The waiter appeared with another round of drinks, setting them down before disappearing again. Kaj watched as condensation formed on his glass, tiny droplets sliding down like tears. He hadn’t expected this kind of response—this casual acceptance, as if he and Noah being together was the most natural thing in the world.
“You guys don’t care?” Kaj asked as the others continued cursing and grumbling.
“About you hooking up?” Aksel snorted and rolled his eyes. “Please.”
“The sexual tension between you two could power a small country.” Ben laughed.
“So,” Aksel said, leaning his elbows on the table with exaggerated interest, “who made the first move?”
“None of your fucking business,” Kaj retorted.
“I’m betting it was Noah,” Markus cackled. “Kaj’s too busy maintaining his tough-guy image to risk rejection.”
“Hey!” Kaj protested, but Noah was laughing now, the sound warm and genuine, calming Kaj’s nerves.
Everyone cackled, and warmth spread through Kaj’s chest. It was softer than the burning embarrassment from a second ago, more comforting—like slipping into a hot bath after being out in the cold for hours.
The evening air had cooled considerably by the time they left the restaurant, but it was still nice outside. So, instead of getting a cab, they walked back to the hotel. It was just a forty-minute stroll and would help them digest the copious amounts of food from dinner before going to bed. Seriously, they’d eaten like starving pigs.
Their voices hushed in the streets as Kaj fell behind, hands shoved deep in his pockets, watching Noah’s back. The vocalist was nodding at something Xander said, but his shoulders were tense, the line of his spine rigid.
They were free of their lies and sneaking around to not get caught, but having their privacy exposed was outrageous. Not to mention being stalked. It would take Noah some time and a lot of mental strength to get over it. Kaj was very well aware of how that felt.
After he’d emancipated and put some distance between himself and that pretense of a family he had, he was paranoid. When he moved to Copenhagen for work, it got even worse because Jesper lived there, only getting better again after Mads and his grandma welcomed him into their home and Jesper was thrown into jail. It was two really stressful years. Then, it repeated all over again with his own particular stalker.
Noah had proven to be good at masking distress, but that morning, when they talked with the manager and his distracted attitude since then, gave Kaj a glimpse of the whirlwind in his head. He was exhausted and scared.
Something inside Kaj made him want to hug and reassure him,again.
Who the fuck are you?
Back at the hotel, they divided into two elevators to get to their rooms. Kaj leaned against the mirrored wall, staring at the numbers climbing, while Noah stared at his boots and the others continued talking in much lower tones. Something about cars.
“I’m gonna smoke one more before going to bed.” Kaj pressed the button to the rooftop.
“I’m coming with you,” Noah said.
With the bustle of the city and his friends talking, Kaj hadn’t had time to mull over everything that was happening. The photos, their not-serious relationship being in the public eye… He wanted to be alone, but he’d gotten so used to Noah’s presence that, for some reason, it didn’t bother him if he tagged along.
“Don’t stay up late, we have an early flight to catch,” Aksel quipped as he followed Markus and Val out of the elevator.
The ride up was silent, just like the terrace, which was mercifully empty at this hour. Buenos Aires spread out before them like a glittering sea, the city lights competing with the few stars twinkling in the dark sky above. The distant sounds of traffic and nightlife rose up, a soft urban harmony that made this corner of the world feel strangely intimate.
Kaj lit a cigarette, the flame briefly illuminating his palm as he shielded it from the wind. He took a deep drag, feeling Noah’s heavy gaze on him as he watched the smoke curl upward into the night sky.
“That was awkward as fuck,” he finally said.
Noah propped his elbows on the railing. “Could've been worse.”
“How?”
“They could’ve been weird or mad about it.” Noah shrugged. “Instead, they just seemed... slightly upset that we hadn’t told them.”
“And amused,” Kaj added with a huff. “Did you see Aksel’s face? It was like he’d won some fucking bet.”
“Maybe he did,” Noah said, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “I wouldn’t put it past them.”
“Me neither.”
