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Chapter Text

For it was the greatest love story ever told.

Okay, if we are going to be honest, it probably isn't the greatest love story ever told, but hey, it's pretty damn close to it.

It started all on one night. It was the beginning of spring, and the temperature was rising to one of those numbers were you can feel the heat just by looking at it. Night was beginning to fall, but the sun still showed its face, for it wanted to see the movie premiere of one of the highest rated books of the modern age.

Celebrities and people from all walks of fame made their way along the red carpet, gowns sparkling from the flashing of cameras. People shouting questions, fans trying to get the autographs of their favorite movie stars, and all the while backstage crew rushing around, hoping that all would go as planned for the first showing of 'One Last Hero', a book-to-movie adaptation of a book from the same name.

Critics were raving about the release of the movie from the very moment it hit news of it's coming out. The book had taken the world by storm, becoming the next best thing since sliced bread. And with such high hopes rushing around it's name, many high society actors had been more than willing to sign on at first chance.

It wasn't even a year after the book had come out that directors, producers, and writers all wanted their hands on creative copyrights. But there had been some problems following such a race, for not many people knew the identity of the author. Sure, the book had the name on it, and sure, there had been other books released, all well-respected, but the strange thing is, the author had never shown up to any meetings, and only communicated via editor and manager, so no one besides her knew of the identity of the creator of the book.

But little did anyone know the author was there that night. Author, N.D. Augustine, did make a cameo from behind the scenes, but not the way people would presume normal, no, the author had joined in the shadows as a simpleton, as a common face munged the sea of famous people and the ones working behind the scenes; for he showed up not as his alias, but as himself, simple Nico di Angelo, a name that nobody knew.

When word got out that people were talking about getting the copyrights to the book that he thought nobody would like, a simple high school student that sent his book to a friend that practically blackmailed him into sending her, he was ecstatic, overjoyed. But he had one condition with everything: he would stay on the project from the back seat.

He never wanted to use his real name for it would be too inconvenient for him with his normal life and all, so he kept his initials and changed the last name to Augustine. Why? He didn't know.

As the sea of people made their way into the over-sized theatre for the very first showing of One Last Hero, people were rushing to get every last thing in order before the movie was a go.

The main cast were the first to come in. Annabeth Chase, who played K.C. (Kasandra Claire) Miles, the main characters best friend and sanity, followed by Jason Grace, who played Ryan Dean, troublemaker of the group who always had to have the last word said; Percy Jackson, who played Cory Willis, K.C.'s boyfriend and a sarcastic little shit, Piper McLean, who played Rini Walker, the demolition expert and the sweetheart of the group, and lastly, Will Solace, who played Nate Castiline, the main character.

As they made their way to their seats, hundreds of fans screamed from the sideline, shouting about how much they loved them.

The main cast had practically fought for their parts. So many people wanted in on this project that actors were willing to do just about anything to get in. It had been a race to the death to land the part they wanted, but only one person hadn't had that problem.

Will Solace was first approached for the part of Nate when almost a year of trying to cast the part had been wasted. The Producer's daughter had been a huge fan of his work, and one day when he had gotten home, she was re-watching one of his movies for the thousandth time.

The blonde had caught the attention of the Producer and he couldn't shake off the feeling. So, the next day at work, he had an intern make a few calls and the next thing he knew, Will Solace was being dragged into an audition were he landed the part barely five seconds in.

When he was informed (next day of course) that he got the part, he practically screamed in joy. He was such a huge fan of the book, that when he got the call for the audition, his heart wouldn't calm down for the next day or two. He owned all the books by the author and had read them at least five times each. He knew it was pretty pathetic, but he knew he had to live up to such a great legacy.

His hair still had the few streaks of black from filming in it at the premiere, but he didn't care, he thought they made him look just a little bit badass. When he got to his spot, he realised he had to pee, so he excused himself from the group and headed off to find a bathroom.

He wondered down a few corridors until he thought himself lost. He asked one of the backstage crew working that night and he was pointed in the direction. He thanked him and hurried off.

Just when he thought nothing else could happen on the way to the bathroom, he was suddenly knocked back by a body. He didn't fall down, but the person who had run into him had. With a smile, he bent down to help the boy up who was scrounging around to pick up the papers he had dropped.

Will helped pick up some of the things, and just as he was about to hand the papers over to the boy, both of them locked eyes. The pupils on the boy grew three times in size. Even under all the hair that hung in his face, Will was still able to make out the small shine of the brown orbs.

"I'm sorry," he squeaked out then cleared his throat.

Will smiled at the boy and handed him what he had picked up. "It's fine."

The boy kept looking up at the blonde while trying to organize his things.

Little did Will know, that boy was a huge fan of his, and that fan was none-other than the author he admired so much.

Nico was in a daze after running into him. He felt so stupid for everything.

When Nico was first approached about giving out the copy rights, he didn't know how they would cast any of the characters properly, the main one being Nate Castiline. But when he found out that after searching for over a year they had settled on Will Solace, Nico nearly melted in his seat.

That boy had been one of his favorite actors from the time he started and onwards. So this was a moment that he would never forget, yet he wished he could do over again.

Nico opened and closed his mouth, trying to form some sort of words, but before any sound had a chance of escaping his lips, someone called for him.

"Nico, c'mon, we are going to be late!"

Nico looked up and locked eyes with a dark haired girl. He scooped up the rest his stuff and rushed passed the blonde star, not making eye contact.

As the dark haired boy brushed passed Will, leaving him all alone once again, Will noticed something small at the base of his foot. He bent down and picked it up. It was a simple brown leather note book. He tossed it back and forth in his hands.

Will turned around to see if the boy – Nico was his name – was still in sight, but he was nowhere to be seen. After debated whether or not to chase after him in the direction, his bladder had other plans.

He rushed off in the direction of the bathroom, book still in hand. Once he was done, he made his way to sit back down next to Leo Valdez, the actor who played the villain, Marco Myers.

Will fondled the book in his hands, debating whether or not to open it. It wasn't his, so he shouldn't, but then again, what could it's pages hold? He hesitated, but he unwrapped the leather binding and slowly opened it.

What he saw was incredible. Hand drawn pictures made out of what appeared to be ink, but an olden pen ink, almost 'Harry Potter' fashion. He couldn't tell what the words that were written all around were – they seemed to be Italian – but from what he could tell was that that Nico boy was an artist and he wanted to know more.

He did feel a sharp pain in realising that there was probably no way he could get it back to him. He only knew his first name; no way could he find him with that small amount to go on.

"What's that?" Leo pointed at the notebook with Cheedo fingers.

"Oh," Will tried to come up with an excuse, but words seemed to be failing him, "It's, uhh, just this thing." He flicked his wrist; examining it a little bit himself – showing Leo, hoping he bought the excuse.

"Oh, looks cool." And with that, he dropped the topic.

Will never let the thought drop from his mind as the lights dimmed and words were spoken before the movie flickered on the big screen.

It started out pretty simple, opening credits played on the screen with old fashion radio reports played over top of it. Images of scientist in a lab played in and out of groups of people being tested. After a few minutes, a scientist injects Leo's character, Marco Myers. The screen cuts to five children playing.

After cutting back and forth between Marco training and the group of children, a scientist give Marco a gun and he starts shooting up the place, sending pulses of fire from his fingertips.

The story is pretty easy to follow. It is about a group of five friends who all find out they have powers. When they were younger, the government was working on an experiment dubbed 'The Superman Experiment' and it was the government manipulating genes and injecting them into different people.

To participate in the experiment, one would have to pass quite a few tests. Marco Myers, played by Leo Valdez, was working with one of the scientist in the experiment to get in and use this power for evil. The scientist working undercover was helping to make sure he passed every background test and physical and whatever else was needed to pass.

When he managed to gain access to the serum, he uses his new found powers to destroy the lab, but one scientist managed to save random serums and sneak them out. Like the wonder father and adult he was, he injects his son, Nate Castiline, (played by Will Solace after the beginning, you know, age gap and all) and his four friends. They end up passing out, forgetting everything that had happened.

Due to them being so young, the serum being untested and a new version, they round what they remember to being a nightmare they shared at a sleepover, and because of it all, their powers don't develop until they are older.

When Marco tried to take over, they ended up blowing up the base for precautionary measures, but Nate's father wasn't having any of that, knowing that he would survive, that's why he went ahead and injected his son, only before passing himself.

A few years after Marco surfaced, that's when the group of five realise what had happened to them and they save the day.

By half way through the movie, the scene where Will's character is having a mental breakdown shows. He is covered in blood – not his own – and is holding his head, kicking things as he walks around in this small, secluded room.

Leo nudged him from the seat beside him, whispering something about 'that time of the month' or something before turning his attention back to the screen.

…..

As the end is nearing, Percy's character dropped to his knees, clutching his side which is soaked in blood.

"I… I can't," Percy's screen voice sounded so week; every word was a marathon to him.

K.C. (Annabeth) ran to his side, tears piling in her eyes, dropping like a thunderstorm as she tried to calm herself.

A few more minutes of crying until Cory Willis closed his eyes and went lax.

"I can't do this…" Nate mumbled out, turning his back from his dead friend.

"What the actual fuck!" Annabeth's character launched out in a fit of tears, her voice shaky.

"There's no more God forsaken hero's left in this world! What the fuck makes you think we can do anything!"

"Cory just fucking died! You are not going to end all this here," She spat with venom.

"Well, what can we do?!"

"We can move forward and make his death not mean nothing!"

Both stared at each other, neither side giving in.

Will looked away and sighed, "Well, start practicing what you preach and get your ass up. We can't bring his fucking corpse with us, but we can god damn move forward."

Nico was sitting in the back watching the movie play. He mouthed that entire line out, knowing it by heart, for it was one of his favorite. The movie was pretty accurate to the book – almost word for word in most parts. That last line was the characters big turning point, the point where he realises that, yeah, they are all most likely going to die, but that doesn't mean they can't make it mean it something.

When he looked to his side, Reyna, his editor and great friend, was swimming in a pool of her own tears. He just smiled and turned his attention to the screen, completely unaware of the fact that close to the front row, Will Solace had his note book.

…..

The ending had rolled around were only K.C., Nate, and Rini stood, well, not really Rini. She was alive, but was lying on a ground with K.C. by her side. Will had one foot on Leo's chest, not letting him get away. Both characters were bloody and had stiff breaths.

"I always hated Mathew Castiline," Marco spat.

Nate put more pressure on Marco's chest, causing him to cough up some blood in a coughing fit.

"Don't you ever talk that way about my father!" Nate literally spat on the man beneath him. "He was more of a man than you ever were!"

"That's why he injected his son and his friends with an untested serum?"

More pressure was applied to his chest. The man underneath his boots screamed in pain.

K.C. and Rini looked as if they wanted to interfere, but didn't have the strength or courage to do so.

"You going to kill me?" Leo's character asked almost innocently.

A small smirk appeared on Will's characters face. "Oh yeah, but you don't deserve to be treated in such a nice way, but I'm feeling kind today."

Annabeth's and Piper's characters looked away, whipping their heads to not face the two guys.

The camera was zoomed in on Will as a ball of light appeared in the pal of his hand. More screaming could be heard, only to indicate that he was applying more weight to his step. He turned his head only mere seconds before a choking scream filled the ears of all those watching and the small trace of blood splashed on Will's cheek.

Seconds passed before the camera found the faces of the two actresses, sound had already been cut out, so all that could be heard was a slight sound of that high pitch note to add to the dramatic effect.

…

The last few minutes of the movie was them making their way back home, passing other dead bodies, pedestrians running and screaming, crying for loved ones, crying due to chaos.

Narration fell over the sound mixed with slightly slowed down background noise from the background actors. Will's voice filled the theatre explaining how the world still fell into chaos, but more controlled chaos. He spoke about how the world took years to regain it's self-control.

His voice slowly started to sound like a filter of an olden radio had been placed over it, giving it an almost depression-era-type feel. As the narration came to a halt, a wide birds-view angle slowly showed the mass destruction that was caused because of the fight.

'Everyone says that there's one more hero left', Wills voice could be heard as the camera was back on them walking – Rini limping. The camera focused on Will from behind.

'But in all honestly,' Will looks at the camera over his shoulder, stopping his pace to look directly at the camera, back slightly turned, 'there are no more heroes.'

Nate continued on walking with his two friends as the screen turned to black and the theatre ruptured in applause with Sia's 'Alive' playing as the closing credits started to roll.

The lights slowly started to come back on as the main cast and important crew members took a stand from the front row and bowed. The Director took the front once again and started to say a few words.

After about a minute of 'thank you's and naming people who helped out with it, he smiled and said, "And I would love to thank the author of the book for writing such a wonderful work of art, whether they are here tonight or not. This was a project that the moment I picked up the book, I had to have, and I know all of you felt the same thing. This was a wonderful…" Right around there Nico started to tune out the speech, feeling his chest tighten around itself from what had just been said.

He had heard it before, but something like this was something he never could have imagined no matter how hard he tried. He felt a small tear fall down his cheek and he picked his things up and started to get ready to head out.

…

When Nico got home, he threw his things on his bedroom floor and jumped belly first onto his bed. He face was captured in a smile from everything that had happened. From seeing his own work being turned into something as amazing as a movie was enough to start a fire in him, fueling his desire.

Even the fact that he had literally ran into Will Solace while trying to get from place to place was something that added to the fact of his smile. He was feeling everything all at once and he couldn't stop it.

He was sad that his father had to work and couldn't be there, but that was something he knew from the moment the date was released for the premiere – same thing goes for his step-mom. But really, he didn't care. Life was great and nothing could make it better, well maybe one thing.

Thinking back on the night, he got the sudden urge to start a new book. His editor/manager had been getting on his tail for not having anything yet, not even a chapter, but now he had something.

He went to his to pull out his notebook, the one where all his doodles and concept art for all the stories he'd done so far were kept, but when he rummaged through it, he came up empty handed. His heart sank.

He dumped everything on his floor, tossing things aside only to come out with nothing.

His notebook was gone.

It had felt like a small piece of himself was missing.

He sat at his computer trying to type, only getting some words out, but not at the pace he felt like he could have wrote if he still had his notebook. It broke him inside, but he still had a small bit of warmth left in him, so he used that to fuel his inner thoughts.

….

After a couple of after-parties, Will found himself face first on his bed, suit scattered all along the floor. He was exhausted and he wanted to sleep.

Just before he closed his eyes, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small brown leather notebook and opened it. Without reading any of the words, he felt himself lost in this small little world that some boy named Nico had created with some ink and a pen.

Will soon fell asleep with the book open on his bed, his hand always on the book at all times during the night.

Chapter Text

After such a night as that, who would want to go to school? Nico, that's whom.

Now, don't get it wrong, he didn't need to go to college, he was already a successful writer with work to back it up with, but what if he felt that down that road he wanted to do something else? At least he would have a college education to fall back on, even if it was in writing.

He already had enough money that he could room with a few friends or even get a small studio apartment if he wanted to, and with the release of the movie, not like money was going to be that much of an issue with him, but he liked how things were. He lived with his Father, Step-Mother, and three cats. His life was good and nothing was going to change it.

….

After Nico finished with his classes, he headed down to his favorite book store. It had this little café inside so you could pick up a book and sit down with a coffee and a read. It was wonderful.

The tiny spot Nico called his own was close to the book part of the store. It also had a nice view of the section where his books were kept. Not that he was narcissistic, he just felt happy every time he sat there and saw someone pick up his book and start to read. Even with the movie out, they had this big sale on posters and books and stuff. This made Nico smile.

Funny how a store that was so dedicated to the book didn't even know that the author was a regular and sat and watched people buy his book. Funny isn't it?

When it started to get late, he packed his things and head out. This was what he did with his life; he would go to school, go to a book store/café, and then head home to probably write some more.

…

He threw his things on the ground before setting his laptop on his nightstand and started to type away.

Above his night stand was a framed movie poster from the premiere that Reyna had gotten weeks prior for him. Hanging up in his room was other small things like the letters of acceptance for his books when it started to go into print. Another thing was the email he had gotten when he was approached for the movie adaptation; that one was above his bed.

Other small memorabilia from the very beginning of being a writer scattered his room. It was nice to be able to look back on everything he's done up until now every time he got discouraged. It helped him write.

The memory of Will still floated in his head, giving him a crazy idea for a book he thought he'd never write, but there he was, typing out an outline for what he wanted it to be about before sending his new idea to Reyna.

…..

Will woke up in a haze, not 100% sure he was okay, but he darn did his best. He wiped his eyes before looking around, eyes landing on a small brown leather notebook that was still open.

He picked it up and decided he was going to go through it all.

When he finished, something seemed familiar about the drawing in the book, but he couldn't place his finger on it. It was like something in his own mind had created it, like the images had crawled out and been thrown on paper; someone could see into his mind and put them down, but from where, he didn't know. Some boy had done these, so why were they so familiar?

He slipped the notebook into his pocket, deciding to take it everywhere with him. He didn't know why, he just did. After racking his brain, Will swung his feet over the side of the bed and got up to get some coffee; he had a long day ahead of him.

…..

After a few weeks of interviews revolving around the movie, Will decided he needed a break. He was tired and sore and even his own mother yelled at him to stay in bed a few times. He was going to listen to her; he just wanted to pick up a few new books. He was out, and even though he as okay with re-reading N.D Augustine's books again for the billionth time, he kind of wanted something new to dive into.

He mulled around for a few minutes, tilting his head to the side to read the titles better. He stopped and picked up a book.

He had on a hat, scarf, and sunglasses to hide his face from the public. He tipped his sunglasses to sit on the end of his nose as he skimmed the back of the book, looking over it, debating whether or not to buy it.

He held another one in his other hand, looking back and forth on both of them, trying to pick which one he wanted more. He could buy both, but if he did, he'd read half of one then start directly on the other one; he'd come back for the other one once he was done with the first, so it was all a matter of which one first.

As he was just about to put one back, he noticed a boy with messy black hair kneeling a little to his right frantically looking over a few books. The longer he looked, the more he realised that he knew this person. It was the boy he had ran into (quite literally) at the movie premiere; the boy whose book now found a home in Will's pocket.

He looked at the boy then forward, glancing at the books in his hand before a small knowing smile appeared on his face. He moved the weight of his body from one foot to the other, his knee twitching as he debated what he was going to do next.

Out of a slight burst of self-confidence, he pulled out the brown leather notebook from his pocket and made his way over. He hovered over him until the boy – Nico – removed his attention from the books in front of him and looked up to meet Will's eyes.

"Never thought I would run into you again," Will managed to smile as he knelt down beside Nico, extending out his hand that held the notebook.

Nico's eyes widened. He stayed almost frozen for a few seconds, mainly in shock. He never thought that he would see him again, much less with his notebook. The thing had been missing for weeks, he practically prepared himself to never see it again, but here it is. Whatever cliché God was at work here, Nico thanked them over and over again in his mind.

"I, uhh…" Nico was at a loss of words, no matter how hard he tried, they just refused to form on his lips. He tried to extend his arm to reach for it, but his hand was shaky, making any attempted almost useless.

"Here," Will brought his hand closer to the boy.

Both of them slowly stood up with Nico raising his hand to retrieve the notebook from the blonde. Pink dusted Nico's cheek when both their hands brushed against one another when he grabbed it.

"Thank you," Nico managed to squeak before adverting his eyes.

"I never thought I would be able to give it back to you," Will shrugged his shoulders with a small smile plastered on his face.

"Never thought I would see it again," Nico mumbled, more for himself than for Will.

"Good thing I ran into you then."

"Yeah," Nico replied, breathy.

Will looked around trying to think of something to do or to say that wouldn't lead to more awkward silence. He had a million questions, but when he tried to express them, nothing seemed to leave his mind and become audible.

"Umm…" Nico coughed, "would you like, umm, something to drink?" Nico pointed to the café that branched off of the store.  "It's the least I could do for you for returning it." He gestured to his notebook which he held in a death grip.

"You don't have to do that," Will tried to protest.

"No, seriously, I lost it and you gave it back," Nico stated firmly. "If you never did that, I would not have gotten it back. It' simple really; I'm not asking for you to take my first born child or anything, it's just coffee or something."

Will had to admit, he did find that amusing, so in spirit of things he took the boy's offer to buy coffee. "Sure."

Nico smiled.

"Good," Nico started passed him, "let's go."

After the hassle of standing in line and ordering, they sat down at the table that Nico claimed as his own. He was even tempted to carve his name in it to prove that it. When they sat down, Nico did his usual thing of pulling his feet up on the seat, cradling his newly united notebook in his arms in front of his chest, not letting it go. Will sat opposite of him.

"So," Nico spoke up, "did you look through it?"

Will looked at him confused for a few seconds before realizing what he was talking about. He scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Yeah," he admitted, "but I didn't know what any of it said! I just looked at the pictures, really!" Will tried to justify himself so he didn't sound all that bad. He knew he shouldn't have looked through it, but how could he stop himself? He wasn't even sure he would meet or see the boy again, so he thought he would never be able to give it back. All he knew was that it was going to be with him for the rest of his life, so why wouldn't he look through it?

Nico sighed in relief. Will didn't know what any of it said. "That's fine, it's just…" His voice trailed off.

"You're a good artist! Like, really good," Will put in.

"Not really, I just doodle what I think of before it runs away on me," Nico more of said to himself. Nico had more of a faraway look in his eyes as he spoke.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are they anyways?" Will asked before taking a sip of his drink. He leaned back in his chair.

"Just… things, I guess. Not really much else," Nico shrugged. "I write things, so I guess it's just my way of organizing my thoughts."

"They're good, like, trust me," Will smiled into his drink, nodding his head at his own words.

Nico smiled inwardly to himself at the blonde words. It was hard for him to believe that this was happening. This was an actor he admired from a distance for all his life. This same actor betrayed his own character in a movie adaptation of a book he wrote. And that same actor was sitting in front of him, drinking coffee with his at his favorite book store, in his spot. This couldn't be real, could it?

"So, if you don't mind me asking, why were you at the premiere?"

"Oh, my friend worked on the movie so she dragged me along, sort of speak," Nico lied as he went. It wasn't a total lie, he did have a friend that worked on the movie, and Reyna did drag him along, so he wasn't lying.

Will laughed slightly, his eyes closing as well.

"You sound so casual about that, like you do it every Friday," Will joked.

"Well," Nico's voice drifted off into thought. Little did he know that things like this weren't too far off from what his editor dragged him to. Interviews, press conferences, etc., all of those things were just a few examples of the things Reyna dragged him around to.

Nico suddenly got a little too courageous, but at that moment he didn't care. "What was it like to play the character, Nate?"

"Nate? Wow, It's hard to really explain," Will straightened his back, leaning back into his chair right after. "I'm a huge fan of the book, so getting that call was like I had died. Every time we shot something, I felt like I needed to do better, you know? Like, I was portraying this character that so many people envisioned themselves as, and here I am, trying to not make a complete fool out of myself and trying not to let down millions of fans."

A small smile tugged at Nico's lips which he hid behind his coffee cup. Just the way he talked about it sent shivers up his spine. In Nico's mind, there was no one else better to play Nate than the boy sitting a crossed from him.

"I remember getting the script and screaming like a teenage girl, hugging it to my chest and jumping up and down and everything. It was really embarrassing," Will smiled at his own words. The way his eyes lit up as he spoke about it was enchanting. It was like you could look into them and see everything. "First day of read-through's were a bitch though, like, I was there and everyone else was there and I was like some socially awkward teenager who was stuck between wanting to give everyone hugs and be their best friend and wanting to run to the bathroom to cry."

That one caught Nico off guard. He ended up choking on his coffee, trying desperately to breathe and catch his breath, but all attempts were lost from laughter.

"Don't laugh at me!" Will pestered jokingly, his cheek a slight pink tint. "And it didn't get better from there, either."

"Oh no," Nico squeaked with slight laughter.

"Yeah," Will started, "and that was day one. This went on for months, so don't forget I was an idiot for months with these people trying to learn how to talk. I would stutter then scold myself for being a total Dinkleberg, like, constantly. It was awful! I was just glad that they edited it down to look like I knew what I was doing."

By the end of the spiel, Nico was in tears. This made the untouchable Will Solace seem almost touchable. Human even. It was two people having a conversation, not a fan panicking about a celebrity. Nothing could have gotten better than this.

"But I was a little sad that the entire time I was working on the film I never got to meet the author," Will's voice had almost a hint of sadness in it.

"Why's that?"

"Well," Will straightened his back again, "I've been a huge fan of theirs for years, and I thought maybe there would be a, 'Hi, I'm the author, you all look snazzy!' you know?"

"Snazzy?" Nico questioned.

"Don't judge me!" Will shot back jokingly.

Nico once again laughed at his pain. Funny thing about this is that he did go to some of those things, most of them even. He had seen production first-hand and no one even realised he was there, that he was important. Even funnier thing was that here he was talking with him about how he never met the author-to the author!

"What would you do if you did get to meet him? Sounds like you'd have a meltdown," Nico poked at him with a small smile painted faintly on his lips.

"I would!" Some old people gave him a disappointed-like look for raising his voice. "God, I would probably pass out and then puke, wake up and repeat. If I could get words out, I would most likely tell them how much I'm in love with them. Like, do you ever feel like you could fall in love with someone you don't even know just from their words or art and it's like the worst one-way crush of all time? Like, if I had any fewer morals, I would probably write fan fiction about us."

"Fan fiction? You know, no one really knows what they look like right?" Nico was trying to keep his cool.

"It'd be very vague fan fiction, but a damn good one!"

Nico choked on his coffee once again. He pounded on his chest to try and stop the choking and calm the coughing.

If only the blonde knew…

"Don't judge me!"

"I'm judging you so hard," Nico couldn't catch his breath and the blonde wasn't helping him in any way.

"But seriously, I freaking adore that author, like I'm not going to lie one bit about it. I wish I could marry them," Will took a sip of his coffee completely unaware that the exact person he was talking to was the subject of his affection.

They sat in peace just taking the sounds of the other people around them, letting the conversation wash over them. It was weird, they never met before, and here they were, sitting in a café connected to a book store talking as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other in months.

Will took a sip of his coffee before pulling out his phone to check the time. When his screen brightened up to show the time, he sat straight up in his chair and set his coffee down while shoving his phone back into his pocket.

"Shit," he mumbled standing up in a rush. "Sorry, but I'm late!" Once he picked up his coffee and shoved his chair back under the table, he took a breath to meet eyes with Nico. He relaxed a little before smiling at the boy.

"I hate to say bye at this time, but I must really leave," Will said with a small lopsided smile.

Nico watched with sad eyes as the boy with the golden hair in front of him pulled his scarf closer around his face and fixing his hat to sit better on his head.

"I hope I run into you again, it was," Will thought of the right word for a second, "fun."

And with that, he left, leaving Nico just a little bit sadder that everything had to end so sudden. He knew that the blonde was busy, being an actor and everything, but it still hurt when something so sudden – yes, but wonderful – had to end in such a way it had happened. Call it fate or whatever, but what brought them together was more cruel than he could have imagined. To rip such a small glimpse of a simple dream away from him was more painful then he would have ever thought it to be.

Nico knew that something as wonderful as that was too good to be true, but what really stuck with him was how Will talked about him. Now, for his sake, Will didn't know he was talking with him in the way he was thinking, he thought he was talking to some kid who ran into him – quite literally – and left behind his notebook which he ended up returning to by chance at some book store, and not as the author of his favorite book; favorite author, if we are being honest.

But the words that used were something he had never heard. Nico wasn't sure if it was because it was from someone he looked up to or if it was the words all together, but whatever it was sent chills up his spine. He had heard many people that he admired say such things about his books, even going further into detail, and never once did he feel that way, so what was it?

It was a weird feeling coming over him, and he wasn't sure if he could cope. He didn't want to write it off as something else, but it was kind of hard when it was so different from the typical praise he got.

After a few seconds of self-contemplating, he stood up, cup in hand, and headed over to the section with the books he was looking through and picked up both. He didn't care; he was going to get both of them.

….

When Will rushed into the building where the interview he was now late for was held, he took in a sigh of relief, taking in some air; he went up to the front counter and got directions to where he was supposed to go. He made his way over to the elevator after thanking the helpful women.

When he reached his destination, his manager began bitching him out for being late. After a few million apologies, his manager finally let him get ready with hair and make-up.

He sank into the chair as a team of two started working on him, making him look flawless, well, even less than he already was. He let the world wash over him, letting the chatter of the people working fill in the background music for the moment he now lived in.

Will found himself a bit angry at himself for rushing out of there like he had, but what choice did he have? He was already late as it was, so he couldn't prolong it any longer than he already had. The boy was nice, at least from what he picked up. He was kind of sad he had to give the notebook back, but the wave of relief that washed over the boy when he had it back in his hands was enough to say he did the right thing.

But if he hadn't of given it back, where would he be? Would he still have a reason to talk to him? Probably, but what now? Did he still have a reason to say hi to the boy if they ever ran into each other, by fate, again?

Yeah, he would. They were friends, right?

He was quickly pulled form his when the two working on him stopped and his manager made her way over. She wanted to hit him so hard upside the head to snap him back into reality, but he knew he couldn't. The interview he was about to put into was nothing he hadn't already done, a simple, 'what was the movie like?' or the other main topic that everyone loved to question him on, 'did you and Annabeth Chase or Piper Mclean have a thing while on set?' which was usually followed by them asking who he liked when he informed them that he had no romantic interest in any of his co-stars.

When he was dragged over to the seat, he found himself thinking over everything, preparing his answers because from what he knew, this would be a tricky interview. Apparently Jason Grace got caught up in an interview here and it ended with his college life spread wide open for the whole world to know. It wouldn't be all that bad if it wasn't for the fact that him and his best friend, Percy Jackson, co-star at the time, had dated for a week in that time, so by the time it hit the news, both were being bombarded with questions.

Of course, by then, both were still good friends and had girlfriends, so they didn't take too much of a hit, but the fact that the squeezed such a thing out was scary enough.

When a women, most likely in her mid to late twenties, sat in the chair opposite of him, he pulled himself form him thoughts to breathe. Her hair was a light shade of chestnut with golden highlights that seemed almost natural. She didn't have make-up caked on like a lot of other interviewers, so he didn't know if he should be scared or not. He wasn't taken back by her natural beauty, but he never was; Will thought that to be his super power.

After a few minutes of waiting, a man from back stage yelled for the interview to start and the women straightened her back to face one of the cameras to introduce who she was and who she was with.

"Hi, I'm Ally, here on Aphrodite Talks; we are joined by a young, upcoming actor, one Will Solace." She turned to face the blonde with a smile. "Now, I'm just wondering before we start, how are you dealing with all this sudden popularity surrounding the film? With it becoming the number one fill in the Box-office in such a short amount of time, it must be hard."

"Well," Will straightened himself and swallowed, "I must say it is lovely being here, and to really be honest, it's crazy. I've had a few rolls that have put my name out there, but nothing like this one. It's been wonderful, but a total roller-coaster."

"But you seem to handling it quite well, have you found that you have been having some problems with fans and such?" She tilted her head.

"No, I can't say I have, but it is harder to make my way through places without being spotted." Will caught himself laughing at his next thought, "Even though I don't think of myself as someone to be looked up upon, it's still cute when younger kids come up to me and start asking me questions like I'm their best friend. It's really hard to resist."

"I'm sure it is. Has the sudden success of the film brought you any fortune in your career," she paused for a seconds before a small smile appeared on her lips, "or love life?"

Here it was, the 'question'.

"No, with the film just being out there for only a few weeks, I don't expect anything career-wise for a while," he spoke the words he rehearsed for over again with other interviewers. Just as he was about to speak the same line he would say to the next part of the question, a sudden flash of Nico laughing at the café in the book store appeared on his mind. It took him by shock for he had no reason why it would show up. Maybe it had something to do with the 'falling in love with someone via art' or something, but it was strange so he pushed passed it. "And nothing in my love life has been affected; still happily single with all the trees."

Ally must have picked up on the pause that occurred in his reply because she raised an eye brow at his response. "Is that so? Or is it someone you want to notice you but haven't?"

"No, trust me when I say I'm single because its most likely going to stay like that for a while whether I want to or not."

She wasn't all that happy with the response, but she let it be. She knew how to work around words when the people on her show closed up.

"I bet there are plenty of girls out there that would love to beg to differ."

Will sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "The fans are wonderful, but as of right now I'm just hoping that all goes well with the movie." If there was one thing that he knew how to do as well was dodge questions in a more natural way than most.

"If things continue to head along the path that they are on now, I wouldn't worry one bit. Opening night made millions; they are estimating that the final grossing of the movie will most likely break records."

"Yeah, but it couldn't even make it as far as it had without everyone. Personally, its probably the book fans that are making it so popular," Will relaxed a little bit more as he spoke. "The movie is great, but without the book to set everything in motion, I don't think it would have done have as well as it has."

With the topic of the book and movie moving forward, leaving his love life behind, the interview continued on with no bumps in the road. He managed to make it through the whole thing without something unwanted bubbling to the surface.

After going over what it was like on set and the day he got the call for the part, it wrapped up with no complications. The worse that got out was his weird obsession with the book, but that was a given. It anyone was to follow his Twitter or even knew of him before the movie, they would know that he has been obsessed with the books long before the movie came to truly surface.

He collected his things, and after a few words with the crew he made his way to the elevator where his manager was shaking her head at him, probably wondering why she worked for such an idiot.

"You survived yet another interview and didn't ruin your career, good for you," Lou Ellen, his manager, joked.

Will rolled his eyes as he stood beside her as the elevator took it's time to reach their floor.

"They're not all that hard, really. You just have to know how to change the question to a subject that you know how to deal," Will shrugged off with a huff.

"Well, hopefully when its released not too many people see your pause, at least enough so that it doesn't seem like your hiding something," she scoffed as the elevator beeped, signaling them it has reached their floor. They both stepped in and Lou Ellen pushed the first floor button and the door slowly closed. "Mind telling me what that was about so I can help if something rises?"

Will shifted his weight from one foot to another as the elevator slowly brought them to ground level. "Nothings up, just had a brain fart, that's all. Bad timing is all."

"I would say…"

"Seriously, life has had it out for me and its hard dealing. All this pressure of being so famous is really hard!" Will had this thing where he would get narcissistic about himself for no reason at all when his manager was getting on his nerves. It was their way of not wanting to kill each other, and it worked pretty well.

"Well, Mr. Popular, time to pull up your big boy pants and face the world."

And as if on cue, the elevator dinged for them to inform them that they had reached their floor. As the door opened, they stepped out and made their way to the front door.

"So, why were you so late? Had a date with that girl that doesn't exist?" She joked, nudging his shoulder with her own, even with the fact that she was much shorter than him.

"No, I was just out and lost track of time."

"'Just out'? That's not like you. Where were you?"

"Well, Mother, if you must know, remember when I was telling you about that boy whose journal I found? Well, I was at that book store I usually stop by at and out of butt fuck nowhere, here he is, just bent over a stack of books, trying to pick one; so I gave him his notebook back and he offered me coffee as a thanks, so, if you were wondering if I was out with some girl, no."

"Wow," Lou Ellen didn't know what to say. That was not what she thought he was going to say, probably some made up story, but this, this was not what she thought was going to come out of his mouth. "Good thing you found him."

"Yeah, he looked so nervous not having it, so when I gave it back, it was like a wave of relief washed over him. It was something."

"I bet," she replied as she unlocked her car. "Now, get in, idiot."

…

It had been some time before they met again. Will found himself inside that store a lot more than he thought he would. It was getting harder and harder go anywhere without people recognizing him, so he found solace in the bookstore, the one place where people didn't blink an eye if someone looked like a self-righteous, hipster asshole.

It had only been a week after the interview when he stumbled upon a stack of books in the back of the store that formed almost a throne. A throne of books. And it's King sitting in the middle. He only found himself there in the frantic search for a single book he had been tracking down for months. When he stumbled (quite literally) on the creation, he was met with a slight surprise when the boy whom was absorbed into a book met his gaze.

The boy was none other than the dark haired boy he had coffee with the other day.

Their eyes locked on one another's for a solid five seconds before either one of them moved. As both parties tried to mouth something audible, Nico found that words weren't his thing at that moment and he just nodded and smiled lightly at the blonde.

"I have to stop tripping over you," Will managed to squeak out before taking a seat next to the boy who moved a small pile of books away from his side.

"Yeah, one day you might fall for me…" Nico mumbled, more to himself than to the boy next to him. Even with the quietness of the store, it wasn't enough for the joke to make it to tanned ears.

"What?" He asked, tilting his head with a goofy smile, like the one he always had.

"Nothing," Nico buried his face into his book, trying to hid from the blonde and trying to hide his faint blush that he could feel taking over his face with heat.

"This where you hide out?" Will asked after taking a look around. It was at the back of the store, so there wasn't really anything to bother the boy back here. He had his laptop plugged in into a charger and had what looked like school work spread out in front of him.

"Yeah, after classes or on free time I find myself here. Its like my own little getaway, well, one in reality," Nico said with a longing look in his eyes.

"Yeah," Will replied, not really to reply as if to show he understands. He found himself often buried in books when time got tough. His manager made sure his work was limited lately, but sometimes it couldn't be helped. When he had to work, he had to find a clean pair of pants and throw them on.

The two sat in silence for a few seconds, not for any reason, just the familiarity of it all. They haven't really met, but when they ran into each other, it was never an odd thing, more of an encounter.

"So, you said that you write; is it for school or for pleasure?" It was something that gnawed at him for some time. He saw the art that he had made and he said it was for his writing. Knowing the boy was in school; his writing could be a factor of that. But the emotions that he felt when he looked at each stroke of the brush or pen was something that didn't seem like it was for some school assignment, and if it was, that boy had one way of putting life into something that could be meaningless within a few days.

"Oh, both, I guess?" He sounded unsure of it himself. Nico did doodle for the fun of it and for assignments, but it mainly was left for his characters for the stories he wrote; one reason he was so eager to get his notebook back. It had everything he'd ever worked on for his own characters, creations he felt that were his children.

Every second he put into that notebook had some tie with himself. The emotions he poured into it was not something he felt that he could share with everyone, even his own parents haven't taken a look into it. But the blonde had.

When he lost it, it was the blonde who found it and returned it. He admitted to looking into it, but he couldn't blame him for doing it. It was a leather-bound notebook that he found at a movie premiere, something that he most likely would never be able to return, so the urge to open it and look inside was valid to anyone. But the fact that it was the very guy who played the same character that was scribbled on so many pages was terrifying. Something that someone could easily recognize. Nico was just glad that he didn't speak Italian or he could have been screwed.

"I find much joy in it. It… calms me, sort to speak," Nico admitted while looking straight ahead to the aisles that lay before them.

"You can slip into a world for what feels like forever, but it's never long enough," Will chuckled lightly to himself as understanding the boy's feelings.

"Yeah," Nico found himself smiled as he spoke.

"Acting is a lot like that. Don't feel like being yourself? Be someone else for a few months."

"Must be nice to fully dive into a world like that."

"Yeah," Will relaxed, leaning his head on the stack of books behind his head. "Until you have to be up at five in the morning for two weeks straight and go to bed at eleven that same night to follow, then it's a bitch!"

Nico laughed gently at that. He could relate with his writing. When he had a deadline coming up and was stuck with writers block, he found that horrible hours were a common thing that he suffered from.

"But in the end, it's all worth it. The final product is something to marvel at," Will closed his eyes thinking back to all the sleepless nights during any shoot, no matter what it was for. The thought of seeing what he worked so hard for coming to life from such an angle was worth the pressure and stress that it caused. "That's why I continue to do it, why I suffer through everything. Because what comes out of it is so much greater than one could ever imagine."

With every word the blonde spoke, he could feel himself being able to relate. He might be talking about movies and TV, and even though it might not be the same as writing, the idea of spending time suffering and slaving over something truly shows how wonderful it really is in the end.

If he never suffered through writing 'One Last Hero,' then everything that has followed wouldn't have happen. He would have never met Will. He would have never gotten his ideas out to the world. He would never have had the life he did now, and no matter how much he complains, everything about it is how he would want it, no matter what.

…

For the following weeks, it had become an unspoken word that they would meet at the bookshop in the back where Nico claimed his kingdom. They would meet, talk about nothing, yet everything, and then they would leave without setting a time. If one didn't show up, it wasn't the end of the world for they never set a time; they would just sit down and start reading.

At the same time, the movie continued to stay in the number one spot for the sixth consecutive week in a row. It never failed to show anywhere. There was never an empty theatre anywhere. If you had seen it, you would go back and see it again; it was that simple.

Will found himself looking forward to his time off so he could skip over to the store to find the boy that owned the notebook. He was always doing something. Whether it was writing or reading, he always found himself lost in a world of fiction of some sort.

One thing that bugged Will was that he could never know what the boy was writing because every time he had asked, the boy would clam up and shut his laptop, refusing to look the blonde in the eyes until he apologized for the hundredth time.

Little did the blonde know was that Nico was almost finished with a story that he had been working on since the movie premiere. It was the fastest Nico had written in his life time, but something pushed him to move his fingers faster than they have ever been pushed before. If everything went like he wanted, it would be out within a few months if his editor could get everything to go smoothly.

Being as well-known as he was, it was never hard for his books to get picked up. But this one was special, and if they refused it, he would never give up. When Reyna had first looked over the rough draft, that was the first time he had seen such a piss poor rushed version of a story bring that girl to tears so fast. And she was one of the first people to read the rough draft of 'Fault in Our Stars'.

He knew she wouldn't give up on this one, and he was glad. This story held a small place in his heart and he would die before seeing it shelved behind his others. This was what he wanted to be known for, this was the book he wished was his first. And that was saying a lot.

Chapter Text

As a celebrity, a lot of common information is public domain. Many people know the birth dates of some of their favorite actor, singer, and authors. It was just one of the many things famous people have to deal with; fans knowing personal information.

But Nico was no stalker. No, he liked getting his information the natural way; waiting till a person slips up and reveals personal info about themselves. Just like any natural antisocial person would.

When Nico and Will would meet for their unplanned-unspoken meetups that became a regular thing, they decided that they would go to the café at the front of the store.

It wasn't like this was a new thing, this is where they sat down and talking to each other for the first real time. They didn't always sit at the small tables when they met, sometimes one would have a drink when they sat with the other, and sometimes they both had a drink in hand.

When Will sat down – sunglasses on – Nico relaxed into his drink and welcoming the warm liquid as it ran down his throat. It was one of those random days where it would get extremely cold for no reason and the next day, be back up to scorching hot. Nico called it a tell-tale sign that autumn is coming.

Will would laugh at his silly superstitions and conspiracies. One of his favorite conspiracies was one where he claimed that Walmart is run by vampires. His argument was that it was one of the only stores that have greeters to greet you on your way in, and the fact that Vampires needed to be greeted in before entering was not just a coincidence. He also said that there are no windows in Walmart so the sun light couldn't get in. The more Nico fought for his beliefs, the more Will couldn't help but laugh at the boy.

"God, I can't believe it's getting so cold already," Will complained as he wrapped his sweater closer to his well-toned torso.

Nico only muttered as a response, cupping his drink and bring it closer to himself.

The two had grown close with one another through the time they had spent together. What had started out as a simple mix up had bloomed into a friendship neither party felt like giving up.

Their topics of conversation really had no end. After a while, some topics seemed too weird to bring up, such as Wills career, but now, they complain and rant to one another about anything and everything.

"I swear, this new TV show my manager is forcing me to do is going to kill me," Will sighed while resting his head on the table. He was exhausted and it wasn't getting any better.

"Aww, can't handle the fame?" Nico asked sarcastically. Nico wasn't usually snarky in anyway with people, but he let himself go a little with the blonde because he knew the blonde would do it straight back to him when the chance arose.

"Can't handle the damn media." Will looked defeated when he raised his head just enough to make eye contact with the dark pair of eyes that sat before him.

"What's it this time?" Nico wondered after another sip. Such thing was common topic of conversation for them.

"My 'co-star.' Everyone and their grandmother thinks we are dating," Will complained. "And I'm not even the star of the damn show! I show up every, like, five episodes, and everybody thinks I have a thing with her now," Will fumed.

Nico sat back in his chair with his coffee resting roughly in the middle of this lap to keep him warm. He didn't mind listening to the blonde go on and on again about his professional life, he quite enjoyed it actually. He spoke with great emotion about everything he did.

"I might even be filming all day on my birthday," Will sipped his coffee. Nico looked up at the blonde waiting for eye contact to be made. This was a new thing; his birthday.  "What?" Will asked when he saw the intense glare being shot at him.

"Your birthday?" Nico asked, trying not to sound too amused. He admired Will as an actor for quite some time now, but he always felt that looking up his birthday would be something weird.

"Yeah," Will slowly relaxed back into his chair with his coffee back in hand. "I was planning on spending it with my friends on that day too, but now things have changed." Will shrugged off everything as if it didn't even matter that he was spending his birthday doing something he rather not being doing. How many times does this need to happen that it doesn't faze you anymore?

"Oh, that's sad," Nico added, hoping to continue on the conversation.

"Yeah, it's the release date of this new movie I want to see and everything."

"What movie?" Nico was getting greedy now, he really wanted a date.

"'Rain and Tomas,' it's supposed to be really good."

Nico knew that one. He knew the date of it too. It was only a week away, and something inside of him was screaming that he must get him something, but what do you give the person who has everything?

…..

When Will showed up to the next read-through, he had more than enough coffee in his cup with him that day. He had gotten very little sleep and it wasn't helping. Today was easy, just a standard read-through.

The time flew by as they went over the script one-by-one, each reading their lines when it came to them. They joked around a lot, but that was normal. The cast wasn't as stuck up as some other casts Will had been a part of. So, when it came down to it, he wasn't all that mad with having next to no sleep.

He had been taking time out of his day to relax – something his manager had forced onto him (God bless her) – but it still wasn't enough to help with it all.

"Why should I care?" Will asked, reading over the lines.

"Well," an Asian girl spoke, "would you take him seriously?"

"No, I guess I wouldn't, but still," Will sighed. "It shouldn't even matter if I have a thought in on this anyway."

"Why?" The girl spoke the words that were written on the paper.

"I'm not gonna drop my pants at a moment's notice for him!"

"Well…" the voices slowly drifted away from there as Will read along as the scenes went by.

When the read-through came to an end, Will picked up his coffee cup, long gone the contents, and threw it out into the trash. He was packing up his bag, placing the script back into his bag, laughing at what the girl from a crossed the table had said to him, when the director called him over.

He quickly grabbed his things and walked over confused. What did he want to talk to him about?

….

Some things really start to get under Nico's skin, and trying to find something for Will's birthday was one of them. Everything he thought of was either not good enough or he had it already. It was driving him insane.

At one point, he was even starting to blame the lack of ideas for his writers block. He was so close with it, it was killing him. He was basically done the book, he just needed to end it properly, but why was it not coming to him?

He was furious at the world, and it did nothing. Well, it made Will too perfect so he couldn't think of something to get him. He knew he didn't have to, but it was killing him.

Every idea was never good enough; Nico was starting to lose hope.

He thought back to all the times why had talked, what was the one thing that their conversations went back to?

And like someone had dropped a bag of bricks on his head, it hit him at once. What was the one thing you can give to someone that had all you can get? The one thing that nobody has.

With sudden speed, Nico ran out of his room, leaving his laptop still on to the part he was finishing up. He grabbed his bag on the way out of his house and raced down the street. He knew it was a long shot but it wouldn't hurt to try.

…

"Wait, are you serious?"

"Well, I wouldn't be telling you this otherwise."

Will was ecstatic. Apparently the camera crew that usually works on the TV show had to cancel last minute due to technical problems and filming for the next few days had to be cancelled. That meant that Saturday was free game for him.

"Yes!" Will jumped. Literally, he jumped up in the air, pumping his fist at the same time.

The director laughed lightly to himself as he shook his head and walk away to talk to someone else.

Now, Will was a little upset because he had planned that day around filming, so with the sudden change of plans, there was no way to reschedule his original plans.

Will made his way out of the room and down the hall, dancing a little to himself. He didn't have to work on his birthday. This was the first time in a few years that he had it off. Other years it was meetings, filming, or press conferences. But now, now he had the day to himself.

He thought it over in his mind as he walked up to his car, unlocking it and getting in. Maybe some relaxing time would be nice on his birthday.

….

He had done it. Nico had gotten the one thing in the world that nobody could get their hand on, because, technically, it didn't even exist, sort of speak.

He had wrapped it and everything. Nico was very proud of himself. Now he just had to wait to give it to him.

…..

"You'll never believe who has Saturday off now," Will was practically jumping when he walked up to Nico who was sitting at the usual table sipping his coffee and typing away at his keyboard.

Nico watched as the blonde sat in front of him in his usual spot. He was smiling widely as he took off his jacket and hung it up on the back of the chair. He adjusted his beanie and scooted the chair closer to the table after sitting down.

"Something come up?" Nico wondered.

Will smiled with his eyes close as he leaned back in the chair.

"Oh, yeah!" Will informed the younger boy. "An emergency came up or something with the film crew and they had to rebook filming, so filming is cancelled on my birthday!"

Nico just sat their smiling to himself about how the blonde always finds the smallest things to make him laugh or smile. Nico was slowing becoming more and more aware that he was noticing every smile, every action, no matter how small, and he wasn't sure how to handle it all. He tried to push everything down, but he wasn't always on guard of his own feelings, so sometimes things came up to the surface, and it scared him.

"Have any plans?" Nico asked.

Will shook his head. "Everything I was planning on doing, I had to cancel because of the filming, but now that that's been cancelled, I've got nothing. Probably spend it with a nice book, you know, relaxing," Will closed his eyes as he thought over his plans. He opened one eye and smirked at the younger boy. "Of course, I'm probably stopping at my favorite book store like I always do before."

Nico looked away, focusing his attention to his coffee he idly held in his hands, long forgotten until now. He knew that Will was teasing him, like he usually does. But if he was telling the truth, he would be able to see the blonde on his birthday and give him the present.

A girl with her hair held up in a ponytail and in uniform walked up to the table with a drink. She handed it to Will.

"Solace, forgot to stop by?" She questioned Will with an eye brow raised. "I get that you are in a hurry to get to your 'date,' but you keep my boss from not firing me."

This was a common thing now. Some of the workers at the coffee shop knew that it was Will Solace that always sat down with the nerdy dark haired boy with the laptop. He even had a tab, that's how much he was here on a regular basis. The staff liked to joke around with them time to time again.

He always gets a coffee, the same thing, every time he's here, so when he doesn't get up to get one, they just started to bring him one.

"Sorry, I was meaning to stop by," Will rubbed the back of his neck as he grabbed the coffee from the girl. She laughed and waved it off; she was used to bringing it to him, so it was no problem.

"Its fine," she laughed gently before walking away and behind the counter.

The hat and sunglasses wasn't for the people who worked here; sometimes it isn't for the people who sat in the café because most times it's the same people, but for the people who would wonder in every now and again and weren't used to the two of them being here all the time.

"But, really, this is the first time in years that I've had my birthday off, so I'm super happy! I might even go see that new movie with my little sister, she's been dying to see it and might as well spend time with my family 'cause god knows the next time I'll have free time."

Nico was about to point out that he had a lot of free time; he just spent it here, with him, and not with his family. Now that he thought about it, why does Will keep coming back? Nico assumed that they could be called friends, but why would someone like Will Solace want to spend his free time with some boy he met by a fluke accident? He even just said he doesn't spend much time with his family because of the amount of free time he has, well, lack-there-of really.

"It would be good to see your family again," Nico put out there, "especially your sister." The last part was quiet and more to himself than to Will.

"Yeah, I don't see them enough." Will leaned back with his eyes closed again, taking a sip of his coffee. When he opened his eyes, he saw an odd look on the dark haired boy's face. He thought about it for a second, wondering what had caused it, and when he came to no conclusion, he decided to ask. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Nico looked up at the blonde, eyes widen in some sort of confusion. "Nothing, why?"

"You look," Will tried to find the right word, "Uneasy."

Nico thought about it for a moment before looking back up at the boy. "It's nothing," he reassured Will, but he wasn't having any of it.

"No, really, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just told you."

"Hey," Will placed a hand on Nico's, looking him directly in the eyes, "you can tell me, what's wrong, you look upset."

"It's nothing really, I just said you should spend time with your sister and I just remembered mine, that's all, nothing's wrong."

Will studied Nico for a few seconds, trying to place an answer into the words he spoke.

"What about your sister?" Nico cringed and Will knew that that was what was wrong. "Hey, I'm sorry."

"It's nothing, you don't know anything. It's just… I lost my sister when I was younger, so that's why I said you should spend time with her. Nothing you need to worry about."

Will kept his hand on his for a little longer before squeezing it and slowly releasing. Nico missed the heat a little bit when the hand was gone, but it had been reassuring.

"I'm sorry," Will spoke small.

"Hey, it's not your fault," Nico tried to reassure him and that he shouldn't feel sorry for something he had no participation in.

The conversation died down slightly, but picked back up as they continued on.

….

It was Saturday. Will's birthday.

Nico had been waiting for days for this day to finally show up, and here it was. He had the present wrapped in his backpack, the one that carries his laptop as well, the one he was typing away on.

He was just about done, maybe a chapter away from finishing the book, so he worked on it everywhere. Reyna – bless her – was already editing the crap out of what he sent her, getting it ready. Final edits really because Nico wanted it done as soon as possible.

University was going to be starting up soon, a week really, and he wanted to be done the hard work before then.

As he was finishing up what he would call the home stretch of a book, Will sat down at the table like he usually does. Nico didn't even look up when the blonde took off his jacket and relaxed into the chair.

"Hey," Nico mumbled, deeply into writing that he didn't even look up or stop, "Happy birthday, idiot."

Will smiled and laughed lightly. It sent Nico's into a flutter, but that didn't throw him off course.

"Thank you," Will said.

The same girl that worked at the store, Katie, walked over and set the coffee cup on the table. Will looked up a little scared.

"I was just about to get up, I swear!" He pleaded for his life.

Katie smiled and shook her head, her face softening. "No, don't worry. This one is on the house, think of it as a birthday present, Will."

And with a confused look still on Will's face, she walked off still smiling to herself.

"So," Will tried to pick himself back up, "What you writing?"

Nico stopped writing for a few seconds to look up at the blonde. He adverted his eyes after a few seconds of eye contact.

"Nothing," he mumbled.

Will laughed again, sending the chilling feeling up Nico's spine.

Nico saved before shutting the laptop close. He looked at Will while taking a sip of his coffee. He put his laptop in his bag and grabbed the present while he was at it. When Nico handed it to Will, the older man just stared at him in a confused manor, as if he had never seen a present in his life before.

"What's this?" Will questioned.

"Take it," Nico motioned to the wrapped gift.

"What is it?" Will asked.

"Just do it."

Hesitantly, Will took a hold of the wrapped present, examining it, trying to guess what it was. By the shape and weight of it, he thought it was book probably.

Slowly, he unwrapped the present only to reveal what he had thought: a book. But it wasn't just an ordinary book, it was One Last Hero, but he already owned it and Nico knew it.

"Nico," Will started, book in hand, "You know I already have this, right?"

Nico sighed and rolled his eyes. "Just open it."

And Will did just that. He opened the front of the book – it was the hard cover version, bless him – hearing the snapping-like sound of the spine being opened, almost like the stretching of muscles.

Will eyes widened when he saw there was writing on the back of the cover. He looked over the black sharpie. He read it over once, twice, three, four, five times. He lost count as he read over the words with his mouth wide open.

Will Solace

One of my biggest (if not the biggest) fan

Hope you have a happy birthday

N.D. Augustine

Will probably died right there in that chair. He looked up at Nico and back at the book then to Nico once again. He continued this cycle until Nico laughed at him.

"How..?" was all Will could muster up, his voice shaky.

"I have connection," Nico shrugged like it was no big deal. He did have connections: his right hand.

"Is this even real?"

Nico laughed softly. "Yes," he spoke gently, "it is."

"No."

"Yes."

"It can't be," Will wasn't buying it.

"Oh, but it is."

Will was speechless once again as he read over the words. He wanted to touch them, to feel the ink that was left by someone he loved, but he couldn't move his hand. Physically, he couldn't move his body; he was frozen.

To Will, this was the best gift anyone could have gotten him. Something he thought would never be possible. Almost nobody knows who this person was in real life, and here he was with what Nico claimed to be an actual autographed copy of his favorite book by his favorite author. Nico di Angelo (Yes, he knew the boys full name by now) was probably the best friend he could ever ask for. He gets him, not a lot of people get Will, but Nico gets him.

"You don't have connection," Will tried to make sense of it all but ended up questioning the boy again.

Nico just laughed. He knew the blonde would not believe him, hell, he doesn't even believe himself and he's the one who wrote it, too.

"I was at the premiere, wasn't I?" Nico laughed.

"But I thought your friend dragged you along?"

"And that's not a connection?"

Will was speechless once again. Nico did have a reason for everything, even if it sounded far-fetched to him. But it did make sense, and what was it to anyone else. It was his and his alone. They didn't have to believe or care as long as he did, and he did.

Will stared at the book for a long time before looking back up to meet the eyes of the younger boy in front of him. He just stared at the boy, letting everything wash over him.

Will was starting to notice things he never noticed before: The way the light catches his eyes at every angle. The gentle way his bangs fall over his eyes, but never on his eyes; they always seem to find their way through the hair. The slight part of his pale pink lips, almost like a light dusting of powder sugar or frostbitten; he must be a mouth breather.

These things suddenly hit him all at once. Will thought about, this wasn't the first time he had thought about them, but it is the first time he noticed the fully; more than just a thought dusted on his conscious.

"Thank you."

Nico just smiled, his cheeks dusted a soft pink.

Will noticed that.

…

When Nico got home, he plugged his laptop in its charger and sat down and wrote. He didn't stop until he clicked the send button with a file attached to it.

Nico threw himself on his bed and he slept. He slept like he never slept before, and it was good.

Chapter Text

October was a good month. It held Halloween (Or All Hallows Eve). For Canadians, it held Thanksgiving. The leaves were changing and the sky was getting darker quicker. A colder breeze to blow threw the world. And the release of a new book.

Nico had done it. With a team of two, they were able to pump out the newest book much quicker than expected. Reyna had told him that she had never seen a book go from paper to print that fast before in her life. She also said she had never seen him pump out a book that fast either.

It was different from his other books. Nico didn't really have a genre that he stuck to like most other authors did, but that never stopped him. He had horror, fantasy, children's books, and now a romance. He wasn't too sure where everything he wrote came from, but he had a guess on the basics.

He had class that day, so he grabbed his things for school and raced off.

The book was to be released today and here he was getting ready to go to school, not stalking out the shelves at the book store like he would like to do. You win some, you lose some.

…

Will stretches awake. It's getting colder in his apartment. He's had the idea to move back in with his parents during the colder seasons, but he's always too busy; they have always been too busy.

Just when he's about to place his foot on the ground, he thinks twice about it when the cold finally strikes his bones. His feet just hanged on the side of the bed, dangling in the air. He grabs the pair of socks he kicked off in the middle of the night and puts them back on before jumping to his feet and waddling into the kitchen.

It was a simple one bedroom apartment, nothing fancy. It was only him, so he didn't need something too big. The kitchen was attached to the living room. When you open the door, you walk in and the kitchen is on your left, the living room in front of you. When you walk into the living room, Will's bedroom would be to your left, right off of the kitchen' bathroom if you turn right.

