Chapter Text
Jake sighed as he took a sip of his water, leaning back on his hand against the small overhang of wood he was sitting on. He had come back from the café less than an hour ago, having gotten back, hounded by his brother, and then ushered on stage to perform. He hadn’t gotten a moment to stew in his thoughts, and it doesn’t seem as if he could start now as he notices an odd paper out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to the side and down, staring down at the apparent flyer.
He raised an eyebrow, placing his water bottle down and sitting up straighter and lifting off of his hand. He picked up the flyer, making a confused noise in the back of his throat. “Hey uh - bud? Where’d you get this flyer?”
Milo looked up from a few sheets of paper he was holding, turning his head to look over at Jake. “Ah! Some lady was passing those around on my way here actually.” He fully turned around, crossing his arms. “She acted like a real life Youtube ad. I didn’t mind though, she was really genuine with the message on it.” His brother shrugged, turning back around and looking back at the sheets he’d been holding again.
Jake hummed, nodding as he stared down at the paper. He skimmed it, seeing there was a website for it. He decided he’d check it out later once he wasn’t still backstage.
______
Jake sighed as he sat down in front of a laptop heavily, a cup of hot chocolate sitting to his left as he turned the device on. He hadn’t been able to get his curiosity of the flyer out of his head all day, so he was glad he was able to check it out now rather than later.
He booted up the browser, taking his time to type out the website link so that he wouldn’t mess anything up in the process. It took a little, but after he pressed enter, he was brought to a nice looking website. It wasn’t harsh on his already tired eyes, as he moved his mouse around, watching as the little popups became bigger when he hovered over them. He hummed a song softly under his breath, clicking the button for the next screen.
‘Milo was right, it is intriguing. Such a sweet community though.’
He smiled softly at the thought, still softly singing in hums even if his vocal cords felt rough. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed a picture of two people, before shrugging and clicking to the next photo. His hand tensed up, voice tapering off as he stared at the image on the screen.
“Drew’s a part of this too?” His voice carried in the empty room, yet he barely noticed it between the buzzing feeling in his nerves, and the sound of blood rushing in his ears. He swallowed tensely, before leaning back slightly, his eyes still glued to the screen. He slowly untensed enough to click on the photo, slowly zooming in a bit on Drew’s face. The longer he stared at it, the longer his body seemed to involuntarily calm down, and the world started to melt out of his mind.
‘Cute..’
The passing thought made him pause, before a small, yet soft smile pulled at his lips as he leaned forwards again, leaning his chin on his hand, that was connected to the elbow now resting on the desk under him.
“Do you do this with every celebrity?” He jumped, his shoulders hiking up as he spun away to the best of his ability in the chair, his ears flushing pink as he stared incredulously at his younger brother. “How long have you been standing there?!” He nearly shouted, eyes wide in a flushed panic.
Milo only stared at him, crossing his arms definitely, not giving an answer as he spoke. “And how long have you been staring at him?” Jake huffed, looking back to the screen. “I wasn’t-” “Well anyway, I'm going to bed early. If you plan to join them, let me know about it! It’s a great opportunity besides concert work for a change.”
Jake stared at the screen with newfound interest, a contemplative look to his face as he considered the option. On one end, he might see Drew again, and while that would send him through the roofs, he was more concerned about making Drew spiral again like he seemingly had earlier in the day.
The air in the room suddenly felt thick, as Jake stewed in his thoughts. Now that he had the chance, he let himself fully immerse his mind into what had happened. He hadn’t expected the reaction to be so negative, let alone seemingly pull Drew into a panic attack. Recounting how Drew seemed to be fully tense, his breathing erratic yet a carefully blank look on his face as he had left. It scared Jake, if he was being honest, knowing he had affected Drew so much as soon as he had so much as said his own name.
