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Nico sighs, catching a glimpse of his wrist in the mirror. He usually kept it covered as much as he could, but he did have to remove his watch occasionally. He wasn’t angry at the world, but the universe was playing a mean trick on him by etching his own name across the small space of his wrist. Of course, he’d heard that sometimes more names appeared as one got to know their soulmate, but he can’t help thinking that maybe things won’t work out.
After all, there couldn’t be too much love in a relationship where he didn’t have a nickname, right?
And Nico knows why. A secret he buries deep down, underneath all of the other sins he’s committed. Because this particular secret isn’t one that’s allowed to see the light of day.
Nico takes a deep breath, strapping his watch on. He’s not going to think about that today. Instead, he’s focused on the class he’s going to be teaching today. Double checking that he has everything, Nico leaves. It’s a nice day outside, and he’s going to be spending most of it inside. But he doesn’t mind. He loves his job.
There are a few early birds, but Nico doesn’t pay them any attention. Most of them are hunched over their phones or listening to music. Nico moves into the classroom. The stations are all cleaned, so he starts setting up his own space. He’s got his notes and his clipboard.
He looks up as someone walks in.
“Am I early? Sorry, I can wait outside.”
Nico blinks. Then blinks again. Then he focuses. “Only five minutes. Choose a station.”
The guy nods, moving to the station right in the front. Nico ignores him, finishing up his prep before opening the door. About ten students walk in, all of them choosing their own stations. A few of them are wearing aprons, looking excited for the class. A few others look hesitant. The guy in the front looks like he’s made himself at home.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Nico di Angelo, your instructor. I’m going to take roll, go over some basic safety rules and tips, and then we’ll dive into our first lesson. Sound good?”
Nico ignores how fitting it is that the guy’s name is Will Solace.
“Okay, so as I’m sure you are all aware, this is a cooking class. During each class, we’ll make something together. At the end of the class, I’ll give you the recipe so you can make it at home.” Nico pauses to smile. “Are there any questions so far?”
A guy in the back raises his hand. “Do we have to bring our own food?”
Nico holds his smile. “No, the class fee covers all ingredients we’ll be using. However, if you break or burn anything, you may be charged. As long as you follow my directions, you should be good.”
Nico breezes through the introductions and basics. He notices that Will seems to be taking notes. He’s not the first one, though, so Nico’s not sure why it draws his attention. Needing a small break, he gives everyone five minutes to use the bathroom and find their ingredients.
“Do you have a favorite dish to teach, Nico?” Will asks. Nico hums. He’s been asked this question a lot.
“Depends how ambitious I’m feeling,” he says. “But I think the day we make pizza is always fun. To see what flavor combinations people come up with.”
“What’s the weirdest?”
“Maybe catfish and cauliflower? Or pineapple and beets.”
Will laughs. “So it’s safe to assume that we’re not learning that?”
Nico shakes his head. “I open the pantry on that day, so it’s up to you.” He turns to the rest of the class. “But for now, we’re going to make a small breakfast selection.”
He starts by instructing them on mixing pancake batter. He’s kept the recipe simple but flavorful. It’s only the first day of class, but he wants them to come back for more lessons. (Though, he knows they will. They’ve already paid.) After everyone’s made the batter, he tells them to set it aside so they can heat up their griddle and start on the eggs.
“Is it supposed to be lumpy?” someone asks.
Nico makes it a rule to walk around when he’s not demonstrating. He helps one girl turn on her griddle before looking at someone’s batter.
“Maybe get the bigger lumps mixed in, but a few lumps is okay. We don’t want to over-mix.”
He moves on to the scrambled eggs which goes a bit better. There are a few burnt bits, but most people in his class have successfully scrambled eggs before. Usually, Nico makes the eggs while the pancakes are cooking, but he’s learned from previous classes that multitasking on the first day was not the best introduction.
“Now we’re ready to make the pancakes. Use your measuring cup and pour a smallish circle onto the griddle. Bigger pancakes are harder to flip, so keep that in mind.” The first few pancakes are a little burnt or undercooked, but soon he sees pancakes piling up. He’s about to compliment his class when a pancake flies through the air.
