- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Set during Millennium. Nick roomed with AJ and took time to reflect.
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.

 

“I still can’t believe it,” AJ told you, in a whisper that you almost didn’t catch as you were caught in the middle of awake and asleep.

 

The hotel room was almost silent, the soft drumming of the air-conditioner lulling you slowly to sleep. It was darker than usual that night but this didn’t surprise you because you did overhear Kevin muttering something about the weather and heavy downpour as the five of you made your way up to your suites earlier that day. You liked the dark (when there’s someone rooming with you) and you had been staring at it all night until your heavy eyelids started to droop and your heartbeat began to slowdown as you succumbed to sleep.

 

Of course AJ had to pull you back from the realm of dreams when you finally almost found solace in it.

 

But you didn’t really mind this time, because like him, you too, still couldn’t put your head around it.

 

“Me too,” you yawned. “I guess our hard work paid off huh?”

 

“Sure did,” AJ said, and even in the dark, you could tell that he was practically beaming, and it was contagious.

 

“And here we thought it was a big mistake to chose a song that doesn’t make much sense as our first single!” you laughed.

 

That night, you basked in the success and joy of what Millennium had done to your life and the band. It was euphoria of a whole new level and no one could take it away from you. Not even that argument you had with your parents over the phone earlier that day, before you found out just how successful the album’s first day sales had been. Those hurtful words they threw at you as if you were a stranger and not their son.

 

You knew AJ was doing the same thing too. Not even an estranged father’s phone call suddenly desiring to meet the son he had abandoned since childhood was going to break his spirit. Dad just wanted to ride on son’s success, you knew this, AJ knew this, everyone who heard of the phone call knew this, but no one said a damn thing, not even AJ.

 

And that was okay for you, at least for now, because you chose to be bathed in the best of times and not worry about the worst; and seeing how relaxed AJ was next to you right then, you knew your friend (brother), wanted the same things too, and that, sadly, made it all okay.