But on the other end, the one with a more selfish reasoning he thought as he considered it, he might get the chance to actually talk to Drew, perhaps catch up with him or something of the sort. That made his chest twinge a bit, thinking about how their first meeting in five years left a bitter taste in his mouth. He quickly swiped his hand out, taking ahold of his hot chocolate and taking a few sips, relishing in the warmth and how it washed away the sudden bitterness that had appeared. He sighed as he sat back, placing the cup back onto the desk as he stared at the screen again, letting himself think on the options for a bit longer.
Perhaps the longing in his chest was too overwhelming, or his selfishness stood front within his mind as he pulled out a pad of sticky notes. He scribbles something down with fervor, before taking the note off the rest of the pad, and walking out and to the kitchen. He sticks it to the coffee pot, knowing Milo would see it the next morning when he woke up before Jake.
‘Sign us up.’
______
In the silence of the bedroom, light illuminated off of a phone screen within the darkness that otherwise filled the room. Drew sat with his back to his desk, the drawer handles uncomfortably pressing into his skin. Yet nothing else mattered as he stared at the screen, his mind feeling overwhelmed yet blank all at once.
He slowly leaned forwards, sliding his phone closer with his fingertips, before grabbing it with ever so slightly shaking hands. He stared at his fathers’ contact, tension deep within his shoulders. He pushed past it though, pressing the call button with only little hesitance.
“Ah! Greetings, Andrew! Was the trip there alright?” Drew slowly relaxed as his father spoke, the comfort in the words blanketing him. The tension slowly bled out of his shoulders, though his stomach twisted uncomfortably. “It went well, Dad. I managed to find a place.”
“That’s great! I’m glad to hear that! So, how are you settling in so far? I would’ve loved to see your reaction, you couldn’t stop smiling during our calls!” Drew couldn’t help but tense again, his hand tightening around his phone as he recalled the day in brief flashes within his mind. “Yeah, I don’t think you’d like it.” He couldn't find it within himself to lie, with how his father always made sure to remind him that he truly did care.
The call went silent for only a brief moment, before he heard his father’s tone turn worried. “Oh? And why’s that?” Drew couldn’t help but sigh at the memories, his gaze flitting around the room, even if darkness bathed the furniture making it rather difficult to make out with the bright screen in front of his face. “No reason.”
“Did something happen?” Silence stretched on once again for a few fleeting seconds, before his father’s voice came through the speakers again. “Andrew.. Are you sure you can handle staying there for a while? I already said I could reschedule and maybe tag along-” He found himself cutting the other man off, but not with bitterness or harshness. “Dad, I'm just tired. It would be a waste of a trip coming over simply because of my thoughts.”
His father huffed into the phone, audible on the receiving end. He knew he’d said the wrong thing then, which caused him to slump slightly. “They're not “stupid” if it means they drive you into a panic attack, Andrew.” a pause. “But - ..If you really want to continue staying there, then that’s up to you. Just - don’t cause yourself unnecessary stress, please?”
Despite getting gently scolded, Drew smiled something small and fond. He hummed soft, letting his head rest back against the desk. “I’ll update you when I can. I’ll be off now though, I love you.”
“I love you more, now rest well son.” Drew hummed once again, before ending the call and letting his phone turn off. He stared at his reflection in the phone, barely being able to see it with the darkness blanketing his features. Yet he could still make out the puffiness to his eyes, and the dull look to them.
He sighed and stood slowly, groaning as the handles to the drawers got removed off of his back. Once on his feet, he made his way over to his bed plugging his phone in on the nightstand that stood to the side of his bed. He slipped under the sheets, laying on his back and staring up at the ceiling. He was tired, but not in a sense of wanting to sleep. He felt as if any and all energy that went to his brain had been stripped away, his mind feeling slow and more fatigued than his body was.
He had hoped coming back might've been easy, and within that hope, he had forgotten the one reason he had left.
He didn’t think about how he had run away from his own guilt, that was eating at him agonizingly slow, the longer he pushed it off.
