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It’s not that Nico wanted Will to see him like this, he didn’t it was embarrassing. But he didn’t have a choice either. Not with the blood dripping down his face onto all his clothes and the sharp throbbing pain in his shoulder.
So, like many times before Nico made the dreaded walk down the street to Will’s house and climbed the backyard fence. The only light on in the house was in Will’s bedroom which made sense seeing as it was a little past midnight, and the boy was beyond a workaholic.
He was sitting at his desk head buried into no doubt a biology book. Eyes dropping every so often. Nico took the time to appreciate it before disturbing him. He hated being a burden, but his shoulder was getting worse, and he was getting dizzy from the pain.
So before blacking out Nico quietly and quickly taps the window in the secret code the two had come up with. Enjoying the way Will jumps at the sudden sound and quickly looks over his face brightening at the sight of Nico, before dropping, obviously spotting blood soaking his skin and clothes.
As soon as Will opens the window, Nico is pulled inside and admittedly hugged, then shoved onto the bed. Watching as Will digs through his closet for the first-aid kit he kept there specifically for situations like this, ‘for Nico’.
Nico whispered a sorry for bothering you this late, but it was dismissed with a wave as Will pulled his desk chair over to the bed, asking what hurt and what needed fixing.
Will worked in silence cleaning the cut below Nico’s eye and checked his nose to see if it was broken, he was hit pretty hard so he wouldn't be surprised if it were. Then he moved onto his shoulder resetting it quietly as possible like it was nothing, not like it was his first time resetting Nico’s shoulder or anything else for that matter. But still impressive.
This had been the routine for months now and it wasn’t one that either of them liked but it worked. Nico would get into a fight with his dad or someone, and anytime he needed first-aid ‘no questions asked.’ He’d go to Will who patched him up no question asked.
--
The first time it happened was in November after they were assigned a school project together. Nico showed up at the library with a mistreated black eye given to him by his dad and Will was very insistent on helping him and how to treat it so it goes away sooner.
“It’s practice for the future when I'm a doctor.” He said shrugging, but other than that didn’t ask a single question about it.
They sat down working on their project making little quips about each other.
“You’ll make a great doctor you already have the handwriting down” Nico observed.
“I’m dyslexic!”
“Can't tell with that writing.”
“At least I don’t look like I spend all of my free time at the graveyard!” Will yelled back in defiance.
In the end, they got kicked out of the library and had to continue the work at Will’s house.
--
The second time it happened was late at night a week later. His dad had been drunk screaming something about Nico killing his sister Bianca before throwing a mug at his head, it missed luckily but shaded at his feet cutting him a lot deeper than just a band-aid could fix.
He had gotten pretty good at patching himself up over the years but that had been too much. It had never gone that far. Horrified and not knowing what to do Nico ran and ran until he reached a familiar house a few blocks down.
His first thought was ‘Will!’, then would he say something? Ask questions on why Nico had shown up on his doorstep in pajamas with no shoes or socks on, and why he was bleeding so much. Would Nico have to lie and say he broke something and cut himself, could he make that believable?
Worry set into his bones and just as he was about to leave and find another way a voice grabbed his attention. “Nico? What are you doing here so late? Are you bleeding?” Will asked in rapid fire before yelling wait here and running inside.
When he came back out, he had all the supplies for doing up Nico’s foot and did so in silence not even asking Nico beforehand. Nico didn’t know why Will just had all those things on hand at a moment's notice.
Will never ask how, what, were, or the scariest one, who? And Nico appreciated that.
Then after finishing, Will invited him inside not taking no for an answer. Flashing him a smile that Nico couldn’t say no to even if he wanted to.
It was late so they quietly went inside and watched YouTube videos about their project together before getting sidetracked and watching conspiracy theories instead. And staying up all night talking, well it was mostly Will talking and Nico humming along asking questions while eating all of Will's snacks he kept in the mini-fridge next to the bed.
Will kicked him out at around five saying his parents were going to be up soon and it be hard to explain why ‘Nico a kid they’d only met a couple of times’ was staying over without permission.
He understood and climbed out the window.
Overall, it was a great night that had started horribly.
On his way home, Nico realized that he didn’t run all this way because he thought Will would know how to fix his foot, he didn’t even know he could do that. But because he wanted to see Will, Will and his stupidly perfect lopsided smile and cheery personality.
Even if he hadn't known how to stitch up an ugly cut, he still would have made things better. The thought made heat creep up the back of his neck.
--
The third time it happened was at school a kid had joked about his sister Hazel and he lost it.
His friend Jason had always said he had a shorter fuse than most but when it came to family, it was almost nonexistent.
You’d think he’d be better at fighting with how often it happens, but no he thought punches without thinking first and had to deal with the consequences.
The fight had been happening for a while, as a crowd gathered to watch as Hazel pleaded for them to stop and ‘it was fine really’. It was then that Nico felt a hand grab the back of his shirt and pull him away. Thinking it was a teacher he whipped his head around ready to yell about getting in the way and they started it. But was silenced when he saw it was Will dragging him away.
