Storms of Now or Never

Joe's POV

Brooklyn. Only miles from the Big Apple and the perfect place to relax from my crazy life. Being an up and coming singer at the foot of New York City really isn't difficult when you have a voice and a support group behind you. But, that was a few years ago. As of now, I'm known as one of New York's teen idols.

After a few platinum albums and millions of dollars, I'm cruising down the streets of Brooklyn in my red Mustang, in route to pick up my best friend, Nick. I pulled into the driveway of his small suburban home, seeing him lounged on the front steps. He immediately jumped to his feet and jogged up to the car, sending my heart into a havoc. With every step closer to the passenger door, my heart rate increased.

"Hey, Man!" he cheered, opening the passenger door and taking a seat next to my throbbing body. Years of being in love with him never seemed to change my body's reaction to his presence. That's right; the teen heart throb, who could have any girl he wished, was in love with his best friend.

"Hey." I smiled, shifting the car into reverse and pealing out of his driveway.

"Browsing the shops of New York City and lunch at Costello's?" he asked, slipping his Aviator sunglasses over his eyes.

"Absolutely." I nodded, readjusting the Ray Ban's that sat atop the bridge of my nose.

I drove for the next half an hour, jamming to the radio and enjoying Nick's presence, before we began to the enter the craze of New York City. I carefully parked in front of my favorite sunglasses shop and allowed Nick to exit the car as I quickly looked around for any signs of paparazzi. When I felt it was clear, I stepped out of the car and walked up beside Nick.

Three hours of browsing the shops and we made off with over ten thousand dollars worth of clothes, sunglasses and a new pair of All-star's for Nick's collection. Then, as we rounded the corner onto Broadway, a man with a camera draped around his neck came sprinting across the street in our direction.

"Joe, give me a smile!" he shouted, pulling the camera lens into his view.

"Come on, Man! Just one smile!" the man insisted, jogging in front of us and taking a few shots. Then, I spotted yet another man with a camera jog across the street, snapping a few shots before even stepping onto the sidewalk.

"Joe, over here!" he called. I repositioned the shopping bags that hung over my forearms and slightly increased my pace. Then, I felt Nick's hand grab my bicep, pulling me to a stop.

"What is it?" I asked, turning to him.

"Look." he breathed, pointing passed me. I turned in the direction of his pointer finger and saw the reason for his concerned tone. At least five men with camera's were sprinting in our direction.

"Shit." I scoffed. I quickly moved the bags from my right arm to my left, then I grabbed Nick's wrist and yanked him into a sprint. We ran down the sidewalk; the men shouting my name, close behind us. I took a sharp right and sprinted about halfway down the block before pulling Nick into our final destination; Costello's.

We entered the diner panting; my hand still tightly gripping Nick's wrist. I ushered him to a booth furthest away from the window, before releasing his wrist. We dropped our bags beside the booth then, slid into the comfortable seats. I pulled the sunglasses from my face and set them on the table in front of me.

"Are you okay?" I asked, looking up to Nick.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he nodded, also removing his sunglasses.

"Stupid paparazzi." I spat. "They never leave me alone."

"I'm sorry, Man. It must be tough." Nick sighed, tapping a hand on my forearm.

We nibbled on our cheeseburgers and talked about Nick's school life for the next hour. I kept a close eye on the paparazzi standing outside the diner's window; who's number seemed to keep increasing. By the time we had finished eating and paid the waitress, the entire window was crowded with paparazzi, waiting impatiently for my arrival.

"Hey, Joe?" Nick asked, as I picked up my shopping bags.

"Yeah?"

"You wouldn't happen to have any rain coats in those bags, would you?"

"No, why?" I asked, standing up and looking out the front window to see that rain was beginning to pelt the sidewalk. I groaned at the thought of running through the rain, but grabbed Nick by the forearm and ushered him towards the door. Bulbs began to flash as we neared the door, but when we exited our favorite diner, the madness began.

My name was being shouted in all directions and questions were pelting me like the heavy rain. I kept my grip tight on Nick's wrist as I pushed my way through all of the desperate camera men. I began to feel very uneasy as I pressed on; some of the paparazzi were getting too close. Then, Nick was yanked from my grip and I lost him in the crowd.