He hobbled around, scratching his neck, shaking his hair, yawning. He made his was over to the fridge and opened it. The cold breeze washed over him as he opened it and stared blankly into it. He was debating whether or not he should put on a shirt.

As he stared into the fridge, he blinked slowly, hoping the fog would soon start to clear. He closed the door and just stood there: hand still in his hair, shirtless. This was how most mornings went. He didn't have anywhere to be, so he took his time.

After staring at the fridge door, he opened it again, only to close it, walk away, and then come back and open it once more. He sighed and hauled out some leftovers from who-knows when. His mother would often stop by and give him food. He may be an adult, but he was still trying to act like one. He got the basics down at least, well, the ones needed to not die.

He threw the container into the microwave and set it to go. While he waited, he pulled his phone from the charger in his room and went through it. He checked his E-mail and texts. Nothing.

Wait.

There was something. An E-mail. He was so tired that he forgot that the new book came out today.

He was excited, but that also meant he would have to put on pants and a shirt; he was only in his underwear and socks.

He would have to go to the book store to meet up with Nico, so he decided in an act of tiredness that he would wait till then.

When the microwave beeped, he grabbed the container, not caring how hot it was, picked up a fork that was sitting on the counter, and walked over to the couch where he turned on the TV and ate.

It was still kind of cold, but all-in-all, it was a wonderful morning.

…

Nico picked up his bag and shoved his papers into it. He slung it over his shoulder and made his way out of his final class.

He was tired and wanted to get to his comfort place: the book store. He found it calming there. Thousands of books and different stories. It relaxed him dearly.

Plus, he could stalk out the book section where his new book was. He found that fun.

He made his way to the bookstore. It was colder outside, so he hugged his jacket close. The fresh air almost burned at his lungs, but it felt good. It sent shivers down his spine. Nico was quite fond of seeing his breath when he breathed out. His mother used to tell his he was magic, that he could control the wind.

When he reached the book store, he found his usual spot and sat down, relishing in the heat. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

He only opened them again when he felt someone sit down in the seat a crossed from him. Nico opened his eyes and saw Katie sitting a crossed the table, the seat Will usual sits in, with two coffees in hand. She hands one to the younger boy with a smile.

"Cold out there, huh?"

Nico half snorted, half sighed. "Yeah, no kidding; one minute it's hot as hell and the next I need three blankets on my bed."

Katie laughed softly. She had a pretty laugh.

She informed him that she was on brake for the time being. She told him it was well needed.

"With the release of the new N.D. Augustine book out today, so many people are stopping by to pick it and get something to drink. It's not a bad thing, but it's been hectic."

That was to be expected, he did have a loyal fan base.

"You into the books?" Nico wondered. He wasn't stuck up and hated people who didn't like his books; it was simply curiosity getting the better of him.

She laughed softly once again. "Yeah, I'm into their writing. Picking up the book on my way out." She took a sip of her coffee and sighed, "You?"

"Me?" Nico questioned almost confused-like.

"Yeah."

"Well," Nico mumbled. How could he just say he likes his own writing? He did like it, but to say it in such a way felt weird. Most times when people asked him, he went with the excuse that he wasn't a fan. "Haven't really read them before."

"Oh," she sounded almost disappointed.

"I heard there really good, just never really got into them. I watched the movie though."

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm quite into them. The movie is actually good, too."

"Katie! Brakes over!"

"Well," Katie sighed as she got up and picked up her cup, "looks like that's my cue to leave. See yeah." She got up and left, waving as she threw her cup out and went behind the counter.

Nico turned his attention to behind him. He glanced over the store, looking at everyone who was skimming through books. He found himself looking over to the area where tons of copies of his new book were sitting.

There was a crowd.

…

"Hey."

Nico looked up to see a familiar mop of blonde hair. He was so distracted that he hadn't noticed when the older man had made his way to his regular spot in front of him.

"It's seems to be a trend for you to start by saying 'hey'," Nico laughed inwardly, his lips turning slightly upwards.

The blonde leaned back with a soft and low chuckle. "I guess it is becoming sort of a habit," he said, his voice almost gravely. It sent chills up Nico's spine when it rang in his ears.

Nico brought his tongue out and slowly licking his lips, trying to chase away the weird dry feeling that had made its way onto them. With the colder weather creeping up on them, it was getting harder and harder to find a simple normality in it all.

"So," – Nico shifted uncomfortably in his seat, swallowing as softly as he could – "you getting the new book?" Nico wondered nervously. He didn't really like talking about stuff like that, but if he was being all honest, the book was held really dearly in his heart, and as if he couldn't help but feel narcissistic about the whole thing, he was almost desperate for the blonde to read it.

The book was basically inspired in a weird twist of fate by him.

Nico found it almost strange on how the simplest things would give him the inspiration to write the strangest things. But with this, it was more of a feeling that stretched over time that, from the simplest and most random encounter, turned into almost a representation of who he was – his life turned and rewritten a thousand times over.

The blonde looked at him and then adverted his eyes to the stack that was settled on a table close to the front. "Yeah," Will rested his chin on his hand as he leaned forward with the edges of his lips turned upwards. "Gonna pick it up on my way out – two birds with one stone, they say."

Nico let out a breath that he hadn't released he had been holding until just then. He felt his muscles relax all at once. All the tension that he had felt that day slowly left at once.

"I've been waiting to read this book sense I heard it was coming out!" Will said with an extreme amount of controlled joy.

Just then, more than the stress he had felt just a minute ago turned into something else. He hadn't released that he had felt so tense for the past few months. He had heard Reyna tell him that he was more edgy and more irritated than usual. He had heard his parents ask his if he was alright, but he tend to ignore such things because he usually got stressed out over writing, but it was starting to make sense.

He had remembered the way his school work had been affected by the post-writing stage at the beginning of the year, and how his professors had worried about him near finals the time before summer.

He never remembered getting that affected by a book, though. He had felt stress, but none that he could compare to now. He only had the relief process to go by, but even then that came after writing the book, not after hearing someone was going to read it. Of course someone was going to read it – of course the blonde was going to read it.

But the fact that it felt like it controlled his life was more than he realized. He never wanted to admit it before, but the book was written because of said blonde and even dedicated to the damn blonde.

He remembered when Reyna had nailed him with questions for hours about the book just so she would know how to answer questions about the book that weren't what the younger writer had said.

…

"So," Reyna pestered, "why a book like this?"

Nico had to think a bit. He wasn't sure, really.

When writing the book, Nico had felt it going from one direction to another. It started out as a story about friendship, but the more he wrote it, the more it seemed to write itself; he just let his figure guide the letters in the write place so the story wasn't a bunch of words together that only poets could figure out.

"I dunno, it just wrote itself."

Reyna sighed. She got this answer a lot more than she wanted. When he wrote a children's book titled, 'The Tiny Rabbit', she had questioned him immensely for a week, only to come out with the answer of, "Why not? I saw a rabbit, so I wrote a rabbit," and that was all she was given.

But he couldn't use the excuse 'I saw a…' because, first, that would be a little weird, and second, it would be a lie wrapped in a truth only to be wrapped in more lies.

"You've been stressed," Reyna sighed, pulling a chair in front of her friend and technically boss.

Nico sighed and ran his hand over his face, "I don't know, maybe, but you know how I get."

"Yeah, but, it's gotten – not worse, but different. I don't know; you've been harder on yourself with it I guess. All I'm trying to say is find the reason why you wrote it and see if that's where your stress is coming from."

…

"Yeah, I've seen a lot of people coming back and forth with it," Nico brought himself back from his mind. "Katie said they were swamped all day because of the amount of people coming for it."

"Yeah." Will raised his eyebrows, closing his eyes, and rubbed his face with his hand again, stretching his face, something Nico found he did quite often. "Just hope they have enough for me when I pick mine up," Will joked.

Nico smiled softly had the boy in front of him.

He found himself doing that a lot more often because of the blonde.

….

When Will got home, he threw himself on his bed, letting his bed take the burden of weight for him. He dragged out the book he had picked up only moments ago. He had rushed home to read it.

He was excited it.

Will got comfy and examined the cover. It was simple, something reminiscent of the author. One Last Hero had been a simple black backdrop with the title and author's name in red and white with a crushed helmet, almost like the ones from Big Hero Six. It was simple, but summed up the story almost to a tee.

But this one was different. The authors name written in simple black – maybe a dark blue – and the title written in two colours: The line outlining the word was black and the colour that filled it was white (It could have had a simple blue tint to it, but it would have to be quite faint). The backdrop of the book was a nice yellow, not to bright. The only art on it was of those male and female symbols that they use on bathrooms.

On the left, it had a 'boy' and a 'girl' quite close to one another. Over to the right – not too much because the boy did fall quite close to the middle – was the same design as the boy, but not as close to the other boy. The boys were a baby blue shade, the colour parents would paint their babies nursery, and the girl was a bubble-gum pink, the same style you would do for a girl.

It was simple, but pretty.

Will ran his fingers over the title, feeling the bumps of the covering of the hard cover. He took in the full view of the sleeve.

"'Side Friend', huh?"

Will removed the sleeve and set it aside, looking at the simpler version that the hard cover possessed.

Opening the book sent shivers down Will's spine as the sound of the spine of the book cracking opening for the first time. He flipped through the first few pages until he got to the 'dedication' page. N. D. Augustine isn't a big fan on dedicating books; they had only done it for the first one. They had jokingly dedicated a book to a rabbit they saw one time in their back yard, but that was the extent, and that was only in the closing statement.

"To the one that started it's spark, but never knew

To the one that used my fingers to write

To the one I dedicate this book to "

Will smiled at the poetic way of pointing someone out without saying who it was. That was why he loved this author. They had a way with words that stretched from one side of the world all the way to the other side of the next world over in which they had created. Imagine being the person that was so important to someone that they would create a whole word around you. That was something that Will had so dearly fell in love with.

Will flipped the pages until he got to the first page; chapter one.

…..

'May. I shall forever hate that month. That month shall forever be burned into my mind as the month that destroyed my life.

Well, I can't exactly say it 'destroyed' my life, but what I can say is that's the month that truly tested our friendship.

Noah.

His name was Noah. Well, to be correct, it still is Noah, he never changed it, and it still is Noah, to this day, that is what I call him, Noah. I love the way that name rolls off my tongue. Noah. Noah. His name is Noah, and he was my best friend, until May.'

…

Will found himself not able to put the book down. The language that the narrator, Jack, used was whimsical and all over the place. Raw. He would go on a rant about the most random things. He would start on trying to figure out math and end up trying to figure out what a new colour would look like.

The story had an interesting plot. It started before May, showing the friendship between the two characters, Noah and Jack. They seemed to be really great friend the way the acting with each other, but when their friend, Naomi, started to date Noah, Jack felt like he was being pushed away, observing Noah from a distance.

Around the same time he was also trying to figure himself out. But by the time he came to the conclusion that he was, indeed gay, Naomi and Noah had gotten together, that which annoyed Jack to no end.

…..

'CHAPTER 24

Gay.

That world ringed in my mind for so long.

I was, by all definitions, gay.

I had nothing to say to it. If gay was a person, I probably just walk away from it – him? – and never wish to speak to them again.

Noah.

That was another word – name – that found it's way into my mind, burying it's little talons into my mind, sucking my life from it.

Noah. Gay.

Those words came in pairs, just like oxygen and nitrogen. But by itself when paired with another.

Noah and Naomi.

Sodium oxide.

They just worked. Having Noah and I together would be like trinitrogen dioxide. Too many variables.

Sodium oxide was easier to work out than trinitrogen dioxide.

Where was I going with this again?'

…..

When Will scrounged around in the morning, fishing for his phone, he had a terrible headache. He blamed it on the lack of sleep he had gotten that night. He was up to the ungodly hours reading the book. He just couldn't find a place to put it down. He was almost at half way through and it got better with every page.

When he checked the time, it simply read one fifty five pm. He had slept in way too long, but it was his day off, so he didn't care all that much. He didn't care if he wasted it away on reading a book, because to him, reading was never a 'waste'. It was as if he was living another life outside of his own, one that was not his, but in a way was his own. He found the relief he got from reading was one of his only true ways of disappearing from the stress of his normal life, in all sense of the word.

He rolled out of bed – quiet literally – and made his way to the kitchen, shirtless as usual. After scrounging around for something that wasn't days old and scared him if he opened it, he made his way back to his bedroom to pick the book up and sit on the couch in silence.

….

'Chapter 29

I know that I stress the month of May, but to the ones that didn't truly understand the suddenness of it all, it almost seems as if I over reacted to the whole ordeal.

I remember it fully, the time that was truly the last. Noah had been going on about Naomi all day, like usual, and I had had enough.

'Naomi this' and 'Naomi that', I swore that if he said it one more time I was going to explode in a quiet literal sense. So when I rolled my eyes at his statement, he did his usual cute smirk that words could not describe, I found myself holding on to whatever hope I could scrounge around for. It was one of the hardest things I had to deal with him and it almost killed me.

"Hey," Noah called out as we walked side-by-side down the halls, closer than what was normal, "Naomi!"

Of course.

"I was just talking about you," he said with such affection in his voice, his eyes looking at nothing but her.

She laughed. Before they started dating, it was her laugh that made it seem like everything was okay. There was a time when I saw her almost holy-like, but now it almost hurts.

"Of course you were," she said in the way she did when she talked about the small, stupid – cute – things he did; the way only someone in love could say.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. I had had enough of this through the weeks – months – of having to put up with this. I was just about done, if not already.

Those words that he said next were ones that I didn't pay attention to, but were the final ones that burned into the back of my mind, like someone just stuck a metal rod in the fire, it burned when it touched the back of my neck, ringing in my ears, sizzling like it had just been taken away from my skin and then shoved into the water; I could feel the reaction of the water to hot metal like I was the water, rod, and steam.

"Oh, don't mind him," Noah started, "he's just in one of those moods, he'll be fine in an hour or so."

And with that, I walked away.

I was done. I didn't want to deal with this anymore. So many times I said I was done, said I would walk away from it, and here I was, doing what I wanted to do, but never could. But now I was doing what I never thought I would do, so where was I to go? To my best friend? I had just walked away from that.

As I walked away, I never wanted to speak to him again, and at the time, I meant every last word that circled my thoughts, swimming around in the depths of my mind, swirling around like a prophesy, destined to be true now and until the end of time.

At the time, everything was true.

But when I came around to think of the words that now flooded my mind, I made a deal with myself: I would tell him. Everything. Everything about my thoughts on Naomi, my thoughts of him, on global warming, government, if he was willing to listen, I would tell him everything and anything as long as he would listen.

But I wouldn't just tell him.

I would wait until he came to talk to me.

I knew he would, but it was a matter of time. I waited for a simple, 'how are you?' or a 'are you okay?'

But it never came.

Out of all the times we saw each other, I never avoided him, I would never – could never do that. But why could he?

When people ask me what I'm most afraid of, most people would say spiders, darkness, heights, death even, but as those are all logical, my answer wouldn't be any of those.

Yeah, I could say that they do irk me; like they do most people, but how do you tell someone that its love?

Now, I'm not afraid of falling in love, no, that isn't the problem, but its when someone falls out of love with you.

When someone is falling in love with a person, their small quirks, small habits, they all become part of the reason why you love them, they seem cute, attractive. The way they say a word or do something, it becomes something one looks forward to, but then the opposite can be said.

When you slowly falls out of 'in love' with you, those small things that were once found adorable, uncontrollably cute, becomes annoying in a hard sense. In a way, its hard to watch them do those things that were once found to be the high light, are becoming almost unbearable to handle.

That is what scares me; that is what I'm scared of.

So when Noah never truly came around, it was like my greatest fear was coming true, something that scared me shitless.

To have someone that has been through the good and the bad suddenly disappear from your life as if they had never been there in the first place, it hurts more than one would be willing to admit. Having him turn a blind eye on me was something I never thought I was going to have happen, especially with him.

It' as if he moved. He moved somewhere far, and never kept in touch.

We had classes together, but whenever it came down to partners, he would wonder over and pick Thomas or Geoffrey, maybe even Samantha, but even as his friends pairs off, I was never even looked at with thought, only blindly in his view, a smudge on a windshield.

We talked after the final walk off, so it wasn't his final words to me, but never enough to continue any sort of conversation. Never enough for me to tell him.

I was always the third wheel on the bicycle of Naomi and Noah, the third leg on a baby; unwanted. I was just a side friend.

That was it.

Side friends aren't necessary. They just were.

And that's what I was; I just was.'

….

Now, as something that was unlikely, Nico did indeed have a Twitter account. He didn't have it for himself, no; he had it so people believed that N. D. Augustine was a real person and not some scrawny nineteen year old college student who hated the world.

And if it was anything to go by, Tumblr loved him.

They loved everything from his books to his tweets. Lots of his fans say they are his Cheeselings. This mainly stemmed from the fact that most of his tweets occurred at two in the morning when he had a deadline coming up very soon and he didn't want to do it.

"I relate soulfully to a grilled cheese sandwich. They are my family."

Of course Tumblr loved him, he was beautiful, both inside and out.

But the new thing was taking his fans by storm was the anonymous dedication that he had written at the beginning of the book. People were being driven crazy by the vagueness of the words. There was no indication on to who it was, but only two people did, and one wasn't even aware of it.

…

'Chapter 59

I'm going to be honest, when I left for college, our paths never crossing, I never expecting for my once greatest friend and once greatest fear to ever come back into my life, but boy was I seriously wrong.

There is no irony in March. But it was the first sign of Noah I had seen in a long time.

It wouldn't have been as awkward if he wasn't the focus of most of my writing throughout everything I've done in my life. Even after our 'break-up'.

Now, as I've stated before, it wasn't the first time we met up after he reshowed up, but it was definitely up there with one of the most unexpected times.

When we had met up for coffee that odd time we ran into each other – quiet literally – he had told me that him and Naomi broke up first year after high school. To be honest, I was quiet shocked. But after it had time to sink in, I found it to be quiet funny how after they had ended up not working out, he slowly found his way back to me in a weird turn of events.

Sitting there, I felt like I was back in high school, looking at him from the back of Physics, not paying attention to anything but his unruly hair that I always had a fascination with. It was the reason we became friends in the first place. I had always wanted to touch it, run my hands through it, and get lost in it.

His hair was still a mess, all these years later, as if life was driving him insane, yet he still had one hand on the ropes. The roasted hazel I came to love so much with it's perfectly shaped lopsided curls was enough to send me back to those days when we were seven and I would stand behind him when he sat down – yes, I know, I was really fucking short – and run my hands through the mess that he prevented his parents from cutting off. I remember one day hearing his parents say he had to cut it for it was getting too long, and he looked at his mother dead in the eye.

"Mother," he had stated, "I can't cut my hair, Jack likes it the way it is."

My own mother has photos of me sniffing his hair with my face and hands buried in it. I hated those photos when I was younger, but now…

"Hey."

And here we are, back to the present.

I looked up from the counter to meet those unruly eyes that burned way too many bad thoughts into my mind…'

…

When Will finally put the book down, it was only for a bathroom break he didn't notice he needed.

When he came back out, it was almost supper time, and he was sitting on the couch, without a shirt and a dirt bowl on the end table.

"Wow," he muttered to himself. He laughed gently at that. He was supposed to be an adult.

Woops.

Will had gotten lost in the words of the book. He could feel the pain of Jack and how sometimes life just sucks and doesn't bend in your favour.

But it hurt.

Something about Noah was almost more relatable to him, and it scared him a little bit, making him think that maybe there really was someone out there that maybe he had hurt in such away. It made him really think.

….

'"Sometimes the things you do bug me, you know?" I asked rhetorically.

He shifted his feet from side-to-side, probably trying to figure out what I meant.

"Here I am, trying to forget you, but when you come back, trying to keep up with what we had all those years ago, its really hard."

He just looked at me, studying me with those un-lying eyes; emotions that he wore on his sleeves.

"Don't forget then," he shifted closer, standing barely a foot from me, "Just…" his voice trailed off, unsure of his next word.

"Forget? How can you think that I can forget?" I was desperate for him to walk away, to forget that I existed once again so I could live in the dream world I created for myself when he waved his had 'goodbye' last time.

"Don't," Noah said, voice low, as if he could hear my very thoughts. I could never turn away from him and he knew that. He would just have to say a word and I was putty in his hands.

"Do you know how hard it is?" I asked, voice cracking now. "To forget you?"

He refused to look anywhere but me, the way he did with Naomi.

"If I had a dollar for every time you were on my mind, I would only have a dollar because there was never a time you weren't on my mind." I tried to look away, but I couldn't, I wouldn't.

….

If Tumblr could help it, Nico would be a God to them. With some, he was, but most believed that he was some forty-something year old bald man, but who were they to judge?

It wasn't long before the Cheeselings were quoting the book like they usually did with his previous work. And with the sudden change in styles – something they had come to terms with long ago – they were ready to take this one with the force of a storm.

"I can relate to a chicken nugget on a spiritual level."

"If I had a dollar for every time you were on my mind, I would only have a dollar because there was never a time you weren't on my mind."

And it didn't stop there. No. Tumblr took it's rightful place and took over within the day after it's release.

Nico always found himself scrolling through the sea of fans, seeing their take on it. They were right; he had never done something like this, so he was more than worried about how it would translate to the fans, even after the continuous complements that he had received from Reyna. It wasn't just a romance novel, something he had no knowledge in, but it was gay on top of that.

One of the things that really got him was the fact that almost all his fans thought he was a forty-something year old bald man, so with his new book, many of the fans were really unsure of everything they believed.

By the time he closed his laptop, Nico thought over the fact that maybe he should put pants on, but he was the only one home at the time and he didn't care if it was the middle of the day and he spent the whole day in his underwear on Tumblr, he was happy.

He made his way over to his bed, laying down and getting jumped and covered by his three cats. He tried to think, but with one cat lying on his head, another stepping on his stomach, and the other crying and rubbing his butt in his face, he realized how useless that attempted would be. But even with the cats taking claim of him, he still ran his thoughts over the blonde that would often scatter in his mind, taking over his thought.

Was Will reading the book? And if so, did he like it? Was he enjoying it?

These simple questions were killing him. He needed to know. He needed reassurance from what seemed to be the most important person in his life at that moment, and that was saying much. If anything, it was saying too much. He never thought about it that way. They were just friends that met up every now and again at a café in a book store.

How had they even become friends? Was it the simple incident that he dropped his notebook and he picked it up and returned it to him all by chance? What if that hadn't of happened? What if he never ran into the actor and dropped the book in the beginning? Would they have never crossed each other's paths to start with?

If that was true, he would have never written that book. But what would he have done instead?

With everything zipping around in his mind, he was slowly pushing himself further and further down a hole he was not ready to travel down. He was already down the road in which never meeting the blonde seemed scary, heartbreaking even. He did not want to have to think of what would have happened if they had only been a small tie in each other's lives, unlike what they are now.

…..

As Will slowly closed the book for the last time, something about the book seemed almost familiar in a way, but he just rounded it up to the fact that he had read every one of their books and had gotten too used to the writing style.

But in the back of his mind, it slowly scratched. Something seemed familiar about it and not just the blatant writing style that he grown quickly to love. The words that had formed seemed to be there, under the surface just trying to break through, but they could never reach high enough.

It felt like he had known where some of the conversations were going, what the character was thinking before he said it, but was that just a style of good writing? Sure, he could predict some characters just because he understood how they thought, but it seemed almost… almost like he had had those same conversations; like a lost memory screaming to get out.

Will opened to the last page once more, rereading it over again.

…

'When I was younger, my cousin would force me to watch these stupid Princess movies, and I had no clue on to why she liked them so much. Those things never happen in real life, so why think up a story in which everything is perfect and get peoples hopes up?

The thing is: I used to think that.

There used to be no point in those types of things, no interest for me in them, but when I stopped and rethought about them, it made me realize that maybe I give up to quick, I get straight to the point without stopping to see what may also be an option.

Those days, it seemed like maybe there really wasn't a point.

But those were those days.

Those were the same days that Noah would come over to my house and we would run around with towels tied around our necks while we ran around in the backyard with sticks in hand pretending we were saving the world. Those were the same days that I thought five dollars could buy me the world and a hundred billion trillion was a number I could count to.

Back in those days, Noah was just my best friend and not someone I looked at with romantic affection.

I try and think about when those days changed. When had I fallen in love with him? Had I always been? It scared me thinking that I don't remember growing up. I don't remember hearing a change in my voice or in my best friends. I don't remember the time Naomi grew into someone that people looked at and fantasized about. The thing is, I don't remember, and it scares me.

But I remember thinking that I would never leave my friend. I remember the promise of a seven year old, the promise of someone that people would roll their eyes at when they made a claim, would look down at with no respect. I remember the promise that I made to him one night, when the moon had taken high in the sky, hiding behind clouds, only peeking out when it didn't feel shy. When the cracks in the sealing of my window would whistle and the trees would raddle.

I remember telling him that no matter what would happen, no matter where we found ourselves, that we would never leave each other's side for any reason.

And the thing is, even with all that has happened with him and I, I kept the promise of that seven year old that would rather live in their own imagination than face reality. And nothing reminds me of that more than the fact that right now, when I turn to my right, I'm not faced with my cat – she is on my left – but with that messy hair that I would hide my face into, rustle my hands through because I thought a family of birds lived in there.

Those eyes that could never lie even when they wanted to; the eyes that could find everything wrong with someone in a second, that could never be lied to.

But you know what the best part of it was? It wasn't the fact that I kept the promise of a snot-filled me, or the fact that I remembered something from my past, it was the fact that the guy next to me, the guy sitting next to me, my best friend, was mine.

Noah is mine.

My best friend belonged to me, and I can tell you one thing: there will never be a time I'm letting him go again. I will hold on to him and keep him close to me at all times because, no matter how stupid it sounds, I don't want to lose the thing most important to me again.

I never want to lose him again.

And I won't.'

…..

The last little bit of the book was something that Will couldn't get out of his head. The way it was written, the way the feelings poured through, it was as if he could feel him, that they were meant for somebody and he was able to reach in and touch them.

Will leaned back on his couch, still topless, and thought about it. It must have been for the person it was dedicated to. Without a name, its not like they would know it was for them, so it wouldn't have been easy to forge a path for them for a curtain person. It should have been obvious for the person, though. It would have to be, right?

For it to be for someone, they would have to put things in it to make them know, so it wouldn't be just blatantly vague. Right?

Right?

Chapter Text

As the sun struggled to creep over the horizon, slowed by its own sleep, Nico also found it hard to roll out of bed. Now, to his defense, he had two cats laying on him and another one by his feet. Who would want to move when they are smothered in cats?

With winter setting in, the days grew shorter and the night grew longer, making Nico think his days over at eleven, but it's only five. Winter had a weird way of changing everything about Nico. He wasn't sure if it was the holiday or the cold, but something about it didn't make life seem all that bad.

With everyone else having to face the days with the same middle finger sent by the gods in the form of snow, it made even the biggest assholes cower in fear at it. Except the Canadian. They aren't proper people, though. Who would choose to live their lives in the freezing cold? It's not like winter sneaks up on them and is all like, 'Surprise motherfuckers! Time to freeze your balls off!' Of course, one of the reasons that they stay there could be the equality rights or free health care, but when everyone is freezing, even they seem almost normal.

When a wave of cold air brushed passed Nico's face, he tried to shove the blanket over his face, but the three other users of said blanket decided that he wasn't having his way, so Nico groaned and tried to collapse in on himself and become nothing more than a ball of freezing warmth. He tried to go back to sleep, he really did. It was his break and he had homework up the ass, but in all honestly, he was going to bullshit around and procrastinate until the night before he went back to do it. With enough sugar, he could finish it before his first class.

But just like the lazy teenager he was, he rolled over onto his side to create a smaller ball, pulling the blankets with him, not letting the presence of his cats get in the way.

With meows telling him to get up and feed them, Nico pushed the one by his feet off the bed.

"I don't care if you want food, I want sleep," Nico mumbled to his cats. Yawning, he gave up on the idea as they started to crowd him, yelling and screaming to get his attention. "Shut up," Nico spat, whipping away the fog from his eyes.

When Nico put his foot on the wooden floor, he regretted it.

"Aagg," more groaning from Nico as he wobbled over to the door, pushing it open and making his way to the kitchen where his Step-Mother was sitting at the table drinking coffee.

"Hey, Nico," she welcomed politely. "Have any plans over the holidays?"

Nico looked over at her while opening the fridge. His pajama pants were way too long and his shirt was twice his size; he looked like a child.

"Does it look like I have plans?" Nico asked sarcastically.

"Oh, I was just wondering because the family is getting together on-"

"I'll be in my room," Nico interrupted sharply, "during the holidays."

"You know, you can't just ignore them, Nico." She meant well, but in the words of Frozen, Nico wanted them to leave him be.

"I don't like them, so I'll be hiding in my room or something," Nico closed the fridge once he grabbed the milk. "Might even do my homework!" Nico added sarcastically.

"You can bring a friend, you know," she added as Nico hauled out a box of cereal.

"I don't have friends." Nico grabbed a pot from under the counter, pouring both items into them, mixing with a spoon. "Do you know that spoons are just tiny bowls on a stick?"

Nico's Step-Mother sighed. "Are you on drugs?" she asked.

Nico turned to her, eyes wide with a spoon hanging out of his mouth and the pot in his hand. "No," Nico replied slowly, "why?"

"Me and your Dad have been worried about you lately," she started.

"Trust me, I'm not on drugs," and with that, Nico made his way to his room with the spoon back in his mouth and another dose of cereal-milk mix.

…..

Will's house was always cold; it was just how things were. Even in the summer it would be cold. He thought about moving, but that would be too much work to deal with, and besides, it was easier this way.

It was the same every morning: When his feet hit the cold ground, he would retract them at the touch and complain about it. He would hobble out of his room and into the kitchen where he would make coffee and do his usual morning routine.

This was how things went in his house, and winter only made things complicated.

Of course, thought, one thing that would never change was the fact that, yes, once again, he was shirtless. Even in the winter he would get too hot to fall asleep with a shirt on.

During the winter time, he didn't have all the much work piled up. Of course, with the resent nominations for the movie, One Last Hero, people have been trying to get him. Not only was the movie nominated for 'Best Picture', but he was nominated for 'Best Actor', something that left him speechless. The movie had tones of other nominations, not just Oscars, and being a part of that line up was doing wonders for him.

But he had never had these sort of wonder bestowed upon him before, so he was not calm at all.

With everything being thrown at him, his life was hectic. At times like this, Will really did wonder why he started it all.

The more he thought about, the more he really questioned where the urge had come from. He did remember that it did come when he was seven that much he knew. He remembered talking to someone, talking to them about something, but what?

Now that he was onto it, it really started to bug him. Why did he want to act because of a conversation? And why was it something that happened when he was seven?

He made his way to the couch to sit down. He leaned back, hoping that something would come to him, but the more he tried, the more his brain started to hurt. Why was it? What was it?

The more he thought about it, the more things slowly came back to him. He remembered a voice; well, at least he thought so. It was so long ago it could have sounded like anything, but something in the back of him mind picked it out. Was it an accent that caught his attention?

It was a Monday. Or maybe a Tuesday? No, it was neither. It was Wednesday, the day that tricks everyone into thinking that the weeks almost over, but comes up and bite you in the butt with a mouth full of realization.

It was one of those days when you knew that the sun was out because it was bright, but the sky was absorbed in clouds so it lit up the sky white. It wasn't hot or muggy, it was right.

His father had a business meeting and he tagged along, that much he remembered. He was bored and went outside to play. It was overseas, so the atmosphere was different, it was intriguing, and with his Father at work, he had time to spare. He was with his Mother; it wasn't like he was by himself.

There was a park that was near by the place in which they had been staying, and Will had bugged his Mother to let him go out and play. After a few days, she had agreed, saying it was a nice way for the both of them to get out and have some fresh air.

Now, being that he wasn't from the area and didn't know anyone there, he had played by himself, but he enjoyed it. He was seven; he made up friends as he went, he didn't care whether or not there was people there to play with him.

But just as he was about to go down the slide, he noticed a small figure swinging gently on the swings. The boy had longer black hair that hung over his eyes. He looked so lonely over there all by himself that Will decided that he was going to go over there.

He slid down and made his way over. When he reached the swing, he sat down on the one beside him.

"Hi," Will said cheerfully, completely unaware at the fact that he might not even speak English.

The boy turned his head to stare at the blonde. His face was chubby and round. His face was full of colour and his eyes were a sharp brown.

The boy was adorable.

"Hi," Will tried again.

Silence.

"Umm," Will looked around.

"Don't look nervous," the boy spoke with a thick accent. "I do speak English." Not all that well, but enough for a seven year old to understand.

"Oh," Will felt a little embarrassed. "I'm Will."

"Okay."

"What's your name?"

That's where things started to blank. He couldn't remember what the boy's name had been, but he knew he did.

"I'm from America," Will smiled widely, his tongue pushing through the holes where his baby teeth were missing.

The boy was silent for a few seconds, looking at the ground and kicking his feet.

"Do you get snow?"

Will looked at him confused. "What?"

"In America, do you get snow?"

Will smiled at him, his smile radiating more than the sun.

"Yeah! We get lots of snow!" Will jumped off of the swing and stood in front of the smaller boy. He seemed about five, maybe younger. Will spread his arms wide, "We get this much snow! And it's super cold!"

The look in the boy's eyes was indescribable. The amount of interest and joy in the boy's eyes was more than a kid in Christmas; they shined. He mouth folded up into a giant smile, he also was missing a few teeth.

"Really?"

"Yeah! It falls and falls and it builds up and you jump and play in it!" Will started to jump around showing what he was saying. He raised his knees to take giant steps over the imaginary snow. "And when it gets this high," – he stops and puts his hand up to his waist – "we roll it up into balls and make snow mans! Sometimes we ball it up small and throw it at each other!"

"Does it hurt?" the boy almost sounded scared.

"No way! Unless it had ice in it, it smashes into a tiny storm of fluff!"

"Whoa!"

"Yeah!"

"I want to go to America!" the boy decided.

"If you do, you can stay with me! And then we can play in the snow together," Will jumped up with enjoyment.

The two continued to talk, soon running around the park with one another. They used their hands as guns and pretended to shoot each other. When the young boy tripped, Will fell over laughing until he heard him crying.

Will ran over to see if his new friend was okay. He was in tears, holding his knee. It was scraped up and raw, but it wasn't bleeding.

"It's okay," Will tried to calm him down. When he looked over, he was his mother looking at him worried but he turned away back to his new friend.

"Ow… it hurts," the boy hiccuped and cried.

"It's okay, I can make all the pain go away," Will smiled.

The boy looked up at him with tears in his eyes, confused.

"Don't worry, I just have to wave my hands and everything will be better." Will stood up and started waving his arms around frantically. He started shouting nonsense and making random noises. He waved his hands over the boy's knee, flicking his wrists wildly.

The boy laughed through his tears, sniffing and whipping his eyes as the strange American in front of him waved his hands like a lunatic.

When Will finished with jazz hands, he sat down next to the boy smiling. "Does it feel better?"

The boy wiggled his knee, seeing if it felt better, and it did. He whipped his nose and eyes again before having Will help him stand up. It hurt to put pressure on it, but with the help from the blonde it was doable.

Will helped the boy over to the swing set again to let him sit down. He was favouring his other leg, but other than that he seemed perfectly fine.

"You really are magia!" the boy shouted, smiling widely.

"I told you I could make the pain go away!"

The boy looked at him as if he was everything; like he was a God.

"Thank you," the boy said shyly, his eyes pointed at the ground.

Will could only smile at the tiny boy on the swing set.

"You could be a wizard."

"No, I don't think I would be a wizard, but I could pretend to be one."

The boy looked at him with a confused look, his eyebrows knitted together and head tilted. "What do you mean?"

"I could be an actor and pretend to be a wizard, and then I would be the best actor ever because they wouldn't know I was a wizard," Will folded his arms in a proud manor while nodding.

"Wow! You would be the best actor ever then," the boy's eyes widen as he spoke.

Will nodded and smiled grimly.

"I would watch you."

Will looked down at the boy with surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, if you were an actor, I would watch everything because you are my friend!"

"Then it's settled. I will become the greatest actor that ever lived!"

…

Will smiled. That's how all this came to be. He met a boy who believed he could be anything and he did. He became the one person that he promised he would be. Had he really done all of this for this boy he met when he was seven? A boy he didn't even remember the name of.

It really surprised him that he has done all that he has because of the words of a small child, but then again, what would have happened if it never worked out?

After trying to rack his brain around his life choices, he decided that maybe he shouldn't worry too much on what was and focus on what was here now. And right now, it was almost Christmas.

….

As Nico sat down in his usual spot in the bookstore, Katie came over and sat down. She tends to do that when business was slow.

"So," she started, "you ready for Christmas?"

Nico leaned back and took a sip of his coffee. "Well, my rich family is forcing me to spend it with my other rich family members in a night of class while I rather be on Tumblr, so it's coming out splendid."

Katie laughed, covering her mouth to save her efforts in remaining lady-like. "Wow, looked like you have life all figured out."

"Yeah, well…" Nico took another sip before setting it down on the table and leaning back, stretching his back out.

"So," Katie smiled, "any plans with Blondie?"

Nico laughed dryly. "Really?"

"Yeah," she smirked, leaning into the table with arms crossed. "You two seemed quite close, and with Blondie being famous and things, thought that you two might have plans."

"Well, you have thought wrong. We haven't even met up in a while."

"Oh yeah?" Nico nodded nonchalantly. "Then why are you still waiting here for him every day?"

"I am not," Nico tried to play it cool, but his voice cracking wasn't helping his cause.

"You fancy him, don't you?"

"You've been watching too much Harry Potter."

"There is no such thing as 'too much Harry Potter'."

"Yeah, that's true," Nico agreed.

"But you like him, don't you?"

"Why do you care?"

"Why are you avoiding the question?" Katie demanded.

Silence fell on them as she took a sip of her tea, letting her relish in her win.

She was right; he was voiding the question, because the thing is, he was avoiding it in his own life as well, not just in the conversation they were having right then. It was starting to really get at him. Everything the man did, he was fascinated with him. It was one of the reasons he liked him so much as an actor.

But the thing is: now it was more small things. He noticed small things when Will would act, but being with him all the time, spending his free time with him here was really starting to get at him. He was having problems sleeping. His wasn't eating right, and his school work was really starting to pay for it.

And the worst part is the thing that was causing all of this was the one thing that seemed to make it all go away.

Will was almost like his drug and it was really starting to get at him.

"I'm not avoiding the question; I know the answer to the question, I just…" Nico thought about what he was going to say. "I just… want to use the right wording."

"And why's that?" she asked. "Why when you are trying to get your thoughts together, you want the right wording?"

Nico stayed silent as he thought about it. He knew why it was, but it wasn't easy for him. He knew what the feelings were; he just couldn't arrange the right letters to form the right words to express what they were. It was hard, okay?

"Or you're past that, huh?"

"Yeah…" Nico admitted.

"Thought so," Katie smiled softly, looking at her phone. "Well, that's it for me, if you need me, you know where to find me." She stood up and walked back to the counter.

Nico leaned back and took a sip his coffee that he long forgot. The holidays were hard.

…

As Nico sat down on Reyna's couch, he relaxed into the welcoming cushion, cupping his hot chocolate that she made for him. With everything going on, neither had much breathing room.

Reyna had to deal with everything revolving around Nico's career. With the amount of praise that it was receiving, it was hard for her to do anything else. It was nominated for award after award, winning some already, placing if not.

Nico, on the other hand, had his school life piling up with finals that he finished only weeks ago. He was going on a break from being N. D. Augustine for a while. He still wrote time to time, but nothing with much direction. He had, like, fifty different projects on his computer, so he could really care less when they forced him to pump out a new book.

They were just enjoying being friends, like it was before all this had happened.

"So," Reyna sat down on the other side of the couch, "how has everything been?"

"Not much different from usual," he spoke softly, taking a sip. It warmed him from the inside out as it made its way down his throat.

"Ah," Reyna nodded. "And Will?"

"What about it?"

"How are things with you guys?"

Nico shifted in his seat, raising his cup from his lap in order not to spill it.

"Things are fine."

"That's not like you," Reyna smiled raising a brow.

"And why is that?"

She laughed, taking a sip from her drink, blowing on it before hand.

"You never shut up about him."

"I do not!"

"Yes you do!"

Nico huffed in frustration. This was the second person this week to tell him about his 'fascination' with his friend.

"Nico!" she shifted on the couch to better face him, resting her arm on the back of the couch. "When are you going to give it up?"

"I'm not giving anything up or holding on to anything! Seriously, why do people keep asking about us?"

"Nico, you are not fooling anyone." Reyna wasn't taking this anymore. She was going to set him straight. Well, gay.

"Reyna!"

"What?!"

Nico sighed heavily. He leaned back and chugged his hot chocolate in one go.

"Nico, you really need to think everything through. He's an actor. You're just a fan," Reyna jabbed at him. "And guess what? So you just happen to be a writer that he adores. So what? What does that do you? Nothing because you are never going to act on it!"

Nico knew she was right. What good did having all this greatness if he could never use it? But the thing is there is no way he could do so now. People have been telling him that for a long time, even the ones that don't know the whole story.

And it really was starting to get to him. He knew that nothing could spur from a simple friendship between the two, but here he was, feeling feelings and things. And it scared him.

The two decided to move away from the conversation when silence took a hold, pressing them to move on.

While he wasn't paying attention, Reyna had gotten up to grab something and sat down next to him.

"Here," she said calmly, passing him a wrapped present.

He examined it while smiling.

"You didn't have to, Rey," he told her. He was extremely happy for it, but it wasn't necessary from her. She had given him everything he could have ever wanted.

"Alright, then it's your birthday present," she stated, "Because someone doesn't want presents for Christmas. Don't say I never got you anything."

"Reyna, you don't have to get me anything at any time."

"Yeah, I know, but you're my best friend and I thought maybe I should do something nice for you when it's not needed," she said. "Just don't expect much."

When he opened it, he almost laughed at what it was, but then he slowly started to feel tears fall down his face.

What she had done, nobody in their right mind would do for their friend as a birthday or Christmas present, but the thing is, they aren't just ordinary friends, they were the best of friends and what this was, was something only she would get him.

It was a framed picture of a tweet from his favorite author, Rick Riordan, simply saying:

"This book is pretty chill"

And then a picture of his book Side Friend.

He wanted to cry. Not only from the stupidity that came from it, but from the over amount of joy that filled him. He was a loser, but everyone loved him anyways.

….

The two for them didn't meet for a while. As Christmas neared, both parties were busy with life, but both had the other on their mind.

Nico had to help with his family, but blew them off to do homework. The only time he would do homework before its due is when he has to be social with his whole family. He found it harder and harder to get the feelings away, but the more he tried, the worse it got.

Will had to do acting things, because looking pretty wasn't the only thing paying the bills. He had interviews and meetings with his manager about his work habits because they too were slipping up a little bit.

"Will," Lou Ellen sighed, "are you sure you're okay?"

"Lou, I am fine, stop worrying about me," Will reassured her, but she wasn't buying it.

He had been tired and sloppy and people were starting to ask questions, and there was only so much she could do to help him out.

"I just," he sighed and ran his hand over his face, "I guess I'm just tired, that's all."

"I damn hope that's all it is and not some drama that I have to sweep you out of."

"Lou Ellen, trust me, there is no drama that I can foresee that would involve a 'worse case scenario'. Right now is worse case scenario; I'm just tired and it's affecting my work."

"Will," she to also sighed, "I'm just trying to look out for you, you know?"

"I do, and I appreciate it with all my heart, I do, but right now it's just a stress thing and that's it."

"Stress?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Yes."

"And does this stress have anything to do with the fact that you haven't been meeting up with that boy like you used to?"

"Lou," Will dragged on, "what are you getting at?"

"All I am saying is that you have been spending a lot of time with this boy and suddenly you get busy and cant and your work starts to get affected. It's just that it all falls into place in certain ways and the way it falls seems…"

"Lou."

"Will," her voice was sharp and stern. "I don't care what you do, just stay out of trouble."

"Thanks mom…"

"Will, just think about it for me, please. Just see it as an option. You've been spaced out. You've been restless. Your work is being affected, you aren't all there, Will, and I bet you are thinking about him right now."

"Well no shit, Sherlock. It's hard not to when you're talking about him like he's a parasite."

Lou Ellen straightened her back, trying to find a better position and seem more assertive.

"Just think about it, and if it comes up that that isn't the problem, then by all means do what you see fit. Just hear this one out."

Will sighed but agreed with her. She was right, he had been thinking about him a lot more recently. And a big part of it was that he was becoming harder to not notice.

Everything the black-haired boy did seem to fascinate him, and it was bugging him. His chest got this squeezing feeling and it got hard to breath at times. He found the small things that the boy did charming and cute. He wasn't one for mushy feelings in that sense, but when it came to thinking of him, that was only of the things that soon fell strangely in place.

And he wasn't sure what to do with it.

...

The last time they met was just three days before Christmas Eve. It was one of those days that both of them just seemed to find their way to the same spot. It wasn't even ten minutes after Nico had sat down that Will showed up. Nico wasn't even thinking of coming that day until he was putting on his shoes to head out.

As they talked, something seemed stiff in the atmosphere. Nico could tell, mainly because it was coming from him. The longer they talked, the more his chest started to hurt. It wasn't the type of hurt that you would want to stop; it was more of a longing, something that when it's happening you want to stop, but when it does, you miss the heat. It was that kind of pain.

The strangest thing is, Katie was behind the counter watching the two idiots trying to have a conversation. It was like watching a man try and have a conversation with an AI.

Nico found every opportunity to let Will talk and take a sip of his coffee so he wouldn't have to open his mouth and risk talking. He was like a deer in the headlights.

Will wasn't having all that much of an easier time, either. He was stuttering, but he just blamed that on being tired. It was harder to breath; he couldn't help but smile every five seconds. He was sweating, but then again, he could have been sick. He just wished he was sick. That would have been easier to explain to himself.

As the time ticked away, their conversations slowly came to a close as Nico had to get home. They said goodbye before parting and that was it.

Katie, of course, rolled her eyes.

…..

For the next few days, Will did go to the coffee shop, more out of habit than anything. But every time he went, Nico never showed, Katie even told him that he hadn't been there any time.

He was sad, but it wasn't like they had planned to meet, it was something that they did without speech; an unwritten rule. Neither of them had a way of contacting the other, so it was a 'luck' kind of deal, really.

Hope they're there, or wait till next time.

….

For Nico, it wasn't all that easy as 'I'm busy'. No. For Nico, it was a way from him to break all ties with him. He knew what was to come if he kept it up, he really did. And it hurt him to think about it. Everyone had told him not to get too deep into this, but in the end, he had to go and fall in love with Will.

There. He said it. He admitted to himself that he was indeed in love with the man named Will Solace. And what made it worse was that Reyna was right; he was a simple fan and nothing more.

He wanted more. He really did, but how? How could he hope for something as… as impossible as that? He already had a good life and a good career, why would life give him any more than what he already had?

But he was done. He was going to tell him and that was that. He would never see the blonde he so very much loved ever again because nothing but bad would lead from it.

…

As Will kicked around on Christmas Eve, he hummed a little tune as he walked around his kitchen to make supper. He spent Christmas Eve by himself but went over to his parents' house on the day of.

He liked it that way.

His Mother, of course, would call. They would talk and then he would head off to bed and go over there in the morning. It was nice to spend Christmas with his family, and it was kind of sad not to be there the night before, but it didn't really matter. He got to see them and that's all that matters.

As he was putting leftovers into the fridge, a knock came from his door. Will stared at it for a few seconds, forgetting that he would have to go see what it was.

As he walked over, he just hoped that it wasn't carolers. He hated that.

When he swung the door open, no one was there. He looked around, down each hall before almost closing the door. He looked down and there was a tiny present wrapped in simple red wrapping paper.

He brought it inside and set in on the counter while he finished what he was doing. He looked at it the entire time, never taking his eyes off of it.

As he dried off his hands from the water, his phone rang.

It was his Mother.

"Hello, mom," he greeted her.

"Hello, darling. How are you doing?"

Will huffed loudly. "I'm doing. How is everyone?"

"Everyone is fine. Your sister says 'hi'"

"Hi Will!" Will heard from the background of the phone call.

"Hi Kayla," he smiled. He walked over to the present and picked it up, examining. "Hey, mom?"

"Yes?"

"I was thinking the other day, when we were in Italy, what was the name of the boy that I met?" He picked at the tape on the present.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, the other day I was thinking about it and I think I have forgotten." He slowly unwrapped it, tossing the paper to the side. When it was off, it was a hard copy of Side Friend. He opened it up to see writing.

"Well, if I remember correctly," – Will read what was written – "it was Nico."

"Dear Will,

I love you

N. D. A."

That's when it hit him. Like a million bricks had been dumped on him, everything hit him at once. Everything fell into place and made sense.

Right now, he was sure of only a few things:

First, Nico was the boy he met in Italy. The face matched, the smile matched. His smile was one of the main things that drew Will in during all those conversations. It was the most familiar thing. They shared the same bright eyes.

Second, Nico was the author of the book. Of all the books. That notebook, the journal that he had found, that was full of Nico's sketches of the characters in the book. The handwriting was the same, every time he wrote or worked on his laptop matched up with the book release. And Will knew he was grasping at straws for most of these accusations, but the third thing was what sealed it.

Thirdly, the most obvious factor was the name: same initials.

Everything came into place, all the references, the times when he tried to get onto a different subject of the author. Everything made sense.

And if all those didn't prove anything, the last thing he knew was certain:

Will Solace was in love with Nico di Angelo.

"Will? Will, are you alright?"

"Mother, I'm going to have to let you go." As soon as he said it, he hung up, not giving his Mother a chance to fight back.

Will grabbed his jacket and shoved on his shoes once his phone was in his pocket. He raced out the door; he wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew he was going somewhere.

He ran into the snow, fat snowflakes falling everywhere. The cold tickled his nose, stinging after a few more minutes from exposure. Will ran from place to place, hoping that maybe he would get an idea of where to go. He had only one place in mind, and from there, he would figure the rest out.

….

Will leaned on the inside wall of a convenient store, one open on Christmas Eve. Families were coming and going, picking up hot chocolate and laughing with each other, spending time on the holiday.

Wills hands were freezing, almost blue to sight. How he wished he was back at home, yet that pulling feeling in his gut is what he fallowed, the one saying to keep running.

The store wasn't too loud, the sound of dim radio played Christmas music in the background as Will pulled out his phone.

After pressing a few buttons and a favour called into his manager – which she only replied with "Don't say I didn't do anything for you for Christmas, idiot…" – he pressed the call button.

Will put the phone up to his ear, waiting for the person on the other side of the line to pick up. He bounced on one foot to the other, trying to warm up and keep him from going crazy.

"Pick up, pick up…" he mumbled as he looked at the ceiling of the store, breathing heavily from the run.

"Hey!" the person on the other side of the line coughed. "Sorry, I mean, Hello, who is calling?"

"Hi," Will breathed out a sigh of relief. "Is this Reyna?"

"Depends on who is calling."

"My name is Will Solace."

The other end went silent for a few seconds. It sounded as if she was going to hang up.

"Please don't hang up! If you do, I'll only call again until you speak with me!" Will hoped his threats would work, if not, his manager was going to hear about it in the morning.

"What is it?" She didn't sound very amused.

"I know that Nico is N. D. Augustine and you're his editor, right?"

Silence.

"Yes, I am-"

"Good!" Will sighed again in relief. "Please listen to me. I've had to jump through hoops to get your number and possible just paid for my manager's next vacation, but please, I need to get a hold of Nico."

Reyna sighed from the other side of the line. "Listen, Will, I would love to help you but I can't, I'm sorry but-"

"Please, hear me out! I know you probably don't want to hear my begging on Christmas Eve while you are probably with family and friends, but…" Will ran his hand over his face. "Please," Will sounded defeated.

Reyna listened to what the blonde actor had to say. She wondered what kind of idiot thing Nico had done or what kind of trouble he had gotten himself into that would lead Will to call her and try to find him.

She sighed, also rubber her hand over her face and rubbed the back of her neck. "Look," she gave in, "if I didn't know how important you are to Nico, I would have hung up and blocked this number, but because I do know…" – she sighed once again – "I'm going to tell you."

"Thank you!" Will practically fell to his knees.

"Look, you can't tell him that I sent you, or he'll kill me, but he's at his parents' house with his whole family. Have you ever seen what an Italian family together is like? Anyways, is this your cell?"

"Uhh, yeah it is."

"Alright, I'll text you the address."

"Thank you so much!"

As Will hung up, the text came through and he didn't even care about a cab, he jumped over the curb and ran down the street.

…

"Nico! Do you want something to eat? Maybe a cookie?"

"Nonna, for the last time, I don't need another cookie," Nico said exasperated. He was ready to jump out the top story window at any second if this continued any longer.

Just then, the doorbell rang and saved him from the hell which is his family.

"I'll get it!" he yelled as he stood up from the couch and made his way around the divider that separated the entrance way from the main living room.

As he opened the door, the rush of cold wind hit him.

There, in the door way, stood a red-faced Will. Nico was speechless. Why was he here? How did he know where he was?

"Here," Will shoved a half-assed wrapped present in his face.

Nico just stood there looking at him wide-eyed-like.

He slowly took it from the blonde who was smiling from ear to ear, bouncing on his feel and the ball of his foot.

"What is this?"

"It's a Christmas present," Will informed him.

"Um," Nico stepped back.

"Oh," Will stepped forward into the warmth of the house. "Go on," he gestured to the present.

Nico looked at it and slowly opened it, ripping away the wrapping. When the paper was gone, the movie adaptation of 'One Last Hero'  was left. Nico looked at it confused then looked up at the blonde who was still smiling like an idiot.

"But I already have this," Nico told him.

"Open it," Will's breath was visible as he spoke, his smile radiating like the sun as he quoted the exact words that Nico had once said to him when he received his birthday present.

Nico looked down and the DVD and shrugged his shoulders as he opened the case up. When he opened it, a letter fell out, landing at his feet.

Nico bent down and picked it up, looking at the blonde with curiosity. He slowly opened it, pulling out the note that was in side.

Nico turned it over and looked at what it said.

"Nico,

I love you too

Will"

Nico looked up at the blonde who was smiling like a lunatic. He did a double take at the note and then at Will.

"How…"

"Trust me."

Will walked up to him, cupped his cheek and the back of his neck and pressed his lips on Nico's. They were soft, different from girls'. He was so small compared to him that it didn't even matter. All-in-all, it didn't matter to Will. He meant what he wrote and he wasn't going back on it.

Nico brought his hand up and touched the one that rested on his cheek, his other resting on the blonde's chest. It was warm. Nico could feel the warmth slowly flooding him from the inside, but he wanted more.

"Nico," his Step-Mother called.

Nico broke apart first, bring his head down and slowly and gently rammed into Will's chest as he tried to hide his face from the embarrassment. Will on the other hand was still red from the cold, but he simply smiled at the boy in his arms.

"Nico," she called again, "Your letting in the cold air."

"Alright!" he called back, face still red.

"You brought a friend?" she called out. "Why don't you introduce him to everyone?"

Of course his Step-Mother would say such a thing even though Nico knew she had saw them in the door way. She was pretty cool, and he knew that she would be and is excepting of everything.

He looked up at Will and smiled. "Wanna meet my family?"

Will shut the door with his foot. "Might as well, huh?"

Nico took Will's hand in his, the heat feeling more familiar than he realised.

Nico guided them to the living room where he called out to his dad. "Dad. Um, this is Will," he put his hand that was holding Will's behind his back.

Will brought their hands into his free one. "Hi, I'm his boyfriend."

Nico was never redder.

…

Reyna was sitting on her couch eating chocolates watching reruns of Doctor Who with her two dogs leaning up against her. She was just about to get up to grab a drink when her phone light up and buzzed.

She grabbed it and unlocked it to see the message.

It was from Nico.

Nico

"I'm going to kill you"

9:23

Received

She laughed at it, setting it back down.

"Well, looks like he got my present."

Another buzz caught her attention and she looked down her phone again.

Nico

"Thank you"

9:24

Received

Reyna shook her head and smiled.

And it wasn't too long when she received a text from Will with a picture attached to it. She shook her head when she saw it, thinking how stupid both of them were and how the totally belonged with one another.

It simply was a picture of Nico leaning on Will with his hand to the side of his head like he had a headache. He was dealing with his family, but good thing the blonde was there.

She knew she was going to hear about this in the morning, but for now, she relished in her success, hoping she doesn't get killed for it.

Reyna threw her phone off to the side and snuggled her dogs closely before slowly falling asleep to the sound of Matt Smith.

All was well with everyone. Nico had Will. Reyna was drowning in Doctor Who. Katie's friend finally got the balls to ask her out, which she said yes to, so she spent the holidays with her new boyfriend, Travis. Lou Ellen was with her family celebrating.

As the snow continued to fall, everyone found themselves happy and warm with the people and things that made them feel welcomed; loved. As the outside became cold and frail, striking those who dare walk through it, others found the calmness that came from a storm, and even though people had to spend time with those who loved them too much, even to the point of annoyance, all were glad to be there with the one important to them on that day.

And even though things were starting out, it was, by far, the world's greatest love story.

Chapter Text

As snow dusted the ground and Nico stood among the freshly fallen. His hair sprinkled in it, his cheeks rosy. He had remembered the first time he saw snow; it was much colder than he thought it was. But that didn't matter. He loved the way it sparkled from every angle, glistening in the moonlight and from the street lights. The festive colours from the houses made it seem like it was coming alive.

It covered the streets for miles, pilling higher and higher, blocking everyone inside. The fresh bite the cold gave off was something Nico would never forget. The way it stung the back of his throat and the insides of his nose was almost addictive; the freshness of it could easily be forgotten, but with one breath, it came back like a drug.

When Nico lived in Italy, the one thing he wanted most was snow, but now that he's got it, it seems hard for him to ever let it go.

It truly was a work of art in his eyes.

As Nico stood in the snow, staring up at the night sky, the moon full and the stars mixing with the fluffy, heavy flakes, the door opened. Nico didn't realize that someone had joined him until Will stood beside him, slowly becoming covered in snow himself.

"It's cold out, isn't it?" Will pondered, smiling as he also looked up at the sky, watching the night slowly move on and the snow fall.

Nico smiled as he took in a deep breath, taking it all in with eyes closed. "It is, isn't it?"

Will laughed and looked at the boy beside him. His hair was covered in snowflakes, almost like a crown of winter. His eyelashes were covered in them also, reflecting the natural light every time he blinked. His cheeks, nose, and lips were a rosy colour, contouring his pale face in a delicate way. The soft glow of the moon reflected from his eyes, adding a mysterious glow to them that felt like you were being drawn in.

From the Will's view, Nico was breathtaking. And he didn't care if anyone else thought otherwise.

"So," Will started, "hiding from family?"

"That obvious?" Nico laughed and turned his head to face him.

Will smiled back at him. "Yeah. But being in there as well, I don't blame you."

Nico's eyes laughed, matching his smile. He turned back to face the sky, the moon dancing over his soft features. The wind had picked back up, sending a small shiver down Nico's spine. Will moved closer and stood shoulder-to-shoulder, almost touching and doing so time to time - bumping.

"She means well, Nonna, but it gets on my nerves," Nico said, frustrated, but only halfheartedly. "And her English sucks. She tried to act like she knows what she's saying, but it comes out as a bad Google translate."

