Archive of Our Own

The arena was still glowing from the energy of their first performance. From where Mark stood beside Junior, the sea of lightsticks looked endless, waves of color rippling through the darkness, thousands of fans still cheering even as the music faded. The stage lights softened, washing the two of them in warm gold instead of the dramatic colors from the performance before. Their breathing was still uneven from dancing, and Mark could feel the lingering adrenaline buzzing beneath his skin. 

The second day of LOL Fanfest 2026 had already been overwhelming.

Every time he looked out into the crowd, he found himself smiling without meaning to. The fans were loud, excited, and somehow even more energetic than the day before. Their voices echoed throughout the venue, creating a constant hum that wrapped around him like a blanket. It made him happy and overwhelmed by the fact that here he is, performing at the impact arena like he always dreamed of.

Beside him, Junior looked equally flushed from performing. A few strands of hair had fallen slightly out of place, and there was sweat on his forehead. Yet somehow, he still looked annoyingly good.

Mark tried not to stare but he failed, as always.

The two of them exchanged a glance, naturally slipping into the comfortable rhythm they always had whenever they stood together on stage. There was no script between them, no need for one. Conversations always came easily. Like the first day, they introduced themselves, to just talking and having fun with their fans. Until the topic drifted toward their next song.

Rain, a subject considering what they were about to perform.

Mark listened as Junior talked, the crowd hanging onto every word. The atmosphere became lighter, playful. The kind of moment that happened only when they forgot there were thousands of people watching.

Then Junior tilted his head slightly toward him. "If you don't want to get drenched from the rain, I'll be your umbrella."

The audience reacted immediately and Mark felt his lips twitch in a smile. Of course, just like they rehearsed. The same line from yesterday.

An umbrella, to protect him, for him to rely on. It's always Junior to him. Somehow the words lingered longer than they should have. Mark glanced at him, an idea forming in his head. Junior looked completely innocent.

"I don't want you to be my umbrella, I want you to be my faen."

The reaction was expected, fans practically exploding. Screaming and twitching on their seats. A collective loss of composure from several thousand people at once.

Mark smiles as he looks at Junior, waiting for him to get what he said.

Junior however, froze at first before catching himself and he smiled back at what Mark said. For a second, the world seemed to stop. Then Mark immediately rushed to explain himself, just in case. And because he's a menace like that.

"Wait, I mean 'fan,' like to blow off the rain away—like you can be my fan to blow it dry."

The crowd somehow became even louder.

Mark laughed as Junior was just staring, still smiling but still processing. Then realization slowly dawned across his face.

"Ohhhhh." 

Mark nodded quickly, smiling wide. "That's it."

Junior continued looking at him, smiling while fixing his in-ear mic. Far too long. Mark already knew he wasn't getting out of this but they still kept looking at each other. Something unspoken passing by the both of them.

"Oh, you don't want me to be your umbrella, you want me to be your 'faen' in English?"

The crowd erupted all over again. Mark could physically feel the heat rushing up his neck. There was no escape now, and he practically put himself in this situation so he did the worst possible thing.

"Yeah, be my faen kub."

The screams became deafening, fans going insane. Mark immediately regretted everything. His entire face burned. He instinctively lifted a hand to cover his mouth as laughter escaped him. The embarrassment was unbearable. He ducked his head slightly, shoulders shaking as he giggled uncontrollably.

Why had he said that? Now, he couldn't even look at Junior anymore. The audience certainly wasn't helping. Their reactions only made his face hotter. Then he heard Junior laughing in front of him.

Mark finally risked a glance, looking up back at Junior as he lowered his hand. The grin remained as his ears burned red now. Junior however, looked completely delighted. As if he'd just won something. As if he planned on remembering this moment forever.

Then Junior looked out toward the audience. "What if I'll just not sing the next song and go clear this out backstage with him first, can I?"

The crowd's answer was immediate as Mark expected. Of course they would encourage him. So before Junior could get any ideas, Mark answered immediately.

