come back, be here, EDDIE ROUNDTREE.

BONUS TRACK / EVERMORE.

BONUS TRACK / evermore.

HE WILL STILL INSPIRE ME, BE APART OF EVERYTHING I DO.

SIDE A. O, ROMEO, ROMEO, WHEREFORE ART THOU, ROMEO? ROMEO MILLER

fool / DJO. somebody's eyes / FOOTLOOSE ORIGINAL CAST. somebody to love / QUEEN. johnny can't decide / TICK TICK BOMB MOVIE CAST. lonely hearts club / MARINA.

SIDE B. HE'LL NEVER LEAVE ME, EVEN AS HE FADES FROM VIEW. ROMEO AND JAMES.

it's nice to have a friend / TAYLOR SWIFT. evermore / DAN STEVENS. somewhere / WEST SIDE STORY CAST. dancing with our hands tied / TAYLOR SWIFT. colourblind / CRUEL INTENTIONS ORIGINAL CAST.

BONUS TRACKS. I BROKE HIS HEART CAUSE HE WAS NICE. JAMES HANNIGAN.

all i really want / ALANIS MORRISETTE. end of beginning / DJO. comfort / NICHOLAS GALITZINE. figure you out / DJO. midnight rain / TAYLOR SWIFT.

warning, period typical homophobia. katrina miller.

this chapter is also the longest bonus chapter at this point (one more after this), and due to that, i did split this into two parts to give readers a little breather.

It started in detention.

It wasn't something that Romeo had been proud of, nor was it really his fault. Yes, he intentionally punched Oliver Belcher in the face when Oliver had called him a pansy, but if Oliver didn't want to be punched in the face, he shouldn't have said it. But no one had seen it that way, Romeo had punched a kid in the face and therefore needed to be punished for it.

The only upside was that despite the fact that his mother had sat alongside him in the principal's office, the only reaction Katrina Miller had given was disappointment and if Romeo was being honest, he didn't think that it was real, once they were told to leave, the only thing that she said was that Romeo had wasted her time and not to do it again. It was the most he'd ever get out of her, his sister had always been her favourite and therefore, Romeo was seen as nothing more than an inconvenience.

He knew that his father shared Katrina's disappointment, all he did was sigh and Romeo could sense the disappointment through it. But that was far different from his mother, he didn't have to hear the words to know that there was a hidden I told you so underneath it all.

Unlike Katrina, Robert wasn't all that neglectful despite the fact that he worked more than anything else, barely home but at least when he was, he spent time with his children, but especially Romeo. And Romeo knew that by the time he'd see his father again, Robert would express his disappointment, he could practically hear what his father would say; "maybe if you didn't want people calling you such things, you shouldn't parade around stage singing and dancing."

Which. . . Romeo knew that his father had a point. His name wasn't the only reason as to why the boys at his school called him names and made fun of him for his interests. Romeo was the kind of person who, because of the fact that his aunt was the only genuine parental figure that Romeo had in his life, he gravitated towards things that were deemed more feminine. He liked spending far too much time in the bathroom making himself look nice, he and Odette would spend hours shopping for the latest fashion. While Odette wanted to leave her acting career behind─ doing so through sabotaging every audition her mother sent her to, much to the point where Romeo was convinced their mother was sleeping her way around Hollywood to keeping getting Odette auditions─ Romeo was the one that did want to act, spending hours in a small theatre with similar people to him, people that yearned for something bigger but would take whatever they could.

It was something that only his sister understood, always being the person sitting in the front row with a bouquet of flowers as she would stand and cheer the loudest as he took his bows. And she was the only person who would hold him tight as the words spoken by those around him became too much. When she had found out he had punched another person, instead of scolding him, she merely complained that she wished she had been there to see it and cursed their parents for forcing them both to attend different schools.

Yet maybe it was a good thing that they did because knowing Odette, she would've done something to land herself into trouble alongside him. Odette almost did, the only thing that stopped her had been Romeo's insistence that she didn't need to.

Romeo regretted it however when he finally found himself sitting in detention, arms crossed over the desk as he rested his chin in his arms with no one aside from James Hannigan and a teacher as company. The latter of whom glared at whoever dared to make the tiniest of sounds, something that James was always on the receiving end of.

But that wasn't all too surprising.

James Hannigan was infamous. When he had transferred, it had been a topic of gossip for weeks on end, everyone could only talk about the boy whose mother married into money, frowning over the fact that unlike them, James wasn't born into money. Rumours spread that his mother was nothing more than a gold digger, something that instead of ignoring, James made it a note to retaliate and thus put an end to anything along those lines. It didn't stop people from talking about him, however, merely moving into something different.

Everyone turned their noses in disgust at the way he presented himself, something that extended to the teacher's who would constantly bring up how there was always something wrong with his appearance. Telling him his shirt was untucked. Reminding him that he had to wear a tie and when he did, to tell him that it needed to be tied around his neck, not simply hanging there. Romeo had lost track of how many times James had gotten into trouble the moment he stepped in a classroom for something.

It caused everyone to hate him, but deep down, Romeo admired him for it. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud, and not to James. Romeo was the kind of person that tried his hardest to keep his head down, didn't have any friends at school because he knew what they'd say about anyone that would dare be found associated with him. Even if it meant that Romeo ended up being like everyone else who turned a blind eye to everything.

Only, it was hard to turn a blind eye to James who Romeo couldn't help but feel drawn to despite everything. Even as they were in detention, Romeo could see James out of the corner of his eye, slouched in his seat as he carelessly twirled a pen between his fingers, staring out the window. Romeo forced himself to stare at the clock on the wall instead of him, counting down the minutes until he could leave.

When they were finally dismissed, Romeo couldn't get out of there fast enough.

James, on the other hand, didn't get the message.

"Oh, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" He called out, the quote fueling anger within Romeo.

Had James not managed to catch up to him, falling into step beside him and stupidly walking backwards, Romeo might've ignored him.

"Really original," Romeo scoffed.

Grinning, James looked far too proud of himself, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Oh, but what's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; so Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection─"

"Okay," Romeo interrupted, even going as far as to elbow James to get him to stop. While he tried to act mad, Romeo knew that his flushed cheeks were not helping. "I get it, Juliet."

As James turned to face forward, he winked. "You know, my mom and I saw you in Romeo and Juliet during the summer," he admitted, causing Romeo to come to a stop. "She was so surprised when the person called Romeo was playing Mercutio."

"The director has this thing where he won't cast underage actors in roles where kissing is involved," Romeo admitted truthfully. "Means there won't be any issues with people feeling uncomfortable. Besides, Mercutio's death speech is one of the best in the entire play."

"Well, you truly made it memorable," James complimented. "Same could be said for the way that you punched Belcher in the face. I wish I had been there to see it."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Romeo kept walking. "Well, don't expect an encore."

"Damn, what a shame."

Stepping out of the school, Romeo instantly caught sight of his father, leaning against the car with a cigarette in hand as he waited for Romeo. It was enough for him to mumble a simple "bye" to James before rushing to his father with his head hanging low.

After that, Romeo had hoped that he wouldn't have to talk with James. But for some inexplicable reason, James kept coming back, throwing himself into Romeo's orbit. Nothing more than short conversations as they left detention, and once Romeo's had been over and done with, it hoped that James would go back to being like everyone else; nothing more than someone who he went to school with that he didn't talk to.

Unfortunately for him, James Hannigan didn't get the memo.

Romeo often found himself seeking refuge in the drama room, something that wasn't helped with the fact that Miss Clarke had a soft spot towards him─ either that or she wouldn't dare say no to Lucille Summers' nephew, especially since one of her movie posters hung on the wall. It was a place where he could sit without being wary that people were talking about him as well as freely able to learn lines.

When the door suddenly opened, it interrupted the monologue that Romeo was working on in preparation for an audition for The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui that a local theatre was doing. He froze as he made eye contact with James from across the room, the other boy despite already being caught, crept into the room and shut the door quietly behind him. While James gestured for Romeo to continue as if he wasn't there, Romeo wasn't about to do it.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

James began to saunter over to him, hands in his pockets. "I asked Clarke if I could borrow a book that happens to be in here. She did say the room was being used but if I don't sort this problem out, I'm going to eat my notebook."

Romeo watched through curious eyes as James headed to the bookshelf, fingers dancing across the spines of the books until he found the way that he was looking for. That was when Romeo expected him to leave, but instead he pulled his bag off his shoulder and plopped both it and himself on the ground.

"Just pretend I'm not here," he said, waving his hand around as he searched through his bag.

While he could have, Romeo didn't think he'd be able to concentrate.

"What's that book for anyway?"

Not looking up from the book, James waved him over and Romeo crouched in front of him, placing the script down next to him.

"You know, you can sit down, despite what some have said, I don't actually bite," James admitted.

Sighing, Romeo sat down next to him.

"Oh, wow, the actor can follow directions, good to know," he joked. "And to answer your question, I'm doing research."

"On Elizabethan costumes?" Romeo asked, looking over James' shoulder.

James hummed in response as he wrote down something in his notebook. "It's for a project I'm working on. Although now that I'm looking at them, those costumes look stupid, don't they?"

"It's the collars," Romeo commented. Without saying anything, he grabbed the book of James' lap and started flicking through the pages. "If you want something, you're better off with going with Tudor fashion, less collars─"

"More B necklaces?" James spoke up, his chin resting on Romeo's shoulder as he peered down at the depiction of Anne Boleyn. "I take it you know a lot about this stuff?"

Romeo gave a one shoulder shrug. "I guess. My aunt was a seamstress before she started acting and she has a lot of books about the history of fashion, my sister is similar but more as someone who's obsessed with realism paintings."

"What about you?"

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lifting his head, James stared at him. He said nothing, instead looking at him in a way that left Romeo wanting to hide away from his prying eyes. It felt like James was trying to learn anything he could about Romeo just by simply looking at him.

Before Romeo could say anything that he most likely would have regretted, the bell rang. Not wanting to be late, Romeo was quick to get on his feet and grab his bag that he left across the room. This time, he didn't say anything to James, he felt like he couldn't get out of there fast enough, suffocating under the weight of James' stare.