When Will's laugh reached his ears, Nico's heart fluttered. It still shocked him that Will came looking for him. He was going to break all ties. But here he is, standing next to him on Christmas Eve, standing in his yard looking at the night sky as snow fell all around them.

If someone told Nico that this would happen, he would have laughed in his face and walk away, probably laughing about it for the next while, too. But of course, out of all things, that very thing had happened, the very thing that he never thought would occur, had, and he was speechless.

"I find it funny." Nico looked up at the blonde as he stared off at the night sky, snowflakes surrounding his hair shined even more. "Out of all the things that had happened," he looked at Nico who was slightly confused, "I never thought you would have such a big impact on my life. And for the fact that for the longest time, I never knew it was you."

Nico thought about it, and he was right. And the funnier thing is, he had the same amount, if not more, on him, also. It was the blonde that gave him inspiration that started everything. In his own small way, Will was perfect.

"It's funny how you told me that you wanted to see snow. How I said that we would see it together." Will sighed as he shook his head with a smile before facing Nico once again. "And here we are, looking up at the night sky surrounded by that very same thing."

Nico looked eyes with him. He was speechless. How had Will remembered now of all times? Nico had hardly remembered being as he was barely five, but the fact that he could remember a little boy he met in Italy over ten years ago was one of the most impressive thing he could think of.

And the fact that even after all this time, the promise to a little boy was fulfilled; something that shouldn't have been able. Impossible by all standards.

But in a weird twist of fate, they had met once again, in the small land that they had once talked about.

Nico felt a tingling feeling rise in him, filling him with warmth. He leaned on Will, not caring about it in the least. This was it. This was the feeling he had been wanting, the feeling that had been so far away, so impossible, but here it was. That warmth that he had once felt, was once again rushing back to him, and he never wanted to let it go.

This was his feeling. The boy beside him was his. After all this time of hopeless dreaming and fantasizing about it, finally everything was within his grasps.

He took his hand out of his pocket, clenching it to keep warm. He searched for Will's, and when he found it, he took a hold of it, relaxing at its warmth.

He closed his eyes, still resting of his shoulder. He took in all he could, – the smell, the cold – he took it all, and he held on to it. He held on to the moment for as long as he could, keep it burned in his mind for he never wanted to lose this moment. He never wanted to lose the feeling he had at that very moment. If everything in his mind suddenly went blank, as long as he had how he felt at that exact moment, he wouldn't care if it was all gone for good, because to him, this was it, this was where he belonged.

Chapter Text

Nico often found himself scrounged up in a small ball when doing any type of homework for school. He would scribble away at his work with his tongue sticking out due to his concentration. Will found this absolutely adorable.

They had been dating for a few weeks, but Will still couldn't look away from him. He realized that he had been holding back a lot of things before now. He often found himself watching the younger boy a lot more than before, staring at everything with a smile. One of the things he hated the most was the fact that he would just randomly want to have physical contact to him, like holding his hand or hugging, sometimes more, but he knew he had to keep everything under wraps for the time being. If he didn't, his manager would kill him.

He already had rumors floating around about several of his co-stars, but something like this wasn't like something like that; it was different, and he knew he had to take things slow.

Nico on the other hand was being more confident with himself, even to the point that he had just started attaching his face with his work, which started a whole war on the internet.

Many people on Tumblr were quite shocked at the reveal that he was, indeed, not a forty-something year old bald man, but in fact a teenage boy in college.

It started with him updating his profile picture to one that Will had taken with his phone while they were at the café. He was spacing out, looking out of the window at the outside world, his head resting on his hand and the other holding his drink. He had yelled at Will for taking it, but it soon became his favorite.

At first, many people thought it was a joke or someone had hacked the account, but he soon sent out one more photo in a form of a tweet with him lying in his bed with all three cats lying around him. It had been very shocking to his followers. But of course, none were all that mad to the final reveal.

At his school, though, now that had been an event. For the first few days after he first did it, he had only some people point at him while he walked down the hall and whisper, mainly people asking if it was him, but most times he heard people tell them they were wrong. But as the days went on, more and more people, even in his class, started to point at him and wonder. It at one time got to the point were in class where his teacher assigned them a short story assignment and a kid behind him stood up and yelled, "That's no fair, Nico's already an author!"

But as time went on, he found it seemed to slowly die down, not as much as he would like to, but at least people have come to the realization that he was the author.

"Having fun there?" Will asked after a few minutes of trying not to laugh at the way he was sitting in the chair, his pencil scribbling away at the paper.

"Huh?" Nico looked up at the blonde haven completely forgotten that he was even here or the fact that he was in public.

"Are you having fun?" Will asked again, trying to hide the smile playing at his lips.

"Oh," Nico blushed, averting his eyes after realizing what he was talking about.

Around this time, Katie had joined them, pulling a chair up with a coffee in her hands.

"What's up with Nico?" she asked Will, whom simply shrugged and leaned back in his chair with a smile.

"Shut up!" Nico snapped at them with his face becoming even more pink.

Both Will and Katie laughed at him, shaking their hands.

"So," Katie straightened her back, "editor let you off your leach still?"

"Yeah, she's giving me some space, so I don't have to write like a crazy person during school and the sudden publicity."

"That's good," Katie took a sip and nodded.

"Yeah, it's quite calming to have some free time, actually."

"And you?" She turned to Will.

"Well," he thought about it, "I have been getting a lot more work lately with everything that's happened."

"That's great, and congratulations on your Golden Globe award, by the way."

Will smiled and looked at the ground. "Thanks…" He got quite shy about all of this, but he was way too happy above anything else.

"Seriously, you deserved it! I know going up against Jason Grace was hard, but the fact that you beat him was incredible!"

"Look, you made him blush," Nico teased, laughing when he got shot a dirty look.

Katie just sat back and watched the two's interaction with one another. She found it peaceful being around these two during her time at work. It was one of the things that she most looked forward about her boring, mindless days.

"So," she pointed, leaning forward and raising a brow at the two who just looked back in confusion, "Are you two, you know… finally…?"

Both boys just stared at her with wide eyes, not sure on how to respond to that question. They were, but how do you tell the first person outside of family? They had to be careful due to the media, but it was Katie, were did they stand with Katie?

After a few silent awkward seconds, Katie leaned back and laughed at the two. "You guys are cute. So I'm guessing I'm right?" She looked at the two, looking for confirmation on the subject. "Come on, I'm not going to blab on to the first reporter I see... but the second one…"

"Katie!" both boys yelled in unison at her, only for her to laugh once again. She did enjoy the two in front of her.

"I'm kidding! Seriously, you think I would do that to you two? I get the whole, 'not telling' thing, but you guys need to calm down. I'm seriously not going to tell a soul." She smiled at the two of them as they let out a sigh of relief. "It's just I've been watching you two for a few months, and it's kind of hard not to notice. But I'm glad everything worked out, seriously. You both looked like you were a mess."

The two boys looked at her in shock, and then at one another. They smiled when they locked eyes and turned to face Katie whom had a warm, welcoming smile. They were glad that they had such an amazing friend as Katie; you never know when you'll need one of those.

"So, any word on any recent jobs?" Katie scooted closer to Will, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

"Well…" Will tried to back up, unsure of how he should answer.

"C'mon! Don't leave me out, I wanna be in the 'friendship circle'," Katie bagged, making a pouty face.

"Well," Will thought about it, "I do have a show coming soon; we just started filming and everything."

"Really?!" Katie exclaimed, sitting on the edge of her seat.

"Yeah," Will relaxed when he saw Nico from the corner of his eyes smiling softly at him, that caring glint in his eyes that he absolutely loved.

"That's so cool!"

"Yeah," he smiled back, "it's a great show and I love the cast, but…" Will's voice drifted out, unsure of how to continue with his thought.

"What?" Katie asked, even Nico leaned in to listen for this was news to him.

"It's just, my co-star is my ex, so it's a little weird time to time."

Both Katie and Nico looked at him like he had a third eye, but only Katie got a crooked smile that played on her lips while Nico looked even more confused at the statement. He knew that Will had started a new show, but the fact about his ex-girlfriend was a new thing to him. If Nico was being honest, the thought of Will's exes scared him more than he would let on. An ex meant that they had something in the past, and Nico and Will had only just started dated, so the basic fear of them working together for a whole show, much less a season, terrified him to no ends.

Who was she? What kind of roll would they be playing together? Was she pretty? Of course she was pretty; it wouldn't be Will's ex-girlfriend if she wasn't pretty. He was surprised that Will even liked him back, but even so, what did he have that would compete? Nothing. And that's what scared him the most.

…..

As Nico and Will sat in Will's apartment, Will made his way over to the kitchen to grab something for the both of them to drink. Nico sat on the couch lost in his own thoughts. The topic of Will's ex-girlfriends really left a toll on him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he almost nothing of Will's personal life before the movie premiere.

He wondered what all of the other's had been like and why they had been 'others'. What they would have looked like and what was the final toll that brought their and Will's relationship to an end. As it slowly ate away at him from inside, Will passed Nico a glass of water with a caring smile, breaking him away from the thoughts that plagued him. It was that smile that Nico had first fallen in love with.

"What's got you worried?" Will asked while sitting next to him, leaning his body to face him while resting on the arm of the couch.

"Huh?" Nico looked up at the blonde, a little out of it. "Oh," he looked down and blushed, "I was just thinking about somethings…"

"Care to tell?" Will asked gently, tilting his head to the side ever-so-slightly, his lips forming a smile that looked like it was the cause to his lopsidedness.

"Well," Nico gulped, "it's just, why didn't you tell me your ex-girlfriend was your co-star?"

Will just smiled at the younger boy, reaching out for his hand and taking it in his own before kissing it gently. "I'm going to be honest, I didn't think it was important, but now I see I was wrong. Was that what was bothering you so much?"

Nico nodded, almost ashamed that he had been jealous.

"Nico, I'm sorry," Will murmured to the smaller boy, running his thumb over the back of his hand in a circular motion.

"No, it's my fault for being stupid and thinking those kinds of things," Nico tried to wave it off, but Will wouldn't have it.

He brought his hand and held Nico's chin in his hand and raised it so they were eye-to-eye. Will stared directly in those dark eyes that he loved to get lost in. He caressed Nico's face gently; bring his hand to rest on his soft jaw line.

"Nico, you're not stupid. I promise nothing will ever happen," he spoke gently, his lips parting only ever-so-slightly.

Nico only nodded before burying his face into Will's shirt while the blonde simply lowly chucked at the boy in his arms.

…..

The next day, Nico and Will found themselves once again at Will's apartment after a short walk from Nico's university.

"God! It's so cold, why did you convince me to do that?" Will complained, his nose and cheeks a rosy pink from the sharp bite of the cold.

Nico laughed while untying his shoelaces. "Hey, don't blame me; you're the one that wanted to see where my school was."

"Yeah, but I didn't mean 'run there from the café'!"

Nico only laughed at his boyfriend who was rubbing both hands together while hobbling through the kitchen to find something to warm up his hands.

"Hot Chocolate?" Will asked, looking through his shelves, pulling out his kettle.

"Sure," Nico said as he threw his jacket onto the table next to the entrance.

"It's not too far from here," Will spoke as he filled the kettle with water before turning in on.

"Yeah," Nico muttered as he relaxed on the couch, his wet socks long forgotten. "But you have to remember that my house is like ten times further from here."

"That must suck, why don't you move into the dorms?"

"Why don't you by a house?" Nico asked sarcastically.

"It's convenient here." Will raised a brow.

"Same for me."

"Well," Will pulled two mugs from the shelves and set them on the counter, "Why don't you just move in here?"

Nico turned and faced him with a perplexed expression.

"What?" he asked skeptically.

"You know, my place is much closer to your school and I'm not home that much and when I do, it's kind of lonely. So, why not?"

"What?" Nico reiterated.

"Come on, don't look at me like I'm crazy," Will pleaded, his face held a hopeful smile. He poured the water into the cups before adding the cocoa powder.

"You think that's a good idea?" Nico asked, unsure of where everything stood.

"Yeah, you know it doesn't have to be because we're together; it can be more of a friendship arrangement."

Will took a seat on the other side of the couch to face Nico after handing him his hot chocolate. The boy still looked at him gingerly, unsure of how to take all of it.

"I have three cats."

"I have room for three cats."

"There's only one bedroom."

"Endless sleepovers."

"What if the media hears?"

"I have a new roommate?"

"What if-"

"Nico!"

"What?"

Will half laughed, half sighed, his smiled and shoulders relaxing a bit more as Nico looked at him in a defeated way.

"You don't have to say yes, I was only suggesting-"

"I'll do it."

Will looked up to meet the other boys eyes.

"What?"

"I'll do it."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Nico agreed skittishly, an eye barely meeting the other's blue, his hair covering his own. "But at the first sign of our relationship getting shipwrecked, I move out, okay? Only for school purposes…"

Will placed his hot chocolate down before Nico had even finished speaking and jumped on him in excitement. Nico jumped in surprise at the sudden movement of the other. Will held Nico in his arms, kissing his face all over, but instead of fighting it, Nico simply smiled and laughed along.

Chapter Text

As Nico stood in his room, looking over all of his things, he started to really debate over what he was willing to part with. It had only been a few days since Will had asked him to move in, and here he was, almost already done packing. His room was lined with boxes that flooded out into the hall, his cats sleeping on everything that was moved.

As he was sorting through his clothes, his step-Mother came in, or at least tried to maneuver her way around the maze of boxes.

"Nico," she said calmly, leaning up against the door frame, "you really think it's a good idea to be moving in with him? You guys have only been going out a few weeks, right? Don't you think you're moving too fast?"

"Persephone," Nico sighed, taking a break from his sorting, "there's nothing you need to worry about. We have this all worked out. I'm only moving because it's closer to my school, and if it shows any negatives on our relationship, I'm moving back. Shouldn't you be happy I'm leaving? You've been nagging me about it sense I finished high school."

"I know, but I'm worried. With everything about it, too."

"Really, you shouldn't worry, I got this," said Nico, reassuringly. He started to focus back on his clothes, throwing pairs over his shoulder and into a pile that was next to the door.

"But it just bugs me that you have to keep it a secret."

"It's only because of his job. If it was anything else, this wouldn't be a problem."

"But the fact that it's a problem in the first place is the thing," she said in a stressful manor.

"Look," Nico said softly, turning to face her, "I promise everything will be fine, and if something goes wrong, I'll come back. Now, stop worrying about it and grab me that box over there. I have to pack the rest of my clothes."

She was reluctant at first, but she complied and tossed her step-son the box before stepping out of his room and heading back into the living room.

Nico was just about done when his phone started ringing, the ringtone a familiar one. Nico picked it up and put it on speaker phone.

"Hey, how's work?"

"Good - long, but good."

"That's nice," Nico said while folding a shirt and placing it in the box.

"What you up to?"

"Oh, just packing. Almost done, too." Nico smiled at his own words.

"That's great! I'm so sorry again that I couldn't be there to help you. One of the episodes had to be re-filmed and it's just hectic around here now."  Will's voice sounded stressed.

"It's totally fine. It's a mess here right now, and even I can hardly move around. Just imagine if there were two."

"Nico," Will took a pause, "please stop trying to make me feel less bad about not being there. God, I miss you and I really don't want to be here today. I promise I'll be there once I'm done to help you move your things."

Nico smiled at Will's words; he always knew what Nico was really thinking.

"Alright, but try not to be late, or Persephone might make you stay for supper, and we both don't have that kind of time."

"Okay,"  Will laughed sweetly, sounding a bit tired, "I promise."

"Good, now talk to you later, and don't kill your co-star."

"You know just what to say, talk to you later."

"Bye."

"Bye, Nico."

After hearing the final beep of Will hanging up, Nico stared at his phone for a while, lost in thought. A lot has happened since the time they had first met. Here he was, packing his things to move in with someone when only last year his parents had to bribe him out of his room with toaster strudels.

Right now, everything felt surreal to him, but he had to concentrate and get this finished before the end of the day. He had a small bit left in his room then he moved on to packing his cats up. He was surprised that Will had actually said yes to bringing all three cats with him.

As he looked around at his barely empty room, he put his earbuds in and turned on his music, letting the sound of it dull his mind to getting back to work.

…..

As Will hanged up his phone and shoved it in his back pocket, he sighed and made his way back to the set. He was sipping a juice box when his co-star made her way over, flipping her black hair over her shoulder.

"Hey," she greeted with a smile.

Will looked up from the empty space he was lost in and forced a smile back. "Hey."

"What are you doing all the way over here?"

"Oh, I was just calling my…" Will thought for a second, not too sure if he should mention Nico to her. "My friend. We're moving in together and he's just packing up."

"Aw, that's sweet. Do I know him?"

"Most likely not…" Will mumbled, taking a sip of his juice box.

"Well, anyways, I was just thinking, a few of us are going out to celebrate the shows release tonight, wanna come?"

"Sorry, I can't."

"Aw, why?" she asked sadly, her face in a frown.

"I have plans already," Will informed her.

"C'mon on, it's a big deal! It would be bad if the leading man wasn't there. You have to come!"

Will thought over the possibility of actually going, almost wanting to. He hadn't been out like he used to do in a while, and he was extremely tempted, but he had Nico to worry about now. He couldn't blow him off again. If he hadn't had to cancel on him once today, maybe he could of, but he couldn't, could he?

"I'll think about it," Will gave in, sighing in defeat.

"Great! Text me or Octavian if you're game," she said excitedly, waving as she made her exit.

Once she left, Will leaned back on the wall, sighing.

"What am I going to do?"

….

As five was starting to roll around, Nico got a little nervous. Will shouldn't have been this long. The extra filming should have only taken a few hours, six at most from what Will had said. It was only a few scenes, but he tried not to think about it greatly.

Nico had all his things moved by the door, his cat's carriers there as well for a quick last minute swoop. He sat on the edge of his couch staring at his phone. As the time slowly passed, his parents were started to get worried for their son. Neither of them weren't too keen on Nico moving out and in with Will, but they kept their mouth shut for the most part.

Just when Nico was about to call Will, there was a knock at the door and Nico ran to it, throwing the door open to see a red Will.

"What happened?" Nico asked, laughing a little bit at the flustered blonde before him.

"I'm – so sorry – something came up – and I – had to deal with it. I tried to get it – done fast, but – Lou Ellen wouldn't – let me. I think she was – stalling."

Nico laughed softly again and opened up the door even more and moved out of the way for Will to step through.

"I think she's worried about the media," Will explained, picking up a few boxes and heading out to his car.

"Well, I can see her worry," Nico added as he followed with a few boxes himself.

Will put them in the back seat and took the ones from Nico and set them in as well.

"But it's not like us dating is the first thing they'll turn to," Will pointed out as he shoved them to the other side.

Nico shifted from one foot to the other. "Yeah, I guess. But who knows?"

"Yeah. I just wish she had a little more faith in me with what I choose to do with my life."

"Well, you belong to the public, though."

"I guess that's true," Will chuckled softly, a smile on his face as he turned to face his boyfriend.

The two went back and forth from the house to the car with boxes. At one point Nico had to chase his cats through the house just to get them in the carrier while Will brought their food, toys, and cat litter. While Nico was having a racing match with them, Will couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was adorable.

As Will slammed the trunk closed, Nico sat in the front seat with the three cats on his lap in their carriers. Will got in and started the car.

"When you said 'no room', I was expecting more," Will said sarcastically.

"Well, for someone of my size, that's a lot," Nico pouted.

The blonde laughed. "Well, I'll always be there to open jars and reach the top shelves."

"I will cut your ankles."

With a final laugh from Will, he pulled onto the road and started to head to their newly shared apartment.

….

It wasn't long before they had everything in the house and empty boxes scattered around the floor. The cats had been let loose and started to wreak havoc on everything.

"No, not my couch…!" Will whined sadly as he heard kneading of the fabric. Nico only laughed at his boyfriend's desperation.

"That's what you get, and you agreed to this anyways."

"I know…" said Will, sadly.

Nico just laughed as he continued to unpack the last bit of his boxes.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Nico asked, refolding some of his clothes.

"Well, I was thinking of ordering out and maybe…" Will's voice trailed off without him even noticing.

"What is it?" Nico asked, his eyebrow raised.

Will looked at him, only now realizing what he had said.

"Oh, um, nothing, I was just thinking-"

"Will."

"What?"

Nico walked over to him, standing only mere inches away from him.

"What is it?"

"Well, I was going to turn them down because-"

"Will!"

"What?!" Will yelled, slightly confused.

"What - is - it?"

Will sighed.  "Well, the cast is going out tonight to celebrate the release of the first episode and they wanted me to go, but I'm with you tonight," Will said sweetly as he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy in front of him.

"Do you want to go?" Nico asked calmly.

"But I'm with you tonight, you just got here and I don't need to-"

"Will, do you want to go?"

Will looked around nervously, not too sure on how he should respond.

"If you want to go, I won't force you to stay. I get it, it's a celebration and you haven't been out for a while."

"I can tell them I don't want to go," Will said, trying to sound polite.

"But you do, I can tell," Nico put out. His smallest cat came up and rubbed it's head on Will's ankle, walking through his feet. "See, even she wants you to go."

Will tried to think of another excuse, but he couldn't, Nico was too good at arguing for him to continue, and he knew it.

"Are you sure you're fine with it? If you aren't, I won't go," said Will.

Nico just smiled and leaned into him, closing his eyes.

"It's fine, just bad timing is all. But you want to go and I'm not your mom. But you can't ditch on me tomorrow or I will cut your ankles."

Will just laughed and held onto him tighter. They stayed like that, just leaning into each other for what felt like forever before Nico pulled away and headed back to unpacking and Will texted Octavian and told him he was game.

From the bedroom, Nico yelled, "But you're still ordering me food, though."

Will only laughed, but did abide.

…

Will felt a little bad leaving Nico alone at their apartment, but he had put on Harry Potter and he didn't expect him to move from that spot unless he was hungry or had to use the washroom. So that made him feel a little better about the whole thing.

He met his co-star, Drew, outside the club before he headed in. She said she would bring him to the group, so they met up outside.

When they got to the table, Octavian had ordered a round of shots, and night had gotten started. Will missed going out like this a lot more than he was willing to admit.

…..

After a few rounds, everyone was starting to get tipsy, leaving, at one point in the night, Octavian leaning up against Will. Will didn't mind the guy all that much; he was pretty okay most times. He was a little weird a times, though; bringing a teddy bear with him to filming more than a few times.

"Dude, you have such pretty hair," Octavian whispered to Will not all that quiet.

"Thanks, I took a shower."

"It's unfair!"

"What is?" Will asked, a little out of it from the alcohol.

"The fact that you could choose any girl you want, yet you're single."

"Bro, I'm not single," Will whispered back, causing Octavian's eyes to widen more than their normal creepy level of wideness.

"What?!"

"Yeah, and we just moved in together, but you can't tell anyone, it's a secret!"

"Oh," Octavian mumbled, sliding his fingers in front of his mouth, signalling zipping his mouth closed.

…..

By the time Will had stumbled out of the cab and into his apartment, Nico had fallen asleep with the end of the third movie's credits rolling on the screen. All three of the cats were curled up next to him, only moving their heads when Will entered the apartment.

With a smile, Will grabbed a blanket and draped it over Nico, trying his best not to disturb him. He hobbled over to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water and chugged it all in one go, refilling it and headed off to the bathroom.

When he got out, he picked up his glass and turned off the T.V. and headed to bed as quietly as possible.

The moment his head hit the bed, he was out like a light.

…

The next morning, several photos of Will with Drew outside the club were circling around on the internet, starting up a massive swirl of people wondering if they were together.

Chapter Text

When Will got called in by his manager, Lou Ellen, he was already on edge from that morning. Not only did he have to deal with the professional side of the impact, but just that morning, he also had to take on the privet side that sadly had to get involved.

It had been an average morning, well, not all that average; Will had a hangover and Nico was asleep on the couch. Will, being used to having to get up early for his job, was up way too early for having been out all night and being more than a little drunk. He grabbed the glass of water that was on his night stand and took a long drink to clear his head that was vibrating.

When he managed to stand up, he made his way over to the bathroom to take a pee, most likely end up throwing up, but at least he would be in the right place for which ever occurred.

After disposing of everything in his system, he wiped his mouth and flushed the toilet, washing his hands and splashing cold water on his face. He hobbled over to the kitchen and got himself another glass of water. He was too used to doing this that it was frightening. He set on a pot of coffee and leaned against the center counter.

During the time of waiting for the coffee to be finished, he wiped his face with his hand, dragging it along his face and looking up. He smiled weakly when he saw Nico passed out on the couch. One of Nico's – now Will's as well, as of the night before – cats walked up and rubbed its head on Will's lag, so he picked it up and petted it, scratching behind its ears.

He made his way over to the sleeping brunette that laid on his couch, cat still in hand, and just smiled at his sleeping form. Will knew it seemed creepy in some ways, but his head was still ringing and his peaceful face was calming.

When he set the cat down, he laid it gently on the chair beside the couch. Will brushed a piece of hair out of the boy's resting face, trying to be as gentle as possible. Nico stirred in his sleep, his face scrunching up at the touch, but becoming light with a small smile.

When Nico opened his eyes, they were squinted and watery. But after a few seconds, Will smiled back at the dark haired boy as Nico slowly sat up, yawning.

"Good morning," Will spoke softly, knowing Nico had only just woken up, but mainly for his still pounding head.

"Morning," Nico replied back, yawning, his voice thick with sleep.

"How was your sleep?" Will asked as he made his way back into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee and getting one for Nico as well.

"Fine," Nico replied back, stretching and turning his neck to get the kink out of it.

"Sorry about making you sleep there, but I didn't want to wake you."

"Its fine," Nico reassured him as Will made his way back into the living room and handed Nico a mug before taking a seat on the other end of the couch. "It's my fault for falling asleep on the couch."

Both of them just sat in the silence that followed. It wasn't awkward, but relaxing. The atmosphere was calming. The sound of the outer city's morning noises found their way into the apartment, setting a calming feeling over the entire room.

"Are you hungry?" Will asked while standing up, stretching.

Nico looked up at him, a little out of it. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess so."

"Sweet, what do you want? I'll head out and pick it up."

"What?"

Will turned to face him, a little confused.

"Oh, that, yeah, I don't have much here anyways, so picking something up is better."

Nico thought it over for a few seconds before nodding at him while he petted one of the cats that had jumped up on his lap.

With a quick agreement on what to pick up, Will grabbed his wallet and threw on a shirt before putting on his shoes, shoving his feet into them in a more than calm way. When he opened the door, he grabbed his keys and yelled one last goodbye before shutting the door and heading downstairs.

It was more than a wonderful morning, so even as the snow danced down from the heavens, dusting the ground in a soft powder, Will decided to walk, the store not being too far.

As he yawned and made his way down the street, he took in the fresh, yet bitter air, letting it fill up his lungs, refreshing himself from the inside out. Even though he didn't feel one hundred percent okay, the outside world was doing as much as it could to help with it, and it was going quite well.

Will passed the crazy guy selling magazines and new papers on the sidewalk, waving it around, shouting out how it was the newest issue, coming out that morning. Will shook his head and made his way down the street to the corner store, heading in and towards the cereal section. He looked down the section until he found Lucky Charms and picked up a box and went to pay for it, scanning over the magazines and looking around while he waited until the person took his money and passed him his bag.

As he exited the store, he could tell something wasn't right. He could just feel it. It was something in his gut that was telling him that something wasn't right; that something was going to happen, he just wasn't sure on what it was. It could have been the last of his hangover telling him that he may have needed to vomit, but this was different, but he couldn't place it.

It wasn't until he did the odd move and stopped at the crazy new paper guys stand, his name was Zack, if he remembered correctly. Will stood for a few seconds, trying to think of a reason behind his feet leading him there. When Zack, the Crazy Magazine Guy, gave him a smug look, wiggling his eyebrows, that's when the sinking feeling really started to kick in, sending his whole body in semi-panic mode.

When he was passed the newest issue of Odysseys' First by the Crazy Magazine Guy, what he saw on the front cover sent full chills down his spine, his heart raced in his chest, pounding to escape from captivity. The front page was a picture of him meeting with Drew outside of the club the night before, his face being closer to hers. Other pictures consisted of Drew having her hand draped somewhere on Will's arm or shoulder, her face was obviously cheery while Will's more or less faced away from the camera, only enough showing to identify that it was indeed him.

He threw a ten at the seller, standing off to the side too look it over.

Secret Outing with Co-star, Drew Tanaka?!

Is Will Solace in a secret relationship with his new co-star for the new T.V. sensation, 'Crossings'?!

Read more on page 46.

In a sudden rush of confusion, panic, and horror, he almost ripped the pages off of the magazine, tearing some in the process. When he flipped it to page forty-six, what his eyes fell to was even more of a spread out of pictures that were taken outside of the club with Drew.

He skimmed over the article before taking a deep breath and pressing forth to overlook the accusations.

Will Solace, over night movie and television star, caught red-handed in the act?

With recent success following the star's new rise to fame, many people have been spectating whether or not he was, in fact, in a relationship. With Solace himself pressing in interviews that he is, in fact, not in a relationship, new questions arise with the sight that was caught last night, January 23 rd , when the co-stars of the widely anticipated show of the year (Crossings) were caught together, meeting, outside Club Olympus.

From claims and eye-witnesses, Tanaka was seen waiting outside until Solace approached her, meeting him in an open embrace. The two were seen having a long conversation, full of physical contact (Picture above) until after a short while when the two headed inside. Solace was seen with his hand on the small of her back (Picture left) leading her into the club, opening the door for her on their way in together.

Inside claims from the show have pinning Drew as having interested in her blonde, highly successful co-star. Reports have reported that Will Solace, being openly single, have been in contact. Are these two stars star-struck for each other and in a secret relationship?

By the time he finished reading though he article, he was more than pissed-off at the reporters that had constructed the article all together. In his small fit of rage, the first thing that broke him from the angry thought was seeing the bag that contained the box of cereal.

His heart dropped.

Will could feel the pit in his stomach open up and swallow his nerves, sending them on shock. Everything around him became numb, every sound dulling as the full realization had hit him at that exact moment.

He raced home, not stopping for anything. He ripped his keys from his pocket to shove them into the door to his apartment and skipped the elevator, heading straight to the staircase. When he reached his front door, his heavy footsteps carried down the hall and into every room that he passed, including his own. So when he opened the door in a huff, Nico stared at him as if he was crazy, eyes wide, phone long forgotten in his hand.

In a small sigh of relief, he dropped the bag of cereal on the counter, magazine still in hand, and made his way over to Nico with a heavy breath. Nico, in small state of confusion, just watched his boyfriend walk in a panic over to him and reach for his phone. When Will had it in his grasps, he raised it above his head, keeping it out of reach from the shorter male. Nico simple cocked his head like a puppy with his eyebrows scrunched upwards.

"Wha-"

"No," Will cut him off.

Nico just eyed him as if he was the sun; his face became scrunched up, eyes almost closed and perplexed look took over his entire face. When he caught sight of the magazine, he eyed the blonde one last before taking a jumping start at the phone, only to dash for the magazine before Will could react to his reach for it.

Will watched him as he grabbed it and made his way behind the center counter in the kitchen and walked around to the other side while eyeing it up and down. Will watched as the dark-haired boy's face dropped, becoming more and more perplexed. When he looked up to meet the blonde's eyes, he pulled the magazine out of reach by backing up a few steps as Will reached over the counter in an attempt to grab it from his hands.

"Don't," Will spoke sharply.

"What's this?" Nico asked, unsure of how to process what was on the cover.

"Don't believe it, it's not true."

"Is that why you didn't want me to see it?" Nico asked back, his voice a little shaky.

"I didn't want you to worry; it's not true; that's why I rushed back here. If you were going to hear about this, I wanted it to be from me, not something some guy wrote that twisted things around."

Nico looked at him, sizing him up before ripping the pages open with the same force that Will had done just before. Will sighed, but relaxed when Nico raised a brow to him. Nico skimmed through the pages until he had come a crossed page forty-six.

When he was finished, he looked at Will, giving him a chance to speak.

Will took a deep breath, shaky. "She was just meeting me outside, you know, to bring me to the other guys. Octavian was supposed to meet me, not her, but she ended up meeting me instead. That's all."

Nico rolled the thought around in his mind, seeing if it set right. After what felt like hours, Nico sighed heavily and smiled wearily at the blonde before setting the magazine down on the counter.

Will grabbed it and threw it behind him with a shy smile, never leaving Nico's gaze with his own.

"I bought the cereal that you wanted," Will put in shyly.

"You God damn better of."

….

Will sat in a room with his manager who only sighed at him, shaking her head every time they made eye contact. Will bounced his right foot repeatedly, looking around several times before sighing himself and leaning back in the chair.

"You're an idiot, you know that right?" she spat out of nowhere.

Will only sighed and agreed with her, eyes wondering around the room some more.

When the producer of the show came in, he smiled at the two and closed the door, sealing them off from the rest of the world for that short moment.

"So," the producer started, sighing and pulling up and chair to face Will and his manager, placing the magazine on the table, "I assume you at least know the basics of why you had been called in, right?"

Will nodded unsure-ly.

"Good. 'cause this had defiantly stirred the media up. Within in the time that this article has been out, the media coverage of our show had spiked significantly. So, even though I hate to say thing, how do you feel about continuing this little 'relationship' with Drew? To see where it goes?"

Will sat there, frozen. He tried to run what he had just said over and over in his head, each time coming out the same. But how was that possible, he must of heard wrong.

"B-but, I-"

"He'll do it," Lou Ellen interfered, speaking above Will's voice.

Will just stared at her in complete denial. Was he really hearing right? Was this just one giant prank? Was someone going to jump out with a camera and shout, "Surprise, it's all fake!"? Was he dreaming? Nothing made sense, and as the sound of tick-tick-ticking continued on, it only made it worse.

"Lou," Will pleaded small-ly, looking up at her as if she had just betrayed him.

"Will shall continue on as if all of this is real."

Will tried to protest, he really did, but every time he tried to speak up, Lou would silence him, giving him a seriously deadly look.

When the producer proceeded to make his way out, Will stared at Lou, looking for answers.

"Will, this is for the better. With more publicity, everything will work out."

"Lou," – Will stood up, looking her over – "you can't serious. You know I'm with someone already."

"Yes, and according to the masses, it's Drew Tanaka."

"No, it's Nico. I can't pretend to date her while I'm with someone else. I refuse to."

"Look Will," she sighed, turning to face the blonde, "I know you're feeling angry-"

"'Angry'?! Lou, I am beyond angry at this point!"

"It's only for a while, and then if you're good, you can come out to the world as officially bisexual if you please."

Will had nothing to say, he did have plenty he wanted to, but nothing would come out exactly like he wanted it to. He simple aggressively sighed and exited the room, leaving Lou Ellen on her own, also sighing, shaking her head in slight regret, but she knew things would be okay, well, at least she hoped.

…

When Will got home and told Nico what the plan that his producer and manager had agreed on, Nico was taken back, unsure on how to respond. His boyfriend would have to pretend to date an actress while he was dating him? Nico wanted to say so many things at that moment, but being unable to decide on the proper words, he shook his head and sighed.

"This will have no impact on us, I swear," Will reassured him.

Nico broke eye contact with the blonde.

"It better not…" he mumbled before walking over to the living room and sitting on the couch.

Will joined him, pulling the dark-haired boy close to him chest, resting his head on top of the smaller male's.

"I promise," Will murmured into his hair, closing his eyes and relaxing, enjoying the calm before the inevitable storm.

Chapter Text

Bird chirped to signify the start of a new day, joining in the dawning of the sun, casting its shadow over the awakening land. The sky was ablaze with streams of warm pinks and soft oranges, bleeding into the cloudless blue. The fresh fall of the night trampled by the waking city.

It was a simple day, and nothing could go wrong.

Will had been up with the first sign of the sun, and now he hummed his way around the kitchen, feeding the hoard of cats that mauled him when he rose. Even with the cold chill from the winter wind still present, he still found it hard to sleep with a shirt on, so as normal he leaned against the counter in nothing but pajama pants and one sock that lost the other match through the night.

Will ended up shaking off the sock when he realized that one of his feet was colder than the other. He tossed it over to the laundry room's general direction.

Only after a few moments did Nico begin to stir, tossing his head around in the bed, trying to remove the sun from his eyes. With a small huff, he rose from underneath the bedding and stumbled out of bed and onto the hard, chilling floor.

Nico hobbled out of the room, wavering as he took each step, yawning. When he stepped out of the door frame and into the side of the kitchen, he made a giant yaw, wiping his eyes from the heavy sleep that still filled them.

Will smiled, laughing silently at the disheveled sight. He set his coffee cup down and watched the boy swivel around. Before he could speak, Nico bumped his head into his bare chest, weakly wrapping his arms around his waist, gripping at Will's pant's waistline.

Nico breathed in his scent, inhaling slowly. Will wrapped a hand around the smaller boy's waist as well, gripping his side in a strong hold. The dark-haired boy only wore an over-sized shirt of Will's, refusing to give it back, and his own underwear; together the two of them wore a whole outfit, well, sort of.

"Hey," Will whispered softly, resting his head gently on the smaller boy's messy mop of black fuzz.

Nico only mumbled in response, shaking his head into his chest.

Will could feel his breath on his chest, sending chills up his spine.

Nico brought his hands up and wrapped them around the blonde's neck. In respond, Will brought the boy closer by his waist, pulling him into his body with a tight grip still capturing his waist. Both hands rested on it, fiddling with the fabric. When Nico brought his arms up, his shirt followed, rising to show even more and hide even less.

Nico let his head fall, landing gently on the blonde's chest with a smirk.

"If things continue to go like this, I could really get used to it," Nico said softly.

"Oh, yeah?" Will asked, raising a brow at the boy.

"Oh, yeah," Nico replied with a slight chuckle.

Nico looked up to the blonde to meet his gaze, locking with it. To him, it was the most perfect thing in the world. The way he got lost in it was something he loved more than anything.

Nico went on his tippy-toes to gain height and stretched his neck to reach the blonde lips. When they met, Will was slightly caught off guard, but he smiled into it, accepting it – even pushing back – lowering his head so the Nico wouldn't have to reach so far.

The one thing that Nico hated more than anything was his height compared to the blonde. Even compared to normal people, Nico was still below average when it came to height, but with Will, it's almost as if it screams it even more.

But When Will gave in and shrunk to his height – in a sense – it made things a lot easier.

When they finally separated, Will swayed his hips, making Nico's follow. The blonde smiled at the smaller boy, causing him to laugh and remove eye contact.

After a few more minutes of Will messing around and Nico trying to get away, Will grabbed his falling hand and took it in his own, still gripping Nico's waist with his other.

"Dance with me," Will said, sporting what sounded like a somewhat natural British accent.

"There's no music, and I'm in my pajamas," Nico pointed out, trying to evade eye contact.

"Who cares, and so am I."

"Idiot," Nico mumbled before Will started to lead and Nico rolling his eyes, following.

It wasn't long before the apartment was filled with small bits of laughter and humming, footsteps echoing through the floor. It was too early for this, Nico thought, but he was willing to go with it, enjoying the small moment of happiness when it came.

…..

Just as Nico was about to leave for school, Will ran up and grabbed his hand, refusing to let go even when Nico tried to complain.

"No, it's your birthday today, and we are celebrating," Will declared, a determined look on his face.

"Will, I have school today, can you wait? It's not like it can't."

"It can't and you are skipping today. No buts," Will said, sternly.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Obviously you haven't been to university before."

"Well, it isn't every day that you turn twenty. And it's your first birthday with me, so come on. You aren't going to win, you know that, right?"

Nico sighed, knowing his wouldn't be able to outrun it. "Fine."

"Good, cause you're all mine," Will whispered softly as he pulled the smaller boy closer to him, tangling his fingers in his hair.

….

"You didn't have to, you know that?" Nico said, trying to sound annoyed, but failed.

"Well, I know, but I wanted to, so why not?"

Nico rolled his eyes, but smiled. Will set the cupcake in front of him, a single candle lit in top.

"Make a wish," Will spoke softly, a smile on his lips as he leaned on his arm, hand in his unruly hair.

Nico looked at the blonde, examining him with a neutral expression. With a deep breath, he blew it out, smiling.

"Yay," Will smiled softly, voice barely legible.

Nico tried to break eye contact, but he failed. He rested his head on the table and reached out to grab the blonde's hand. He turned his head to the side, a smile falling on his lips when Will looked back.

Will took a small bit of icing from the cupcake with his finger and dabbed it on Nico's nose. Will's eyes flickered in the darkness, shining as if they were their own light source.

"Happy birthday, Nico," he spoke softly.

…

Will had the smaller male on his lap, holding on to him with a death grip, refusing to let him go. They lay on the couch, watching Mulan at Will's request. The smallest cat, black and white in colour, rested at their feet.

Will grabbed something from behind the cushion, bringing it in front of him and Nico.

"Here," he spoke gently.

Nico looked at it then turned to face the blonde with a perplexed expression.

"Take it, dummy, it's your birthday." Will shoved it in his hands, closing Nico's grip around it before letting go.

Nico gingerly unwrapped it, watching Will out of the corner of his eye. When he tore away the wrapping paper, he examined the cover of the book.

"Will," Nico said in a small voice. He held in his hands the first Harry Potter book.

"I know that yours got wrecked in the move and you were really upset about it, so I wanted to replace it."

Nico ran his hand over the cover, smiling to himself. He cracked it open, listening for the sound of the fresh snap, but surprised when it didn't make that much of a noise, if at all. When he opened it and saw what was on the inside over, he almost broke into tears. It was autographed by the author.

Will shifted and sat up more, his arms wrapping around him once again, leaning his head on his shoulder.

"You got me an autographed version of one of my favorite books for my birthday, so I did just that," Will pointed out.

"Yeah, but that was me scribbling on it. This… this is…"

"And this," Will huffed as he bent backwards to grab a scarf and wrapped it around his neck. "Slytherin," he laughed while adjusting it around the dark-haired boy's neck.

"You are too much," Nico mumbled, leaning into his embrace.

"Nothing is too much when it comes to you."

…

When Saturday rolled around, Will was lazily mauling around his kitchen looking for something to eat for breakfast. He was just about to give up when a knock came from his front door, startling him a bit.

When he answered the door, he was met with a hug from his mother. He was surprised at first, but when he realized who it was and not some stranger; he happily took the embrace and returned it back.

After they broke apart, Will lead her inside and into the kitchen after she removed her shoes at the door.

"Look at you, my boy," she spoke calmly, gesturing to the blonde.

"Hi, mom," Will replied back, embarrassed.

"How have you been doing? Life treating you well?" she asked, settling in.

Will walked over to the coffee pot and poured her a cup. "Everything's fine."

"And that boy you are living with?"

Will sighed and handed her the cup. "Yes, everything is fine, everything is going well. You don't need to worry."

She grabbed the cup and started making rounds in the kitchen, opening cupboards. She opened the fridge and sighed. "Ah, yes. I can tell no need to worry."

"Mother, I was going shopping today," Will tried to justify, but his mother was taking none of it.

"You better." She was taken back when she suddenly felt something brush up against her leg. When she looked down, she was met with the biggest pair of green eyes looking back at her. "And who's this?"

"Oh, that's Honey, she's Nico's cat."

"I didn't know you were into cats." Her brow rose.

"They've grown on me," he replied, smiling.

At that moment, the door to Will's room cracked open and a sleepy Nico hobbled out, stumbling his way over to the male blonde in the room. He leaned his head on him with a thud.

"What time is it?" he asked, voice thick with sleep.

"Nine," Will informed him, setting a hand on his lower back.

Nico groaned. Will laughed before pecking his lips. Nico hummed and headed towards the bathroom, stumbling around and slamming the door closed.

Will's mother looked at him judging-ly. Will tried to look anywhere but at her, knowing she wanted to say something but held it back.

When the toilet flushed and Nico came out drying his hands on his over-sized-Will shirt, he made his way over to the bedroom, waving tiredly and mumbling, "I'm going back to bed."

When the door shut and a thud from the bed was heard, Will dared to look back at his mother again.

"That's the boy you're sleeping with?" she asked, resting on a seat at the center counter.

"Mom," Will groaned.

"Are you being safe?"

"Mother!" Will growled, trying to keep his voice down. His face got hot.

"I just want to know if you're being safe, is all." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"We are not sleeping together in that sense."

"I just want to make sure."

"Mother, please, there's nothing you need to worry about," Will reassured her, uncomfortably.

"Well, apparently there is."

"What?" Will looked up at her.

"This thing with you and that Drew girl?"

"Mother, please, that's nothing. The studio wants us to continue this little lie for a while. Everything's okay."

"Are you sure?" she asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Yes, everything is fine."

"And with the boy?"

Will looked at her skeptically, unsure of what she meant.

"Is the boy okay with it?" she asked again.

"Yeah, we already talked about it," Will replied gingerly.

"Well, just make sure. Don't want anything to go wrong, now do you?"

Will thought about it for a short while before taking a sip of his coffee. He wasn't sure on how to respond. They were okay, weren't they?

…

"Whoa, Drew, I didn't know your dating Will." Octavian said in an amused tone. "When did you two move in with each other?"

"What?" she asked, turning to face the weird blonde.

"Well, Will told me he moved in with his girlfriend the other day," Octavian clarified.

"No, he moved in with his friend," Drew told him, unsure.

Octavian shrugged before walking off. "Must have been more drunk than I thought," he mumbled to himself.

Drew thought it over, confused. Didn't Will move in with his friend? Why was Octavian saying that he moved in with his girlfriend?

The more drew thought about it, the more she realized that both of them were correct. Will must have been actually dating his friend.

"Wait, is Will gay?" she asked out loud.

Chapter Text

The sun had hardly risen when Nico's alarm sounded, waking both slumbering occupants of the bed. There was groaning and shifting of blankets until it was turned off, the sound of silence ringing.

Nico huffed in attempt to sit up, but fell on Will's bare chest. The blonde's breath got caught in his throat, not expecting the sudden weight that was added to his chest. He coughed out a small laugh, Nico's head rising and falling with the groggy motion.

Will let the extra seconds of awake-relaxation continue on, one of his arms falling over his eyes, the other one resting on Nico's back. He rubbed his face with the hand that rested on it, trying to remove the sleep from his eyes.

Nico shifted, hands digging at the blanket in attempt to hide his face to fall back asleep. He mumbled something inaudible, shaking his head, hair going in every direction but down. With a soft sigh, he slowly pushed himself up to the sitting position.

Will followed suit and sat up, only to have Nico fall and lean on his shoulder. Will's shoulders shook from the small amount of laughter that fell from his lips. He wrapped his arms around the younger man and held him tight to his chest, burying his nose into his soft, tangled hair.

Nico chucked softly, ending with a loud yawn that caused the blonde to follow. Nico let his body weight rest on the blonde's chest, relaxing into the familiar touch.

"Why are some of your classes so damn early?" Will asked deeply, voice still dripping in sleep, rough.

Nico only shrugged as he rested the back of his head on the blonde's shoulder, looking up at him through his thick, messy hair and dark eyelashes.

Will tightened his grip on the smaller male, nudging his face into the crook of Nico's neck. They stayed like that for what seemed like forever, only to be ruined when the cats decided that they were hungry and started screaming at them to get up.

Both laughed, looking at the cats with their collective hollering. Nico sighed and sat up on his own, Will's hands still wrapped loosely around his waist.

"I don't want to go to school," Nico mumbled, weakly.

"Then stay home," Will suggested, yawning.

Nico shook his head lazily.

"Can't," Nico huffed, sliding out of bed and onto the hard, cold floor. "Anyways, don't you have work today?"

"Yeah," Will sighed, lying back down with a light thud of the mattress, "we are almost done filming of the first season. Most likely be renewed for another season, so there's that."

Nico laughed softly, removing his shirt, removing it over his head.

"And then after this season is over I have to start on that movie – whoa! Take it off!" Will hollered as Nico got the shirt over his head and his arms out.

Nico stood there, hips pushed to one side with a brow raised as he looked at his blonde boyfriend still lying shirtless in bed, hair messy from sleep. He rolled his eyes and balled up his shirt, throwing it at Will with a smirk.

"Hey!" Will yelled while laughing, swatting his arm in a playful manner at the shirt, covering his face with the other arm.

"It's not like you haven't seen me without a shirt before," Nico pointed out as he put on a pair of jeans, ripped slightly at the knees.

"Can't I be proud to have you?"

"Why would you want that?" Nico asked, half serious in his tone.

"Because you're all mine," Will spoke softly as he got up and walked over to the other man. He put his arms around his, drawing him in closer and placed several light kisses under his ear, trailing them down his neck. "No one's allowed to have you."

"No problem there," Nico replied, leaning into the blonde, neck tilted to one side to allow the blonde more access. "So, about this new movie, you haven't told me much about it."

Will let go and jumped onto the bed like a child, jumping up and down a few times before crossing his legs in the air and falling onto the mattress below. Nico laughed at the blonde, shaking his head as he picked up a clean shirt.

"Well, I play this character, his name's Elias Gray" – Nico smirked at the simple-ness of his explanation, biting his lip at the blonde's child-like attitude – "and after his mother passes, he finally decides to see his father after several years – oh, and this is all, like, in the nineteen-forties. So he finally sees his father for the first time in years, but comes to find out that he has an entirely different family with new children and everything. So out of grief he joins the fight – and this is all in England, so they are all English – so he joins the war, like the one with Hitler, and while overseas, he meets this German family and they take him in, and while he's injured – that's why he is staying there, his troop wrote him off as dead – he falls in love with their eldest son – he's gay, by the way – but their daughter is in love with him.

"I think he dies in the end, being hanged or something, but it's pretty interesting.  Still in progress though, so it might change, the script." Will smiled at the end, shaking his shoulders in an antsy way.

"That's amazing! Oh, and guess what? Reyna called and said that there were several studios wanting the creative rights to Side Friend," Nico bit his lip, holding back a slight smile.

"Nico, seriously?" Will got up on his knees and made his way over to the edge of the bed, eyes wide.

Nico nodded his head frantically, not helping the smile that sneaked onto his lips.

Will grabbed the belt loops on Nico's pants and pulled him closer, locking them both into a heated kiss. It at first took Nico by surprise, but he soon smiled into it and wrapped his arms around the blonde's neck, locking his fingers together. Will released his hold on his pants and placed his hands at the small of his back, just above where his pants started.

Nico's hands went slack after a few moments; one hand lying idly over Will's shoulder, the other had a steady rhythm running through Will's tangled hair.

When they finally broke apart for air, Nico bit his lip and smiled shyly, his face dusted in a blush.

"You get ready for work," Nico told Will as he hurried to get ready, avoiding the eyes of the blonde.

"But I don't wanna," Will whined, pouting with puppy-dog eyes.

"Well, no British movie for you then."

"Fine!"

Nico laughed and walked out of the room, a shirt now covering his torso.

….

When Will got to work, he was met with Drew Tanaka walking up to him, water bottle in hand. She smiled at him in a sweet manner, her hand waving him down gently. Will sighed, hands in pocket.

"Hey," she said, her smile genuine and wide.

"Hi," Will replied halfheartedly.

"So I guess we have to-"

"Yeah," Will cut her off, not really wanting to go with it.

Before anything could get any more awkward, the Director made his way over, calling both of their names. The two actors turned to face him, Will let out a sigh of relief.

"There's my two love birds," he spoke jokingly, yet half serious.

Will tensed.

"What's up?" Drew asked.

"Just wanted to discuss the appearances you two will be making together."

Will sighed again, wanting to crawl into a deep hole and stay there until this was all over.

"So with the red carpet appearance tomorrow, I want you, Will, to pick Drew up so the media will believe it. The premiere starts at seven, so I want you two there two hours early. You'll have some interviews and press conferences, so go over some things together so you're both on the same page."

Both Will and Drew nodded their heads, Drew more enthusiastically than the blonde whom pretty much rolled his eyes.

When both actors were about to walk away and head to set for shooting, the Director stopped them again.

"Oh, and you two will be going to the Grammy's together, so Drew, get a dress for that. I pulled some strings and got you two on the list." And with that, he walked away, Will wanting to protest, but not getting the chance to.

"Wow, can't wait! Are you excited Will?"

"Oh yeah, so excited," Will replied sarcastically, sighing heavily. When Drew was out of hearing range, he mumbled, "At least it isn't the Oscars…"

…..

When his lecture ended, Nico started to pack up his notes into his bag, humming softly to himself. It wasn't until his phone went off did he stop.

He picked it up, smiling at the ringtone, and answered it.

"Hello there," he said with an audible smirk.

"Hey," Will's voice came through the other end, soft and calm.

"What's up?"

"You busy?"

"No, class just got done, perfect timing." Nico zipped up his bag with the rest of his stuff and flung it over his shoulder, resting his hip on the ledge.

"Sweet, how are things?"

"Good, class is boring, but what else is new?" Nico made his way out of class.

Will's laugh came through the phone smooth, but tired. "Of course."

"What's up? You usually don't call me at school, everything okay?"

"Yeah, just wanted to hear your voice."

Nico smiled, but that was odd. Something must have happened at work to cause Will to class him before hand and at school no less.

"You sure? You sound… off," Nico asked, concerned. He switched his ear that was listening to the phone.

"Yeah, just been hectic here, is all. I might be late tonight. If I'm not home by six, please don't wait for me and get whatever you want to eat."

"Alright, but everything is okay?"

"Yes, Nico, everything is okay, now stop worrying about me and get to class before you're late."

Nico chuckled softly to himself, covering his mouth in a shy way.

"Later, idiot."

"Whatever, loser."

Both chuckled softly, and hung up, Nico shaking his head as he looked at his phone. He looked at the time and headed to his next class, stopping to pick something up to eat.

Even though Will had said that everything was okay, something was nagging at him, something he didn't want to admit that was bothering him, something must be bothering Will as well.

…..

As six rolled around and Will was nowhere to be seen, Nico sighed and searched through the fridge and cupboards for something to eat. With a heavy sigh, he shut the doors. One of his cats was rubbing up against his leg, purring.

He smiled and knelt down to pet it.

"Hey," he spoke softly to it, letting his frustration melt away as it crossed in and out of his legs.

Nico fed all three cats and leaned back to watch them. He thought about what he was going to do for supper, coming to a mutual consensus with his stomach for Chinese.

He picked his phone off of the table and dialed the number he had memorized.

When he placed his order and hung up, he sighed and went over to see what to do while he waited for his food to arrive. After going back and forth on what he wanted to watch, he ended up with putting in How to Train Your Dragon in the DVD player and watching it until there was a buzzing noise to signal someone at the door.

When he got the food and payed for it, he dished it out and ate while he watched the movie, moving on to the next one when it ended; Will not showing up the entire time.

…..

Nico wasn't quite aware when Will got home, but judging by how tired he was when he was jostled awake; Nico could only assume that the sun hadn't been up for quite some time.

He was vaguely aware of the door opening and closing, the sound of keys hitting the table, and rustling around the apartment when Will got home. Only one light had been turned on, but was quickly shut off.

When Will got into bed, he sighed and fell into a deep slumber. Nico, on the other hand, was groggy, but slightly confused on why it was so late and Will was just getting home. Did the cast go out?

He tried not to rest on the idea for too long and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him.

….

For the next few days Will was getting home at ungodly hours, sleeping in when Nico got up for school. He was starting to get worried for the blonde, his mind continuously going back to the phone call he had received at school from him.

Nico was aware that he had an event the next day, so that explained why he was late, even helping him pick out a suit and tie to wear, but he was starting to get distant with the small time that they did have together. It was an odd thought, but it seemed almost like they saw more of each other before they were together than they had the past few days.

It was a day that Will was rushing around the apartment when Nico decided to confront Will about his strange behavior.

"Hey, Will," Nico called out, arms crossed, but a worried look on his face.

Will mumbled a response as he ran around collecting things.

"Hey," Nico called out, but when he got no answer, he uncrossed his arms and grabbed the blonde's arm. Will flinched at the sudden contact.

"Nico, I'm a bit busy, so can you-"

"I see that, but will you stop for a few seconds and talk to me?"

Will wanted to protest, but it wasn't until he heard the worry in Nico's voice did he relax a little and looked into the younger man's eyes.

"Yes," he said with a small sigh, eyes growing kinder.

"Is everything okay? You've been stressed lately and you've been coming home at ungodly hours."

Will relaxed even more and took Nico's hands into his own.

"Nico, everything is fine, I've just been under a lot of pressure, but I'm fine. I'm sorry for making you worry so much."

Nico wanted to be mad, but couldn't help but smile at the blonde.

Will placed a hand on the side of Nico's face, cupping it. His kissed him lightly on the lips, looking directly in his eyes when he drew back.

"I promise I'll make everything up to you. Valentine's Day – you – me –Deadpool. I promise. And then soon after that is the Oscars, and that is you and me, baby."

Nico tossed the idea back and forth in his mind, biting his lip. He smiled again, looking up to meet those comforting blue eyes.

"Fine, but you better let me know if something's bothering you. If you don't, I swear..."

"Good." Will smiled brightly and kissed Nico one more time before running around for a little more. "I promise you anything you want."

"You better…" Nico mumbled, arms crossed.

Chapter Text

"Will, are you gay?" Drew asked, her arms crossed and leaning on the side of the craft services table.

Will froze mid bite, a tiny pastry pinched between his fingers. He was so taken back by the sudden question; he was more or less at a loss for words.

"Wha'?" he tried to say with his mouth open.

"Are you gay, Will?" Drew asked again, eyes tearing holes into the blonde's.

"W-why would you ask something like that?" Will stuttered, setting the tiny piece of cake on a napkin, and set it off to the side.

"Because I was talking with Octavian and somethings didn't exactly line up properly," she explained, her arms never uncrossing.

"But why would you think that?" he asked, clearing his throat and dusting his pants off as if there was dirt on them. "You know I've dated girls before."

Will was trying extremely hard to cover his tracks during this fragile time. With everything happening all at once, he was finding it harder and harder to keep everything seeming the way it originally was. Now with Drew suspecting something, he was finding himself being shoved deeper and deeper into a corner.

"Yeah, but wouldn't that just make you bi or something?"

"What?"

"I know that your roommate isn't just your roommate." Drew's voice was stern, hard. She didn't budge an inch, keeping her face stern.

"Look, I don't know what Octavian has been telling you, but-"

"He said you and your 'girlfriend' just moved in together and asked me why I didn't tell him. But from what you told me, you just moved in a new roommate. So, I'm not stupid, I can put two and two together."

Now Will was sweating. What was he supposed to say? She was right, she wasn't stupid. And with that much information, he would have been surprised if she didn't think that.

"What would you say if I was?" Will asked, walking on thin ice.

"Well, nothing really. Not that I can. Why the fuck would I tell the world that my boyfriend is dating a guy? That would just look bad on my part, even though none of this was my idea." She relaxed a small bit, letting her shoulders slack a small bit.

Will let out a small breath, but he couldn't relax. Not fully. This wouldn't be the end. And he knew it.

….

It was late when Will got home. Extremely late. And the thing that bothered Nico was the fact that Will hadn't even called to tell him, so he sat up waiting, thinking that he would be only a tiny bit late. But that wasn't the case. Nico ended up falling asleep on the couch waiting for his blonde boyfriend to get home.

Will knew it was late when he dropped his keys on the table, shutting the door behind him as he took off his shoes. He had a pounding headache from lack of sleep, but just getting home made some of the pain disappear. The familiar feeling taking control of his senses and dulling him into a sort of walking-sleep trance.

