10 years later

Sav walked towards the counter of the bar he worked in, straight to the woman behind it. She was wearing a tight red lacy dress and large golden earrings, her lips painted in blood red and her eyes shadowed by her wavy brown hair due to the fact that she was looking down at the glass she was currently filling with beer.

"Hey there, Rose, you got any bookings for me tonight?", he finally asked over the loud music as he leaned against the bar counter, propping his forearms on top of it to steady himself. The woman looked up at his words with a warm smile, setting down the now filled glass of beer on the countertop for a guy to grab it.

"Not sure there, my dear, let me take a look. By the way, you look gorgeous tonight", she finally answered, winking at him before turning around to grab her tiny pink planner, thumbing through a few pages before stopping and reading intensely.

While waiting, Sav twirled a strand of his now blonde locks around his finger, observing the silver nail polish on his nails and the contrast of his pale skin placed on the dark ebony of the bar's countertop. Not just any bar counter. It was the counter of a strip club in L.A., and it was one of the most-visited as well. And Sav was a part of it. An employee. A male escort.

He had found this little job when he had needed it the most, when he had to keep his head above water and needed money to pay for the apartment he currently lived in with his best friend Phil Collen. There had happened a lot since he left Sheffield ten years ago.

As soon as he had been able to, Sav had left his parents to live alone, wanting to erase every part of the misery they brought over his life. He wanted to forget everything and start a new life, one that wasn't ruled by his parent's expectations and judgement. So he tried to get a small apartment in L. A., but luck didn't seem to be on his side. All he was greeted by were rejections over rejections, causing him to almost give up his plans and dreams. But then he met a short, friendly, blonde-haired man about his age, that was searching a roommate for the flat he was currently living in. Sav saw his chance and agreed to move in with him, just having the fact that he wanted to leave his parent's house as soon as possible on his mind. It didn't cross his mind however, that he needed to pay, too, and that he hadn't got a job yet.

Phil offered him a job he had at a club downtown, and he agreed to check it out. So one night, he had joined Phil on his way to the club, finding out quite quickly that it wasn't just some club but a very popular strip bar instead. He applied for a job as a bartender, but got a rejection instead. They were having enough bartenders already, they declared. But they had another kind of job he could do instead, and that was working as one of the prostitutes. After quite a long time of thinking about it, Sav finally agreed, having craved any kind of sexual contact too much to resist. The last time he had slept with someone was the last night he spent with Joe ten years ago. But he felt ready for something new, the sight of Joe's face already blurring in his mind, even though a part of his heart wasn't ready to face that kind of development yet. Would never be ready for it, for that matter. He felt as if he still belonged to Joe in some way, but he knew that he needed to get over him. It had been ten bloody years, after all.

So he had thrown himself into his new job as a male prostitute quite enthusiastically, noticing almost directly that he was quite good at seducing other men. Probably that had been one of the reasons Joe had wanted him so much. But he banned any thought of Joe from his mind, not being able to combine the memories of the way he had felt when Joe had loved him with the way he was feeling during his working hours right then. There was no emotional attachment in the way he had sex with the men going in and out of the club, and he had to stop wishing for it. Whenever he slept with someone, he felt the intense urge for a gentler way to be treated, for more care in his opponent's eyes whenever he would breach him. But there was none and Sav was turning cold. He then saw his job as something that needed to be done and wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. And that particular day was one he just started with the same feeling.

Rose's voice finally pulled him out of his thoughts again, making his gaze snap up from his fingers.

"No, there aren't any bookings yet, so you can feel free to find someone you like in the crowd", she said with a wink and Sav nodded, turning on the heels of his silver boots to look around the place. There was nothing or rather nobody that caught his interest just yet, so he set to leaning against the bar counter and letting his gaze drift around aimlessly.

"A beer please", a raspy voice with a thick British accent suddenly ordered beside him and he snapped his head around, being met by the sight of a blonde, well-trained man, that had soft-looking, caramel-colored skin and intelligent eyes whose colour he couldn't make out completely due to the dim lighting, but they appeared to have a light shade, most likely green or blue. His hair was hanging in long blonde strands over his shoulders and covered his forehead in the form of bangs in the front, a sight that looked incredibly adorable and beautiful. Sav had seen many men in that club, but he sure knew that there had never been one that could be compared to that man.

He seemed to notice Sav's eyes on him, because suddenly he looked up and eyed him curiously, making Sav's heart stutter lightly. There had never been one that he had immediately reacted to in such a way, well, except for Joe, that is. But there was no need to think of Joe when he had someone so gorgeous in his sights right then. He needed a night with that man, he just felt like he wouldn't get happy again if he would miss that chance. So he hit the flirt button with full force.