"No."

The response came out firm despite the lingering embarrassment.

Junior turned toward him, still grinning. Then he looked back toward the audience.

"They say can!"

Mark shook his head instantly but still smiling despite himself.

The crowd laughed. Junior laughed. And Mark felt another wave of warmth spread across his face. But not in embarrassment this time. Something softer, more familiar and comfortable. The kind of feeling he always experienced during moments like these. Because no matter how chaotic their conversations became, no matter how much teasing happened, there was always an ease between them. An understanding that they never had the need to force.

For a brief moment, they simply stood side by side beneath the lights. The cheers gradually settled as they now close to wrapping up their ment. The playful conversation slowly giving way to anticipation.

Their next performance was approaching.

Eventually they wrapped up the conversation and transitioned naturally toward the next stage of the show.

Mark took a slow breath, his heartbeat steadied. Beside him, Junior adjusted his microphone and glanced over.

Their eyes met briefly and Mark felt himself smile. Junior smiled back.

But as they moved into position for the next song, Mark couldn't help thinking about the conversation that had just happened. About the way Junior had looked at him when he'd said, "Be my faen kub." His face threatened to turn red all over again. Good thing the stage lights were about to go dark. 

And the show went on.

~~

After their performance, both of them are now walking backstage. The hallway was quieter than Mark expected.

The roar of the crowd, after the heat of the stage lights and the lingering adrenaline of their performance, the sudden calm felt almost unreal. His ears still rang faintly with applause that seemed to follow him even now, like a ghost sound trapped in his body.

He rolled his shoulders as he walked, trying to settle his breathing. Junior was beside him just walking quietly. He blinked when he noticed Junior had suddenly stepped slightly ahead, then turned. Not toward their dressing room, but toward a narrow side corridor Mark hadn’t paid attention to before.

“Phi?” Mark called out, confused, still riding the aftershock of the stage energy. “Where are you going?”

Junior didn’t answer immediately. That alone was enough to make Mark slow down and frown. Something about the way Junior moved felt… different. Not playful like before. Not teasing. The energy had shifted somewhere backstage after they left the stage, like someone had quietly turned the volume of him down.

Still, Mark followed.

They passed storage cases, coiled cables, and racks of equipment. The deeper they went, the dimmer it got, until the sound of the crowd lowered down, replaced by the faint hum of backstage machinery.

Mark frowned. “This isn’t our waiting room,” he said again, more certain now.

Junior suddenly stopped and Mark almost bumped into him. Before he could properly react, Junior reached for his wrist and gently but firmly pulled him into an adjacent room.

It was empty. A storage room filled with stage equipment. Metal stands, folded trusses, cases stacked in uneven rows. The lighting was harsh and cold, a single overhead fixture flickering slightly like it hadn’t been used in a while.

Mark’s confusion sharpened instantly. 

“Uh—Phi Ju?” he asked again, this time slower, more cautious. His adrenaline hadn’t fully left his body yet; it still made his heart beat a little too fast, a little too loud. “What is this? We’re supposed to go rest.”

Junior didn’t respond right away. Instead, he closed the door behind them. The sound of it clicking shut felt louder than it should have. Mark’s stomach tightened slightly.

Junior finally turned around, and for the first time since the stage, there was no smile. No teasing expression, no playful energy, and just seriousness on his face. It made Mark’s breath catch for reasons he couldn’t immediately explain. It was rare for Junior to be this serious towards Mark so it kind of scared him a little.

“Phi?” Mark tried again, softer now. “What’s wrong?”

Junior then stepped forward slowly. Mark instinctively took a small step back without realizing it.

Then another, and another, and another. Until his back met something solid. His breath stuttered. as he felt the wall behind him. Before he could properly process it though, Junior was already in front of him. Close enough that Mark could feel his presence fully, close enough that the space between them seemed to disappear entirely.