Drew sighed quietly, letting his eyes slip closed, the soft noise of the wind outside lulling him into a restless sleep.
______
Waking up the next morning was deemed difficult, as Drew sluggishly pulled himself from the warmth of his sheets. His sleep had often been interrupted that night, as nightmares plagued his mind and tore him from his slumber a numerous amount of times. His mind felt slow, his tongue thick in his mouth as if he could choke on it, and his eyes puffy from the lack of sleep and tears that were shed, he trudged his way over to the bathroom, to take a shower before he got to take a look at the area he’d be working in.
Water steamed as it hit his body, from how hot he had put it to. However, the stinging heat pushed down any lingering thoughts of the images that had previously refused to leave his mind. After quite a few minutes, he stepped out of the shower, quickly going and changing into some work appropriate clothes as the cold air from the apartment made goosebumps rise on his skin.
After managing to tidy his hair up once it was dried, he stood for a few moments in the bathroom, to simply stare at his reflection. He took note of the bags under his eyes, a sigh escaping him at just how exhausted he looked. He quickly moved past that though. Grabbing his bag and leaving the apartment.
Drew had quite a while before he truly needed to be at the spot he’d be working at, so he went and found a small café, one not owned by his old friends, and grabbed a cup of coffee before leaving once again. He sighed as he leisurely walked, nursing the large cup of coffee in his hands. Walking slowly, he let his mind wander onto what he’d need to do today. He’d most likely need to order some shipments for supplies if need be, or if it hadn’t already been done. Perhaps he should have asked to be briefed on what he was needed for, as he didn’t know if he’d need to gather outside forces.
Drew snapped back into focus, bringing the cup to his lips, and taking a few sips of the drink. He looked around briefly, gathering he’d almost made his way fully to the meeting spot. After quickly chugging down the rest of his coffee, he popped a small mint into his mouth and threw the cup out in a garbage can. He made his way into the large clearing, eyes wandering over the people there. As he did so, his eyes caught a figure that sent him mentally reeling.
There Jake Sterling was, standing with someone who Drew could barely put a name to, yet at the same time it was quite obvious that Jake was standing next to Milo, his younger brother. They looked quite alike, so it wasn’t hard to conclude. Yet after getting past that discovery, a bitterness bubbled in his mind, as he watched Jake and Milo gawk over something Jake was holding. He got snapped out of his mind though, as he watched Jake slowly look up, and notice him staring.
‘Shit - he saw me. Just walk away.’ He quickly turned, masking the panic that bubbled and threatened to spill over. He felt eyes on his back, but steadily ignored them in favor of getting somewhere a little less crowded.
‘Jeez..Why is he even here? Is he planning something? Sabotaging my work? Attempting something to weigh me down?’ He glared at the ground, stepping one foot after another. ‘The one time I needed to visit the city, it just had to be the time he decided to swing around.’
Drew sighed, closing his eyes briefly. At that moment, a hand grabs his arm, causing him to jerk away with a shout.
______
“ Ow! Christ!” Jake startles a bit, not having meant to grab so roughly onto Drew’s arm. He quickly lets his arm fall, bowing in an apology as he smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, sorry! My bad. I didn’t mean to startle you - again.” He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck with a soft sigh. Jake truly hadn’t, yet he supposes he was a little too caught up in his thoughts while trailing after Drew to talk to him.
After a few moments of silence, Drew spoke up which caused Jake to snape back to attention. “What do you want, Jake?” He couldn’t help but wince internally at the bitterness in Drew’s voice, but he responded quickly. “Oh - me? Uh - Nothing in particular of course! Just wanted to check up on you, talk for a bit and well-” He hadn’t noticed the souring look on Drew’s face, so he startled as he was cut off.
“Do you really think I'm that dumb, Sterling? You being here is not a coincidence. So drop the ridiculous act. Before I drop kick you in!-” The men both startled as a new voice joined them, the tension never leaving, yet their attention shifted off of each other. “Boys! There you are!”
