FSE

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Four months had passed since Leo moved to LA. His apartment was now filled with furniture and it actually looked like someone lived there. His clothes were packed away in the closet and underneath his bed; some even were in the bottom drawers of the dressers. Any that didn't fit in the other two locations. The dresser stood in the cubby by the kitchen and AC unit with the top drawers was filled with storage and his TV and Xbox stood on top. His bed was in the opposite corner of the room next to the front door and it faced the kitchen. The nightstand was in between the bed and his tiny two chair table set. On the other side of that was his large chair which was next to the window and faced the TV. In the middle of the room was his area rug and a tall lamp stood between the chair and the wall. Only one other light was in the room which was the one on his night stand; the kitchen had built in lights along with the bathroom so he didn't have to worry about those.

His place was feeling like an actual home; a place where he can be happy to come home to. Plus, he didn't have to sleep on the floor anymore. Those few days of being on the floor were torture to him. Now he had a place to lie down and a friend to hang out with. Since that first night, Leo and Nate had become best friends. They hang out as much as they can and play Xbox a lot even if they are just across the hall.

Leo was passed out in the chair with one leg over the arm of the chair and the other on the floor, his back was resting inside the corner crevice of the chair. Light peaked through the cracks in the blinds and hit his naked body. The TV was still on and was on the multiplayer menu on Halo 5 and the Xbox controller was on the floor after it fell out of his dangling hand. A little bit of drool was coming out of his mouth and onto him and the chair.

Suddenly a loud ringing started to pierce the air, it wasn't until the second ring that Leo started to stir in the chair, and the third ring that he shot awake. He jerked out of the chair and fell onto the floor, after a bit of stumbling he finally managed to get up and grab his phone that had also fallen onto the floor.

"Hello?" Leo said as he hit the answer button on the touch screen. His voice was alert but, still groggy since he just got up.

"Jesus, were you still asleep?" Nate said on the other line. He was just now walking out of the gym.

"Yeah.... Hrmmm...." Leo rubbed his head and stood up in his apartment. "What?" He reached over to the blinds and opened them. "Jesus Christ!" He immediately regretted that decision since it was like looking into the sun. "What time is it?" Leo's head was pounding as he braced himself onto the chair.

"It's almost noon, dude. Wake the hell up!" As Nate talked to Leo he could hear the sound of tin cans and glass bottles hitting the wooden floors. "A little hungover are you?"

"Yeah, well you did this to me." Leo made his way into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. "You're the one who wanted to play a drinking game on Halo and then proceeded to get off after I was drunk."

"Hey, I didn't tell you to keep drinking." Nate tossed his backpack into the back of his open Jeep Wrangler. "Besides, you aren't a big drinker."

Leo downed the glass of semi-cold water and then filled it up again. "Yes, but. I had all these booze you bought and I needed to get rid of them. Plus, I was already drunk and didn't know what I was doing." Leo took another swig of water and said, "Plus I haven't really had any solid work in about a month."

Nate climbed up into his lifted Jeep and slid the key into the ignition but didn't turn it over yet. "How about this, go shower, I'll pick you up and take you to lunch. Then we can go and see Rebecca and see if there's anything she may have for you."

"If she did then she would have called."

"Doesn't matter, we're going. Now shower." Nate said in an almost demanding but still fun tone.

"Fine, I'll see you soon." Leo hung up the phone and walked into the bathroom to start getting ready.

Over the past few months, Leo and Nate had grown closer and closer together; they were like brothers to one another. It was hard for Leo at times, especially now; Nate was super nice and sweet, and very attractive but, straight. At least that's what Leo was assuming, he had seen girls come and go from his apartment all hours of the night. Plus he came home once to him making out with a girl in the hallway. It sucked for Leo because he knew the two would have been perfect for one another.