Junior lifted both hands and placed them beside Mark’s head, caging him in.

Mark froze at that. Every instinct in his body went quiet for half a second, like his brain needed time to catch up with what his eyes were seeing. The older was towering just slightly in front of him, blocking the only exit Mark could see. His gaze not wavering.

His throat felt suddenly dry. He tried to laugh it off, but it came out uneven. “What… is this about?”

His voice sounded wrong even to himself. It was too soft, too unsure because his heart is thumping so hard right now with their close proximity. Without cameras, without fans, no eyes to watch them.

Junior didn’t answer immediately. He just looked at him. For a few seconds, the only sound in the room was the distant hum of the venue and Mark’s own heartbeat, which he was now very aware of.

Too aware of Junior’s proximity. Too aware of the way he was looking at him like he was trying to read something that wasn’t spoken out loud.

Mark swallowed.

His mind, still half-stuck in stage mode, struggled to fully shift into whatever this was. Minutes ago, they were laughing under lights, teasing about rain and umbrellas and words that had slipped out too easily.

Now it felt like something heavier had settled between them. Mark forced another small, shaky smile. “Phi…?”

That finally broke the silence, Junior’s voice came out low. “Is what you said on stage true?”

For a second, Mark didn’t understand. His mind stalled. There's so many things he said on stage earlier, both of them.

Then Mark’s expression changed instantly. Confusion flickered into realization so fast it almost made him dizzy.

His ears went hot when he remembered what Junior meant, or he's hoping he meant. He could feel it immediately spreading down his neck, creeping up his face in a way he had no control over.

His mouth opened, then closed again. Nothing came out because how was he supposed to answer that?

How was he supposed to say anything when Junior was right there… So close, looking at him like that, like he was waiting for something real instead of stage-play words and accidental jokes?

Mark’s eyes dropped for a moment before he forced himself to look back up meeting Junior's eyes. The other didn’t move, waiting for him to answer and say something first. Eyes soft just looking at him, patient as always.

Mark suddenly became very aware of everything. 

How often they were together, how naturally Junior’s presence fit into his days, like it had always been there before he even noticed. Of how people called them partners on screen, but it didn’t feel like acting anymore. Of how Junior knew him too well, better than he was comfortable admitting. Of late nights, shared laughter, shared silence. Of all the times they went out together and no one questioned it anymore. Of how they never really defined anything, because defining it would make it too real.

Mark’s fingers curled slightly at his side. His lips parted again, but he hesitated. Because anything he will say would mean something. Anything honest would change the air between them forever.

And Junior was still right there, close enough that Mark could count the seconds between his breaths if he wanted to.

Mark bit his lower lip. A nervous habit he rarely noticed until moments like this. His chest felt tight but not in fear, not exactly, it's something more complicated. Something that didn’t have a clean name he could pull out and use as an excuse.

Junior’s gaze didn’t move away, still staring at him like they have all the time in the world.

Mark’s mind is racing. If he said yes, it would mean everything. If he said no, it would feel like a lie. And if he said nothing, Junior was patient enough to wait for forever if he had to.

Mark exhaled shakily through his nose, eyes flickering away again before returning to Junior’s face.

His voice came out quieter than before. “…What do you think it meant?”

The room stayed quiet after Mark’s question. Not empty-quiet in a peaceful way, but the kind of quiet that felt like it was holding its breath.

Junior still didn’t move away. He was still there in front of him, hands planted beside Mark’s head, keeping him gently but unmistakably cornered against the wall. His gaze didn’t soften, but it also didn’t harden. It stayed steady and anchored, like he was refusing to let the moment slip away into jokes or misunderstandings again.

Mark’s throat tightened under that look.

Junior spoke again after a few minutes, quieter this time, but firmer. “Be honest with me. Tell me the truth, please.”

The words landed heavily in the small space between them. Junior wanted to hear it come from Mark's lips properly.

Mark’s chest rose and fell a little unevenly at that but Junior didn’t break eye contact.