"Hey there, looking for some fun tonight?", he asked lowly with his eyelids drooped seductively and his tongue sneaking out to wet his glossy lips. He saw his opponent's eyes widen at the not so subtle message and his cheeks heat up as he reached for the beer Rose had placed on the bar counter to take a soothing sip, his eyes raking over Sav's body with an obvious glimmer in them, lingering the longest over his skintight dark blue shorts that barely even went down to his midthigh.

"I... Um... If you're offering..."

Sav smiled seductively at that answer, placing a hand on the man's shoulder and gently urging him on to follow him. The blonde-haired stranger just let himself be pulled along, and Sav knew he would be staring at his ass so he swayed his hips a bit more to tease him further. They finally reached one of the backrooms that were especially designed for that kind of purpose, Sav opening the door and letting the stranger enter before him. The lock snicked as Sav turned the key, and he finally found the urge to turn around, looking into the stranger's eyes, that were a bright shade of green and quite widened. His mouth was slightly opened, too, as he took the sight of Sav in, and the latter took it as a simple compliment.

"Like what you see there, handsome?", he whispered with a sexy smile, seeing the other man close his mouth and gulp heavily.

"I... I... Yes."

Sav had never been with someone like this before, someone that seemed so insecure and overwhelmed by his presence. It made him feel as if he was in the center of attention, and since it always had been the other way around, he wasn't quite sure what to make of that.

Deciding to just go on with the seduction game, he pushed the other man lightly into the direction of the bed, making him sit down on it and letting himself fall onto the stranger's lap, the silky fabric of the blouse he had worn sliding down his arms and dropping into a puddle behind him, leaving his chest exposed, except for a few dangly necklaces around his neck, their pendants sparkling between his pectoral muscles.

The stranger seemed to be fascinated by the sight but he lost his concentration once more as Sav pulled the top he wore over his head, leaving his caramel-colored skin exposed to the young prostitute. Sav didn't waste time and immediately placed his lips on his opponent's neck, kissing and sucking his way down to the rosy nipples already pulled into tight peaks on the strong chest, feeling the stranger's hands tangle in his hair and gently caressing his scalp while he silently urged him upwards again. Sav parted from him at that motion, looking into the green eyes again and feeling the almost unbearable urge to kiss those soft-looking, rosy lips in front of him. But he knew he couldn't and shouldn't. There was only one rule in prostitution, and that was to not kiss the people you're sleeping with in order to not get too emotionally attached to them. So he pushed the stranger backwards onto the comforter in order to break the eye-contact, starting to fumble with his jeans and pulling them down the gorgeous man's hips, before messing with his own too tight shorts.

As the other man was finally completely naked beneath him, he couldn't help but feel the attraction rising again in him. And he felt the need not to call this man a stranger anymore.

"What's your name, handsome?"

"My... My name?", he stammered, being quite occupied by running his gaze across the sexy naked body in front of him. His hands ran over the thighs straddling him, moving upwards in feather light touches until he reached the soft skin of Sav's waist, gently rubbing his thumbs over the sharp hip bones. A breathy sigh immediately left Sav's lips at that simple but intimate touch, that seemed so caring that his heart started to flutter again.

"My name is Joe, and yours?", the stranger revealed as Joe finally rasped out, gazing up at Sav with an expression full of trust on his facial features.

Joe? He was called Joe? It was just his luck to react to all the Joes on this world. Sav inwardly chuckled at that thought.

"My name's glittery starchild", he replied with a smirk, wrapping his hand around the other man's length and starting to stroke slowly. Joe's jaw tightened at that contact but it soon relaxed again by a deep moan forcing itself through his lips.

"No... I mean your real name", he then asked again as he had gathered enough strength to form a sentence again.

Sav just smiled again and reached for the lube and a condom on the bedside table, throwing a quick glance at Joe, who still looked up at him with curious eyes that begged to be trusted in. It made Sav say his name. Almost.

"My name doesn't matter as long as I make you feel good, right? You would forget it either way because I'll treat you so well that it would slip from your mind in a second", he paused for a while, licking his rosy lips. Joe still gazed up at him with such trust and devotion that Sav's heart warmed and fluttered again. God, this man was being way too gentle, almost like an old friend.

"Now, how do you want me?"

Sav finally slid back easily into his seductive role, trailing his fingers across Joe's chest and smirking at the tremors that went through the body beneath his at the contact.

"How do you want it?", the question came right back and Sav's eyebrows raised. It was unlike everything he had ever heard a customer ask, almost as if that man beneath him cared about his feelings during the whole scene, wanting to make it enjoyable for him, too. Since he had no actual plan what to do in a situation like that, he simply said what came to his mind first when he thought about that man beneath him.