“Sorry, sorry!” he hears.
“What’s happening, Will?” Nico asks.
“I guess I just got excited,” he says. “Also, I wanted to see if I could flip it.”
“Like on TV?” Will nods. “TV is sometimes fake, Will.”
“I bet you could do it,” Will says.
“I’ll settle for not having more pancakes flying through the air.”
Will grins, plating four more pancakes. None of them are circular, but they are cooked.
“Alright, everyone! When you’ve finished, I want you to clean up your stations. Then you are more than welcome to dig into your dishes.” Nico sets out dishes of butter and syrup, eating his own pancakes. He’s set his class so that he’ll finish in time for a late lunch.
Nico makes sure he encourages everyone, even those who have more burnt pancakes than non-burnt. He makes sure everyone’s stations are cleaned up before he dismisses the class, smiling as everyone files out.
“See you next week, Nico,” Will says.
Nico feels his heart flip and shoves his secret deeper.
-
Will ducks under his brother’s fifth hug of the morning. “I’m going to be late!”
“Actually get his number this time, yeah?” Lee asks.
“Yes, I know. But I have to actually get there first. Go to bed.”
He lets Lee hug him again before ducking out the door. He loves his brother, but he was way too cuddly when he was exhausted. Will makes it to class with two minutes to spare, securing his station at the front. Since the third class, everyone seemed to settle into the stations they’d picked. Will gets out his notepad and pencil. Even though Nico gave them a recipe at the end of class, Will wants to make sure he doesn’t miss any notes or advice. After all, he was here to learn how to cook.
“Welcome back, everyone,” Nico says. “Excited? Today, we’re making spaghetti and meatballs.”
Will’s stomach growls. He looks forward to these classes every week, and while he does enjoy cooking, he’s not ashamed to admit that he’s equally, if not more, enamored with the instructor. Will pays careful attention to Nico’s technique, trying his best to emulate him. It seems to be working as he hasn’t burnt anything too bad lately, and Lee’s actually letting him into the kitchen.
“No fires today, right, sunshine?” Nico says, watching Will mix his meatballs. Will freezes, eyes darting over to where Nico’s standing. Nico doesn’t seem to notice. Will waits for Nico to leave before he checks his wrist, carefully peeling back the bracelet he keeps wrapped there.
In careful cursive, sunshine is written, dark against his freckled skin. Will takes a deep breath, going back to his meatballs. It’s a word he’s heard almost daily, but it’s never meant him. No one has ever called him that before. Will glances at Nico again. He’s across the aisle, showing Travis how to shape more evenly-sized meatballs.
Nico’s own wrist is covered by a watch. Will takes another breath, excitement and anxiety leaping in his chest.
“Okay, so everyone should have most of their meatballs shaped and ready to cook,” Nico’s saying now. “Will, you need some help?”
Will nods. Nico directs everyone else to put their meatballs into the oven, set the timer, and take a break if needed. They’re nearing the end of class, just waiting to put everything together.
“I see you’ve been paying attention,” Nico says, tapping his notepad. “You’re a good student.”
“Yeah.” Will’s trying to keep from reaching over and moving Nico’s watch. “Thanks for teaching me. My family thought I was hopeless.”
Nico shrugs. “What I’m here for. Now you can cook for whoever. Family, date nights, yourself.”
Will hums, focusing on rolling a meatball between his hands. “Probably a good thing. Doubt I’d impress too many dates with my former cooking.”
Nico nods. “Well, now you can.”
“Think my soulmate will be impressed?”
“I think more than your cooking factors in,” Nico says. “But who knows what the universe has planned.” He finishes the meatball he’s shaping before washing his hands. “I’ll leave you to finish up the rest. Remember time and temp?”
Will pats his notepad. “Yup. Thanks, Nico.”
Everyone comes back in, and Will wonders what his next move should be. There couldn’t be a coincidence that Nico called him sunshine. Will had a lot of nicknames, but that wasn’t one he’d heard. And that had to mean something, right? The universe wouldn’t play a prank on him. Not when Will has dreamed of meeting his soulmate since he was six.
