We’d be lying if we said we weren’t still in shock from the news that Days of Our Lives‘ Drake Hogestyn passed away over the weekend.

He died on Saturday, just one day shy of his 71st birthday. The tributes from Hogestyn’s friends, costars and daytime peers began pouring in almost immediately.

But there were two people we knew would likely leave us in tears when they shared their love and grief: Stephen Nichols (Steve) and Deidre Hall (Marlena).

Those two, more than any others, were inextricably linked to Hogestyn and John both onstage and off. And it would take time, we knew, to find the words to say goodbye.

Steve and John have been together from day one. Nichols shared a beautifully touching video on his Instagram (you can check it out below) of him and Hogestyn looking back and laughing at photos from John’s first day on Days of Our Lives with Patch — the two in all their ’80s hair glory.

And just this past year, the show rewrote their history once again to make it clear that their relationship goes even further back in time than we realized.

But even Steve hiding his and The Pawn’s dark deeds from John for decades couldn’t shake their friendship. They had each other’s back, always, and that never wavered.

Black Patch wasn’t going anywhere. At least, that’s what we always assumed. And then the news of Hogestyn’s death hit.

Along with their video, Nichols shared a loving, heartbreaking tribute to his longtime friend. And it’s no surprise he had so much to say, he needed to more room in the comments.

“My dear friend, Drake Hogestyn, has passed,” Nichols began. “This loss is overwhelming. Drake was a man’s man with a huge heart.

He was kind, respectful and honest. I never heard him speak a negative word about anyone. He was on a very short list of exceptional people I have known in my lifetime.

He was a mentor without knowing it. I learned so much from Drake by his example. Humility, perseverance, forgiveness.

We had long talks in his dressing room after working on our scenes. He spoke so lovingly about his beautiful family who he cherished above all else.”

And the two spoke about so much more in life, in history, in their triumphs and heartbreak. “Drake would tell me about his history,” Nichols continued, “playing baseball, coming to Hollywood, getting into acting.

He also shared triumphs and a few heartaches having to do with his long career on Days with such honesty. I felt privileged to be a sounding board, to have his trust.

And he had mine. I could tell him anything; and recently when I was going through a rough time when I lost my sister to cancer, he was there for me and he listened and asked how I was doing daily.”

And the storytelling — that’s something we’ve heard from everyone, and Steve’s portrayer hit it home: “Drake was a storyteller. Ask anyone around the studio.

He could spin a tale, and he remembered his adventures in such detail and always throwing in baseball metaphors whenever he could.

Drake loved his time as a ballplayer. And on our Days softball team he was, of course, our star player.”

Their working relationship began almost 40 years ago in 1986 with John’s first appearance Drake and, “No one hit the stage with more commitment and enthusiasm than Drake.

He inspired and energized me and everyone around him. He loved coming to work and showed up early to workout in the wee hours of the morning. I’ll miss hearing the whirring of his stationary bike and the clanging of dumbbells-we were dressing room neighbors.”

Sadly, as we now know, John’s final scenes on Days of Our Lives already aired earlier in the month, and Hogestyn wasn’t onset in his final months.

And the loss was palpable. “Just being in Drake’s presence was enough to get a jolt of positivity,” Nichols continued. “He was one of those special souls who exuded joy and love for life.

The Days of Our Lives cast, crew, and fans (who he was always so kind to) have suffered a great loss. It has been palpable how much Drake was loved and has been missed during these months without him at the studio.”

“I kept in close touch with Drake throughout his illness,” his good friend continued in the comments, “and even through his darkest times he always threw in an optimistic phrase like …

‘Not much positive to report, but I still believe in Santa.’ Drake fought hard. That’s who he was. A man with an iron will, who would not give up.

In the fictional town of Salem, we were partners in Black Patch Private Investigations. In life we were good buddies who always had each other’s backs.”

Nichols ended his tribute with a poignant truth: “I’m at a loss without you, Drake. I will always remember our long talks about our families and our ‘out of body experiences.’

I’ll miss your sweet smile and your greeting, ‘Hey, partner, come on in,’ when I knocked on your door to run our scenes, and your strong shoulder squeezes and pats on the back. And God knows, I will miss sharing the stage with you.

You worked hard and left us a legacy of beautiful work. Rest easy, partner. I’ll always love you and I’ll never forget what a positive impact you’ve had on my life. That’s a fact.”

“My love and condolences to [his wife] Victoria and his beloved family,” Nichols concluded. And our thoughts and condolences to Hogestyn’s family and Nichols as they mourn an incredible actor, baseball player and man who will never be forgotten.