Work for Leo also hadn't been going super well. He finished up his role on the movie a month ago and he still hadn't gotten anything since then. His agent, Rebecca, set him up for some auditions but, he either didn't get a call back or they went with someone else. He knew this was a possibility, he knew this was how show business worked but at the same time it still sucked. There's nothing worse than chasing your dream and failing miserably but, at the same time never trying was even worse. He just felt like he was in a bit of a funk, hopefully it would end soon.

Nate had been doing more and more stuff around town. He had been going to bars, coffee shops, and the pier, anywhere he could make some money. He was making due with what he had for now but, he was really looking for his big break. He was a bit easier going than Leo; he went with the flow a bit more and didn't need the reassurance of having a job. Sure it was nice but, at the end of the day it was his happiness that mattered most to him. He would go on tinder from time to time and find a girl and go out for a drink, sometimes they'd go back to his place and other times not so much. With him working towards a music career he didn't want to feel tied down with a relationship. If it wasn't for Leo, he wouldn't have any friends either. Having ties like that make moving or traveling harder to do.

Leo finished up his shower and dried off. He grabbed a pair of tan cargo shorts from the drawer under his bed and slid them on. The hot LA weather wasn't very forgiving at times and more often than not, it was easier to go commando. He slid on a dark gray shirt, red shirt and grabbed his wallet, watch and keys, sunglasses and headed out the door.

Once he was at the bottom of the stairs Nate pulled up in his back Jeep. The car was lifted, siting higher than a normal Jeep would. A large black bar came in front of the grille and a large winch was mounted onto the front of the car. The body was covered in crusted mud and sand, the doors were taken off and there was no roof, only the roll cage and dark gray interior was exposed to the open air. It was a good car to take around the hot California sun.

Nate loved to go hiking, camping, surfing, generally anything that involved the outside. He loved the outside but the indoors as well. He was a unique individual who could be locked up playing video games all day and the next spend all day at the beach and be happy doing both.

Leo climbed up into the Jeep and sat down on the leathery dark gray seats. Even through his shorts the seats felt like he just sat in a fire. He reached for the seatbelt and accidently touched the silver on the buckle and he was immediately met with a burning sensation. It was nice living in California but, this was a slight side effect with the sun.

The Jeep took off down the road and Leo leaned his head against the headrest. The wind felt good as it whipped through his fur and hair. Nate's long blonde fur was wrapped up into a ponytail and it flapped slightly in the wind. Both their earls flopped backwards from the roaring wind once they were on the highway and it was nearly impossible for either of them to really have a conversation.

After about ten minutes of being on the road they finally reach the fast food joint. The two of them jump out and start to head inside. Normally Nate would change after the gym if he was going anywhere important but, it was LA and it was over 100 degrees outside. He didn't really look like he just got out of the gym. He had a black tank top on was wearing gray gym shorts and gym shoes, nothing out of the ordinary.

"So what's wrong?" Nate asked Leo as he grabbed the metal handle of the glass door and yanked it open.

"Nothing's wrong." Leo replied as he stepped inside. He was hit with a wave of cold air conditioning which was ice cold on his skin where he was starting to sweat.

Nate raised his left eyebrow and cocked his head before he said, "Really, Leo. I've really gotten to know you in the past four months."

Before Leo responded the two of them ordered some food and sat down in a booth near the window. The leathery red seats were ice cold on their legs as well as the oak table. There were a few tables where some furs were eating, less than half the place was filled.

"I just feel like I came out here to make a name, you know? I got this great part that I was hoping to be my big break but, Rebecca hasn't gotten back to me with anything." Leo said looking slightly upset, like his dreams were crushed into small bits.

"Look you just wrapped on that job. You can't expect to bounce from one job to another right off the bat."

"Other furs can. Why can't I? Am I not good enough? Do I suck? I thought I was really nice to everyone on set and made a great impression." Leo took a big bite of his burger.

"Just give it some time, okay?" Nate replied as he covered his mouth since he was still chewing his food. He swallowed his food and then realized something. "Wait, is this why you kept drinking last night?"

Leo nodded his head slightly as he took a drink of Dr. Pepper. "I just feel like I could have had a commercial at the very least by now."