Nico instructs them through boiling their pasta, incorporating their sauce, and making sure their meatballs were cooked. Will feels sure it’s Nico. It has to be Nico. Will’s never felt such an instant connection with someone before.
“Want to try?” Will asks, waving Nico over. He’s got his bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, and he’s pretty proud of himself.
“Not too bad, sunshine,” Nico says. “Maybe a little heavy on the basil but impressive.”
Will beams. “Impressive enough for my soulmate?”
Nico tenses. “Could be promising,” he says.
“Do you have a good nickname?” He gestures to Nico’s wrist.
“Not anything worth sharing,” Nico says. He stabs one of Will’s meatballs, nodding. Will waits for him to say more, but he doesn’t. He just nods again before heading to another station. Will feels somewhat let down, but he’s not going to let Nico go this easily.
He cleans his station slowly, waiting until everyone has left before he approaches Nico.
“Nico,” Will says. “Can I ask you something?”
Nico nods slowly.
“Do you know who your soulmate is?”
Nico tenses and Will can hear a few deep breaths. “I don’t know,” he says eventually. He looks at Will, shrugging. “But I don’t think it’s you.”
“Why not?” Will whispers.
Nico doesn’t quite answer. Instead, he glances at Will apologetically. “I’m so sorry. I have to go.”
Will’s left standing there, fingers tracing over his wrist, turning over Nico’s whispered words in his head.
It can’t be a guy. It can’t be.
-
Nico looks at his wrist. It can’t be Will, he thinks. Firstly, because Will’s a guy. And secondly, a guy like Will wouldn’t want someone with their own name tattooed on their wrist. Will probably had a list of cute nicknames. It’s been a week since he and Will have talked, and Nico’s kept it strictly professional since then. But he hates how quiet Will was last week, how he just sat there taking notes and cooking.
Will had even apologized, and Nico hadn’t known what to say. So instead, he’d asked Will how his fish was coming along. Now, he’s teaching everyone how to bake a cake, usually one of his favorite classes. The longer cooking time allowed everyone to talk and ask questions, but now Nico can see that time stretching out before him. Maybe he should have added something to this class, but they’d already made frosting.
“Nico?” Will asks softly as Nico’s cleaning up his station. The other students are either still working on their frosting or chatting with each other. Someone’s starting a group chat, and someone else has brought a deck of cards. Nico smiles. He always loves getting to know some of his students, always a little saddened by their last class when they say goodbye. This time, he’s got something different on his mind.
“Having trouble?” Nico asks.
Will shrugs. “Not with the frosting,” he says. “Though it might need some more milk.”
“I shouldn’t have run out on you,” Nico says after a moment. Will nods.
“Why are you so sure it’s not me?” Will asks. And Nico doesn’t know how to explain it without hurting someone. Because it hurts to keep his secret buried so deeply.
After that class, Nico had gone home and scoured the internet. The whole thing brought back memories of high school, hiding from his father, the relief when he’d moved out only to realize that some of the world agreed with his father. So Nico had taken his secret and buried it. And he’d made it this far.
“You wouldn’t want me anyway,” Nico says, thinking of his wrist. Will was probably the kind of person who gave their soulmate a whole list of names. Nico had seen people like that, people who looked like they had a grocery list inked onto the inside of their arm.
“How do you know? Maybe you’re exactly what I want,” Will says. “Please, can you give me a chance?”
“Let me think about it.”
He doesn’t want to say no to Will, but he can’t help thinking that this is all some cruel twist of fate. After all, could Will love someone with only their name on their wrist? What did that even mean? And how was Will so sure it was Nico? Some nicknames were pretty common. Nico wracks his brain, trying to remember what he’d called Will. For those first few weeks, he’d kind of forgotten about his secret, just letting himself joke around with everyone, be free.
But life had a funny way of showing you your place.
As if on cue, several timers sounded, and Nico remembers where he is.
“Okay, everyone. Be careful when you take your cakes out. Remember to check for doneness. We don’t want any batter.” The whole room smells wonderful, and Nico takes a deep breath. Will’s gaze is heavily focused on his cake as he waits for it to cool. Nico doesn’t remember there ever being so much downtime in this lesson.