"If I need to decide, I'd say missionary position, but it's still about you since you're the one who'll pay me."

Joe nodded at his words but simply turned their positions around afterwards, getting them into exactly the position Sav had wished for. Joe then took the lube and condom Sav had handed to him, rolling the rubber onto his length before coating them both with the slippery substance. His green eyes then went up to Sav's blue ones again, such care in his gaze that it made Sav feel like they were really just about to make love instead of fuck.

"Do you want me to prep you?", he then asked softly and Sav just smiled at him in awe before shaking his head in a negative. It was so kind of him to ask, even though Sav didn't directly need it, and it was another action that immediately caused Sav's attraction towards Joe to grow even more.

Having been given the green light, Joe slowly pushed himself into Sav, all the while with a caring concern on his face. Sav smiled again with a nod as their joining was completed, rolling his hips encouragingly against Joe's and letting out a moan.

That apparently gave Joe enough permission to move his hips, too, falling into a slow, almost loving rhythm. Sav felt his eyes well up with tears at that gesture as he felt with his body how it was being loved. Being loved by that man that had just randomly caught his attention in the bar.

Closing his eyes, he sighed as he tangled his hands in Joe's soft blonde hair, moving with the steady rhythm and enjoying the wonderful moment while it lasted. He felt like he was with his late lover, the other Joe, who had loved him in just the same way, appreciating his beauty and making the lovemaking experience to the biggest part about him.

Being so caught up in his feelings, he didn't notice the other man duck down, his eyes only fluttering open as he felt a warm soft pressure against his lips that seemed to be only barely there. He quickly made out that it was Joe's lips he felt on his own and even though every braincell told him he needed to break the contact, he melted into it instead, parting his lips for the kiss to deepen. And just as he felt Joe's tongue starting to dance around his own, he fell over the edge and into sweet ecstasy, his legs wrapping tightly around Joe's waist to pull him in some more.

His opponent whimpered into the kiss as he felt Sav's muscles clenching around him, coming shortly after with a cry of his own. It was only after Joe started to pull out again, that Sav noticed what he had done. He had kissed him. He had made this become emotional. He had opened his heart and Joe had come in.

"Um, I really need to hurry now, I've still got to make my day's pay. You've got to pay me 50 dollars for this kind of intercourse", he finally said, making Joe's head snap up from his chest. He could see the slight glimmer of hurt in the green eyes, but he forced himself to ignore it.

"Um, okay. I'll get that done quickly", he then replied, standing up on still slightly wobbly legs, and walking over to his jeans, pulling out his wallet and dropping way more dollars than he should've on the nightstand next to Sav.

"Hey, wait, that's way too much! I can't take that from you", Sav tried to argument, but Joe only shook his head with a shy smile.

"I insist on you taking them. Please."

Sav nodded quietly at the demanding tone in Joe's voice, trailing his gaze over the naked body of the very handsome man standing beside the bed, and stopping it abruptly. There was a little tattoo shortly beneath Joe's hip bone that he had not noticed before. A little star that somehow reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite place it. And he didn't overthink it either.

Joe most likely didn't notice the stare because he simply reached for his torn-up jeans and pulled them on again, rebuckling his belt before grabbing his t-shirt which was still laying on the ground. He looked back at Sav for a moment, a moment that made Sav's head spin. Those green eyes seemed to be able to look into his soul, right through every barrier he tried to keep up. And he felt the sudden urge to just talk to that guy for a bit longer, to meet up with him in his free time and maybe kiss those soft lips again even though he knew he shouldn't. The sound of a car honking in the distance finally pulled the both of them out of the moment and Sav looked down, Joe occupying himself with pulling his shirt back on before grabbing his wallet. As he took it from the nightstand next to Sav he had shortly placed it on, a little picture fell out of it. Right onto the sheets in front of Sav.

He could make out two guys on that picture, both with curly hair. The one to the left had brown hair and blue eyes and the other one almost black hair and green eyes. They were holding hands and the blue-eyed had his chin rested on the taller one's shoulder, causing the loving gaze they shared to become even more intense and intimate. The background was filled out by an almost turquoise sea and a bright blue sky. The boys both didn't appear to be much older than nineteen. Sav felt the Dejà Vu creeping up inside of his mind but he didn't have time to think intensely about it because Joe's hand had already picked up the picture and put it back in his wallet where it belonged. But either way, Sav couldn't help but ask.

"Who are they?"

Joe looked down at him with those green eyes again at his question, confusion in his gaze that, Sav thought, seemed to be at least a bit fake.

"Oh, nobody important. I'm gonna go now", he replied, making Sav flinch a bit at the harsh answer. He seemed to have hit a sensitive nerve. But he let the other man go without complaining either way.