What Leo wasn't telling Nate was that, working wasn't the only reason why he was upset. He was also upset that he was falling in love with a guy who he has no hope with, no future with. A guy who was perfect for him and he was perfect for them but, he would never know. He was falling for a straight guy, his best friend, his neighbor, his soulmate. Just thinking about what he was losing made Leo want to burst out into tears. He wanted to cry and run all the way back to New York and forget he ever came out here. Leo knew that wasn't what was best for him, so he took a deep breath and suppressed his feelings and took the last bite of his burger.

Nate was already finished eating and he stood up and grabbed the two empty trays and threw them away. He came back over, grabbed Leo's paw and pulled him up and out of the booth. "Come on, we're taking you to Rebecca."

Leo grabbed his drink as he was pulled out of the booth. His heart fluttered as he felt Nate's paw, as he pulled him out of the place. It was both rough and gentle at the same time. He didn't want to let go but, he promptly let go once they were outside.

The two of them headed to Rebecca's office which was located downtown. The streets were busy but, it was still during work hours so as long as they were out by five then they were golden. It didn't take long to reach the office building and even less time to go up to the tenth floor of the talent agency.

The two of them walked through the solid glass doors and the lady at the reception desk looked up and said, "Did you have an appointment?"

"No, I'm here to see, Rebecca. My name is Leo Sparks, I'm one of her clients."

"I'm sorry but, She's a little busy at the moment." The receptionist replied back. Leo looked around the area and saw no one sitting in any of the chairs. There was no talking, no noise, just silence.

"Alright, Leo." Nate said as he headed towards another set of doors just past the desk. "First we asked, now we demand." Nate walked through the glass doors and Leo was shocked that he just took charge but, at the same time, relieved. He quickly followed after Nate who had his chest puffed up and had his back as straight as it could go.

"You can't go back there without an appointment." The receptionist stated once more as she got up out of her chair and headed after them.

Nate and Leo walked a bit faster until they reached the corner office of Rebecca Rogers. Nate opened the door and stepped right in, Leo shortly behind him and the receptionist coming up quickly behind him.

Rebecca was sitting behind her silver and glass desk which complimented her beige Lion fur. Her desk was right in front of the windows which overlooked more buildings and streets. It was a decent size office, one you would find in a fancy office building, or a movie.

She looked up from her desk and lowered her glasses, her pen resting in between her index and middle fingers. She noticed the young, muscular kangaroo and he client Leo standing next to him.

The receptionist came running into the room and Rebecca looked at her and waved her back off. "It's quite alright. Leo is one of ours." The receptionist turned to walk away back to her desk. "Shut the door behind you, dear." Rebecca managed to say before she got too far.

Nate and Leo stood in the middle of the room, neither of them knew what to do next. The Lioness got up from her desk and walked over to the front of her desk and leaned up against it, pen still in her paw. She didn't say anything at first. She just stood there for a moment and looked at them both, mostly Nate.

After a few seconds of starting that felt like minutes Rebecca turned to Leo and said, "I was going to call you later today but, since you're here." She stood back up and walked around to the other side of her desk. She sat down in her comfy office chair and looked at both of them and motioned for them to sit down in the chairs across from her. "I just got off the phone with some producers at Universal and Disney. They're holding some casting calls next week for some movies. Some parts I think you're better for than others but, at this point we should get you out there."

Leo's face started to light up, he was so excited to be working again. His last part was good but, it wasn't great. He wanted something much bigger; something where he would be noticed and Universal and Disney were making a lot of big budget movies lately. He tried to contain his excitement in front of his agent. She was one of the toughest out there, especially for the little guys like Leo.

Rebecca then turned in her chair and looked at Nate. "Now, what's your story? You act, model, do anything." Nate had a shocked look on his face, he wasn't sure why she was asking him. He wasn't there for himself. "You're at a talent agency. Do you do anything or are you with him?" She motioned towards Leo.

