Chapter Text
Will and Nico kept in touch. The summer stretched in a combination of part time work for Will, settling in for Nico. It was easy to send each other images of what they were doing, keep the conversation going, easy banter and flirty texts that sometimes stretched long into the night for Nico, starting early in the morning for Will.
Things started to change in September. Classes started for both of them. Will tried to keep up music and studying, Nico had to juggle a new school system, a new job, a new apartment. It was hard for Nico, but he made himself try to be present and meet new people, as well as keeping in touch with his friends back in the other side of the world.
As the days got shorter, their communications became less frequent, and soon days went by without speaking. Will still thought of Nico every day, but life was busy, and there was no real prospect of seeing each other. Nico worried about keeping Will from living his life and wanted to give him space, so he often kept himself from getting in touch.
It was an evening in December Will found himself alone at home that he called Nico out of the blue. Nico was surprised but pleased to see Will on the screen. He was on a vaporetto back from San Servolo when Will called. Nico went to the back of the boat, seeking privacy, but before they could even get into a proper conversation, a group of young teenagers joined him in the space. They were playing a game, chasing each other in the small space, and one of them bumped into Nico, who dropped his phone in the water.
Will realised something had happened a fraction of a second before the call was cut off. He tried calling again, but the phone was disconnected. He waited for Nico to get in touch, but he never did. Nico had no social media, and although Will did, he knew Nico would have trouble finding him, if he even tried.
Nico did try. But he had no memory of any of Will’s profiles. He looked for him everywhere, but he never found him. In the end, he accepted it was over.
Two years later
It happened on a Wednesday.
Nico was back in New York. He hadn’t been in the city for long, having returned to the country with his brand new American passport. He had secured a place to do a master’s programme at Seven Hills College in the Bay, but before going there he had come back to the city he had missed so much. So much, he was wondering if he should stay.
But right now, he was at the coffee shop where he had gone with Will, all that time ago. He had randomly found an Instagram post announcing a recent music gig, with Will on the cover. Nico couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw it.
But the post had been lost, and Nico was here trying to find that boy that had almost made him believe in destiny. He asked at the counter, only to be told that although Will had become a regular at the place, he hadn’t signed up to do any more performances in the following weeks. They gave him an Instagram handle though; in case he wanted to contact him directly.
Nico found the Instagram profile. He felt like he had a bomb in his hand. He could get in touch now. He didn’t. Yet. He told himself.
He left the place and walked to the subway station. He remembered walking these same streets when his world seemed to have been collapsing around him. Some things had changed, but Nico couldn’t really tell what they were. He took the subway and headed in the direction of the Natural History Museum.
He was sitting on the train, minding his own business (looking at Will’s Instagram – which was all about his music and little about the real person), when someone stood in front of him.
“Nico?”
Will couldn’t believe his eyes. The boy who had taking up space in his brain all this time, living there rent free but not really causing trouble, he was right in front of him. As if it had been only a matter of time.
Will’s heart started speeding up as soon as the name came out of his mind. What would happen now?
Nico put away his phone as if he had been caught doing something bad. He looked at Will and his mouth fell open. They stared at each other for a moment.
“I – I came here to look for you.” Nico said.
“Here?” Will looked around the train carriage, confused.
“Well – yes. Actually. I went to the coffee shop. The gave me your Instagram.” Nico scooted over and gestured for Will to sit down next to him. Will did. Nico showed his phone with Will's Instagram profile open.
“You’re back”
“I am”
They sat there in silence, the train moving, the people in the carriage oblivious to the unnamed emotions flowing from them. It wasn’t awkward, but it was tense. They both kept their eyes looking forward.
Finally, Will couldn’t stand it any longer and risked looking sideways at Nico. It was at the exact same moment that Nico did the same thing.
Their eyes met. And they started laughing.
When the train stopped, they stood up. Will took Nico’s hand and Nico interlaced their fingers together.
The walked into Brooklyn Bridge Park and sat by the waters edge. They talked about the past two years as if they were old friends. Nico never let go of Will’s hand, and Will never took it away.
Then Will told Nico how he was about to move to the other side of the country to sign a record deal. It was with an independent label in LA. He had also just accepted a place to study music at Seven Hills College.