He was used to people staring at him, trying to figure him out, and it never meant anything good. It was always people trying to figure out a way to get close to him purely because of his family, or schoolmates trying to figure out if what everyone said about him was true. While Romeo couldn't say for sure what James' true intentions were.

"Maybe he just wants to be your friend?" Odette suggested that night.

More often than not, Romeo found himself staying over with her and Lucy, finding it more welcoming than the mausoleum that was the Miller home. It didn't help that the moment that Odette had turned eighteen, with Romeo's help she had packed her things and moved in with their aunt. While she had asked him to go with her, Romeo worried too much about their parents dragging him home because he was still underage.

He had heard the argument that had happened after Odette left─ something that he never told Odette─, Katrina wanted to force her back home, unable to handle the fact that her darling daughter had left without even a note. Had Robert not talked her down, saying that Odette was eighteen meaning that Katrina couldn't do anything. While he couldn't be too sure about what their parents would do if he did the same, he didn't want to risk anything.

Thankfully, despite her favourite child no longer being around, Katrina didn't attempt to try with Romeo, continuing to treat him as the mistake that he was, because while Odette was a planned pregnancy, less than a year later, Romeo was born. Lucy once told him that there had been a point when Katrina treated both her children equally, that changed when she realised that she could use her daughter for money and fame while her son was just, there.

"Why would he?" Romeo asked, poking at his cheesecake that sat on the plate in front of him. "Let's be honest, no one is jumping to be friends with the person everyone thinks is some kind of─"

"Well, they don't even know what they're talking about," Odette interrupted. "You could be, or you aren't, it's none of their business."

Picking at a loose thread in the blanket that Odette had thrown him over, Romeo wasn't sure how to answer it. Despite what his namesake implied, Romeo wasn't a romantic in any way shape or form. Never getting close to anyone to figure out where his interests lied. He could deny it all he wanted to, but Romeo was never too sure as to whether or not he was lying. And while he could try to figure it out, he wasn't going to do it in high school.

"They're making it their business by talking about it," Romeo mumbled.

From where she stood in front of her closet, she threw a shirt at him. "You only have one year left."

Groaning, Romeo grabbed a pillow and attempted to smother himself. He felt the bed dip and it wasn't too long before Odette yanked the pillow from his grasp.

"Ro..."

"O..." He parroted, staring blankly at his sister who had that look of concern painted on his face that he hated. "If you're about to suggest something to help, you can't, and I'm not going to drop out because I can't afford to have dad be disappointed in me again."

Pursing her lips, Odette collapsed onto the bed next to him, some of her land on his face that he was quick to remove. "I can talk to him."

He shook his head. "It'll be fine, I'll survive until summer."

She reached for his hand and squeezed it once. "I still think you should give this James person a chance."

"Do I really have to?"

While he wasn't looking at her, he knew that she was rolling her eyes. "You're such a child sometimes."

"Takes one to know one."

Without warning, the pillow was within Odette's grasp, and it was her that attempted to smother him. However, Romeo had always been stronger, and it barely took any effort to push her not only away from him but also the bed. The second he heard the thud of Odette's body hitting the ground, he burst out into laughter.

The conversation stayed with him. As much as he hated to admit it, there was no harm in perhaps trying to become friends with James. And yet, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't help but feel like it was a bad idea; drowning under the weight of the words that had ever been uttered about him.

Romeo almost considering doing what he typically did when it came to Odette giving out advice and merely ignoring it, but James didn't make it fucking easy. Not when he just suddenly appeared after school, leaning against the locker next to Romeo's after school.

For a moment, Romeo was going to ignore him, leaving James to his own devices as he flicked through the stack of pages he was holding.

"Which part are you playing?" James asked, causing Romeo to falter as he opened his locker.

Looking at him, that's when he came to the startling realisation that his missing script wasn't in his locker, but he had left it behind when he practically ran from the drama room the day before. It took everything in him not to snatch the script from James' grasp, suddenly growing self-conscious.

"I haven't auditioned yet," he replied after a moment, paying more attention to the contents inside his locker than the boy beside him.

"Do you want some help?"

Again, Romeo faltered, this time the book he was grabbing from the top shelf slipped from his grasp and hit him in the head. "Shit. . ." Romeo mumbled as he stumbled back, hand pressed against his forehead.

He could hear James let out his own string of curses, and before Romeo knew it, James wrapped his hand around his wrist and pulling his hand away from his face, a concerned look on his face. Standing so close, Romeo felt dazed by it.

"You okay?" James asked.

Instead of answering, Romeo blurted out, "why are you being nice to me?"

James tilted his head to the side. "Can I not be?"

Romeo couldn't help but roll his eyes, ignoring his mother's voice in the back of his head, scolding him that it was rude. "Do you know what people say about me? I'm not the kind of person anyone wants to be friends with because they're worried they'll supposedly catch something."

"Okay, and people call my mom a gold digger," James interrupted. "These assholes are also failing English and History, they're not the brightest tools in the shed."

The laugh that Romeo let out was unexpected. "You're mixing up two sayings."

"Am I?"

"Brightest bulb and sharpest tools in the shed," Romeo corrected.

James smacked him in the chest with his script, Romeo's hand reached to grab it, keeping it against his chest. "Same thing. But look, they say shit, doesn't make it true."

As he bent down to pick up his math book, he rolled his eyes. "So, you're perfectly fine with potentially being called names because you're hanging around me?"

Reaching forward, James poked the spot on Romeo's forehead where the book had hit him previously. "Look at me, do I look like I give a shit?" He said, and Romeo didn't have to look to know the answer. "You're like the only interesting person in our entire year. Everyone else is either talking about how they're excited to work for their daddy next year or become. . . I don't know─"

"Lawyer, doctor, CEO of some kind of company?" Romeo offered, hearing those conversations that James was alluding to.

James snapped his fingers in agreement. "Yes that, they're fucking boring. But you" ─he poked Romeo's chest─ "you've got me curious. But if you want me to go away. . ."

Despite his words, Romeo still couldn't help but be wary. Part of him wanted to push James away, but for some inexplicable reason. . . Romeo couldn't.

"As long as you're aware of what you're getting yourself into," Romeo finally said, and the grin that brightened James' face was worth it. He had to look away and busy himself with shoving everything back into his locker again, this time being careful to avoid any book related accidents.

"What? You think you're the only one who can throw a punch?"

"Absolutely not. Can you even afford to get detention again?"

He shrugged. "Probably not. But I feel like you can agree that they're all just so. . . Punchable."

As if summoned, a group of students rounded the corner, Romeo being quick to look busy as a natural response, but he quickly winced, realising how it looked and brought his attention back to James. Crossing his arms over his chest, he and James had matching looks of judgement as they watched the group pass; hearing one talk about how they were planning on going to London for winter break, practically boasting about the fact.

Once they were gone, Romeo couldn't help but lean into James' space, closing his locker at the same time. "You know he got his ex-girlfriend pregnant."

Brown eyes widened and Romeo couldn't help but walk away, a smirk on his face that grew when James rushed to catch up.

"I'm sorry, you can't just leave without elaborating."

Romeo shrugged. "Sometimes I like being dramatic, makes life interesting if you do it right."

Laughing─ or maybe cackling was the best description for it, it was like James laughed with his entire body, uncaring about how he sounded or the fact that it was loud that it bounced all the walls around them. He wrapped an arm around Romeo's shoulders, pulling him in close.

"Do you have any plans?"

"I have lines to learn," Romeo admitted truthfully. "But I could use some help with it."

Being friends with James was somehow easy, something that took Romeo completely off guard. Understanding Romeo's hesitation to allow James' name to get dragged through the mud more than it already was, they didn't interact at school aside from mere nods in the hallway. But outside of school, it was often that they'd met at Manny's diner, either going over homework or anything but. Sometimes, when Romeo knew that neither parent would be home─ something that was becoming more frequent as his father was far too busy with working and his mother was always away, never telling Romeo where─, James would come over with the intention of helping Romeo go over his lines for his newest play, but there were times in which they never bothered. Further, when Romeo had admitted that they needed some help with painting some of the sets, James had jumped at the opportunity to help and now was a common face in rehearsals.

For once in Romeo's life, he didn't feel like Lucille Summers' nephew, nor Odette Miller's younger brother, hiding upstairs as his mother threw another party and as Katrina paraded her favourite child around like some trophy to be shown off. He wasn't playing a character in front of those people, wanting to put his name out there and have them remember it for when he was finally able to venture from the stage to the silver screen, desperate to impress them.

Romeo never had to impress James, not when he had somehow managed to do so without him even knowing he had done so. He didn't have to prove himself to James like he had constantly done throughout his entire life, needing to live up to Lucy's reputation. Wanted to prove to his parents that his passion wasn't a waste of his time, that he could be somebody. James was the first person that looked at him and saw Romeo, and sometimes, Romeo couldn't stand it, drowning under the weight of it all.

He never admitted to Odette that he had taken her advice, but she had noticed the small changes that had occurred with Romeo, constantly commenting on the fact that he seemed more happier, something that Romeo would merely shrug off. But he knew that he couldn't avoid the fact forever, not when Lucy spoke up.

"I heard you've made friends with that boy," she asked one day, the two of them in the kitchen, Romeo sitting at the breakfast bar as she baked─ a hobby that she had picked up after Odette started living with her.

Romeo choked on the water he was drinking, coughing into the crook of his elbow as he calmed himself down. "Where did you hear that?"

"Well, for once, your sister was ranting the other day about the situation, wishing that you would just put yourself out there, typical older sibling thing," she explained, Romeo nodded as she spoke. "Not to mention, Manny mentioned that you've been there frequently with your friend. Surprised you haven't told Odette to get her off your back."

He shrugged, almost tempted to shove as many chocolate chips as possible in his mouth to avoid the conversation. "If I tell her, she'll make this huge deal over the fact that after years of not making friends with anyone at school, I've finally gotten off my high horse and know someone my age that isn't my sister."

