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It happened backstage after the show.
The band just finished playing, and everyone was tired, sweaty, and ready to get out of the venue. Nico was talking to Kevin near the dressing room while Pascal searched for his phone for the third time that evening.
Daniel stood near the wall, drinking water.
Dan was somewhere nearby.
Nico barely paid attention when one of the festival crew members walked past Daniel.
The man stopped.
He looked Daniel up and down.
“Didn't expect the bassist to be so pretty.”
Daniel glanced at him.
“Thanks?”
The man laughed.
“Wasn't a compliment.”
Daniel's expression changed slightly.
Nico noticed.
The man continued.
“Thought metal bands were supposed to have actual men in them.”
Daniel stared at him for a moment.
Then he shrugged.
“Good thing nobody asked you.”
The man laughed again.
“Touchy.”
He walked away.
Nico walked over.
“You okay?”
Daniel nodded.
“Yeah.”
He took another drink.
“Just an idiot.”
Nico nodded.
He thought that was the end of it.
It wasn't.
A few minutes later, Nico saw Dan.
Dan stood at the other end of the hallway.
He apparently heard the exchange.
His expression was unreadable.
Too unreadable.
Nico knew Dan well enough by then to recognize when he was angry.
Dan wasn't someone who shouted when he was angry.
He got quiet.
Very quiet.
Dan walked over to Daniel.
“You okay?”
Daniel looked at him.
“I'm fine.”
“What did he say?”
Daniel sighed.
“Dan.”
“What did he say?”
Daniel glanced around.
“Nothing important.”
Dan's jaw tightened.
Daniel reached out and touched his arm.
“Seriously. Don't.”
Dan looked down at his hand.
Then back at him.
“I'm not going to do anything.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow.
“You have your angry face.”
“I don't have an angry face.”
“You do.”
Nico quietly walked away.
He had a feeling he shouldn't be there.
Thirty minutes later, everyone gathered near the back exit.
The crew was loading equipment into trucks.
The same man from earlier stood near the door.
“Dan.”
Dan turned.
“I just want to talk to him.”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I said talk.”
Daniel crossed his arms.
“You're doing the thing.”
“What thing?”
“The calm voice.”
Dan sighed.
“I'm allowed to be annoyed.”
“You're more than annoyed.”
Dan looked at him.
“He was disrespectful.”
“I know.”
“And he did it because he thought he could.”
“I know.”
Dan took a breath.
Then he looked at Daniel.
“I'm not going to get into a fight.”
Daniel studied his face.
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
Dan turned around and walked toward the man.
Nico watched from a distance.
Dan stopped a few meters away.
“Can I talk to you?”
The man looked at him.
“About what?”
“What you said earlier.”
The man's expression changed.
“Oh.”
Dan's voice remained calm.
“What you said wasn't okay.”
The man laughed.
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“Your boyfriend can't handle a joke?”
Dan's expression hardened.
Daniel, who was standing behind him, froze.
Nico looked at him.
Daniel looked back.
Neither said anything.
Dan didn't react immediately.
Then he said. “You don't get to talk to him like that.”
The man shrugged.
“It was just a joke.”
“You don't have to like him.”
“I don't.”
“But you do have to respect him.”
The man rolled his eyes.
“Whatever.”
Dan stepped back.
“It better not happen again.”
He turned around.
That was it.
No shouting.
No dramatic confrontation.
Just a quiet warning.
Daniel waited until Dan reached him.
Then he looked at him.
“You really did it.”
“I told you I would.”
“You promised not to fight.”
“I didn't.”
Daniel smiled.
“You were very scary.”
Dan frowned.
“I wasn't scary.”
“You were.”
“I was polite.”
“You were aggressively polite.”
Dan sighed.
Daniel laughed.
Nico tried not to smile.
Pascal walked past them.
“Did Dan just threaten someone with good manners?”
Kevin nodded.
“Apparently.”
The drummer looked at Dan.
“Effective?”
Dan shrugged.
“He left.”
Pascal nodded approvingly.
“Excellent.”
Daniel laughed again.
Dan looked at him.
“Are you actually okay?”
Daniel's smile softened.
“Yeah.”
“You don't have to pretend.”
“I know.”
Dan waited.
Daniel reached for his hand.
They were still backstage, with people moving around them, so Daniel only squeezed his fingers briefly before letting go.
“I'm okay.” he repeated.
Dan nodded.
“Good.”
They started walking toward the exit.
Nico followed a few steps behind.
After a moment, Daniel slowed down until he was beside him.
“You saw all of that?”
“Unfortunately.”
Daniel smiled.
“Your boyfriend is ridiculous.”
Daniel laughed.
“He gets like that.”
“Protective?”
“Very.”
“Does he do that often?”
Daniel thought about it.
“Not usually.”
“Why not?”
“Because most people aren't stupid enough to insult me in front of him.”
Nico laughed.
“That makes sense.”
They reached the bus.
Everyone climbed aboard.
Daniel took the seat beside Dan automatically.
Nico sat across from them.
For a while, nobody spoke.
Then Pascal leaned over.
“So.”
Dan looked at him.
“No.”
“I didn't even ask anything.”
“You were going to.”
Pascal grinned.
“Are you secretly a dangerous man?”
“No.”
Kevin snorted.
“You went backstage to give someone a lecture because he called Daniel pretty.”
Dan looked annoyed.
“He insulted him.”
“You've got to admit-” Pascal said. “-that's adorable.”
“It's not adorable.”
Daniel leaned against Dan's shoulder.
“I thought it was.”
Dan looked at him.
“You're not helping.”
Daniel smiled.
“I know.”
The bus started moving.
Daniel's head remained against Dan's shoulder.
Dan looked down at him.
His expression softened again.
Nico noticed.
It was strange.
Dan could look intimidating when he wanted to.
He could be demanding in the studio and ruthless about music.
But around Daniel, all of that disappeared.
He became gentle.
Nico understood then why Dan reacted so strongly.
It wasn't about someone insulting his boyfriend.
It was about someone hurting someone he loved.
After a few minutes, Daniel's eyes closed.
Dan adjusted his jacket and pulled it over Daniel's shoulders.
Pascal looked at Nico.
Nico looked back.
Pascal mouthed: “Cute.”
Nico nodded. He couldn't disagree.
The next morning, Nico found Daniel in the hotel lobby.
“Morning.”
Daniel smiled.
“Morning.”
“How are you?”
“Good.”
“Your protective boyfriend behaving?”
Daniel laughed.
“He apologized.”
“For what?”
“For getting angry.”
“Did you accept?”
“Yes.”
Nico nodded.
“Good.”
Daniel smiled.
“He said he hates seeing people treat me badly.”
Nico looked at him.
“That sounds like him.”
“It does.”
Daniel paused.
Then he smiled.
“It's nice.”
“What is?”
“Being loved like that.”
Nico smiled.
“Yeah.”
Daniel looked toward the elevator.
Dan stepped out a moment later.
The second he saw Daniel, his expression changed.
He smiled.
Daniel smiled back.
Nico watched them walk toward each other.
Dan stopped in front of Daniel.
“You slept okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
Daniel reached up and briefly touched his cheek.
Then they walked toward the others together.
Nico followed.
He had been in the band long enough to know their little habits now.
The shared coffee. The borrowed clothes. The constant proximity.
The way they always looked for each other first.
And apparently, the way Dan quietly turned into a guard dog whenever someone crossed a line.
Nico smiled.
He supposed every band had its own dynamics.
His just happened to include one extremely protective guitarist and the bassist he was hopelessly in love with.