It wasn't until he spotted that the TV was still on and some of the lights hadn't been turned off did Will notice Nico passed out on the couch, a cat sleeping at his feet. He was curled up in a ball, probably cold. Will check his phone, seeing that it was, in fact, two in the morning, and sighed.

Will walked around the house and turned off every light and the television before making his way over to the couch and picking up the sleeping body. He carried Nico to the bedroom gently, settling him down on the bed with a soft thud and removing his hands from underneath him.

Will removed his clothes and left on only his underwear before crawling in bed next to Nico whom had the blankets balled up in his grip, bringing it to his face. Will chuckled as he swiped away a stray hair from Nico's face.

He began to stir, his eyes opening to meet Will's heavy-lidded ones.

"Hey," Nico groaned, voice heavy with sleep. He started out gentle until his face became slightly harder. "Isn't it late? Where were you?"

Will shook his head, letting out a deep sigh. "They kept us longer than I thought. I'm sorry."

Nico sat up, blinking a few times to wake himself up.

"Why didn't you call then?" he asked.

Will frowned.

"I'm sorry, I forgot." Will sat up slightly as Nico continued to do so.

"But I was worried."

"I know," Will sounded defeated. "I know, and I'm sorry. I truly am."

Nico was silent for a few second. Will leaned in and hugged him, bringing him into a tight embrace. Nico was still, not flinching, most likely from the tiredness. They stayed like that for what felt like forever before Nico slowly brought his hands up to return the embrace, nails scraping against Will's tan, toned skin.

Nico simply nodded, his face resting in the crook of Will's neck. Nico didn't want this to start becoming a habit – of Will, coming home late and not calling, but something dug at him, telling him that this was only the beginning of something more grand.

…

As the new month rolled around, Nico was started to get swamped with work from both school and from Reyna. She had just started demanding him to get a move on for the next book, saying that they want something from him soon.

It was starting to get quiet stressful, but he was finding ways to deal with it. If it was just school and work, then he could find someway to pull through, to make it to summer, but with everything going on with Will at the moment, thing have been getting… complicated.

Will was out all the time, getting home extremely late. He's been throwing his face in the media, Drew plastered by his side like an accessory. Nico has found himself falling asleep either at the table or couch for more times than he could count.

Life was getting difficult, and he wasn't sure on everything. Not as much as before.

Will had texted him during one of his classes telling him that he wouldn't be home until late, like usual. But Nico appreciated it none the less. A simple text that told him that Will had thought of him through his hectic day. That was enough for him.

Nico had gotten tired of the same old, and when he found his back sore from leaning over his laptop all afternoon, he decided to make cookies. It was something he hadn't done in a while. Something he used to do with his mother.

They had just gotten done when Nico flicked on the TV, some sort of news being the first thing to pop up.

He let the background noise drown out his tiring day, the smell of melting chocolate and hazelnuts filled the air.

"-And with all the high-society events coming up, it isn't uncommon for these things to arise. I actually suspect them more."

"I agree. With so much media coverage these Actors are getting, somethings bound to come out of the dark."

"Oh yeah, especially with the fact that Will Solace is, in fact, nominated for an Oscar, and at such a young age, there was no way for that man to stay single."

Nico attention fell from the cookies when he heard Will's name on the television. He set down a cookie he was about to consume and set all his attention on the screen.

"If he wasn't already taken, I wouldn't mind going after him for myself. Drew Tanaka is one lucky girl."

"She is. I don't think there's a girl alive that wouldn't want to be her right now. Everyone knows his name by now, and I don't think they'll forget it anytime soon."

Nico stood there, frozen in place. An ebony cat came up and rubbed his face on his leg, but all Nico could do was ignore it. They were talking about his Will and how he was not his, but some other girl's. Nico felt something inside of his swell up, something that felt like it was going to overcome him, take control. But all he wanted to do was cry. He wanted to cry and cry and cry, and there was nothing that could have stopped him.

…

Nico sat at the coffee shop on the following Saturday. His head hurt from the constant writing, and he needed a break.

Katie had her break when Nico came in. And it was a good thing, he needed to talk to someone - anyone - about something. And Katie was the perfect person to talk to.

"How are you doing?" she asked, crossing her legs under the table.

"Alright, things have been a little hard, but I'm dealing."

"That's good. At least it's something."

Nico nodded, agreeing.

"It must be hard," she said, her chin resting on her head as she looked out a window, her eyes distant.

"What's hard?"

"Having to do what you're doing. With Will."

"Oh," Nico spoke quietly, eyes downcast.

"With Will doing all these things, I don't know how you deal."

"I find ways. I care about him, so I must."

Katie looked at him, something flashed in her eyes.

"With all these awards coming up, what seems to be the plan?"

Nico sighed. "I'm not one-hundred percent sure on it, but we are going to the Oscars together. With One Last Hero being one of the most nominated movies, despite its genre, there's no way I'm not going. And I'll be there with Will, supporting him through it."

"And Drew?" she asked.

Nico's eyes fell again, another heavy sigh leaving his lips.

"I don't know, but this whole thing has me worried. He's been acting… weird… different. It's just… I don't know, but…" Nico trailed off, almost never able to finish any of his thoughts. It was as if he was trying to convince himself, but failing.

"Well, look at it like this: At age sixteen, you were a national best seller. At age eighteen, you were a world wide best seller, and at age nineteen, your book was turn into a movie and was one of the highest grossing pictures of all of two-thousand-and-fifteen, nominated for several Oscars. People love you just as they love Will, so don't think you two are so different. People will stand by you no matter what."

Nico let this sink in, letting the truth of her words wash over him. It was reassuring, comforting. And he she was right. He was much like Will in that sense, but something was missing. Something that made all of it not seem… off.

He took a sip of his coffee and looked out the window, watching as it began to snow. Hard flakes lands on the slushy ground.

Chapter Text

Nico took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He was on edge, and he knew it. With ever minute that passed by, his became more and more irritated; his foot bounce, his fingers drummed off the table in a steady pattern, and his jaw was clenched.

He was at the table, waiting for Will to get home. He had texted him in the middle of class telling him that he was able to escape tonight and be home with him. But here he was, waiting around for him once again, and Will was late. Again.

He was getting annoyed. Will should have been home almost an hour ago, but with no sign of him, Nico was about to give up waiting until his phone went off, causing his attention to be turned.

Will Solace (Mine)

Sorry, they're holding me late again. Just got a break to tell you. Don't wait up

10:32

Received

Nico was furious. Not only had he waited up, but he had made supper, as well. But here was Will, just now telling him that he wouldn't be home on time, two hours late. Nico called bull shit on him only just having free-time to text him. It wouldn't have been a few seconds to pick up his phone and send a quick text. Yes, he would have been sad, but at least he wouldn't have been angry at him.

Will Solace (Mine)

Ok

10:33

Sent

He tried to take a deep breath, he really did. But nothing worked.

His mind was racing a million miles per second, his heart clenched with pain, and he wasn't sure he could take much more of this. He understood what Will was dealing with, with the show finishing up and the direct work on the movie – something that wouldn't have him leaving for any fancy country just yet.

But under all of it, Nico was unhappy. He loved being with Will, he truly did. The blonde made him feel some much, so much he didn't know he was able to feel, would be able to feel. But the underlining of Will success was what was driving him to the edge.

Will Solace (Mine)

I'm really sorry. God, you don't realize how much I don't want to be here. I miss you.

10:35

Received

When Nico read over the new text, he felt his chest squeeze, making it feel as though he couldn't breathe. He felt bad for thinking all those things just moments ago. And that was what Nico kept coming back to in his mind over and over again.

When Will went out of his way to do those tiny little things, such as send a text he didn't need to, it made all the bad seem brighter, minuscule.

With a heavy sigh, Nico set out a note with the food he had made on the counter and made his way to get ready for bed.

….

It was another late night for Will. He didn't enjoy it as much as he used to. He used to love staying fourteen hours at work then heading to a club with his friends to get wasted. It was one of the smaller joys of his life.

But now that he had someone waiting at home, it made things almost unbearable. The long days seemed almost longer, dragging on just to mock him. He got more tired through the day, more on edge.

When he managed to fumble his keys onto the table, he was tired, hungry, and just plain done. Will debated whether or not he was even going to get something to eat before he stumbled to bed, but when he saw a plate of food sitting alone on the table, a small smile found his lips.

He walked over to it and picked up the note. He smiled when he read it:

I'm tired, I'm going to bed.

I made supper. Eat.

Nico

It was so simple, yet so Nico. No fluff, just straight to the point.

He warmed it up and sat down. He was starving, and coming home to food was one of the best feeling in the world, even if it was the middle of the night and he was eating it all alone in the dark.

He enjoyed every last bite, scraping the plate clean.

…

Being on of his only days off and Nico in school, Will found his feet taking him to the book store. It had been a while since the last time he had visited, so it was a welcoming atmosphere when he arrived.

Katie had seen him enter and sit down, so she told her boss that she was going on break. She brought over something for Will to drink, making something for herself also.

She sat crossed from the blonde, and smiled. When Will noticed her, he smiled back, sighing softly when she placed his drink in front of him.

"Thanks," Will said. Katie waved him off, leaning back in her chair.

"Tired?" she asked. Will leaned back, eyes closed, and nodded his head. A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

"You have no idea."

"The thing with Drew?" she asked, trying to be careful with her words

"You really have no idea," replied Will, running his hands through his hair.

"It seems like it's really taking its toll on the both of you."

Will looked up at her, confused.

"Nico and I spoke earlier in the week. Seems like both of you are getting effected by this. I'd be careful."

Will knew what she was saying was true. It wasn't just him that all of this was taking its toll on, but Nico also fell right in the middle of it. He knew he had to be careful, but what could he do? He was doing the best he could, all he could do now was hope and pray that Nico knew what he was doing wasn't to hurt him.

He took a deep breath, trying to clear his head from everything that was running around in it. His mind was getting clouded by the useless thought that haunted him, and he hated it, but it was the best he could do to not loose his own sanity.

"Hey, don't over think it. If you just take things slow and talk, everything will be fine. Trust me when I say if you two continue to ignore it, the worse it's going to get. But you two will be okay, trust me. You two really care about each other." Katie smiled at Will before taking a sip. She could see that her words were getting through to him, but it also seemed as though his mind was blank.

"I really do like him," Will spoke softly.

"Then things will work out."

"I hope so."

…

When Nico stirred awake, the place beside him on the bed was empty and pushed away. He yawned and sat up, eyes trying to get used to being open, still heavy with sleep.

Nico's head turned towards the door when he heard shuffling from outside it. He kicked away the blankets and stood up, feet meeting the cold hard-wood.

When he walked outside the room, he saw Will getting his coat on. His hair was slightly messy, but looked as though he had tried to do something with it.

"Hey," Nico spoke softly, voice dripping with sleep.

Will turned around and smiled when he was the younger male.

"You're up early," he spoke back, voice quiet.

Nico walked over to him slowly, rubbing his eyes. He leaned his head on Will's shoulder, closing his eyes and letting his weight leave him. Will chuckled lowly. He wrapped his arms around the smaller male, holding him dearly.

"Where are you going?" Nico asked, voice muffled by Will's coat.

"Have to do some running around before tomorrow. I'll be home soon. Tonight, you and me are going to see Deadpool. I promise you this."

"Good," Nico mumbled back pressing his face closer into Will's shoulder, breathing in his scent. He clawed at his back, trying to get a better grip on the blonde.

Will chuckled again, resting his head atop of Nico's. His hair tickled Will's nose.

"I'll text you to tell you when I'll be home. Promise."

Nico nodded and let go. Will kissed him softly on the forehead before he opened the door, and left the house. Nico just stared at the door for a few seconds before sighing and heading to the bathroom.

….

"So, you have to pick up – Will, are you even listening to me?"

Will snapped back to reality when Lou Ellen slapped him upside the head after yelling at him several times.

"Did you even hear what I said?"

"Sorry," Will apologized, rubbing the back of his head.

"Spaced out again?" she asked, her voice dragging on.

"Yeah, just… a lot of things on my mind right now."

Lou nodded and sighed. She knew that Will was spacing out and becoming more stressed, she knew it, but it was starting to become a habit of his, something that she couldn't have happening. He was constantly spacing out during filming's and getting yelled at by the director. She knew that it had to do with Nico and Drew, but she couldn't let it interfere any longer.

"Well, I was just saying that you need to pick up your suit from the dry cleaners, check in with the hair and makeup team, you'll need to-"

Will looked over at Lou whom had been interrupted by a phone call. She sighed when she picked it up.

"Hello?" she asked, placing her empty hand on her waist. She listened for a few minutes before her face dropped. She looked over at Will, her eyes frantically scanning over him.

Will raised an eyebrow at her actions, biting his nails out of boredom. He motioned with his head to ask what was the matter, but she only waved him off and walked off.

Lou's grip on the phone tightened as she walked away from Will to talk in privet to the other speak.

"What?!" she asked in a more hushed tone.

"That's what I said. Will will be spending today with Drew at a public event. It is a last minute booking, but it'll be great publicity."

"Sir," Lou said with assertiveness to Will's director, "he can't, not today. They'll have tomorrow together, at the awards, but not today."

"It's Valentines Day, he has a girlfriend. Him and Drew will be out tonight being a couple. I'm sorry, but this is what's happening."

Lou sighed heavily, running her hand over her face and into her hair. She wanted to reason with the man, be he seemed to be pretty adamant on his idea. She knew that Will had plans. He had a lot of plans for tonight, he wouldn't shut up about it. For the past three weeks, all he would talk about was what him and Nico were going to do.

"Listen, there is a strong reason on why Will can't tonight. He has plans that are much more important than this. If you could just-"

"Lou Ellen, I have spoken. Inform Will that his plans have changed and he'll be with Drew Tanaka tonight."

Before Lou could protest any longer, the phone line went blank. He had hung up on her. She rested her phone on her forehead, trying to think of what she was going to do. She knew she had to, she knew that Will had to. But it wasn't the telling that was eating at her, it was the consequences of telling Will this.

Will would have to tell Nico, and that was something she knew wasn't going to end well.

She turned around and made her way back over to Will who was still picking at his nails.

"Who was that?" he asked, flicking a piece of his nail away.

"It was the Director."

"What does he want?"

Lou looked at Will; his hair a mess, clothes disheveled, and completely unaware.

"Well, it's about tonight," she spoke gently, carefully thinking of her words.

"Yes?" Will looked at her, face confused yet unsure.

"Well… look, I know you have plans with Nico – and I'm just going to come out and say it: He wants you and Drew to be out tonight."

Will was silent for a long time, face blank, unreadable. Lou wasn't sure what was going through his mind, but whatever it was, it couldn't have been good.

"What?" he finally spoke, his voice low, almost inaudible.

"Look, don't yell at me, I tried to tell him no, but he ended up hanging up on me."

"I'm not going tonight, I wont!" Will's voice raised, his face was angry.  "I can't!"

Lou tried to explain, but it was no use, for the rest of the trip, he never talked to her or even looked in her direction longer than two seconds. He was pissed and she knew it.

…

Nico was tying to lay around the house, but he was just too giddy. He couldn't sit still longer than five minutes before he stood up and started jumping around. He had looked in the mirror several times, and Will hadn't even texted him telling him when he going to be home.

Nico had already taken a shower and brushed his teeth, gotten his clothes picked out and fed the cats, twice.

There was nothing, literally nothing, that could bring him down.

Until his phone went off.

The familiar ringtone told him that Will was calling. He was expecting a text, not a call, but Nico just waved it off.

He picked it up.

"Hello," he said, cheerfully.

"Hey."  Will's voice sounded distant. Nico just shook it off, though.

"What's up?" he asked, walking around the kitchen.

There was a sigh. "Nothing much."

"So, when you coming home?" Nico asked, full of excitement. "Sorry, I'm just excited."

Will chuckled lowly from the other end of the phone. "About that…"

Nico stiffened, unsure on what Will was saying.

"What?" he asked. "If you're going to be late, then that's fine. Well, I'm usually not fine with it, but I understand, but today, it's totally okay if your running a little bit behind then-" When Nico realized that he was ranting, he stopped himself, half from being embarrassed and half from hearing nothing the entire time from Will's side.

"Nico,"  Will said, his voice sounding tired for the first time. How had Nico missed that?

"Will? What is it? Your scaring me."

"I got a call – well, Lou did, and she, well, the director says I have to go somewhere, with Drew."

Nico could feel every ounce of himself slowly fade away. He could feel the almost heart-stopping pull that came when the words had come through the speakers. He knew they were Will's words, but he didn't want to believe them. How could he?

Will just told him that he couldn't make it to their one date night they had planned for weeks, but he's going somewhere else with some girl?

Nico slowly felt himself becoming numb, everything slowly disappearing. It wasn't until he finally blinked did he realize that his eyes were filling with tears.

"Lou said she pleaded with him, but he hanged up on her. I want to believe her; I know she would have at least tried. Nico, I'm so sorry. I don't want to do this, but I don't have a choice. I want to be home, with you, right now. If I had the chance, I would, but I don't. I'm so sorry. I really am. Nico, I'm sorry."

Nico couldn't feel anything, he only acted via instinct. He didn't trust his voice, so he only made low noises, hoping that he wouldn't be able to hear anything wrong in his voice.

"Mhm."

"I'm sorry, so, so sorry."

"It's okay," he mumbled.

"Nico."

"I said it's okay." Nico wasn't even sure how he managed his voice at that point. He swore that his voice cracked at least five times.

"I'll see you tonight,"  Will's voice was soft. "I…"  He wasn't even sure if Nico had heard him try and say something at the end before he replied.

"Okay."

And the call had ended, and Nico was one-hundred percent sure he was in tears, sitting on the kitchen floor, phone in hand, destroyed.

Chapter Text

When everything began to hurt, just push it aside. At least that's what Nico started telling himself. From borderline crying himself to sleep last night, he couldn't help but have this never-ending numbing feeling echo in his chest; a dark despair pounding at him from inside.

He was sitting on the couch, occasionally turning back to see Will fuss with his tie. He had been putting on and removing the same two ties for the past ten minutes, staring at the mirror with a constant determination.

Nico was having a fun time watching him squirm, Will biting his lip purple. He set his cup on the coffee table and stood up, making his way over to Will.

The blonde didn't even notice him until his arm was draped a crossed his shoulders, head leaning on his arm. Will looked down at him with wide eyes, relaxing his posture. He kissed the side of Nico's head. Nico tried to look away, feeling his face heat up, but Will only chuckled softly at his reaction.

"Having troubles?" Nico asks, tilting his head.

"Yeah," Will replied with a sigh, looking over at the two ties.

"Go with the dark blue one. With your grey suit, it'll look better than the brighter one."

Will smiled, tossing the lighter one away. He fiddled with it a few times, struggling and messing up.

Nico rolled his eyes and turned Will to face him. He took his tie and starting doing it properly for him.

"Why aren't you in school?" Will asked out-of-the-blue.

Nico laughed softly, facing smiling. "A water pipe burst on Saturday, so classes are canceled today. We'll be back tomorrow."

Will nodded his head, thinking it over.

"Makes sense." Will smiled down at the shorter male, watching him gently as Nico pulled his tie in every direction, his tongue sticking out like it does when he's concentrating.

Nico tapped the tie and Will's chest, and backed up, gesturing with his hands to signal that he was done.

"There, all pretty now."

"Thank you," Will said, looking back over at the mirror, posing at every angle.

"So, why are you going to the Emmys?" Nico asked, standing beside Will in front of the mirror.

"Well, Drew beforehand was planning on going, because she is great friends with a singer nominated for best music video – the Khione girl. Anyways, she was in her video, I believe, so with her most likely going, our Director decided that us going would be great for publicity, so he got our names on the list, sort of speak."

"Ah," was all Nico managed to say after Will explained, playing with his hair while he talked. Nico thought his hair was fine, but it was something that he always fussed about.

Will noticed something distant in Nico, and frowned. He pulled his arms and brought the younger male in front of him, wrapping his arms around him tightly, burying his face in Nico' neck. He wanted to say something, something that was just on the tip of his tongue, but every time it came up, if felt like it was choking him, preventing him from saying it.

"I'll miss you," Will said softly, relaxing in Nico's presence and scent.

Nico only nodded back, making a small noise in the back of his throat. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the mirror, staring at his reflection with Will draped on him. Something in him pounded – screamed, and he didn't understand.

….

As the time ticked on, Will's knee was bouncing up and down, keeping a fast, steady beat. On the other hand, Drew was getting annoyed with it. The sound of his fabric rubbing against the front of the seat, the contact that his heel made with the floor, every small noise was getting to her.

Drew took a deep breath before placing her hand gently on his knee, slowing it down to a halt. Will looked over at her, confused at first, but when Drew turned to him, her eyebrow raised only ever so slightly, did she realize that maybe he was just a little on edge.

"Sorry," he apologized, adverting his eyes from her.

She sighed, but smiled at him. "It's fine," she told him, lifting her hand from his knee.

The ride to the Centre was long and silent, the music being the only sound to drown out the engine. Either occupants were lost in thought, minds wondering as they stared out the blackened windows.

Will's thoughts were filled with nothing but scenarios that would arise from this event. None of them ending the way he wanted them to. Each one had Nico getting fed up with him and leaving, something that pained his chest, something he never wanted to happen.

He liked Nico, he liked him a lot. And he didn't even know what he would do if something happened and Nico left him. It was something that ate at him, constantly. He would think about how cold and empty his bed would feel, something he wasn't aware of until he had someone beside him. He would think of how quiet it would be without his cats, the constant meowing that filled the apartment.

But the thought that scared him the most was if something happened, and he was the one to leave Nico. What if he fell in love with Drew, and didn't have feelings for him anymore? Or his feeling for Nico's retreated, realizing that who he was before was who he really is? He was scared; he was scared shitless, and he wasn't sure he knew how to handle it.

When the vehicle came to a stop, Will took in a deep breath and waited for the door to be opened. When it was opened by the man outside, Will put on his best fake smile he could mutter, and stepped out, waiting just outside of the door to wait for Drew.

The lights were blinding, something that he hadn't had happen in a while. Before Nico, this would be normal, something that he would look forwards, but now, he really didn't find the blinding flashing of the cameras to be all that spectacular. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that he didn't enjoy it anymore, or if it was for the fact that he wasn't here with the person he wanted to enjoy it with.

As Drew and Will made their way down the red carpet, stopping a few times to pose for the cameras, Will couldn't help but have his mind wonder.

He didn't need to stop, to let them take his photo, but there was more than just a simple factor for that. First, it was publicity for Drew and him, showing them in public; secondly, with Will nominated for an Oscar, people were shouting at him left and right, trying to ask him questions, trying to get his thoughts before hand; and thirdly, questions came at him about his relationship with Drew. Men and women in fancy clothes shouted from behind the fence, asking about all the inside details on their new life together.

And Will was sick of it.

He tried to push on, pushing on Drew's back a little harder than he should have to signal that he wanted to keep moving. It took them a few minutes, but they finally made it inside and found their seats, something Will was grateful for.

…..

The night was long. People performed, there was laughter, Will laughed when he needed to, clapped when he was supposed to, but everything was automatic for him. He didn't want to be here, he wanted to be at home, laying on the couch with Nico wrapped in his arms. But he was with Drew at this award show because he was told to. Everything in his life that was happening was because he was told to. It was like he was a living doll.

During some of the commercial breaks, Will would check his phone, scroll through his Instagram, checking out some of the other celebrities and how their night was going. He checked out how many likes his selfie of his outfit for the night had gotten, and almost put his phone away when he got a text.

Baby

How's everything? Hope the show isn't too boring from your seat.

6:47

Received

He smiled at the text, shoving his phone in his pocket when everything seemed to start back up again, and Drew nudging her elbow in his shoulder to turn it off then.

Will continued on the night, watching it drag on, seeing Drew's friend not win the Grammy for Best Music Video, but win one for Best Pop Solo Performance.

By the time he had gotten home, Nico had long fallen asleep in their bed, and Will was ready to get out of his attire.

…

By the morning, new stands and online articles flooded with all kinds of Grammy related news. But something that started to come up a lot was Will and Drew related news. Their appearance at the awards definitely sparked the crowd, sending Will's popularity into overdrive with the Oscars being the next big award show.

Nico had to hear about the entire ordeal at school, people in the halls and in the classrooms wouldn't shut up about it. They would go on and on about how cute of a couple the two made, and how they were meant for each other. He heard things about the way Will looks at her, as if she is the only girl in the world.

He heard these things all day, and it was slowly eating at him. He was starting to believe these things. The things they said about Will and Drew, it pained at him. Nico was really starting to see his and Will's relationship as a joke.

Drew was an Actor, just like Will. They lived in the same world. They see each other a lot more than Nico has seen Will recently, and Nico was some loser virgin that he happened to meet at a book store some weeks after having him run into him at a screening. Everything about them was starting to not make sense, he wasn't sure on why he wanted everything to stop.

…..

Will was getting ready to head out to an interview. He was staring at himself in their weirdly placed mirror outside their bedroom wall.

He tussled with is hair, parting it one way then another, changing it back only to change it again. Nico was laughing at him, telling him to just stop, that he looked fine. But he was too self-conscious.

Nico once again walked over to him, playing with his hair, fluffing some parts before stepping back.

"Why are you so good at this?" Will asked with amusement.

"You learn after a while. Think I learned how to make this messing thing not look like trash over night?" Nico motioned to his own hair.

Will laughed, bring the younger male into a tight embrace. Nico breathed in the blonde's scent, hoping it would bring a sense of relief, and it did. He found comfort in it, he felt warmth in it, he felt home.

"I don't want to go," Will whined, shaking his face into Nico's hair. He just smiled back.

"Then don't," he spoke softly.

"Trust me, I would if I could."

It wasn't long until the door rang and Will answered it, Drew standing at the door.

"You ready?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Almost," he replied, running around to grab a few things before stopping at the mirror once more.

Nico stood off to the side, petting one of the cats that had jumped up beside him.

Drew walked over to Will and looked at him in the mirror. She smiled. Drew took out her phone and took a photo of them, her head leaning on his shoulder. She messed with his jacket and tussled his hair a bit before grabbing his hand and turning around, eyes meeting Nico's for the first time.

Nico's lips pressed into a tight line, something in the form of a smile was the final product. He nodded his head in a form of greeting, eyes casting down after a few seconds.

Drew wasn't sure on what to make of the boy. He was small, that was for sure, but she knew she knew him from somewhere, but she just couldn't place the face. But he definitely wasn't someone she would pair Will up with. He was too… plain.

"Well," she said awkwardly, turning towards Will, "we better get a move on. We don't want to be late."

And with one small glance Will made to Nico, they were out the door, leaving Nico behind in the apartment, hand falling from a wave.

Chapter Text

"Will."

Nothing.

"Will."

Nothing.

"Will!"

Will looked over at the sound of his name being yelled, meeting Drew's gaze with his own. His eyes were fogging, heavy as he looked her over before sending his gaze back to the window.

"William! My God, what is the matter?"

Will huffed, resting his head on the car window, his head banging ever so as the car went over bumps.

"Nothing, just…" He took a sigh, closing his eyes as he looked ahead, stretching his back and leaning back in his seat.

"You sure?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle, a caring undertone caressing her words.

"Yup," Will replied, sniffing and stiffing.

Drew wanted to press but she knew it was best if she didn't. She didn't want to make him even more pissed off than he already was. It wasn't her fault, it truly wasn't, but Will was making her out to be a bad guy. She wasn't the one to suggest this, but she was caught in the middle just as much as he was.

But what made it worse was that no one ever saw her side. She had all the blame thrown on her when she was just as guilty as Will was with this entire ordeal.

So now she sat next to the handsome Actor on their way to an interview.

When the car came to a stop, the two got out and headed into the building that was flooded with paparazzi. With award show season already underway and in full swing, it wasn't uncommon for the media to try and swipe in for the insights on any of the nominees.

Will resisted the urge to push his sunglasses more on his face, to help and hide himself from the world. Walking with Drew made him feel as if he was living one giant lie, one that he couldn't run away from no matter how hard he tried.

It was as if this was now part of who he is. And if a time comes around that he and Drew can drop the act, how would he be able to walk away from it? He never could, and not with Nico by his side, that much he knew.

How could he? How could he continue everything when - and after - all this passes with Nico by his side and not have everything about his life ripped apart and spread out in front of the entire world? He knew that Drew wasn't to fault, he really did, and he didn't want to her to have to carry the weight of it all. She was a nice girl. She was kind, funny, and smart, and talented. Will couldn't drag this girl down.

But if after the thing with Drew ends, how will he not drag her down with Nico by his side? In this industry, they tare apart everything you do, they take the truth and twist it around in every which way, ripping you out of your place. And adding Nico to the equation would only make matters worse.

He cared for him, oh did he care for him. He loved waking up next to him in the morning, and rolling over in the middle of the night to find him resting peacefully just a few inches beside him. He loved coming home from a long day and having his bright smile greeting him. He loved how passionate he was about everything he did, to writing to simply going on and on about his favourite movie. Will loved it all, but where everything stood, something had to change.

When Will reached the room him and Drew were supposed to meet everyone at, Lou Ellen was standing by the door, waiting for the duo.

"'Bout time," she spoke more to the ground before huffing and walking into the room with the two of them.

"Sorry, it was this one's fault we're late," Drew said, throwing her thumb in Will's direction.

Lou sighed, shaking her head in that knowing notion.

"Well, at least you two are here now." She turned to the two of them, giving them the run down. "Alright, so it's going to be a simple rundown about the show and what's it's about from your view. They may ask you two about your personal life, and Will, she might get to you about the awards. Just try to stay on topic and don't give too much away."

With a nod from the two of them, they headed off to get set up.

Will was a mess, mentally, when they were hooking a mic on his shirt. He kept spacing out, his mind kept wondering to nowhere. It became a slow blur as he made his way in front of the camera. It wasn't until the interviewer started to speak to them did he pull himself out of his own world.

"So, with the show becoming an overnight hit, what do you think its future looks like?"

"Well, it's just great that the fans are enjoying it. If it wasn't for them, there wouldn't even be a future..."

After a few more questions surrounding the show and how its been doing, the interviewer leaned in closer, her eyes becoming more serious.

"Okay, now, let's be real. Let's talk about what everyone really wants to hear about. So, you two are a couple, how did that happen?"

Will held his breath unsure of how to really respond to it. How did their fake relationship start? Should he tell the truth and let everything be? Was he allowed to do that?

"It was so romantic," Drew spoke up, putting her hand on Will's knee. "At first we would just hang out after filming, you know, talking and getting to know each other, then one day, he grabs my hand and places it over his heart, and I could feel his heart pounding. I was so nervous, but so was he!"

Drew went on and on, making up more features of their relationship, things that he had never even heard of. He was going to allow Drew to take control until the interviewer pulled him from his thoughts.

"So, Will, when was the first time you realized you liked Drew?" she asked him, leaning in and dropping her voice ever so slightly.

Will thought about it. He could give the truth of the first impression of Drew he got when he met her. It wouldn't have been as sweet and romantic as the lie she had conjured up, but at least it would have been the truth. Then again, lying would be much easier.

As he was trying to fine his words, something came out of him, something he hadn't spoken before.

"Well, I guess I had been looking, but not really seeing. I knew that I carried feelings, but it wasn't until I saw her, sitting there with the sun hitting her face at the exact angle I had seen all those times before. The way it bounced off her hair, the way it framed her face, and the way it brought her eyes to life. Dancing in the late setting sun. I guess it wasn't until I saw what was in front of me all those times did I truly see what was in front of me the entire time. I guess then was the moment I realized I had fallen too deep."

Will thought over the words, making sure each word that came out made sense to the context, but speaking them like that, that was something he never thought he would. It felt so wrong to say it out loud that way, the way that it never happened – yet it did. Everything he spoke was true, there was just one small difference between what he said and what was meant – the person it was about.

…

"Wow, I didn't know you could come up with such cover with so little time," Lou said to the pair as they left the interview. Will was silent as they went about, only ever half hearing.

"Yeah, I thought things were going to go down hill really fast," Drew added on, her smile only slightly forced.

"Oh totally. And the amount of emotion you put into it, very convincing."

It wasn't much, but words were racing in Will's mind at a million miles a second, bouncing from side to side. From all the action tearing apart his thoughts, his head became numb, a dull buzz to distract him ever so slightly.

As they made their way, something snapped in Drew, something that Will didn't see. If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed. She looked over at him, with a pained look only visible in her eyes, face stoic. Something ice cold ignited within her, something that could not be described.

She looked away from the blonde, only to take a deep breath in and faced the light of day.

…

"When are you going to be home?" Nico asked over the phone, voice heavy.

"I'm just finishing up here and I'll be there shortly. Need me to pick anything up?" Will asked, phone pinned between his shoulder and his ear. He was looking over at Lou whom was looking over papers with a hardened look on her face.

"I don't need anything."

"Let me rephrase that, do you want anything while I'm out."

Will heard a loud, exhausted sigh from the other end, and smiled.

"I'm good Will, you don't need to pick me up anything."

"Are you sure?" Will asked, changing which ear the phone was pressed against.

"I'm sure, just… be safe."

"Always."

Will could hear Nico's breath lighten, a smile probably passing his face.

"See you when I get home."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Will ended the call with a sigh. He laid his head on the table, resting his arms around his to drown out the light. He was exhausted.

"Nico?" Lou asked, not removing her gaze from the papers in her hand.

Will made a noise in the back of his throat, too tired to make an audible response. Lou Ellen took that was a 'yes', and carried on, not bringing the boy up when Drew came back to the table, setting her bag beside her on the table.

"We should finish up here quite soon," she insisted, fixing her hair ever so slightly.

"That's a good idea, don't want it to get too late, now don't we?"

Both girls agreed and were about to get up when Will's head sprung up, and startled both Lou and Drew.

"Hey, you think we can stop somewhere on our way back?"

…

Nico hadn't been able to sleep. He was tossing every night, and when he managed to doze off on the couch, he would be startled awake. If he wasn't physically tired, he was emotionally – mentally.

Everything was starting to take its toll on him. He had to finish the book he was working on as fast as he could, but no matter how hard he tried, everything seemed to not come out right.

This book was simple, in a sense. It was about several characters that, as they go along their way, they would get killed, and the perspective changes to the killer's. It was more of a dystopian future society, and he was pumped to start on it. It was meant to come full around with a friend of the first main character that she ends up meeting randomly and is vaguely mentioned ends up being the one to kill the final main character.

It was stressful, making sure everything lined up just right. And with everything going on, Reyna was trying her best to make things business-wise less stressful.

Nico found himself staring at the blank wall more times then not. He would zone out, and forget to eat. The days dragged out long, but hazed together into a giant blur. He was trying his best, but things kept pilling up on him and he wasn't sure if he could handle it.

He was tried and stressed after the small call with Will. He knew it was stupid to feel the way he did, but with everything happening, it seemed to magnify them tenfold. He wanted to cry, to scream, but at the same time he wanted to be cuddled and cared for and fussed over; he wanted nothing more than to be loved.

But he knew that wasn't going to happen.

It was a few hours before Will came home. He wasn't late, but he was cutting it close. Nico was in a daze, staring at a blank file open on his computer when Will walked through the door. He almost missed it all together.

When he turned, he saw the heaviness on Will, seeming as if it was dragging him down. He smiled at the blonde, but before he could say anything, Will's arms were wrapped around his torso, holding him tight. Will's head rested on his shoulder, hair falling everywhere.

Nico relaxed into the touch, into the smell, into the welcoming feeling. He was about to speak again when Will raised a single flower and held it in front if Nico. A single black rose sent a calming smile creeping on his face, a light dust covering his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Will muttered, his voice almost lost in Nico's shoulder.

"For what?" he asked, unsure of what his boyfriend had done.

There was a small pause before Will spoke again. "For everything."

And though it didn't fix everything, Nico felt a calming wave crash over him, flooding him with self-doubt. Something inside of Nico that was trying so hard to hang on, something so fragile, snapped. Something meant to be held together, broke.

Chapter Text

"I can't wait!" Nico cheered as he jumped up and down.

Will could only smile at his tiny boyfriend as he got excited. It was the first time in a while that he saw a genuine smile on his face, nothing forced. It was relaxed, calmed, and nothing made Will happier than seeing Nico just as happy.

The date for the Oscars was approaching, and fast. One Last Hero was nominated for several awards, something that was quite unusual for the genre that it was located in. Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Makeup, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, and several others including cast being nominated for their acting roles and Best Original Score.

Will had been nominated for his role as Nate Castiline for Best Actor, and he had been pumped. Nico also couldn't help but crack a smile every time he thought about it. This was going to quite a special time for either side; Will with his first Academy nomination, and Nico with having his original works being turned into such a work of art.

This would be a moment of joy with no interruptions for both men. They could finally enjoy one another in such a wondrous occasion. For either side, this held more than just the surface reason of importance, it was almost a recall to how they had first met. A symbol to both of them that was held silent.

For them, nothing could ruin it, well, almost nothing.

Nico jumped backwards on the bed, bouncing with his arms sprawled out. Will watched him with an amused smile. Will decided on joining him, bouncing beside him, pulling the smaller man into his arms as they laid still on the bed, his breath heavy.

Nico tried to protest, but as the blonde's warmth sunk into him, calming him; he found himself in a relaxed state. They laid there, the sound of heavy breath hanging dimly in the air. Only the soft sound of rustling broke the warming silence.

Nico sat up in the bed, looking down at the blonde that still laid on the bed. Nico's arm supporting him as he leaned on it, his head resting ever-so-slightly, tilting that resulted in his hair falling softly over his face, framing it. Nico stared into those piercing eyes, finding himself lost in the sight. Will's shirt rose only barely above hip bones, exposing them. His lips open just enough to let air pass through them. The blue in his eyes hiding slightly from the way they were half-lidded, relaxed.

Will raised an arm, slowing cupping Nico's face, caressing his cheek and stroking his cheekbone with his thumb. The way Nico looked at the very moment was something that Will could never find words to describe. But he tried.

"I-"

His thought was interrupted when his cellphone went off, ringing in the distance. Nico gave him a pleading look, bagging him not to get up and answer it, but the longer it rang, the more it bugged him.

"I'm sorry," Will mumbled as he sat up, his hand dropping from his boyfriend's cheek.

He walked out of the room, his steps hesitant.

Nico sighed, letting his weight fall under himself, collapsing on the bed with a soft thud.

Will reached down to pick up his phone as it came to its final ring, answering it and bringing it up to his ear.

"Hello," he said, not checking the caller ID, regretting it only moments later.

"Hey, Will," Lou Ellen's voice came from the other side.

Will could feel his body tensing, not knowing if this call would be good or bad, but with his recent luck, he wasn't holding his breath for anything good.

"What do you want?" he asked bluntly, his voice almost cold in tone.

"You don't sound happy to hear from me."

"Should I?"

"Well," her voice came, a sigh almost audible from the other side.

"No," Will said, his voice stern, almost ready to hang up with her with the drop of a hat.

"Will, I haven't even said anything yet."

"You don't need to say anything; I know what you're going to say."

Will tried to keep his voice down, but it was no use. Nico hobbled off of the bed and stood in the door frame, watching Will's features become harder, stiffer. He wanted to say something, but watching the blonde get angry and frustrated was almost scary at times.

Will was pacing within a foot radius of where he stood. He would stop, standing still; ridged.

"C'mon, Will, you have to hear me out-"

"Lou, if you don't have anything nice to say like, 'you have a job offer!' or 'this magazine wants you to model for them!', then I don't want to hear from you."

Nico almost flinched at the sharpness in his voice, the piercing tone cutting like ice.

"Will, stop acting like this and listen to me." Her voice was stern, but Will was ready to put up a fight.

"No, you listen to me, Lou-"

"Will!'

Will went silent, every muscle strained from the pressure he was unknowingly putting on them.

"Will," she tried again, her voice softening, but the end of each word leaving a sting. "I am sorry, but you and Drew – "

Nico watched as his boyfriend's body become ice-hot. He had relaxed, but not in a relaxing way. It was hard to explain, but when he got to a certain level of anger, something ice-hot would over come him. He would seem calm to the untrained eye, but Nico had seen this before, but only once.

Will would become someone else. The shine in his eyes would dull, his voice low, but deadly. Nico actually got scare of the blonde for the first time in his life when he saw him slip into that state of mind. What ever Lou had told him, pushed him over the edge of the cliff and held his head underwater.

Nico could feel his knuckles begin to hurt, turning white from gripping the side of the door for too long and too hard.

"Lou,"  Will said, his voice threatening and deep.

Nico didn't know what Lou had or was saying, but everything slowly got worse, and Nico could feel his heart drop. He wasn't stupid. He knew why Will was angry, but he had held on to one good thing through this storm of disaster. He could feel all air leave his body, his heart being kicked into his throat, his stomach suddenly feeling sick.

Even though he saw Will trying to defend him from whatever angle he was using, it was as if the final string was braking. The last cord had been cut. A feeling that resided in the back of his throat suddenly became much more noticeable, becoming harder to ignore.

Nico felt his ears becoming hot, his head pounding as all his senses slowly turned numb. Will's voice fuzzed out, as if Nico was hearing him through a telephone, slowly going back in time, until it was drowned out by an internal ringing.

It felt like hours had passed when Will hung up, staring at his phone for a moment before throwing it on couch. His breath was heavy, coming out in sporadic breaths.

"Fuck!" he yelled, but Nico didn't hear it.

Will kicked the couch, not able to feel the pain with the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

When Will calmed down enough to face the man behind him, he did so, running his hands through his hair aggressively.

"Nico," he started, trying to keep his voice under control.

"No." Will looked up to truly see him. He was slouched in on himself, but he didn't look small.

"Nico," Will tried again, his voice slightly gentler.

"No!" Nico snapped, his voice was hard.

When Will's eyes met his, Will could see him fully. He wasn't small, but he looked defenseless. He looked kicked. His eyes were red, tears starting to fill in them. Will didn't know what had come over him, but something in him snapped as well. The stress fully taking him over, and sadly Nico was on the receiving end.

Will took a step forward, completely unaware of his current mental state. If Nico hadn't also been running on stress and pent up rage, he would have been terrified.

"God, don't even say it!" Nico's voice was shaking, his knuckles white as he clenched them tightly into fists.

"What? What do you want me to do?!" Will shot back, his voice unnaturally steady.

"You could try turning her down!" Nico yelled back, face red with anger.

"What the hell do you think I was trying to do?!"

Tears were starting to break free from Nico's eyes, streaking down his face. "I feel like you don't see how hard this is on me!"

"Oh yeah?" Will asked sarcastically, voice threatening.

"Yeah! I have to go around as if none of this is a problem to me! I can't even tell anyone that I'm going out with you because of all of this!"

"And neither can I!" Will spat back. "You think I want the entire world to think I like Drew? That I'm going out with her?!"

"Well, it seems like the entire world loves the thought of you two together!"

"At least the entire world leaves you alone! At least you can go out in public and not be swarmed by paparazzi and fans, screaming at you!"

"You know what I have to deal with? Everyday, all I hear from everyone is nothing but how perfect you are! How flawless you are, and how you and Drew were made for each other! And you know what? I can't say a damn fucking thing back! I can't tell anyone anything because I have to pretend as if I have no clue who you are!" Nico's voice was no longer stable. It cracked on almost ever word, his face streaming with tears that refused to stay put. "I can't keep going like this!"

"And how do you think I feel about this?!"

The silence hung heavily over the apartment, only the faint sound of ringing and heavy breathing was heard. Nico shook his head, adverting his eyes, and stared at the ground before walking away with heavy steps. He grabbed his phone off of the kitchen counter and put on his shoes.

"Wait," Will tried, but Nico just ignored him, not looking back as he opened the door, slamming it behind him.

Will stood there, by himself in the middle of the room. The sound of the door slamming echoed throughout the apartment. After a few moments, Will kicked the couch again cursing loudly.

"Fuck!"

…..

Reyna sighed when she opened her door. Nico looked awful, his face and eyes were red, he looked like a kicked puppy. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she stepped out of the way, allowing the smaller man to step through the door.

Reyna's two dogs, Argentum and Aurum, sniffed him as he walked in; Nico's head down. He went straight into the living room and flopped on the couch, Reyna following in shortly after. She sat on the other couch, petting Aurum as he put his nose on her lap.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

Nico made a sound at the back of his throat, muffled by the couch as he was laying face-first. Reyna sighed as she rubbed the back of her neck.

The stayed like that for a while before Reyna got up and placed a blanked over top of Nico whom had fallen asleep some time ago. She knew this was probably going to go on for awhile, so she got up, straightened around the house quickly before heading off to bed.

Before she left the living room for the last time that night, she poured him a glass of water and put it on the table in front of the couch. She didn't know what happened, but she could guess.

Chapter Text

By Friday night, Reyna stood in the door way of the living room with her arms crossed over her chest. Her mouth was a hard line, face stern. It had been days since Nico showed up at her doorstep, tears streaking down his face. Snow dusted his face, proving that he had walked all the way to her house.

She was his friend; best friend, really. But watching him go though this was hard, especially when she saw this coming from a mile away. It was hard for her, so she knew that Nico had it harder.

He still laid on the couch, only just recently being able to sit up and not lay face first. He sat up, hugging a pillow that Reyna had given him a few days earlier. The T.V. flashed on, but none of the shows fazed him. Nico stared absentmindedly at the moving pictures, eyes half lidded.

By now, Reyna had had enough of Nico acting like this. She knew it would take time, but if she didn't force something out of him, he would continue to mope around till someone did something.

With a heavy sigh, she made her way over to the other couch, her two dogs following at her heel. She waited for a few seconds quietly, but when Nico didn't respond to her presence, she straightened her back and took a deep breath in.

"Nico," she said firmly. When Nico didn't reply or even turn to face her, she sighed and tried again. "Nico."

When silence fell over her response, she got up, grabbed the remote from off of the table, and turned off the television. Nico turned to her, his face confused.

"Hey…"

"Nico, we need to talk," Reyna told him as she made her way back to the couch. She sat down, both dogs standing on either side of her feet.

"About what?" he asked, setting his hand on the nose of Aurum when he made his way over and sat where his feet should have been.

"About all of this," she started, softly. "For starters, how are you?"

Nico was silent for a few moments; an empty buzz rang through the air. He adverted his eyes downwards, not meeting her eyes.

"I don't know really," he spoke quietly.

"What happened?"

"I – um… We got into a fight, sort of," Nico admitted. He fiddled with his hands in his lap before looking up to meet Reyna's gaze. "It was kind of stupid, but…"

Reyna knew she shouldn't press on anymore. She thought about what she was going to say next, thinking over the questioned that flooded her mind.

"What are you going to do about Sunday?" she asked, hands folded neatly in her lap.

Nico's became wide and he looked away, not wanting to know himself.

"You know," she continued, "you still technically have a ticket to it."

Nico examined his nails, as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. He knew that he could go to the award show if he wanted to, but did he even want to? It was a huge moment in his life, but was he even feeling up for it? Will would be there – but he would be there with Drew. And at this moment, he wasn't even sure where he and Will stood with one another.

He had walked out on him – stormed out, slamming the door behind him without even looking back. And he once again pushed him back to be with Drew. Now, he knew that it wasn't a hundred percent Will's fault, but it has gotten to the point in which he had had enough. Will had been allowing this to go on this long, and he was getting fed up with it.

He felt guilty for doing so, but something pained at him, telling him that it was the right thing to do.

"Nico, don't think of it with all the negatives, but think of it as going to see your work being appreciated. One Last Hero is one of the most nominated films ever, and don't you dare think for a second that none of that matters because of what is going on. This movie is proof of everything you've gone through and how far you've come. Now, if you personally want to go to support the movie, then fucking go, because I'm not allowing you to mope around on my couch unless you at least try and be happy."

Nico just stared at her. She was right, this movie meant a lot to him, and he wasn't about to let some things get in the way of something that. He took a deep breath in and looked at her.

When Nico looked her in the eyes the way he did, she knew she had won. She wasn't just going to let her friend sit around and feel sorry for himself.

…

Will stood in front of the mirror, pulling his tie in all directions. He was never good at ties, so he would always leave it till the end. Nico had helped him, but now that he was gone…

He tried not to think of it when Drew came up beside him, leaning into his side.

"You look… wow," she said, her eyes examined him up and down. He gave a weak smile, but went back to looking in the mirror.

He fussed with it again, messing it up even more. Drew sighed before turning him to face her, fixing his tie.

"There," she said, tapping his tie in place when she was done. She leaned her head on his shoulder, arms wrapped around him. She smiled as she looked at the two of them in the mirror.

"Look at us," she spoke, a smile never leaving her face. She took out her phone and raised it in front of their faces, taking a photo of the two of them. She fiddled with her phone before putting it in her coat pocket.

Her dress was floor length, a deep magenta in colour. It hugged her body, slimming her waist. A slit showed her left leg as it started just above her hip, just covering enough to not show anything unwanted. The top twisted around, wrapping around her neck and tying in the back, extra fabric draping her back, swishing as she walked.

Will thought she looked beautiful, but he wasn't into it. His mind was somewhere else, feeling as if he was separate from his body. Something about this continued to feel even more wrong as time slowly slipped away.

When Lou Ellen was done talking on the phone, she came over to the two of them, going through her phone before putting it in her pocket.

"Alright, just got off of the phone with the producer; Will, you'll go to the pre-show interview accompanied by Drew. After that, straight to the red carpet. You'll get there two hours early, so just in case the reporters ask you questions, something that is most likely going to occur."

Drew and Lou went on talking, discussing plans as Will went through his phone. He found his fingers breathing over Nico's contact information. He wanted to type something, anything, but the more he tried, the more his fingers refused to move.

With a shake of his head, he shoved his phone back into his pocket, trying to clear his mind. He looked over at the two women. He didn't know what to feel, if he felt anything at all. Everything was moving too fast for him.

…

Nico continued moving his hair back and forth, unable to settle on a hair style. He fumbled with it before aggressively messing it up, leaving it going in ever direction. He sighed before heading out of Reyna's bathroom.

"You ready?" Reyna asked, holding her clutch in her hand, pushing a strand of hair behind her hair.

Nico knew that Reyna was pretty but the way she looked tonight was indescribable. With a light lavender strapless dress that hugged her torso and the upper half of her thigh, she shined in the simple light. Her hair was thrown into a messy braid, strands loosely hanging and framing her face.

"I didn't know you owned a pair of heels," Nico said, half joking.

Reyna rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her hip. "Ha ha, very funny."

Nico only smiled gently at her, shaking his head as he pushed a strand of hair out of his face.

"You really going out like that?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"What?" he asked, confusedly.

Reyna shook her head, laughing. "It's great to see you happy again."

Nico looked at her, unsure of what she meant by that. When he asked, she only waved him off and started to head towards the door.

"C'mon," she said, "We're going to be late."

"Late? Its almost three hours to!" Nico yelled as he chased after her, rushing to put on his shoes.

….

"So, Will, what are your expectations for the awards?"

"Well," he started, straightening his back in the chair, "I'm not sure on how it's going to go specifically, but I'm hoping for the best."

"And you Drew?" the reporter asked.

"To be honest, I'm quiet excited for all of the performances," she said, breaking out into a face of smiles and slight giggles. "It's a very stressful night, so watching all of the performances really helps take the edge off. I know that Will has been very stressed recently with everything going on, so it'll be nice to relax a little." She grabbed Will's hand, squeezing it gently.

Will took a deep breath in, trying to keep his feelings under check, but it was getting harder. He could come out right now, in both ways. He could tell the world that everything had been a lie, but where would that get him? What would happen to him if he did? Would Nico even forgive him? Would he be able to get over everything that had happened, would they get over their fight and go back to how they were before all of this?

Will didn't know, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

"So how have you been handling all of this?"

"To be honest, I'm not too sure I am."

Will was being serious, but the others just laughed it off as a joke.

….

Nico wasn't expecting all the flashing lights when he stepped out of the car. Why would he? He technically had almost nothing to do with the movie, other than writing the book it was based on. But here he was, standing admits the flashing lights as they came down on him.

Reyna followed behind him as he walked down, people shouting questions left and right at him.

"Nico! – Augustine! – N.D. Augustine!"

Shouting came from several reporters, shouting at him all sorts of questions. He was almost in shocked by the amount of people that actually wanted to interview him that he didn't know what to do or where to start.

He slowly made his way over to where reporters were yelling at him. There were other actors and nominees that were talking to reporters and walking along the red carpets that he didn't feel too weird about it.

"Mr. Augustine-"

"Nico – Nico is fine."

"Nico," the reporter said instead, "so how do you feel about all the nominations for the film?"

Nico scratched the back of his neck before answering. "It's quite incredible, actually. If someone would have told me that my book would have been turned into a movie and was this popular, I wouldn't have believed them."

"So what do you think the next step is for you?"

"Well, I'm currently working on a new book, and with Side Friend being in the works, we'll just have to wait and see."

"Personally, I'm excited for the new movie, I've read it at least four times in the last month, are you going to be working on the movie this time?" the reporter asked.

"I don't know how much I'll be on the project, seeing as nothing bad happened with One Last Hero," Nico laughed gently, being joined in by the reporter. "I know I'll be on set for sure, going over things during filming, but that's all I know as of yet."

"Now, I know we are a little off topic of the awards, but do you have any personal choices for casting?"

"Not that I can say, but I know with the last casting that the director won't let me or the fans down."

"Personally, Luke Castellan would be an excellent choice for Noah," the reported admitted, laughing.

Nico nodded his head with a smile finding his face. "With a little hair work and contacts, he would be a good choice."

The two went on, discussing their views on the book and on the awards till Nico had to continue on, talking with a few more reporters, finding it easier to joke around the more he talked. The nerves were leaving him, and so was the empty feeling that had buried its way into his chest.

As he was talking with one more reporter, discussing their predictions of the awards, out of the corner of Nico's eyes, he noticed someone. The familiar blonde hair ruffled in the wind, framing his face in that perfect way it did. Nico was about to walk away, to leave the interviewer where he stood, by himself. He was about to walk over to Will and apologize for everything he had done and said, but when Drew stepped out from behind him, hooking her arm around his and leaning into him, his heart sank.

Nico could feel anger swelling up inside him, he could feel the empty feeling inside him coming back, refusing to let go. He felt like crying, but he knew he couldn't. Nico let the emptiness consume him, he felt his entire body become numb.

…..

Just as he stepped onto the red carpet, Drew attached to his side, refusing to let go. He wasn't sure how he felt being here with Drew, but he couldn't let that drag him down. This was an exciting night for him, and it shouldn't matter whom he was here with, he was here with people who supported him. And that was all that mattered, right?

He was just getting into the right mind set when off in the distance, he thought he saw…

No, he couldn't have, could he? The harder he looked, the more he wanted to deny it, but when the man turned to face him, locking eye sight, he knew he was right. Nico was here already, standing just a few feet away from him. Enough that he could take a few long strides – run over to him, pull him in, and tell him how sorry he was.

They hadn't talked since Nico walked out on him, since the fight. And seeing him again, it sent a wave of guilt and relief flooding him, all at the same time. He was ready to shrug away Drew when Nico turned from him and continued to walk away.

Will knew he had spotted him, and it made his heart drop. Did he really not want anything to do with him? Will wanted to run up to him, to take him in his arms. He wanted to. But he couldn't. He didn't know if he ever could. And seeing Nico walk away from him, he felt like he had just gotten his answer.

With a heavy heart, Drew and him continued on, stopping to talk to reporters and half their picture taken by hundreds of cameras. When the reached the final steps, Will and Drew walked into the Theatre together.

Chapter Text

"You okay?"

Nico jumped slightly in his seat, not expecting Reyna to speak. He turned to her, freshly out of deep thought.

"Huh?"

"You okay?" she asked again, eyes full of concern. She brushed her finger gently under his eye. "You're crying."

Nico blinked a few times, eyes wide, then he wiped his own eyes. He didn't realise how much he had ended up crying. The more he wiped, the more his hands got wet.

"What the…"

"Nico…"

"I'm fine," Nico cut her off, facing forwards

Reyna gave him a look of pity, looking him over before turning away, facing the sea of people.

The Academy Awards were about to start and everyone was getting in their places. Reyna wanted to push, but she knew that it wouldn't be the best thing, the timing wasn't exactly right. She decided to wait, see where things went, and if something happened, then she would intervene.

….

When Will and Drew found their spot, second row from the front and off to the left side, they sat down and Will relaxed ever so slightly. For him, this night was a momentous occasion; he was nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards, not everyone could say that. But it also had a sour-sweet ending to it. The person beside him wasn't the one he wanted to enjoy this moment with. Instead, he had to live a lie.

When he looked over at his friend beside him, she met his eye and smiled. Drew reached out to grab his hand to calm him, but he shook it away. He turned his head away from her while her face fell. Drew's hand retreated away and landed on her lap.

She knew what all of this meant. She knew it had to come to an end, but somewhere deep inside she didn't want it to end - she didn't want this facade to end. Drew knew that when it came to an end, it could come crashing down from the thousand-foot high lie they stacked up.

Of course, when it was over, Will would go back to his boyfriend. But somewhere in the back of Drew's mind she almost hoped that the fight between them would stay so that there would be no "boyfriend" for him to fall back on.

Every since the first day of production, Drew had an interest in Will. The way he carried himself was the first thing that drew him to her. The passion in his eyes was the next; he would carry out every day as if it was his last, making sure every inch that could be covered, was.

It hurt, yes, but she was going to ride this out until the end, until there is absolutely no going back.

As she looked over at Will, his eyes were glassy. She wanted desperately to reach out and grab his hands, to tell him everything would be fine, that they would make up, that he would win and this night would be the best thing for him. But something selfish restricted her. It grabbed her hand and held it back, preventing her from telling him.

Drew was his friend, but in his moment of weakness, she couldn't even be that, much less his "girlfriend".

…..

As the awards drifted on, the night carried on with laughter and tears of joy. One Last Hero had taken home several awards already and the time ticking down until the actors' awards dragged on with tough tension.

Throughout the night they would announce the nominees for Best Picture, each coming in pairs. When mentioned, One Last Hero was listed beside a romantic movie also based off of a book, The Season of Longing. One of the award presenters announced the two movies and a small snippet was shown.

"And next is a story of true heroism under impossible standards. When faced with a challenge that could leave both him and his friends in grave danger, Nate Castiline fines that you should never underestimate the true hold that fear has on oneself," she finishes saying as attention turns on to the screen behind her where a clip of the movie was being shown.

"K.C.,"  Will's voice was shaky as the camera panned on his face, full of dirt and blood.

"I can't keep doing this!" Annabeth's character screamed back at the blonde, only to flinch back when Will's character slapped her across the face, leaving her dazed.

"Calm down!"

"How can I be calm! Th-theres so m-much b-blood!" she screamed back, voice horse and rough, barely coming out at all. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to figure out on if she should whipe them, her hands stained with her best friend's blood.

Piper's characters laid motionless covered in her own blood, gashes all on her face, her muscles in a spastic war with each other. Will had to claw Annabeth off of her co-star's body, screams of protest echoing through the theatre.

The screen went black after a few more seconds of cries, but as soon as it turned off, the camera turned on to the Director, who smiled and whispered something over to his date.

As Nico watched it, a new wave of emotions washed over him. Reyna had offered several times over and over again to let him leave, but each time he denied, stating that he would be fine, but here he was, fighting back tears that threatened to break.

It wasn't longer until another break would show, and Reyna knew she had to do something.

…..

Sobs and hiccups echoed through a hallway, slowly turning into soft whimpers after a few minutes. Reyna took in a deep breath and let out a sigh as she rubbed her friends back.