He’s not surprised when Will lags behind at the end of class, his cake carefully balanced in his hands.
“I swear I’ll stop asking if you say no,” Will says quietly. “But I also can’t eat a whole cake by myself.”
“Your brother would probably love to help,” Nico says. For a moment, Will’s face falls. Then he’s pulling on a small smile, nodding. He’s almost out the door when Nico hears himself calling.
“Wait. Just for a little bit, okay?”
They end up at a park down the street, sitting in the grass. It’s definitely not something Nico ever thought he’d be doing, but it’s kind of nice. And Will’s cake isn’t bad. It’s probably on par with store-bought or boxed cakes. So they each eat a slice while they try and think of something to say.
“I’m not used to the idea of liking a guy,” Nico says after a few moments of silence. “I was always told it was wrong. Or disgusting.” Will doesn’t say anything as Nico starts rambling. He’s never talked to anyone about this before, and he’s not sure why he’s dumping it all on Will. But Will’s a good listener, and clearly Nico was in need of someone to talk to.
“I was never ashamed,” Will says once he’s finished, “but I didn’t really have any role models in that area. So I was never sure if the feelings were real or not. Until I left for college. My family is great and all, but it’s hard to talk about it sometimes with people who have never felt that way before.”
Nico nods. “I used to think soulmates were a joke. Made some people pretty mad.”
“Do you still believe that?”
Nico shrugs. “Maybe not a joke. But I don’t think we should base our entire lives on whatever’s on our wrist.” He’s kind of worried that he’s offended Will, but Will just nods. “Sometimes I wondered if it’d be easier if we just had each other’s names on our wrists, you know? But then maybe it’s nicer this way. Less pressure and whatever.”
Will doesn’t respond right away, and Nico’s kind of scared to look at him. So he takes another piece of cake, licking the frosting off of it. He lets the chocolate melt in his mouth before chancing a look at Will. He’s rubbing his thumb over the bracelet on his wrist.
“Do you think we could be friends?” Nico’s caught off guard by the question, and his expression must reflect that. “I just mean that soulmates can be a lot of pressure. But we don’t have to decide now. And if we don’t end up being soulmates, I still made a friend.”
Nico lets out a breath. He’s not sure what part of that question made him tense, the idea that Will was still holding on or the idea that Will might have let go.
“Friends.”
Will smiles. “Because I think you’re a cool person, and I could always use more cooking tips.”
Nico laughs for maybe the first time in a few days. “Sure thing, sunshine.”
The words flow smoothly from his mouth, but he knows the moment he sees Will’s eyes crinkle a little. Maybe they wouldn’t be just friends.
-
“You’d better bring me home something,” Lee teases as Will gets ready to leave. Will rolls his eyes. Lee hadn’t been too impressed with the half-eaten cake Will had brought home last week. But Will doesn’t care. He’s got Nico’s number, and they’ve been texting a bit. Will was learning things about Nico, that he had a sense of humor, that his mom had taught him how to cook, that he was scared of birds.
“I’m going to be late again,” Will huffs.
“Remember, no texting and driving! Make good choices!” Will waves him off. “Hey, seriously, don’t let this guy lead you on.”
“I know, Lee. He’s just figuring things out.”
Lee nods. “I’m going back to bed, Only wake me if there’s food.”
Will laughs, heading to class. There were only two more classes left, and Will was honestly a little worried about what would happen after the classes were over. Would Nico stop talking to him? Will sighs, shaking those thoughts from his head. He couldn’t think like that. Nico said he’d give their friendship a chance, and Will had to trust him on that.
“Morning, class. As I’m sure you’re aware, this is the second to last class. Next week, you all are going to provide the food. I’ll pass a sign-up sheet around, and you’ll write down what you want to bring. I’ll provide dishes. It’ll be a celebration of your newly acquired skills and a way for you to share a meal with each other. After all, food brings people together.”
The class seems excited as the sign-up sheet goes around.
“Remember, you’re allowed to bring whatever you’d like, as long as it fits dietary retractions. But I want you all to make a good faith effort to cook or bake it yourselves. Nothing store-bought. If you have any questions or need suggestions, I’m available to ask.”