She nodded in understanding. "Can I ask what brought on this change of heart?"

"I don't know. . ." He admitted. "He's just. . . He said that I was interesting because I basically wasn't some stuck up snob. He doesn't give a shit about what people say about me. . ."

With a fond smile on her face, Lucy reached over and placed her hand on top of his own. "Well, I think you're both pretty lucky."

Romeo frowned. "I know why I am, but why him?"

"Because anyone would be lucky enough to befriend you."

Huffing out a laugh, Romeo rolled his eyes. "You have to say that you're my aunt."

Lucy scoffed. "Could you please take a compliment for once in your life, Ro?"

"I'm getting used to it," he admitted. "Hey, uh, did you get tickets for the show?"

Grinning at him, Lucy nodded. "Both opening and closing night, Odette's coming to opening night as she always does." She then poked his cheek, causing Romeo to laugh. "Just remember, you shouldn't be nervous."

He couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I'm never nervous."

Those words might've been true then, but come closing night, for some reason, Romeo found himself pacing the hallway to the dressing rooms, as he mumbled his lines under his breath. Romeo had never gotten nervous, at least not anymore, he was someone who felt comfortable on stage, the moment that he stood in the wings, ready to enter the scene, all he needed to do was take a deep breath and get into character.

But this was different. Romeo knew why, despite the fact that James had sat in on a few rehearsals as he painted sets, as well as sat on the couch in the living room as he helped Romeo learn his lines, this was the first time he was seeing it properly. Surprising Romeo when he had bought a ticket with a proud grin on his face. It had shocked him completely, much to the point where it was written on his face for James to see.

Not once through it all had he expected James to want to see the play, and now the thought that he was sitting there in the audience was a daunting one. For once, Romeo couldn't help but imagine all the things could go wrong. Seeing himself tripping over during his entrance, dropping the prop, forgetting his lines. It was frustrating, he wasn't like this and couldn't understand why James was causing this.

Turning around, Romeo came to a halt when he saw James strutting over, hands behind his back as he grinned at Romeo.

"Are you even allowed to be here?" Romeo blurted out.

Somehow, James' grin grew bigger, dimples on full display. "I think you're forgetting that I know the director. I asked him if it was okay if I came to see you before the five-minute call." He then moved his hands in front of him, revealing a bouquet of roses. "My mom refused to let me come empty handed, personally, I wanted to throw them up on stage, but she called me an idiot."

Romeo might've laughed but he was too busy wrapped up in his own shock, staring down at the roses with widened eyes.

"You're not a flower kind of person─ or maybe you are and it's the rose part. I did say to her that maybe it was a little too much, but she started going on about how it's always roses with shows─"

"No. . . They're perfect," Romeo interrupted, finally looking at James and seeing the way that he relaxed. "I just. . . I wasn't expecting them."

"And here I thought you knew me." He then placed his hand over his heart. "You wound me, Romeo. Now are you going to take them or do I have to get on one knee─"

"Please don't," Romeo said, grabbing the roses from James' grasp as quickly and carefully as he could without ruining them. "There can only be one drama queen in this friendship."

James scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. You know, I hope you actually do break a leg out there."

"Oh, and here I was expecting you to say the dreaded M word and cursed everyone here." Romeo regretted saying so the moment that James opened his mouth. Roses dropping to the ground, he covered James' mouth with his hand. "Don't you dare."

Standing so close, Romeo could count the freckles on his cheeks. The proximity was suffocating him that Romeo's hand dropped back to his side, and he rushed to pick up the roses, anything to get away from him.

"You should probably get a seat, especially since you've got your eye out for front row─"

"By the aisle," James continued, signature grin on his face.

"Now get the fuck out of here before I smack you in the face with the roses your mother bought."

He didn't say anything, instead keeping the grin on his face as he walked backwards, and it wasn't until he accidentally walked into someone rounding the corner in their own rush that the two of them collided. Romeo laughed as James bashfully ducked his head down and disappeared.

"Hey, did you hear that Lucille fucking Summers is in the audience?" The light tech asked, eyes widened as if his mind couldn't comprehend the fact. Romeo almost dared to tell him that she was there opening night.

"Holy shit, really?" He said, pretending that he hadn't known since tickets went on sale.

"Should I tell everyone?"

Romeo patted him on the shoulder. "Maybe let's not have Cece freak out before she goes on stage."

He grimaced, and Romeo didn't have to be a mind reader to know that he was thinking about the panic attack their leading lady had opening night, ruining her makeup that Romeo had stepped up to fix it and be the one to calm her down. After that, the two of them shared a dressing room since Romeo was the only person capable of helping her. At that reminder, he made his way to their dressing room.

"Oh, are those for me or from a special someone?"

"From a friend," he replied, placing them on the table.

"Lucky you," she commented, winking at him. "Now that I have you, could you please do my eye makeup?"

"Still jealous you can't replicate my skills?"

"Do not make me shove you off this stage."

There ended up being no shoving off the stage, nor did Cece panic at all. There was a brief chatter between those who did in fact notice who was sitting in the front row, and if Romeo was being honest, he too shared their anxiety but for a different reason, because it threw him off seeing James talking to Lucy. It wasn't that he didn't want them to meet─ maybe a little─ it was just that he was completely and utterly terrified as to what they could be talking about.

But when their stage manager said, "five minutes."

With the chorus of "thank you, five!" following along.

Rolling his shoulders and taking a deep breath, he could do it.

The show went off without any major issues, no one stumbled their lines or forgot their placing. There had been one moment that Romeo slipped out of character, making the mistake of meeting James' gaze, his cheeks flushed as James winked at him.

But it didn't mean that Romeo didn't get back at him. In one scene in particular, Romeo had to hop off stage and into the aisle, empty gas can in his hand for what he would consider his least favourite scene. Always dreading having to hop off stage and leave out the front entrance to then have to run to the back door and side stage in time for his next scene. Not once had he missed his cue, but he definitely wasn't going to act like the fact made it any better.

It was a scene that James knew about, always teasing him and once even dared to stand side stage with a towel and pretend to wipe Romeo's brow during the first few rehearsals when he had started the fact. James knew exactly where to sit to ensure that Romeo would pass him, and with the director constantly encouraging interacting with the audience ("you're playing gangsters! Intimidate them without making them wet their pants."). Romeo wouldn't have flicked anyone on the head, not without risking the director's rath, but James wasn't anyone. And as he walked away, he could hear the familiar sound of James stifling his laughter. The entire run to the side stage, he did it with a grin on his face.

The rest of the play went off without any issues, and really, that was all Romeo could ask for. When he finally stood on stage, Cece next to him as the entire cast took their bows. Seeing Lucy and James standing and clapping, the latter of the two cheering loudly, Romeo couldn't stop smiling.

It didn't die down as he got out of costume for the last time, not bothering with his makeup because all he was wearing was foundation and mascara, and his parents wouldn't be home to question him on the matter. His father staying in the apartment he bought to be closer to work while Katrina decided the week of Romeo's shows was the perfect opportunity to go to their Florida house under the guise of needing more sun because apparently California wasn't enough.

Everyone else is buzzing, but Romeo supposed that the bottle of whisky that was being passed around between cast members and crew. None was offered to him, something that Romeo was thankful for, he suspected it was because of the fact that he was the youngest of them all, everyone else was at least over twenty or nearing twenty-one while Romeo was closer to seventeen than he was eighteen.

But even if they offered him a drink, Romeo would dare, it was part of his agreement with Lucy when he wanted to start acting. She knew that it was something he always wanted, staring in awe whenever Katrina allowed him to sit behind the camera. Maybe there might've been once a time when Lucy would've allowed her nephew to go in front of the camera, but after Odette. . . Romeo's dream was put on hold until he turned eighteen in May. When he was fifteen, he saw a flyer for auditions for Peter Pan, Lucy had been the first one he talked to about it.

Understandably, she had hesitated. Romeo knew that the treatment that Odette had suffered being on set of a Marcus Lang film had impacted her─ something that grew worse when the full truth came out─ and knew that it was why she wanted to ensure that Romeo would be safe. But on the other hand, Romeo wanted that life, something that Lucy understood. Yet the agreement didn't come with some ground rules; no getting lost in drugs and alcohol, something that Romeo quickly agreed to because if he was being honest, he didn't want to be that actor, and making sure that school was still his top priority.

He still hadn't broken any of them.

Staying goodbye to them all, Romeo being the first to leave because while he enjoyed them all and wouldn't have minded going out for the cast after party, Romeo just wanted to go home. Often, he found himself overwhelmed with being surrounded with so many people for too long and added with his adrenaline slowly beginning to leave his body. He could practically hear his bed calling out to him.

When he stepped out into the night air, he only took a few steps before someone's arm wrapped around his shoulder, pulling him down to their level. Romeo didn't have to turn his head to know that it was James.

"Well, well, well. . ." James said in a poor excuse for a Chicago accent. "If it isn't Emanuele Giri─"

"Okay, I'm going to stop you there before you accidentally start reciting the entire opening speech."

James let out a quiet laugh. "I would've made a wonderful announcer thank you very much."

"With that accent?"

Being under James' arm, it was easy enough for James to pull him into more of a headlock, and having been through this enough times to know where it was going, Romeo wormed his way out of the hold before James could mess up Romeo's hair.

"You keep doing that and you're going to ruin the roses that you got me."

"You know, I was talking to this lovely lady who was sitting next to me, and she said that I should've kept them from throwing up on stage," James said, shoving his hands into his jacket pocket and rocking on his heels. "Your aunt's nice, had a lot to say about you─"

"If she pulled out the baby stories they're most likely lies and probably about my sister."

The grin that James wore was worrying, and it was made worst when he didn't say anything on the matter.

"She did ask me to tell you that she's sorry that she couldn't stick around, we were leaving to meet you out here when a few people saw her."

Romeo nodded. "I expected that. Now can we please get out of here?"