"You wanna go?" she asked, voice soft.

The dark-haired boy just shook his head, yet buried it into her chest. She sighed again as she stayed with him until the last possible moment.

As the theatre started filling up, the orchestra signalling the start of the awards again filling the air, Reyna nudged Nico, nodding her head in the direction of the door when he peered his head up. He wiped his eyes and nodded, walking back into the theatre and taking their seats in the balcony.

….

"… The nominees for Best Actor are…"

Will held his breath as he heard those words being spoke. His heart sped up, his palms sweaty. He was about to reach out and grab the hand beside him, hold it tight and close in his hand, but then a flash of reality hit him back at full force, knocking his heart into his throat. Drew looked at him with warm, welcoming eyes. She flashed him a reassuring smile before taking his hand in her. And for the first time, he didn't flinch.

When he felt her soft, tiny hands in his, he didn't have the sudden urge to pull away. They felt welcoming. He felt his heart clam as he took a deep breath, returning the smile back to her.

It was a feeling his wasn't used to, but he didn't want to fight it. He let it happen, and for a split second, he could almost see himself with her, if a future with Nico didn't exist. He could see her calming presence welcoming him home after a long day of work. For a brief moment, a future where Nico left him for good didn't seem too far away and didn't seem as bad as it could be.

"… Will Solace in One Last Hero…"

A clip from the movie appeared on the screen, a close up on Will's face. His eye darted back and forth in a frantic search. A deep sigh left his lips as he closed his eyes.

"Alright, I-I just – I just… I need a break, a breather," he mumbled as he wandered around, stumbling on a rock, tripping down. He laid there, jaw clenched and shaky. He continued to mumble as his eye went crossed.

"Nate!" a distant scream came from one of the character, drowned out by an ear-ringing note.

"I-I hear it, it – it screaming… screaming,"  he continued to mumbled until the ringing was all that could be heard. He put his hands over his ears, a look of pain over coming his face. He sat up and screamed, eyes red. It lasted for a whole fifteen seconds until he fell back down and the screen went black.

The theatre erupted in applause and the close-up camera turned to Will. He was still looking at the screen that had just went blank. He smiled after a few seconds of delay, then turned to the camera, laughing almost uncomfortably.

They showed a few more actor reels of their part that they were nominated for until the actor presenting the award lifted the envelope up to open it. The theatre went dead silent, anticipation hung in ever corner.

Drew took a deep breath and gripped Will's hand with a soft smile that she showed him. Will found comfort in it.

"And the winner is," the actor said, dragging his words out as he opened the envelope. Everyone held their breath as the sound of the envelope crinkled under the presence of his fingers.

"…"

The crowd erupted in applause as the winner was announced. Will stood up clapping his hands as others did the same. Drew had a look of pity on her face as she looked over at the blonde. She wanted to reach out and take his hand one more time, but he didn't seem fazed by the loss.

She clapped along, keeping a watch on him from the corner of her eye.

Will even surprised himself with the way he felt after losing. He thought he would be devastated, but here he was, barely fazed. If anything, this wasn't as big of a loss as others. If it were under different circumstances, he might have felt upset, but at this moment, everything was covered in a numbing haze.

…..

By the time the cheers had died down, they continued on with the last category: Best Picture. Nico himself was still stunned by Will's loss. He strongly believed that he would win, that he would…

But that didn't matter to him now, he couldn't let it. He just had to focus on what was happening.

A new actress took the stage, an envelope in hand as she went through the six movies nominated for Best Picture. She named off a few dramas, listing the movie that was introduced alongside One Last Hero as it also got listed, a thunderous applause following. A "based on true events" movie finished off the list behind a retelling of a part of the holocaust.

Just like what had happened all night, she took her time opening the envelope as a heavy anticipation hung over the crowd. A pin could drop and it would echo throughout the entire theatre. Nico could feel his heart speed in his chest, refusing to slow down. His breath got caught in his throat as the seconds ticked on by.

When she got the envelope open and the piece of paper with the name of the movie out, she read it over before speaking into the mic, "And the winner is… One Last Hero!"

The theatre broke into a collective anarchy of cheers. People who worked on the movie stood up and hugged on another, endearing words whispered with light hearts.

Reyna wrapped her arms around her smaller, dark-haired friend and brought him into a deep hug. After he realised what she was doing, Nico hugged her back, his grip tight.

"I'm so proud of you!" she whispered to him, her voice full of sincerity. She was extremely proud of Nico in every sense of the word.

"Thank you," he managed to choke back as the Director of the film took the stage along side some of the other workers on the film such as the two Writers and the Producer.

"I would just like to thank everyone that made this possible," he started off, holding the award in his shaky, yet firm hand. "When we got the rights to this film, I knew I had to do everything in my power to make sure this film played just to the book. I'd like to thank the studio for believing in this project, and to all the fans out there that stayed dedicated to this work and came out to support it, without you guys none of this could have been possible. I'd like to thank the cast and crew for being able to put it all together, they are all so talented and I wish I could give each and everyone of them this award; thank you Will for being such a great Nate, Annabeth for her work as K.C., and Percy and Jason, Leo and Piper, all of you are the best. And lastly, before I hand this mic over to Dave, I just want to say a huge thanks to the Writer of the book, N.D. Augustine, for creating such memorizing works of art. He is extremely talented and kind and I would like to say thank you again for allowing me to make your book into a movie as well as the newest one we are working on, Side Friend. Hopefully we can come back and take home another award for that one too! This awards for you, Augustine!"

Nico couldn't help it, he shot up from his seat and yelled in cheer. A slight laughed rumbled throughout the theatre as the Director heard and replied, "I love you, too!"

There was more cheering as Dave, one of the Writers, took the mic to say his thanks. Nico sat back down as the adrenaline flowed through his veins. He was beyond happy and nothing could ruin it.

….

"Honey, we are so proud of you!"  Nico's step-mom said enthusiastically on the other end of the phone. She had called as soon as Nico and Reyna stepped into the house.

"Thank you," he replied, giddy.

"Seriously, Son, we couldn't be more proud of you,"  his Father stepped in and spoke.

"Father, I didn't do anything, I just wrote the book," Nico tried to justify, but the smile obvious in his voice wasn't helping his feeling or point.

"Nico, dear, just let us be proud of you and your book that got turned into a movie and won an Oscar for Best Picture. Without your work, none of it would have even happened." He knew his Step-Mother was right, so he let the words sink in even more.

"Thank you," he said again, this time genuine and soft.

"But it was so sad that Will didn't win in his category,"  his mother brought up and Nico could feel all positive feelings leaving him. "How is he, anyway?"

"Oh," Nico tried to figure out his own words, but failed and stumbled. He and his parents haven't exactly talked after him and Will… So they didn't exactly know what had happened. "He's good."

"It really is sad, he did such a wonderful job in the movie, I thought he had it."  Nico could tell his step-mother was genuine with her words, that she liked him. Nico didn't have the heart.

"Yeah, yeah he did," he replied with a meek voice.

"How much longer does Will have to fake this relationship with that girl?"  his Father chimed in, sounding almost demanding.

"Not much longer," Nico told him, whispering at the end, "hopefully."

"I really like that boy a lot," his step-mom spoke again, really hitting home what had happened only a few days ago.

The more his Step-Mother spoke, the more he missed Will. He knew he had to face him, and soon, but every time he found enough will to do it, it would leave moments later. He missed him, oh god did he miss him. He missed his disheveled hair that fell wherever it wanted. He missed his soft breathing as he slept, the way he would reach out for him in his sleep. He missed the sweet, caring kisses in the morning to the heavy, heated ones that followed late at night that left both of them breathless.

The blonde had quickly become his whole world, and here he was, being torn apart because of it.

…

"There he is," Katie spoke as she sat down at a table, setting a large coffee in front of the blonde, "boyfriend of the year – oh wait."

"Katie," Will groaned with his head resting on the table. "Please…"

"Hey, you brought this on your own," she replied innocently.

"You've been in contact with him?" Will asked, head raising only slightly.

"Well, he is a good friend of mine, so I'd say so." Will groaned, hitting his head on the table again. "Hey, if you do that again, you might spill the drink and I'll have to clean it, and I wont help you."

Will moaned, but complied. He did come to her for advise after what had happened two nights ago during the awards. But he knew that she was going to rip him apart for everything, but it had to happen.

"Alright, from what I've heard, I think you both are being stupid."

"Huh?" Will asked, confused,

"You both are over reacting, let's just get that out of the way," she started to explain. "Now, I'm going to explain this, so just listen till the end." When Will nodded, Katie continued. "So, Nico is being stupid because he's over reacting over the thing with you and Drew. But think of it like this; in this relationship that you and Drew have, he is your actual boyfriend and he gets treated last. And you're being stupid because you can't see why Nico is acting like this, but it's been in front of you the entire time.

"Will, when you ask him how he's feeling, you know he's lying. You know that he isn't okay with any of this. You know that he wants to be your boyfriend, not just when you're both alone, but when you're out in public. Will, he wants you to be there in both public and privet; he wants you to fight for him."

Will just sat in silence as she talked and for several minutes afterwards. Someone had said it, and now that it had been said, it was really starting to sink in. The truth hurt, but who did it truly hurt in the end?

"Well?"

Will looked up at the barista, mind raising.

"Do you understand now?"

"What am I supposed to say?"

"How you feel for starters?" Katie poked at him, taking a sip of her coffee.

Will was silent, staring at the cup in his hands.

"Will," Katie called to him, causing him to meet her eye. "How do you feel?"

"I don't know," he responded.

"How do you feel about him?"

"I like him, a lot. I really like Nico."

There was a shared silence on them that floated meekly.

"Do you love him?" Katie asked seriously, eyes never wavering.

Will stared back at her before taking a deep breath.

Chapter Text

"Nico, I don't want to hear you complain anymore," Reyna started, her hands crossed and on her hips. "You have to talk with Will."

Nico tried to plea, but the more he tried, the more Reyna turned him down. She was determined on getting the issue between the two men resolved. She saw how much it broke Nico up inside, so she was going to get them to talk it over, no matter what it takes.

Reyna took a deep breath in before relaxing in her posture. The lines on her face turned softer.

"Look, I know you don't want to, that you're not ready, but if you keep pushing it off, nothing will happen."

Nico knew Reyna was right, but how could he go back? After everything that had happened, he was the one that walked out, how could things ever go back to normal? Even if they did talk it out, nothing would ever be the same after all that had happened between them. How could they trust one another again?

Or could they? This was something that was bouncing around in his mind, something he found quite a bit during his time pondering. If they did get back together, would they trust each other? It wasn't that they didn't trust each other, it was because they couldn't understand what the other was thinking or feeling. Nico couldn't see the mental stress Will was under surrounding the publicity that followed with it and the nomination. But Will couldn't notice how much the entire ordeal broke Nico up inside. If was like neither of them could see out from behind their own mental barrier that had been created.

Would they be able to understand each other better? Be able to notice when the other was upset or uneasy? Every time Nico would find an answer to his own question, several more would appear and tear him down.

"I... I just..." Nico tried to string a line of words together, but came out empty handed. His mouth moved, as if trying to convince himself that he wasn't stalling mentally.

"Nico, the longer the wait, the harder it's going to be for the two of you."

Nico looked up to meet the stern look of his friend before looking away, unable to make eye contact.

"Just text him and tell him your coming over."

"I can't do that... I... I can't."

"Well, you're going over whether you like it or not because until you two talking it over, you can't stay here," Reyna threatened.

"But-"

"Okay?"

"But-"

"Okay?!"

Nico knew he was trapped into a corner, that he had no choice but to listen to her. He couldn't go home and admit to his parents that they were right, that was the whole reason he came to Reyna's in the beginning. He sat quietly on Reyna's couch, unsure on what to do or say. He knew what he had to do, but he couldn't.

Reyna looked over her younger friend one more time. He looked shrunken in on himself, and not just because of his posture. He hadn't been eating much the past few days, something Reyna had been annoyed with. Nico used to do that a lot in high school. He used to not eat for prolonged periods and had even fainted once. Just from the sight of him did she realize how much of a problem it had become and how urgent this whole ordeal needed to be fixed.

Just before she exited the room, she noticed his abandoned phone on the end table. It hadn't moved form that spot in days, and she doubted it would be touched any time soon.

Reyna dug around her own pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed a specific number before putting it up to her ear and listening to the dial tone, waiting for the person on the other side to pick up.

"Hello?" came a voice from the other side.

"Look" Reyna started with a serious tone, "I'm going to talk and you're not, got it? I'm sending Nico over for the two of you to talk it through. He's not allowed to leave until the two of you work out your problem, and that goes for you, too. I'm sick and tired of this pathetic fight, so you two better come to a conclusion soon."

The other line was silent. Both ends stayed that way for a while, neither of them talking for a good two minutes. When a deep sigh came from the other end of the line, Reyna did the same, but kept up composure.

"Okay," the voice replied, sounding tired.

"Good," was the last thing Reyna said before hanging up. She leaned on the wall and closed her eyes. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Reyna wiped her face, pulling it down along with her hand.

...

Nico stood at the door, unsure of what to do. Was it unlocked? Was he allowed to just walk in if so? And what if it is? He left his keys there when he left that night. He felt like a stranger at his own home.

With a deep breath, he turned the door nob and entered. It looked as if he hadn't even left. The same mess stayed where it was that day over almost two weeks ago. It was almost comforting, telling him that he could do this, but when he saw Will sitting on the couch, T.V. off and slouched over, holding his own hands, all the hope he had built up, left him in that moment. His hands threatened to shake as his legs did the same thing.

Will looked tired; he had bags under his eyes and his hair was unkept, even more than what was normal for him. His entire stature seemed shaken.

As Nico closed the door behind him, his shoes still on, Will looked over and noticed him, standing up vigorously. His movement seemed stiff, shaken, poorly rehearsed. Will stood there, looking at Nico who stood barely out of the door way. Will was tapping his fingers nervously at his side, his knee bagging to bounce. Every time he made eye contact, Will would break and look away, almost ashamed.

As Will looked over the smaller male, he noticed how much he had changed physically. His skin was pale, cheeks slightly hallow, sunken in, his clothes that once hugged his body hanged off of him. From a distance, there was no way he would have known, but now that he was an arm throw away, close enough to truly see him up close in the first time in weeks, it was obvious what he was going through.

When Will looked at him, it made him want to cry. It was his fault that he looked like that, something that should have never happened. Will remembered faintly hearing about Nico's high school days long ago, but what he thought was not this great in size. He thought a pound or two, maybe more, but looking at him now, he was starting to wonder if it was worse than what he imagined.

He wanted to step forwards, to wrap his arms around the smaller male standing in front of him, but he wasn't sure were their boundaries were set. So, in stead, he stood there, back stiff.

"Hi," was all Will could manage to say. His voice sounded almost dry, cracking.

"Hi," Nico replied, the tension high.

The two of them stood around awkwardly, neither of them knowing what to do or say. They knew they had to talk everything out, but how were they supposed to begin?

Nico stiffly made his was over to the couch and took a seat close to the arm as Will gingerly took the spot beside. Only the light whistle of the wind cracked the silence that had taken hold. It wasn't until the smallest cat jumped up on Nico's lap did the high strung atmosphere retreat ever so slightly.

"Hi," Nico cooed, a smile appearing on his face. It was almost forced, but soft nonetheless.

As Nico fluffed the top of the tiny cat's head, Will found the room to breathe, to convince himself that everything was as it was only weeks ago. He watched in awe as every problem he had seen on him melted away, as his hollow face became whole.

"You should have seen him yesterday; he was climbing up the walls and jumping from the bookcase."

"Were you being a pain in the ass?" Nico asked, voice soft.

It felt as if nothing had come between them, as if every argument they had ever had, never happened. But just as it came, it left, leaving the empty feeling feeling more like a hole that was ripped twice the original size. When the realization hit, it left a bigger impact. The two of them fell into silence as the petting motion slowed down to a stop, leaving the small cat to jump down in annoyance.

Nico and Will sat on opposite sides of the couch, silent as the faint chirp of birds started up again, the pipes creaking as water roared through them. The distance between them was only within a arms-length reach, but it felt like miles stood between them. The distance felt like the entire world was between them, cold and unfamiliar. It hurt to be so close, yet unable to reach out, to grab a hold. Out of everything they have been through, this hurt the most.

With the gap becoming increasing wider, how were they supposed to start?

The sun was starting to take its place behind the horizon, leaving the city in a heavenly glow of warm pastels. The faintest sound of breathing hovered through the air, lightly filling the emptiness with some sort of solace.

It wasn't long before the apartment was cascaded in a blanket of darkness, hiding the truth. Nico was currently out of a place to stay until him and Will talked things over, but they didn't get anywhere that day. Neither of them could open their mouths and force any sort of sound out other than the initial greeting. So when Will stood up, Nico was almost startled. He watched with weary eyes as Will went down the small hall that lead to the bathroom and laundry room and came back with a blanket and pillow.

"It's getting kind of late," he mumbled, setting the bedding on top on the couch where he had been sitting. Nico was about to get up and get the couch ready when Will shook his head. "No, you take the bed."

Nico didn't want to argue, if anything, he couldn't, so he nodded and headed towards the room the used to share.

When he went in and looked around; nothing had changed since he had left. There were still socks scattered around the floor, mismatched, just the way Will had always had them. The pile of dirt clothes were dangerously close to the ones he had just washed, a single folded shirt laid on top of the clean to mark exactly that.

As Nico ran his hand over the bed slowly, he would have swore that he heard the faintest "good night" come from the living room. He tried not to think of it too hard as he hesitantly closed the door ever so slightly and took off his pants, relieved in their absence as he climbed in the way-too-big bed.

Nico rested his head on the pillow that used to be familiar, but only felt cold now. He tried to close his eyes, but the harder he tried, the more he became aware of the emptiness that laid beside him, enclosing him in a tight embrace. Nico tried shoving his head into the pillow to hope to find comfort, but as he took in a deep breath, it only hurt more. It became obvious what he was missing. And it was painful.

Will's scent littered the bed, becoming a constant reminder for what had happened. What had originally brought him peace, only brought sorrow to his chest.

He continued to toss and turn in the bed, but never fully able to drift off to sleep. Every time he had gotten close, he would jolt awake, lying absentmindedly for hours until his mind calmed mentally.

Nico stared up at the ceiling until he tried to close him eyes, taking a deep breath and letting out a long, deep sigh. It only took thirty seconds for him to reopen his eyes and sit up. As he sat up, he looked around the empty room that seemed to be much bigger now that it was only him. He gripped the comforter tightly as he held back tears that were swelling in his eyes.

He reached for his phone and the screen lit up. Nico reached for Reyna's contact and called her. He waited for the dial tone to sound as he held on to his breath. When she picked up, he let out a deep sigh.

"Nico? Do you realize what time it is?" Reyna tried to ask, but Nico cut in.

"Reyna, can I come home?" His voice was weak.

"Nico, are you alright?"

"I can't do it, please?"

A heavy sigh came from the other side of the line.

"Nico," she started, "I told you, you two have to work it out-"

"But I can't Reyna, I can't." There was a pause on both ends, but when neither sides sounded, Nico went on in a small voice. "The bed is so empty, I can't stand it."

"Look," Reyna said, her voice tired, "I made my claim, and I'm sorry, but I can't go back now. Once you two talk it out, no matter the outcome, you can stay here, just talk."

"Please," Nico bagged, his voice cracked. "I can't sleep-"

"You couldn't even sleep here."

"But that's different."

"No it's not."

Nico's grip tightened on the phone, his hand shaking.

"You'll thank me in the future, trust me, but for the mean time, you'll have to suffer. Now I'm going to bed. Good night, Nico."

"Reyna," Nico pleaded right before she could hang up.

She released a deep breath of air before replying. "Nico, I love you, but you have to do it."

"How?!" he shouted as loud as he could without raising his voice enough to wake Will. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"How do you feel about him, Nico?"

Nico's end went silent.

"You like him, right? So don't ignore this. Just tell him how you feel. Now, I'm tried, it's the middle of the night, good night, Nico."

As soon as Reyna hanged up, Nico through his phone to the other side of the bed. His body shook as he fought back tears, but failing. Nico curled up into a tiny ball, drawing himself closer to his knees. He felt like puking, but he knew he couldn't. So, as the night drifted on and the city slept, Nico laid in bed, trying to find some sort of peace of mind.

...

As the sun broke through the window, shining through the apartment, Nico laid on the bed, half in a state numbness. He hadn't slept at all that night, the most being dozing on and off, only to be startled awake by nothing. The birds chirping right outside the window were way too cheery.

Nico rubbed his eyes as he slowly sat up, his mussels aching and pulling at him from all angles. The back of his head was pounding, throbbing with every movement he made. He tried to close his eyes hard, but the pain washed over him in waves. He waited a few minutes after sitting up for the pounding to dull down enough for him to slip out of bed.

The smell of fresh coffee filled his nose as the door creaked open. It was welcoming. Nico stumbled over to the island and watched sleepily as the blonde moved about his usual cheeriness as he made himself a cup of coffee, but he had a slowness to him that was unusual. Did he get much sleep last night?

Nico looked over to the couch where he had slept and the blankets were barely rattled, something that wasn't exactly common for the blonde who usually had rowdy sleeps. He tried to wave it out of his mind, but it still rattled him.

His conversation with Reyna played over and over in his mind, echoing the words that she said before hanging up.

"You like him, right? So don't ignore this. Just tell him how you feel."

How was he supposed to do that? He was sleep deprived and dizzy, he couldn't think rationally, and trying to talk about it in this condition would end poorly.

Will continued to hum as he turned around, eyes glancing at Nico. He continued on, humming only softening slightly as he reached for a granola bar from a cabinet. He slid it crossed the table, landing at the edge of the island in front of the smaller male.

"Eat," Will said, back to him. Nico's brows came together as he mentally questioned this. Will turned back around and faced him, hands supporting his weight as he leaned on the table, his shoulders raising. "You're under weight and it's concerning, so eat," Will told him sternly, voice softening after. "Please..."

Nico reached out and grabbed the bar as Will turned around. He opened it and took a bite, looking meekly at the back of the blonde's head. Even if they weren't on speaking terms, he was still worried about him.

It occurred to Nico that Will had small bags under his eyes, something that wasn't natural for him, even with a lack of sleep. As Nico took another bite of the granola bar, he pondered this. While opening his mouth for another bite, he yawned, causing his eyes to water. He really hadn't gotten any sleep last night.

As Nico went to throw out the garbage Will mumbled, "You need to eat right."

As the garbage can lid closed, Nico looked over at the blonde as he made his way back to the spot where he had initially been standing.

"I have been eating right," he shot back under his breath.

"I doesn't look like it," Will said as he turned around, voice louder than the mumbling they had been doing. Nico rolled his eyes.

"What would you know?"

"I know that two weeks ago your clothes weren't hanging off of you like they do now," Will spat, his words not meaning to come out as harsh.

Nico looked down at the floor and examined his body while doing so. He hadn't noticed originally, but he was right. His clothes had been a lot looser. He still wasn't wearing pants, something he probably should have fixed before coming out. Nico noticed how small his legs had gotten. He hadn't noticed that he was starting to relapse into his old high school self.

"Well it's not your problem."

"Maybe it is!" Will slammed his hand on the counter.

The two stood and stared at each other from opposite sides of the kitchen. The island being the only thing that separated them.

"You don't think I blame myself for this?!" Will asked, voice loud, as he made his way around the long way so he could still face the smaller male.

"Well, don't! It's my own damn fault!" Nico shouted back, his headache increasing because of the noise and pressure.

"You weren't like that before!"

"How would you even know?!"

"Because I pay attention even when you think I don't!"

Will stood in front of him, his chest raising and falling heavily. At first, Will seemed to be angry, but the harder Nico looked, the more he could tell he was upset and concerned.

"And you don't think I do?!" Nico shot back, tears fighting to fall.

"I never said that," Will replied, sounding offended.

"You don't think I care?!" Will looked taken back. Nico wasn't thinking rationally. His head hurt and he felt like he was spinning. This was why he didn't want to have this conversation. His words were coming out on their own now, he had no control over them. His sleep-deprived mind had taken over.

"Nico-"

"That I don't try hard enough?!" His voice was wavering, breaking. The tears that threatened to spill over finally did. Nico's hands were shaking. "Because I do!"

Will watched in slight confusion as Nico started to explode, his mind running wild. Will wanted to go up and comfort him, but he couldn't, not at this moment.

"But no matter how are I try, it's never enough, is it? Nothing I do is ever enough! No matter how hard I try! I'll never be enough for you; you'll never need me the same way I need you! I'm just holding on until you realize it because it's only a matter of time until you do, until you see that I'm in the way!"

Nico's legs started to wobble and his balance became questionable. Will lunged forwards as Nico was about to fall down. The smaller male grabbed on to the blonde's shirt and held on tight. Will didn't know what he was supposed to do, so he continued to stay quiet.

"You don't understand how much I like you, how much I depend on you now. And I feel so stupid right now, thinking that this would work out," Nico blurted out, hiccups coming in and out between his words. Will held on to the boy tightly as his sobs continued. Will could tell how tired he was by how much he was spilling. Nico wasn't one to tell everyone his feelings in such a way, so he just listened to him.

Nico started to slip out of the blonde's grasp as his legs gave out again, but this time Will slid to the ground with him, still holding him tightly, being the only thing he could do at that moment.

"You never listen - you-you don't understand, I-I," Nico tried to speak, but everything started coming out as sobs and mumbles that weren't audible. Nico griped the blonde's shirt extremely tight, burying his face into his shoulder. "I hate you - I h-hate you..."

Will only held on to him as his cries continue to echo through the apartment. The blonde rested his forehead on the top of his head, closing his eyes as Nico continued to curse him out in his drunken-like state.

It wasn't long until the cries became quiet whimpers that died out into silence. The two of them still sat on the ground, Nico long fallen asleep in the blonde's arms, grip still holding, but not as strong. His soft breaths were slow and asthmatic, tears still graced his cheeks.

With a soft huff, Will lifted the dark-haired boy and carried him into the bedroom. As he tried to place the sleeping male down, he was pulled down by the grip he still possessed on his shirt. With a small smile, he climbed into the bed to try and get him into a position where he would let go, but the harder he tried, the worse it got. So Will was stuck laying in the bed with him, the boy curled up into his side.

It was a feeling he missed. To have the smaller male pressed up against him. His rhythmic breathing was calming and it truly felt like home.

In that instant, memorizes of his conversation with Reyna came flooding back like a dam had been blown open.

"How do you feel?"

Will looked down at the sleeping figure, the way his hair fell over his peaceful face was calming, welcoming. He brushed a stray hair out of the way, causing Nico to shift in his sleep, nuzzling his head closer to Will's chest.

"Do you love him?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, "I do."

...

Will Solace

@Williamsolace

Please watch. Important

...

Will was sitting at his desk in the back of his room, the curtains drawn shut and the side of the bed facing his back. The screen gave off an artificial glow, exaggerating the tiredness that was evident on his face.

The video started as he ran his fingers through his hair, the messy bed in the background as he ducked his head, leaning on his hands. When he looked up, his right hand continued to pull his hair while the other one ran over his face, trying to wipe the exhaustion away. His eyes met the camera, half lidded, and he sighed heavily. Will continued to lean on his hand as the video rolled for a few seconds.

"Hi," he started, voice low and rough. He took a deep breath in and straightened his back, no longer resting on his hands. Will let the air out as he relaxed. "For a while now, everyone has been asking me all sorts of questions regarding the movie, T.V. show, my relationships, but now, I think it's time I finally told the truth."

Will shifted a little bit in his chair, looking at the keyboard before leaning closer to the camera and locking eyes with it.

"Now, before I say anything, I just need you guys not to blame anyone. Please don't put blame on Drew, it's not her fault, but resentfully, regarding the T.V. show, everyone knows Drew and I to be a couple, but I'm here to say that that isn't true. When reports claiming that we were... you know... the people involved in the show thought that it would be a good idea to make these rumors... true.

"At the time, I wasn't aware of what was going to happen, but now I know that this whole thing has been a bad idea. During this time, I was currently in a relationship with someone whom I hold quite dearly to my heart, and it wasn't until recently that I realized that pursuing this fake relationship would jeopardize the relationship I was currently in.

"So, what I guess I'm trying to say is, I don't care what my manager and publicist, Lou Ellen, wants or thinks for me right now, or the public and medias views on any of it, all I want is to be able to be with the one I care about,"  Will paused, turning around for a brief glimpse of the sleeping body that was covered by the blanket. Nico shifted positions as he faced Will, hair covering his face. "The one I love.

"So please, don't hate on Drew, she is lovely and amazing,and she is a great person and friend, but right now I need to come clean and tell you all the truth. I've done and said things that I shouldn't of, but now I'm trying to fix it. I love who I'm with, and that will never change. He's sweet, caring, and funny, and I honestly don't care what any of you think, I just want you guys to know what's going on and hope that you'll be able to understand. I'm sorry for disappointing you in regards to me and Drew, but at least you know the truth now. So... yeah."

Will waited a few more moments in the silence, looking down and up at the camera, staring into it. He was done with all the drama, and he was hoping that this would fix it, at least to some extent. He let a few more seconds pass before he turned around and made one last look on camera of Nico's sleeping figure before turning around again and turning off the video.

...

As Nico blinked awake, he noticed he was back in the bed. His mind was clearer and didn't hurt as much, but some pain still resigned in the back.

He kicked off of the bed and hopped down, feet stepping on the gentle ground. When he reached the door, he opened it slowly, the apartment was filled with the bursting light from outside. Will was washing dishes in the sink as Nico made his way into the open area. As the blonde turned around, he was him.

"Look, I'm sorry for that," Nico stuttered, trying to think of an excuse.

"No," Will said as he dried his hands off, "it's fine, don't apologize. It actually gets us somewhere. Don't - don't look at your phone just yet. I just want to say a few things before you do."

Nico brought his hand back, stepping away from his phone on the table.

Will sighed as he made his way around the island to stand in front of the younger male.

"Look, I know I've been absolute shit when it comes down to being a boyfriend, and I don't know if I'm allowed to use that anymore with what happened, but please, I don't want to lose you. You are everything I've always wanted - fuck, you're the freaking author I've had an insane, unhealthy crush on for the past four-five years. I know I fucked up, massively, but I don't know what I'd do without you. You are the sunshine in my very shitty life, and without you it's been a pretty dark place.

"I know you can't go back to trusting me like you used to, if you ever did, but please, I never want to see you walk out again."

Will aggressively ran his hands through his hair, pulling at his golden locks roughly.

"Fuck," he screamed, mainly out of aggression, "I feel like I'm the biggest asshat in the world, and I don't deserve you, but fuck!" Will calmed himself down enough to take Nico's hands that hung idle by his sides. He looked him dead in the eyes and took a deep breath. "I have liked you for a lot longer then I'm probably aware of, and I didn't realize this until it was too late. I may not be as articulate as you can be with your writing, but I like you more than you know. I love you, Nico."

Will paused as the look of Nico's face widened. His mouth dropped open and hung there, un-moving as Will continued, his voice softer, more loving.

"I love you, and I hate that it took me this long to realize it. I love you and I will say it until the end of time. I love you, Nico. I love you, I love you, I love you."

As each time he spoke those words, he meant every one. Nico could feel his chest tightening and the tears that had formed behind his eyes had started to fall.

Will brought the smaller male into a tight embrace, uttering those words until they melted into the air, being mix with the city noice around them

...

Books-are-life

Holy crap! Didnt anyone see Will Soalces Twitter Vidoe?! WHO IS THAT BOY!? AAGAGGAGGAGAAAHHH!

...

Sexyhotpockets89

Re:Books-are-life

WAIT! WILL IS GAY?!

...

Anna Walker

@Willisbae11

Oh fuck! My BB is not dating DREW?! @Williamsolace WHO ARE YOU DATING?!

...

Always-that-sidefriend

Am I the only one that fnds that hair in the background of the video familiar?!

...

Bananananananabatman

Who does Will know that has black hair?!

...

Percy Jackson

@Seaweedbrain

OMG! @Williamsolace why didn't you tell me fam? Who is he?! @Blondsuperman wants to know too!

...

6inches-my-assets

CONSPIRACY THEORY TIME!

So I saw Will Solace's coming out video, and it got me thinking, where have I seen that hair before? So trying to figure out this question, something hit me. Remember February of last year when in a interview when asked about his up coming role in the movie One Last Hero, Will told the interviewer that he loves the books more than anything and that he would marry the author is if he could? Hes been stated on saying that more than just once, having his love for the author all over his twitter even. And guess who released what they look like only a year later. THAT VERY SAME AUTHOR! And he ALSO HAS BLACK HAIR IN THE PICTURES! Guys, I'm not saying I'm on to something, but I think I'm on to something here! Not only does Will say he'll be gay for the author, but the author releases his identity to us and roughly two months later Will FREAKING Solace comes out as having a boyfriend! Say what you will, but I ship it.

...

GangstaMario

I'm a huge fan of the author N.D. Augustine ( more properly known as Nico di Angelo with recent events) and the Actor Will Solace. I was excited when I found he was casted as Nate in the movie adaptation. So with recent theory by 6inches-my-assets, it got me to thinking that everything he has stated, it all lines up. Timing-wise at least. I'm with you 6inches-my-assets, its my new OTP!

...

Suckmydickbitch

Will Solace coming out as bisexual has given me life!

Chapter Text

"Fun fact: Slang is an autological as it is slang in itself. Slang is a shortened form for 'shortened language,' showing that slang is an example of its own meaning, proving that it is an autological," Nico spoke softly, looking up from his book, his feet intertwined with Will's as he sat leaning back on the opposite side of the couch, facing him, Will with a fresh script in hand.

The blonde blinked a few times before closing his script and meeting the darker pair of eyes.

"Is that so?" he asked, a mischievous smile spreading on his face only to be melted away by a look of affection. "And what brought that on?"

"Oh," Nico mouthed, looking back down at the page he was on, brightened by the melting sun behind him, a soft orange glow setting fire to the pages. He looked up to meet the soft, caring blue eyes that sat in front of him, legs wrapped around his own. "I saw the word slang in my book and it just sort of came out," Nico explained, blush dusting his cheeks. He hoped that the setting sun's warming glow would drown out the colour.

Will only stared at him, a smile he wasn't fully aware of still held on to his mouth.

As Will looked at the younger male in front of him, he seemed so delicate, fragile; holy. The evening glow gave him a halo around his head, black hair seeming more brown with the addition of the red highlights. His face appeared to have more colour, fuller, rounder, cheeks less sunken in. Nico seamed vibrant, healthier.

Will placed his script behind him as he sat up and crawled over the couch, taking the smaller male's face in his hand, other resting on the back of his neck, drawing him into a reassuring kiss, soft and secure. When he pulled away, words were hanging on the tip of his tongue, and he wasn't afraid to say them, not anymore.

"I love you," he spoke gently, smile tugging at his lips and eyes half lidded in tenderness.

Will had made it his new mission to make sure Nico would never forget that. He said it everyday, sometimes he would repeat it, whispering it into the shorter man's ears. When they would be standing in the middle of the house or in the kitchen, Will would take Nico's hips in his hands, thumbs fingering at his waistband and swaying in rhythm with his own. Sometimes this would take Nico be surprise, not aware of the blonde's presence behind him most times.

Will would rest his head on his shoulder, leaning down low to make up for the height difference. Nico's chest would pound with the affection that Will would give him, his breath hitching. With a soft almost whisper-like voice, Will would mutter those words over and over again, stating that there will never be a day he doesn't say from here on out. He said it was to make up for every day he never said it before.

Nico still didn't know how to properly respond to it. The sudden declaration of feelings was still all new to him, and it scared him.

Will still leaned over him, face mere inches from his own, his breath was hot and sweet on his lips, almost sending him into a trance. His breath came out shuttered, uneven. Nico's cheeks were hot and almost painful as the heat reached up into his ears, his heartbeat ringing inside his head, echoing.

Nico placed the book on to his lap, almost forgotten as the space between the two of them got lesser with every gaining second. Will leaned back in, her eyelids heavy. His hand brushed the side of Nico's face, thumb trailing over his lips. Will's hand cradled the back of his neck, bringing his face closer to his own.

Will leaned forwards and kissed his again, softly, passionately. Nico leaned into the kiss, kissing back with a small bit of force. The book on Nico's lap fell as he sat up, his back relying on the arm of the couch to rest. Will's hand came up and rested on the arm of the chair, supporting his weight as he leaned in. His legs moved to trap Nico down on the couch, hips swaying ever so slightly.

As things started to get intense, Nico gripped the blonde's shirt, hands running just under the hem as it lifted up. Will started to bite at Nico's lip, earning a moan from the younger male. As Nico slowly opened his mouth, a hand now fisting blonde locks, a high pitch noise rang throughout the apartment. At first, the two of them ignored it, but as it continued on, Will backed away ever so slightly, a heavy sigh escaping his lips accompanied by an eye roll.

"My phone," Will huffed out, breath hitched and staggered. Annoyed, Nico rolled his eyes, breathing heavily.

When Will tried to get up to answer it, Nico's hand grabbed a hold on the back of his neck, keeping him in place. "Ignore it," he spoke breathlessly.

Will didn't have all that much time to ponder this when Nico pulled his face back down, and the blonde didn't put up resistance to this either. As their lips reconnected, the phone silenced. The only sound that filled the air was the sound of the couch creaking as Will moved to get a better position and the gasps of air between kisses and moans.

Nico threw his head back, gasping for air as Will left no time for a break. He went straight for his now exposed neck, trailing his lips and tongue along Nico's jaw line, stopping at the edge of his ear. Taking full advantage in the situation, Will started to gently bite at the shorter male's ear, sucking when a gasp escaped his gently parted lips.

Once again they were interrupted by the sound of Will's ringtone. An angry grunt sounded from the back of the blonde's throat as he got up and walked over to where his cell phone was placed, and answered it.

"Hello?" he asked with aggression, unnerved and angry about the interruption.

"William?" said the voice on the other side of the line. It sounded confused and slightly worried.

Will's stature softened, his shoulders dropping and face relaxing.

"Mom," he said back, looking over to the dark-haired male that now sat on the couch, cocking an eyebrow. He waved him off, turning away from him for a moment.

"What's going on? Is something wrong?" she asked, worried. Sounds of pots and pans came from her end.

"Nothing is wrong, Mom. What's up?" Will made his way back to the couch, taking his seat on the right side of the couch.

"You sure? Okay, I trust you. Just wanted to call and check up on you, especially with the whole media blowing up around your announcement. I think that was a great idea, William. Are you ignoring the press for now? Oh, you didn't answer the first time I called, were you doing something? Did I interrupt something? Were you sleeping? How is your sleeping lately? I know you've had a lot of stress on you, and I know how that affected you when you were little. Are you eating enough? Is Nico? That poor boy, he's had it tough, but I'm glad that's all over. How are you two now-"

"Mom!" Will called out, interrupting her ramble. "Please, I am fine. Nico is fine, the house is fine, the cats are fine. I love you, but you don't need to worry about anything."

As Will tried to talk to his mother, Nico just sat there and watched. Why couldn't Will just tell her that he was busy and that he would call her back? He liked Will's mom, but not so much at this moment. He was enjoying that. Instead of voicing these thoughts, he crawled over the couch to get next to Will. When Will saw him next to him, he smiled at him, the warm, caring smile he grew to love.

But that wasn't enough. At first he just leaned his head on his shoulder, hoping Will would notice him more, but when he got no response, he looked up at him through his eyelashes and studied his face.

"I promise," Will said, stealing a glance down at Nico, no expression.

With a heavy sigh, Nico rested his head on the blonde's lap, looking up at him from below. He noticed how strong of a jaw line Will really had, tracing along the bone with his finger. Will jumped, and so did his voice.

"No, nothing's wrong, just... just the cat rubbed up against my leg," he said, shooting Nico a warning glance.

But Nico didn't care. He traced along his chest, fiddling with his shirt. He flicked the blonde hair, earning a swat from Will as he continued to talk to his mother.

"I love you, too - hi, Kayla. Miss you too - Yes, Mom, I know."

Nico knew this call would take awhile, but he didn't want "a while", he wanted now. Nico shot up, turning to face the blonde. He was going to make this conversation a short one even if it killed him. In a split second, Nico was sitting on Will's lap, straddling him as he faced him.

The look on the blonde's eyes were that of confused then warning, telling him not to do anything funny, but "funny" was all he wanted to do.

Nico leaned forward, just resting his head on the blonde's chest for the moment. He waited, and when the blonde's heart beat calmed down ever so slightly, he leaned up and started to suck on the exposed part of his neck.

A gasp came from the blonde, followed by a forced cough to cover it up. As Will tried to keep the conversation between his mother and him, he tried to get Nico to stop, but that wasn't an option for him. Nico's hands landed at his waist, thumbs rubbing circles and fingers dancing. He continued to suck on the exposed skin, but soon grew bored and moved to his jaw, scrapping his teeth to create friction, successfully earning a moan from the blonde.

"William, are you okay? It sounds like somethings happening on your end," his mother asked, concerned.

"Yes!" he gasped, trying to push Nico off. "Yes," he said again, this time calmer.

Nico just giggled, smirking as he ran his hands over the blonde's upper body. Will placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to push him away, but the smile only grew as Nico started to bite his neck, hands slipping under his shirt.

"So, your father and I were talking and we were thinking that you should come over for dinner before you head out for shooting," Will's mother inquired.

"Yes - yes, Mother. That se-seams like a wondrous idea - Nico!" Will called out, gasping, but Nico could only smirk more.

"Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Yes, mom," he reassured him. Will pulled the phone away from his ear. "Nico, stop it." But the man in question only laughed.

"Alright, but make sure both you and Nico are over here by four on Friday. Your father is quite eager to meet him, you know that, right?"

"I know, and we'll make sure we're on time," Will told her, trying to wiggle out from underneath the prying hands.

"Thank you, sweetie. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," Will spoke as he hung up, throwing the phone onto the floor, staring at Nico with animosity.

Will stood up, Nico falling onto the couch on his side as the blonde got up and walked away.

"What?" he asked, still trying to hold his laugh in. He sat on his knees as the blonde grabbed his script from off the floor and placed it on the island in the kitchen. Will turned around and pointed a finger at him, sternly saying, "Not cool."

Nico raised his shoulders in defense. "What?!" he asked again, more serious but still holding back a laugh as Will walked away, so Nico got up a followed him.

...

"What if he doesn't like me?" Nico asked, pulling at the cuff on his sleeve over his hand. Will slipped his hand around his waist, pulling him closer to him, hips touching. He leaned down and placed a kiss to the top of his head, leaning into him.

"Do not worry. They are going to love you," Will reassured him, smiling into his Nico's hair.

"But-"

"Don't worry, nothing is going to happen." Nico tried to protest, but Will stopped him with a quick kiss to the lips, silencing him as the door opened, face red.

"Will!" his mother called, taking him into a tight hug, patting his back. "It's been such a long time, I missed you."

"Mom," he called, "I saw you just a little while ago."

"It's never enough, not when my boy is all grown up."

"Mom!" Will protested, now pushing away from the woman in front of him.

"Sweetie, let them in. It must be cold out there," called him father from inside the house.

Will's mother moved out of the way, allowing for the couple to enter the house. It was simple, yet grand. Family photo's lined the walls, shoes organized by size at the front door. Just as Nico was about to take his coat off, Will's little sister, Kayla, walked down the stairs, eyeing him up and down. She looked a lot like her Mother, but carried the same soft features that Will has.

"Will!" she called, running up and jumping into her brother. Will caught her, raising an spinning her into the air.

"I missed you," Will spoke in a soft voice, holding her tight.

"Why did you have to move out?" she asked as he set her down, Kayla still clinging to the blonde's leg.

"I can't live at home forever," he said, patting her head as he took off his coat. Will turned around, Kayla still holding onto his leg, and brushed a loose piece of hair out of his face. "Let me help you."

Will helped Nico take his coat off, putting it over his arm with his own when they got it off, all the while Kayla watching them from behind the blonde's leg.

"Hi," Nico said, bending down slightly to meet her at eye level. But she just scowled at him and walked away. Will just smiled as Nico stood back up.

"She doesn't like people that much," he explained.

"Will, dinner is ready, can you and Nico please get washed up and head into the kitchen," his mother called.

"This way," Will bowed, taking his hand and leading him down the small hall and up the stairs to the bathroom.

When they walked into the kitchen, the thick aroma of baked chicken and mashed potatoes hit them like a tone of bricks. Nico could feel his stomach ache with hunger as they made their way to the kitchen table.

"My om's cooking is the best," Will told Nico as they stood aside from the table before he pulled a seat out.

"Son," Will's father said, giving him a pat on the back as he walked up beside him and Nico.

"Hey, dad," Will replied, the two of them talking without words.

"Honey, can you please get the butter from out of the fridge?" Will's mother called, bringing over a bowl of carrots. Will's father nodded his head and headed towards the fridge, bringing the butter and knife over to the table.

When Will's dad stood beside them, he eyed Nico up and down, face stern and unreadable. In a moment of panic, Nico stuck his hand out, rubbing his arm with his other, trying to look Will's dad in the eye, meeting the same striking blue eyes that Will carries.

"Hello, Sir. My name is Nico," he said, voice shaky. Will hid his laughter behind his hand, looking away to not meet ether of their eyes.

Will's Father looked his over one more before taking Nico's shaking hand.

"It's nice to meet, boy," he returned sternly.

"Honey, leave the poor boy alone. Look at him, he's shaking," Will's mother stepped in, placing a gravy boat on the table and setting a hand on his shoulder. His face became softer and relaxed, years seemed to melt right off of him, and he looked remarkably similar to Will, right down to the timeless quirk of his upper lip.

"Darling, I'm just messing with the boy. Got to see if he's right for our son."

"Honey, please just sit down," she sighed, wiping her hands on her pants and the sweat off of her brow. "Kayla, please take a seat."

Will walked up behind Nico, taking his arms in his hands and rubbing them in an affectionate way. He kissed Nico's cheek swift and gently. "Nothing like your family meals?" Will asked, a smirk obvious in his voice.

"Not even close," Nico replied, eyes wide and a deep breath taken.

With a slight laugh, Will pulled out a chair for Nico and took his own, giving him another reassuring smile.

As the rest of the family got seated, Nico toyed with the hem of his shirt, playing with the frayed end. His knee bounced as he waited, stopping when he felt Will's hand on his knee, his foot rubbing up the back of his leg, shooting him a calming smile.

"So," Will's mother started, plating herself, "how has life in the spot light been?"

"Good," Will replied, taking a scoop of potatoes for himself.

"Cameras leaving you alone?" his father asked, pouring gravy on his carrots and mashed potatoes.

"They haven't been a problem, but I can feel that they will start up again," Will added, grabbing some butter.

Nico watched the exchange between the family, each grabbing for different things all at once, working like a well-oiled machine. Every time he would reach out for something, some one would grab the scoop for it and use it, the next person taking it directly after. It wasn't until Will reached over and took his plate, whispering, "I got this."

With a quick smile and pass around the table, he got Nico's plate full and back to him in ten seconds flat.

"Thank you," he mewed, flashing a meek smile. Will nodded and poked at his chicken with his fork.

"So, Will tells me you're an author, is that right?" Mr. Solace asked, putting his fork in his mouth.

"Oh - yeah, I am," Nico spoke up.

"Anything I would have seen?"

"Dad!" Will hissed lowly.

"What?"

"Honey, I told you. The movie Will was in was the book he wrote," Will's mother told him, almost irritated.

"Sorry, seems I have forgotten," he said, his wife shaking her head.

"My new book is currently being written for a movie by the same director," Nico added, cutting a carrot even smaller than it already was.

"Oh that's great," Will's mother cheered, flashing a stunning smile. Nico knew that they were both almost fifty, but the way they smiled made them seem timeless. "I quite enjoyed it. Will would not stop raving about it when he got it."

"Mom!" he exclaimed, his mother just laughed with a wave of her hand.

Nico cold feel his face heat up and Will had his leg hooked around Nico's, foot rubbing whenever he thought he needed it or when he just needed to feel his presence.

The conversation continued on, Kayla adding whenever she saw necessary. It really felt like family. Nico's parents always worked late, so it was rare that they ate dinner like this, but seeing how Will's family continued on with the ordeal, as if they were never apart, it showed how they worked together as a family. It felt welcoming.

But something was off on the way Kayla kept glaring at him. She seemed sweet, especially from what Will had told him, but he felt as if she didn't like him. But why would she?

"So," Will's father spoke up, cleaning his plate of his second helpings, "play any sports in school?"

"No," Nico replied, picking up a carrot and eating it slowly. Will looked a little sad when he looked over how much he had eaten in the time they spent sitting down. Barely half of his plate had been eaten, and he knew Will was trying to get him to eat more. "I was never one for sports. I quite dislike sports, actually."

Will's father laughed, taking a swing of his mug.

As Nico watched the exchange between the family, it seemed so seamless, as if this was just an ordinary day for them. The way they talked back and forth showed how they did this all the time. Nico's family didn't really so this sort of thing. His family sometimes didn't get home until very late, and even when they did, it was quaint and quiet, the occasional conversation ever now and them.

"So where are you from?" his mother asked, cutting up a piece of chicken and putting the fork in her mouth.

"I'm originally from Italy, but when I was roughly eight, we moved here," he explained.

"I thought so," his mother smiled, taking a sip from her glass. "We once went to Italy when Will was younger. Beautiful place, Italy is."

"It really is," Nico replied.

"That explains the accent," Will's father brought up, wiggling his fork in his direction.

"Honey," his wife laughed behind her hands.

The conversation was light and enjoyable. Nico quite enjoyed it himself. But he felt a little sad. He missed Italy, he had grown up there, but it held a lot of bad memorized, some that he wished he didn't remember some days. His mother had passed there, being the reason they had left in the first place. His father had told his it was to start anew, to create them a better life.

But he did want to go back. It was the place of his birth and he missed it dearly. Nico thought that he would be able to go back, if anytime, now would be the best. If Will came with him, he knew he wouldn't be sad as before.

Will noticed his melancholy mood ad rubbed the back of his leg with his own, sending a wave of calm and relief flooding through him. That with the addition of the calming smile he was so familiar with, he felt like he could do anything.

Nico never thought of himself as much, especially when it came to meeting Will's parents, much less dating. He never saw himself as someone to be desired in any fashion, but none of that mattered now. Whenever he looked over at Will and saw the look in his eyes, it really made him feel like he was the only one in the world. He could be a nobody, homeless, or broke, and just one look from Will could make all that no longer matter. As long as he had the blonde, he could do anything.

...

"Mom, let me help you clean up," Will spoke, trying to bring dishes to the sink, but his mother just swatted his hand away.

"Nonsense, you let me clean up, and go hang with your father and catch up," she insisted, taking the dirty bowl for the blonde.

"Come on, I'm hardly ever home, let me help," Will pleaded again, moving swiftly around his mother to take the bowl from her hands again.

"And that's exactly why I am not letting you help," she spoke back without missing a beat, taking the bowl back once again, placing it into the sink. She wiped her hands on a towel and swatted him with it, trying to shoo him out of the kitchen and dinning area.

As Nico watched the exchange between the two, smiling to himself. But as it started to get repetitive, both fighting over helping, Nico had other things on his mind. He headed up stairs, leaving the two blonde's to bicker in an affectionate manor.

...

"Hey," Nico spoke, knocking on the door lightly.

Kayla turned to look at him, face stern and unreadable.

"Can I come in?" he asked, slowly opening the door enough to slip through and taking a seat on the floor next to her. She was fiddling with a porcelain doll with an ivory dress.

"Well, you're already in here," she mumbled, combing through the doll's hair.

"Oh, sorry," he said softly, looking away.

Kayla looked up from her doll, looking over him. Her eyes glossed over as she examined her brother's boyfriend. She turned back to her doll.

"Your brother told me a lot about you. I've always wanted to meet you," Nico spoke up, fiddling with his fingers.

Kayla looked up, she tried to hide her curiosity, but her facade was slowly fading.

"He did?" she asked, trying to think on why.

"Oh yeah. He cares about you a lot. I remember the first time he told me about you. It was before his birthday, when he was talking about taking you to the movies," Nico reminisced, talking gently. He ran his hand over the carpet, looking up to meet her glance.

Her face turned hard as she thought over something for a moment. Then she looked up at him.

"To be honest," she started, taking a deep breath in and sighing, "I really didn't like you. At least that's what I convinced myself. I didn't like the fact that my brother spent all his time with you. Before he moved out, he would always hang with me, but now he's hardly ever home."

There was a mutual silence that fell over them, the lighthearted bickering echoing softly from downstairs made its way faintly into the room. Kayla seemed to feel bad about this, her doll abandoned at her side.

"But now that I've met you, I see you're really nice and I can't hate you, or even dislike you, for that matter," she explained, eyes looking down, but then turning up to meet Nico's. "And now I'm mad at myself for it. I don't know if it's because I wanted to hate you and couldn't or because I tried to hate you and now I feel bad for trying."

Nico didn't know what to say. Here he was wondering if Kayla didn't like him and now she's telling him that it was because of her brother. That she couldn't hate him now that she got to know him a little bit. It was all so weird, but it made some sort of sense to him. He could understand where she was coming from, he could related in almost a weird way with the things involving Drew.

"I know what you mean," he replied softly, smiling up at her as she went wide eyed, surprised that he knew what she saying.

"But you make my brother happy," she continued, "and I can't hate you for that. That was the most I had seen him smile in a long time, at dinner. I can tell he loves you, and that is saying a lot. So, thank you for being there, I guess, and I hope we can try to get along."

"I don't know how to respond to that without sounding rude," Nico admitted, a faint blush dusting his cheeks.

"Just say 'thanks' and get over yourself," she said, looking down, herself almost embarrassed.

"Thanks," Nico replied, smiling at her. Kayla looked at him with wide eyes, looking away after her face went hot. She tried to hide her face behind her shoulder cut strawberry blonde hair.

"So, you wrote Side Friend and One Last Hero?" she asked after several seconds of silence, turning to face him once again.

"Oh - yeah, I did."

Kayla's lips fashioned a smile, reminiscent of a devilish grin.

"Sweet. Wait till my friends hear about this."

...

Will was in the kitchen with his mother, humming away as they watched the dishes, the sun long since sank beyond the horizon. His father had just left the kitchen with a cup of coffee in hand, heading over to the living room.

"So," his mother said, breaking the silence, "is Nico sick?"

Surprised, Will looked over at his mother, mouth hanging open. He didn't know what to say.

"Huh?"

"Is Nico okay? He looks kind of sick," she said again, still keeping her attention on the dishes in front of her. Will looked at her, examining her side profile. He had been hoping no one would notice the almost sick look that Nico had taken. He had been getting better, being able to pass for having only a small cold. He had been eating more and sleeping more. He was hoping his mother wouldn't notice, but she was his mother, of course she would notice.

"Oh yeah, he's just not feeling too well. He caught something a few says ago and hasn't been feeling too good," he told her, only half the truth. "Oh, but he's getting better!" Will added, almost as an after thought. He could tell his mother went along with his story, but only to make him feel better. She could tell the truth from the lies that he had fed her to make her feel better.

"I'm just worried because he didn't eat that much at dinner."

"Yeah," Will said sadly, "he hasn't eaten much lately, but I've been trying to get him to eat more." Will smiled to himself. "He's also a slow eater to begin with."

Will's mother looked over at him, a heavy breath leaving her as she noticed his calming smile, almost as if all the care in the world melted away. He seemed to be unaware of the twinkle in his eyes, the long, caring look that spoke more than words.

"Well, I just hope he gets better. I'm quite fond of him, and so is your father."

"Yeah, I don't want anything to happen to him," Will found himself saying, agreeing with his mother.

There was a mutual silence between them, savoring the moment. It was a nice feeling to be back at home with his mother helping him with the dish work, his father in the living room, and his little sister upstairs in her room. It was as if nothing had changed and he was back to before he moved out. The only difference was that his boyfriend was here, and his family actually was fully accepting of it. When he first told his mother about, he was worried that she would be upset or his father wouldn't approve, but that wasn't the case. They accepted his with open arms, demanding to meet him instead.

Now that he was thinking of it, where was Nico? Will looked around, trying to think of the moment he had disappeared.

"Where is Nico, anyways?" Will asked, wiping his hands on a towel, looking around.

"I think he went up to see your sister a while ago," she replied, also wiping the moister off of her hands. When Will was looking at the stairs, she set the towel on the counter and said, "Why don't the two of you just stay the night? It's getting late and I don't want you two getting into any accidents."

"I couldn't bother you guys anymore-"

"It's not a problem. I'll make up your old room and you can sleep here. I know for certain that Kayla will be glad to see you when she wakes up," his mother said in respond to his protest, cutting him off before he could deny any further.

Will looked at the stairs, then at him mom, thinking it over. It couldn't hurt to stay the night, so he agreed, saying that he'll go get Nico and head off to bed.

"I'll get the sheets ready for you." And with that, Will headed up stairs after shooting his mom a quick nod.

...

"Nico," Will called in a hushed voice, knocking on Kayla's door, opening fully when no reply came from the other side. Will smiled when he saw what was on the other side. Kayla had passed out on the floor, hair everywhere, and Nico was leaning on the side of the bed, also asleep, head tilted and mouth parted partly.

With a smile pulling at his lips, he picked his sister up and tucked her into bed, pulling the blankets just up to her neck and kissing her cheek goodnight. The he turned to Nico whose soft huffs of air blew a single strand of hair into the air and floated back down. Will bent down and tucked the strand of hair out of his face, gently rocking him with one hand, the other caressing his cheek, thumb rubbing gentle circles.

As Nico stirred awake, Will found a smile on his lips.

"Hey there," he spoke softly.

"Hi," Nico replied, voice heavy with sleep.

"We're going to stay the night, okay?" Will told him, helping him up slowly.

"Okay," Nico mumbled in response as Will lead him out of Kayla's room and to his, down the hall.

As Nico stood, half awake, Will rummaged through his old drawers, pulling out a T-shirt out. He tossed it at Nico who caught it gingerly.

"Here," he said, "put this on."

Nico sluggishly took off his shirt and pants, kicking them aside with heavy motions. He slung on the shirt on while Will took his own shirt and pants off. He lead Nico over to the bed which his mom had already changed the sheets of. He pulled the covers back and the two of them got in.

Nico nuzzled up to the blonde, hand on his chest as Will slung his arm around his waist, pulling him in closer. Nico listened to the pounding rhythm of the blonde's chest, sending him into numbing loll.

"I hope your parents liked me," Nico spoke tiredly, out of the blue.

"I know that they do," Will told him, pressing his lips into his hair.

"That's good," Nico replied with a yawn.

"Don't do that," Will joked, yawning in response. "You'll make me yawn again." Nico only buried his face deeper into the crook of his neck in response.

Will kissed the top of his head, pulling him closer. It was nice, to hold him in his arms again. God, how he missed this. With a final whisper, Will closed his eyes, drifting to sleep.

"Goodnight, Nico," he said. "I love you."

Chapter Text

...

Will Solace Just Can't Stay Out of the News!

...

"Well, this sure is becoming Solace's year, isn't it?" a bronze coloured women said, leaning back in her chair as she shuffled through a stack of papers before setting them on the small coffee table in front of the group.

"He sure is, Wanda," came a second voice, this one owning to a man with well-kept brown hair, wearing a tailored suit of cobalt.

"If it isn't for his acting, it's his love life," replied a female with blonde hair and a red fitted dress.