"He's an aspiring singer. He wants to make music." Leo blurted out. When Rebecca said, 'with him' Leo didn't want him to think Leo may like him; for some reason that was the first thing that came to mind.

"You see that guitar in the corner over there?" She motioned towards an acoustic guitar that was standing in the corner and was signed. "Bring that here and sing for me." Rebecca had a very demanding but, calming tone in her voice.

Nate wasn't use to anyone telling him what to do like that. He didn't know how to take it and it took him off his guard and out of his comfort zone. He stood up and walked over to the guitar and brought it back to the chair and sat down. He sat there for a moment, he felt like he was having an out of body experience; that someone else was controlling his body and not him. He felt so distracted and unsure of what to do.

He tried to think of a song to play, but nothing was coming to mind. He knew a bunch of songs, he knew how to play three instruments, he made some of his own songs but, he couldn't think of anything. Finally something came to mind.

Nate started to strum the guitar and then suddenly his instincts all came rushing back. The moment he hit the guitar he was back in his element and could think clearly again. He opened his mouth and sang, "Hey there, Delilah, what's it like in New York City? I'm a thousand miles away but girl, tonight you look so pretty. Yes you do. Time Square can't shine as bright as you. I swear it's true." Leo continued on with the song and the entire time Rebecca just stared at him. She stared intently, trying to figure out what to do. Nate's voice was smooth and sounded fantastic. Leo had heard him sing before but, this time it felt different it felt like he had more passion and feeling behind it, like he was singing to or about someone. All it did was make Leo want to jump onto him and kiss him.

Halfway through the song Rebecca put her paw up and said, "I've heard enough." Nate stopped singing and his eyes widened and he quickly became nervous. Normally he's this strong confident guy, who rarely fears anything yet, in an instant Rebecca managed to rip him out of his zone. He didn't know why he decided to go along and sing for her. He didn't look as presentable as he had wanted to be, he didn't feel confident, he didn't feel like himself. It was oddly unsettling to him.

"You're good, kid." She leaned forward and placed her elbows onto the desk, her two paws clasped in front of her mouth for a moment, Thinking. She quickly removed them and continued. "What's your name?" She reached over to get a pen from the chrome cylindrical pencil cup.

"Nate, ma'am."

Rebecca started writing on the back of her business card. "Nate? Just Nate? No Nathan, Nathaniel, no last name." She looked up at him in the eyes but, she didn't budge her head in the slightest.

"Nathan Meadows. I play the guitar, piano, and-"

Rebecca cut him off mid-sentence and said, "I don't need your life story right now. That's for a different day." She reached across the desk and handed him her business card. "Here. This is my business card. I'm gonna make some calls and see if I can get you in front of some music producers." Nate promptly grabbed the card and Rebecca leaned back in her chair. "I like how you take control. I can see the confidence in you. Plus you have a nice voice and a good image. Girls will love you, guys too." Leo's eyes widened a bit but, he quickly caught himself. "My suggestion... I'd cut the hair. Long hair screams surfer, beach boy."

Nathan and Leo stood up and Nate noticed a pair of scissors on her desk. He grabbed them, pinched his ponytail, and cut it off. He set the scissors back down on the desk and held out his paw to shake hers. "Thank you, Mrs. Rogers."

She looked at the scissors on her desk for a moment and then stood up and shook his paw and said, "I love the spunk in you, kid." She looked over to Leo and continued, "I'll send you the information soon." She shook his paw and then sat back down.

Both Leo and Nate walked out of the room and they didn't say anything to each other on the way out, nor on their way down the elevator. Once they walked outside and the door to the building shut behind them they both looked at each other. The two locked eyes for a second or two before they both started to jump up and down and hug each other in excitement.

"See. I told you!" Nate told Leo as he playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"Well, look at you Mr. Bigshot. You may have just gotten your big break helping me get mine!" Leo exclaimed as they walked towards the car. They climbed up into the Jeep and Leo put his sunglasses back on and said, "Things are starting to look up for us."