Two hours later and the two of them found themselves in their swim trunks, James lying on his back on top of a pool floatie that was slowly drifting while Romeo sat on the edge, kicking his legs back and forth, creating small tidal waves that he was almost tempted to splash James and ruin his peace.

It hadn't been the first time that James had been over, and it wasn't the first time when they had found themselves in this position, Romeo felt like it was constant that James would catch sight of the pool, act like he had never seen it before and strip himself down and jump headfirst into the pool. Often, if Romeo wasn't careful, if he were to stand too close to the edge, James would take him down with him, laughing with glee over the fact that he managed to catch Romeo off guard. The sudden calmness was almost unsettling and why Romeo wanted to break it.

"Can I ask you something?" James asked, causing Romeo to look over at him, almost rolling his eyes over the fact that it was nearing midnight and James was wearing sunglasses.

"Technically─"

"You just did, my fault for walking right into that one," James complained. "I know that you want to be an actor, and you have the talent to get any role you want without having to result to suck anyone's cock─ not that you would," he said, correcting himself, knowing that Romeo would jump to defend himself (sometimes it scared him how well James knew him). "But how are you not already acting?"

Pursing his lips, Romeo dipped his fingers and started making patterns in the water. "My aunt had a previous experience with a child actor where she was treated horribly in a way that no thirteen-year-old should have. So, when I started making my interest in acting knowing, my aunt said that she would help me but only when I turned eighteen. I think deep down, she wishes I would stick to theatre, but I want more than that, you know?"

Looking up, Romeo met James' gaze, there was something different about the way that he was looking at him, a soft smile painting his face that Romeo had never seen before. "You know, when you get your Oscar, you're going to have to include me in your speech."

Romeo gaped at him. "I think you're thinking a bit too far there, I have to be in a movie to even be considered for a nomination."

"A Tony then─ that's the one for theatre, right?"

Romeo nodded. "But again, I'd have to be on Broadway to be nominated."

And suddenly, the smile was gone, and James was back to staring at the night sky. "Would you ever consider it?"

At the question, he frowned, pulling his leg into his leg and resting his chin against his knee. "Consider what?"

"New York? Broadway?"

It was another question that left Romeo confused. If he was being honest, he had never considered it before. Local theatre was nothing more than a stepping stone before he could finally have the real thing. But the more that he thought about it. . .

"Maybe, if everything else fails."

Despite the fact that he didn't know why James had asked, the answer that Romeo had given felt like it was the wrong answer. Especially when James' dove into the water, not caring about the fact that he was wearing sunglasses. Something uneasy settled within him, but Romeo didn't have a lot of time to linger on it when James yanked Romeo by the legs and pulled him under.

It was months later, a few weeks after Romeo's eighteenth birthday and the night of graduation that he eventually found out the meaning behind that question.

Over the months, the two of them had grown closer, Romeo was slowly becoming more of a person than a shell of one, while he still kept his emotions quietly hidden away, it was James that saw him being loud and proud. Hours spent in the back of the movie theatre, watching the newest film, James giggling next to him as Romeo complained about the acting and when they'd make the walk back to the car, that walk and the drive to wherever they were going (often it was to Romeo's, with his parent's absence somehow growing and James' outspoken hatred to the fact, it was common for James to stay over) consisted of James either praising the writing or going into full depth about how he'd make it better.

And whenever that happened, Romeo could only listen with a fond smile on his face. While James had admitted to him once that being an author was all that James wanted, he kept his work close to his chest. Never once allowing Romeo to take a closer look; "maybe one day," he always told him, the words followed by a wink. There were moments of glimpses, asking if a sentence sounded right, searching for a second opinion on a name.

Through their blossoming friendship and a shift within Romeo, it was enough that Odette noticed a change within him. Staring at him through narrowed eyes whenever they were out together, questioning why he was walking around with a smile on his face. He never budged, not because he didn't want to, he was sure that Lucy was sick about hearing about James (although, after meeting him, she always seemed to ask about him, having told him that James was a good kid), but it reached the point where he enjoyed leaving Odette in the dark.

It didn't help that there was this lingering worry about what would happen if Odette were to meet James. Odette was the only person in his life that knew about all the embarrassing things that Romeo had ever done in his life, things that James was constantly itching to know about so that he could add to his internal list of things to tease Romeo about.

Romeo was never sure if it never happened, at least not for years, was ever a good or a bad thing.

In the days leading up to graduation, James had been cagey. Romeo had asked him what he was planning on doing after graduation, only for James to dodge the question. At the time, Romeo just assumed that James didn't know. He didn't push and prode on the matter, but then it became too much, Romeo finally snapping when they were in his room packing his things up to finally move in with Lucy and Odette now that he no longer needed to rely on his parents.

"Are you. . . Okay?" He asked, looking over at James who was slowly taking down the photos that hung on Romeo's wall, doing so in a way that made Romeo wonder if he was inspecting every single one.

James seemed visibly startled, plastering on a fake smile that wasn't convincing. "Just thinking about how much I'm going to miss our little sleepovers."

"You're acting like Lucy wouldn't be okay with you staying in the guest room."

He huffed out a laugh. "I suppose you're right."

"But that's not it, is it?"

Opening and closing his mouth, it was clear that for once, James was struggling to form the right words.

"James, you know that you can tell me anything─"

"I'm moving to New York," he finally blurted out.

"When?" He asked, voice quiet.

"In a few days, my stepdad got an offer for a higher up position at the New York branch and while I could stay here. . ." He sighed, dropping the photo on the desk and running a hand through his hair. "But I miss New York, I'm not made for California." Without warning, he approached Romeo and placed his hands on his shoulders, clinging to him. "You are the only reason I'd stay."

The plea hit Romeo hard, desperate and Romeo knew that if he said the word, that James would stay. But he couldn't do that. It might've been the first time that James had said the words out loud, but Romeo knew that James never liked California. Always complaining about the heat, missing the rain, hating that he always had to drive places when originally, he always relied on the subway.

And in that moment, the conversation that occurred months ago by the pool made sense.

"That's why you asked me about Broadway?"

James nodded guiltily, digging his fingers further into Romeo's shirt. "I know I should've told you but. . . I don't know. . . I could never do it. And I always thought about asking you but I know how badly you want to be a star and I can't be the person that holds you back from it."

"And I can't be the person who holds you back from leaving," Romeo admitted, no matter how much he wanted him to stay.

Once more, Romeo felt like he said the wrong answer. But it couldn't question the matter, not when James wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

"Just because I'm going to be on the other side of the country, doesn't mean that we're not going to be friends," James said. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

While his words were true, the two of them talking over the phone at least weekly, it didn't mean that the distance was hard. Romeo had grown so used to having James around that him not being there took some time, and with the fact, he retreated back into himself, throwing himself into whatever auditions that his agent threw at him, desperate for his big break.

It was a shift that his aunt noticed, looking at him with concern in her eyes but never pushing for anything more than she already knew. Romeo knew that she constantly worried about her niece and nephew, and so he admitted to her that James had gone to New York just to let her know that it wasn't anything serious.

Except, as time went on, it became serious. There was this unexplainable ache in his heart that started growing since James had left. Whenever they talked, it was quiet, but would hit him full force whenever he was reminded of James. Looking at a photo of the two of them, the ache was deafening. If he was sitting at a booth with Odette at Manny's, it was nothing more than an insistent itch that wouldn't go away.

Getting his first proper role, it offered him that distraction that he finally wanted. While it wasn't anything he wanted, being thrown into a high school comedy and playing the charming boyfriend that in the end, got dumped by his girlfriend who picked the stereotypical bad boy, ("is this what you had in mind when you wanted to be in a film like Rebel Without a Cause?" James had teased when Romeo had told him) it was better than nothing. He threw himself into the role, but as time went on, it wasn't enough. While Lucy and Odette helped him learn his lines, it made him miss the way that James would throw in far too much dramatics, acting out each character in a way that left Romeo struggling to stay in character.

It eventually became too much.

"I think there's something wrong with me," he admitted, not daring himself to look his sister in the eye. But he didn't have to look at her to know the expression she was wearing, eyebrows downturned, lips pulled into a frown, a blend of concern and confusion.

"What do you mean?"

And so, he explained everything, finally admitting that he had taken her advice and how the reason for his shift in mood was because of James, and how now that he was gone, Romeo felt. . . Empty, like part of him was missing.

His sister's silence was unsettling.

"O. . ." He pleaded, finally looking at her and needed her to say something.

"Promise me you'll let me be honest with you?" She asked, holding up her pinky.

Romeo didn't hesitate to wrap his pinky around her own. He attempted to put his hands back on his lap, but Odette held onto them.

"This entire time, I thought you had a girlfriend."

"What?"

"You just. . . I had never seen you like that, goofy smile on your face and those roses you refused to let me paint even though I promised you I'd give them back, roses scream romance─"

"They were given to me because they're the flowers you typically give to someone after a performance," he defended.

"And that's a good point," she admitted. "But you've also been moping since he's been gone, which hasn't been helping your case about not being in a relationship this whole time, I thought you broke up, hence the moping."

"But we were never. . ."

Lingering on her words, it made Romeo think back to every blush that dusted in cheeks. The insistent flutter in his stomach that always appeared whenever James looked at him with that bright gleam in his eyes and grin that constantly put the sun to shame. And the ache that never seemed to go away now that James was gone.

"Oh god. . ." He said, a sob escaping him, and it was enough for Odette to pull him into a hug, running her hand up and down his back as he cried in her arms. "How could I not have known?"

"Feelings are complicated, Ro."

"But I can't have them. . . I can't be in love with my best friend let alone another─"

"Look at me," Odette demanded, and Romeo didn't have a choice, not when she pulled out of the hug and placed her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "There is nothing wrong with either of those things, okay? The world might tell you that the second one is, but it's not. And if there's something wrong with you, then there's also something wrong with me too."

"But you're with Benjamin?"

"Doesn't mean that I didn't have a stupid crush on one of the girls that played a flower in Alice in Wonderland," she admitted as she wiped his tears.