A woman with black hair walked over, looking rather concerned at the two men. “Oh, I’m sorry, did I interrupt something?” She asked, causing Drew and himself to look back at each other. He watched as Drew dropped his hand that had come up in a threatening manner, and mumbled something soft. “..No.”
The woman perked up, brightening as she smiled. “Well! In that case, I just wanted to come by and say how honored I am to finally be working with you two!” At that, Jake noticed Drew’s features twist into something confused. ”Two?”
“Yes! You two! Sir Stirling approached me this morning regarding your project labeled on the flyers. He insisted on helping entertain or even participate with any available tasks! And, because of this huge partnership between you two, both of your works will thrive individually or as a whole together! It’s a win - win!” Jake glanced back over at Drew, feeling the disbelief rolling off of him in waves. It caused doubt to seep into his mind, watching the other man glance between the lady and himself.
“Which is also why I came to see your approval with this proposal. What do you say, Sir Williams? Do we have a deal?” Jake watched as the man in question looked away, seemingly in his thoughts for the time being. Yet he noticed Drew’s body language changed into something resigned, which caused a small surge of hope to seep into his mind. After a few more moments of silence, Drew sighed and spoke with closed eyes. “..I look forward to working with you then, Partner .” Jake felt a chill go down his spine as Drew opened his eyes to stare at him at the end of his sentence, yet he quickly smothered the tension building in his shoulders as the lady from before spoke up again. “Amazing! That’s more like it! Well, go on now! Shake on it!”
Jake blinked a bit, processing the words, before his face melted into a soft smile. He stuck his hand out, watching as Drew looked down at the offering, before grasping the hand in his own and squeezing hard enough that he could feel his joints creak. Drew had a small grin on his face, twisted with something unpleasant. Yet he ignored that as he yelped in pain. Attempting to pull his hand away.
“Ouch! Ow-ow-ow! Okay - That’s enough Drew!-” He cried out, yet took into account that Drew did not look one bit guilty. That alone eased some of the anxiety that had nestled its way into his heart. Once his hand was released, he couldn’t help but laugh softly, rubbing his hand where the other had quite literally left a handprint. “Nearly broke my hand just now.”
Drew merely raised an eyebrow, yet he could see some mirth swimming in his eyes, causing Jake to perk up a bit. He shook his hand out, before letting his lips quirk up into a bright smile. “Well, I'll see you around then? Milo and I are going to go and figure out some forms of entertainment to start with!”
“Mm, I’ll see you around Sterling.” Jake nodded, turning around and walking off to find his brother again after he’d ditched him. He felt lighter, if only by a small amount after that interaction. He hadn’t gotten to catch up or properly talk to Drew, but the conversation had at least ended on a lighter note than it had originally started with. It didn't take long for him to find his younger brother again, causing the smile on his face to only brighten.
Hopefully, this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
______
Drew stood over the sink in his bathroom, having gotten back to his apartment only minutes ago. He had been able to smother the images that threatened to overtake his mind and vision, but the anxiety that had been pooling started becoming overwhelming by the time he’d gotten ready to leave. So, here he stood, heaving out heavy yet short breaths as he stared down at the sink below his hands. His grip tightened on the porcelain, the tremble still noticeable.
“Damn you, Jake..” His voice shook, head swimming with images once more as his body felt heavy from the lack of oxygen. Drew didn’t know how long he stood there, yet soon enough, rage started to swallow the anxiety from before. His mind became muddled in a mix of rage and spite, a shout tearing from his throat. “ Fuck you!” He raised his fist, slamming it into the mirror in front of him. He watched as the mirror shattered, cracks forming outwards from where his fist stayed planted against the glass that now dug into his skin.
He noticed he didn’t mind the stinging, the throbbing as blood slowly seeped its way down the remaining glass of the mirror. His mind took its time clearing, as he watched the maroon liquid make its way down to the sink his other hand was still grasping onto like a lifeline.