Will fidgets at his station until it’s his turn to sign up. He scans the list, smiling at some of the strange combinations. He wasn’t sure how well tacos and clam chowder would go together, but he wasn’t going to judge. He raises his hand.
“So you’re not bringing anything to eat?” he asks.
Nico shakes his head. “You’ve all eaten my food every week. It’s your turn to cook.”
“So you’ll do the dishes?” someone in the back asks.
“Maybe. No promises,” Nico says, smiling. “Let’s see the food first.”
“It’s gonna be the best rice you’ve ever had,” Travis says.
“If there are no more questions, is everyone ready for our last cooking session?” The room erupts into cheers, and Will smiles. Nico really had brought them together with his cooking. Sure, Will kind of hated the group chat, but it was nice bonding with these people he’d probably have never met otherwise.
“So steak can definitely be a challenging meat to cook,” Nico says. “But I’m sure you all will do great. So how does a steak and potatoes meal sound to finish us off?”
Everyone hurries to get their ingredients, waiting patiently for Nico to direct them. No one wanted to mess up their last dish. Will takes careful notes, making sure that he watched what he was doing. He didn’t want to accidentally slice his finger again.
“So you can either peel and mash or keep the skin on and roast. Of course, there are many ways to make potatoes, but this’ll make sure everyone finishes at about the same time.” Nico surveys everyone’s stations, raising an eyebrow at one guy’s chopping skills and rolling his eyes when he sees how carefully Will’s holding the potato peeler.
“Can’t I just leave the skin on?” Will asks.
“Sure, Will.”
“Thank gods,” Will sighs. Nico seems amused, and Will’s just happy he can make Nico smile. He didn’t seem as tense as earlier, and Will just hopes that means Nico’s being easier on himself. Will knows firsthand how hard it can be to undo all of that internalized homophobia and learn to accept yourself, and he’s proud of Nico for taking that step.
“But you’re going to want to chop them into smaller sizes,” Nico says. “Is your water ready yet?”
Will nods. “Yup. Got the salt and everything.”
Nico smiles. “Keep up the good work.”
By the time they move onto the steak, Nico was joking around with several of the students, and Will smiles. He’s busy watching his potatoes and preparing his steak, and he knows he’ll have to save at least a bite or two for Lee. Or else he doubts his brother will believe it happened.
“Everyone ready to cook their steak? Make sure it’s seasoned well.”
Will jumps a little when the steak sizzles, but he loves that sound. It’s just the sound Nico’s pan made. He watches the steak carefully, trying not to be paranoid and keep checking it. He just wants this to turn out perfectly.
“Don’t forget about your potatoes. Have you checked on them recently?”
Will realizes that he has not. He hurries to stick his fork into one, relieved when it’s not quite ready yet. Then he’s busy flipping his steak, mashing his potatoes, and hoping that he didn’t put too much salt on either. By the time he’s got everything on his plate, he’s sweating and a little out of breath.
“I hope everyone’s proud of themselves,” Nico says. “You all did really well today. I bet you’re ready to dig in.”
Everyone cheers and Nico brings out a bottle of wine, pouring a small glass for anyone who wants one. Will declines, wanting to savor his meal alone. But it is tempting to share a glass with Nico. Will makes sure he boxes up part of his dish (after tasting it) so that Lee can have some. He’s proud of his food, and he wants to share it.
“You’ve done really well, sunshine,” Nico says, appearing at Will’s station as he’s cleaning up. “I’m looking forward to what you’re bringing next week.”
Will nods. He’s going to drive his brother crazy practicing his dish.
“See you next week, Nico. I’ll text you if I have questions.”
Nico smiles. “I’m counting on it.”
-
Nico can’t say he isn’t nervous to see Will. They’ve been texting all week, but he’s still stunned every time he sees Will’s smiling face. Especially since he knows what dish Will’s bringing, and Nico’s already way too invested in this for him to be anything but happy or brokenhearted.
