Work Text:
Will stared down at the ground, his eyes burning from the amount of tears that had suddenly began to fall.
He didn't normally cry around others. Will had developed the habit of hiding his emotions behind a smile. That stupid, fake, hideous smile that grew harder and harder to show around others as the days went by.
Yet, here he was, shaking in Nico’s grasp. The tears dampening his lover’s shirt, staining Will’s cheeks and ruining Nico’s clothing.
He couldn't breathe. He felt so drained. So tired. He wanted to rest but instead he cried. He cried rivers of tears that didn't seem to stop no matter how hard he had tried to make them. Constantly wiping away the tears with his knuckles, holding his breath to keep to tears from running, then choking due to how much build up grew in his mouth from how long he tried holding his breath.
Nico simply dragged his fingers down Will’s spine, whispering sweet nothings down his neck and placing a kiss on his collarbone every other second. Normally Will would have been overjoyed by the sudden affection. But right now it just made him feel worse.
He shouldn’t be crying. What would his siblings think? What would his father think? He bet his father would be embarrassed. The best healer at camp, crying from exhaustion. It was an embarrassing situation, to say the least. He felt so hopeless. So stupid. So worthless.
Crying was a normal thing of which Will encouraged campers to do when they were being healed by him. He always spoke about how it was healthy for the body. Building up your emotions and keeping them locked deep down simply to hide them from everyone else was never good for the brain. He said this to others because it was the truth. Seeing as he was a doctor, they believed him.
Of course, being the hypocrite he was, he didn't bother taking his own advice. He kept it all down. His emotions were something that he didn't like to show, not even towards Nico, not even towards his father.
He opened his mouth and gasped for air, his grip tight on Nico’s shirt. He wanted to say something. A sorry. A thank you. Yet nothing came out. It all stayed inside. Nothing but tears and desperate gasps of air.
He felt like a fool.
He felt like a complete fool.
Men weren’t supposed to cry. They were supposed to be strong and smile for everyone else to see. They were supposed to be the best that they could possibly be.
Why was he crying then?
Men didn’t cry.
He shouldn't be crying.
This wasn’t right.
The thoughts clouding his mind made him sob more. His sobs developing into a coughing fit as he began to choke on his tears.
He hid his face in the crook of Nico’s neck once he managed to get out of his coughing fit. The other male was moving, if only slightly, and although it was bothering Will he didnt say anything on it.
The salt from the tears was a disgusting taste. It made him cringe each and every time a tear slipped into his mouth. The taste was always gross. It was so salty and there was never any way to avoid the tears slipping into his mouth, even if he kept it closed.
He gasped once more, and suddenly a melodic tune began to play in Will’s ear.
He hadn’t even noticed the headphones Nico snuck into his ears.
His crying stopped. His head held high with a look of confusion and gratefulness taking over his features.
Nico just looked up at the ceiling. He knew not to talk during situations like these, which Will was thankful for.
La Mer.
The sweet sound of the orchestra slowly, quietly forming together managed to make him go silent if only for a moment.
He liked this piece.
Slowly, Will’s head sank down onto Nico’s shoulder. Resting there as he focused on the instruments.
What instrument was playing right now? It was awfully pretty.
A flute, maybe?
A Cello?
He couldn't tell. His mind was now dedicated to figure out what instrument was playing.
Then suddenly another instrument played, and another, and another. Each one slipping into the first movement of the piece, blending in so perfectly you wouldnt have noticed that the instrument had just joined in unless you were focusing really hard.
His gasps for air turned into deep, slow, breaths.
Why did the music stop?
Oh, there it was again.
How do they make the instruments work so perfectly together?
He felt like the piece was making a hill. The instruments’ pitch going up, then down, then up again.
Suddenly the music was getting louder. Then quieter. Then it went loud again.
He smiled.
It was a confusing tune. But that’s what he liked about it. His focus on the instruments calmed him down so much that rather than crying he just felt tired. His eyes closed and his heart rate beating awfully slow compared to a few moments ago.
“Thank you,” He whispered to his lover.
Nico brought his fingertips up Will’s spine and up his neck, running through his hair and playing with his soft golden curls.
“Do you feel better?” He asked, his voice low, full of concern.
Will nodded, managing to produce a tired ‘mhm’ into the crook of Nico’s neck.
Nico let out a sigh of relief, his fingers carding through the other’s hair absent mindedly.
“I love you,” Nico mumbled, his voice a little louder, this time full of love.
Will felt his body heat up. He looked over to Nico, placing a gentle kiss onto his cheek.
“I love you too.”
With that, the room was silent. The sound of the classical music swiftly bringing him into a deep sleep.