"At least you got over it. I can't be in love with my best friend, he probably doesn't even like men, let alone me."

Odette pursed her lips. "True, but that doesn't mean that you can't get over it." She then tilted her head to the side. "Do you like women?"

Romeo had to think about it for a moment before replying, "I don't know. . . I've never really paid attention. James is the only person I've really felt anything for."

She squished his cheeks, causing Romeo to finally swat her hands away from his face. "Look, Ro, while this is something I am no expert in─"

"Yeah, because you've been with Benjamin for how long and still don't love him?"

He wasn't surprised when she hit him over the head. Sometimes he wondered why she was still with him, only dating him to appease their mother. But he supposed that considering they had been together since she was sixteen, Odette was comfortable enough or maybe she was in too deep to leave.

"We're not talking about me," she scolded. "What I was going to say was that maybe this distance will be good."

Romeo scoffed. "You say that as if there isn't a saying about how distance makes the heart grow fonder."

Odette rolled her eyes and waves dismissively. "Just because it's a saying doesn't mean it'll come true."

It was often when Odette was wrong about things and saying that distance would be the key to getting over James, in theory, it was a good idea. But in practice, it wasn't. No matter how many dates that Romeo found himself going on, nothing seemed to have stuck and majority of the time, he found himself growing bored and thinking to himself constantly about all the things that James would say whenever Romeo made a comment that would fall flat. After a point, Romeo just gave up completely and once again threw himself into his work, yearning for that big break.

It happened when he was twenty, and not once had Romeo Miller never imagined his big break happening because of a musical. For a time, he was constantly playing the supporting character, important enough that people knew his name, but never once the star. Auditioning for West Side Story had been a shot in the dark, especially since Romeo hadn't been in a musical since he was fifteen and due to the fact, Tony hadn't been the role he had been eyeing up.

But when he had been told that he had a second audition, Romeo almost dropped the phone when it was for the lead. Upon finding out, Odette had jumped on his back as she hugged him, screaming about how her little brother was playing a lead in a musical. Even Ivy─ who he had met after asking about a jacket and upon finding out she had made it herself, Romeo had asked out for coffee to inquire about her designs, after the fact, a friendship blossomed between the two of them─ hugged him tightly. All while Lucy made reservations at a high-end restaurant to celebrate.

He didn't tell James.

They still talked, but with Romeo's busy schedule that was unpredictable most of the time and James working nights as a bartender, it became difficult for them to find time to talk. But when they did, it was as if nothing changed between the two of them. Romeo thought that all that would've done something to stifle his feelings, but it was as if they came back full force the moment, they were on the phone together.

And it was fine.

Really it was.

Not really.

But he did eventually find out.

"Romeo fucking Miller, I have a goddam bone to pick with you," James had said, cutting off Romeo's words off after Odette had handed him the phone. "You finally played Romeo and you didn't tell me?"

"Technically─"

"Technically, no. It's basically Romeo and Juliet but different. I wrote a whole list, Rome, do you want me to go through it all because I will."

"You don't have to," he said, rolling his eyes. Romeo could imagine the manic expression that James had written over his face. "I know what that film is."

"And again, you didn't tell me."

"It's a musical," he replied, thankful he knew James well enough to know that he disliked them.

When they had watched Singing with the Rain, James had hated nearly every moment of it, only staying silent because it had always been one of Romeo's favourite movies. That didn't mean however, he didn't get on comment in, saying that "no one should be happy enough to sing in the fucking rain, it's a one-way ticket to a goddam cold."

"That you're in, I watched your first film and we both know that was horrible."

While he agreed, it wasn't something he was going to say out loud, especially not when the reviews proclaimed Romeo to be the best part of it. It was further proven when Romeo continued getting better roles while the others were still stuck in the limbo of being in low budget films.

He merely hummed before changing the subject. "Does that mean you've seen West Side Story?"

"You made me cry you fucking asshole. Literal tears that my roommate kept laughing at me after you died," he explained, the slip up being quick enough that Romeo didn't notice it.

"Does this mean I should bring a bodyguard with me when I come to New York in a few weeks?" There was a thud on the other side, causing Romeo to frown. "Everything okay there?"

"Just dropped the phone," James replied. "You're like, actually coming to New York?"

"For a photoshoot and interview but Ivy has some things she wants to do so we'll be there for a few days," he replied. "If you want, I can fit you in."

"Oh my god, the Romeo fucking Miller wants to spend time with me?"

"Yes, or no?"

"I'm currently making a list of everything that I'm going to show you."

What neither of them counted on were the consequences of Romeo's boost in fame, it had always been lingering, here and there that it was tolerable, but New York was different.

On the first day, Ivy had dragged him out shopping, wanting to take advantage of being in a different city with different fashion trends, something that flew over Romeo's head when she was talking to him about it. But Romeo didn't care what they were doing, he had grown fond of her company and if he had to carry far too many bags because Ivy had no limit to how much she bought.

While Romeo was used to people spotting him and asking him for an autograph, but now it was constant and on the second day, he had bribed some of the hotel staff to let him go out the back entrance so that he could get to his photoshoot and interview on time and not having to worry about paparazzi. And it didn't die down, people were itching to get a glimpse at Hollywood's newest golden boy. Ivy had gone out to get a new toothbrush after she had dropped it in the toilet─ which she'd argue that it was Romeo's fault since he was the one who knocked into her, but Romeo would willingly shout his innocence from the rooftop─ and by the time she returned, there were people lingering outside.

He quickly called James and told him that whatever he had planned was most likely going to be difficult with people hanging around and admittedly, it was overwhelming for Romeo. He loved acting, but he hated everything else that came with it. He wished there was some way that regardless of how many films he was in, off screen, he could just be another face in the crowd who didn't have to worry about cameras or if that person was looking at him because they had a staring problem or if it was because they knew exactly who he was.

Lucy had warned him about it, and while Romeo thought that he would be okay with it, he honestly wasn't. But he knew that he'd have to get over it, especially now that he was finally making a name for himself.

James had been understanding of the fact, but it didn't stop him from asking for Romeo's room number so that he could still see him. Upon finding out that, Ivy rolled her eyes and made a promise to be scarce for the entire day, "I have never been more thankful we didn't decide to share a bed." He had thrown a pillow at her for the implications that he'd sleep with James.

He had no plans on doing it, but James really didn't make it easy for him.

A lot had changed over the years in regard to James; his hair had grown longer, drifting past his shoulders and bangs hanging over his forehead, he looked good and honestly, it was driving Romeo insane. Even worse when James tugged his leather jacket off and revealed his left arm being covered with tattoos of various flowers and literature references, James enthusiastically explaining every one to him when Romeo had grabbed his arm to get a better look.

If Romeo was being honest, it was hard for him to keep his gaze off James. Trying to find distractions in any way that he could. Not that it worked, it wasn't exactly something he could do when they were seeing each other for the first time since James had left when they were eighteen.

Odette had been wrong when she said that distance makes the heart grow fonder was nothing more than a saying. Cupid's arrow was still embedded within Romeo's chest, he still blushed whenever James would compliment him; teasing him about how meeting Ivy was the third best thing to happen to him because now Romeo had a sense of style.

"Third best?" Romeo asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Well yeah, your career and meeting me go before that but which is first place is up to you to decide," James explained.

Romeo knew which one he'd say, but he wouldn't dare say it out loud. But thinking about the other that James had mentioned. . .

"Part of me wonders if my career is even worth it."

And fuck, what a way to lower the mood.

"You can't mean that, you love acting."

Romeo looked up at him through his lashes, glaring at him. "James, we're sitting in my hotel room because I can't leave without screaming my name."

"I mean sure, that's true, but we wouldn't have eaten lobster if we did the things I had planned out."

"But that's my point, we could be doing things," Romeo said. Sighing, he leaned his head back against the bed that he leaned against.

"And so, what, you're just going to give it up?"

That was the question, wasn't it? Trade everything that Romeo had worked so hard for just to live the private life that he missed so dearly. And if Romeo was being honest, it was something that he couldn't find the right answer to. Where would he be without it all?

The answer was one that made him spiral further because he knew exactly where he would be. Still acting, but having stuck to the stage, because Broadway was his second choice, New York with James.

But before he could think about that what if─ and he desperately wanted to─ he felt James hit his thigh, looking back at him to find James getting to his feet.

"We're not doing this," he said, causing Romeo to frown in confusion.

"Doing what?"

"I won't accept this moping, so, I ask you the question, do you think you'd be unrecognisable if you weren't wearing your fancy clothes?"

"You're kidding."

Grinning, James shook his head, offering a hand out to Romeo. It was instinctual to slip his hand into James', allowing Romeo to be hauled to his feet. It took a moment too long for Romeo to let go of his hand, returning his own to his side.

"Do I ever kid?"

"Sometimes I wish you did."

James winked at him. "Now strip."

Rolling his eyes, Romeo complied, yanking off his sweater in one swift motion. And when he looked back over to James, he noticed the way that James was staring at him. His mouth was open in a way that Romeo suspected he was about to say something, only to close it, and Romeo didn't miss the way that James' eyes trailed down Romeo's body. He was probably flushing from head to toe, and where he normally would have shied away from the attention, James' eyes always left him frozen.

Neither were aware of the door unlocking until they heard a small, "oh," from Ivy and it was enough for the two of them to tear their gazes away from each other and Romeo shoved his sweater back on.

"You must be Ivy," James said, offering her a handshake but quickly dropping his hand when he realised that Ivy's hands were busy carrying far too many bags for her to shake his hand.

She nodded, shooting him a smile. "I've heard a lot about you," Ivy commented, causing Romeo to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly like he had been caught. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but it started raining and if I'm being perfectly honest, it's a little scary for someone not from here. But if you want me to, I can drop these off and disappear again."

Romeo looked over at James who was looking out the window in contemplation. He sighed, before meeting Romeo's gaze. "I would love to, but I should head off, the subway is going to be a bitch to deal with thanks to this weather."

Ivy nodded in understanding. "Well, I'll leave you to your farewells. It was lovely meeting you, James."