“We don’t hide things,” he continued, voice controlled, careful. “Tell me. What you said earlier… is it true? Or was it just for the fans?”

Mark felt his stomach twist at that because that was the thing, wasn’t it?

On stage, everything could be half-playful, half-real. A performance shaped by reactions, by energy, by instinct. He could tell himself it was just timing, just teasing, just the flow of the moment. But standing here, with Junior this close, there was no stage left to hide behind.

Mark swallowed, fingers flexed slightly at his sides, then went still again. His mind tried to scramble for an easy answer. A joke. A deflection. Something that would make this lighter, something that would let them both step back into familiar ground where everything was safe and unspoken and easy.

But nothing came, because Junior was right. They didn’t have secrets to each other. Their foundation of trust is by telling each other everything (except personal stuffs) so he can't really just shrug this conversation off.

Mark’s gaze dropped for a brief second, breaking under the intensity plus Junior’s stare is making him nervous. His lips parted but no sound came out at first. And in that silence, everything he had been carefully keeping in place started pressing forward anyway.

His breath shook faintly.

“I—” he started, then stopped.

He let out a small, shaky exhale through his nose, almost like he was giving up on fighting himself. When he finally spoke again, his voice was quieter.

“…It was true.”

The words felt heavier than he expected, he feels like he's been crushed by a giant weight above him, heart speeding its pace. Junior didn’t react immediately so Mark continued, because stopping now would feel worse. His eyes flickered up to meet Junior’s properly this time, even though it made his chest tighten.

“I meant it,” he admitted, slower now, more careful with each word. “When I said it on stage… I meant it.”

His fingers curled slightly, then relaxed. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

The honesty sat between them, exposed and unprotected. Mark’s throat worked as he swallowed again.

“But I didn’t know how to say it properly,” he added, voice dropping even softer. “Because we’re like this. We’re always together. We know each other more than anyone else does.”

A faint, almost helpless smile flickered on his lips but gone as quickly as it appeared. “And I didn’t want to ruin it.”

His gaze more vulnerable now than before as they look at each other's eyes.

“I was scared,” he admitted. “That if I took that step… and you didn’t feel the same… I’d lose what we already have.”

The last words came out quieter, the honesty making those words weigh too much. Mark exhaled again, this time deeper, like something inside him had finally stopped resisting. His eyes stayed on Junior’s, even though every instinct in him told him to look away, to hide, to recover, to pretend this was still just backstage chaos and not something far more delicate.

But he didn’t because he couldn’t bear to lie. Not to Junior.

So Mark just stood there, already bracing himself for impact. Not physically but emotionally, in the quiet, careful way you prepare for something you know might break you cleanly in half.

His gaze dropped now as his heart pounded harder in nervousness, lashes lowering as if that could soften whatever came next. He didn’t want to see it immediately. Didn’t want to watch Junior’s expression shift into something distant or apologetic or final.

Friends.

That’s what it would be, right? They're friends. That’s what it had always been.

Mark swallowed hard and let his shoulders loosen slightly, like letting go first would hurt less than being pushed away. His fingers curled loosely at his sides. He stared at the floor between them, the faint scuff marks on the backstage wall suddenly far too detailed, far too sharp.

Just say it, he thought quietly. It’s okay. 

“I get it,” he almost rehearsed in his head. “We’re just friends. It was just a joke. It’s fine.”

He could survive that. He told himself he could.

A breath left him, shaky and small, like the last bit of courage slipping out of him.

Then he flinched when Junior moved. He didn’t even register it properly at first. Just the sudden shift in air, the quiet closing of distance again. His instinct was to pull back slightly, but he couldn’t, because the wall was still there behind him, grounding him in place.

Warm hands gently cupped his face which made him freeze completely. His breath caught so sharply it almost hurt.

Junior’s palms were warm against his cheeks, steady and familiar in a way that made his brain stutter. Slowly, so gently it didn’t feel real, Junior guided his face upward.

