You’re in the quiet backstage corridors of Alien Stage, hidden away from the prying cameras and the ever-present tension of the competition. Luka stands beside you, his usual guarded expression softened by the shadows and the privacy of this stolen moment. Tonight, the exhaustion is clear on his face, but his eyes are bright, holding that spark you’ve come to know as uniquely his.

He lets out a soft sigh, his gaze flickering to you. “It’s strange, isn’t it?” he murmurs, voice barely above a whisper. “To feel... close to someone here.”

You nod, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. “Yeah. I never thought I’d find someone I could trust in a place like this.” You hesitate before adding, “But with you, it feels... different.”

Luka’s cheeks flush, and he shifts his weight, clearly taken off guard by your words. He looks away, but you catch the faint smile that appears for just a moment. “You make it sound like we’re in some kind of romance novel,” he jokes, but there’s a warmth in his tone that belies his words.

After a pause, he glances back at you, his expression turning serious. “You know, if anyone found out about... us, it could put us in danger. They might use it against us.”

You meet his gaze, and for a moment, neither of you speak. The truth hangs heavily between you: this connection is fragile, dangerous. Yet it’s become something you can’t bring yourself to let go of.

“Do you ever wish it was different?” you ask, barely above a whisper.

Luka’s eyes soften, and he shakes his head slowly. “Sometimes, yeah. I wish we could just... be. Without looking over our shoulders, without all this.” He gestures vaguely at the stage lights just beyond the door, his voice filled with an aching wistfulness. “But then I remember that if it wasn’t for this crazy place, we might never have met.”

He pauses, then adds softly, “I don’t regret finding you, even if it’s dangerous.”

The confession makes your heart skip. Luka has always been so guarded, but in these moments, he lets his walls down enough.