"You too," James replied, for once sounding awkward.

The second she locked herself in the bathroom, James walked over to Romeo and wrapped his arms around him, tucking his head in the junction where Romeo's neck met his shoulder. Romeo didn't hesitate to snake his arms around James' waist, and in doing so, he wasn't sure if he pulled James closer or if James did it himself, but their bodies were flush with each other.

"You know, I thought that seeing you wouldn't be this thing, but fucking hell, I've really missed you," James said, voice quiet as if he almost didn't want Romeo to hear.

"I could be convinced to come back."

That caused James to pull his head back, nose nudging against Romeo's cheek in the process. "We could make it work. Late flights and considering my roommate is in the process of moving out there's a spare room for you to stay in without worrying someone's going to tattle where you are."

"Tattle, really?"

At his words, James headbutted Romeo gently. "Shut up and tell me that my plan is fucking amazing."

Romeo was sure that the look on his face was fond. "It's an amazing plan."

And it ended up being normal for the two of them. In Between filming movies, Romeo constantly found himself spending weekends in James' apartment. With his stardom constantly on the rise with every film that came out with his name attached, it was getting harder and harder for him to go out anywhere without getting spotted. But they made it work, James leaving to grab whatever food he was insistent that Romeo try, a few times they dared to get drunk on whatever concoction he wanted to recreate for Romeo. And there had been a few times when they dared to leave, Romeo dressed up in James' clothes as they ventured through the city in the middle of the night to go out to Daisy Chains, the bar that James worked at.

Daisy Chains was an elephant in the room between the two of them. Romeo knew that it was a gay bar, as subtle as it may have been, it was evident with the way that the patrons acting, drag queens performing night after night and those who dared to venture out on the dancefloor, Romeo wasn't blind to seeing two men with their bodies pressed together or two women holding hands and looking at each other with complete and utter admiration as they twirled underneath the dim lights.

The worst part was how whenever they'd go there for drinks, Romeo wanted to be the kind of person that was brave enough to grab James by the hand and pull him close, drag his hands through his curls and kiss him until neither of them could breathe. But there was the risk of losing James, he didn't know if James was even attracted to men let alone Romeo specifically.

He had talked to Ivy about it endlessly. After she had come out to him─ something she had only done because she suspected Romeo wasn't as straight as she once thought because just like Odette, Ivy had figured him out─, she had become his closest confident, on top of being the one to talk him down a ledge whenever those doubts about his career poked at him insistently, she was there, sometimes with Odette and a bottle of wine and ice cream as he couldn't stop talking about James. The what if's of it all. And deep down, it all boiled down to wanting more, but being in love with someone so out of reach.

That had been what caused Lucy to place a copy of Maurice on his bed.

"What's this?" He asked, picking it up and flicking through it.

"It's a book that I think you need to read. It might give you something to think about."

Romeo looked at her skeptically, but still turned to the first page. "I guess it beats reading another script."

He had read it in two days, unable to stop reading it once he realised the meaning behind his aunt's words. And by the time he was done, despite how late it was, he ended up lying face first on her bed as she ran her hands through his head.

"I hate you so much," he said, voice muffled by the pillow he was using to suffocate himself.

"That might've worked when you were five─"

"That never worked," he interrupted, turning his head to look at her. "Is James meant to be Clive or Alec?"

"That all depends on you, Maurice."

"I don't understand why you can't tell me," he complained, rolling over onto his back.

She gently hit him with her own book. "I can't tell you everything."

He huffed. "I'd ask Odette but considering she hasn't asked that guy she's been drooling over for months now out, she's the last person I'd take advice from."

In the end, it was Maurice that did the trick for him. Finding himself in New York, it was on a night when James unexpectedly needed to cover a shift and with Romeo taking flights in the dead of night, he found himself alone in James' apartment, thankful that months ago, James had given him a spare key.

Despite the fact that he had fallen asleep the moment he was in the spare room─ although if he was being honest, it was more Romeo's room at this point, especially since James had yet to find a roommate, something that Romeo suspected at something to do with him─ he was wide awake by the time James slipped inside. From one glance, Romeo took in his posture and seeing his shoulders sagging, something that caused Romeo to frown. But the second James turned, his posture completely changed as he saw Romeo in the kitchen, but even then, as James grinned, it didn't reach his eyes.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" James asked, coming up behind Romeo and resting his chin on top of Romeo's shoulder, watching Romeo make scrambled eggs.

"I slept," he replied. "But my sleep schedule has been messed up and considering as soon as I finished all my reshoots, I came here."

"Aw, just to see me?" James cooed, and Romeo didn't have to look at him to know James was smug over the fact.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Romeo said, elbowing James playfully and causing him to rear back and act as if Romeo shot him.

"You making enough for two?"

"Always."

They settled into a comfortable silence, Romeo continuing cooking as James did whatever he was doing in his own apartment.

Romeo stilled when James asked, "what's Maurice and why haven't I heard of this book?"

He didn't have to tell James everything, especially not why despite the fact that he had already read it a month ago, he was already rereading it, unable to get it out of his head. But it felt like the perfect opportunity to do so. He was thankful that his back to James so that he didn't have to see his face as he explained the book's plot without giving away too much of the ending, his hands shaking the entire time. By the time he was finished, he could feel his heart in his throat.

"Huh," James said. "Jesus, this book is well read."

"It's a good book, although I've only read it twice."

"Could've fooled me. Looks like my copy of Lord of the Rings. Must be something special."

"Lucy told me to read it. . . Told me that it'd give me something to think about."

"And did it?"

"Yeah. . . It's the kind of story that I want to be able to tell one day, even if I. . . If I can't be open myself, I can at least play a character that'll allow me to. . . I guess, hide in plain sight."

The silence between them was deafening and if Romeo was being honest, if he weren't in the middle of making food, he probably would've gone to hide in the bedroom. Maybe pack his things and take the first flight back to Los Angeles.

"Rome. . . Can you look at me?"

He didn't.

He couldn't.

James had to pry the spatula from his hand and take the pan off the stove. Hands on his shoulders, he forced Romeo to turn to face him, the second their eyes met, Romeo tried not to crumble under the weight of his gaze. There was nothing but fondness written across his face, something that grew when he cupped Romeo's cheeks, thumbs stroking against his skin.

"I get it, okay?"

"You─?"

He nodded. "I thought my job made it obvious."

"Not really. . . I mean maybe? But you're acting like you don't work with Paulie who constantly talks about how much he loves his wife, and considering I've met her, it's not code for something."

"Okay, well, you've got me there," he said. "How about this then, I am just as gay as Amara Kanna─ maybe less so since she's a drag queen but you get what I mean. But. . . Thank you for telling me."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Romeo mumbled quietly.

James shook his head. "Nah, don't apologise for that. We could've spent our entire lives not knowing and I would never hate you. But you do realise that this now opens the doors for what we can talk about, because ever since seeing West Side Story, I've got to know, is the guy who played Riff good looking in person?"

Feeling the tension leave his body, Romeo burst out into laughter, his head collapsing onto James' shoulders. Without hesitation, James wrapped his arms around Romeo's shoulders and in turn, Romeo's arms went around James' waist. When James slipped a hand through Romeo's hair, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, Romeo shuddered.

"Since this is a morning of truths, I've been thinking about moving back to California."

And that caused Romeo to rear his head back, trying not to think about how James' hand was still in his hair. "What?"

James shrugged. "My first project is finished, and I've been trying to plan my next one but. . . I haven't been feeling inspired. You always helped; you know? And I don't think it helps that people aren't interested in what I write here, and even if that happens in California, at least I'll have you to wipe my tears when I get rejected."

"You can also move in with me," Romeo blurted out without any thought behind the matter and so wrapped up in the idea of James being close once more to remember that his apartment only had two bedrooms, one of which was Ivy's. "I mean, Ivy will be there too, but she knows about me─"

"You had me at move in with me, Rome," James interrupted. "Just give me until December when my lease needs renewing. We're not all as fortunate as you to own your fucking apartment."

James moving back to California almost happened a lot sooner.

Lucy's death had been something that completely broke Romeo. He had joined her as her plus one to a celebratory dinner of the anniversary of her film Phantom of the Opera, one of the rare cases where Romeo was in New York for a reason that wasn't James. But they had barely been there a day before Romeo got the call that Lucy was in the hospital under critical condition. He didn't need to hear anything more before he was heading to the hospital with Ivy in tow.

There, he had been told what happened, trying not to see everyone cry as he had been told that Lucy had died before Romeo made it there. He heard nothing after that, thankful that Ivy was by his side, wrapped around his arm and taking in what was being said. The only thing on his mind was the fact that Romeo had to tell Odette.

When he did, having to pry himself away from Ivy who had taken one look at Romeo's state and took the lead with organising how to get Lucy back home, it was hard to keep it together. Romeo knew that just like him, she was struggling to hold it, the only thing that reassured him was that she admitted that her boyfriend was with her, meaning that she at least had someone there for her.

That didn't stop him from taking the earliest flight back to California, Ivy staying behind to continue sorting things out for them and allow them to grieve while not worrying about everything.

James had completely slipped into the back of his mind until he had called Romeo, wanting to check in after finding out about Lucy's death. Romeo felt guilty that he found out through the tabloids, but James had told him that it wasn't necessary.

"Give me the word and I'll fly over to you."

"It's okay," Romeo said, silencing that voice in the back of his head that wanted James near. "Things are. . . Not good over here, it's probably the last thing you want to deal with."

"Oh my god, Rome," he said, and Romeo knew he was rolling his eyes. "You're my best friend, you could've murdered someone, and I'd be over there to help you hide the body. You and your sister dealing with your aunt's death is really nothing." He sighed. "But I'll only be there if you want me too."

"And you won't hate me for it?"

"Only if you won't hate me for admitting that when I say I'll be there, it'd mean with my bags packed ready to move in with you because I don't think I'd be capable of leaving you after this."

Romeo leaned his head against the wall, I love you, echoing throughout his mind and threatening to spill. He almost said yes. He didn't know why he didn't.