“Phi—” Mark started, voice barely there but he stopped.

He had no choice but to look. So when he did, his entire world stuttered. Junior was smiling. It was something softer. His eyes weren’t sharp anymore nor testing or searching or serious in that tense way from before. They were warm and bright. Almost glowing with something that made Mark’s chest feel like it had forgotten how to function. Like Mark had just said something precious instead of terrifying.

Mark’s mind short-circuited instantly. That wasn’t the reaction he prepared for.

Junior exhaled a soft laugh at his expression, thumb brushing gently across Mark’s cheek like he was trying to smooth away every bit of tension there.

“Baby,” Junior said, voice low and fond, like it belonged somewhere quiet and private and safe. “You have no idea how happy I am hearing those from you.

Mark blinked in shock, completely stopped functioning.

Baby.

His eyes widened slightly, lips parting without sound.

Baby?

Junior called him that sometimes, sure. Either playfully, jokingly, in front of cameras where it felt like part of the act they both leaned into. But this wasn’t that. This was something else entirely. Something more real and more meaningful.

Mark stared at him like his brain had officially disconnected from reality. Confusion, shock, a very late attempt at processing.

Junior let out another quiet chuckle, softer this time, like he was genuinely amused by how completely Mark had frozen. There was no teasing edge to it, only affection, unmistakable and unhidden.

“You look like you can’t believe me,” Junior murmured.

Mark’s mouth opened slightly, then closed again. Nothing came out because he didn't know what to say for real. Junior leaned in just a little closer, not enough to overwhelm, and just enough that Mark could feel him more clearly, like he was choosing to exist in his space on purpose.

His thumb continued tracing small, grounding motions against Mark’s cheek slowly and gently.

“I’m serious,” Junior said, voice dropping even softer now. “I’d rather be dead than not feel the same way you do.”

The words landed heavily on Mark. It was honest in a way that stripped away every remaining doubt he had been desperately trying to hold onto. His breath shook, heart didn’t just race, it stumbled like it had forgotten its rhythm entirely. That was too certain, too direct for him to handle.

Junior stayed there, holding him like he wasn’t something fragile that might break, but something precious he’d been afraid to lose without even realizing it.

Mark finally managed a sound. A small and barely audible whisper. 

“…You… do?”

Junior’s smile softened further, eyes never leaving his.

“Of course I do,” he said simply, like it was obvious. Like it had always been obvious except for the two of them refusing to say it out loud. “Do you think I would drag you into an empty room like this for nothing?”

That earned a faint, disbelieving breath from Mark that might’ve been a laugh if his body had remembered how. But he was still frozen, still trying to reconcile everything.

Junior’s hands stayed on his face, steadying him, anchoring him there so he couldn’t drift too far into panic or disbelief.

“I like you,” Junior continued, quieter now, but even more certain. “Not just on stage. Not just for fans. Not just for what people think we are.”

His thumb brushed once more under Mark’s eye, slow and careful. “I like you, Mark.”

Something in Mark cracked not in a painful way, but in a way that released all the pressure he hadn’t realized he’d been holding for months. He didn’t realize it at first. It crept in quietly like a pressure he hadn’t noticed building finally finding its release. His vision blurred at the edges from everything at once.

Relief hit him first, sudden and disarming, like his body had been holding its breath for too long and only now remembered it could let go. Then came the emotion he hadn’t fully allowed himself to name before, something soft and overwhelming and almost disorienting in its intensity. Because it wasn’t one-sided, and it had never been one-sided.

Junior… felt it too.

That realization alone was enough to undo him. Mark’s throat tightened, and he blinked quickly, but it didn’t help. The warmth in Junior’s hands stayed steady on his face, grounding him even as his eyes started to sting. He let out a small, broken breath that sounded like it didn’t belong to him.

