50 | it's happening people

IT'S HAPPENING PEOPLE

🪩

The glow of the TV bathed the apartment in soft golden light, the opening chords of Dawson's Creek drifting through the quiet living room. Diana was tucked into the corner of her couch, legs folded beneath her, Malachi's arm wrapped loosely around her shoulders. Her head rested against his chest, feeling the slow, steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her cheek. The room smelled faintly of vanilla from the candle burning on her coffee table, and outside, the world was quiet — the kind of peaceful, late-evening stillness that made everything feel suspended in time.

Diana reached lazily for her phone, unlocking it as the familiar theme song began to play. She half-watched the screen, half-scrolled through social media, liking random posts and replying to a few messages from Dani and Aspen. Then her feed refreshed — and she froze.

Her brow furrowed as she tapped on a post. It was a fan account — one of the bigger ones that kept up with both her and Malachi — and there, splashed across the screen, were blurry, slightly grainy photos of them at the Santa Monica pier the day before. One of them showed Malachi leaning in close, his arm draped over her shoulders as they laughed. Another caught them walking along the waterline, hand in hand. The caption read: Malachi Barton and Diana Sinclair spotted together again 👀 are they finally dating or are they really just besties?

Diana blinked, lips parting in surprise. "Oh my God," she muttered under her breath.

Malachi, still half-focused on the show, glanced down. "What?"

She turned her phone to him, the screen glowing in the dim light. "Fans are already on it," she said, her voice somewhere between disbelief and amusement. "They basically know."

Malachi squinted at the photo, then smirked. "Wow, they really caught us mid-giggle."

Diana groaned softly, hiding her face behind her hand. "We were literally just existing."

He chuckled, running his fingers through her hair. "Yeah, but apparently we can't even hold hands without breaking the internet."

"That's your fault," she teased, lowering her hand and looking up at him with a smile. "You're the famous one."

He raised a brow. "Excuse me, we're both famous."

"Barely," she said with a small laugh. "You're the one with millions of followers."

He gave her a smug grin. "Maybe. But you're the one who can make the crowd faint with a simple move."

She nudged him lightly in the ribs, laughing. "You're ridiculous."

Malachi's grin softened as he looked down at the photo again. "So... they basically know, huh?"

"Yeah," she said with a sigh, setting her phone on her lap. "It's kind of crazy. They've been guessing for weeks, and I guess now it's not even subtle."

He was quiet for a moment, his thumb tracing lazy circles on her arm. Then, in that calm, effortless tone of his, he said, "Then why don't we just make it official?"

Diana blinked, looking up at him. "Wait, really?"

He met her eyes with a small, confident smile. "Yeah. Why not?"

She tilted her head, searching his face. "You're sure? Because once we do, there's no taking it back. Everyone will know. Fans, press, everyone."

"I know," he said, his voice gentle but sure. "And I want that. I want the world to know that I have the most gorgeous girl sitting right here in my arms."

Her heart did that fluttering thing it always did when he said things like that — casual but so full of sincerity that she could feel it in her bones. "You're too smooth," she whispered, trying to hide her smile.

He leaned in a little, smirking. "And you love it."

"I might," she admitted softly, cheeks warm. Then, quieter still, she added, "It would be kind of nice, though. Knowing everyone knows you're mine."

Malachi's grin widened. "Possessive, are we?"

She gave him a playful glare. "Just honest."

"Hmm," he hummed, pretending to think. "I guess that means I shouldn't post the picture of me and Mk then, huh?"

Her jaw dropped in mock offense. "Malachi!"

He burst out laughing, eyes crinkling as she smacked his arm with a pillow. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" he said between laughs, catching her wrist mid-swing. "You're way cuter when you're jealous, though."

"I'm not jealous," she lied, crossing her arms.

"Sure, Sinclair," he teased, using her last name the way he always did when he was being playful. "Whatever you say."

She glared half-heartedly at him, but the smile tugging at her lips gave her away. "Fine," she said finally. "Let's do it."

He blinked. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Let's post it. Our... hard launch."

He chuckled at her phrasing. "You make it sound so dramatic."

"It is dramatic!" she said, sitting up a little straighter. "This is the moment the internet finds out we're dating. It needs to be perfect."

Malachi grinned and reached for his phone. "Then let's make it perfect."

They spent the next several minutes scrolling through their camera rolls, the air filled with laughter and little bursts of "Oh my God, remember this?" Diana scrolled past the pier photos, beach selfies, rehearsal clips, and random pictures from their nights in. Every memory felt like a small piece of their story — one that had started as friendship and turned into something so much deeper.

