Draco couldn't stop thinking about Alex, about how much they had lived together, about the nights he was alone, crying until Alex came to comfort him, hug him, both seeing the stars, hearing each other's voices, falling deeper and deeper in love with each other... Or at least Draco did. How he wished that they could continue like that forever, that they would never grow up because they were meant for each other.
Draco could no longer bear to have the words 'I love you' stuck in his chest, burning and twisting his insides with jealousy, shame, and guilt. He needed to do something before his heart exploded. Maybe he could talk to Zeth? Or Finn?
But maybe not.
Maybe he should talk it over with Alex.
But what if he thought he was weird for liking boys?
Would he look at him differently?
Of course not!
The fact Draco was bisexual would certainly not affect Alex... It would be that Draco loved him.
That would ruin everything!
The thought of it crushed Draco, and he started to hyperventilate. It wouldn't do any good if he fainted on stage. He'd have to take it down step by step while keeping it professional. He could still do that.
He took a deep breath, steeled his nerves, and approached Alex, who did not stop checking the Velcro of his tailored suit.
"You are nervous, aren't you?" Draco asked.
"I want to make sure the clothes can come off easily," Alex winked.
Draco had liked Alex for so long, but tonight had to be the one. Finn finally had the courage to be himself, found his place in the world, and Draco knew which one was his: with Alex.
Fans wouldn't hate him if he came out, of that he was sure.
And tonight, with adrenaline pumping, Draco decided to confess his feelings.
He had made a promise to himself, and he intended to keep it.
He couldn’t help but feel butterflies in his stomach.
It was time to see Alex in action, back to his old business of sensually dancing for many women.
"Are you nervous?" Alex asked Draco now, looking him square in the eye.
"Of course I'm nervous," Draco nodded. "I'll admit that. But I have to do this. For myself."
"For yourself? What are we talking about again?" Alex got closer until their torsos touched. He placed his hands on Draco's biceps and leaned into his space. "Are you talking about the show or something else?"
Draco went cold. Was Alex hinting at something? Did Alex know? Had Draco been caught? He hadn't expected Alex to guess anything, yet he didn't have enough evidence to deny anything either. He could always just tell the truth and hope Alex would never find out about his crush. Then again, there was no reason for Alex to know that Draco even liked men anyway.
"You're nervous about your crush," Alex whispered, brushing Draco's out-of-place scarlet hair with his fingers, "But you don't need to be. You know how amazing you are. No matter what happens, we will stick together. And if anything goes wrong, I've got your back too."
"So you know I'm very much in love, right?" Draco said, trying to keep his voice steady. He felt like screaming. It all seemed surreal. Alex was here, and it was the right moment.
"You know? I think I feel the same as you," Alex whispered.
Draco clenched his fists, clenching everything that could be clenched.
Did Alex know of his crush?!
Of course, he knew.
How could Draco ever hide that from him?
"So you know I like..."
"Jade? Yeah, me too!" Alex cut him off, smiling broadly as if they were sharing a secret.
Draco froze, shocked beyond belief.
"What did you say?!" Draco stared up at Alex, who shrugged.
"Yeah." His tone became serious. "It's kind of obvious."
"Obvious? How is that obvious?!" Draco exclaimed. "I thought you were talking about..."
"Who could we be talking about? Finn?" Alex laughed out loud.
Draco's heart broke into a million pieces.
They couldn't really be together, could they?
Draco's heart sank, and it took every ounce of self-control not to scream.
"Zeth is going to tell Jade that to be with him, she must be with all of us," Alex said, smiling fondly. "So I guess she'll understand."
"I... see…" Draco managed to choke out.
"And now, Monster Mash like you've never seen them!" Glitter Joe's voice echoed.
Around Draco and Alex, the other members stood on the stage.
The adrenaline, the nerve of being on the spotlight again after so many years, was beginning to fade, and Alex took a deep breath.
He tried hard not to think about his parents, siblings, and friends whom he couldn't disappoint anymore.
"Here we go," Alex sighed, and Draco, true to his professional ideology, decided to put aside the pain in his chest and give the fans what they wanted: a light-hearted show that would make them forget their problems.
But who would help Draco with his problems?
It did not matter.
Right now he had to look good, smile and dance like an Animatronic without feelings.
Oh! This gave Draco an idea! A song!
When the curtain went up, all the boys went ahead with the plan. They yanked off their Velcro pants and kicked off their shoes.
The crowd cheered, even more when they unbuttoned their suit jackets and buttons shirts, sensually removing them until all that was left was their hammock-like underwear.
The women and men shouted, whistled, and stomped their feet. The music thumped, and people sang along. Draco felt so hot, but also cold. He kept his eyes on the girls, knowing that if he looked up at Alex, he would fall apart completely.