"I did not see this one coming," Wanda pointed out, taking a quick sip from her mug on the table. "If you would have told me that the Drew Tanaka and Will Solace's relationship was faked, I would have laughed in your face."

"I agree," said the fourth member of the group, the owner of a well-kept beard and shortened hair, clothes more on the casual side yet still professional.

"Stacy, you said before in a past discussion that you got to meet the supposed couple in person, did anything ever point to this outcome?" Wanda asked, leaning forward.

"Well," Stacy started, pushing her blonde hair out of her face, "from what I remember, at first glace, I wouldn't have even thought that their entire relationship was staged, but I do recall that Will Solace was very spacey that day, and I'm not sure it has anything to do with all of this, but now that I've been thinking about it, it does sort of ring up certain bells."

"Well, I'm just going to put out that having a member of the LGBTQ+ in the media as often as he has been recently and it not being about discrimination, it's very incredible and gives such a positive turn on the media lately," said the man with the beard.

"I have to say that I'm with John on this one," Wanda spoke, earning nods from the other two members, "none of us were aware that Solace was even part of the group until he released that video on Twitter stating just that."

"I think that it was the media that swarmed him before he came out that softened the blow that the followed the video," the man with the neat hair pointed out.

"And I agree, Chris, because if the media didn't have his work or his recent events to fall back on, they would have started to accuse him of his relationship with a man. I've seen it all too many times in the past when it comes to openly bisexual celebrities in the past. Because there was no build up and just a sudden relationship, even under the circumstances that did happen to come, there could have been so much more backlash than there is, which I am grateful for," Stacy said, nodding her head in a sympathetic way.

"Okay, but what I've been dying to know is who he is with," John blurted out, earning a collective agreement over the small group.

"Oh yeah, that has been bugging me since the announcement," Stacy admitted.

"Of course you do, John," Chris joked, motioning with his head. The foursome shared a heartfelt laugh.

"Hey, I'm not going to lie, Will Solace is an attractive man, and is it so bad to want to know who stole his heart away from us?" John asked, raising his hand in defense.

"Let's just all admit for a moment that Will is, in fact, an attractive man, and it wouldn't hurt to want to know who he is dating," Wanda chimed in.

"Gay, straight, or bi, no one can deny the blonde's attractiveness," Stacy stated, taking a sip from her mug.

"I hear that," John said.

"Well, there are a few rumors going around, the next one crazier than the last. Will has refused to state who it is, so the fans and media are going crazy," Wanda said, gesturing with her hand in a vague motion.

"One of my personal favourites is the one that it is the author of-"

"N.D. Augustine?" Chris interrupted Stacy. She nodded.

"Yeah. I find that one quite cute. Very fairy tale-esque."

"Isn't his real name..."

"Nico di Angelo, if I'm correct; yes," Stacy added.

"Didn't you also get a word in with him at the Oscars?" Wanda asked, brows brought together in thought.

"I did, yes, and that's part of the reason I quite like this theory. I've met with both of them separately on different occasions, and they are such nice people. I know it may be far-fetched, but the theory is that the two of them met during the time that Will was working on the movie, and because they both have been quoted on being huge fans of the other, that their friendship happened almost imminently. Of course, according to the theory, they didn't share this information publicly."

"Didn't it state that they fell in love during this time also and had been dating for several months?" Chris asked. The group looked at him.

"How-"

"I've also heard many a theory about this," Chris added, cutting John off. "But honestly, I don't care who it is, I just want to know who it is."

"Me too," Stacy said, crossing her legs.

"Well, hopefully we find out soon because isn't Will leaving for over seas for filming of his new movie?" Wanda asked curiously.

"He is, and I hope 'soon' comes soon enough," John said before taking a sip from his mug and placing it on the coffee table.

...

"C'mon, Will, tell us," Percy pleaded, setting a tray on the table and taking a seat, Annabeth following suit.

"Percy, leave him alone," she said with a sigh, also taking a seat. "You've been bugging him for information since day one."

"But come on!" Percy turned to Will who sat in the seat opposite. "Will, we've been friends for a long time now, even before the movie, we've known each other. You can't leave me hanging, bud, you can't."

Will laughed as Percy squirmed in his seat. He took a bite of his burger and set it down.

"We're just trying to keep our privacy for now" Will explained after he swallowed, "It's only a matter of time before shit fully hits the fan."

"Will," Percy spoke softly, leaning forward over the table, "you know I would never tell anyone-"

"Percy," Annabeth groaned.

"What?!" he asked, sitting back. "C'mon on, Annie-"

"Don't call me Annie."

"-don't you want to know, too? I know it's been bugging you also."

"Percy," Annabeth started, but she sighed. "Alright. I will admit it, it had also been bugging me too, but I am not pressuring you like this idiot is. It's just the fact that you've kept everyone in the dark and you haven't even told us, some of your best friends."

"See, I'm not the only one," Percy perked up, a smug look appearing on his face, lip twisted upwards.

Will shook his head, a tiny glimpse of a smile playing at his lips. "Look, it's not like I'm avoiding not telling, I just..."

"You're just what, Will?" Percy pestered, raising a brow as his lips came to straight line.

"Percy," Annabeth warned.

"It's just..." Will fought to find the words, but he couldn't. He placed his forehead on the table and shook his head. His arms came up to rest beside his head on the table.

"Come on! Tell us about him!" Percy pleased while Annabeth just shook her head.

"He's..." Will mumbled, head resting on his arms and face in the table. He let out a sigh following a nervous laugh. "He's... amazing."

"Oh?" Percy pressed.

"Incredible even. He's sweet and caring, and I would do anything for him."

"Aww,"Annabeth cooed, smiling as she picked up her burger and bit into it.

"What's his name?" Percy asked, taking a sip of his pop in a low voice.

Will looked up through his hair and eyelashes, eyes big and cheeks tinted red.

"Nico," he mumbled, almost inaudible.

Both Annabeth and Percy stopped what they were doing, Percy mid bite and Annabeth dropping her fry. They were both shocked. Both turned to face each other, unsure of what to say. Annabeth and Percy both worked on the movie with Will, they were his co-stars, they both knew the rumors and the authors work, but to hear it from Will's mouth, from his own words, now that was another thing all together.

"Wow," Annabeth manged to say through many attempts at communication.

"Like, as in..." Percy's voice trailed off.

"Yup," Will replied, looking back up at the two, his face still hidden.

"Are you shitting me?!" Percy yelled when he found his voice. People started to stare so Annabeth grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him down back into his seat.

"Shut it, idiot," she snapped. "Will, please don't be pulling our leg."

"I'm not," he replied meekly. "You can't tell anyone, you promise?"

"We wont, but-"

"You know it's gonna be hard, when things... you know," Percy's voice dropped as he tried to explain, motioning with his hands.

"What my Fiance over here is try to say is what are you going to do when word finally gets out?" Annabeth butted in, voice serious and hushed.

"I dunno, but it's going to be soon," Will replied.

"It is. Trust me, if there's one thing I know about the media, it's that they will not rest till they get what they want," Percy piped in.

"I know. They've been stalking out my apartment and following me. We've basically made it a game to see how long we can avoid them."

"Well, with you leaving for the filming soon, they're probably getting in their last chances before because hunting that info down will be much harder without you," Annabeth pointed

"Yeah, I know," Will mumbled as he placed his head back on the table with a deep sigh.

"You have to promise to let us meet him, you know," Annabeth said. "We all worked on the movie and are all big fans, so you can't have him all for yourself."

Will smiled at Annabeth's words.

"Alright," Will agreed, feeling better.

...

Nico sighed as he set his books on the table after weaving through the crowds of people to reach his seat in his lecture class. He was beyond exhausted and just wanted the day to be over. He checked his phone for the time and took his seat, resting his head on his pile of books. Nico slowly made his way to get his laptop out of his bag when he over heard a conversation of girls.

"OMG, I can't believe that the relationship between Will Solace and Drew Tanaka was staged! I'm so mad!" said girl one that had long blonde hair and thrown into a ponytail.

"I know right? They were such a cute couple, too!" replied girl two. She flipped her brunette hair over her shoulder as she shook her head.

"And now there's this new guy."

"I would have never believed you if you told me."

"Agreed. He better not be a creep because my baby doesn't need kind of negativity in his life," girl one added.

"They better give us more information before I go crazy!"

"Totally! They're almost done filming on the T.V. show and then it's straight to Europe for his new movie."

"If his boyfriend does something bad, I don't know what I would do," girl two said, voice almost hostile.

"I don't know what any of his fans will do!"

"You're so right," girl two agreed.

Nico tried to tune out the rest of their conversation by placing his head on the table. He was started to get a headache and feel sick as he heard someone chuckle beside him.

"My God, you hear them? Those girls are crazy," said a man with a strong jaw line and un-kept hair.

Nico looked over and was stunned by the man speaking to him. He had glasses, but that didn't take away from his natural beauty. His eyes were a piercing gray with thick eyelashes. His clothes looked rushed, but still some thought went into them. He had a faint smell of old books and dark chocolate. Nico didn't know what to say.

"Like Jesus, calm down, will yeah?"

Nico laughed at him, trying to look away to finishing up his set up. He felt better with that.

"I'm Malcolm," he introduced himself to Nico.

"I'm Nico," he replied, but Malcolm just waved his hand.

"I already know who you are," he said with a small smile.

Nico was about to reply when Malcolm beat him to it.

"Don't worry, I'm not some crazed fan."

"Well that's good," Nico spoke, a smile finding his lips.

"Some people can't let others have their privacy."

"I know what you mean."

...

As the day dragged on, Will found himself by the snack table during a small break in between takes. The stress of the past few days had been hard and his mind was racing. He just wanted to hurry up and go home.

As he was checking the time, Octavian made his way over, running his fingers through his hair. He waved Will down.

"Hey, Solace!" he called out in a snarky tone, one that always found his lips.

"Hey loser," Will called back, sending a small smirk to the other blonde's direction.

"Heard the news. Didn't know you were gay," Octavian said with a careless attitude, taking a bite of an apple that he picked up off of the table.

"I'm n-"

"He's bisexual, not gay," Drew spoke up, interrupting Will mid sentence, walking towards the pair.

Octavian shrugged. "What ever. Look, a few of the guys and me were going to go out for supper tomorrow after filming and I was wondering if you wanted to come."

"Sure dude," Will agreed, thankful for the sudden change in atmosphere.

"No prob." Octavian waved Will off as he strutted away, apple almost finished.

Will turned to Drew who was shifting awkwardly in place, looking anywhere but at him. She stood sheepish in front of him, like a kicked puppy.

"Look, Drew, I just want to apologize-"

"No, Will, I have to apologize," Drew interrupted him again, looking him directly in the eye.

"Drew, you didn't do anything wrong," Will insisted, but she just shook her head.

"That's the point. I didn't do anything when I should have. You needed me and I wasn't there. I wasn't a good fake-girlfriend, hell, I wasn't even that good of a friend. That's why I'm sorry, Will. I'm sorry I made you go through all of this when I could have been there to help you. I mean it, really."

Will stood there, unable to say anything. What was he going to say to that? How could he say anything to that?

"Please say something so I don't feel stupid," Drew choked out with a half-felt laugh.

Without missing a beat, Will stepped forward and embraced Drew tightly. Not a word was spoken between them as Will held on to Drew. Drew could feel tears build up behind her eyes, batting her eyes to fight them away.

"Thank you," Will mumbled, still unsure of what to properly say.

"Anytime," Drew replied, tightening the embrace.

...

Will walked around the kitchen, opening up cupboards to look into only to shut them seconds later with a heavy sigh.

"There's literally nothing to eat," Will spoke aloud, glancing over at Nico who stared into his phone with a wide grin. As Nico giggled softly to himself, Will sauntered over. "Who you talking to?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"No one," Nico replied hiding his phone in his chest away from Will's sight. He tilted his head upward to look at the blonde through his thick eyelashes.

"That's a lie," Will said back, sitting on the couch beside his boyfriend. Nico only rolled his eyes and looked back down to his phone. "C'mon, I want to know."

"No way," Nico replied, shooting Will a dirty look that failed to receive.

In an instant, Will was on Nico, almost straddling his hips trying to reach up and grab Nico's phone. The younger male was laughing as he stretched his hand above his head away from the blonde's greedy hands. Will had Nico pinned into the couch as he managed to grab the phone, but when he looked down at it, it was locked. He knew the pass-code, but by the time he would have entered it, Nico would be on him, grabbing it away.

"Will, give it back," Nico warned, the threat almost empty.

"No way," Will shot back, way to happy to have the phone in his hands.

"Fine," Nico announced, causing Will to look up at him. "If you give it back, I'll kiss you."

"You'll kiss me anyways," Will said, relaxed.

"Oh really? Wanna see how long that goes for?"

Will thought it over, knowing full well that Nico was being serious with his threat. "Fine."

"Phone first, though," Nico said.

"No way!"

"Then no kiss."

"Fine," Will sighed, handing over the phone to Nico.

"Now close your eyes," Nico spoke softly. Will did as he was told and closed his eyes.

As he waited, he started to get suspicious. He scrunched his brows together and opened his eyes. Nico had left.

Will tilted his head back to see Nico walking into the bedroom with his phone, laughing.

"Hey!" Will called out, leaning even more over the arm of the chair to watch Nico enter the room. Nico only laughed as Will fell off the side of the couch, scrambling to get to his feet.

"You lose," Nico called out as he closed the door, his laughter lighting up the apartment.

"No fair," Will called out, rubbing his sore back.

...

Nico was finding his new friend at the university to be interesting. He always had a story to tell or an opinion to share on whatever was brought up. He spoke with a new angle that Nico had never even thought off. He had only just met Malcolm and he was quickly becoming one of his best friends.

When they sat in class, they sat beside each other, writing small notes back and forth to one another. Malcolm was usually the one to start it, something quick and witty about something the professor had said or a side comment that left Nico struggling not to laugh. There was no doubt that they were meant to be friends.

"Personally, I find the clean-cut writing of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird to be quite dry, especially in the beginning," Malcolm pointed out, sitting closer than normal. Actually, Nico had noticed he had been doing that a lot recently. Sitting a little bit closer, leaning in a little bit deeper when they talked, eyes lingering seconds longer than normal. At first he hadn't noticed, but when he traced his point out on the paper that Nico had in front of him, the light grazing of Malcolm's finger skimming his own, Nico noticed something was off. He didn't to bring it up, seeing on how it could be a mistake.

"It was too 'by the book' for me, you understand?" Nico wanted to reply, but the intensity of Malcolm's gaze made his mind blurry.

"Uh, yeah," Nico managed to choke out when he noticed that he hadn't said anything, just stared at back.

"For me there was only roughly five interesting chapters that didn't bore me," Malcolm started to speak again, pulling his hand back and sitting straighter in his seat, as if nothing had happened.

Nico tried to shake his mind, but it pulled at him, making him uneasy.

...

LOOKS LIKE ALL IS RIGHT IN THE WORLD OF COUPLE DRAMA. WILL SOLACE AND DREW TANAKA ARE A-OKAY ONCE AGAIN AND THE WORLD HAS LET OUT A SIGH OF RELIEF THAT THE "EX-COUPLE" IS NOT FEUDING ON SET, BUT MAKING THE MOST OF THEIR PAST TIME TOGETHER. OF COURSE A SINGLE TEAR FELL FOR THE "SHIPPERS" OF "SOL-NAKA" WHEN DREW POSTED A PHOTO OF THEM TOGETHER ON SET!

...

Drew Tanaka

@Drewbaby

@Williamsolace is the greatest fake boyfriend anyone could ask for, the craziest co-star to work with, and an even amazing friend! Even if our relationship wasn't real, our friendship is!

(Image-8748-783-6)

...

An image of Drew and Will was connected to the tweet. Both Will and Drew were making silly faces. Drew had her tongue stuck out to the side and eyes crossed while Will had his lips spread apart as far as he could, exposing his gum and teeth. His tongue was sticking out through his clenched teeth and his eyes were wide and pointing in different direction.

...

Will laid, dazed, in bed, the covers thrown everywhere due to neglect of tidiness. He ran his fingers through Nico's bedhead, pulling at strands and combing through knots. Nico traced the curves and hard lines of Will chest, fingers lightly dancing over the tones muscle. They needed to get out of bed, but having a full day where they both didn't have to do anything was rare, and they soaked it in as much as possible.

"We need to get up," Will said with a huff, but refused to move himself.

Nico ignored his boyfriend's words and continued to trace his chest. They both fell deaf to the words, but soon Will propped himself upwards. Nico tried to protest, but ended up rolled over on the bed face down, peaking out to face the blonde.

"We need to get up and go out," Will said, his words holding more meaning than their front.

Nico moaned in revolt, but Will held serious.

"Nico, we need to be seen."

"Do we have to? Today?"

"Yes. As they say," Will started, hopping off of the bed and digging around for a shirt, "'rip it off like a band-aid'."

"Nobody actually says that," Nico pointed out. But Will just threw a pair of pants at him.

"C'mon, Darling, time to make ourselves known."

Nico groaned as he wiggled into the pants Will had tossed him.

...

"So, you know, that English assignment we have to do in pairs is coming up, maybe you want to do it with me. You know, since everyone in that class acts as if they don't know a single word the professor is saying," Malcolm suggested as him and Nico packed up their notes from their last lecture, heading out for the quick break before the next class.

"Sure, I have a few ideas that wouldn't be too bad. Maybe we can go over them and see which one would be the easiest to write," Nico suggested, stopping and turning to Malcolm.

Nico noticed it again. His friend stepped forward, just enough to say it was a mistake, but also close enough that didn't seem normal for two male university students. But he thought he was over analyzing it again.

"Sure, why don't we go out for coffee sometime soon and discus it," Malcolm proposed, but Nico wasn't sure.

"I don't know. I don't have a lot of free time these days. Between school work and my editor, Reyna, harking at me to get my work done, I barely have time to eat," Nico joked, laughing a bit to himself.

"Well that's okay, maybe between classes we could hit up the campus cafe and go over it then."

"Maybe," Nico pondered, brows furrowing together, "but I have this huge test coming up for a few of my classes and I've been using that time to cram study."

Malcolm laughed, but not a genuine laugh. "Then when are you free? Maybe we could go out and talk about it then?"

"I don't know. I guess I haven't exactly thought about it," Nico thought out loud, laughing curtly to his own predicament.

"Well, you do have my number," Malcolm brought up, almost in desperation.

"I do, we text all the time - of course I do."

Malcolm sighed as Nico looked away, a small defeated chuckle leaving his lips. Nico looked up at him in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Nico asked.

"You obviously aren't interested are you?"

"What?" Nico asked again, confused.

"In me. You obviously aren't interested in me. Forget it," Malcolm sighed as he started to walk away.

"Wait-!" Nico tried to explain, but Malcolm shut him down.

"Look, I thought you were interest in me, but I guess I'm wrong. I'm sorry if I annoyed you, so just leave it. It's fine."

Nico tried to chase after him, but Malcolm was long gone. He wanted to explain, but he felt awful and didn't know how anything he said would have things better without making him sound crazy.

He liked Malcolm, but he couldn't like him that way because he had Will. And it hurt to think that he lost a good friend because of it.

...

WILL SOLACE'S NEW MAN IS A CUTIE, AND YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHO IT IS!

...

Jason Grace

@Blondsuperman

God damn it @Williamsolace! You HAD to go and have a fairy tale relationship, now didn't you!

...

Maggie Collins

@funkygirl93

OHMYGOD! HE SITS IN FRONT OF MY IN MY ENGLISH LECTURE!

...

6inches-my-assets

CAN I GET A HALLELUJAH! CAN I GET A FUCKING AMEN!

CAN I GET AN I FUCKING CALLED IT?!

...

GangstaMario

Re:6inches-my-assets

My brother, you can have what ever you like!

...

Doctorpepperiscrack

Re:6inches-my-assets

HALLELUJAH!

...

Wanda Kingsington

@WandaKingsingtonReport

@ StacyMillor looks like you were right on this one, and @Williamsolace has got himself a keeper.

...

Sexyhotpockets89

Alright, so everyone is freaking out over Will Solace, but did anyone stop and think about this. Nico di Angelo (N.D. Augustine), world renown author, is the one that Will's going out with. Like, people are freaking out over and at him, but Nico's page has gone cold. Even his fans are flooding Will with everything, but Nico is getting nothing. I personally am freaking out over here! Do you guys know what this means?! Will Solace has had a massive crush on Nico even before anyone knew who he was or anything at all! Nico himself has been quoted in an online interview via email that he especially like the actor long before his role as Nate. Guys, do you see this? Everyone knew that Will had a massive fangirl crush on the author, but he didn't know what he looked like while Nico (N.D.) did! He knew what he looked like and who he was as a person, and if that isn't a true Cinderella story, I don't know what is! The real person we should be asking is N.D. Augustine guys! We already know everything from Will's side, he even admitted to the stories he told about Drew being about his boyfriend instead via twitter. Now we need to know how Nico felt/feeling! Everyone, make it your mission to get answers!

...

The moment Nico walked into the University, eyes followed him. It didn't take long for word to spread like a wildfire. Even with all the attention on him, he felt isolated; alone. Whispers echoed through the hallways, words coming to a hush as he passed. Girls would point and giggle, only to have their hands swatted down by their friends.

To feel like he had some control over his life, he gripped his backpack tightly and trudged through the halls to his lecture. He wanted this day to be over, for the news to quiet down, but he knew it was the opposite, that they will only pick back up with the following hours, much less days.

Feeling defeated, he set his belongings on the desk and sighed, putting his head in his arms and closing his eyes. It wasn't until the thud of a backpack and the familiar scent of old books and dark chocolate did he raise his head to meet a familiar pair of enchanting gray eyes.

"Hey," Malcolm said meekly. Nico flashed him a halfhearted smiled.

Malcolm shifted in his seat awkwardly, over stretching all of his limbs.

"I'm sorry about... you know. I over reacted and didn't give you time to explain all... this," he started as he gestured to the "crowd" of people gawking at Nico. "If I would have let you explain, I would have understood, but I didn't and I'm sorry."

"It's okay, really. It's kind of hard to believe, isn't it? Some days I can't even believe it. You know, until I met you, only one person has ever liked me, so I'm not exactly good at understanding if a guy - or a person for that matter - even likes me in that way. I do find you attractive, but I... can't... you know..."

He smiled. "I understand, and thanks."

"No prob..." Nico muttered under his breath.

Malcolm laughed at that, smiling when he calmed down. "You know what, I'm glad we can still be friends - we can still be friends, right?"

It was Nico's turn to laugh. "Yeah, we can still be friends."

...

As the class ticked on, the side conversations picked up, more and more people were whispering about Nico, and he could hear them. It ticked away at him, like an ice pick scrapping at the back of his mind as if it was an unwanted lobotomy.

When he looked over at Malcolm, it seemed as if he was untouched by the words buzzing around the numbing room. He sat there taking notes with a form of intensity that Nico wished he could have at this moment. His foot began to tap.

The more the clock ticked on, the more the lecture melted into a mess of words, sloppily thrown together with the piercing whispers.

"Look, I can't believe-"

"I know-"

"It's so-"

"Yeah."

It wasn't long before he couldn't take it anymore, physically and mentally. Nico stood up, the sudden sound of books slamming on the desk ringing throughout the lecture hall.

"I've had enough!" Nico shouted. He didn't care that all eyes were on him, this time, he wanted it that way. He was sending a message, and he hoped everyone got it.

"Mr. di Angelo, what in gods name are you-"

"I'm sorry professor that you can't hear the whispers from all the way down there, but I have to say something."

"Look, di Angel-"

"No, not until I have said what I have to."

Nico took a deep breath in. "Yes, I am an author, I have three cats and I don't live at home with my parents anymore. I have no idea my blood type, my favourite colour is actually a dark lilac, but recently ocean blue has seemed like a nice colour. I personally identify as a Slythrin, but sometimes I feel like a Hufflepuff; the house would have to be my second choice. I have won four awards and received six nominations for my books, plus a dedication of the Oscar from the director of the movie One Last Hero. I was born in Italy, yes, I speak Italian, and no, I will not say anything in it for you. Don't even bother on asking why I'm in school if I already have a career because I will walk away.

"My birthday is January twenty-eighth, no, I will not write you into a book, and if I do, I will kill your character so they mean nothing. Yes, I can hear every single one of your side conversations about me and it's extremely annoying and I can't concentrate.

"Yes, I am in a relationship with Will Solace, the actor, we met at the premier actually. He had to pee, wasn't very romantic. If you have a problem with my sexuality or who I'm dating, please shut up because nobody asked for your opinion, you insensitive prick; your incomparable stupidity brings the entire room's intelligent level down. If I have to hear one more side conversation about me sucking dick or anything along those lines, I will cut yours off and shove it down your throat.

"If you have any more questions you want me to answer, say them right fucking now because this is the last time I will answer any of them. I am sick and tired of everyone whispering behind my back, and none of you are any good at it either. I have heard every last conversation that has been said in my proximity. I'm sorry professor for interrupting the class, but I could not hear a single word you were saying and I actually enjoy this class immensely."

Nico took a deep breath, allowing the silence to wash over before he calmed himself and started to speak again.

"Oh yes, and one last thing so no one asks me this in this class again. Side Friend, yeah, that was written for Will. So sweet, I know right?!" Nico blurted out sarcastically. He took a deep breath to relax himself before finishing. "Look, I'd rather you ask me to my face than talk behind my back. Don't be rude and I might actually respond, that's all there is to it. Now please, are we all good to return to the class topic and not my love life?"

It was the collective silence that signaled for Nico to take his seat. He let out a deep sigh into the buzzing quietness of the room.

"You may continue, professor."

And so the professor did.

Chapter Text

An oncoming spring breeze chilled the air by the time Will opened the front door, stumbling in after a long day of work. He was tired, his feet hurt, and he just wanted to lay down.

The creaking of the door hinges echoed throughout the apartment, causing Nico to turn from his textbook and notes, and look up. He smiled warmly at the blonde who struggled to shake his shoes off, turning back to his work as a heavy sigh left Will's lips, the door shutting behind him in a loud thump.

Nico continued to scribble away at his notes, one headphone half in his ear as the T.V. played mindlessly in the background, volume low. A low smile tugged at his lips when Will fell onto the couch, causing a weight shift. Nico's body tilted towards his right, towards where Will was sitting.

"Tired?" Nico asked, adverting his eyes and going back to his notes. Instead of a response, Will just leaned on him, letting his body weight rest on Nico's shoulders, literally. "I'll take that as a yes," Nico chuckled lowly, fighting the smile tugging on his lips.

"I love you," Will mumbled into Nico's ear, his hot breath sending chills down Nico's spine. Will's fingers lightly trailed along his side, causing Nico to drop his pencil. He wanted to say something, but he took a deep breath, took out his headphones, and closed his book.

"I know," he replied, leaning into Will's embrace.

Nico closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, allowing everything to wash over him. He was finally truly happy, even after everything that has happened to him. For once, he could close his eyes and not feel the weight of the world fall onto his back. He could rest in the arms of the man he loved and not have to worry about anything. He was safe.

Will wrapped an arm around Nico and pulled him in close, their heartbeats becoming one. The dulling noise of the forgotten T.V. show gave sound to the confident silence, reminding them that they weren't alone in the world, even if it felt like they were at that exact moment.

Will rested his chin on top of Nico's head, making Nico feel secure, untouchable in that very moment. It was relaxing for both of them, the stress of the day - weeks - seemed to melt away, leaving them with only each other.

"I don't want you to go," Nico admitted with a teetering voice, shaky.

Will tightened his hold on him, as if he was never going to let go. "I don't either. If it was my choice, I'd never let you go."

"Then don't," Nico mumbled, practically inaudible, a faint of a whisper, but Will just held on tighter, taking a deep breath.

I wont, is what he wanted to say, the words the echoed in his mind, but he knew he couldn't. He had just gotten him back, and now he had to leave for a while, leaving Nico all alone once again.

Will leaned closer and gently kissed the side of Nico's neck, the area right behind his ear. Nico's eyes shot open, unsure of what to do. He wasn't expecting it, but he soon fell into a wave of pleasure and let Will continue. And that he did.

Will trailed his lips along the side of his neck, kissing every inch that was visible. Nico managed to wiggle out of Will's hold, finding his back resting on the arm of the couch on the side opposite of Will. But the blonde wasn't having it. He followed Nico forward, peppering his neck with kisses, hands sliding along his body.

Nico gripped the hem of Will's shirt, tugging on it, pulling it in different directions. Will's forearm rested beside Nico's head, balancing his weight as he leaned over Nico, mouth ravaging his neck, leaving small marks as he gasped for air.

Nico placed a hand on his chest, pushing against him. When Will made eye contact with Nico, his hair and shirt was disheveled, his eyes were half lidded in pleasure, and his breath came out in pants, lips gently parted. Will was almost paralyzed by the breathtaking sight before him.

Nico pushed on his chest again, causing Will to obey without a second thought, allowing himself to be completely controlled by him. With Will in a semi-trance, he sat on his knees on the couch, arms falling idly beside him. Nico pushed himself up, Will moving as he did. When Nico leaned forward, Will would follow and lean back, all the way until his back made feeling with the arm rest.

His heart rate sped up as Nico came forward, Will's own movement almost calm-like. Will stretched out one of his legs, leaving the other resting upwards, so as Nico made his way forward, he placed his hand on Will's knee, using it as a rest as he slowly climbed on him, his hips straddling Will's.

Will brought a hand up and grabbed the back of Nico's head, hand almost pulling at his soft locks. When their lips met, Nico melted under the touch, his movements erratic, desperate, gripping at any part of Will he could. He managed an intense grip on Will's shoulder, the other hand gripping the back of his neck, pulling at his hair tightly. It hurt, but Will didn't mind it, so he let him continue to do so.

Will's free hand slipped up and under Nico's shirt, trailing his fingers along his waist. Nico gasped when Will's hand trailed along his hips and played at the elastic of his underwear below the small in back. It wasn't before long that their lips were connected again, Will's tongue asking for entrance. Nico opened his mouth to allow him, pulling even harder at Will's hair as he started to feel his body lose control.

When Will couldn't ignore the tightness growing in his pants, he pulled away, panting. Nico looked at him, eyes heavy with lust, breath deep and irregular. A small string of saliva hanged from their lips after they parted, soon breaking. Will loosened his grip on Nico's hair, but remained stone handed on the grip of the elastic.

Nico grew confused as Will blindly felt around for the T.V. remote. Upon finding it, he quickly turned it off and started to sit up. Nico let his hand that was tangled in his hair go limp, his grip not as tight on his shoulder. He grew worried that he did something wrong as Will tried to get out from under him. In the haze of confusion, with a rough, heavy voice full of heat and restraint, Will spoke softly, "Come."

He motioned to Nico to follow him as he led him from the couch over to the bedroom door. The eagerness and control that Will possessed, borderline scared Nico, yet it also excited him. With shaky legs, he followed Will into the bedroom, continuing to walk forward on his own without Will's lead as Will shut the door.

When Nico turned around to face Will, his breath got caught in his throat. The look on Will's face sent shivers down his spine. Will's breath was heavy and demanding, his eyes like a trained hawk, eyeing him down. He felt helpless standing there, flustered, as Will slowly made his way over, each step becoming impossible to wait.

As Will reached him, his control was running bare. With every last ounce of control he had, he managed to push Nico on his back onto the bed without enough force to hurt him. He stood at the foot of the bed, legs straddling Nico's as he looked down at the younger man. His hair was pushed in every direction - which was Will's fault - his eyes were scared, yet filled with lust, edging him on to continued, which he almost did right there and then. His clothes no longer sat right, his pants were twisted around his hips. His hands shook as they lay timidly on the bed, his chest rising and falling, rapidly. It was a sight for sore eyes, and Will was glad only he was allowed to see it.

When Nico looked up to the blonde that stood over top of him, his chest was blaring with anticipation. The wild look in his eyes was there, almost the same look from their fight, but this time, he wasn't scared. If he was anything, he was nervous. He could feel his hands shake as those piercing blue eyes struck like knives as they looked him over, like a hungry animal ready to pounce. Even with his sun-kissed hair covering his eyes, they still stung.

Only a few seconds passed before Will slowly grabbed the hem of his own shirt with terrifying strength, almost as if he was going to rip it off of him. He brought it up over his head, his toned abs now exposed, tense and sweaty. When he got it over his head, he ripped an arm out, the other still semi still in there, but he just stood there, now shirtless as his eyes never left Nico's. With controlled aggression, he threw it to the side, whipping it away. When he did that, Nico's breath hitched.

Will placed his knee on one side of Nico, followed by the other, until he was truly straddling him, hips raised. It wasn't until Will ran his hands under Nico's own shirt, did Nico realize that he had been holding his breath, letting out a huge grasp. Will slowly trailed his hands back down until they were back at the hem, gripping it and bringing it up, exposing Nico's abdomen. Nico propped himself up with his elbows, allowing Will to take his shirt off. First his right arm, then his left. Nico couldn't help but laugh when it got stuck over his head. The light sound brought them back down to reality, even Will chuckled as he tried to get it over his head.

When it finally came off, the two of them were looking at one another, small smiles playing at heir lips, lightening the mood. Will slowly brought the shirt to his chest before throwing it gently over the side of the bed, eyes never leaving his boyfriend below him. Whether the atmosphere was tense or light, nothing could ruin this.

Will slowly came down, meeting Nico's lips with his own as the two of them got comfortable on the bed, moving higher up on the bed so their feet were no longer hanging off.

Nico's pants were getting suspiciously tight, so he tried to readjust them, but the harder he tried, the worse it got. In between kisses, Will backed away ever so slightly, a smile playing at his lips. He grabbed Nico's hand that was fiddling around with his pants, and stroked it with his thumb.

"I got it," he huffed, voice heavy - thick, yet light.

Nico could feel the heat rise to his ears, burning him from the inside out as Will's lips went straight to his collar bone, leaving small marks as he undid Nico's pants, pulling them down once he got them undone. Will's lips trailed down his chest as he tugged on Nico's pants, begging them to come off.

With the pressure diminished, Nico threw his head back, taking a deep breath in as everything became over sensitive. It was all new to him, so every touch sent him over the edge, but Will had just enough control that he didn't go off completely.

As Will ravished him, Nico fumbled with Will's pants, shaky hands trying to unbuckle Will's belt. Will placed one hand by Nico's head, trailing his tongue up his jaw line and biting his lip while his other hand helped undo his pants. He pulled the belt off in one fluid motion, tossing it aside as he managed to wiggle out of his jeans, kicking them off one leg at a time.

Once they were off, he looked down, other hand now on the other side of Nico's head. He was panting, and hard. The look on his face showed that he could hardly hang on any longer. He was beautiful.

Nico reached up, hand having barely any energy to hold itself up, but he stroked the blonde's cheek, letting his hand fall limply on his chest after. A smile appeared, bright and warming.

Will leaned down, bringing his face close to the others. He leaned into his ear, saying, "I love you."

Will brought his head back up, locking eyes with the man underneath of him, smiling as he brought their foreheads together.

"And I, you," Nico spoke back, closing his eyes and enjoying the minimal contact at the moment.

Will rose his head up just enough, sliding his hand down and tugging at the elastic band of Nico's underwear. He looked to him for permission, and with a meek nod, Will continued, pulling them down, about to show him how much he truly did care and love him.

...

Will sat on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his knees, leaning forward. His own underwear was now back on, clothes scattering the floor, long forgotten. He let a huge sigh leave his mouth. A lot had just happened.

He looked back behind him at the sleeping figure balled into the blankets, softly breathing, body completely relaxed.

Will turned his head to look out of the window, the moon high in the sky, shining its light through the window, casting an heavenly glow. He turned back, and smiled. He did love him, and he was glad that he was in his life.

Will leaned in, brushing a hair away from his eyes and caressing his cheek. He looked so peaceful, as if nothing bad could ever happen in the world. He would protect him forever, and no one was ever going to take him away or stop him from doing so.

Will leaned in and kissed his forehead. Not matter what, he would always look out for him.

Chapter Text

Malcolm knew something was off. A hushed whisper fell over coming the class as people scribbled down ideas for an upcoming project. He sat in the middle of the class beside Nico while the younger scratched notes into a notebook.

Malcolm squinted his eyes, trying to find what was different. He examined Nico's profile, eyes scanning over his features intensely. Nico was unaware of Malcolm's glare, tucking a piece of stray hair out of his eyes, slowly laying it behind his ear, his middle finger dragging down the side of his neck, tracing. That's when Malcolm sat up suddenly, startling Nico.

"Wha-" Nico tried to ask, eye wide and alarmed at his sudden movement.

"I know what's different," Malcolm said out loud, setting his hand on the table and facing Nico head on. He leaned in a little bit.

"Malcolm, what are you-"

"You and Will had sex," Malcolm blurted out nonchalantly, voice lowered.

Nico didn't know what to say. He just sat there, hand frozen in mid air, stunned. His eyes were wide and uncertain of what Malcolm had just said.

"What...?" Nico managed to squeak out, voice cracking and weak.

"You and Will finally had s-" Nico shoved his hand over Malcolm's mouth, trying to shut him up.

"I know what you just said, but... what?!" he managed to find his voice once again, face turning red as blood rushed everywhere to his face. Nico's eyes darted around, trying to see if anyone had heard what Malcolm had just said out loud. It was becoming increasingly harder to even hear the world around him as his heartbeat rang in his ears, throbbing with his quickening pulse.

"You've seemed... different lately," Malcolm spoke with caution, making sure to pick his words precisely. His eyes dragged over the younger male, rough with aggression and thought.

"But why... that?" Nico asked skittish, trying to hide within himself, his voice retreating also, hands gesturing at the statement to try and get a crossed what he had meant.

With a final look over, Malcolm shrugged, going back to look over his notes, leaving Nico completely dumbfounded. He started to at as if he hadn't said anything, pointing out ideas and sketching them on Nico's note book with sloppy doodles to follow and explain.

"Malcolm!" Nico whined as he realised that Malcolm was officially ignoring the entire subject.

...

"What does he mean by that?!" Nico repined, trying his best to keep his voice low but still let out his frustration. "Like, he says that, then drops it all together!" With his aggression slowly leaving him, he took a long swig of his hot chocolate and sighed.

Katie chuckled lowly behind her free hand, rubbing her arm through her cardigan.

"Well," she started, re-positioning herself in the chair, setting her coffee over to the side gingerly, bringing her arm back to the edge of the table, crossing them, "that makes sense."

"Huh?"

"I wasn't going to say anything, but now that someone already has, I don't feel that bad doing that now."

"Katie!"

"What?" she asked, putting her hands up in defense. "It's only the truth. I wasn't going to say something, I swear, so this is partly your fault."

"Katie!" Nico exclaimed, looking around when someone turned their head to glance at him. He brought his voice down. "I came to you with a problem."

"I don't see the problem. The only thing I can't see is how you didn't notice it."

"What do you mean?" he asked, sipping his hot chocolate with caution.

"Well, you know what they say: people tend to appear more attractive when they have..." Katie paused, watching Nico squirm in his chair as he knows what she's about to say.

"Katie-"

"Sex," she drags the word out, low, smirking when Nico hides his head on the table under his arms.

"Nico," she laughs gently to herself, "you know, you have been more confident since... It was probably just that we've picked up on. It's not a bad thing, you know that. You've been holding yourself higher and haven't been taking any ones shit lately, and that's before all of this. Meeting Will and being with him has brought you so far out of your shell, you know it was only a matter of time."

Katie sat in silence as she knew the words rolled over him, washing through his mind.

"Anyways," she said, waiting for Nico to it up, "how is Will taking this?" she asked, reaching out for her coffee.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you two have been together for a while, a little over two months, and been living together for quite a big portion of that. The fact that you two haven't done anything until now is surprising. I know how you feel about all of this, but how has Will been acting?" she questioned, clarifying on what she meant. "Most couples usually do the do before they move in with each other, but you two have had the most fluffiest relationship I've ever seen."

Nico sat up properly, sinking forward ever so slightly as he thought about it. Now that she had said something, he did notice somethings were different between them. It wasn't a bad thing, but he had never had any kind of relationship like this, so for him, everything was weird - different.

Will had seemed more distant than before, something he didn't understand, but he never tried to dwell on it.

"He has been kind of weird," Nico started slowly, words careful as they left his mouth. "Distant mostly, kind of skittish on what he says or does around me." He looked up and stared at her, eyes becoming concerned. "Do you think it was something I did?"

Katie smiled. "I wouldn't think that. I don't think there is anything you could do at this point that would make him hate you."

"Why do you think that?"

Katie thought back to only a few weeks ago, replaying the conversation she had had with Will when the two of them had ceased talking. It was almost funny to think of how far away that had really been. Just a few short days ago and the two of them couldn't be in the same room as each other without breaking down and losing it on one another.

"Back when the two of you stopped talking," she started to explain, starting slowly to make sure it was safe to continue on this topic, "Will had come to see me, as he usually does; he says it's good to vent to me, that I'm a good listener - anyways, back then, right before you two made up, he laid everything out before me, asking me what to do. I told him he had three options: one, that he could give up on you and be with Drew for real; two, leave Drew and be with you; three, leave both you and Drew and go that way.

"The entire time he compared everything with everything, hoping he was making the right decisions and not royally fucking up. During that time, I had asked him one last question, asking him if he loved you. The look on his face fell, everything about him became neutral, he was unable to read. He stared down at the table for a few solid seconds before looking dead into my eyes, and without a shred of second thought, he told me he did.

"Nico, in that moment, in your guys' weakest moment, the easiest time for him to back out, before he made everything out in the open, he had the perfect chance to leave you, a chance so perfect that it will never come again. He sat there with the pressure of everything that was happening on his shoulders, and he had the option to drop it right there in that exact moment, but you know what he did? He said he wasn't, he made it very clear in that exact moment that he chose you over the easy paths, he chose you when he didn't have to.

"He is not going to leave you. You may not realise how easy it would have been for him to walk away from this all and have it as good as the media makes it out to be, but he didn't. He stayed and told you he loved you and now you two are together and in love and enjoying your time together, how ever that may be now. Trust me, he's not going anywhere anytime soon."

Nico didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. He sat there, sipping his now cold hot chocolate as the outside world passed him by, just on the other side of the window.

...

As the suitcase clicked shut, Will let out a heavy sigh, jumping slightly at the sudden touch of cold hands around his middle. He smiled as he placed a hand on the conjoined pair that gripped tightly to one another, knuckles turning blue. Will let a moment pass over them, gripping the pair of hands tightly before separating them.

Will turned around and brought Nico into a hug, his bare chest rising and falling as the pair of hands wrapped around him again, this time even tighter than they had previously. Will gripped the back of Nico's shirt tightly, resting his head on top of the shorter mans own.

"I don't want you to leave," Nico muttered into his chest as he nudged his face into the crook of his neck.

"I don't want to leave you," Will said back, concentrating on nothing but the man before him. After everything that had happened these last few days, the thought of leaving him again was eating into him.

Will's flight was tomorrow and they would start shooting the moment he arrived. He would be gone for over a month, probably even two. He felt bad that he was leaving him again, but he had no choice. This was for work. There was no way he could drop everything and stay here with him, no matter how hard he wanted to.

Will set the suitcase onto the floor after breaking away for a short moment, sitting down on the bed where the suitcase had been only a few brief moments prior. Taking Nico's hand, he lead him, bringing him to sit on his lap on the messy, unkept bed.

Nico wrapped his feet around Will's mid section, arms tightly around his neck. Will kissed his ear, keeping his mouth there for a few seconds, taking in everything. No matter how long they had known, it would never be enough time before Will left.

Will let his head fall, his forehead resting gently on the side of Nico's. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine that they would be like that for the rest of their lives.

...

"There's so many people here," Nico whispered, nervously giggling as him and Will stood outside of security.

That morning had been heavy, each of their movements slow, hoping that if they went slow enough, it would be like they wouldn't have to go or Will would miss his flight.

"Yeah," Will said back, laughing behind the hand that wasn't holding on to Nico's, grip tight as if he was never going to see him again.

"So many cameras," Nico muttered, turning towards Will, taking in the sight of his messy bedhead.

"That was expected." Will squeezed Nico's hand as they waited for Lou Ellen to show up. She would be flying up a few days after Will was, but she agreed to be there when he took off to go over last minute details and to drive Nico home.

When she finally got there, she barged her way through the crowds of fans and paparazzi, making her way to where the two of them stood, shaded by the airport security a few feet away.

"There you two are," she said with a sly smile as she pulled out a few files of paper. "Will," she started right away, "here some last minute changes to the script, somethings got pushed around and had to make a few changes because of it. It shouldn't be too much of a problem 'cause it seems to be for scenes that aren't being filmed for a few days."

The two of them went over details as Nico looked around. He had popularity, yes, but never like this. He could walk around without people following him with a camera, that being one of the main reasons he never used his real name, but now that he was living it, it started a panic in his chest. At that moment, everything became real, and he started to shake.

Will looked over to see what was going on, surprised then worried when he did, noticing that Nico was frozen in place, shaking as his muscles fought him. The grip between them had become tighter as the seconds ticked on by.

Will turned, completely ignoring Lou as he turned to face Nico, taking his other hand and bring it up to his cheek, stroking it with their now clasped fingers. Nico's breath hitched, becoming suddenly aware again. He looked up to meet those sterling blue eyes that he had fallen so very much in love with, and felt his fears melting away. They were going to separated, but they were going to be okay.

"I love you," Will muttered in a loving tone, stroking Nico's cheek again with his thumb, dropping his left hand to bring it through Nico's hair.

"I know," Nico replied, leaning into Will's hand, his empty one settling on the blonde's hip.

Will brought him in, leaning forward until their lips collided, sending a burst of heat rushing throughout Nico's body. As Will let go of Nico's other hand to bring it up to caress his face, Nico's now free hand found itself on Will's other hip, gripping both as he enjoyed their last few moments together before Will left.

"It's time," Lou Ellen pointed out, bringing them both back to reality.

Will rested his forehead on Nico's, hands still holding on to the back of his neck for dear life as he closed his eyes. They stayed still for a beat before Will forced himself away, grabbing his carry on and heading to the security line.

As Nico stood there, watching as Will stepped to the front of the line, as he slowly went out of sight, Nico walked up to the rope and took a deep breath in. He didn't care if all cameras and eyes were on him, they didn't have the right to intrude on their relationship.

"I love you!" Nico yelled out right as Will stepped away, head turning back, trying to make out what he had just heard over the loud atmosphere.

When Will realised what Nico had said, his face turned from confusion to adoration.

"I love you, Nico!" Will called out, just as he was ushered away from sight.

Cameras and questions were being thrown into Nico's face as he stood there, taking a deep breath in before turning and walking away from the security check, Lou Ellen following swiftly behind him, shoving people out of the way as Nico walked away, glancing one last look over his shoulder to where Will had once been only moments prior.

When they reached the car, Nico got into the passenger side and sighed. He rested his head back and closed his eyes.

"You ready to head back?" Lou asked.

Nico shook his head, eyes still closed.

"Not yet. Give me a few seconds," he told her, taking a deep breath in and out before opening his eyes, nodding.

Lou Ellen put the car in gear and drove out of the spot, heading towards the road.

Chapter Text

"Hey," Lou Ellen spoke softly, turning on her blinker as she signaled to turn down a restless street.

Nico had been staring out the window for what felt like ages. The quiet hum of the car radio announcing the vocals of what ever up-and-coming band became a steady background buzz, dulling the busying outside world. It hadn't even been ten minutes since Will had gotten on the plane, not even a single text buzzing in since the last time they had saw one another, moments before leaving each others view behind security and civilians.

And it was coming on hard.

Nico knew thing's were going to be weird, but he didn't expect roughly half an hour in the car with Lou Ellen, Will's manager, to be so. But the atmosphere in the car was suffocating; toxic. It was as if everything before him had been played out, like a movie on repeat.

Just like Reyna, Lou was just as much involved with the affair that had taken place only days ago. In a weird, twisted way it was almost a reminder of what had happened, and what could have.

"Hey," Lou tried again, trying to be patient with man. She was aware of what Will had told her, only moments before, when he had been distracted.

"Lou,"  Will had said, shifting his eyes back on her, away from the anxious man beside him, voice low, "I want you to be patient with him. He's not used to this life, and without me there, I don't know what's going to happen. If people'll attack him, if they'll leave him alone, I have no idea, but please, Lou, watch over him for the small time you can, and please be patient."

It had been a weird conversation for her to have with him, Will had never been this cautious with anyone prior to him. She was used to be the one spewing the warnings, but since Nico had come into the picture, he had change.

Will stopped going out as much, his name wasn't in the media for stereotypical celebrity gossip, but for his work, for his attributes. It wasn't him getting wasted or going from girl to girl, but for having his career take off, for his confidence, for his solid relationship, one Lou Ellen hasn't seen in quite a long time.

"Yeah...?" Nico replied, breaking her from her thoughts, yet his voice was just as dazed as her own.

"Wanna pick something to eat before we head back?" she asked, softly, trying to make him feel comfortable. She knew how out of place he felt, the look on his face gave it away without listening to the lost, uncertain tone in his voice.

Nico was silent, exactly what Lou had expected, but he mumbled an agreement responses, so taking it as a yes, Lou made her way to the nearest fast-food restaurant she could tolerate. If she was with Will, he would go on for days about how bad that food was, even though he himself had suffered to it for weeks on end sometimes.

When she drove into the parking lot, she turned the engine off, undoing her seat belt along side Nico. The two of them got out of the car and walked in, waiting in line to order.

As they stood there, a group of strangers started to snicker, pointing and talking under their breath.

"Lou," Nico spoke up, noticing this, but she waved him off, unfazed.

Lou Ellen made her way up to the counter, ordering some fries and a burger, a small chocolate shake for Nico. When she finished paying, her and Nico walked over to the side counter, waiting for their order.

In this time, the group of teenage boys made their way over, one in unwashed jeans and greasy hair stepped forward.

"Hey there, pretty thing," he said slickly, raising a brow to seem cooler. Just before he could say anymore, Lou Ellen raised her hand without turning to him. He stopped in his tracks, looking at her with a confused look, and the back to his group of friends that shared an equally confused expression.

"I'm a lesbian," she spoke with a quick tongue, shooting him down before he even tried.

The look that spread to his face was enough to bring a smile to Nico's, something that made him feel much better. The teenager's face blew up in red, spreading all the way from his ears to his exposed chest.

Lou grabbed the bag with their order in it as she walked passed him without missing a beat. His friends were hysterical, laughing at their friends expense. Nico couldn't help but join in, but on a much lower scale. He couldn't stop himself until they got to the car, where he crashed into the seat being passed a fry, warm and salty.

With a smirk on her lips, Lou buckled up and turned on the car, the soft chuckles slowly escaping into the background and melting away from ears and lips.

It was almost five minutes on the road before Nico spoke again.

"Thank you," he spoke softly, a smile still hinting on his lips as he took a gentle sip of his shake, biting into a fry directly after.

Lou could only smile, knowing that a response was not needed, not wanted.

...

Two days.

I had been two days since he first laid his head down on the pillow without a blonde beside him, wrapping his arm around him, pulling him in and speaking gentle nothings into his ear. The bed had been cold and quiet.

And empty.

It was becoming increasingly harder to concentrate on his writing. At first he thought it was only his school work that lacked interest, but as he typed away at his work, each word - each sentence seemed to become a shade of grey, words that didn't feel like his own, and didn't sound like it, either.

It was starting to feel pointless, a waste of time and a pain. But at the same time, words flooded his mind, words that seemed strange, unorganized.

So with a quick save to his file, he opened a blank one and started to type, the words flowing from his fingertips like a raging river, the destination uncertain.

...

"Did you hear?"

"Connie?"

"Oh yeah! I heard about that, my sister told me last week."

"I can't believe that that happened."

"Totally, its insane."

"Well, it was her own fault. Getting kicked out is extremely derailing."

"Humiliating. And her sister has to suffer too! Ava can't even show her face anymore without people snarking at her."

"And she was so nice, too!"

"But Connie was good, wasn't she?"

"Not good enough, apparently. The Institution is extremely tough. It was Natalie last year, wasn't it? "

"And Grayson."

It was like this, gossip filled the halls like it did every time this year. It wasn't uncommon to hear these words, the shame that hung on them. It was simple. Some people make it, some don't. Now the real thing is, how far can you get?

The institute was almost like an University. But it was much stricter. There are some people that are born with abilities, and if that doesn't weird, yet cool, i don't know what does. Saying it like that, it almost seems made up, fictional, but it is.

Ever since I remember, my parents had loved me, cared for me, but as I grew older, i noticed that a few more people stared, watching me from the outside in. My parents were known for their power and position, leading head at the facility where everyone who goes to the institute hopes to end up, if they make it.

"Wow," Aria spoke, crossing her tanned arms, raising a dark brow. "And there goes Connie! Must be tough!"

"Aria, can't you keep your comments to yourself?" I asked, rolling my eyes as we continued through the hall to our separate classes.

"What? You know how tough it is, its our problem next, so why shouldn't i talk about it?"

"Because," I started, sighing, shifting my grip on my books, "exactly that. You shouldn't jinx it." She just rolled her eyes, stretching her arms above her head with a bored yawn. "Anyways, are you going with me to sign up?"

She adverted her eyes, turning her head for a few moments too long for me not to pick up on it.

"Aria? Seriously? You went without me?"

"Well," she mumbled, trying to avoid all contact with me at this point.

"Aria! Are you freaking serious?! We dreamed about this moment for years, and you went ahead without me?!"

"Abby, I didn't do it on purpose, you know how it is! If you don't go within the first half, then what's the point of signing up at all?! You know no one takes an initiate seriously if they sign up within the later half, and you know, if anyone was going to, it would be you..."

"Aria," I started, facing her now, steps halted, "are you assuming that I shouldn't sign up?"

"Well, Abby, you are a little slow in your training, and even though your parents are, you know, doesn't mean that you should follow in their foot steps."

What she is implying is the fact that my parents graduated at the top of the institute, got married, had me, and while the entire world looked at me as if I was the miracle child, i turned out to be a flop.

"Aria, you know I'm not exactly the protege everyone expecting me to be, but we had a plan! We were going to do this together!"

"Abby, of course everyone knows your not the protege everyone thought you'd be, that much is easy. You barely even registered during first year elementals. That's why I've been suggesting changing what you want to be. Why not be a doctor? You're really smart!" Aria tried to talk it up, but the more she tried, the angrier I got. It was as if she broke our trust, everything we dreamed of as children.

"Look, I know you mean well, but this isn't your place to say," I warned her, hoping she would back off of the fragile ice she had been walking on.

"Listen, trust me on this, you don't want to be like Connie and the others. Trust me, Abby. I'm only looking out for you," she said, proving that she was done talking as she turned on her heel, heading to the class acrossed from mine, the bell sounding as I stood there, taking a deep breath before turning to head in.

...

Nico looked over the rough draft, and rough was right. It was so bad that he started to laugh. He didn't bother to go back and change grammar, knowing that when he sent it to Reyna, just the idea of receiving something new would send her over the edge.

"This is so awful. I'm so glad this is a rough first draft."

He typed up a quick email, still holding his smile back as he pressed send, allowing himself to breath fully for the first time in a while.

Nico shut his laptop and closed his eyes, leaning back on the couch. It had been rough mentally, but having a moment to calm himself and release what was floating around inside his head was calming.

He thought of shooting Will a text, something he hadn't done in over a day. It was then that his phone lit up with a number, trying to call in. He laughed gently to no one in particular as he read the name.

Reyna

With a knowing smile, he hit the answer button and put it to his ear.

"Hello," Nico called out with a cocky tone.

"Why?"  was all she said. Nico couldn't help but laugh at the tiredness in her voice.

"Why what?" Nico asked, pretending to be unaware of her phone all.

"Why the hell did you send me something new. And in such rough shape. Like, I get it's a rough draft - and don't even get me started on the fact that the grammar is shit - but why?"

All Reyna wanted to know was why Nico made her life hard. All she wanted was the next draft of the book he was supposed to be working on, not some half-assed new material.

"I don't know," Nico replied, "I needed to write it or my head was going to explode. So I sent it to you to look over."

"Just," she sighed, "don't." And with that, she hung up. Nico couldn't help but laugh, falling down to lay on he couch.

When he finally stopped, the empty feeling started to come back, and he sighed, hoping that these months would hurry up and end.

Chapter Text

"And cut!" the director called out, buzzing ringing throughout the closed set. "That's enough for right now. Everyone take fifteen, and we'll start scene fifty three after! Harold!"

Will sighed, whipping a drop of sweat that beaded on his forehead on the back of his hand, dragging his arm a crossed it after.

It had only been just over two weeks since he started to film, and while the work did help to take his mind off of everything, the time zones were messing with him. When he got up to film, being able to talk to Nico was iffy, if he could even catch him in time. If Nico wasn't at school, Will was running late with filming, and stumbling into the hotel long enough to take a shower, maybe eat, and send Nico a quick text before crashing on the bed.

Lou Ellen met up with him only days ago, making his life a little easier. She would do his running around for him while he slaved away in the eerie early summer heat, downing bottles of water by her command.

With his few minutes to breath, Will made his way over to a clear area on set and took out his phone, waving to one of his co-stars as they passed.

"Hey, Will," a petite red headed girl waved to him with a crooked smile, fanning herself with her hand as she lifted her hair above her head to expose her neck and cool off.

"Hey, Ray," he called out back to her, smiling as they passed one another. Just as she was heading the other direction, Will stopped and turned around, calling her down in a suddenness. "Hey, Rachel!"

She stopped and turned around, slightly stunned by his suddenness, but still eager. "Yeah?"

"Can you let me know when break is over if I'm not back in time? I might lose track of time, if that's okay?"

She smiled at him in a bright, cheerful manner, happy to help out. "Absolutely!" she called back, waving her hand in agreement before heading back to where she was originally headed.

"Thanks," he called off, more to feel better that he thanked her than actually expecting her to hear.

He continued to walk off to somewhere quiet while tapping at his phone, half paying attention to where he was walking. When he stopped, he took a deep breath and dialed Nico's number, tapping his foot in the shade while it rung.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

Four rings - voice mail.

With a huff, Will ended the call, foot still tapping as he checked the time. He only had ten minutes left, so he redialed the number and waited, hearing the same ringing from the other end.

...

"So there I was, foot in a tub of butter, completely soaked in goats milk when Tiffany walks in holding the missing bat and a bag with something I can't even tell you, who knows what was in it. But there she was, smelling like a mixture of church and a bait shop. When all of the sudden, Julius walks in, holding the jar of jam like we didn't spend the last hour trying to get it. Now, if you ask him, he'll say he was with Gilda when Gary the tortoise went missing, but Julius is a bitch ass lair."

"Oh my god, are you serious?!" Nico tried to keep his laughter in, but couldn't run out of their last class as fast as possible to not get in trouble.

"Damn straight, but don't ask Liza about that night, she'll kick your ass," Malcolm informed him, lugging his backpack over his shoulder as they trudged through the halls.

"I bet - oh shit, hold on," Nico called out, stopping in the hall as he checked his phone for the first time since this morning. He had one new missed call, and just as he was about to check it, an incoming call came through. Nico headed over the side as not to get in the other students way. Malcolm motioned to the door as Nico answered the call with his his thumb, Nico giving him the okay as he spoke. "Hello?" he answered, covering his other ear with his hand because of the noisy hall way, speaking a little louder than normal.

"Nico?" came Will's voice, almost confused.