"Just. . . Don't get mad at me if I end up calling you in the middle of the night just needing to hear you talk about stupid shit."

James let out a quiet chuckle. "The only thing that will stop me if you call me when I'm at work."

It was an offer that Romeo found himself taking on nights when sleep was escaping him, thoughts running rampant, he ended up on the couch with the phone tucked up to his ear, listening to James' rambling about his novel─ finally, finally telling Romeo as much as he wanted to about it─ until Romeo would fall asleep.

But there had been one phone call that was different from the rest.

He knew that Odette wouldn't be okay with life after losing Lucy. While she had been close with both Romeo and Odette, he knew that with her mistreatment in the movie industry that they were closer. Lucy had been the one to help Odette find the strength to move out of their parent's home the second she turned eighteen, but more importantly, was the one to help Odette recover from her struggle with her eating disorder. Now that she was gone, and Odette had relapsed─ something that no matter how much she tried to tell him it wasn't his fault, Romeo couldn't blame himself for it─ Romeo felt like he was stuck in the middle of a lake without a paddle. When she admitted that she wanted to get out of California, James instantly came to mind.

His guilt increased when dialed James' number. He might've acted cocky and knowing that James wouldn't care that he was calling so early in the morning, especially over something like this.

"Okay, what's on the agenda tonight? You know, I got bored and started writing poetry─"

"As much as I would love to hear it, this is more serious," he interrupted, and Romeo could hear rustling from the other end of the line. "I need to ask a favour and it's not something I'd normally ask─"

"Rome, do you need me to fly out to Cali to help you hide a body?"

The laugh was involuntary. "No, fuck no, not that serious. Listen, my sister isn't doing okay, and she just desperately needs to leave the city for a while and I was wondering if she could stay with you. She'll pitch in with bills and shit, she just. . . Really needs a place to stay."

"Fuck, yeah, no, she can stay with me for however long."

Romeo's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you, it'll just be till you move here. And I'll owe you."

"Enough with the fucking owing shit, this is nothing."

"Yeah, because it isn't hiding a body," he joked halfheartedly. "I should also warn you that Odette just broke up with her boyfriend so you might need to prepare yourself for that."

"Oh, shit, she can braid my hair─ is that what girls do?"

"You're so close."

"Hey, Ro, I know you told me to pack but I don't want to if he didn't agree," Odette said, appearing at the top of the stairs, looking terrifying with the bedroom light illuminating her from behind.

"One second," he said to James before turning to Odette. "He did, so go fucking pack."

She huffed. "How much though? Do I pack enough for a couple of months and under the assumption that I'll buy clothes when I'm there or do I pack enough for six months."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Romeo sighed. "Hey James, I'll call you at the airport."

"Until then, sweetheart."

Maybe under different circumstances, Romeo might've blushed thanks to the pet name, but it completely flew over his head, Romeo being quick to hang up the phone and help Odette.

It was the first time when going to New York was solemn. Not only because it was the last time Romeo saw Lucy alive, but his sister looked like a shell of herself. Sitting next to her on the plane, she hadn't said much, rather rested her head on his shoulder as she merely stared off into space. Worst part was that Romeo didn't know what to say, never being good at his words and better at reading off a script.

He wasn't sure how to help her.

Fuck, he wasn't even sure if pawning her off to James was going to do the trick.

As he sat on the fire escape, leaving Odette and James to talk in the living room, a cigarette hung from his fingertips, barely touched as he stared out into the cityscape in front of him. He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there for, having snuck there from James' room when Odette asked for a moment with him. Part of him worried about what they were talking about, something that wasn't helped with the fact that it was their first time meeting, but he wasn't going to eavesdrop.

After the cigarette had been burned to a stub, James climbed through his bedroom window and sat down next to him.

"Is she okay?" Romeo asked.

"A little," he replied. "She told me everything, said that since I was letting her stay that I deserved that. I remember you telling me that Lucy wouldn't let you act when you were a kid because of a younger actress and I. . . I never realised it was your sister."

"We don't really talk about it," Romeo admitted. "Odette basically became forgotten and it was easy to do it."

He nodded. "I told her that I'd get her an appointment with my mom, help her with everything."

"You didn't have to do that."

Reaching over, James wrapped his arm about Romeo's shoulders, pulling him in close and Romeo couldn't help but rest his shoulder on James' shoulder. "Well, I'm going to." He then sighed as he inched closer to Romeo. "When are you going back?"

"Flight leaves around eleven," he admitted. "I wouldn't rush back but─"

"You have a spy movie to film," James continued. He then checked his watch. "You should probably get some sleep, especially since you managed to catch the red eye. You can sleep in my bed; I'll wake you up."

Despite the fact that Romeo nodded, he made no effort to move, not until James had to practically pry himself away from Romeo to coax him into bed. But even then, a quiet "stay" from Romeo, and James climbed in with him instead of leaving, allowing Romeo to practically cling to him, finding comfort within James' embrace.

He almost didn't want to leave.

He almost begged someone to let him stay.

But he got on that plane despite all that.

The months bled together until December. It was easy enough when Romeo spent his days either filming or sorting through Lucy's things, and even then, despite the breakup and the fact that Odette was gone, Eddie Roundtree along with his band members─ although friends was more befitting of a title as The Six was currently in limbo with no lead singer and back at square one─ seemed to be around a lot more. Something that admittedly shocked Romeo since he didn't think they'd want to be around Odette's younger brother, Eddie especially all things considered.

But it was easy enough to slip into their little group, something that was helped with the fact that he and Karen had known each other longer.

If only it didn't come with its consequences. The last thing that he expected was for Eddie to figure out that Romeo was in love with James just by hearing Romeo gush about his best friend. Despite the fact that Eddie had approached the subject with care, Romeo still stared at him with a deer in the headlights look and it took a lot of reassurances to get Romeo down from the ledge he was standing on.

But he would never be as bad as Ivy.

"So, what are you going to do when James moves in?" She questioned as the two of them made what was going to be James' bed.

"What do you mean?"

She huffed, a tuff of hair that had fallen down her forehead lifting as she did so. "I know about the fact that he's gay."

This was news to him.

"Since when?"

"We went out for coffee one day when you were doing press in New York once," she replied. "I told him about me and in turn, he told me about him. So, you can't say that you are not telling how you feel because you don't know if he likes men, because I know he does, and I know you know he does."

"But he might not have feelings for me."

Ivy stared at him blankly and grabbed one of the pillows and proceeded to hit him with it. "You know how Eddie figured out your feelings for James, well, hearing James talk about you, it's the exact same, not to mention he keeps every single ticket he has of your movies, some of which he saw multiple times." Another hit with the pillow. "That man loves you, Romeo and I swear the two of you are going to be insufferable to live with."

"Okay, Jesus. . . Stop attacking me."

"Promise me."

"What?"

"Promise me you'll do something about this?"

Her attacks didn't let up, they got worse.

"Oh my god, okay," Romeo conceded. "I'll tell him."

However, it was a promise that was easily broken when James actually did move in because suddenly, Romeo couldn't stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong if he were to admit everything he had been feeling since he was eighteen, maybe even longer. The last thing that he wanted was to completely lose James and have him out of his life forever. After all they had done to keep in contact over the years, now that he had him back and within arms reach, the last thing that he wanted was for James to leave because Romeo was the one who had gone and fallen in love with him.

And so, he bit his tongue, just like he also did and ignored the ache in his heart whenever James was around, which was more a constant feeling Romeo couldn't get rid of no matter how hard he tried.

At least it was another thing that he and Odette could bond over, being in love with someone that they couldn't have. But at least she knew where Eddie stood, no matter how much everyone else told him that he was blind to not see how James felt, he couldn't.

Or maybe he knew and was just refusing to see it, because deep down, Romeo was terrified of what would happen if James did reciprocate his feelings. He wanted to be able to hold James' hand in public, show him off to the world and shout from the rooftops that James Hannigan was the man that Romeo Miller was completely and utterly in love with. Only, with how the world was, that couldn't be the case, Romeo couldn't be able to do any of that, especially not being in the spotlight as it were.

It took Ivy to take things into her own hands at Billy and Camila's housewarming party for something to happen.

Romeo didn't want to go and if he was being honest, he didn't know how he ended up there. Camila had extended an invitation out to him when she had talked to Odette about it, saying that Ivy and James could come as well. The second that Odette had repeated the fact, Romeo had said that it was a bad idea, "people are going to be looking at me and I feel like I'm going to be taking attention away from whatever people do at a housewarming party."

But when the night finally arrived, he found himself with James and Ivy flanked on either side of them as the two of them spoke with Karen. Romeo tried to hold onto what was being said, but he felt like he was drowning under the weight of everyone's gazes, making him squirm. With James standing next to him, their hands brushed every so often, and Romeo resisted the urge to intertwine their fingers, wanting to find comfort in James, just like that final night in New York.

He yearned for that again and there were moments. Often James barged into Romeo's room and asked for a second opinion on something he was writing, needing to know if a sentence made sense and it ended up staying, both of them falling asleep and drifting together during the night. He lost track of how many mornings he woke up in James' arms, forcing himself out of bed before he could let himself get wrapped up in the moment. Even when James would place his hand on Romeo's back for a fleeting moment when they sat side by side next to the pool, it left Romeo wanting more.

And now, it was the desire to hold James' hand, the only thing stopping him was being surrounded by strangers.

As the night progressed, as Romeo's anxiety worsened, not even being eased by Warren's attempts at distracting him from all the stares that were constantly sent his way, that desire became worse. He'd drink if he wasn't worried about doing something that he'd regret in the morning.

From beside him, James suddenly wrapped his arm around his shoulder and hooked his chin over his shoulder, practically glueing himself to Romeo's back. Instead of shying away from the fact, Romeo found himself leaning into it. Relaxing for the first time that night.

