A/N -
Just as a disclaimer... I obviously don't own the characters mentioned in this one shot. They belong to F. Scott Fitzgerald. This is based on the book The Great Gatsby. Anyway, thank you!
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Gatsby's PoV -

     I sat at my dining room table staring at the latest edition of the local newspaper. I tried not to cry, men like me should never cry but still tears threatened to fall. I had just lost everything and I knew it. Everything I had ever worked for, everything I had risked everything for, and all my dreams. They were all gone with the collapse of the stock market. I thought my hopes had died when Daisy left but that wasn't true. This was the crushing news that decimated my hopes.

     Just then I heard a knock at the door and I already knew who it was, Nick Carraway, my dearest and only friend. I dried my eyes and tried to make myself look presentable before going to answer the door. Nick stood in the door frame holding a newspaper. He looked worried as to be expected with this kind of news.

     "Gatsby, have you heard the news?" Nick asked.

     I tried not to sound as sad as I felt, "Yes, I just finished reading it, Old Sport, I don't quite know what I'll do now."

     The more I thought about it the scarier it seemed. I didn't have a real job. I organized some bootleggers and I invested that money into the stock market. Now, what was I to do? "I'm here to help with whatever I can," Nick flashed a hopeful smile but I could tell it was forced.

     "Thanks, Old Sport," I tried to smile back.

-------Time Skip-------

     Less than a week after the stock market crashed I heard a knock at the door and as always it was Nick. This time though instead of being greeted by his nervous smile I was meet with a very upset and tearful Nick. He hugged me and cried into my shoulder. I brought him inside my mansion and set him down so we could talk. I did my best to comfort him. "Nick, what's wrong?" I asked.

     "I l-lost my j-job at the p-paper," Nick cried referring to his job at the newspaper that he had been working at for the past three years.

     "Shhhh... It will be okay, I'll help you the best I can and you can find another job," I hugged my friend.

     "I can't, I a-already asked t-tons of places if t-they would hire me b-but no one would," Nick sobbed.

     I said the only thing I could think to say, "We'll make things work out."

     The rest of my day I spent comforting Nick.

     Hours later I heard another knock at the door so I went to answer it leaving Nick still sitting on the sofa but at least he wasn't crying anymore. "Hello?" I answered the door and the mailman greeted me and handed me a stack of mail before leaving.

     I closed the door and began leafing through the envelopes till I found a letter that made my heart jump. An evection letter for missing a payment. All I could think was "how do I tell Nick?"

I walked slowly back to the living room, giving myself time to think. I had even poured Nick a small glass of wine to calm him. I myself stuck to water. I handed Nick the glass and apparently my face showed my alarm, "Gatsby, what's wrong?" Nick asked as he took a small sip of wine.

I sighed, "That was the mailman at the door... I just got an evection letter... I won't be staying in this house much longer," I lowered my head in shame at my inability to financially provide for myself and to some extent Nick.

Nick gently raised my head and looked deep into my eyes, "We can make this work, Jay," he stated simply but his words held so much meaning in them.

I hugged Nick, I couldn't help it, I needed his support right now. "Thank you," I mumbled into his shoulder.

In the days after I busied myself with packing boxes of what was left of my life. I sold off some things to help make up for my sudden financial loss but it never amounted to much. Nick had said I could move in with him so he and I carried my boxes across our lawns day after day.

A few days later when the bank took my house, Nick, greeted me as usual and invited me inside his small cottage that we would both be calling home. "Well Gatsby, home sweet home," Nick smiled and I managed to smile back at him.

It would be nice having Nick's happy personality around more often. We had already unpacked my things and oddly enough Nick's cottage didn't seem too crowded but that just served as proof of how bad this Depression had hit me. Who was I now? I couldn't help but ask myself this. Everyone knew me as the rich fellow who held generous parties but now I was poor and asking my friend to help me. This just didn't seem right.

The next few days went on as normally as we could make them. Nick and I both searched for jobs only to come out empty-handed. We both knew that it was only a matter of time before Nick got evicted too. We did our best to make ends meet. I chipped in with what I had left and I would sell some of my possessions from time to time. Nick had to chip into his emergency funds to pay rent but our payments were always much too small.

On the brighter side, if there was one, Nick and I had become even better friends. I didn't call him "Old Sport" anymore and he didn't call me "Gatsby" instead he called me "Jay" which I found to be more personable. I cooked dinner for the two of us every night, trying to make the most of the ingredients that we had. Believe it or not, I was actually quite the cook. Even as the days got shorter and the nights got colder we resorted to awkward cuddling to share body heat but it seemed that as days went by our life together became more normal.

By now there was next to no furniture in the house and there was next to nothing left to sell to try to pay rent. I had caught Nick crying once or twice but I always managed to calm him. How much longer could this go on?

     By the years end many things still hadn't changed. Nick and I were still both out of work. We had drained every fund either of us had and even our pantry shelves were bare. One of the last things still left on the shelf was a small bottle of champagne. Nick didn't know about this and I had been saving it for a very important date. There were only 15 or so minutes left till the New Year and I wanted to make the next year as positive as I possibly could. As Nick napped on the floor next to the fire I poured two glasses. This would be the one time I allowed myself to drink. I walked over to Nick and sat down by him. "Nick, wake up, it's almost New Years," I gently shook my friend awake.

     He looked dazed for a minute before recovering and smiling up at me. I handed him the champagne and he looked surprised but thankful. The clock was ticking down to the last minute of 1929 and we made cheers to a prosperous New Year. We each took a small sip and as the clock chimed midnight I wrapped Nick in a hug and kissed him.

     Seconds later we broke apart again and Nick just stared at me, "Sorry," I mumbled awkwardly but a moment later  Nick pulled me in for another kiss.

     Regardless of how the New Year treated us, at least we still had each other.