He was in so much shock that he didn’t fight it and just let Will drag him to the school infirmary as Hazel followed close behind giving him a confused but grateful look.
It turned out that Will volunteered to work in the infirmary for extra credit because of course he did.
And both he and Hazel and a few other friends covered for him when questioned by teachers. They were still skeptical at first but it turns out Will had a lot of power with them being a good student and all. It was a good thing their shitty school didn’t have cameras. Not that their principal Mr. D would have cared anyway.
That’s when they started hanging out in school too. Which was confusing for most because they did not look like or seem the type to be friends.
Will was in all the AP classes and college courses he could take and one of the best students at the school despite the dyslexia, the power of determination can be scary at times. He had a lot of friends and even the people he didn't count as friends he still memorized their names and faces. He was nice to everyone or at least civil.
And Nico was Nico. He didn’t have many friends, he was the quiet kid in the back of the classroom, who didn’t talk to anyone and kept to himself, and always wore hoodies even in ninety-degree weather, even if it was to hide the bruises scattered on his body. But nobody knew that. Not even his friends asked, well they stopped asking after a while, tired of just being surged off. He always lied and said it was a fight, he even started getting to them just for cover stories. That was the other thing everyone was scared of him or getting in his way he’d pick a fight with anyone if it meant he had to stay at after-school detention. Anything to not go home.
--
The fourth, fifth, and sixth times, Will had to patch Nico up happened at his house. And by the seventh, he started to keep a first-aid in his closet and one on him at school too. He lost count of how often he came over to be fixed up by Will's expert medical hands because, at this point, they were expert-level.
At some point, over the months, they came up with a code to use when one needed the other, it was mostly Nico needing Will for a patch-up of safe space to hang out for a while. But occasionally, Will would just want to talk to him, and it was nice. It was nice to just listen as Will ranted to him about the most random things. He still never asked though, and Nico never planned to tell him.
--
That was intel now when Will was staring at him expectedly worry line prominent and Nico realized he had spaced out thinking about how amazing his best friend was. And how he was the worst because even though Will never asked about it with words, he always had a concerned look on his face and gave the opening for Nico to spill his guts out if he wanted to with no judgment. He was the worst for making all his friends worry about him just because he had been ashamed that the one person, he had left in this world to protect him was doing the opposite. Because once he started there was no going back and he’d have to tell Will everything.
“D- Did you say something?” Nico struggled to get out the words hanging in the back of his throat.
“I asked what happened.”
The world stilled around them Nico would have thought it stopped altogether if he didn’t feel it slipping out from underneath him. This wasn’t in the script; he wasn’t supposed to ask because if he did Nico would have a hard time lying.
How could he not, having Will looking at him like that as if he had aged years just worrying about Nico, as if he were worthy of any of Will’s thoughts let alone worry?
“I-it’s nothing… It doesn't matter.” He mumbled waving dismissively.
“It doesn't matter!” Will whispered shouted. “How could it not matter? You come here from your house and bang on my window well past midnight with bloodstained clothes, a dislocated shoulder, and your luck your nose isn't broken. And it doesn't matter to you?”
There was a noise outside Will's bedroom door before a woman’s voice spoke up. “Will, honey are you okay? I heard some noises.”
“I’m okay, just a hard math problem, was takin’ to myself again.”
“Well try and get some sleep there’s school in the morning.” After that, there were more noises than the sound of a door shutting.
Nico admittedly felt guilty for keeping Will up, he had forgotten it was a school night with everything that had happened. “Sorry to bother you.” Nico whispered about to get up and leave when a hand was put on his shoulder gently pushing back down.
“You have to know that’s not what I meant.” Will sat on the bed next to him and started rubbing Nico’s back comfortingly. “Nico you are my best friend and I love you; you know that.” The I love you part caught Nico off guard but he nodded anyway, it seemed reasonable they had been friends for a while now and Nico loved him too, but maybe not in a friendly way.
Will took a deep breath and continued “I know it’s a hard conversion to have that’s why I never pushed before but it keeps getting worse and I need to know how to fix it.”
“You can’t fix everything, Will.” Nico said tears welding in his eyes. How could Will fix it? It was more than just his dad. It was his dead sister and the fact that everyone in the world blamed him, including himself. He’d get himself into fights just because he thought he deserved it. It was him. Will couldn't fix that, you can't fix broke people, Nico would know he’s tried.
“Your right Nico, I can’t fix everything. But that doesn't mean I can't help or won’t.” Will stopped rubbing his back and moved so his arm was protectively around Nico, before quietly whispering in his ear. “What Happened?”
“He hit me with a bottle.” Nico whispered.