But he couldn't stop thinking he'd missed something even after Joe had long left the room and probably the whole club.

~~~~

Phil picked Sav up in front of the backdoor after his shift, like every other day. The young escort had served a few more customers that evening, and with each of them it was the same. He let them do what they wanted and retreated into his headspace, lost in the feelings from before. The feelings Joe had evoked in him. And he kept thinking about those Dejà Vu moments, too.

Where could he possibly have seen those two guys before? Those two that appeared to be so in love in the picture?

He had never known a same-sex couple that had been so young and so in love in his surroundings. Never. Except for...

"Oh my god, that's it!", he exclaimed, causing Phil to just look at him with a confused expression. That had surely been somewhat out of context.

"Sav? What happened?", the older blonde decided to ask a little worriedly when the curly-haired didn't explain himself further.

"That's it, oh my god...", he continued to mumble while staring into the distance and Phil finally couldn't take it anymore, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him a bit roughly.

"Sav, will you please tell me what's up? You're starting to scare me."

The curly-haired finally looked at his friend, a mixture of emotions written onto his facial features. There was happiness, excitement and wonder, but also sadness, fear and anxiety. Phil didn't know what to make of that, but he figured Sav would finally talk to him and do some explaining.

"Phil, he was here... I... I slept with him and didn't recognize him..."

"Who was here?"

"Joe. The late love of my life. My Joe."

Phil went silent and his mouth was agape at those words, not knowing what to say. All he could do was stare with a mind full of questions.

Why was he here? He was from Sheffield after all, wasn't he? Did he recognize Sav? And where was he now? Sav's shaky voice finally pulled him out of his thoughts.

"He had a picture in his wallet, Phil, a picture of me and him when we were still together. I felt like I knew it from somewhere, but it just wouldn't get to me. So I let him go."

After a short break he added: "Again."

There was pure desperation and pain written onto his facial features now, making Phil flinch and soothingly place an arm around the other man's waist in order to comfort him.

"Phil... That was my chance! My chance of getting him back but I didn't take it... I didn't take it, Phil! Why am I so blind?", Sav now almost cried out, burying his head on Phil's shoulder and feeling the tears making their way down his rosy cheeks.

He had never thought he would see him again, least of all here in L.A.. How was it possible that he coincidentally ran into Joe of all people in that club that night? And most of all, why hadn't Sav been able to recognize him directly?

He had to admit that today's Joe had differed a bit from the Joe he used to know, at least concerning his outward appearance. His hair was now blonde and straight, even though Sav had been able to notice some darker strands underneath as he had buried his hands in his hair while they had kissed. But his lips, they had been exactly like the ones he remembered, the ones he had been so addicted to. And Jesus, after seeing his eyes, he should've noticed who the person in front of him was. That specific pale green color was recognizable among thousands of others, and Sav damned himself for saying nothing. Now his chance was gone.

And then that tattoo, the tattoo both of them had gotten. That really was the most obvious thing. They had gotten the tattoos in memory of each other, making a promise with them. The promise not to forget each other, no matter what would happen. He even remembered Joe's words on the day they got them, after they had made love that evening.

"This tattoo will always remind me of you, Sav, even when everything tries to tear us apart. I love you and I'll love you always. Don't ever forget me too, okay?"

The memories rushing back made the poor curly-haired cry even harder on his friend's shoulder, Phil only pulling him closer and soothingly running a hand though his hair.

"Hey man, you wanna go to a bar? Have a drink or two to relax a bit?"

Sav looked up at him at that request, his eyes still tearful but his expression slowly softening into a smile.

"Yeah, I guess. Relaxing seems like a good idea."

~~~~

After walking back to their apartment and quickly freshening up a bit, they made their way towards downtown again, finally entering their favorite club called "Wild Wind". There always was some live music, too, making the whole scenery all the more sympathetic.

It was the same on that particular day, when they entered they were directly greeted by the sound of a band playing a few songs.

"You want me to get us some drinks?", Phil asked and Sav nodded in return, finally focusing his gaze on the musical act for the night again.

They were five in total, and Sav curiously let his gaze trail over each one.

The drummer appeared to be the youngest of them, his feathery brown locks surrounding his still slightly round face, hinting at the fact that he hadn't been an adult for long.

The bassist had long dark brown curls that almost went down to his waist and seemed to be quite friendly and enjoying what he was doing due to his happy expression.

But the other three were the ones that caught his eye.

The two guitarists and the singer.

There was no doubt that the two guitarists were Steve and Pete. They looked almost the same way they did back then. Steve still had long, light blonde hair that went down past his shoulders and wore white clothes that encased his skinny body. Pete still hadn't grown much, his hair still curly and dark brown, going down to his shoulders.