He didn’t know how long he stood there, yet soon enough he pulled his fist away, wincing slightly at the sting this time. He heaved out a sigh, looking down at the damage done to his hand. He swallowed thickly, turning the cold water on and letting the water run down onto the wounds.
Luckily enough, no glass had seemingly gotten into the wound, so he simply stopped the bleeding, before loosely wrapping it in a bandage. Once realizing how exhausted he was, he simply wiped away the blood, reminding himself to get his mirror fixed within the next few days as he walked into his bedroom sluggishly. Changing with a cut up hand was a challenge, but he managed to change into a hoodie and sweatpants, before slipping into bed.
This was going to be terrible.
______
Waking up exhausted and sluggish seemed to be becoming a pattern the longer Drew stayed in RoseMeadow. Once he had come to consciousness, he was reminded of the wounds on his hand if anything is to be told by the throbbing coming from the limb. He sighed, pulling himself out of his bed and heading to the bathroom to wash the wound, and himself.
Luckily, it didn’t seem as if there was anything wrong with the wound. Granted, the area was bruised in ugly purples and green, along with the cuts that littered his knuckles. He chose not to wrap it, the care for it not strong enough for him to worry about it.
Once he’d made his way to the clearing from the day before, he found a tree to stand under to take refuge in the shade. Within only a few minutes, he heard a youthful voice call out to him, causing his attention to drift to the person calling for him.
“Kuya Drew!” Tension seeped from Drew’s shoulders, as he turned his full attention onto Milo. “Here’s a gift basket! For letting me and my brother stay!” A small smile creeped its way onto his face, watching as Milo ushered the basket into his hands. “Well - mostly from me.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle a little at that, smile widening. “Ah - Thank you so much.” As he reached up to take the handle of the basket, he saw Milo stare at his wounded hand. “Ay! What happened to your hand?!” Milo cried out, causing Drew’s smile to twist into a more sheepish one. “Ah, we can ignore tha-”
“ Jaaaaaake! Get your medically knowledgeable ass over here!”
Drew sighed softly, now sitting against the tree as he watched Jake wrap his hand after cleaning it thoroughly. He was snapped out of his thoughts though, as Jake spoke to him in a soft tone, concern written all over his face. “Why did you hurt yourself?” The other asked, briefly looking up to meet Drew’s eyes. He sighed, glancing away. “I didn’t, it was out of spite I suppose.”
Jake nodded, causing Drew’s gaze to focus back onto the man in front of him. “I see..” Silence then stretched on, as Jake brought out a roll of bandages, beginning to slowly wrap them around his hand. Halfway through, he was once again snapped out of his thoughts. “I’m rather surprised you’re not upset.” That..surprised Drew a little. Had Jake expected him to be yelling? His eyebrows furrowed a bit at that, but he responded simply. “I have no energy to fight back so consider it a lucky day.” He tilted his head back, but looked down at Jake with an unamused look on his face as the other man laughed softly.
“I’ll take whatever I can get.” He could hear the teasing tone beneath the surface, and yet didn’t find himself scowling. Rather, while his face showed nonchalance, he was preening every so slightly internally. A minute or so later, Drew was flexing his fingers into a fist, testing how much mobility he’d have with the bandages on. He found himself having no issues, which made him quite pleased. “Hey, Drew?”
The man in question looked up from his hand, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah?” He watched Jake’s features soften, causing his intrigue to build further. “Saying this now, I'm proud of you.” Now he had expected something silly, or of the sort. So he found himself startling slightly at the soft tone, and gentle look in Jake’s gaze that held firm with his own. “This project of yours..And genuine smiles as a result? It’s inspiring, and admirable of you. Therefore, I promise to give it my all, doing my best during my stay. Making a difference, like you have so many times.”