That’s when Nico broke, the tears welling in his eyes began to fall and everything flooded out. He told Will everything. About his dad and Bianca, how he thought it was all his fault. The joy but guilt he felt when he found out Hazel was his sister, the loss of his mother, and how his dad had an affair.
He told Will why he was always in fights and what he wanted to do to himself. How he thought he’d end up dead by his own hands just like Bianca. He sobbed that he thought he was broken for what felt like years.
He came out to Will he hadn’t meant to, but he started talking about his unrequited crush on his dead sister's friend. How ashamed he was of himself for being gay but also hating that he hated himself for being gay because some part of him knew it was okay and the other told him he was wrong. How that voice inside his head sounded just like his dad's and that scared him.
And he really didn’t want to but the words were stumbling out and he told Will about his crush on him and how he loved him and he was scared that he’d ruin everything. But Will held him through it all. If hugging him a little harder at the last part.
Will whipped away the tears as they kept falling soaking his already bloodied clothes. Ignoring the ones on his face. It was once they were both done crying it out that Will got up to grab Nico much needed clean clothes.
Apologizing for not pushing sooner.
--
Will hadn’t let Nico go home that night. In Will’s words, ‘he was to stay there and have a much-needed sleepover that they were over dew on’. Will promised to explain to his parents in the morning and smooth things over. So, they ‘Will’ didn’t get in trouble for the pronto sleepover.
It was when Nico was just about to fall asleep when he felt Will roll over and lean closer to whisper. “I love you too, in the not-so-friendly way that is, I have for a long time.”
Nico rolled over so he was facing Will too. “What?”
Will brought up his hand and stroked Nico’s cheek. “I know how to help but you got to trust me okay?”
Nico just nodded as Will kissed his forehead and whispered goodnight before rolling over.
--
Nico’s not sure when he fell asleep. But with the fresh clothes that smelled like Will and being wrapped in blankets that made him feel warm and next to the only person who made him feel safe, who said he loved him in the same way, it wasn’t surprising he slept all night.
Nico woke up with a startle to the sound of pots and pans knocking into each other. Small children arguing, and the smell of something sweet in the air. He looked over to where he knew Will's alarm clock would be, it was set to go off in forty minutes, so it didn’t make much sense that there be this much noise so early.
But then he remembered Will telling him they were all early risers and got up at the crack of dawn.
It was then that Will burst down the door to his room looking for something when he spotted Nico sitting up.
“Oh, your awake!” He practically yelled.
“Ya, that’s what happens when people are yelling at six in the morning!”
“Sorry.” He whispered then got excited again. “Mama made pancakes! She said you could have some.”
“You told your mom?”
“Yes. I may have told her everything. Well maybe not everything, but everything she needed to know.”
Nico gasped. How could Will just do that? He trusted him!
Will must have seen the rage boiling in him because before he could yell profanities at him Will spoke up. “Do you remember when I said you had to trust me because I had a plan to help you?” Nico nodded not sure what that had to do with Will telling his family a damn thing about his business. “Well, I told Mama so she would let you stay with us until we figure out something more permit.”
Nico felt the blush rush up his face. What had Will told his mother to convince her he needed a place to stay? How much had Will told her? Did he say they like each other? He wouldn’t out Nico to his mom, right?
Nico had enough outings for one lifetime and it only happened once. That was enough and he was lucky Jason was so cool about it, in front of anyone else, Nico didn’t want to think about what could have happened.
“Wh-what did you tell her?” Nico swallowed down the rest of the questions.
“Oh! No! no, I wouldn’t, God no. I just told her the stuff about you dad, I would never tell someone about anything else we discussed last night not without your permission that is.”
Nico felt a wave of relief wash over him he felt bad about doubting Will but he’s been through a lot in the past twelve hours, his whole life really. He was allowed to be skeptical of things.
“What’s the plan?”
“What?”
“The plan you have to help me. What are you planning?”
“Mama is going to pick both of us up from school today and then drop us off at your house so we can pack bags as quickly as possible and you can stay here with me… you will have to deal with my annoying siblings though.” Will said grabbing a pillow and throwing it at the door, where what looked like two small kids ran from giggling at being caught, obviously eavesdropping on them.
Nico cucked a little. “I think I can handle that.”
Will smiled and started to lean in and when Nico was so certain that Will was going to kiss him there was a knock on the door. “Will, Nico, pancakes are ready, come eat!”
Will’s smile grew as he grabbed Nico by the hand and hauled him up “Come on Mama makes the best pancakes! You’ll love them.”
--
And Nico did, he loved the pancakes and the way that Will’s dad rubbed his head when he walked into the kitchen as if it was perfectly normal. He loved that Will’s mom hugged him good morning and wished him good luck at school. He even loved the ‘annoying’ sibling as they chatted around the table asking questions. He loved Will and how he was quietly holding his hand under the table. Most of all he loved that for the first time in forever, he felt like he was a part of a family.
He was right Will couldn’t fix everything, but he did a pretty damn good job with what he could.