So it wasn't a surprise for him to see Joe in the singer's position. He looked almost the same way that he had looked when Sav had first seen him that evening, still wearing torn-up blue jeans and still wearing his hair the same way, but instead of a wide t-shirt he just wore a low cut tank top that revealed quite a lot of that caramel coloured skin Sav had felt under his hands earlier that evening. Inevitably a rush of blood went to his groin at the sight.

They just finished a song and everyone, including Sav, started clapping. The band was smiling from ear to ear, only Joe seemed to be slightly unhappy. And Sav could figure out the reason for that quite well. He just hoped that Joe was still as hung up on him as he was on Joe.

"Well, before we play this next song, I wanna say a few words", Joe started, his gaze trailing across the crowd searchingly. Sav wished he would see him, but he stood too far in the shadows for that.

"A few years ago, I met a guy, a guy that turned my life around. I was in love with him the moment I looked into his eyes for the first time. But he got taken away from me a long time ago. His parents took him from me because they didn't want their son to be with another guy. I never saw him again until I coincidentally ran into him today. So, this song's for him, I really hope he's here listening."

Sav's eyes filled with tears at those wonderful words that were obviously directed at him. So Joe had been dealing with the same misery he had to carry within his heart every day for the past ten years. Joe looked around one more time before starting the song. And that time, their gazes met. Or at least Sav imagined it because Joe's gaze seemed to linger in his direction for a while longer. Oh how he wished he could see him.

"I don't want to fall in love
But it's been taken out of my hands
And right now I realize
I don't want to say goodbye
I miss you more than words can say
They never turn out right, but here goes anyway
Everyday I miss your touch
Never thought it would mean so much
All the words I could've said got me reeling torn to shreds
Every road I go is nowhere
But I know you're out there somewhere
These voices in my head got me feeling torn to shreds..."

Sav was done in as Joe sang those words, taking the words to describe how he had felt all those years right out of his mouth. The tears were spilling freely down his cheeks now and he couldn't decipher if they were happy or sad ones or maybe even both.

A finger tapping his shoulder finally pulled him out of the trance he had seemingly fallen into. Turning around still sniffling but with a wan smile on his face, he encountered Phil with two beer bottles in his hands. The latter seemed to be taken aback by the sight in front of him but quickly caught himself again.

"Sav, are you alright?"

His smile intensified at those words, making a few more tears spill out of the corners of those sapphire blue eyes all the same.

"Yes, I'm more than alright, actually. Did you hear the singer's speech before he started the song?"

"You mean the one with his lost lover?"

Sav nodded in affirmation before going on talking.

"Well, he talked about me. That guy up there singing the song is my Joe. My love."

Phil's eyes widened at those words, his gaze immediately fixating on the young singer on the stage. Comparing his appearance to the one Sav had described while they had freshened up in their apartment earlier, he quickly came to the conclusion that Sav was most definitely right.

The poor guy up there on stage was singing his heart out and even from their position Phil could see his eyes shine with unshed tears in the lighting. If he really sang to Sav, then he seemed to still hold the same strong emotions Sav held inside of his heart. It really was a heartbreaking thing to watch, his best friend crying in heartbreak over that guy, and that guy almost crying in heartbreak over Sav.

