"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous." -Ingrid Bergman

"You're ing ting me!" Milena Petkova spun in her desk chair to face her roommates. The trio had been dressing to go to the VIXX concert when Rachel had burst out with the story about N and Leo's visit and Natalie's surprise kisses. "He really just came in and kissed her? Twice?!" She abandoned her half-applied makeup to rush into the larger bedroom to better hear the story.

Natalie blushed behind her curtain of straight brown hair and turned her back on her tormenters, zipping her dark-wash cut-offs. The black heels she would be wearing lay on her bed beside the tight leather bodice and flowy red sleeves of her blouse. Like her friends, she had changed her idea for her attire when Milena insisted that jeans and T-shirts just weren't good enough for going backstage. This, of course, had led to an explanation of just how they got the passes, which led to her current embarrassment.

Rachel, sitting on her bed pulling on socks, grinned widely. "It was the cutest thing!" she gushed, ignoring Natalie's squeak. "I was getting a new name bar from the back room[1] when I heard the buzzer go off. Since Natalie was off the clock, I hurried my skinny down the ladder, and when I opened the door, what do I find? Miss Nat'lie in a liplock with a tall dark stranger!"

"Then she started singing 'Kiss the Girl'," Natalie said, voice muffled by the blouse she was pulling on over her head.

Milena laughed. "Then what then what then what?" she demanded. She plopped down next to Rachel, squealed, stood up, moved the black Converse she had sat on, regained her seat.

"N came in and watched while they talked. Then Natalie said something that kinda made Leo flinch, and she cringed the way she does when she's sorry about something. Then - seriously - he just grabbed her face and kissed her again! It was like a romance novel! Or a badly-written fanfiction![2] It was so cute!" Rachel tied her Converse and pulled a royal purple tank top from under Milena's . She tossed it on and grabbed a leather jacket that hung on her bedpost. "Then the manager came in, and they had to leave, but he gave her the backstage passes before he left."

Milena tossed her black hair and turned to Natalie. "And you probably just stammered and blushed and looked adorable, right? One of the guys you've followed since debut kisses you, and you don't mention it. I thought I taught you the rules of being roommates. Rule Twelve: when there is gossip, spill it, chicky!"

Natalie wrinkled her nose. "What? I'm not allowed to process the fact that I swapped spit with a gorgeous Korean idol before I talk about it?"

"No!" The short-sleeve backless blouse Milena wore strained as she breathed a deep, dramatic, long-suffering sigh. "Turn in your girl card, Natalie Matheson. You failed the required courses. Back to school you go."

~*~*~*~*~

The theatre was packed; even with the lights in his eyes, Leo could see it. The lightsticks filled his vision from wall to wall as if he was walking above the stars themselves. Sweat was running cold and sticky down his face and his back, and his breathing sounded heavy in his own ears. The cheering and chanting was muffled by the earplugs that kept him from going deaf. Try as he might, though, he couldn't differentiate faces in the crowd, let alone find the one he so wanted to see. He hadn't thought he'd be able to, but he had hoped.

Ken nudged him with his elbow as he walked across the stage passed him, pulling him out of his thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder at his bandmate while Ravi and N were speaking to the audience in slow, methodical English. Ken gave him an encouraging smile and tapped the microphone mounted to his ear. They had just finished their duet song, I Don't Want to Be an Idol, and for the first time, Leo could feel Ken's pain. He had been forced to choose between his career and his girlfriend. Natalie's life didn't progress in front of cameras or with fans stalking her and wanting to know every detail about her life. That was Leo's curse, not hers, to bear.

"Natalie," he breathed, only to realize too late that his microphone had picked it up. The cheers and chatter died away immediately, and his bandmates looked at him with wide eyes. Or rather, four of them did. N just gave a grin that put the Cheshire Cat to shame.

This did not bode well.

"Dammit, you two, stop pushing me!"

"He called your name, girl. You gotta go to him."

"Ow! Milena!"

Leo's heart leapt into his throat, and it had very little to do with the fact that most of the attention was now off him. Even through the glare of spotlights, he could see a struggle taking place about halfway up the theatre from the stage. A small figure was unceremoniously dumped out into the aisle, hissing and spitting like a wet kitten. He recognized that little spitfire, and he could almost ignore the sniggering at his side from a very thrilled N. What he couldn't ignore were the hands pushing him toward the edge of the stage - and there were six of them.

Damn N, Ravi, and Hyuk.

The diminutive figure that was Natalie Matheson walked down the aisle into the pools of light thrown around the stage, and Leo felt his heart jump into his throat. She had made it after all. He suddenly wanted the show to be over so he could have her to himself and not be on public display. Leo knelt down at the edge of the stage and took the hand she offered, kissing it gently. The theatre drew a collective breath and erupted in ear-piercing squeals and shouts.

"See you backstage," Leo said under the noise, just for Natalie, and released her hand.

At least there were only three songs left.