"Nick!" I yelled, as the paparazzi began to circle me. I began to push my way back towards Costello's, in hope's to find my best friend. The rain started to fall harder from the clouds and my clothes along with my shopping bags were getting soaked.

"Nick!" I yelled again. Then, a man approached me with a microphone, pressing a hand to my chest and backing me up. I slapped his hand away, but continued to back up with him.

"So, Joseph, who is this Nick you keep screaming for?" the man asked.

"My best friend." I scoffed.

"Are you having a bad day, Joseph?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"No shit, I'm having a bad day!" I spat. "You ass holes don't know when to leave me alone, I can't find my best friend and I'm soaking wet."

"Girl troubles?" the man sighed.

"Excuse me?"

"You're having girl troubles, aren't you?"

"What? No!" I yelled, my blood beginning to boil.

"Denial." he nodded. "I understand."

"You don't understand anything!" I growled.

"It isn't a girl?" he asked, his voice raising. His comment caught me off guard and I began to stutter, looking anywhere but him.

"Oh." he cooed. "Is New York's teen idol gay?" I could feel my cheeks begin to burn and my hands start to sweat as the cameras began to flash again. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words escaped my lips as I scanned the crowd.

"Joe?" the man insisted, tapping my shoulder.

"YES!" I shouted. The cameras began to flash rapidly; blinding me. I figured this was the best time to reveal everything. I wasn't under the pressure of millions of people watching; just a few dozen camera men. I took a deep, shaky breath before I turned to the shocked man beside me.

"I'm in love too." I spoke softly, watching the man's eyes widen. The blinding flashes continued as the man struggled to find his own voice. He cleared his throat and looked out to the many paparazzi surrounding us.

"Joseph Lucas," he began. "You have just confessed that you are gay and in love." he said, projecting his voice.

"Yes." I nodded, fiddling with the handles of my shopping bags.

"So, who's the lucky guy?" he asked, turning to me. I stared at the man for a few seconds before turning to the crowd in front of me. The flashes began to die down as everyone strained to listen. Then, the crowd began to part from the back and I watched as Nick pushed his way to the edge of the crowd, looking to me with a confused stare. It was now or never.

"The most amazing, loyal, and beautiful person I have ever met." I said, breathlessly. "My best friend in the entire world, Nicholas Turner." All the paparazzi surrounding Nick turned to him, staring in utter shock. I watched as Nick's face flushed and the shopping bags dropped from his fingers. Paparazzi began to shout my name again, but it slowly faded into the back of my mind as I stared at Nick. He was all I was focused on.

I stood in this statue like-form; just staring at Nick; for the next five minutes. That is, until I saw the slightest grin begin to form against his lips. I gently smiled back and my fingers gripped the bag handles a bit tighter. I watched as he took in a deep breath and as he huffed an exhale, he sprinted towards me with a large smile caressing his cheeks. The bags dropped from fingers and he jumped into my arms, locking his arms around my neck. I stood shocked for a few seconds until my arms began to snake their way around his waist. I sighed with relief and I rested my chin against his shoulder, closing my eyes.

At this point, I didn't care that it was still pouring rain, I didn't care that dozens of paparazzi were surrounding our moment and I didn't care that this was going to effect my career. All that mattered was that Nick was here with me, sharing this hug and this moment I had been longing for. Then, I felt Nick's lips against the shell of my ear and a hand sneak into my hair.

"If only you knew how long I've been waiting for you to say I love you." he husked. My breath hitched in my throat and my grip loosened on his waist. He pulled back in my arms and stared deep into my eyes, slowly leaning closer until his forehead was pressed against mine. His hands slipped to my neck and his thumbs massaged the skin of my jaw line.

"I love you, Joseph." he whispered. "I've loved you for as long as I can remember, yet I never had the confidence to tell you. Thank you for making this so easy for me." he smiled. Then, his eyes fluttered closed and his head slowly moved to the side. He brushed his warm cheek against mine until his lips were only inches from mine. My mouth sat slightly ajar as my eyes slowly closed, as well.

We stayed like this for the next few minutes; our breaths colliding with one another. Then, everyone's story book ending had been fulfilled on the streets of New York City. My lips were pressed softly against Nick's as the sky showered us with sweet, blissful love.

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~Sleek Blan~

Written for: JickJoickGirl