“Don’t…” Mark tried, voice wavering slightly as he finally forced himself to look directly at Junior again. His lashes were wet now, and it made everything feel even more unreal. “Don’t joke like that…”

His voice softened further, almost pleading without meaning to. “You better not be joking… or else—”

He didn’t even finish the sentence because he didn’t know what “or else” meant. There was nothing in him that could actually follow through with any threat right now.

Junior didn’t look even slightly shaken. Instead, he laughed like the tension in Mark’s voice only made something in him softer. His hands finally shifted after wiping Mark's tears. Sliding away from his cheeks, but not leaving him. They moved down carefully, settling around Mark’s waist in a secure, familiar hold, pulling him just a little closer like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Baby,” Junior said, still smiling, voice low. “You know I can’t lie when it comes to you.”

That was it, the moment something in Mark fully gave way. And before he could stop it, a tear slipped down his cheek. His eyes widened slightly, as if he was surprised his body had betrayed him like that, but there was no stopping it now. The emotions he had been holding back for so long finally spilled over. The relief, disbelief, happiness so sharp it almost hurt.

Junior didn’t hesitate, he immediately pulled him in. So Mark went easily like he always did. His body already knew where it belonged before his mind could catch up. His arms wrapped around Junior instinctively, gripping the back of his shirt, fingers curling into the fabric like it was the only stable thing left in the world. He let out a shaky laugh through the tears, half embarrassed, half overwhelmed, but there was no real attempt to hide it.

Mark’s forehead rested against Junior’s shoulder as he exhaled unevenly, finally letting his body relax completely into the embrace. The tension that had been coiled inside him for weeks, months, maybe longer, slowly unraveled under Junior’s arms.

It felt safe, and it also felt real in a way it never had before. Junior’s hold tightened slightly, like he was making sure Mark didn’t drift away even for a second. And Mark, still smiling through the wetness on his face, closed his eyes. For once he didn’t have to guess what they were.

Junior didn’t let go. Not even when Mark’s breathing started to settle into something softer, something more calm. He just held him there, like if he loosened his grip even slightly, the moment might slip back into uncertainty and overthinking and all the distance they had spent months, years pretending didn’t exist.

Mark stayed folded into him, still recovering from the emotional wave that had hit him so hard it left him lightheaded. 

Then Junior’s hand moved slowly through his hair. Careful fingers combing through strands damp with sweat from the stage, now softer in the quiet of the empty room. It was absentminded in the gentlest way, Junior wasn’t thinking about it too much, an instinct, like this was already something his hands had always known how to do.

They stayed like that for a while. Junior’s hand continued its slow path through his hair, steady and grounding. Mark’s grip on Junior’s shirt loosened slightly, not letting go, just… settling. Like his body had decided it could finally rest.

Minutes passed like that. Then gently, Junior shifted.

Mark felt the subtle adjustment of arms around his waist, the shift in weight. Slowly, Junior leaned back just enough to look at him properly.

Mark hesitated for a second before lifting his head meeting Junior’s gaze. A faint smile appeared on Junior’s lips. Fond in a way that made Mark’s chest tighten again, but this time, not from fear.

“You can’t take back your words now,” Junior said quietly, a slight whine in his voice, thumbs rested lightly at Mark's sides, as if anchoring him there in the present. His voice lowered slightly.

“We’re faens now,” he continued, then emphasizing himself softly with a breath of amusement, “boyfriends.”

The word settled between them like it had been waiting there all along. 

Junior’s smile shifted just a little, more serious now underneath the warmth. “And I can’t bear it if you take it back.”

Mark stared at him for a second because he knew it himself that he can't take it back anymore. Not when it was what he wanted in the first place. His lips curved slowly… soft, a little teary still, but undeniably happy.

“As if I can take it back,” he said quietly, voice steadier now. “When it’s the thing I want the most.”

Something in Junior’s expression brightened instantly at that. Like a weight he didn’t even realize he was carrying had finally dropped away. His smile widened. Now more open, relieved, genuinely happy in a way that made his eyes soften further.

