Chapter One
Jeff grabbed Nick by his shoulder, turning him around. Tears were beginning to spill onto his cheeks, and his lower lip quivered. He'd never even gotten to tell him that he loved him... and now Nick was going to college in New York. "I... N-Nick?" he muttered, swallowing nervously. Nick's heart ached as he watched Jeff fall apart, and he reached up to squeeze his hand. "Don't... don't forget me, alright?" the blond whispered, chickening out at the last minute. The last thing he wanted was to be a reason Nick regretted chasing after his dreams. "I won't, Jeff."
Six Years Later
Jeff stared at his computer screen, sighing softly. All these years, and not a single email from Nick. He kept trying to convince himself that there was no way the brunette had forgotten about him, but... It had been too long now. Nick was busy doing other things. He had school to focus on, new friends to hang out with, work to do... Maybe he'd even gotten a girlfriend... The thought made Jeff's chest hurt and he shut his laptop quickly, standing and swiftly making his way to the kitchen. He had to forget, too.
In the years he'd spent without Nick, he'd gone through four years of school in Ohio before moving to LA to pursue an acting career. Nick had always wanted to be on Broadway, but Jeff wanted to be in movies. He wanted to be on the big screen, and he wanted to be the kind of star that could inspire and reach out to his fans internationally through his roles... So far, he'd made it onto one TV show. He'd been a sort of guest character, with only five episodes before they killed him off. Between auditions, the blond worked a night shift at Wal-Mart, stocking shelves and dealing with the nocturnal customers who were almost always less than kind to him.
The former Warbler sighed and called for Chinese once he realized that his refrigerator was empty. He turned back toward the living room and grabbed his laptop from the desk, unplugging it so he could sit on the couch with it. Since the moment he decided to forget about Nick, which was hardly five minutes ago, Jeff's mind had already shifted back to him. He opened Google and typed in "Nicholas Duval", just to see what would come up. He didn't expect much, honestly. Why would he? He hadn't had much luck in his quest to be an actor...
But Nick had. In fact, Nick was on Broadway. Jeff's eyes shot wide and he quickly clicked the link, desperate to see everything about this show. Nick had managed to get the part of Saint Jimmy in Green Day's "American Idiot", a role he'd always had an interest in. Nick was nothing at all like the character, but that was why he'd wanted to play him. It was a challenge, a true test of his acting skill. Jeff stared in shock at the website for the longest time before his eyes locked on when the show would be running. Nick's first show was in a week. His very first time on a Broadway stage... and Jeff hadn't missed it.
Instantly, Jeff started checking his finances, wondering if he could even pull this off. He had to... He just had to see Nick's first show, even if Nick didn't want him to be there. That's what best bros were for. Jeff had to be there for Nick. He just had to... Hell, even if Nick didn't even see him in the audience, didn't even know he was there, Jeff could at least be there... And he could see Nick perform. This just had to work out.
After almost an hour of doing math and eating Chinese food, Jeff smiled, letting out a soft laugh of relief. He could do it... He could go see Nick's show. Jeff spent the next two days handling the things he needed to at home- telling his boss he'd be out for a week, paying rent, calling to see if he could stay with his aunt and uncle in New York- and once it was time to get on the plane, he didn't even think about hesitating. Why would he? He felt happier than he had in six years... and it was all because of the man who had forgotten about him the summer after high school.