So Phil decided to do something about that and facilitate a quicker reunion.

~~~~

"Thank you, goodnight! We're Def Leppard from Sheffield and we would very much appreciate it if you would come over to our merch stand in the back and take a record or a shirt with you if you liked our music! Cheers!", Joe finally said into the mic, still only half-heartedly in the whole thing. His head and heart were still completely caught up in that encounter he had had earlier that day.

The encounter he had had with that incredibly beautiful man in the strip bar. The man that was, if all of his instincts weren't failing him, Sav. The lost love that he missed more than anything else. He had even told the audience part of their story in the hope that Sav would be among the people and recognize him.

That really was the part that hurt him more than anything. There had been loads of clues and yet Sav still hadn't noticed who he was offering his body up to. But Joe had not misinterpreted all those things that told him it had really been Sav beneath him in bed that day. The other man's body had reacted in exactly the same ways it had reacted during previous encounters, his lips were exactly as full and soft as they had been so long ago, and even if those blue eyes he loved so much had been rimmed with a heavy amount of mascara and eyeliner, he had been able to recognize them.

And if that unique indicator wasn't enough, he had recognized the small star beneath Sav's hipbone, matching the one he himself carried proudly. And when he had "accidentally" let the picture of them fall next to the now blonde-haired man, he had been able to see the tiny wheels turning inside of his opponent's skull. He had even asked Joe who the people in the picture were, meaning that he must've had some kind of Dejà-Vu. But when Joe had left, he hadn't even made an attempt to go after him or stop him from going in some other way, making all his hopes falter again.

With a frustrated sigh, Joe left the small stage of the club, patting his bandmates on their backs and congratulating them on another show that was well done. They all retreated into the small backroom to drink a bit and change their clothes before they would make their way over to the small merch stand in the back of the club. Before Joe could slump down on a couch, though, a hand on his arm stopped him.

"What was up with you today, mate? I haven't witnessed you being like this in quite some time. And apart from that, any reason why you chose to do that song tonight?", Steve asked softly, guiding him over into a corner before making proper eye-contact. Joe could see the amount of his concern clearly in his pale blue eyes, causing him to sigh and look down.

"Joseph?"

"Alright, man. Just promise you won't make a big thing out of it, okay?"

Steve just nodded and gestured for him to continue.

"I went to that strip bar down the street this afternoon, just to get laid, y'know? Had been too long since I'd slept with someone, the last time I did was ten years ago with Sav. I just couldn't do it afterward since we never really broke up, y'know? Just felt too guilty, but you know that. Anyway, I thought I'd just go in there and look around a bit, since they claimed to have some male employees, too. Well, I was just ordering a beer and then suddenly, there he was, flirting with me."

Steve's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his words.

"There who was?"

"Don't laugh please, okay?"

"I swear I won't, Joe. But fucking hell, just tell me already!"

"It was Sav."

"You're shitting me, Joe", Steve stated with widened eyes and a jaw that refused to stay in place. But Joe just shook his head, tears shining in his eyes. He quickly closed them again to calm down again and go on talking, since he had to make Steve believe him in some way.

"I swear I'm not lying. He was just as beautiful as I remember him. He dyed his curls blonde, but it looks great in combination with his eyes. Anyway, he asked me if I wanted a night with him and of course, I said yes. I wasn't sure if he was it at that moment, but when he took me to that backroom, turned on the lights, and closed the door before facing me again, I knew it was him. You know, I could paint his eyes by heart so I recognized them immediately from up close. I believe he thought I was just really intoxicated by his presence - not that I wasn't - but there were deeper reasons for my reactions than the ones he might've thought of."

Steve was completely hooked on the story now, barely even sipping on his drink. His ears hungrily took in everything Joe had to say, not daring to interrupt him in any way.

"Anyway, after being sure that he was who he was, I started to test him. I told him my name, to which he didn't react too much. Then I watched the way he reacted while we were at it, and all of his reactions were exactly like the ones I remember. Then I kissed him, and we directly fell into that familiar pattern we used to. He even saw the picture of me and him that I keep in my wallet, but apparently, it didn't quite click in his head yet. That was why I did that song, I hoped he might be there, knowing who I am by now."

Steve nodded understandingly when Joe had finished, thoughtfully sipping on his drink.

"Well, what about going out to that merch stand now. Maybe he will show up, I can help you to look out for him, 'cause you said he hasn't changed so much", he finally suggested, Joe nodding with a wan smile on his lips.

After changing out of their sweaty clothes and grabbing another beer out of the six-pack they still had backstage they all scurried out of the backroom toward the merch stand in the back. There already were a few girls and even a few boys buying some of their records and shirts, making Joe smile widely. Even if they weren't big yet, they still had a fanbase that seemed to be resident in every town they had visited so far on their small tour. It was just enough to make a living out of it and Joe was happy with the way it was.

As soon as they arrived, giggling girls already approached them, asking them for signatures and pictures that they gladly provided, smiling politely all the way. However, Joe still didn't catch a glance of Sav yet. Maybe it was all in his head. Maybe he was hoping too much that their love story hasn't ended yet but rather had a magical happy end like in some Disney movie meant to it.