But he tensed under Warren's scrutinising gaze, eyes darting between the two of them. Warren was confused at first, and Romeo was hoping that everything could somehow be blamed over the fact that James was drinking, even if James was still holding onto the now warm beer bottle that he had grabbed upon first arriving, James was still completely sober. Then Warren's expression changing to the same expression he wore when he'd catch Eddie and Odette talking, even going further to wink before excusing himself, untactfully proclaiming his need for the bathroom.

"We can leave if you want," James whispered, knocking his head into Romeo's.

Yet before Romeo could answer, Ivy came stomping over, an angry look on her face that left Romeo fearing for his life.

"You know, I really don't understand how the two of you can be likes this and then pretend like you two clearly aren't in love with each other," she said, voice quiet enough that one would overhear, something that was helped with the fact that they were at the back of the garden where mostly everyone else was inside.

James' arm slipped from Romeo's shoulders as he stood up straight, somehow it felt like rejection.

"Are you fucking serious, Ives?" Romeo said.

"Eddie and Odette are bad enough, Romeo."

"Is it true?" He heard James ask, voice dripping in disbelief.

It felt like being in James' kitchen again, Romeo's heart being offered on a silver platter and unable to look at James in the case he'd tear that heart in two. All he could do was nod, fear too scared to say the words out loud.

Only when Romeo dared to repeat the question back at James, did he finally meet his gaze, the disbelief that fueled James' words was imprinted on his face. Romeo didn't know what to think of it.

And James too nodded. "Really wish that we were home for this because there's so much I want to say right now."

"Then go home," Ivy told them. "Talk about everything and thank me in the morning when I get home. Probably in the afternoon so I don't walk in on anything."

Both James and Romeo let out quiet laughs at her words. After saying their goodbyes to Odette, James and Romeo slipped out of Billy and Camila's backyard hand in hand, pulling apart as they stepped out into the street. But once they were in the car, James' hand was in Romeo's and there was a moment where he sat in the driver's seat just staring at it, unable to handle that it was real.

"You better fucking drive home, baby, because I meant what I said when I said there's a lot I want to say."

"Okay, well until then, you better not say anything because if you call me baby while I'm driving, I'm going to crash."

James laughed, and even went as far as to remove his hand from Romeo's hold. "I'll keep my hands to myself."

That might've been the case, but it didn't stop his mind from thinking over the fact that James loved him. While he wished that it had happened on their terms, he supposed that he understood where Ivy was coming from, ever since James had moved in with them, she hadn't relented on telling Romeo to just rip the band aid off. But the fear of rejection had become too much so he never did.

It didn't take them long to return home, and once inside, the door was barely shut before Romeo said, "this isn't like some prank or dream─ do I need to pinch myself?"

Shaking his head, James moved into Romeo's space crowding him against the door as he cupped Romeo's jaw, thumbs stroking his cheek. With shaky hands, Romeo placed his hands on James' waist.

"I hope not. . . Do you want me to say it out loud?" James asked. When Romeo nodded, James grinned fondly. "I love you, so fucking much. I've loved you for who knows how long but you've had me since I saw you parading around as the wrong character in Romeo and Juliet before I got to know you. And it's funny, when I think about the moment I realised I loved you was seeing you perform."

"That long?" Romeo asked.

"Yeah. . . And I almost stayed in California for you."

"But you wanted me to go with you."

James winced. "That was so selfish of me. But I hated the idea of not being around you, until I realised that being in so far away, maybe I'd get over you─"

"But it didn't work, just like it didn't work for me," Romeo admitted. "I didn't realise until after you left. Odette practically spelled it out for me, telling me she thought my moping came from being broken up with." James let out a laugh at that. "I feel like I'd've known. . . Maybe I would've gone with you or. . . Asked you to stay."

"I would've stayed. . . If you had asked. I wanted you to ask."

"But then who would've been the selfish one?"

James bit his lip. "At least if we let ourselves be, we would've figured everything out a lot sooner. Saved all this bullshit of failing to get over each other."

"True, but we got there in the end, didn't we?"

"Yeah, thanks to Ivy forcing it."

"It was either that or me never admitting that I love you. Which one do you prefer?"

"Definitely the former."

Romeo smiled gently but it faded. "You know this won't be easy, right? Like we won't be able to hold hands or kiss in public─"

"As long as we deal with it together, I could care less about that. Now can I kiss you? I've been wanting to know what it's like since I watched you kiss your co-star in West Side Story."

The question took Romeo completely off guard, but he quickly regained himself. "Please."

Every kiss that Romeo had shared had never been real, always for the purpose of being shown on screen. And this one felt daunting, Romeo worried that he'd do something wrong despite all his past kisses could be classified practice.

But just like how it always had been with James. It was slow, gentle unlike anything that Romeo had ever felt before, like Romeo was something to be savoured. Yet it didn't take long for it to become something more, as if now that James had had a taste, he was hungry for more, and Romeo was more than willing to give.

When they finally parted, Romeo through heavy breaths peppered kisses from James' cheek to his neck.

"Hey, so uh, you do realise that now you have no excuse to not thank me in your Oscar speech."

Romeo pulled his head back and looked at James whose face was flushed. "Do me a favour?"

He nodded rapidly. "Anything."

"Stop talking."

He continued nodding as if he were in a daze. "Yeah, yeah, of course."

"You are so lucky that I fucking love you."

"Say that again," James pleaded, hands digging into the fabric of Romeo's shirt.

"I love you," Romeo repeated, nudging his nose against James'.

James surged forward, pressing his lips against Romeo's. "I don't think I could ever get tired of hearing you say that," he said in between kisses.

"You better not get tired of hearing it."

"Never."

TRANSCRIPT OF ROMEO MILLER'S OSCAR SPEECH FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Holy─ [ clears throat ] I'm not allowed to swear, my niece is watching. [ Waves ] Hi, Lucy. [ Laughs ] oh my gosh. I never imagined this happening; I remember getting told that I was nominated and just. . . I couldn't believe it, and even holding this, I still can't.

I just want to take a moment to thank the one person that couldn't be with us to see this. Lucille Summers was the reason why I wanted to act. Seeing her perform, I knew that I wanted to be like her and continue on her legacy. Without her, I really wouldn't be standing up here and accepting this award, and for that I thank her, and I really wish, and I really wish that she was here to see this, but I know she'd be proud of me. [ Wipes brow ] to my sister, O, I know you're sitting in your living room screaming and ruining everyone's ear drums, and for that, Eddie, Karen, Daisy, Ruby and Warren, I am so sorry. But really, thank you O for being my second biggest supporter, you know that I can't thank you enough.

Ivy, you know I love you so much. You've been such a big part of my career, both as a stylist and as a supporter and I can't thank you enough. But more importantly, thank you for being the best beard that anyone could ask for, you saved my career by marrying me and I don't think I'd be here if you didn't.

And finally, James, the love of my life, you told me when we were seventeen that one day I'd get an Oscar, long before I even stared in any film, and well, you better make some space for this. There's so much I could say right now, but they're all things that you've heard time and time again, so all I'm going to say is thank you for being my biggest supporter and thank you for loving me.

AUTHOR'S NOTE / that oscar speech was totally used as romeo's coming out, something that james would've joked about and romeo took seriously since he that film he won for was his last. daisy definitely loved the idea while ivy would've called romeo a drama king but supported the idea. no one else would've known so the others would've flipped their shit hearing it.

                                         this is a bit of a long author's note especially for a longer chapter but there's a lot to say about this chapter especially since there's a few deleted moments i wanna mention, so i'm saying this now. thank you so much for reading this chapter, i hope you enjoyed it and please don't forget to vote/comment, don't be a silent reader.

                                        you know, i told myself that i could legit write a novel about romeo and james and well,,,, it sorta came true since this is the longest bonus chapter to date. i was like 7k words in and james wasn't even in new york yet (in my defense, i got carried away with writing romeo being a theatre kid, even had my copy of arturo ui sitting next to me as i was writing this that hasn't been read since i learned all my lines when i performed it. this is also why i picked that play because i couldn't use another fucking shakespeare play and knew no other play to confidently write about that wasn't published after when this was based).

                                       one thing i did cut out that i wanna say here was that romeo did reconnect with his dad and through it robert admitted that his marriage with katrina was more of an arrangement that one made from genuine feelings, and that the reason why he worked a lot was to ensure romeo and odette were secure once they hit eighteen but also to fuel katrina's lifestyle. he would've had a wake up call after romeo moved out, and tried to make it right with his kids, odette would've disregarded him whereas romeo would accept his olive branch. the true wake up call would've been after odette's relapse when romeo broke down in front of his father and spilled everything. robert would've divorced katrina after realising how bad everything was. admittedly, that is as far as i got with that, but i do know that if romeo and odette continued to have a relationship, it would be at arm's lengths.

                                       + rip to james' boyfriend. that roommate mentioned in the first half of the second part of this chapter, was his boyfriend that he got after living in new york for a bit and also in the hopes that he'd get over romeo. but it was that first new york visit that caused some problems and resulted in their breakup due to his bf's jealousy and not believing that james was over him. like james definitely was but the second he was sitting in that hotel room with romeo, those feelings were back (most probably when he was checking out romeo, he would've lost his mind seeing romeo shirtless). he and romeo were also meant to swap clothes before ivy walked in, and james was just going to leave in romeo's clothes saying that it was an excuse for romeo to come back to nyc. this would've driven james' ex mad seeing him come back in romeo's fucking clothes. but i cut that because it was funnier having ivy walk in when romeo had no shirt on in front of james.

                                       extreme side note, romeo's version of west side story is the 1961 version with the 2021 cast, meaning that the riff that james asked if he was attractive in person was basically mike faist in every way but in name. i was too lazy to come up with a name.

                                       his movie that he won supporting actor for, while i didn't come up with a lot of details, in my head it's a movie that gives off the same vibes as maurice, dead poets society and the holdovers with the main plot being a queer love story between two students and romeo would've played the mentor/teacher type character that and also like the friar from romeo and juliet in a way of helping the forbidden romance as opposed to being against it.

                                       and if you read this much, hi, thank you 💞💞 you're a real one for reading author's notes. i hope both sides of your pillows are cold.