am not dramatic.” Diego stared at him for one long second. “You played Juliet.” Johnny opened his mouth immediately before stopping because honestly that was difficult to argue against right now.

The theatre lights flickered softly above them while stage crew somewhere deeper inside the building continued packing away scenery for the night, distant voices occasionally echoing through the empty hallways before fading again, and Johnny suddenly realized he did not really want to leave yet. That thought alone surprised him because normally after rehearsals he rushed out of the theatre the second teachers dismissed everyone, yet now the idea of this night ending too quickly left something uncomfortable twisting inside his chest. Diego seemed to notice Johnny going quiet again because after a moment he asked more softly, “What’re you thinking about now?” Johnny hesitated before answering honestly. “That tomorrow’s gonna be weird.” Diego looked amused already. “Because we kissed?” Johnny immediately pointed toward him again. “See, you say that way too casually.” Diego shrugged lightly. “Should I announce it dramatically instead?” Johnny snorted despite himself. “God, you’d probably enjoy that.” Diego looked thoughtful for exactly one second before answering, “Perhaps a little.” Johnny laughed quietly before he could stop himself, the sound echoing softly through the nearly empty theatre, and Diego watched him carefully afterward with an expression Johnny had never really seen from him before tonight. Softer. Warmer somehow. Less guarded.

“You laugh different when you’re actually happy,” Diego murmured quietly after a while. Johnny immediately looked suspicious again. “Why do you notice weird stuff like that.” Diego’s answer came smoothly. “Because I pay attention to you.” Johnny’s breath caught slightly at how casually Diego said it, and for once no teasing followed afterward to soften the sincerity of the statement. The rain outside had slowed now into softer tapping against the windows while the theatre remained wrapped in weak golden light around them, and suddenly Johnny became painfully aware again of how close Diego still stood beside him near the edge of the stage. “You really mean stuff like that?” Johnny asked before thinking too hard about it. Diego looked almost surprised by the question. “Of course I do.” Johnny stared toward him quietly afterward because honestly, nobody had ever looked at him the way Diego did during performances. Nobody had ever paid attention to him that carefully either. The realization settled heavily and warmly somewhere deep inside his chest. “That’s kinda unfair,” Johnny muttered softly. Diego tilted his head slightly. “Why.” Johnny looked away again before answering. “Makes it real hard to hate you.”

For the first time all night, Diego genuinely looked caught off guard by something Johnny said.

Not smug.

Not teasing.

Just quiet.

Then slowly, the corners of his mouth lifted into the smallest smile Johnny had seen from him yet. “Good,” Diego answered simply. Johnny felt warmth rise into his face again immediately afterward and groaned quietly under his breath. “You really gotta stop lookin’ at me like that.” Diego stepped slightly closer beneath the dim stage lights. “Like what.” Johnny gestured vaguely toward his face in frustration. “Like you already know everythin’.” Diego looked thoughtful for a second. “Not everything.” Johnny crossed his arms suspiciously. “What don’t you know then?” Diego’s eyes held his steadily while rain tapped softly outside the theatre one last time. “Whether you’re going to kiss me again before leaving.” Johnny’s face immediately turned bright red. “You are unbelievable.” Diego’s expression softened with amusement. “That wasn’t a no.” Johnny stared at him for another second before muttering, “God, you’re lucky you’re pretty.” Diego actually laughed properly at that, warm and surprised and genuine enough that Johnny accidentally smiled too.

And somewhere in the middle of that nearly empty theatre, surrounded by dismantled Verona sets and fading stage lights after weeks of rehearsals, arguments, ballroom scenes, balcony confessions, and kisses that slowly stopped feeling like acting anymore, the story between Johnny Joestar and Diego Brando finally stopped sounding tragic altogether.

After that night, things between Johnny Joestar and Diego Brando slowly became something softer and easier than either of them expected. The arguing never fully disappeared because honestly, Diego still loved provoking Johnny far too much and Johnny still rolled his eyes at nearly everything Diego said, but now the tension between them no longer felt sharp or angry anymore. It felt warm. Familiar. Diego waited for Johnny after classes ended without pretending it was accidental, and Johnny eventually stopped acting annoyed whenever Diego casually threw an arm around his shoulders walking through crowded hallways. They spent afternoons together inside the empty theatre even after Romeo and Juliet had long ended, sitting near the edge of the stage talking for hours while rain tapped softly against the old school windows outside, and somewhere during those quiet evenings, Johnny realized something strange: Diego made him feel understood in ways nobody else really had before.

And somehow, Diego changed too. Around everyone else he still looked untouchable, elegant, arrogant, always carrying himself like the world belonged to him, but Johnny slowly became the only person allowed to see the quieter version underneath all of that. The version that stayed up late helping Johnny rehearse for exams even while mocking his handwriting the entire time. The version that remembered tiny things nobody else noticed. The version that looked at Johnny like he mattered long before Johnny fully believed it himself. They laughed more than they argued eventually. Kissed more than they fought. And even though both of them would probably rather die than openly admit how much they cared at first, everybody around them already knew anyway. Gyro definitely knew. The teachers definitely knew. Half the school probably knew after the way Romeo and Juliet ended beneath those stage lights.

Maybe that was the funniest part of the entire story in the end. Romeo and Juliet was supposed to be tragic. It was supposed to end with heartbreak, loss, and two people destroyed by love before they ever truly got the chance to live happily together. But somehow, the two boys who began this story glaring at one another across a casting sheet managed to steal a completely different ending for themselves instead. One filled with late-night conversations, sarcastic laughter, shared jackets during cold rainstorms, soft kisses inside empty classrooms, and the quiet comfort of knowing somebody would always stay beside you afterward.

And honestly, for Johnny Joestar and Diego Brando, that ending suited them far better anyway.