He looked up tiredly as he was approached by yet another person, this one turning out to be a short blonde-haired dude that seemed quite nice character-wise.

"Hey there, would you like to have a signature, too? Maybe a shirt or a record along with it?", Joe asked politely, but the guy shook his head. Joe was almost sure that he was going to ask for a picture, but when he spoke, he took him completely by surprise with his words.

"No, but my mate wants a signature and a record maybe. He can't come over here so I wanted to ask if you are able to come over to him with me. He would really be thrilled to meet you, I believe."

Joe's eyebrows were shot skywards at that request, not really sure what to make of it. While he was still debating with himself, his opponent added a really desperate 'please' that he simply couldn't turn down.

"Alright, but just for a short while, I have to help the others out over here again."

The blonde-haired stranger just nodded with a thankful smile on his face and turned around, Joe hurrying to follow him.

"Oh, by the way, my name's Phil. Pleased to meet you, you were brilliant", the blonde threw over his shoulder while they continued to make their way through the club, Joe sending him a nod and a smile in return.

They were in an area now where it wasn't so crowded anymore, as Joe looked around him he spotted the long bar on their left. There were a few people sitting on the barstools in front of it, mostly in conversation. However, there was one who was sitting on his own and Phil seemed to walk toward that person, slight anticipation emanating from him for whatever strange reason.

They finally reached the person and Joe kept his head down, mentally preparing some kind of introduction that could get him over to his friends again as soon as possible and prevent him from getting stuck in an endless conversation.

"Alright mate, I'm back. I've got someone over here that I'd like you to meet", he finally heard Phil say and raised his head with his best polite smile to face the stranger on the barstool.

He nearly fainted when he looked up.

There on that damn barstool sat no one else but Sav in all of his beauty, his face caught by an expression of disbelief. The gaze of those beautiful widened blue eyes scanned Joe's face again and again while no one seemed to be able to say a word. And suddenly the edges of that lush rosy mouth got tugged upwards into a blinding smile, Joe's sight blurring with tears. He had finally recognized him, too.

It was a matter of seconds in which Sav slid down from the barstool and wrapped his arms around Joe, the taller one not being able to stop his tears anymore as soon as he felt that long lost but yet so familiar embrace around him again.

"Sav...", he mumbled over and over again into those soft curls falling over the younger one's neck, still not being able to grasp what was happening just yet.

After seemingly a few hours the two of them parted again, foreheads leaned against the other's and eyes interlocked in a disbelieving but loving stare. Sav gently brushed Joe's tears away while they held the gazing, the taller one finally finding his voice again.

"Seems like you finally recognized me, too."

Sav chuckled at that, pulling back slightly.

"I'm seriously so sorry. It just all went over so quickly and afterward the puzzle pieces just all perfectly fell into place. I was so afraid that I let you go once again without meaning to", he finally replied, the tears rising in his eyes again and choking him up towards the end of his sentence. Joe pulled the young man closer by reflex, his arms locking in a strong band of muscle behind his back.

"It's alright, Sav. So I get that you want to try again?", Joe asked shyly with hope lacing his words quite heavily.

Sav just smiled his well-known heartbreaking smile again before replying properly.

"If you're willing to give me another chance without my parents being able to interfere this time?"

"God, yes. Tell me if it's too soon to say this again, but I can't help it right now. I love you, Sav", Joe happily whispered in return, closing his eyes as Sav pulled him forward and into another one of those heavenly soft kisses he had missed every day for the past ten years.

They remained lost in that kiss till they had to catch their breath, pouring every ounce of the love and affection they had for each other into it. And by the electricity still running through their veins they knew that after all these years, nothing had faded at all. The love was still as bright and strong as it had been when Sav had left through the small door in Joe's fence ten years ago. And Joe planned to only let it grow stronger from that day onwards.

Holding Sav in his arms he looked at the face he had come to love and miss during his lifetime once again, studying every little detail and feature that he remembered and inwardly comparing to which extend they had remained the same.

Sav's curls were now blonde, longer and more loose than he remembered, however they still framed his gorgeous face perfectly and remained heavenly soft to the touch.
His cheeks had become a little more babyish, causing him to not appear so incredibly thin like back in the day. They actually made him look more woman-like, too, if Joe was honest. The blush greeting them was exactly the same though, as was the look in his sapphire blue eyes that always had him on his knees. His long softly-bowed eyelashes were also just like he remembered, casting light shadows over his cheekbones and tickling his neck as Sav snuggled closer once more, sighing contently.

His body had become more mature over the last years, too, Joe could say that clearly because of his experiences earlier that day. Not that he didn't love his body back in the day, but now he loved it even more. Those strong thighs, that perfect ass, the narrow hips, and the strong but slim torso, all of it creating a picture of gorgeous perfection in combination with that heavenly soft, slightly tanned skin.

His hands were subconsciously trailing over all the places he'd just recalled, causing Sav to take a shuddering breath as he let his hands glide into the back pockets of those skintight blue ripped jeans that startled him enough to snap back into reality again.

"Joe?"