“Good,” Junior murmured.

And then, without warning, he moved slowly, carefully. He leaned closer again, not rushing, giving Mark every chance to pull away if he wanted to, but Mark didn’t.

Instead, Mark stayed exactly where he was, watching him come nearer. Until, their foreheads touched. The contact was gentle, the warmth consuming the both of them as they exhaled at the same time, almost in sync, like something inside their chests had finally aligned.

Mark’s eyes fluttered half closed without thinking. Junior’s forehead stayed pressed against his, steadying him, grounding him.

For a few seconds, they just stayed like that, breathing each other in. Existing in the same small space without distance for the first time in a way that mattered.

Then their eyes opened again and they looked at each other. So close that everything felt magnified, the smallest shift of expression, the faintest tremor of breath.

Junior leaned even closer, just enough that their noses brushed. A soft, barely-there touch that still made something in Mark’s chest tighten again and his stomach to flutter. Their breaths mingled now, warm and unsteady, shared in the tiny space between them. Every inhale felt like it belonged to both of them at once.

Mark’s hands, still resting lightly against Junior’s arms, didn’t move but it started to shake a little. 

So did as Junior’s hands at his waist, it stayed there, flexing a little, grounding. They were completely still, except for the quiet rise and fall of their breathing and the way their hearts were definitely not calming down at all. If anything, they are worse now, faster, and synchronized in the worst and best way possible.

Junior’s voice came out softer than everything else before it.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked. Their noses were still touching as he spoke, rubbing gently with the movement of his breath. 

Mark smiled at that, warm like the answer had already been inside him long before the question was asked. They kissed many times already but this kiss feels like sacred to the both of them.

“Yes,” he said quietly.

And that was all it took as Junior closed the distance slowly. Making sure every second of it was remembered.

Their lips met gently. Soft at first, almost hesitant, like both of them were still adjusting to the reality of it. But there was no hesitation in the feeling behind it. Only warmth, everything they had been holding back finally finding its place.

The kiss lingered full of all the things they had never said out loud but had always somehow understood. It unfolded slowly, like neither of them wanted to break the moment by moving too fast, too suddenly, too much like it could still be mistaken for anything other than what it was. Mark felt it first in the smallest details, things he never noticed when his thoughts were louder than his body.

Soft breaths that weren’t fully his and weren’t fully Junior’s anymore, mixing in the narrow space between them. The faint shift of fabric when Junior adjusted his hold at Mark’s waist, steadying him closer. The almost imperceptible rustle of Mark’s shirt as his own hands finally settled more firmly against Junior’s arms, grounding himself there.

Junior’s lips were warm, firm but gentle, pressing into his in a way that didn’t demand anything but still made Mark’s entire body respond instinctively. There was no hesitation in it anymore, not like the first brief second of contact. Now it was steady, familiar almost immediately, like something that had been waiting to happen for a long time.

Mark leaned into it more. The wall behind him stayed cool against his back, but everything in front of him was warm. Alive and real.

Junior’s hands at his waist tightened just a little, just enough to pull him closer in a way that made Mark feel completely anchored there. Like there was no space left to fall away from this moment.

Mark’s fingers curled slightly against Junior’s sleeves, gripping the fabric as if it was the only thing keeping him steady. Their noses brushed faintly between shifts, soft friction that made the closeness feel even more intimate, more inescapable in the gentlest way.

Time lost its edges, no stage anymore. No noise beyond this room and the way their breathing started to deepen as the kiss continued, unhurried and unbroken. Mark felt himself soften into it completely, the tension he hadn’t even realized he still carried finally dissolving under Junior’s presence. At some point, Junior shifted slightly…just enough to adjust their angle, and Mark followed without thinking, his body already knew how to stay close.

Eventually, the pace naturally slowed, not because either of them wanted it to end, but because they were both running out of breath in the most reluctant way possible. Their lips lingered for a final moment, softer now, almost reluctant to separate.