Drew’s chest squeezed, yet it wasn’t a bad feeling this time. As he listened to Jake talk, he could see the admiration and determination that swirled in the other mans’ eyes. It made him relax unintentionally, which admittedly startled him a little mentally. He wasn’t used to calming down around the other, yet here he was. He opened his mouth to respond, a soft feeling making room in his chest. “..Well, I-”
“ Jaaaaake! I need some help!”
The two men by the tree paused to stare at each other, an exasperated look on Jake’s face, while his own split into a soft grin. He watched the other turn his head, shouting over his shoulder. “Can’t you do one thing by yourself?!” Jake sighed, pushing up off the ground and standing. “Welp - brotherly duties call. I’ll see you around, Partner.” Drew’s chest stuttered, as he watched Jake go and collect the med kit and place the items back into the pack. After a few moments, he glanced down at his now bandaged hand, pushing up from the ground and picking up the basket from before.
“Wait - I..really look forward to working with you too, Jake.” His own voice was softer, mumbled almost as he let his gaze stray from Jake. As silence slowly stretched on, he glanced back up, finding himself staring at an incredibly soft look on Jake’s face once again. The smile that greeted him was small, but genuine. His chest squeezed again, the tips of his ears flaring up in pink at how Jake was looking at him.
“Likewise, Drew.”
______
Over the next two weeks, Jake and Milo helped with numerous tasks, along with entertaining younger guests with little tricks that they played. Some even seemed to find amusement in watching the two playfully argue.
It was the last day of helping the area they’d been in, and Jake was only slightly upset. He knew this day would come, yet the past two weeks had been fun. Not only was he helping in the business department, helping Drew’s business spread further, but he’d also had quite a bit of fun spending time with Drew. Their friendship was still tense, but so much better than before. Yet Jake couldn’t help but mourn a little, thinking he wouldn’t see Drew after this.
Bumping into him, and then getting that flyer was amazing, yet he doubted Drew and him were close enough again to stay in contact. It made his chest squeeze, but he quickly pushed those feelings down as Ayana, the lady that had first interrupted him and Drew, approached him. He was glad he’d actually taken time to learn her name, as he’d seen her around quite a bit. He had just stood up from showing a small flower trick to a little girl, so he wiped his knee off and turned around. “Hey, Miss Ayana!”
“I see you’ve been enjoying your stay so far! Especially with your partner, hm?” Ayana smirked at him, while his cheeks flushed a soft hue of pink. He rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling softly. “I suppose..Overall, I'm just glad to be a part of this experience. Everyone has been great company.” A softer smile was sent his way, causing his own smile to brighten some.
“We applaud you for your efforts, though I hope you don’t mind this favor of mine.” Jake tilted his head to the side slightly, intrigue building up in his chest. “Seeing as it’s our last day in this field, I was wondering if you could perform?” That caught him off guard, his eyes widening a bit. “Perform?- For what exactly?”
Ayana only smiled, crossing her arms. “There’s no particular reason. See it as a fun, final activity!” Anxiety bubbled up in his chest, as it always did when it came to performing. No matter how long he’d been doing this for, he always got nervous before singing in front of crowds. “As much as we’d love to stay longer, we still have other areas to cover, so I figured we’d make their last night the best one!” He nodded slowly, bringing a hand up to his chin in contemplation.
“I-I’m not trying to force you in any way of course! You’re free to say no! I don’t want you feeling pressur-'' Ayana defended, obviously a little panicky, yet he cut her off with his own panic. “No! No, I don't feel like that at all!” He relaxed his posture, chuckling softly. “I’d love to perform, these people deserve it after all.” He could still see the worry in her eyes, which she vocalized. “Are you..sure?” Jake only smiled, shooting finger guns at her with one hand. “I’m positive!”
Ayana laughed softly, smiling softly. “I owe you a lot, Sterling.”