"Hmm?"

Sav looked up at him again at his expression of attention, a few of the blonde curls of his bangs covering one of the beautiful blue eyes. Joe's breath and heartbeat hitched immediately, falling back into old habits that would never be able to die.

"I just wanted to say that it isn't too soon for a declaration of love. You can't believe how happy I am to hear that you still love me."

Joe's smile widened at those words and he placed another kiss on Sav's forehead, closing his eyes for a moment and trying to wrap his head around everything that had been happening on that day.

"I still love you, too. Have never been in love with someone else in the meantime to be quite honest", Sav then added, Joe's heart almost failing him once more as he heard those wonderful words.

"Me either", he then replied, and it was enough for Sav to understand how bad he had been feeling for all those years without him by his side.

Joe finally made out some movement to their left, turning his head in order to capture it completely.

It was Sav's friend Phil, and he was smiling so widely and happily, that Joe feared his face might split in two. He sent him a soft and thankful smile as soon as their gazes met, causing him to nod in appreciation. Sav had apparently noticed that Joe's whole attention wasn't resting on him anymore, so he looked up again, and seeing Joe looking off towards the side with a smile on his face, he followed his gaze and encountered Phil, too. Joe chose that moment to speak up shortly.

"Phil, I don't know how I can thank you properly. You've basically saved my life with your action."

Phil just shrugged happily.

"It needed to be done. I had to bear Sav crying almost the whole day because he feared he had lost you once again. And as soon as Sav told me that you were the singer on stage earlier, I just knew I had to do something to help you both out", he then replied, as if it was the most normal thing he had ever done. It was, of course, but only for him. He didn't know how long they had ached to be in each other's arms again like they were right now. To hold each other and kiss again like a couple.

"Phil... You did this on your own?", Sav asked a bit disbelievingly, seeming to only come to terms with everything just now.

"Yep, as I said, you both were a picture of misery for the whole time Joe was up there on stage. Figured I'd try my luck at the merch stand to see if he would turn up for autographs or anything. To my big luck, he did."

At his words, Joe's eyes widened a bit and he loosened his embrace around Sav slightly.

"Shit, I promised the guys to help them out some more with all of those fan things. They're probably pretty pissed off by now. You want to join me when I make my way back over to them? Steve and Pete won't believe their eyes when they see you Sav, maybe that will spare me some of their anger as well", Joe proposed with a chuckle and both Sav and Phil nodded in agreement to his request.

Taking Sav's hand in his, he led them both over to the back of the hall, where a few fans and his mates were still scattered around the merch stand. Steve looked around with a pissed expression all the way, obviously searching for the tall blonde-haired singer in the crowd. When he finally came into his line of sight, the pissed expression became even more intense.

"Elliott, come the fuck over here, now! How could you just disappear like that?", he yelled over the noise, causing quite a few people to turn their heads towards them, including the ones of the rest of the band.

Joe finally arrived at the merch stand with Sav and Phil in tow, still looking right into Steve's eyes with a grin on his face. One of Steve's eyebrows was shot skyward in confusion at Joe's expression, but that immediately changed when the singer pulled the curly-haired blonde man closer to him by his hand.

"Steve, may I present to you the wonderful Rick Savage?"

"No. Fucking. Way!"

Steve immediately lunged forward, smothering the poor man in a bear hug that had him almost suffocating and gasping for breath when they parted again. Steve still seemed to be searching for the right words to say because his mouth opened and closed all the way with no words leaving his lips.

"Fuck me, man. Would never have guessed to see you again one day. Least of all here, in bloody L.A.", he finally managed to say, Sav letting out a happy giggle before clinging to Joe's hand again, the loss of said man's affection for all of those years obviously still having a big impact on his mind.

Steve's gaze shifted from the young couple then, taking interest in something, or rather someone, behind them. The guitarist's gaze finally met a pale blue one that belonged to a short blonde-haired guy who seemed to belong to Sav in some way.

"Who's that?"

"That's Phil Collen, my best friend. Phil, you wanna introduce yourself to Steve over here?", Sav asked the short man, who nodded and stepped to the front, his gaze never leaving Steve's.

Steve's breath failed him as he looked at the small man properly for the first time, his gaze hanging first on the beautiful eyes before wandering to his lips as he began to speak.

"Hey, I'm Phil. I've offered Sav an apartment when he wanted to move out of his parent's house and have taken care of him ever since. I'm thirty-one and currently single. Very pleased to meet you, Steve."

His last few words were accompanied by a wink and Steve felt a shiver run down his spine at the sound of that man saying his name. As he took the outstretched hand in front of him, a bolt of electricity ran through his veins. He felt himself getting dizzy and hypnotized because of that man's presence and touch, so he said the first thing that came to his mind as a proper introduction.

"I-I'm Steve Clark. I'm twenty-nine. Good thing you're single, because I am, too."

~~~~

Sav and Joe watched the whole scenario from their own little love cocoon, both grinning at Phil's, and especially, at Steve's antics. There was definitely someone who had it bad. Maybe even two of them.

"Joe?"

"Yeah, Love?"

"Do you believe in history repeating itself?"

Joe looked at Sav's smiling face and then over at the two guys next to them, still locked in a gaze and holding on to each other's hands.

"Definitely", he finally said, before placing another kiss on Sav's soft lips.

The End