Then gently, they parted just enough to breathe.

Mark’s forehead nearly brushed Junior’s again as they pulled back, both of them inhaling at the same time like they had forgotten how oxygen worked outside of each other. Their breaths came heavier now, uneven but shared in the same small space.

He opened his eyes slowly and saw Junior was already looking at him. Somehow, that was what hit him the hardest. Junior was smiling, it was warm and bright like the sun peaking at the horizon as it shines. 

Just… happy.

He was breathless in the same way Mark was, but steady in a way that made Mark feel safe even in the aftermath of everything they had just done.

Mark let out a quiet, shaky exhale that turned almost into a laugh. His forehead finally rested lightly against Junior’s.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Everything unspoken between them before, everything that used to sit heavy and unresolved was gone now. Not replaced by confusion or doubt. Just replaced by something clearer, something they can both call theirs. 

Junior’s hands stayed at Mark’s waist, holding him there like he had no intention of letting go anytime soon. They weren’t pretending anymore, weren’t guessing, weren’t almost anything. They were finally, completely together.

Then, very softly, like it had been waiting behind everything they’d already said, Junior spoke first.

“I love you.”

Mark blinked at him, and something in his chest tightened so sharply it hurts. For a second, he didn’t trust his voice. It felt too fragile, too full. But looking at Junior, at the way he was still holding him like this was the most natural thing in the world, Mark felt everything inside him settle into place.

A slow smile formed on his lips and this time, it didn’t shake.

“I love you more,” Mark said quietly, no hesitation or second-guessing.

The kind that had been there for a long time, finally allowed to exist out loud. For a heartbeat, they just stayed like that. Close, smiling at each other like the rest of the world didn’t exist beyond that small, dim room full of forgotten equipment and soft breathing.

Mark had never felt lighter.

He exhaled a soft laugh, almost disbelieving, like his body still couldn’t fully process how real this was. Junior’s smile widened in response, like something heavy had finally been put down after a very long time.

Mark shifted slightly closer again without thinking, drawn in by instinct alone. Junior met him halfway, leaning in as if they were going to fall back into another kiss just as naturally as breathing.

Their noses brushed again, breaths mingled. Everything felt like it was about to start over. 

But then a sudden explosion of noise cut through the backstage silence. Screaming. Cheering. Loud, chaotic, fans reacting to something happening on the main stage.

Mark froze mid-movement, eyes widening slightly and Junior paused too.

They both blinked at each other for a second, still too close, still holding onto that moment that hadn’t fully ended yet.

Then realization hit at the same time.

Gemini and Fourth’s performance was done.

Which meant—

Junior let out a quiet, helpless laugh first Mark following immediately after. And just like that, the tension dissolved into shared amusement. The absurdity of it, being caught in a moment like this while the entire event was still going on, made it impossible not to laugh.

Mark buried his face briefly against Junior’s shoulder, still laughing, breath shaky but happy.

“We’re so going to get yelled at,” Mark muttered between laughs.

“Definitely,” Junior replied, sounding equally amused. 

Their manager is probably fuming now that they're both missing without phones in hand. Yet neither of them moved away in a hurry. Not until Junior finally straightened slightly and reached for Mark’s hand. His fingers slipping naturally between Mark’s, fitting perfectly like they had always belonged there.

Mark looked down at it for a second, still smiling, then looked back up at Junior. Whatever lingering embarrassment there was, it didn’t matter anymore. Junior is now his and there's nothing that can erase that.

Together, they finally stepped out of the room, hands still intertwined, laughter soft between them as they walked back through the backstage corridors.

The noise of the venue grew louder again as they moved forward. Fans, staff, the distant echo of everything still happening beyond their small moment of pause. Both of them didn’t feel rushed because even as they headed back toward their responsibilities, schedules, toward reality. Junior’s hand was still holding Mark's, he's still there with him.

And Mark had never been happier than he was right now.