A good half hour later, and Jake was twitching with nervousness. He was standing a few steps away from Drew, which wasn’t why his nerves were acting up. He was more worried about messing up, he wanted the night to go perfect for everyone watching. He snapped out of his thoughts, as Drew turned his head to the side to look at him.
“You seem tense, why’s that?” Jake shook his head a little, to try and clear it. He sighed and looked at the other, opening his mouth to speak, yet got cut off. “Not that I care all too much.” He leveled Drew with an unimpressed stare, before that melted away and his anxiety came back full force. “I'm not, I'm just - nervous.”
He watched Drew raise an eyebrow, before turning his body to fully face Jake. “Well that's a start. Weren’t you always the ‘confident’ type of guy who couldn’t care less about negative replies?” Jake sighed, his anxiety melting away as he talked to Drew. He leveled the other with an unimpressed stare once again, before replying. “Okay - It’s not that type of issue, genius. I’m just..This is their first ever real experience of watching a ‘live concert’ in - probably a while. I might mess up my lines, or stumble with my words. It’ll ruin their supposedly ‘best’ night.” He rambled, the stress evident on his face as he chopped his arms downwards in frustration. “I just - have to make it close to perfect.”
Jake was cut out of his rambling, as Drew replied to the small rant. “See, that’s your problem.” Jake blinked a bit, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as he stared at the other. “Excuse me?” Drew pointed a finger at him, which effectively shut him up. “You worry too much about others' perspectives, which is why you can’t give it your all. You don't have confidence in yourself, rather it seems like fear. And that alone, results in..” Jake frowned a bit as the other seemed to contemplate his words. “Panic attacks.” Now that had Jake worried, concern taking over his system.
“Are - you okay?-” Drew cut him off, causing his gaze to become a little exasperated. “Now, I’m no motivational speaker, but if you truly do believe, and dedicate your work into something, then that’s where your passion begins to shine.” Drew paused again, yet Jake didn’t speak up. As once again, Drew seemed to be thinking over his next words. “It’s just, well, you - that's preventing that spark from igniting.” They met eyes, both slowly starting to fill with mirth. Jake grinned, waiting for him to continue once again.
“Your greatest enemy can also be yourself..isn’t that why you became a singer? To inspire many with just your words alone, and encourage them with your voice?” Jake stumbled over his response, as his hand came up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. “Well, yeah but-” A noise of surprise came from him as he caught the microphone Drew had just tossed directly at him, nearly hitting him in the face.
“Then do it, Sterling. As my dad would usually tell me, ‘Don’t let fear stop you from doing the things you love.’” The tension in his shoulders had finally let up, his shoulders nearly aching with how tense they had been. A smile pulled at his lips, as he stared at the other. “Drew..” They stared at each other for a quick moment, before Drew’s face flushed a soft pink.
“Well - If you already knew that, then go get ready! God you’re wasting my breath.” Drew huffed, walking off towards where the rest of the crowd was. Jake couldn’t help but laugh softly, the anxiety from before severely lessened with that conversation. He breathed in, holding it for a few seconds before letting the air out.
He should thank Drew after this.
______
Drew sighed as he made his way over to where Ayana and Milo were standing, slightly off to the side, yet close to the area the “stage” was. He was still flushed in the cheeks from speaking with Jake, but it was quickly wiped away as he made his way over, striking small talk with Ayana to his left. However, his gaze moved to the stage as music began playing, and the crowd went quiet. He watched as Jake made his way onto the stage, looking like a whole different person as soon as he’d made his way up there. He let his mind drift for a bit, not truly listening to the singing until it got to the chorus.
However Drew snapped out of his drifting, his gaze catching onto Jake. He stared, his cheeks flushing an ever so soft hue of pink. Jake looked truly in his element, as the crowd cheered and clapped. He swallowed thickly, letting his gaze drift down to the ground. His chest squeezed, a fluttery feeling in his chest as his heart sped up.
He couldn’t push down the smile that graced his face even if he wanted to.