He takes a few deep breaths before he enters the classroom. A few people are inside already, setting up their dishes, talking to each other. Nico smiles, going over to look at their dishes. He checks to make sure everyone’s got their cards listing the main ingredients and dish name as well as the chef.
“You’re all chefs today,” he says. “I hope you’ve learned so much these past few weeks and continue to cook, even if you can’t do it too often.”
He’s not surprised to hear that some of his students have set up a supper club already, eager to get together again and try out new dishes. Before they all leave, he’s going to give them a little recipe book of everything they’ve made together and a few other dishes they can make on their own.
“But I know you’re all hungry, so let’s eat!”
Nico waits until everyone’s gone through the line before helping himself. Everything looks yummy, even if some parts are burnt or falling apart. Sometimes the taste outweighed the presentation, and he knows how hard his students have worked.
“So, how is it?” Will asks. He’s nervous, bouncing on his feet a little as he takes a bite of someone’s potato salad.
“Good layers, even filling, bright sauce,” Nico says, stalling. Will’s nodding now, shoving another bite of food into his mouth. It’s not supposed to be attractive, but Nico finds it so. “I haven’t tried it yet.”
“My brother says we can’t have lasagne for at least a month,” Will says. “So I hope it’s good.”
Nico laughs. “Must mean it’s good, though, if he ate it all.”
Will shrugs. “What do you think?”
Nico takes a bite, chewing slowly as he considers. If he’s being honest, the lasagne brings back memories of his mom and him cooking. The flavors aren’t quite the same, but Nico never teaches lasagne in his class for a reason. He doesn’t realize he’s close to tears until he hears himself sniffle.
“Oh, gods, is it that bad?” Will asks. “I didn’t taste this one because I didn’t want to bring it with a bite cut out.”
“No, no, it’s amazing, Will,” Nico says. He watches as Will’s face breaks into a smile before looking concerned again.
“Are you sure? You look like you’re about to cry.”
“Reminds me of my mama,” he says, wiping his eyes. “But in a good way. Don’t worry.”
Will nods, not looking entirely convinced. “If you’re just being nice I can handle it,” he says. “Seriously, Nico.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s delicious.” He eats the rest of his serving before taking Will’s hand. It’s warm and a little sweaty in his, but Nico feels a sense of familiarity in it. It feels right. Will looks surprised. Around them, someone’s cheering. Nico thinks someone broke out the deck of cards again.
“Better than everyone else’s?” Will asks, a smirk on his face.
“Haven’t tried everything else yet,” Nico says, humming. They’re still holding hands, and Nico can’t hold his plate and eat and hold Will’s hand. Not that he’s complaining about the current situation. He sees Will glance down a bit, Nico’s eyes following. Will’s lips are right there.
“I can- I mean, I want- er, may I?” Will stumbles.
Nico smiles. “I’m still trying to tell myself it’s okay,” he says softly. “But I think this is something I want.”
Will nods. “On the cheek, then?”
Nico feels himself blush, but he nods. He has to remind himself to breathe when Will’s lips brush against his cheek, soft and sweet. Will’s hair tickles his forehead. He squeezes Will’s hand.
“I can wait, Nico,” Will says. “And take things as slowly as you need them to be. But this is something I want, too.”
Nico looks at their hands, their wrists pressing together. He has yet to see Will’s tattoo, but he’s okay with waiting. He’s not ready yet, and he’s not sure if Will is either. But they could do this together. Slowly.
“Why do you always call me Nico?”
“Isn’t that your name?” Will asks.
Nico snorts. “Well, yeah. But why not anything else?”
Will’s quiet for a moment. “You’re Nico,” he says. “That’s all you ever have to be.” He pauses. “Did you want a cute nickname? I could probably think of some.”
Nico rolls his eyes. “Gods, no.” Will laughs.
“Don’t give me any spoilers,” he says. He taps Nico’s wrist softly.
“If you don’t give me any either.”
Will nods. “So we have a deal, Nico?”
Nico smiles. “We do.”
He wants so many things for the future, and maybe they’ll happen and maybe they won’t, but he’s okay with waiting. He just hopes he’ll be ready, but as he watches Will wolf down a taco, he thinks he might already be.