"What about this one?" Diana asked, turning her phone to show him the photo. He was sitting on a ledge, she stood between his legs, her hands on his jaw, the two smiling like they had the world to themselves.

Malachi leaned closer, his eyes softening. "That's actually perfect."

She smiled, saving it to her favorites. "Okay, your turn. What are you posting?"

He thought for a moment before scrolling to a picture she didn't even know he had — a simple photo of her in his passenger seat, smiling at him. "This one."

Her heart melted a little. "I don't remember this. You really wanna post that one?"

"Yeah," he said simply, his eyes never leaving hers. "You looked happy."

She looked down, biting her lip to hide her smile. "You're impossible."

"Good impossible?"

"The best kind," she said softly.

He grinned. "Then it's settled."

For a moment, they both went quiet, phones in hand, fingers hovering over their screens as they each picked out a few more photos.

It felt bigger than it should've — a single post, but one that would change everything. The thought made Diana's stomach twist with a mix of nerves and excitement.

"You ready?" he asked, looking over at her.

She exhaled, her eyes meeting his. "Yeah. Let's do it."

They both tapped "post."

dianasinclair just posted !

• o o o o o

o • o o o o

o o • o o o

o o o • o o

o o o o • o

o o o o o •

liked by aspenbrooks and 720,833 more

dianasinclair my starboy💫

tagged: malachibarton

user AHHHHHH

user it's happening people STAY CALM

aspenbrooks been waiting for this one     dianasinclair me too honestly

theemmaslater so happy for you two 💗

ezra.sosa i knew first 😉     daniellakaragach DID NOT

pashapashkov think this means double date???     dianasinclair YESSSS          daniellakaragach YESSSS

brandonarmstrong diana's got a boyfriend 😁

freyaskye i screamed!!! so happy for you two ♥️     dianasinclair love you frey♥️

malachibarton i love you pretty girl     dianasinclair i love you more 💋          user SHUT UP THEY LOVE EACH           OTHER

daniellakaragach my babies 🥹     dianasinclair 😚

user IM SO JEALOUS

user what about grayson???     malachibarton no.

malachibarton just tagged you in a post !

• o o o o o

o • o o o o

o o • o o o

o o o • o o

o o o o • o

o o o o o •

liked by feliciabarton and 894,774 more

malachibarton my tiny dancer💞

tagged: dianasinclair

user they're so in love

user the last photo 🥹     user the first photo 🥹

user i want what they have

dianasinclair my man, my man, my man      malachibarton my girl           user OH MY GOD

mekonnen_official mom and dad     malachibarton hi son

freyaskye AHHHH 💗     liked by creator         dianasinclair AHHHHHH 💗

aspenbrooks treat her right barton     malachibarton 🫡

feliciabarton love you two 💗     dianasinclair love you felicia 💗          malachibarton love you mom

user IM CRYING

user the way she looks at him 🥺     user the way he looks at her 😩

user alexa play "that should be me"

user yeah "besties" my ass

Diana's phone buzzed nonstop. Her notifications were exploding. She glanced at Malachi, whose own phone was lighting up just as much. They looked at each other, wide-eyed — and then burst out laughing.

"Oh my God," she said through her laughter. "We actually did it."

He leaned back, still chuckling. "And I regret nothing."

She moved closer, curling against his side again. "Me neither."

They stayed like that for a while — the TV still playing in the background, the world still buzzing online, but none of it mattered. The moment was theirs, soft and quiet and real. Every so often, Diana's phone would buzz again, another friend texting her congratulations, another fan edit being made, another headline popping up. But she didn't care about any of it right then.

She looked up at Malachi, who was scrolling through comments, his expression a mix of amusement and pride. "You know," she said softly, "I think I kind of love this version of us."

He looked down at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "The one where we can just be us."

He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his voice low. "Then let's keep it that way."

She smiled, leaning in to kiss him — slow and soft, the kind of kiss that felt like a promise. When they pulled apart, he rested his forehead against hers, both of them still smiling.

The episode of Dawson's Creek rolled into the next, the glow of the TV casting warm light across them. Outside, the city hummed quietly, unaware of the small, perfect moment unfolding in a cozy apartment between two people who'd just decided to share their happiness with the world.

And as Diana nestled back against him, her heart full and her phone still buzzing beside her, she couldn't help but think that this — this laughter, this warmth, this love — was exactly what she'd been waiting for all along.

🪩

it's social media official!!

which means more insta photos and tiktok videos with the two!!

with tour and filming coming up, what are your guys's predictions?

ALSOonly 15 chapters left 😢

😊