"Hey!" Nico replied with an upbeat tone, looking around for the nearest quiet spot. Upon spotting the bathroom, he darted to its direction, ducking to swerve in and out of people heading in the opposite direction.

"You busy?" Will asked, almost sounding torn up as if he was interrupting something.

"No," Nico reassured him, darting into the bathroom entrance. "Just trying to get somewhere quiet. What's up? How's filming? Is it nice there? You better be sending me pics on and off set; I miss you."

"Hold on, Nico,"  Will urged, sounding more upbeat with Nico's optimistic behavior. "I miss you, too, lots, but I don't have much time. Only got fifteen minutes, well, more like seven now, but I can talk. You out of class for now?"

"Yeah," Nico answered, leaning against the cold bathroom tiles, taking a deep breath in. He slid down the wall, resting his head back and closing his eyes, allowing himself to become lost in Will's soft voice. "Just."

"That's good. Thought I missed you or was too early, glad I caught you just in time."

"Yeah," Nico hummed back, a smile slipping on his lips.

"Everything been okay since I left? Cats good?"

"Yeah, everything and everyone is good. Been kind of hectic, but I've managed. Thinking of going back home to see my parents soon. Wish you'd be with me, though."

"I know,"  Will spoke, voice sadder, but still faking the cheer, "but after I'm done filming, I'm only taking local jobs until the show is over."

"Good, because I don't know how I'm going to survive a month without you," Nico smirked, but he felt calm, it showing through his words.

"I know, it's killing me, or it's just this damn heat! It's acting like it's god damn summer over here already. Someone better tell this weather that it's still late winter, early spring."

"Don't!" Nico whined. "You'll make me want to join you!"

"You can't,"  Will laughed, "you have school, idiot."

"Don't tell me what to do!"

Will knew Nico was joking, so he only laughed harder, easing Nico's spirit.

"But really, I want to be there with you," Nico said again, this time with a serious tone, dripping with tiredness.

"No, you're not failing because of me."

"No fair!"

"I swear, if you do, I'll - hold on,"  Will cut out, voices murmuring back and forth on Will's end. Nico straightened his neck, looking intensely at the stall in front of him as the incoherent voice had a quick conversation with the blonde. "Nico,"  Will cut back in, voice sounding drained, "I have to let you go, we're about to do the next scene."

"Okay," Nico replied back, voice smaller but still strong.

"I'm sorry,"  Will said.

"It's okay."

"Really."

"It's fine."

Silence.

"I love you,"  Will said with hope.

"I know," Nico replied, smiling slightly at the words.

"Talk to you as soon as we can, promise."

"Okay."

"Bye."

"Bye," Nico said as the end went silent, the beeping to signal an ended call sounded as Nico turned the screen off and put it back in his pocket, sighing again.

That's how their conversations went. Will would call him, if at all, and say something minuscule before having to go. Most times it was a quick text. That had been only the second phone call they had the entire time Will was away. Their schedules never lined up, it was always one or the other that had something going on when the other had free time. It was hard, but he was managing.

For now.

He stayed there on the floor for a few minutes, ignoring the weird glance he received from someone using the washroom. It wasn't until Malcolm wondered in did he finally stand up.

"Seriously, dude. The floor?" he asked, raising a brow and fixing his glasses.

Nico chuckled an awkward laugh, one that almost sounded pained as he slowly pushed himself up the wall. "Yeah," he joked, voice almost sounding broken.

"Will?"

"Yeah."

There was silence between them as they stood there in the men's bathroom while people rushed in and out.

"Let's go," Malcolm said, ushering Nico out and to the cafe to get something to eat.

"How did you find me?" he asked as they weaved their way in and out of couples after a moment of silence.

"Lucky guess, really. I actually kind of had to pee."

"Dude, why didn't you go then?" Nico asked, shoving him gently. Malcolm only chuckled in response.

"You needed to get out of there more, before you started to cry."

"I wasn't going to cry, idiot!"

Malcolm smirked. "Totally," he agreed sarcastically. "Dude, you always get sad when you talk to Will, especially verbally."

"No, I don't!" Nico tried to fight back as they passed the lawn, hoards of people sitting and eating with their friends, some studying.

"Uh huh," was all Malcolm had to do to receive another nudge from the smaller male which caused him to smile, knowing that it was making him feel better. He was sounding less broken, but he knew these small gesture wouldn't always be enough.

...

"Alright, I want Thomas to stand by the tree, and Rachel...!" the director's voice droned on as Will stood in the shade of a tree. He had managed to get back in time without notifying the director he was late.

As he stood waiting, his cell rang, causing him to jump and pick it up before anyone noticed. He turned away and answered it aggressively.

"What?"

"Whoa, dude, you okay?"

"Percy? What do you want, you know I'm in the middle of filming."

"I need your help!"

"Okay, what is it-" Will sighed, but Percy wouldn't let him finish.

"So, Annabeth put me in charge of literally two things for the wedding, and I'm going to mess them up. You're away, Jason's busy, even freakin' Grover's busy! I'm freaking out man. I have to go cake tasting and-"

"Alright, stop. I have an idea, just let me get back to this and I'll message you tonight," Will groaned as he checked over his shoulder to where they were setting up. He was still good.

"Thank you man, I own you big time!"

"You have no idea," Will mumbled before hanging up, handing his phone over to Lou who approached him. He smiled at her and turned to face the scene, taking a deep breath in. It was going to be a long month and a half.

Chapter Text

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Nico muttered to himself, pulling his Slytherin scarf firmly over his mouth, guarding his face from the last few ridged winter breezes. He was standing outside of a bakery, wondering why he had even agreed to to this. But then again, he could never say no to Will, no matter how hard he tried, especially when he would beg - it was one of his weaknesses.

It didn't seem bad at the time, but as the breeze stung his exposed eyes, he was really starting to wonder why he even did say it.

When Nico got back to their shared apartment, late, his phone went off the moment he got through the door. He set his bag down on the floor with a gentle thud, digging around his pocket to retrieve his phone. When he saw the name, he smiled, the voice that spoke when he pressed answer and brought it to his ear was like a miracle.

"Hey," Will spoke with a cheeriness to his voice, but the hint of tiredness still finding its way through.

"Hey," Nico replied back, cupping the phone in his hand and heading over to the couch, curling up into a ball and bringing his knees to his chest, head half resting on them and on the side of the couch. "Why are you calling this late?"

Will laughed, sending butterflies through Nico's chest, the same feeling he got whenever he heard it. It had been months now, but his heart still yearned for those small moments that made it all worth it, the little quirks that made Will himself.

"Can't I call my wonderful boyfriend to just hear his voice?"  Will asked, a smirk obvious through his tone. While he chuckled lowly to himself, a small yawn escaped his mouth as he drew in a deep breath, trying to hide it. Nico knew he was trying to hide something, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Will, it's really late where you are and we already talked today, you should be going to sleep," Nico tried to pester him, even against his own heart telling him not to.

"Nico, it's fine, really."

"What is it? Eleven? It's the earliest you've been back from filming, you need to be sleeping, not talking to me."

When a moment of hesitant silence came from Will's end, Nico knew he shouldn't have said that, but he knew he had to. Will needed to sleep, but Nico knew it hurt him a little to hear it from him. It almost sounded like Nico would rather not be talking to him, and he knew that's what Will was picking up from the silence.

Just as he was about to say something to intrude on the impending reticence, Will stepped in.

"Look, I love you-"

"Oh no, are you breaking up with me via phone call?" Nico joked, hoping to lighten the mood, but with the sound of Will's voice, he wasn't sure his humor would be well received. To his relief, Will chuckled slightly at his comment.

"No,"  Will paused to calm himself. "But I need a favour."

"And there it is!" Nico exclaimed, knowing that he was up to something.

"Nico," Will tried to say seriously, but he couldn't help but smile at it, "I'm trying to be serious!"

"Oh, so it's a serious favour? Need me to come down there and save the queen?" Nico tried to put on his best British accent, but his native Italian accent came out more, making it a weird mix between the two tongues. "But my dear William, I do not think I will be able to make it down on such short notice, what ever shall England -my golly - the rest of the world do?"

Will laughed, yawning about half way through.

"Well, for starters, maybe they'll stop trying to take over the world and people could start having peace,"  Will returned with the same accent he had been using for the movie, Nico hardly recognizing the fact that it was fake.

"God," Nico huffed, nothing but his native accent staining his tongue as he spoke now, "can you please keep talking to me like that?"

Will tried not to laugh, but as he was partly amused, he was also partly intrigued.

"Alright," he agreed, "but under one circumstance."

"What is it?"

"You keep talking like that," Will replied low and deep.

Nico could feel his heartbeat rising unsteadily fast. He hide his face behind his hand in embarrassment.

"What was it you wanted?!" Nico tried desperately to change the topic, not wanting to tread in foggy territory.

Will chuckled warmly, but calmed himself.

"Right," he said, dragging the word out in a playful manor, knowing that Nico was on the other end, embarrassed. "So, my friend Percy called me up - you know Percy, he played Cory Willis in One Last Hero - anyways, he called me up, he and Annabeth Chase - she was K.C..."

"I am aware, but what do they have to do with me?"

"Well, they're engaged and Percy is in charge of the cake, and because he is just smart enough to know he'll probably mess it up without someones help, he called up everyone he knows to help him with it. But apparently everyone's away or busy, and sadly, I'm both."

"And...?"

"Well, this is where you come in!"  Will said, trying to sound cheery, make it sound not as bad as it sounded. "You see, Percy has been bugging to meet you since we got together and I thought what better time to do that then with you helping him out with cake shopping?!" Will added in, speaking twice as fast to get everything out before Nico objected.

"Wait, what?! You want me to help your friend out with his wedding when I don't even know the guy?" Nico asked aggressively.

"Look! I know it seems weird-"

"Weird? Will, I don't know him!"

"But you will! I was meaning of introducing you two earlier, with Annabeth and myself in the mix, but things came up, and I know it might be weird, but if you could help me with this, I would be eternally grateful and I'll love you forever!"

Nico wanted to be mad, he really could, but he knew that he waited to call him when he could have been asleep. And by the sound of him yawning constantly, he really needed it. There could have been worse things to do, he guessed.

With a heavy sigh after moments of silence, Nico agreed.

"Fine," he said, Will cheering on the other end. "But," Nico added aggressively, "you owe me."

"Alright,"  Will said slowly with the accent brushing his words, "anything."

"Will!"

"I love you," he chuckled.

"I know," Nico huffed back, resting his head on the back of the couch, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight"

"Night," Nico spoke softly as they both hung up, tossing the phone beside him with a huff.

...

So now he waited. The weather had said nothing about anything feeling like a final blizzard was going to pass through, so he continued to suffer until a car came squealing by, parking on the side of the road in a dangerous manor.

A man with messy, yet matted black hair stuffed under a loose hat stepped out of the car, locking it as he raced around the car and up to the door step. When he removed his teal hat to revile even messier hair underneath, his eyes lit up when he spotted Nico.

"Hey," he called out, his voice rich and light. Nico reconsidered him the moment he saw him. "I'm Percy, you must be Nico!"

"Yeah," Nico nodded back, raising his scarf to cover his nose, trying to hide his reddened face. He blamed it on the cold, but Percy was an attractive man.

"My god, it's so nice to meet you!" he exclaimed, his goofy smile stretching across his face. When he suddenly noticed the red tint on Nico's nose from the cold, he immediately motioned for them to head inside. "Let's head in."

Nico thanked him for holding the door open and they headed inside, a blast of warm air hitting him like a refreshing summer breeze.

Percy went up to the women at the counter and told her about their reservations. When she located it, she lead the two of them with a smile to a decorative white table that had already been started with sample cakes of all sizes and flavours.

"You two can take a seat and Selena will be with you in a moment," she said with a smile. "You can go ahead and try some. She's just running a bit late so she shouldn't be long. You can ask her questions when she arrives, if that's alright?"

"Thank you," Percy smiled at her which cause her to blush as she walked away, secretly fanning her face with a clip board.

"Wow, that happen everywhere you go?" Nico asked, curiously.

Percy laughed wholeheartedly. He really is pure, Nico thought to himself.

"I don't know why, but yeah, sometimes. You should see my fiancee Annabeth when I'm around some girls. Rachel, Will's current co-star, and I are great friends, went to school together, but Annabeth gets so jealous of her. They're better now, but way back then, nothing but salt between them. A demon wouldn't even dare to go between the two of them it was that bad!"

Nico couldn't help but laugh at that. He wasn't sure what to think of Percy, but after meeting him and talking for as short as they have, he could tell that he liked him, and could tell why Will did, too.

Percy took a bite of a marble cake and moaned, closing his eyes and throwing his head back. Nico looked at him in stunned amusement.

"Dude, you have to try this one!" he called out to Nico who was sitting in front of him, not on the other side of the bakery.

"Keep your voice down!" Nico whispered, trying not to smile.

Percy stuck his fork into the cake and shoved it in Nico's face. He raised a brow at it, but Percy just gestured for him to take a bite. Rolling his eyes, he ate the piece off of Percy's fork, melting at the rich taste.

"My god, this is good," Nico moaned back, putting his hand to his mouth as he chewed.

"I know right?!"

After sampling a few more piece's, a women with stunningly gorgeous hair and looks to match came racing up to their table, her clothes slightly stained with what looked like chocolate.

"I am so sorry! I'm Selena and... I have chocolate sauce all over me," she laughed at herself, almost sadly, but she took a deep breath in and smiled. "What a great first impression."

Percy laughed at her recovery, telling her that it was all good.

"Wow, I really don't see couples like you two come in very often," she said.

Percy smiled widely before laughing, shaking his head. He met her eyes and put his hand to his chest. "I," he paused, taking a deep breath, "am a heterosexual. Sadly."

"Oh my God! I am so sorry! I just thought-"

"It's fine," Percy interrupted her. "I tried that route once, but sadly I am engaged to a women. Not sadly on the women, but on all the men that got away." Nico was amused by him, watching him work his charm like magic. He pointed to Nico with his thumb. "He is gay though."

Nico couldn't help but hide his face behind his hand, wishing that Percy would stop now.

"Oh! Again, I am so sorry! I've just been running around and-wait, I recognize you!" she said, pointing to Nico, trying to place it. When it came to her, she put her hand over her mouth. "Oh my God, aren't you dating Will Solace?!"

Nico awkwardly smiled, moving his hand away from his eyes as he nodded.

"Yeah," he said meekly.

"Oh my gosh! I'm a big fan of yours, and his, but still! My husband and I love your books so much!"

"Recognize me?" Percy asked smugly, resting his chin on his hand as he looked up at her.

She thought about it for a moments before shrugging.

"Maybe, I don't know for sure," she said slowly as Nico laughed off to the side, smirking at Percy as he took offence to that.

"My word!" he called out, overly dramatic to show that he was joking and wasn't offended. "I, Perseus Jackson, the actor that brought alive Cory Willis from the modern classic One Last Hero, written by thou, has been forgotten!"

Selena and Nico laughed in amusement at Percy's antics.

"Now that you mention it, your face does start to ring a bell," she said in between giggles, holding her hand to her chest.

Percy had a look of satisfaction as he continued to smile with a smug look on his face, folding his arms in victory.

Even if it started off as a not so great idea, it was a nice was to meet Percy. Nico knew that if they would have met any other way, it would have taken time to see the carefree side of him. He would curse out Will later, but with the "entertainment" and free cake, the evening wasn't turning out as bad as he though it would.

They managed to pick out three layers of the cake, the main one being the cake they had first tried. The others being lemon and vanilla-strawberry swirl. Much to Nico's suggestion to the lemon and honey, stating that the triple chocolate fudge would be more likely to be found at a child's birthday party, something Annabeth would thank him much later for, Percy ended up seeing the light and that being the reason on why he was brought in.

On the way out of the store, Nico turned to Percy and asked, "Why didn't Annabeth come with you to try cakes?"

"She told me that if there was one thing I wouldn't mess up it would be the cake. We're coming back in a month to do the final order, design and stuff, but she said she trusted me with it. She's not too picky."

"Ah, that makes sense," Nico added, dragging out the words to cause Percy to be startled.

"What does that mean?" Percy asked, confused. Nico just shook his head and stayed quiet. "You need a ride home?" Percy asked when he got to his car, but Nico shook his head telling him he had somewhere else in mind before going home and it wasn't that far of a walk. Percy nodded and said bye and thanked him for everything.

As he drove away, Nico pulled the scarf over his face and headed in the direction of a peculiar cafe and book store to see a specific barista.

Chapter Text

"Thanks for waiting," Katie smiled as she apologized for the time it took, but Nico just waved it off, saying that it was fine.

"I just showed up, it's all good."

"Wow, I need a new job," Katie mumbled as she got into a good position on the chair, crossing her legs underneath the table.

"Aw, don't get a new job! How will I ever get all this free/cheep coffee?"

"Nico!" Katie scolded him. "I will stop giving you it if you only care about that!"

"I kid," Nico said in defense, putting his hands up as Katie threw a sugar packet at him, lips being pulled upwards.

"You seem to be doing good," Katie spoke softly, smiling as Nico looked at her in a confused manor, unsure of what she meant.

"Huh?"

"Will's been gone for a while, and I know you both haven't been able to talk much."

"Oh," Nico mouthed, looked down at his coffee cupped in his hands. He ran his thumb over the outer paper, thinking back over the last few weeks. Sure, it had been lonely and brought back not so pleasant memories, but he knew that at the end of the day, Will loved him and was thinking of him.

But that didn't stop the horrible thoughts from flooding through, swamping up his mind. He knew he was being ridiculous, nothing would change, but he didn't have the best luck of people "staying."

"You okay?" Katie asked, placing a hand on Nico's, looking at him with a genuine look of caring. When he saw her, he remembered why she was such a great friend; she really did care.

"Yeah," he replied, smiling. "Just," he took a breath as he thought, "lost in thought."

"Care to share?"

"It's crazy," he told her, half smirking. He ran his fingers through his knotted ebony hair.

"Hit me," she said, leaning forward, matching the playful smile that Nico had.

...

"You ready for today?" Malcolm asked as him and Nico entered the lecture hall, following the flowing crowd.

Nico groaned. "Don't even get me started."

Malcolm chuckled lowly, shaking his head as the two of them made their way to their usual seats. As they sat down, Malcolm pulled out their shared notebook that held their writing assignment and set it between the two of them, opening it up to the pages. He pulled the pages out and stacked them in order.

"I'll hand it in, give me a sec," Malcolm whispered as he stood up, Nico nodded tiredly.

He made his way back to the stairs, heading down to the desk at the front of the room. He used the stapler on the desk to connect the pages. Setting it in a small metal basket, he weaved his way through the other students that were also handing in their work, skipping stairs until he reached his seat and wiggled in.

"God, I hope he doesn't make us read them," Nico mumbled, head resting on the desk, opening his eyes as Malcolm sat down beside him.

"Well, we just have to wait and see. You know him, he'll most likely take one and read it and mark it right there."

Nico groaned, slamming his head back on the table with a low whine. "Don't remind me."

The two of them sat in silence as the rest of the class chattered away into a jumbled mess, one conversation melting into another. Malcolm was tapping away on his phone when he looked over to see Nico scroll through Will's Instagram, phone pressed close up to his face as he looked longingly at it.

Malcolm sighed and turned the screen off on his own phone before setting it down and turning to face Nico.

"Miss him?" he asked. Nico shuddered, not expecting Malcolm to speak to him.

Nico set the phone down, still on, before rubbing his face with his hand, turning his gaze on his friend.

"I'm so pathetic," he mumbled back, reaching out to grab his phone. He continued to scroll through, staring at pictures.

Malcolm sighed to himself before reaching out and taking his phone from him. Nico tried to protest, reaching out to try and get it back from Malcolm's prying hands, but Malcolm turned so his back was to the younger man. He started to scroll through the pictures on Nico's phone, aware of Nico looking over his shoulder.

He came across a picture of Will with two people, one on either side of him. This was the one Nico had been staring at the most. A girl with fiery red hair was on his left, hands resting on his shoulder, face half turned to the camera, looking like she was about to kiss his cheek. The boy was doing the same, hands resting on Will's other shoulder, leaning his head into the crook of his neck, also close to kissing him. The three of them were all in vintage-style clothes, Will's ripped and torn, dirt-stained, while the other two had only worn-out looking outfits. They were all obviously in their costumes for the movie.

Malcolm scrolled down ever so slightly to read the caption.

@williamsolace Chilling with the new fam. Don't tell my boyfriend!

Malcolm chuckled softly at it, patting Nico's head as he handed it back to him.

"He's thinking of you," Malcolm said, smiling at the saddened man beside him.

"I know," Nico muttered, staring at the phone.

Malcolm knew that Nico was trying hard not to let it get to him, and that he needed time, so giving Nico enough space to breath without overwhelming him was what he needed. Just as he was about to check his email on his phone, Nico sighed.

"I'm going to do something stupid," Nico muttered, eyes still on the screen.

"Nico," Malcolm said in a warning tone.

The man looked up at him, a worried, concerned look crossing his face.

"Too late," he spoke softly, a nervous look now taking over. Before Malcolm could say anything, the Professor stood up and started to speak, interrupting any chance he had to talk. Malcolm just looked at Nico with a judging expression, trying to figure out what he meant by that, and Nico only looked guiltily back at him, slowly turning his head to face the front to listen to the lecture.

...

Reyna was having a pretty good day. Every meeting she had consisted of actually important information concerning sales and promotion. She might have wanted to strangle Nico most days, but when it came to his work as a whole, it made the whole process much easier to handle, and it made her look good in the higher-up's eyes.

She had finally managed to get home after long hours of running around from one place to another, she slid her bags down, kicked her painful shoes, and wobbled over to her couch where her two dogs greeted her with licks and tail wagging. She smiled down at him, petting them both with either hand before standing up slowly, moving to the kitchen to feed them dinner.

"There you two go," she said with a tried smile as she slowly made her way back to the couch to fall about down in the warm, lowly lit room. She let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes, relaxing.

But all that ended when her phone went off.

With a sigh, she dug around for it in her pocket, pulling it out. She groaned when the name came up.

Nico

She loved him, but after an entire day of doing his background work for him, she needed a break from him, even if they haven't talked for a few days.

"What?" she asked as she picked up.

Nico laughed on the other end.

"Really? No, 'hello, Nico. Long time no talk!'"

"What do you want?" she sighed tiredly, knowing that she couldn't offend Nico as easily others would be by the rudeness she presented.

"I need a favour," he said, voice suddenly becoming serious.

Reyna noticed the change in his voice, sounding almost on edge.

"Are you going to do something stupid?" she asked, straightening her back and sitting up, leaning on her knees, eyes glancing downward.

There was silence before he spoke again.

"Yeah."

Reyna glanced upwards, staring ahead.

"Alright," she spoke suddenly, taking a deep breath.

Chapter Text

The airport was swarming with people going every which way, standing, waiting for loved ones and friends to get off, and those who were ready to fly away. Speakers called names for those who were going to miss their flights. The entire atmosphere was busy.

Nico looked down at his phone, checking the time as he waited in line to get through security. It was last minute, but he had managed to book a flight.

The conversation with Reyna to get these tickets was less tricky than he thought. He did stretch the truth just a little bit, but in the end, he managed to get her to do it.

"Nico!"  she had yelled at him when he told her what he had called for.

"Look," he started, knowing that he would have to explain. She would do it for him, but she needed a little prodding to have it ready as soon as possible, "I know it's crazy."

"You were right when you said stupid," she sighed from the other end. After a few moments of silence, she took a deep breath. "Do you understand what this means?" she asked, sounding worn out.

"Yes."

"School?"

"Yeah, already talked to my professor, he's fine with me sending my work in.

"Your writing?"

"I wrote ahead, I'll email them to you after this call."

Reyna sighed deeply before talking again.

"Alright," she agreed. "You're going to give me an early death, you know that right?"

Nico laughed softly, enjoying the lightened atmosphere.

"Would you want it any other way?"

Reyna chuckled effortlessly, letting a heavy breath of air out.

"But are you sure you're going to be okay with it?"

"Reyna," Nico said, shifting the phone, "it's about time I finally go back, at least now I have a reason to push myself to."

"Okay, but remember, if you need me, please call."

"Always."

"Good," she said, "now, hang up and let me do my magic."

"Thank you, Reyna, so much."

"Yeah, whatever."

"And, Reyna?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you send me Lou Ellen's number?"

"Fine."

"Thank you. Bye."

"Later, idiot."

So now he stood there, an hour before he had to board the plane in the security line. As the line got smaller, Nico's foot began to tap, heart racing. He was nervous to finally be going back. But not before taking a quick detour.

When Nico got to the front of the line, he placed his carry-on bag into the bucket, pushing it down the convener belt, setting his phone and jacket in as well. He stepped through the metal detector before going over and grabbing his things.

When he stepped away, the first thing he did was dial the number Reyna had gave him.

He made his way towards his gate while the phone rang, trying to pay attention to the call and finding his departure gate and not run into anyone. There was so many people that he thought he was going to get lost, but when the line picked up, a new set of nerves set ablaze, sending butterflies into his stomach and making him feel sick all over again.

"Hello?" came the voice on the other which Nico recognized imminently as Lou's.

"Hi, Lou. It's Nico," he said, taking a deep, calming breath in as he looked down at his ticket, heading towards international travels.

"Nico? What are you doing calling me?" she asked, confused and worried.

"Did I interrupt you?" he asked, looking up at the sign ahead to see how much further he would have to walk to get there.

"No?" she said, more of a question than an answer, still shocked by the unsuspected call.

"That's good," Nico said, his mood improving. "I have to ask a favour of you."

"And that would be...? " she asked, dragging out the words trying to think of her own theories. "Nico," she said abruptly, "are you okay?"

Nico laughed softly at that, shaking his head even though she couldn't see him. "Yes, I'm fine."

"That's good," she said more as a relief than anything. "So, what is it that you need?"

"Well, I know it's short notice but..." he dragged out, looking at his ticket and at the numbers lining the pillars, seeing how close he was getting.

"Yes...?"

"Do you think you could pick me up in a few hours?"

"Nico," she laughed, "I'm in England with Will, remember?"

"I know," he said.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm at the airport right now. My flights in about an hour-" Nico looked at the wall to read the clock, "-forty-five minutes actually."

"What the hell?!" she exclaimed.

"Well, a few things happen to be coming up so I thought might as well kill two bird with one stone. Everything just seemed to line up perfectly."

"Nico," she spoke with a type of warning, "does Will know your coming."

"Nah, everything just sort of happened. But don't tell him, I'm starting to like the idea of surprising him. That's why I called you up."

A heavy sigh came from the other end followed by a groan.

"You best be glad that I love the both of you as much as I do."

"Is that a yes?!" Nico asked excitedly, spotting his gate at the same time, a skip in his step.

"Yes. And I wont tell Will. Now, he's just finishing up a scene and he's looking at me. He'll probably call you in a few. Text me the exact details and I'll get ready."

"Thank you so much Lou Ellen! You are literally the best right now! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Yeah, what ever," she said, a smile showing through her words. "I'll let you go. See you later."

"Thank you! See you soon!"

As he was hanging up, Nico could tell that she was covering the conversation, faking one as Will was getting closer. He heard her say something about a man named George as the call ended. He smiled to himself and walked over. With a quick check on the board to make sure his plane was still on time, he went over to the Starbucks next to his gate.

While waiting in line, just like Lou had said, his phone lit up. He pressed the call button and put it to his ear.

"Hello?" Nico said with a cheery voice.

"Hey," came Will's welcoming voice. Nico smiled as he heard it, relaxing into the tone of it.

"What are you doing? The stars must have aligned to have the great William being able to call me," Nico smirked as the words came. He tapped his foot while he stood, looking around and noticing a group of girls sitting off to the side, looking back and forth at one another then at him.

"Can't I find the time to call my wonderful boyfriend?"

"Well, time doesn't seem to always be on your side."

As the line continued forward, Nico kept glancing over to the small group of girls, each of them huddled close together, whispering. They would look up and then back down as quickly as one another, the table becoming incredibly more interesting than what was in front of them.

"Not always, but today's an easier day,"  Will explain, puffing out a small breath of air out of boredom and relief.

"Well, that's good," Nico spoke charmingly, smirking at the words.

When they looked up again, one of them with their phone out this time, Nico smiled at them. When he noticed their phone, in attempted to take a photo, he through a peace sign with his fingers over his face, a smirk almost hidden by his arm, a playful wink being sent their way.

"What does that mean?"

When the girls noticed he was posing, their eyes went wide. The two other girls that didn't have their phones out went imminently to their friend in the middle who did, making sure that she got the shot. When the middle one smiled, the two others let out a sigh of relief. The three of them looked back up to Nico as he stepped forward to order.

Nico laughed softly.

"What's going on?"

"Oh, just at Starbucks, give me a sec, I'm ordering."

"Alright,"  Will said as Nico gave the barista his order, paying for it before moving off to the side.

"So, how's filming?"

"Slow, we're mainly doing scenes where I'm passed out."

Nico thanked the Barista when she handed him his coffee, sipping off the top of the foam before putting a lid on top of it.

"Take a nap?"

Will groaned which caused Nico to laugh at him, trying not to spill his coffee.

"Don't get me started. I did and everyone was laughing afterwards. They were wondering why I was doing so well, like, excuse me, I am a good actor. I've been nominated for an Academy award, thank you very much!"

Nico couldn't help the burst of laughter that left his lips as Will complained.

"Well, looks like the director is calling everyone back. I'll try to call you later."

"Alright."

"I love you," Will said softly.

"I know."

"Bye."

"Bye."

The line went blank as Nico shoved his phone back into his pocket. He walked past the group of girls that had taken his picture. They weren't paying attention to him, so he sneaked up on them.

"Hey," he said as he watched them flinch then freeze when they noticed it was him, "you think you could wait a few hours before posting it?"

A bunch of noises that weren't exactly words left their lips before one of them managed to nod. Nico smiled back at it.

"Thanks," he said before continuing forward to find a seat at his gate, putting his headphones in to wait for the last half-an-hour to pass.

Nico pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Lou's phone, telling her the information so she could meet him at the airport.

...

Six and a half hours later and the flight attendant was telling everyone that they would be landing. Nico took his headphones out of his ears and turned off his music. He turned to the window and looked out, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He wasn't a big fan of flight, mixed with being back in Europe, he was a nervous wreck.

He whipped his palms on his jeans and checked the time. It was almost seven in England, but the sun hadn't started to set yet, which was good.

When he turned airplane mode off, he received two missed call and three texts. One of the texts was from Lou, the others were from Will. He felt bad that he had missed them, but he couldn't have told him what he was doing.

The wheels of the plane touched the ground, skidding acrossed the runway. With a deep breath and the seat belt light off, Nico stood up and waited from the people beside him to move out of the way.

When he finally got his carry on, he waddled in the line, waiting for the slow line to make it's way out of the plane. When he got to the front, he passed the people that had been in front of him, ushering himself forward, to go faster.

He looked around, following the flow of people as they made their way through the airport to the exit. As he walked, Nico checked his phone.

Will Solace (Mine)

Hey, you busy?

11:48

Received

...

Will Solace (Mine)

I hope I'm not bugging you

1:12

Received

...

XXX-XXX-XXXX

Here. Text me when you land

1:46

Received

Nico felt awful after seeing Will's text. Will didn't know he was on a plane. He said that he was going to call him again, but Nico couldn't have told him not to call him for the next six hours without it sounding any less worrisome without a reason.

With a heavy sigh, he sent Lou a quick text.

XXX-XXX-XXXX

Landed. Heading out now

6:58

Sent

With a quick shove into his pocket, he headed towards the exit stairs. Nico was practically flying down the steps, skipping them in bundles. He probably only even touched five stairs out of the total there.

With a deep breath, he stepped through the doors, the cries and shouts of families meeting up with one another echoed throughout. He looked around, smiling when Lou waved, one hand in her pocket.

He smiled as he walked over to her, carry-on in hand.

"Nice to see you, Nico," she said, a half smile finding her lips.

"Same," he said back as they walked over to where the luggage would be coming from.

"Alright, so Will thinks I went out to get something to eat, so we should be fine," Lou Ellen explained as they stood around the carousel.

"That's good," Nico said more to himself than to her. He fiddled with his hands as he waited, foot tapping out of nervous habit.

"You'll be fine. Will'll be ecstatic to see you again," Lou reassured him, but Nico could only reply with a weak smile.

They waited in their own silence as the luggage started to roll out. Nico stepped forward to grab his when it came around, being pretty quick, too, to his luck.

He wheeled it over to where Lou Ellen was standing and the two of them headed out to her car and to the set where they were filming. Lou told him that it was another late night tonight, and Nico was kind of grateful for that.

...

Will yawned when he saw Lou Ellen coming back. He smiled at her as he made his way over, waving.

"Aw, you didn't get me anything?" he jokingly whined when he got close enough to talk to her without yelling.

Lou rolled her eyes at him before speaking.

"Actually," she said, smirking, "I got you something better."

"What do you mean?" Will asked, confused. He looked around but didn't understand what she meant.

Lou only shrugged at him as she stood in her usual spot, arms crossed as she watched the acting from afar. Will tried to think about what she had said, but his thoughts were interrupted by a phone call.

He picked it up and answered it immediately the moment he saw the name.

"Nico!" he spoke quickly, almost in desperation.

"I'm sorry I missed your calls, I was busy,"  he said first thing.

Will nervously laughed.

"I thought you were ignoring me, but that's just me being crazy!"

Nico coughed up a laugh.

"You're not crazy."

"Anyways, what were you doing?"

"Oh you know, flying and stuff," Nico said almost sarcastically.

Will laughed, but paid no attention to the weird choice of words.

"Oh ha ha, very funny-" Will tried to joke but was cut off by Nico.

"Turn around."

Will stared forward, brows scrunched together in confusion.

"What do you..." He slowly raised his head to meet Lou's eyes. He gave her a look of utter bewilderment, leaning his head forward in a soft jerking motion. With minuet movement, she shook her head before looking forward again, a soft smile crossing her face.

Will jerked the phone away from his ear and turned around aggressively. His breath was caught in his throat and his mouth hung open, eyes wide.

Nico stood there, phone still by his ear as he waved with his free hand.

"You know, flying and stuff," he said again, this time slower and softer.

Will hung up with a quick movement, eyes forward and not down at his phone. Will broke out into a short run, picking Nico up into a spinning hug when he got to him. Nico laughed, hands slipping around the blonde's waist as he was lifted up into the air.

When Will put him down, he brought him into a long, passionate kiss.

"Idiot," Will mumbled, holding Nico tightly against himself.

"But I'm your idiot."

"You're right," Will mumbled before pulling Nico back into a kiss, holding him by his waist, Nico's hands balling Will's shirt against his abdomen.

They stayed like that for what felt like forever, enjoying being in one another's arms once again.

...

Joslynn Abby

@Joslynn7643

Omg, look who Emma, Cassy, and I saw at the airport!

ATTACHMENT

Chapter Text

"Cut!" yelled the director, followed by a ringing, telling cast and crew that the camera had stopped rolling.

Today had been chillier than the other days of filming, so being pushed into a river during that last scene was not exactly what Will would call fun.

He quickly reached for the towel offered to him as he slowly trudged through the shallow sides of the moving body of water with a shiver. Wiping his hair dry of water was his first move, wrapping it around himself was his next.

Nico stood just out of the way during filming, standing beside Rachel as the scene was being taped.

"Loser!" she called off to him, a smile spreading to her face when Will flipped her off, her laugh warming those around her.

Nico chuckled lowly as the two of them threw swears around at one another, bringing his scarf closer to his face and tightening his loose leather jacket around his shoulders.

"Don't be rude around my tiny boyfriend," Will shouted back when Rachel shot him a string of choice words.

"Fuck you," Nico joined in, chuckling softly when Will brought his free hand to his chest in fake hurt, climbing the last little bit of the hill.

"You just got your bitch ass handed to you, Solace."

"Fuck off, Dare."

The way the two of them interacted reminded Nico of the way siblings would throw insults at one another, but still full of love.

"Nico," Will whined, now ignoring Rachel, "hold me, I'm cold!" Will opened his arms up, cold fingers still gripping the towel, and leaned forward. In an attempted to avoid getting wet, Nico ran behind Rachel, using her like a human shield from Will's wet grasp.

"No way!" he exclaimed. "You're all wet!"

"Aw, but I though you liked-"

"That's enough," Micheal called out, dropping an extra towel on top of Will's still damp hair. "I don't think anyone here wants to hear that."

"You're no fun," Will pouted as he dried his hair off more with the dry towel, the damp one slung over his shoulders, loosely hanging to break the wind.

"Anyways, Dan said that we wont get started up again for some time, so it's basically break time now."

"Alright," Rachel said, checking the time on her phone.

Lou made her way over, Will's jacket in her hand. She took the wet towels from Will when he was done in exchange for the jacket.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, checking his messages while Rachel fussed over Nico, fixing his jacket even as he protested.

Will pointed the camera at the pair, swinging over to Micheal as he stood solemnly off to the side.

"What's the matter?" Will asked in a high pitched voice, obviously mocking him.

"Are you filming?" Rachel asked, looking over at the blonde

"Yeah," he replied from behind his phone's camera.

Rachel walked up to the camera.

"Will Solace is fucking gay!" she aggressively whispered into the camera, laughing as Will shoved her away, Micheal laughing outside the frame.

"Fuck off, lesbian ginger!"

"Fucking homo," Rachel shot back, trying hard to keep her voice low and serious, but after she finished, she broke out into a smile and laughed.

"Nico!"

"Leave me out of this, Solace," he called back imminently.

"But I want to kiss you!"

Nico started to walk away, but Will followed him, camera in hand. Rachel walked beside Will, the camera occasionally pointing at her.

"No!" he shot at Will, keeping his face turned from the camera.

"But I want to kiss my boyfriend because I'm just so gay," Will pleaded.

Nico turned his head over his should and shot Will a look. Rachel laughed at Will's side, Micheal snickering to his left.

Will managed to walk fast enough to catch up with Nico in normal strides. He wrapped on arm around his chest, leaning down and kissed Nico on the cheek, pointing the camera at the two of them. Rachel jogged ahead to grab the camera from Will and continued to point it at them, Micheal in the background.

"You two are disgustingly cute," she said a little louder over the whistle of the wind. Will only grinned at her, holding Nico to his chest as they walked.

Nico had one hand resting on Will's arm and the other in his pocket as they walked, a faint blush fanning his cheeks as they continued forward, passing crew and open fields, a chill breeze sweeping over the flat land. It had only been a few days since Nico had been back in Europe, but it felt like he had never left.

...

"God, it's so nice out again!" Will shouted as they walked along side a rocky road, kicking pebbles to keep each other occupied.

"Yeah," Nico agreed, "much better than back home."

"Is there still snow?" Will asked, looking down at Nico's rosy nose.

Nico shook his head before sighing. "Not nearly as much, if any," he said, taking a deep breath in, "but it feels like there should be an ass ton, though."

Will snickered before reaching out and taking Nico's hand in his own. He continued to look straight ahead, smiling. Nico looked shocked when Will did this, glancing down at their intertwined fingers. He looked back up to the blonde whom held a simper, eyes gleaming in the high noon sun.

Will simply brought Nico and his conjoined hands to his lips, placing a soft kiss on Nico's rough fingers, dry from the once harsh winter air.

Nico looked away, the uneven ground below becoming suddenly interesting as his ears became torrid.

They continued to walk in silence, the sound of the elderly neighborhood became their soundtrack, song birds and light giggles echoed and radiated throughout.

The shared silence between them was broken when Will spoke up, saying, "Have you ever been on a motorcycle?"

"What?" Nico asked, a nervous laugh echoing from his mouth.

Will smiled down at him, falling in love with him all over again. He watched the way the light flickered in his hazel eyes, brightening his smile. In that moment, he was perfect, nothing he said would be able to change that.

Will leaned in and kissed him gently, breaking away with a genuine smile.

"What was that about?" Nico asked, hiding the fact that he was elated.

Will shook his head, only smiling.

"Nothing," he spoke softly, barely a hush. "Every been on a motorcycle?" Will asked again, changing the topic back.

"No," Nico replied slowly, unsure of where this was going.

"Do you want to?"

"What?" Nico asked, chuckling at the question.

"I'm serious," Will said, looking Nico directly in the eye. "You know how part of the movie One Last Hero was filmed in Scotland and Italy?" Will waited for Nico to nod, which he did, before continuing. "Well, the dude who owns the motorcycle is a buddy of mine, and he happens to live near here."

"You are crazy," Nico muttered to his boyfriend, shaking his head.

"I have my license, and he's only a quick call away." Will wiggled his eyebrows causing Nico to laugh. Will twirled Nico around, spinning him. He brought him close to his chest, wrapping both arms around him, hands still clasped together. He rocked him back and forth, whispering in his ear. "C'mon, you know you want to."

Nico laughed as he gave in, agreeing to give it a go.

Will let go and jumped into the air fist first. Nico couldn't contain his smile as his boyfriend continued to be weird on a random street in the middle of a small town in England.

...

"Here you go, dude," a short-haired man said, sunglasses covering his eyes. He held a cigarette between his teeth, unlit. Nico was pretty sure the leather jacket was just for show too.

As Nico looked around, the clear fields went on for miles, a small hill here or there. The man's house was in the middle of the country side, a mountain behind his house just a little ways away.

Will walked over to the motorcycle sitting in the middle of the wide drive way. His eyes lit up as he ran his hand over the slick ebony material, dragging his finger over the leather seats. He slung his leg over the side and sat down, breathing out after a heavy breath in. He never thought he would be on this motorcycle again.

"Man, I missed her," he said, an empty laugh leaving him as he ran his hand over the handle bars.

"Haven't touched her since she was brought back. Couldn't bring myself, actually. Fixed her right up, buffed out the dents. She was my greatest work, couldn't risk towing her."

"Well," Will's voice droned as he continued to look over every inch of the bike, "you did an immaculate job. She looks just as she did the first day she was rolled out."

Nico walked over, eyes running over the motorcycle, smiling as every detail he ever imagined was there, and then some.

"It looked good in the movie, but up close..." Nico breathed, heart almost skipping a beat as he placed a gentle finger on the framework. "Words can't even describe how perfect it is."

"Look," Will joked, "you got approval from the author himself."

"Well, thank you. I am a fan myself."

Will got off the bike and walked over to where his friend stood, arms crossed.

"Come with me," he said, motioning with his finger to follow him into the garage.

When the two of them emerged from the building moments later, Nico turned to look over his should, watching as Will mumbled something into his ear and made his way over, two helmets in hand.

"Here," he said, tossing the helmet Nico's way. He barely caught it, but smiled a thanks as Will put his own on with a grin, eyes filled with a newly found fire.

Will slung his foot over the seat and settled down, fixing his jacket with a tug before placing both hands on the handle. He kicked the bike into start, roaring the engine to life.

Nico smiled as Will yelled in enjoyment as the bike was brought to life. In that moment, Nico couldn't help but picture Will as Nate, helmet and all.

"Get on, darlin'," Will called out, completely embodied in his old persona from the movie.

With a small chuckle, Nico did just that. He hopped on, placing his feet just behind Will's as he held on tightly to Will's waist.

"Nervous?" Will asked.

"Scared shitless," Nico replied, voice shaky.

"Good," was all Will said before he let go of the break, balancing the bike out as it started to roll forward, wind hollering as Will headed towards the road.

As he turned onto the road, the motorcycle picked up speed at an incredibly fast rate, zooming past empty, flat land. Nico's gripped tightened as Will's speed continued to rise, laughing as the butterflies in his stomach started to fly, leaving him breathless.

When Will heard him, he joined, laughing and screaming as they zoomed down the empty roads of the European countryside.

Chapter Text

As Nico shoved folded pairs of clothes into his suitcase with a solemn look, face hard, Will, with a raised brow, walked over slowly, each step careful as the last. He gently placed a hand on Nico's wrist, halting his movement with a sudden tensing of muscles.

"Hey," Will said softly, looking down to meet his eyes.

After staring absently at the now crumpled shirt in his hand for a beat, he took in a shake breath, letting it try and calm him.

"You okay?" Will asked, brows furrowed together, worried.

Nico nodded, slowly at first then becoming more confident. He let a breath of air pass him before he turned his sight upwards to meet Will's waiting look of concern.

"Yeah," he said, more trying to convince himself than anyone.

"You don't have to go," Will said softy, hoping that maybe he would reconsider. But even with an absent stare clouding his eyes, Nico mindlessly shook his head.

"I have to," he managed to say, setting the article of clothing gently into the suitcase, slowly shutting it.

Nico let his hands just lay on top of it, feeling the rough material underneath his touch. Gracefully, he ran his hand over it, feeling each and every groove in the material.

Will wasn't sure on what to say. He stood off, almost isolated, as Nico slung the suitcase off of the hotel bed and walked out of the bedroom. Will hastily followed behind.

Nico, with lead-filled steps, trudged around the small apartment-like hotel room, double checking to make sure he had packed everything.

Will leaned on the door frame, watching silently as Nico fussed about, words barely leaving his lips. After watching for some time, almost painfully, Will made his way over to Nico, grabbing him by his wrist.

The shorter male was startled, body flinching at the sudden touch. As his muscles calmed and relaxed, Nico cocked his head to face the blonde whom held a concerned expression, brows tightly knitted together.

After a few blinks, Nico opened his mouth to speak but imminently shut it, words falling barren. He rested his head on Will's chest, the silent filling the room, the small white noises that came from the fridge radiating around them.

Without a moment of hesitation, Will placed his hand on the small of his back, holding him steady.

...

The sky had begun to darken by the time the wheels touched the ground on Italian soil. As the plane slowed down, Nico slowly pulled his earphones out, taking a steadying breath, calming his racing heart. If anything, he would have preferred to stay on the plane than to get off, even his legs seemed to agree with this statement as he tried to stand up, shaking.

He almost completely forgot that Will had been beside him until the blonde reached out and grabbed for his hand, eyes elsewhere.

Nico stared at the floor as he mindlessly hobbled out of the plane, Will carrying the single suitcase while holding onto his boyfriend with his empty hand, head up as he weaved through the crowded plane.

After several minutes, they made their way to the airport doors, hand and hand, walking out onto the street together. Will had managed to arrange them a ride, the taxi picking them up and dropping them off at their hotel.

Once inside, Nico crashed on the queen-sized bed, having not spoken a single word the entire flight, the time before, and after.

Without a word being passed between them, Will threw the suitcase onto the chair that stood off to the side, idly collecting dust next to intricately carved decor.

While swiftly heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth, Nico managed to wobble of the bed with his tired legs and grab a fresh pair of clothes, stripping down and tossing his worn and dirty clothes to the side, laying in bed.

Will poked his head out to check on Nico, only to see his vacantly stare at a fixed point of the wall, eyes lidded. Will spit into the sink before rinsing it and his mouth, setting his toothbrush on the counter, and shutting the light off.

He made his way over to the bed, crawling under the covers as Nico followed suit, still staring off into nothingness.

It didn't take long for Will to find himself asleep, the back-to-back work he had done just the night before tiring him instantly. He had been given a week break to relax, along with the rest of the cast, but while they were all mostly flying back, Will had agreed to go with Nico to Italy.

He had told Will shortly after arriving in England that he would find himself heading this way, saying that it was about time he had gone back. At first Will didn't understand what he meant fully, or why it was such a big deal to fly out, but as the day of the flight grew near, Nico had been becoming more spacey, his mind would wonder and his eyes would look lost.

And that morning when they had awoke, Nico had barely spoken a single word, and every word he did would come out breathy, beaten. It wasn't until a few days prior that Will truly understood the full severity of the situation. Nico tried to pass everything off with a forced smile, but Will didn't want to pry, so he kept the distance that he wanted, knowing full well that he was having a hard time, beating himself up over it.

But three hours had passed, and while Will laid asleep in bed, Nico found himself on the balcony, the familiar scent of the Mediterranean came in waves, hitting Nico with full force. He had to close his eyes, a lump beginning to grow in his throat, getting bigger as he continued to breath in the familiar scent.

He rested his forehead on the hand-crafted bars, letting the cool metal becoming the focus of his attention.

Nico took in a deep breath and brought his head up, opening his eyes.

After letting the noises of the small city wash over him, sending him into a timeless state, he was startled back into reality when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, pulling him in.

He flinched to the touch, turning around to face Will who was still slightly groggy from sleep.

"You okay?" he asked, voice heavy with sleep.

"Yeah," Nico managed to say, "just couldn't sleep."

A shared silence was passed over them as Nico turned back to face the star-filled view. Will still kept a hand wrapped around his waist, holding him close as he looked over his shoulder onto the view; it was breathtaking.

"Does it bother you to be back?" Will asked, breaking the chilling silence.

Nico shook his head at first, his movements becoming haltered as his confidence in his own words started to drop.

"I don't know."

Will looked over, now leaning on the railing beside him, and studied his profile. The way his eyes glanced over the city, the way his hair was pushed around by the evening wind, everything about him belonged here.  If anything, he felt like the outsider in this single moment.

With a deep breath, Will reached over and took Nico's hand, gently pulling him back inside.

"Come on," Will said softly, eyes tender and smile comforting.

Nico looked back over his shoulder, taking in the timeless view over the small Italian city before turning back to face the blonde, gripping his hand tightly as he smiled, following him back into the room, crawling back into the bed, finding comfort in his warmth.

...

It was high noon by the time Will was able to get Nico out of the room. They had rented a motorcycle, easy means of transport with the shallow streets. But by the time they got on their helmets on and started on the rocky roads, swerving in and out of streets with ease, the light breeze had picked up, the beginning of a storm, the smell of salt increasing.

The ends of Nico's hair ruffled in the wind, eyes staring ahead, occasionally focusing on the back of Will's head.

The drive that felt like hours got them to their destination in merely half-an-hour, the dark, low-hanging clouds approaching in the distance.

Nico removed his helmet first, eyes straight ahead as he set it on the back of the bike, walking ahead while Will hadn't even turned it off.

Will watched him as Nico's legs lead him, as if he had no control over his movements. He held a stern face, one that made his emotions unable to be read. Will kicked back, following behind with some distance.

As Nico walked, his legs knew where he was headed, passing graves as he headed deeper into field. It didn't take long until his shaky legs brought him to the head of the stone, dusty and overgrown with wildlife.

He knelt down, dropping onto his knees as he brought a hand up, wiping away leaves and years of grime, not bothering to wipe his hands on his jeans. Nico sat back, bringing his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around in comfort.

"Hi, Mamma," Nico spoke in a small voice, "sorry it took me so long; scusa... Mamma."

Will managed to catch up to Nico, standing behind him, hands in his pocket. There was nothing but white noise as Nico sat in silence, wind rustling the leaves on a near by stone pine tree.

Will bent down and sat next to Nico on the grass, silently folding his hands in his lap, looking at the small tombstone, elegantly carved with a small set of angel wings under her names.

Maria di Angelo

"Hello, Mrs. di Angelo," Will spoke up, ignoring Nico's confused glance while still looking forward. "My name's Will Solace, it's nice to meet you."

"Will, what are you-"

"This place is lovely, isn't it? Must get a lot of sun here," Will pressed on, still smiling softly. After a moment, his mouth fell slightly, looking at the grass in front of the stone. "You see, I really like your son, Nico. He's been a changed in my life that I didn't know I needed, and now that I have him, I don't want to lose him. I bet you can understand how amazing he is; I just want to thank you.

"I know it's late, but I would like to ask for permission to date your son. It would feel wrong if I didn't. So, if you may-" Will reached over and took Nico's hand, smiling when their eyes met before looking back at the grave, "-I would love if you would allow me to continue to love your son."

Nico, who was on the verge of tears from the moment he sat down, was now full on crying, tears streamed down his face, soaking the outside of his jacket and pants. All the while the grip on Will's hand never faltered, if anything, the grip was tighter.

Will continued to talk as if nothing was wrong while Nico wiped away his tears, leaning on the blonde for the time they spent, just listening to him talk as if she was before them, listening to every word he was saying. No one else had visited that day so they were left to their own doings.

They stayed in the same spot for just over an hour until the faint sound of thunder sounded in the distance, followed by a gust of wind, sending a fresh, stormy breeze their way.

At the sound, Will said his goodbyes, saying that he wished they could stay longer, but couldn't. He told her that they would be back sometime in the future, that it wouldn't be as long as it had been.

Wiping away tears, Nico stood up, still facing the grave as Will started to head back, stopping a few paces back.

"Coming?" he called gently. Nico looked back at him, body half turned when he turned his head to glance at his mother's grave one last time.

As he stood, knowing Will was waiting, he turned his head away from his Mother, away from his past, and smiled at Will.

"Yeah," he said with a smile. He quickly glanced behind him. "Ciao, Mamma," he said, a solemn smile present as he started to head towards Will, towards his future. He didn't want to say goodbye, but he finally managed to, leaving with the feeling of weight being lifted off of his shoulders, relaxing him; finally.

And with a quick motion, and a new found fire inside him, he headed towards Will, knowing that what was ever to come, he would be ready for it.

Chapter Text

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Will pestered him, holding his hand in a death grip. Nico shook his head, looking around the airport before looking back into Will's saddened blue eyes.

"C'mon," Rachel groaned, running her fingers through her messy hair, "we never got to hang out, just the two of us."

Will hit her upside her arm. "There's a reason for that, too."

"Fuck off, Blondie!"

Nico watched their exchange, not sure on whether or not he should be worried or be laughing; he went with the latter.

"Will, weren't you the one telling me to focus on school?"

Will made a noise similar to a whine and a groan at the back of his throat. "But - but-"

Nico took his two hands and brought their lips together, silencing him.

"I have school and you have work," Nico said.

"Yeah, Will, don't halter his learning," Rachel spoke up in a smug voice. She wiggled her eyebrows when Will gave her a dirty look.

"Anyways," Will said, bringing his gaze back to his boyfriend, "you sure you're good? You have a ride back when you arrive?"

Nico nodded. "Yup," he said, "Percy's picking me up."

"Seriously?" Will asked in surprise.

"Yeah."

Will smiled, lighting up the terminal. "I'm so glad you two are getting along!"

Nico only smiled as the line for security started to diminish, telling him that he should hurry. He took one last look at the people in front of him, smile still tight on his lips. Will held his hand, refusing to let go.

"Will, let him go or he'll mid his flight," Rachel pestered him, arms crossed.

"She's right," Nico said, "if I don't leave, I'll miss my flight."

"Okay," Will sounded defeated, but he brought his smile back and stared down at his boyfriend before him. "I'll miss you," he said.

"I know."

"I love you."

"I know."

Will leaned down and kissed his smaller boyfriend, earning a round of clapping from Rachel who was doing it almost sarcastically.

"We get it, you two are stupidly cute," she said, rolling her eyes.

"You know who you remind me of?" Nico asked Rachel who raised a brow, edging him to continue. "You remind me of my friend Reyna."

Rachel raised a brow, arms still crossed.

"Oh yeah, you both are sarcastic and love to make Will the butt of the joke," Nico explained.

"Wait," Will said, trying to piece the words together, "Reyna makes fun of me?"

"All the time," Nico said nonchalantly, "anyways, if you keep talking like that, I'm going to have to hook you two up so she'll get off my back."

Rachel laughed as Will stood there, dumbfounded.

"I might have to take you up on that offer," she said with half seriousness. "Goodbye, Nico," she said, pulling said man into a hug, wrapping her arms gently around his back.

"Bye, Rachel."

When they split up, Will came over, holding him tightly in his arms as if he would never see him again.

"If we don't hurry up, Michael is going to leave us," Rachel spoke up, trying not to be too rude.

Will looked down, trying to look no one in the eyes. When his head came back up, he smiled softly, trying to hide his impending sadness.

"You have to go now," he said slowly. Nico nodded.

"I have to go now," he replied, almost repeating word for word.

As Nico tried to back up, eyes never leaving Will's, he held out his hand, Will still holding it. When Nico stepped too far away, their grasp broke, one fingers left dangling in the air as they tired to stay together.

Nico let his arm hang dead at his side as Will brought his back, putting it awkwardly back into his pocket.

"Bye," Will mouthed as Nico handed the security guy his ticket, looking behind him as his boyfriend and new friend stood off to the side, watching as he walked through the metal detector, grabbing his carry on, and heading out of sight.

...

Arriving back in America was easier than he thought. Nico wasn't sure if it was the time spent with Will or going back to Italy for the first time since he moved to get closure, but what ever it was, Nico found it easier to fall back into routine.

Aside from the expected jet-leg, the first few days felt lighter, more relaxing. Will managed to call him a lot more through the days back. Rachel even managed to sneak a few calls as well.

Malcolm had pestered him on it, asking why he got up and left the country all of the sudden. He asked if it was about Will, but Nico kept shooting him down, saying that he just needed a small break. Malcolm didn't fully trust it, but he went along, shrugging it off for the calmer, more relaxed Nico.

His professor managed to get off his case when he passed him a small key-chain, slapping it down on his desk along with his last assignment that he didn't manage to email to him on time.

"Here," he had said, "this should make up for my absence."

At first his professor just raised a brow, but after looking over his paper, he let it slide, seeing how much more relaxed he was in his writing.

"Wow, I can't believe you can just come and go whenever you like," Malcolm had said as a side comment.

"I got, like, four more of those for my other professors. He just scares me more."

"You got a point."

Nico smiled. "Oh yeah."

...

Two more weeks went by as if nothing was different. Will managed to call Nico every other night, if not every night. As filming was coming to a wrap, Will found himself with much more free time than planned.

Within a week, he too would be on a plane heading back home. It had been fun, and he would miss it extremely, but at this moment he only had his eyes on the future.

In the past two weeks he had received several photos from Percy showing him and Jason dragging Nico around the city.

Will had laughed to himself when ever he would receive one. At least Nico had met Jason, Will had thought before having to put his phone away.

The strangest picture, and the one that made Will crack up the most, was one he received a photo from Annabeth of Nico and a guy he could only place as Malcolm, sitting next to Piper and Annabeth in a cafe.

Malcolm had his fingers raised into a peace sign, posing for Annabeth's photo while Piper laughed in the background with a latte in hand. Nico looked pained, piles of paper surrounding him and a forgotten coffee cup knocked over.

Annabee

Ran into your boyfriend and his friend at a cafe! He looks pained. Lol

Image attachment

Received

6:46

It was these small reminders that kept him going for the rest of the days, showing him that everything was alright even while he was away.

He would be hopping on a flight sooner than he realised, relishing in the thought of being home once again, for the first time in almost two months.

Will received several updates regarding his friend's future wedding, pictures of Annabeth's dress, the location, and decorations, Nico being dragged to some of the events as a solid third opinion.

During these times, Percy and Nico's friendship had grown, the previously mentioned dragging the latter around to social outings, introducing him to other people within Percy and Will's common friend group. He had also received photos from his various friends whenever Nico would be dragged along. Even while Will was a away, he knew Nico would be in good hands.

...

The day had come, after all the waiting, Will's plane was scheduled to land at three-thirty that afternoon. Nico had spent the entire night before and morning of cleaning the house, not once, not twice, but three times before he was happy on the final condition of it.

He had been up so late and so early, he had barely managed to sleep a wink. With the fluttering feeling never leaving, Nico found himself tossing and turning from anticipation the entire time he managed to crawl into bed. It had been a long wait, but in the morning, the moment he had shifted out of REM sleep, his mind was running faster than his body could process, and he was up and out of bed, getting dressed before the sun fully raised.

So, at almost ten to three, Nico found himself waiting aimlessly on a bench at the airport, Starbucks in hand as he tiredly scrolled through his feed, looking at whatever popped up to distract him.

He had checked the time four times in the last two minutes, hoping each moment would yield a different result.

With a heavy heart and sigh, he took a sip of coffee before looking up, ignoring his phone for a moment.

People all around him were waiting, hands clenched in wait. Families huddled together as they waited to be reunited with family members and loved ones. He knew that soon that would be him, ignoring those with cameras as he held his arms tightly around him boyfriend, breathing in his long-too-separated scent.

When he noticed the security around the gate had started to increase, Nico sneaked a peek at the time, heart fluttering and dropping into his stomach all at the same time when he noticed that it was twenty after three.

Nico took a nervous drink of his coffee with shaky hands before realizing that it had been emptied in his pre-nervous state.

With a sigh, he stood up, trying to find his legs as he made his way over to the garbage, eyes never leaving the gate longer than needed, and tossed the cup out, returning to his previous seat, but not sitting down. Instead, he stood, the back of his knees hitting the seat as he swayed gently.

When the time had struck three-thirty, Nico took a deep breath, steadying his breathing as he shook out his hands, bouncing his leg as he slowly made his way to the group of people waiting for the flight passengers to come out.

Looking over his shoulder, Nico noticed a few men with cameras being held back by the added security guards. He turned away, trying to get the image out of his mind.

Nico waited, anxiously, as the first few people started to walk through the door. People rushed over, hugging and crying as Nico tried to look around them at the others that were walking through.

The hordes of slowly started to disperse, Nico started to grow weary. He didn't have a reason to, but as the seconds ticked by, Nico's nerves started to run rampage.

But before he had a moment to breath and calm down again, shining blonde locks and piercing blue eyes covered by ebony sunglasses made their way into sight.

When Nico looked up and met that slide smile, his breath left his throat.

"I'm home," Will spoke slyly, lifting his sunglasses to rest them on the top of his head.

Without a care in the world for the people flashing photos from all directions, Nico started forward, picking up his speed until he jumped into Will's arms. The blonde held him tightly, without a sign of letting go.

Chapter Text

"Looks like power couple, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, are having a run for America's favourite couple," Wanda, gossip news handler, said, smirking as she set her cup down, looking across the couch at a man with a well groomed beard as he nodded.

"I have to say," he started, setting a paper on the coffee table, "that with their wedding coming up, all eyes are certainly on them, though."

Chris, the man in denim and sequences, agreed. "Most definitely. But can you imagine the group of people that will be gathering for it?"

"Oh yeah, the guest list must be crazy," Stacy, flipping her blonde highlighted hair over her shoulders, added.

"With Jackson and Chase being so well known throughout the business and having many contacts, being invited must be an honour at this point."

A collective murmur of agreement shrouded over the four talk show hosts.

"Just thinking about those that will be there gives me the chills. Thalia and Jason grace: punk rock singer and actor; Rachel E. Dare, Percy's childhood friend; Grover Underwood, best friend and rights activist. Clarisse La Rue, Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, Piper McLean; the list keeps going on and on," John said, out of breath by the end.

"And the couple giving them competition for favourite couple: Will Solace and Nico di Angelo." Stacy crossed her legs, smirking as she straightened her back.

"Most definitely gonna be a star-stricken event."

"Can we talk about the new favourite LGBTQ+ couple for a moment?" Chris brought up, leaning forward as he spoke. "Did you see Solace's Instagram and Twitter for the past two months? Especially when di Angelo visited him?"

"Oh my god, don't even get me started," Stacy said, holding her hands out. "They literally give me life. Back when Will initially landed after finishing filming, the photos of them meeting back up are the sweetest thing I've ever seen."

Wanda laughed as she nodded her head. "It is incredible. It's almost hard to imagine the two of them not being together at this point. It's hard to believe that it was only a little while ago the world was against them after Solace's big announcement regarding Drew Tanaka."

"I'm just glad that the two of them are still good friends," John added, leaning back.

"Well, it is still just the beginning, so I'm excited to see what is in store for them down the way," Wanda piped in, taking a sip of her coffee. "Who knows what the new year will bring for Will and Nico, and for the others, down the road!"

"I agree," Chris said, nodding in agreement.

...

"Guys," Percy said, waving his hand in front of his face, breathing heavily, "I don't know if I can do this!"

"What? Marry Annabeth?" Jason asked, straightening his tie as he looked over his shoulder at an anxiety-ridden Percy.

"Yes - no - maybe - I don't know!"

"Dude," Grover, Percy's best man, walked over and said to him, placing a calming hand on his shoulder, "need me to play some sick-ass tunes?"

"No thanks, man, I don't think that'll help," Percy said in defeat. He sat on the couch in the room where they were getting ready, downing a bottle of water that Jason had handed him the moment he received it.

Will smiled as he draped his tie around his neck, shaking his head as Percy continued to mumble in nervousness.

It had been a month since he had gotten back, late April setting in with the early morning sun raises. Percy had freaked out the entire time leading up to the day, even flat out refusing to get out of bed that morning.

"Percy, you're being ridiculous," Will chimed in, poking his head into the area Percy was sitting. "There is literally nothing you need to worry about, and if something does happen, it's our job to worry, not yours. Your only job is to get married today."

"But what if she realised that she's to good for me and decides to ditch?"

"If she hasn't done that by now, you're fine. Besides, she was the one that said yes, if she didn't already know what she was getting into, she would have left long ago," Grove said, calmly straightening out his own tie, patting his hair, willing it to stay down.

"Thanks," Percy said, mumbling.

Jason laughed, hitting Grover on the arm, leaning against the wall beside where Percy sat.

"Dude," he said, "don't rile him up like that. He's already shaking like a goat."

"Thanks!" Percy reiterated, stressing the word more this time.

"Look, Nico will be here soon, so just calm down," Will said, tying his tie, tightening it.

Just as Will spoke, the door handle turned and Nico walked in, hair slicked back on one section, the rest falling gracefully to the side.

"Speak of the devil," Will muttered with a smirk under his breath.

"Hey," he spoke while shutting the door, "almost all of the guests have arrived and taken their seats, so I'd say roughly five-ten minutes until show time." Nico dug around in his pocket for a few seconds until he pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper, handing it off to Percy. "Annabeth told me to give this to you," he said briefly before standing off to the side.

"Oh god, I knew it! She's leaving me and left me this pathetic note to tell me!"

"Shut up and read it, idiot," Jason said, flicking Percy on the neck.

Percy swallowed hard, opening the crumpled paper up to reveal it's contents.

"'Percy'," the note started, "'I know that with everything happening soon, that you're a bit nervous - so am I, but please, I want you to know how much I love you, and in a few minutes, I'll be able to show you just that. Now, stop being a wuss and calm down; Annabeth.'"

By the end of the short letter, Percy was in tears, wiping away the stray streaks of salty water away from his eyes and cheeks.

"Aw, now isn't that sweet? Now stand up and get ready, when Frank gets back, he'll give us the 'go for' and we'll be starting," Jason told him, deadpanned.

With determination, Percy stood up and sniffed away the remaining traces of sadness. He walked to the front of the mirror and studied himself. With a solid nod, he fixed his tie as Jason kicked off of the wall he had been leaning against next to Percy's previous seat, smirking.

Frank knocked lightly on the door, slowly opening it up and closing it behind him, acting as if he wasn't the size of the frame.

"I was just talking with everyone and the Priest dude said that whenever we are ready, to give him the thumbs up and we can start. Leo is just making sure everyone is seated now."

Percy nodded, wiping off his suit, stroking the material fondly with his hand. He turned around to face his grooms men minus one.

With a shaky breath, he said, "You all ready?"

"We should be asking you that," Will jokingly said, earning a nod from Grover who hid his amusement behind his hand and scruffy beard.

Percy turned around, examining his looks one last time in the mirror before taking a deep breath in, nodding. He looked at each and every one of his grooms men's faces.

"It's show time boys," Percy said, smiling at the lot of them.

...

As Percy took his stand at the head of the alter, he stood, stiff as a board as his mother sat in the front row, smiling as wide and proudly as possible next to her husband.

Percy took the sudden start of music as a sign to start to panic as everyone in the crowd stood up and faced not him, but the entrance to watch the wedding party enter, leaving the bride as the last to enter.

Trying to steady his heart rate and breathing once again, Percy watched as Leo entered with a smirk on his lips and Callie at his waist. Callie wore a simple flowing white dress with a sea blue belt around her waist, Leo sporting a simple black suit with a tie matching that of her belt. Following closely behind them was Nico and Rachel, Rachel wearing huge smiling and Nico awkwardly trying not to look washed out next to her.

Will followed up next with Clarisse, the two of them owning a smug look, proving that they grew up with all eyes on them. When Will and Clarisse got to the front and separated, Will secretly took Nico's hand in his, not looking at their conjoined hands or at him to let anyone else know.

Nico blushed shyly as the next two entered and started.

As Jason and Piper entered after them, Percy looked at Jason who gave him a comforting nod as they walked down, taking their proper sides and places.

Percy straightened his back as Grover entered the room with Thalia, breathing heavy as they got closer.

The moment they reached the front and got in their respected places did the music change ever so slightly as Annabeth walked out with her Father, taking the aisle as her own.

The moment Percy laid his eyes on her, he started to cry. Coming before him was the most gorgeous women he had ever seen. She wore a ballgown just big enough for her to move in, but not to be drowned in. Her hair was up loosely, strands hanging and curled. Her vale sat effortlessly in her sun-kissed blonde hair, trailing behind her, as did her dress. A belt that hugged her waist shimmered with a small amount of rime stones, but matched the colour of her bridesmaid's belt.

In that moment, Percy wanted to stop time and never let it move forward in fear that he would ever forget a single moment of it.

It wasn't until Grover elbowed him gently did he remember to breath, making him wipe his eyes in the process as well.

When the two made it to the front, Annabeth's Father handed her off to Percy. Percy was smiling like an idiot when she stepped to the front of the alter with help from her bridesmaids.

The Priest brought his hands together, signalling the music to stop and everyone to take their seat. And with that, the ceremony began.

...

By the time the wedding party arrived at the venue of the reception, all the guests had found their seating and were eager for the new husband and wife to enter.

As the DJ announced the arrival of the newly married couple, everyone stood up and cheered as Percy and Annabeth entered the hall, hand in hand, shiny new rings on each of their left ring finger.

After a little situating, the lights were brought down even more and the spot lights came on on the dance floor, illuminating the area for their first dance.

All was silent as soft piano started to play in a familiar tune. John Legend's All of Me started to play and Percy swiftly took Annabeth's hand in his own and started to lead her in their first dance. The two of them danced gracefully with Annabeth leaning her head on Percy's shoulder, just enjoying the moment for as long as they could.

As the song slowly came to an end, cheers erupted from the guests. It wasn't long before the next song came on. A more upbeat song started to play as Percy and Annabeth started to dance again, but this time not slowly.

Somebody to You by The Vamps started to sound, and Jason took Piper's hand and led her onto the dance floor, holding her as the two of them danced back and forth. It wasn't long before Leo dragged Callie too, swinging her hands as she tried to put up a front of not wanting to, but as Leo mouthed along to the words, she broke down and started to join him, swinging her arms with him to the beat of the song.

Will stood next to Nico, leaning on the head table behind them, watching as the couples in and from the wedding party made their way onto the dance floor, chanting the song.

Will looked down at Nico who had his arms crossed in front of him, tapping his foot and humming. With a swift hand, Will took Nico's wrist and tried to step on, but Nico pulled back. Will gave him a confused look as the younger male tried to look anywhere but at his blonde boyfriend that was getting him flustered by just standing there looking as perfect as he did.

"I - I don't dance," he said shyly, taking his wrist back and folding his arms again.

Will looked saddened, but he wasn't taking no for an answer. They were a couple at a wedding, they were going to dance to a romantic song even if it was the last thing they did.

"I don't care," Will said strongly, prying Nico's hand away from him and started to head to the dance floor.

Once achieved, Nico tried to run away, but Will wasn't letting that happen.

"Just put your arms around my neck," Will said, taking him by the waist.

With shaky arms, he did just that, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's neck, swaying with him to the beat of the music. After a few failed attempts, stepping on Will's feet way-too-many-times-to-count, Nico, in a state of embarrassment, hid his face in Will's chest, burying his head under the blonde's chin and listening to his pounding heartbeat.

Will's laughter vibrated throughout his chest, calming Nico ever so slightly.

By the time the song was over, Nico had forgotten all about his two left feet and was playfully dancing, being joined by Jason and Piper for the last little bit. When it ended, Nico and Will had left the dance floor, smiling and laughing with the others, other people passing them to dance as dinner was getting ready to be served.

Nico noticed Reyna and Annabeth talked and decided to head over and say hi to his long time friend and editor.

Annabeth smiled when she saw him walking over, waving him down as he approached.

"Hey!" she said, trying to speak over the sound of the music.

He waved back in response, not wanting to shout as he got closer.

"How's it going?" she asked, obviously giddy.

"I should be asking you that," he said in returned.

Annabeth sighed deeply. "I can't believe you and Reyna are best friends and we only met recently!"

"I know! It's so weird!"

"I never thought to introduce you two, especially with the whole One Last Hero thing, too," Reyna said, shaking her head as she tried to speak over the music.

It wasn't two seconds later that Annabeth was swept up by Percy's Mother, making her goodbyes brief and sudden.

Reyna laughed gently behind her hand.

"How did you two meet anyways?" Nico asked, never really knowing the story.

"Oh! Way back when, her and I shared a part-time job together. We didn't work together very long, but it was long enough for us to become friends. This was long before she got famous, too, so it was kind of a shock running into each other at meetings for the movie," she explained.

Nico nodded his head as he listened.

It wasn't a moment later did Rachel walk by. Within a split second, Nico had his hand around her wrist, pulling her in.

"Rachel," he said suddenly, surprising her even more.

"Yes...?"

"This is Reyna, the person I was talking about," he said, causing Reyna to raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

"You talked about me?" she asked, but was ignored.

"Reyna, meet Rachel," he said confidently, gesturing with his hand as he said their names, "Rachel, Reyna. I'm not good at doing this and I have somewhere I want to be, so... both of you are lesbians, let the friendship commence." And with that, Nico was gone, leaving the two girls to stand awkwardly at one another before laughing.

Rachel sat down next to Reyna and held out her hand.

"Hi," she said awkwardly, but thankfully, Reyna took it and shook it, smiling back.

"Hi."

...

"Will!" Nico called out as he caught up with his boyfriend who had finally ditched the jacket and rolled up his cuffs.

Will looked back surprised but smiled when he saw him, stopping his walking to wait for him.

"Hey, what're you doing?" he asked.

When Nico got up close, he forgot what words were for a moment. He hated how Will had that kind of control over him by just removing a jacket. But with a shake of his head, he got back to what he was thinking.

"Huh, umm - I was just looking for you is all," he managed to say, Will smiling back at him.

"It was just too damn hot back in there. It's almost eleven, too, so people'll start filing out soon." Will stopped walking again and looked up, the twinkle of the wedding shining behind them. "The sky is beautiful tonight," Will spoke softly, hands in pocket.

Nico rubbed his together, trying to warm them back up. The sky was already dark and the stars were starting to come out in full swing. "Yeah," he said, taking in the sight before him. He took a deep breath before adding, "And so are you."

Will was surprised by Nico's sudden boldness, but smiled widely in return. He bumped his hip into Nico, not looking him in the eye. Nico could feel his cheeks gain heat, but decided to ignore the uncomfortable blush building from his ears on.

As the wind picked up, even with the refreshing take from being inside the sweaty hall, Nico felt a chill cover his spine, sending shivers down his spine. He started to wish he had brought his suit jacket with him outside.

Nico took one look at Will's hand in his pocket and slid closer, avoiding looking at his face in the process. Nico leaned into Will's side and slowly slid his hand down Will's wrist and into his pocket, holding his warmed hand.

Will looked down and didn't say anything, instead, he brought his hand out along with Nico's and held both of his hands between his. Nico fell into his embrace and closed his eyes, letting the lack of words hang over them as their barrier.

...

As Percy and Annabeth's wedding fell into the news' hands throughout the next few weeks, Will enjoyed staying away from the cameras for the time being. He had finished everything he needed to do, the only thing happening with his work being meetings and interviews for the next two months.

Summer was approaching, and fast. Nico had locked himself away mentally as he worked on papers and papers, finishing up at eleven every night, and when he managed to get down early, he would work on his books.

Even thought they didn't have much time for the two of them, they found joy in the small moments they shared together. Even when Nico got sick, Will would lay in bed with him and they would watch old movies they had watched a hundred times, not caring if one of them talked because they knew them all word-by-word by then.

Nico had even convinced Will to watch One Last Hero with him one of the days.

"Come on!" Nico had said in his medicine-drunken state, laughing as Will swatted his hands away from his face.

"No way! I never watch anything I've been in more than once," he had replied, trying hard not to laugh at Nico's cute behavior, but he managed a small smile as Nico touched the side of his cheek, dragging his hand down, laughing after over-pouting. He had laid in his lap, finding relief in the blonde's warmth.

"Yeah, but I wrote the book! And my sexy boyfriend's in it, so I want to watch it!"

"No!"

But after much arguing, Nico managed to win and they had watched the movie.

"Did you know that the original title of the book was going to be called 'No More Heroes,' but because of copyright reasons, Reyna made me change it. There was already a game by that name, and that's why at the end it's said instead of 'one last hero.' Well, that was said too, but you know what I mean!"

Will could only smile at him as he spoke, mumbling and tripping on his words as he spoke. He had grown tired half way through the movie and fell asleep. Will wanted to turn it off, but that meant he would have to get up and move, but with Nico laying on his lap, he wasn't going to wake him up just for that, so he let it continue to play, Will falling asleep himself by the time the ending credits came around.

Chapter Text

"C'mon!" Will shouted as he raced through the crowded street, swerving in and out of hoards of people with Nico in tow, hand in hand. Nico yelled at him to stop, tripping over his own feet as he tried to catch and keep up with the faster blonde as a late summer breeze pushed by them.

"Wait!" he exclaimed, huffing out of breath, apologizing when he would briefly run into someone by accident.

"Hurry up, Nico!" But no matter how hard he tried, Will was always four steps ahead, keeping Nico on his toes.

"Will, you're going to fast, please slow down!" And as if his words held magic, Will slowed down, smiling as he turned around to look a reddened Nico, panting from being out of breath.

"Sorry," he said, sort of an off handed comment, coming to him later. He smiled in a way that almost made it seem like he didn't even mean it anyways.

"Where are you taking me in such a rush?" Nico asked, breathing deeply in attempt to gain his breath back, straightening his back, trying to stretch out.

Will simply smiled as he started to walk ahead, gripping Nico's hand tighter as he looked forward.

"You'll have to wait and see." Nico knitted his brows together, trying to figure out why Will was acting weird, but left it hanging in the cool breeze as he waited.

They continued down a familiar street, passing streets that had become memorized as if it was the back of his own hand. Nico stared into a store window as he passed by, seeing his own relfection; and what he saw had him breathless for an entirely different reason. Staring into his own reflection was someone he never thought he would ever see; himself full of happiness.

Nico was walking down a street hand in hand with someone he was hopelessly in love with, smiling. He was happy; he had made it. If he would have told fifteen-year-old him that everything would have been alright and that he would be truly happy, he wouldn't have believed himself, but there he was, finally knowing that he would be alright.

As Nico turned his head forward, he smiled, leaning on Will for a split second as they walked, enjoying the moment while he was in it. He would never forget the feeling that he felt in that moment.

"What?" Will asked lightly, smiling in confusion as he looked down at the man beside him.

Nico shook his head, smiling and looking forward.

"Nothing," he muttered, taking in anything and everything.

"Alright," Will laughed, shaking his head as the two of them continued on for a few more minutes.

When they reached a familiar bookstore and cafe, Nico got confused again. Why had Will taken him to there in such a hush-hush fashion and urgency?

"It's hard to imaging, but," Will said, dragging his words out after a few moments of silence between the two of them, "it's been just over a year since we first officially met," Will explained, smiling as he slowly stroked Nico's hand with his thumb, walking around. "I had honestly thought that I would never have been able to give you back your journal," Will said, stopping to glance at a book on a shelf, "but now-" he turned to face Nico, smiling softly "-I have you, and not just your journal."

Nico could feel his ears heat up as he fought off tears building behind his eyes. Instead of a verbal response, Nico simply set his forehead on Will's chest, hiding his face from him.

"I love you," Will spoke softly, placing a gentle kiss in Nico's soft hair, holding him close as the world moved around them.

...

"I can't believe school's already started back up," Katie complained, sighing as she wrapped her overlay closer to her body.

"Don't remind me," Nico said, sighing. "I have a new book almost completed, and now that I have classes to worry about, it's draining the life out of me."

"How's that going anyway?" she asked, sipping a hot tea slowly.

"It's intense right now, with all the rewrites that my editor is giving me right now, I'm basically drowning in the English language."

"Oh no," Katie said, laughing lightly as Nico sighed heavily. "Hey, so doesn't Will's movie come out soon, Elias Gray, right?"

"Oh yeah!" Nico cheeped up, remembering that the world premier was in less than two weeks. Nico took a deep breath in and let it out. "Will's been hyped for it, but also a nervous wreck because of the type of film."

"I heard of that," Katie said, leaning back and enjoying the view. "It's being very critically acclaimed, though, so he shouldn't be worried."

"I know, and I tell him that all the time, but he doesn't want to believe me. Like, it's cute for the first few times, but after that, it gets kind of annoying."

Katie laughed, trying to keep it in, but failing. "I'm sorry, but that must be an adorable sight to see."

"Fight me," Nico muttered as he slowly took a sip of his hot chocolate.

"Anyways," Katie spoke softly, calming herself, "people are saying that Will just might get nominated for an Oscar this year for it."

"Imagine that," Nico said, smiling softly, but it slowly faded as the thought of the previous awards came washing over him, reminding him of his insecurities.

"Hey," Katie said, bumping Nico in the side gently to show her affection and concern towards, "this round will be fine. You have literally nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," Nico said, voice trialing off, "but that's what I thought last time."

"Well, the whole world is calling you 'America's favourite Couple', so I don't think there's much to change that at this point."

Nico chuckled lowly, feeling a little bit better.

"You're right," he said, smiling and looking up at her. "Thank you."

"No problem, dude."

...

"Do I look good?" Will asked, voice cracking as he examined himself in the mirror, trying not to aggressively sweat or throw up or both.

"You," Nico started, brushing Will's white suit coat down and clean of imaginary dust, "look amazing."

Will smiled softly, but his eyes still held worry.

"Look," Nico sighed, "you would look just as good as you normally do if you wore a garbage bag, and probably be better looking than most of the people there. Trust me, Will, you look amazing."

Will laughed nervously at first, but as Nico showed a small smile, Will felt his nerves slowly disappear. He cupped Nico's face with his hands and kissed him gently.

"What was that for?" Nico asked as Will pulled away, smiling gently.

"I love you," he said genuinely.

"I know," Nico replied, backing away from Will to observe their presence in the mirror together. "Look at us," he said as more of an off-handed comment.

"Look at you," Will replied with the same amount of awe.

Nico could feel his face heat up as he looked away.

"Let's go," Nico said, walking faster to the door as he grabbed his shoes and through them on. Will smiled as he laughed, following suit and getting his own shoes on before head out.

...

"It's so weird to think that we met at a premier," Will said softly as the two of them made their way down the red carpet, lights flashing from all angles.

"And here we are," Nico added, smiling softly at the thought.

Just moments prior, Will had been a shaky mess, but the moment he stepped out of the vehicle, his attitude did a complete 180 and he acted as if he grew up in the spotlight.

"And this time I'll have you next to me instead of your journal," Will added, smiling as their eyes met.

Nico chuckled softly at the thought of it.

The two of them continued on down, stopping as Will got called over for mini interviews regarding his role and the premier. The comments and questions ranged from his feelings on the movie to his strangely flattering outfit all the way to their relationship. Nico managed to smile and nod his way through most of them, simply being there because he was with Will and not having any correlation with the movie.

The only time an interviewer had asked him about anything was regarding the Side Friend movie that was currently in pre-production and his up-coming book that was planned to be released in the early part of the new year.

Whatever bad feelings that had come from red carpets slowly faded away as he fell right into the atmosphere and caring arms of Will. He was there to support his boyfriend, and that was what he going to do. He didn't leave him for two months for nothing.

"You ready?" Nico asked the blonde as they made their way into the main hall, making their way to their seats.

"What's there to be nervous about now? The hard part is over now," Will said with a smirk, voice cocky.

Nico bumped him playfully as they continued, earning an endearing laugh from his boyfriend.

"They'll all love it, I'm sure," Will said, almost more speaking to himself, hoping the cockiness of his voice would drown out the remaining nerves that had been bottles away until recently.

"Everyone will, there's nothing to worry about." And with that, Nico pulled him into a deep, comforting kiss.

"I know." Will smirked, pulling away as the two of them made their way to their seats, both subconsciously aware of the area to their right where they had first run into each other.

...

WILL SOLACE IS ON FIRE!

With the release of the new movie, Elias Grey, staring Will Solace, Rachel E. Dare, and Michael Yew, it is definitely obvious that time and talent went into the production of the movie. I wouldn't be surprised if this movie started to beat records. But after all the amazing behind-the-scenes work, it is obvious that the casting for this motion-picture was spot on, having Will Solace take our breaths away once again with his flawless performance. I would be surprised if Solace's performance doesn't bring him a nomination at the awards this February. I can say with the utmost confidence that his work on Elias Grey was he greatest performance to date - and that's saying something after his awe-inspiring role in One Last Hero. I must say, after the amazing cinematography, the sound tract will take your breath away. The story takes you on a emotional journey, showing you the struggles that Elias Grey endured and the interactions between Jon Bradford (Michael Yew) and Blair Bradford (Rachel E. Dare) in the heat of World War II. If I had the choice of meeting the President and seeing this movie again, I would offer to pay for his popcorn and ticket and show the President of the United States a breakthrough in the movie industry.

-Sarkis Ramsey, New York Times magazine

...

"It's getting really cold, really soon," Katie pointed out as she took off her apron and placed on the back of the chair as she took her work break, sighing as she sat down with a chai tea.

"I know. At least it's acceptable to wear nothing but black again," Nico joked, sipping the hot beverage in front of him. Katie nodded in understanding, taking another sip as a silent sign of agreement.

"I'm just glad I get discounts on the hot drinks. I would die if I didn't. At least I don't work outside," she added almost as an after thought, laughing softly. "But Travis isn't so lucky."

"Oh, that's right, doesn't he have a part time job at a gas station?"

"And he hates it," Katie said, smiling at the thought of a reddened-faced Travis bundled in jackets and scarves.

"How are things going lately?" Nico asked, leaning back and enjoying the Warmth of the heater.

"Good, actually, but he's been acting weird lately. Jumpy, really," she said, letting her thoughts flow as she recalled everything in her mind. "Always acting like he did something wrong, but not in the way he usually acts when he does that. More like he knows he's gonna get caught and get in trouble."

"Sounds... Weird - yeah, seems suspicious." Katie nodded, raising her brow as her point had been made.

"See? So I hope everything is fine and he's just being weird like always," she said, relaxing back into her chair. "Anyways, how are things with Will?"

"Good, actually," Nico said, straightening his back and leaning forward, elbows resting on the small table. "Should have seen him at the premier the other day."

Katie laughed wholeheartedly, smiling wide. "I heard! Cocky, huh?"

"Like always," Nico mumbles, smiling softly after a moments pause.

"Well, at least things are going good."

"Yeah," Nico spoke softly, smiling to himself.

...

"No, but you see, as oblivious as Harry was, I think he have at least noticed his own actions - or at least his. Like, who stays up all just to make 'Potter Stinks' badges just to climb a tree and rub it in his face, you know? Like, I don't know about you but that sounds pretty gay to me."

"Understandable, actually. Like, when you think of it, no one in their right mind would do that. And didn't Draco also send him a note by folding it into a swan and then blowing a kiss at him, like, that sounds pretty gay to me," Malcolm said, checking his phone briefly before shoving it back into his pocket.

"Well, I'm not the psych major, that's all you," Nico added, digging around his pocket for his keys as they approached Nico's apartment.

"Like, you start seeing small things like that all over the place that wold normally not make sense."

"And I don't even think you need to be one to even see it." Malcolm laughed at Nico's comment, nodding his head in agreement as he pushed his glasses further up his nose to see properly.

"Well, anyways, this is where I say goodbye," Nico said, unlocking the door and turned his head over his shoulder to speak to him, "see you tomorrow!"

"Bye," Malcolm waved as he walked off, putting in his headphones.

Nico quickly rushed to the elevator and pressed his floor, shaking his legs out as he waited to arrive at his floor. When the elevator beeped, sounding the arrival, Nico quickly hopped out and down the hall to his and Will's apartment.

As he opened the door, walking inside, he noticed Will was on the phone, pacing around.

"But, like, how did you do it? Like, I don't even know if I will be able to, but-" As Will turned around and spotted Nico, shaking off his shoes and scarf, his voice quickly lowered, turning away to speak softly into the mic of the phone. "Sorry, have to go." Will hung up the call and shoved his phone into his pocket quickly before turning around, smiling at Nico as he traveled further into the kitchen. "Hey," he called out, chipper.

"Hey," Nico replied, shaking his coat and bag off onto the island in the kitchen. "Who was that?" he asked, suspicious only slightly at the suddenness of it.

"Oh, just Percy, he was asking about... a thing," Will said, almost a little too fast, but Nico was tired and had work to finish so he didn't question it. He walked up to Will and planted a small kiss on his cheek, balancing on his tippy-toes.

"Okay, cool. I have work, so I'll be busy for a little while," Nico spoke as he continued to walk into their bedroom, closing the door slightly behind him.

When he was out of sight, Will sighed, dropping his body down into a slouch. He leaned on the couch, shaking his head.

"That was a close one," he muttered to himself before he tossed his phone from his pocket onto the couch, heading to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

...

As repeats of T.V. shows meant for younger kids played on the television, Will mindlessly ran his hands through Nico's hair as he laid down with the other laying on him, enjoying each other's presence.

"When you play a character on Steven Universe, then I'll take you seriously as an actor," Nico said randomly, laughing as Will scoffed underneath of him.

"Oh yeah?" Will asked, sarcastically dragging his words out.

"Yup, so until then, you are nothing but an amateur."

Will rolled his eyes as he turned his attention back to the show playing and flashing colours. It wasn't moments later that his phone started to ring.

"Hold on," Will said as he stretched to reach it while Nico still laid atop of him, grabbing the remote and turning the volume down. "Hello," Will called with a chipper attitude.

Nico turned his head to glance upwards Will face as he continued play with his hair. Will smiles down at him which Nico returned.

"Hey Will, you busy at the moment?" his manager, Lou Ellen, asked.

Will shook his head, even if she couldn't see him, it happened as more of a reflex. "No, not really. What's up?" he asked, sitting more upwards, pulling Nico up with him even with his boyfriend's protests Will simple brought him closed and turned his attention back to the phone call.

"Alright, so, are you sitting down?" she asked. Will found it confusing, but he went along with it.

"Yes...?" he said slowly.

"Good. So, recently I received a phone call, one that I think you might want to know about."

As Lou continued to speak on the other end, Will's face became hard, concentrated, not a single word passing through his lips as he sat still and listened. In a single moment, all air flow stopped involving Will. He sat frozen, eyes wide as he almost dropped his phone.

Nico stared up at him in confusion, wait for Will to explain what was happening on the other end. With a minute nod of his neck and a crackle of words barely escaping from his now dry lips, he hung up and the call, eyes transfixed on the screen. With stiff movements, Will looked to meet Nico's eyes, finally taking in a shaky breath.

"I'm nominated again for Best Actor at the Oscars," Will barely managed to squeak out, almost not even believing his own words as he spoke.

Within that exact moment, Nico jumped him, hugging him intensely as Will tried to figure out what had just happened.

"Oh my god!" he screamed, embracing his boyfriend deeply.

Will wrapped his shaky arms around his boyfriend to make sure this was real and not a dream that was dragging out far too long. After taking in another deep breath, he tightened his grip around Nico, pulling him deeper in.

"I love you," Nico muttered softly into his ear as they sat in the dimmed muffled noise of the forgotten T.V. show playing.

Nico brought his face up and leaned in, kissing his ecstatic boyfriend profoundly.

But as these emotions swelled around in his mind, something else came to the surface, something that had been bugging him for a while, something that came to him almost like a sign.

...

As Will and Nico entered the familiar cafe and bookshop, Katie's face lit up from behind the counter, whispering to the guy next to her as she saw them enter. It wasn't a minute later did she managed to take off her apron and walk out from behind the desk.

"Oh my god! I need to talk to you two," she said with quick words, breathing heavy.

Will smiled as he leaned on a vacant table behind him as Nico stood awkwardly off to the side, waiting for Katie to make her way over.

"What's up?" Nico asked, sounding distressed at the suddenness of Katie's words.

"You know how I said that Travis was acting weird a little while back?" Katie said, waiting for Nico to respond. When he nodded intently, she continued. "Well, I know why." And with a single swift motion, she stuck out her left hand, showing off the intricately cut diamond that was embedded into a golden band around her ring finger.

"Holy shit," Nico mouthed, bringing her hand to his face to examine it closer.

Upon realising what she meant, Will unfolded his arms, face falling a little. He waited for Nico to look before he stepped forward.

Katie had started to tear up a little bit, smiling all the while.

"This is so amazing!" Nico said, bringing her into a tight embrace, not caring about the sudden contact. When they pulled away, he said, "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," she replied happily.

"That is so wonderful, Katie, congrats," Will said, smiling genuinely at her.

"Thank you," she said sweetly, smiling calming as she looked back down at it. With a swift smile, she turned to Nico. "Shoot, I forgot to grab drinks, Nico, do you think you could get them, please?"

Nico nodded, happy to oblige. He strode off to the back of the line and waited to place his order. He got to the front of the line and told the barista his order.

Katie watched as Nico walked off before turning to Will.

"I can't believe it," she said.

"Yeah," he replied, almost on auto pilot. He went from her ring to watching Nico wait in line.

"So, how about you?" she asked, leaning on a brick placement behind her.

"What?" Will asked, turning back to face her at her sudden weird question.

"You know..." she said, trailing off, raising her eyebrows to invoke her point.

Will felt his mouth go dry as he stared at her without an idea on what to reply with.

"I think you should think of that," she managed to say before Nico came back with their orders, smiling. "Thank you," she said as she took her own.

"Here," Nico said sweetly as he passed Will his order, smiling as they locked eyes.

Will watched Nico take his usual seat at the table, sitting down as Katie followed.

Chapter Text

"It's so great to see you again," Reyna spoke with a gentle smile, folding a loose piece of hair behind her ear.

"Hi!" Rachel shouted from the kitchen, followed by a short scream. "Shit! Ow, ow, ow!"

Will snickered as he entered the house behind Nico, pulling his scarf off and shaking his hair out with his free hand.

"What did I tell you?" Reyna asked with a heavy sigh, placing her head in her hand and shaking it. With a deep breath, she straightened her back. "Well, I better go make sure she doesn't burn the entire house down. Please, take a seat, and the others should be here soon." She spun on her heal with authority and headed into the kitchen/dinning area with swift movements.

"Well, at least you know nothing's changed since the last time we saw them," Will mumbled jokingly under his breath to Nico as the younger struggled to remove his boots. Nico chuckled gently as he managed to pull his left one off.

"I don't think anything would really change no matter how long you give them," Nico shot back, smirking as he finally pulled off his other one, stripping his frosty jacket off.

Will hung both his and Nico's coats up on the coat rack just off to the side, taking Nico's chilled fingers into his hand, holding them tightly as they maneuvered through the hall and into the living room.

Reyna had some lousy Christmas movie playing, and by the looks of it, it had been Rachel that had turned it on. Colourful fairy lights had been hung along the walls and on the windowsill, giving the warm house a feeling of holiday and comfort.

Will sat down on the love-seat, pulling Nico onto his lap as the cheesy movie played mindlessly on the television. Colourful character danced around, hem-hawing along.

Reyna had demanded everyone to wear sweaters she and Rachel had given out a week prior to the dinner, so Nico and Will were wrapped warmly in hand-knitted sweater. Each one reflected their personalities, so Nico's was black and gray, tiny skulls incorporated into the pattern. Will's was a brighter yellow with images of the sun added. Reyna, herself, had a purple one with gray roman wreaths and Rachel had a deep red sweater with green patterns that almost looked like smoke.

It wasn't even ten minutes later did four more people knock on the door, entering the heated house from the chilly outside.

Percy and Annabeth were the first ones through, followed by Jason and Piper, each removing their coats to expose their sweaters. Annabeth had a gray knitted sweater with dark pewter book patterns and Percy with dark blue and fish imagery. Jason sported one with almost a lightening shade of yellow, tiny lightening bolts going along it with perfect contrast. Piper's was a deep pink with feathers to match her heritage.

"Sorry we're late, Percy thought he knew a shortcut and we got delayed because of traffic," Annabeth explained, entering the living room with an annoyed voice.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault that everyone else knew of it and it got backed up," Percy tried to defend himself, but Jason just shook his head as he and Piper followed in.

"Hey," Piper started, "at least we got here in time." Jason agreed, sitting down on the couch as Annabeth headed into the kitchen to help with preparations.

Percy, Jason, and Will made small talk as they watched the movie on the television screen with only minimal attention. Nico decided to close his eyes for some relaxation, but after a few minutes of dozing in and out of sleep, he thought it would be best to get up and do something before he fell asleep on his boyfriend's lap.

He sifted his weight and got up slowly.

"What's up?" Will asked as Nico stood up, but the younger man just shook his head.

"Gonna see if they need help with anything," he said quietly before he walked out of the living room and into the kitchen to help the girls out.

"Hey," Rachel called out to him when he entered, smiling an waving him over. "Think you could stir this for me for a sec?"

"Sure," Nico said, smiling softly as he maneuvered his way through the kitchen.

When he got to the stove, Rachel handed him the ladle and he started to stir it slowly, but consistently.

"What do you think the boys' are talking about?" Annabeth randomly spoke out, taking a break from carving the turkey.

"I dunno, but probably nothing important," Piper added, smiling slyly and Rachel laughed in agreement.

"Honestly, they're probably in some great debate about the proper way to consume chicken."

"Sad part is, they have actually had the conversation," Rachel added, shaking her head.

"I remember that," Piper laughed, opening up a can of cranberry sauce.

"Wasn't that in college?" asked Annabeth, setting the table.

"Pretty sure," replied Rachel, taking the pot from Nico with a quick thanks.

Nico headed towards the table with forks and plates with Annabeth, setting them down in order.

"Actually, they were talking about the cardboard box industry when I left," Nico told them, earning a sigh from Annabeth and a round of laughter from Piper and Rachel.

"That's awful," Reyna said offhandedly, shaking her head as she opened the cabinet and grabbed a bottle of wine from the middle shelf.

"God, it's freakin' cold out there!" came Leo's voice followed by the door shutting.

Seconds later, Hazel, still wrapped in a pale yellow scarf turned the corner with her frizzy hair escaping from underneath her hat.

"Hi," she said, carrying a pie as Frank followed suit, holding another.

"So good to see you both again," Reyna smiled as Rachel took the pie from Hazel so she could hug her. Reyna pulled away and brought Frank into a tight embrace also, the taller male blushing in embarrassment.

"Just put them on two-fifty while we eat and they should be done by the time we are," Hazel told Rachel as she opened the still-warm oven, unwrapping them and setting them in.

"Grover said he and Thalia will be late so just start ahead without them. Grover had to drop Juniper off at the airport before they head over, and the roads are horrible, or they'd be here by now," Frank said, taking Hazel's jacket after she removed it.

Hazel wore a light purple and gray sweater with gem designs on them while Frank wore one with paw prints on a light brown base.

"Alright," Reyna said, nodding her head.

The two new helpers made things go a lot faster as they started to set up the table. They all quickly got the plates and dinner placed in only a few swift minutes, so Reyna turned to Nico and asked, "Can you go get everyone and tell them to wash up for supper?"

"Alright," he said with a smile, wiping his hands on a rag.

He made his way from the kitchen to the living room, away from the clatter of the kitchen to the soft hush of the conversation taking place in the living room.

"-but the only problem is if..." Will spoke quietly to the small group of guys and Callie. Jason quickly saw Nico and straightened his back, motioning with his chin to the entryway where he stood to Will. The blonde quickly got what Jason was trying to say without words, and he stopped his conversation and turned to face his boyfriend with a fake smile. "Hi."

"Hi... Um, so Reyna wants me to tell you all to wash up and head in, dinner is ready," Nico carefully said, unsure of the sudden tension in the room.

Will stood up a bit too fast, smiling. "Alright," he said, passing by Nico to head towards the bathroom, wrapping his arm around his waist and kissing the top of his head quickly, dragging his arm along his mid section as he walked ahead. Nico turned back to face the group of people that sat awkwardly and quietly. He quickly darted back into the kitchen to wash his hands there, wanting to avoid the strange atmosphere.

Nico stumbled into the kitchen, still trying to figure out what had just happened when he ran into Reyna, quite literally.

"You okay?" she asked, her words being deaf to the others ears due to the commotion.

"Yeah," Nico replied automatically, shaking his head and smiling up at her, repeating his answer to sound more confident. Reyna raised a brow, not completely buying it. "Just," he said, trying to rearrange his thoughts so that they made sense, "everyone was acting weird, but it was probably nothing," he added quickly, smiling as she looked him over before letting it pass.

As everyone filed in and took their seats, Nico slowly inched his way to the table, sitting beside Will and Rachel. Leo sat acrossed the table from them, his sweater a blazing red with flames stitched in orange while Callie sat beside him with her pale pink one with white palm tree leaves.

There was two extra seats between Percy and Rachel that was empty, the seats they saved for Grover and Thalia. There wasn't a single space empty besides that on the table. Everyone started to serve themselves, passing bowls and spoons the next person.

Piper pulled a small piece of her tofu turkey, making sure to leave some for Grover when he arrived.

People were talking ten different conversations, laughing at different times as they all ate, just enjoying one another.

Nico sat quiet, tired, as he pushed his food around, slowly eating. Will looked down and noticed his strange behavior, taking his hand in his own, just holding it to show that he cared.

"I love you," he said, smiling.

Nico smiled back, feeling warm.

...

It wasn't long until the door flung open with a loud bang!

"Holy crap, Thalia," Grover yelled, stuttering due to the cold.

"What?" she said to him before entering the kitchen, coat still on. "I'm freakin' starving!"

"Well, we have food," Reyna said sarcastically, smiling as the two of them locked eyes.

"Good," she said, taking her seat, going out of her way just to hit Jason upside his head.

"Hey!" he yelled, rubbing the spot she had smacked.

Thalia laughed as she draped her jacket on the back of the chair, loading her plate up and quickly digging in. Grover sighed as he took his seat, rolling his eyes, but still smiling as Piper passed him their shared tofu turkey.

Thalia, too, had her sweater on, same as Jason's but black and blue instead of Jason's colours. Grover's had two shades of green and plant patterns. To the normal eye, they looked like one of those really bad family photos, but to them, they were the greatest family, knowing they wouldn't want it any other way.

...

Christmas had sneaked up on them faster than they realised, so as Nico and Will sat in the car, about to head out into the cold towards Will's house, an aggressive amount of Christmas music blared on the radio, making them sick of the sweet velvety vocals of Michael Buble.

"It's going to be fine," Will said, trying to be supportive. "They've already met you, so it isn't like this is all new."

"Yeah, but it's Christmas, and that is totally different."

Will laughed, then apologized. "Look, they love you already, there's nothing you can do to change that."

Nico grinned. "That sounds like a challenge."

"Nico, no." The smaller male laughed, taking a deep breath as Will turned off the car and they headed inside.

"I'm home," Will called out when he opened the door, holding it open for Nico, closing it behind him. The marvelously wonderful scent of turkey and potatoes came at them strongly.

"Will!" his mother called, running from the kitchen to give him a giant hug. She realised him after a few moments of strangling the breath out of him before moving over to Nico, holding her arms open widely. "And Nico," she said, pulling him into a loving embrace, "I missed you dear."

When she backed up, a strand of her messy hair fell from her blonde bun and she wiped it behind her ear.

"Hurry up you two, dinner is almost ready," she said with a smile, clapping her hands as she turned on her heal and headed right back into the kitchen.

Will's little sister came running in, basically jumping him, but he returned the embrace, holding her in his arms. Nico watched with a smile as the two siblings reconnected. Right after, Kayla gave Nico a side hug, saying it was good to see him again before racing off to the bathroom to wash her hands.

Will smiled gently at Nico as he helped him with his jacket, hanging it up and following his sister to the bathroom. She exited as the two of them entered, quickly finishing up before heading to the table that had already been set.

Will's Father stood up and patted his son on the back.

"I missed you, boy," he said genuinely, taking his seat after nodding his head towards Nico who was still partially scared of the tall man.

"Good to see you, Dad."

The two took their seat, side by side, at the table after Will was shot down when he asked his Mother if she would like help.

The next few minutes flew by as Will talked with his Father and his Mother got everything ready. Kayla continued to text her friend, looking up at Nico every now and again before looking back down at her phone.

"Alright, phones away because its family time," Will's Mother exclaimed, setting the freshly carved turkey down in the middle of the table.

Everyone started to serve themselves as Will's Mother asked both Will and Nico questions, asking Nico how school was going and what their plans for Christmas day where.

"Actually, we're just thinking of staying in and watching movies, really," Will told her in which Nico nodded in agreement, taking a bite of the mashed potatoes.

"That sounds lovely," she said, smiling.

The conversations came and went, something new being brought throughout the dinner. By the time they finished, empty plates and bowls covered the table.

"That was really great, mum," Will said, wiping his face with a napkin.

"Extremely," Nico added, nodding his head as he took a drink of his water.

"Well, I'm glad you both enjoyed it," she said happily.

Will, his Father, and sister helped clean up as Will's Mother dragged Nico with her to help her with something.

"I just need you to carry a few boxes is all, dear," she had said, but she brought him to her bedroom. She reached into the closet and pulled out wrapped presents. "Here, you take these three."

Nico took them graciously, following her out of the room and to the living room where a well-lit tree was placed with several presents.

"I don't like to put them under the tree until Christmas morning," she explained, placing a single wrapped gift under the tree, "because Will and Kayla used to have this thing were they would try and guess what toy was what. So now they have to wait."

Nico chuckled, setting them down and sitting stiffly on the couch.

"Don't need to be so stiff, dear. There's nothing you need to worry about."

Nico scratched the back of his neck shyly. "Sorry, I guess it is still weird, all of this," he explained.

She laughed, her age showing, but she still looked young.

"Well, even so, you are part of the family at this point. If it ever happens that you and Will break up, just know I'm adopting you."

Nico laughed, this time relaxing him. He smiled gently, looking at the ground in embarrassment. Will's Mother joined him in the laughter.

Their time was cut short though, as Will and his other family entered the room, going on about some T.V. show that had just started.

"Look's like you are all done," she said, standing up. Will nodded, sitting down beside Nico, pulling him closer and resting his chin on the top of his head.

"She scare you?" he asked in a mutter.

Nico shook his head. "Nah."

"Good."

"Alright, now that we are actually all together," Will's Mother said, clapping her hands as she stood up, heading over to the tree, picking up the three boxes Nico had carried and the one she had, she started to hand them out to everyone besides herself, "I would like for all of you two open your presents now."

When Nico received one, he was almost surprised to get one. He shyly thanked her, looking down in awe at the neatly wrapped gift in front of him.

Without a second though Kayla and Will ripped their's apart, showing how they did this every year.

As Kayla quickly dug into her neatly wrapped gift, wrapping paper was thrown everywhere. She, in a rush, hauled out a hand-knitted scarf with cute auburn green flowers incorporated into the sunset-like pattern. Just by brief glance, the skill and time that went into it was incredible.

"Each year my Mother makes something by hand, and everyone gets the same thing, but in a different pattern," he explained as he continued to fiddle with the wrapping.

Will was the next one to open his. When he managed to tear into it, tossing the stray paper to the side, laying exposed after the small un-boxing was a scarf in the same design as Kayla's, but in deeper reds than hers. But Will's, instead of flowers, held tiny books of different colours.

Nico watched as everyone fussed over their gifts, talking and thanking their Mother, along with Will's Father holding his that was annoyingly yellow - what was up with their families weird liking for yellows and shades of? - that had small medical equipment all over.

Nico smiled softly as they continued, Will seeming more relaxed than he had in weeks. It wasn't until everyone went quiet as their conversation died down did they turn to Nico, seeming to wait patiently. At first he was confused, then he remembered the small, tightly wrapped gift that laid on his lap.

He looked down at it, and slowly, with shaky fingers, he started to pick at it. He looked up shortly to see that everyone was still staring at him, something he wasn't used to in this intimate of a setting. So, trying to cast away the thoughts of them staring, he slowly made work at unwrapping, something this family wasn't exactly used to.

When he managed to finally get down to just he small box, he slowly opened it to reveal a scarf grey in colour with tiny rainbow skulls scattered throughout. With slow movement, he took it out, gently setting the box to his side while Will brought him closer.

When he looked up once again, all he saw was smiling faces staring back at him warmly, safely telling him that everything was going to be alright. Nico was at a lose of words, whenever he tried to say something it either wouldn't come out or it wasn't good enough to say.

"Thank you..." was all he managed to muster out, his voice small.

Will's Mother smiled at him with the light of the sun, her age seeming timeless.

"Like I said, you're already part of the family," she said, and a collective nod was passed around.

In that instant, Nico felt like crying - crying for so many reason, half of them he didn't even know. He wanted to cry because he was wanted, he was loved, by people that didn't have to, but they did. Wanting to cry because everything was overwhelming him all at once, because he was part of another family, one that was complete and whole with no holes through it. He wanted to cry because he had never thought a day would come when someone would tell him that they loved him and wanted him to stay in their lives.

He had a loving family that cared about him, but everything now felt complete; he felt like he finally had his life figured out, and that's why he wanted to cry.

But he didn't.

But he wanted to.

...

"Nico..." a voice drifted through Nico's dreams, prompting his to stir.

"Nico," the voice tried again, this time more clearly.

Nico moaned, tossing his arm blindly in the direction of the voice, only receiving a gently laugh in return. When it came back clear as day, only muffled by he pillows covering his head.

"Nico," called the voice once again, obviously Will this time.

"What?" Nico called out, annoyed.

"Get up," he said softly, gently prying the pillows and blankets from him, "it's Christmas."

Silence was all he got in response before Nico slowly raised his head, looking at Will with a grumpy, sleepy look, hair flying everywhere and falling in his face.

"I hate you," Nico muttered as he stiffly crawled out of bed, trying to hide his excitement, but Will saw through it so he only hid his smile as he followed him, stumbling out of bed and heading into the living room.

As Nico rubbed his eyes, the cats bumping up against him, asking for food. Almost automatically, Nico stumbled into the kitchen and managed to feed them as Will turned on the Christmas tree, the colourful lights illuminating the darkened apartment as fresh snow drifted outside.

The moment he turned around though, Nico's face lit up, the sight of the tree and Will, standing next to it, tiny boxes sparkling underneath.

"Nerd," Nico muttered, smiling all the while, making his way over to where Will stood, hands behind his back, a soft grin highlighted by the lights.

"But I'm your nerd," he replied gently, wrapping his arms around Nico when he reached him, holding him tightly. "I love you," he spoke into his hair as Nico embraced him back, tightly.

"I love you too," Nico spoke softly, almost missed by the untrained ear.

After they stayed there, enjoying the moment as it happened, the outside passed them by as they fell into a world that was only inhabited by the two of them.

When Will finally pulled away, he took Nico's hand as he took a seat off to the side leaning his back on the couch. Nico fell between his legs, resting the back of his head on Will's raising and falling chest, listening to his soft, yet strongly pounding heartbeat.

Will reached and pulled a small, tightly wrapped box, shimmering vibrant reds in the minimal lighting.

"Here," he said as he brought it in front of him, setting it on Nico's lap. The man in question turned his head back, looking the blonde in his glowing eyes.

Silently, Nico picked up the tiny box with shaky hands, slowly undoing the tiny ribbon. He set it off to the side, it quickly being picked up by the cats, sweeping it away.

When he took the top off of the box, he almost had to wipe away a tear. He slowly pick up a silver chain with a engraved pair of white angel wings with a single word written on the back.

Bianca

Nico felt his body go numb, but he didn't care, he simply let his body fall back into Will, all his strength going towards trying not to cry.

"Thank you," he managed to squeak out without his voice cracking, something he wasn't sure he would be able to avoid.

Will said nothing in return, and he didn't have to, but he simply wrapped his arms around him, pulling him in as emotions ran through him. Even as his heart pounded fast and his mind raced, he knew that in that instant, even with everything seeming so foggy, the one thing he knew for sure was in the exact moment, that his was his home.

...

"I promise, Dad," Nico said, stepping in place while he fiddled with the pendent around his neck with one hand, holding his phone in the other.

"Good, now, if Will-"

"Honey, please stop threatening your son's boyfriend," Nico's step-Mother sighed on the other end, causing him to chuckle lowly.

"Persephone-"

"No, you've dished out all the threats you have available for this year."

"But-"

"We love you, honey, I'm glad everything is working out," Persephone interrupted once again, ending the debate with one swift move.

"I love you, too," Nico replied with a soft smile, fingers loosely holding on to the charm around his neck still. He let his fingers fall gently from it.

"Now, it was lovely to hear from you again, and we would love to talk more, but if we don't get ready, your Father is going to be late for work and that won't be good," his step-Mother said, obviously directing the words to her husband.

"Tell Will that me and your step-Mother say hi."

"Alright," Nico laughed lightly, "talk to you later."

"Bye, honey."

"Bye, son."

"Bye."

Nico hung up, holding on to his phone in his hand as Will walked by, coming out of their room in more of a rushed hurry.

"My Father and Persephone say hi," Nico told him, walking over to the island in the kitchen.

"Oh, hi," Will said, stopping only for a quick second to reply.

"Malcolm's coming over and we are going to be doing some homework."

"Alright."

Nico knitted his brows, wondering why he was so rushed.

"Hey, what's the hurry?" he asked, walking up to his boyfriend after setting cell phone down.

"Hmm?"

"I said," Nico sighed, knowing that he was only talking to himself at this point, "Will." Nico grabbed his wrist.

"Hi," Will said meekly, seeming nervous.

"Hi." Nico let his wrist go, slowly pulling his hand away. "Why are you so rushed?"

"Oh," Will said, looking anywhere, as if he was hoping that the answer would be hidden somewhere in the apartment, "well, I'm meeting up with Piper in a few and I'm kind of running behind."

"Okay, just, breath, will you?"

Will smiles, relaxing a bit. "Okay." He ran around and grabbed the rest of his stuff, throwing his jacket on over him.

He rushed back up to Nico, kissing him gently on the cheek while he zipped up his jacket. Nico rolled his eyes then kissed Will properly on the lips, smiling as he pulled away. Will blushed lightly then smiled, heading over to throw on his boots.

"Bye!" he said as he opened the door.

"Will," Nico shouted as he stretched over to the counter and grabbed Will's scarf, throwing it at him. Will fumbled to catch it, but smiled graciously when he did, quickly tossing it over his neck and face.

"Thanks," he said gently, this time actually managing to leave now. "Bye," he said, quickly heading out of the door and down the hall.

Nico just stood there, shaking his head, smirking at where Will had just stood.

While he waited, he headed over to the kitchen to get a drink of water. Just then, a knock came from the door. He looked over, a little confused.

"Come in," he yelled, leaning on the counter with a cup in hand.

Malcolm opened the door, looking just as confused Nico had been just seconds ago. Malcolm simply pointed behind him with his thumb, eyebrows knitted.

Nico laughed, shaking his head as he set his class down.

"He was running late for something with Piper," Nico explained, taking Malcolm's bag and setting it on the island.

"Famous people," he muttered, shaking his head with wide eyes.

"What can you do? Anyways, my stuff is in the living room. Sorry if the place is a little messy, my parents called and I lost track of time."

"It's fine, still looks better than my dorm. My roommate is a fucking pig," Malcolm said as he hauled his books out of his backpack, heading into the living room where Nico had his lined up.

Malcolm flicked his head over to the full sized mirror and the two suits hung up on hangers next to it. "Hey, those your guys' outfits for the awards?"

Nico looked up for a moment before turning his head around to look at them. His face got a little red as he shyly smiled.

"Yeah," he said softly, putting his pencil down.

"Two more weeks until that, isn't it?"

"Yup, god I'm so nervous, I don't know why though, I'm not the one nominated," Nico said with a nervous laugh.

"Could be because of past experiences," Malcolm said, not even trying not to be brash about it.

"Yeah..." Nico looked down for a bit before looking back up at the two suits hanging. After everything that had happened, he wasn't surprised that he had doubts about the day in question. But no matter how hard he tried to reassure himself, there was always those underlining feelings that he could never dismiss, the screaming voice in the back of his mind telling him he'll never be good enough.

But he knew that voice was wrong. He knew that even though everything that had happened had happened, they wouldn't occur again. Because now he could stand on his own without the pressure of society slamming him, holding him down while he tried desperately to stand back up. Because he knew that no matter what would happen, that he would be able to make it through.

"But you know what?" Nico asked, more of rhetorical question to himself than to Malcolm. "This is going to be much more exciting, I can feel it."

Malcolm smiled and rolled his eyes, sitting down beside Nico.

"C'mon, lets get to studying," Malcolm said, opening his text book to a marked page and setting down.

...

"You're late, idiot," Piper called out, arms crossed as she waited in the cold.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I lost track of time," Will apologized, rubbing his hands together.

"I thought you needed my expert advise to help pick it out, but you waste my time!" Piper added, just to add dramatic flair, a horrible french accent in tow.

"I said I'm sorry!" Will continuously apologized as he followed Piper down the street, passing high-end stores on all sides. "Just making last minute dissensions."

"Whatever," she said jokingly, rolling her eyes as she shoved her hands into her pocket. "Let's go, Romeo."

...

Nico straightened his tie in the mirror, looking back and forth to make sure nothing was out of place. He went over his hair a hundred times, running his hands through it, tossing each and every way to make sure nothing was out of place.

"You look fine," Will chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Nico's waist.

Nico fell into his embrace. "You would think I was the one that was going to receive an award tonight," Nico spoke softly, laughing quietly.

"May receive an award," Will corrected him, but Nico just rolled his eyes instead.

"Will, we all know you're going to win. Anyone with two eyes would be able to tell you that."

Empty silence befell them, and it was alright. They looked at their reflection in the mirror, wondering how everything came together so wonderfully.

"You know," Will started, still looking at their reflection, "it's funny to think about how different we are now than when we were just one year ago."

Nico looked up at him, asking himself where Will was going with this. Was he really bringing up last year? The year they almost broke up because of this? The exact event they were about to go to, hand-in-hand?

Nico had, and for some reason, only found it funny. When he though back to when they were just starting out, after months of hard-core crushing on the blonde behind him, where they stood now only seems like a dream someone was polite enough to not wake him up from, and not like a reality he woke up to every day.

When he thought about it, his life was going so much better than he could ever have thought. He wrote books where it was realistic in a sense, books where not everyone gets to live happily ever after, if they lived at all. But here he was, living a life he almost refused to write, yet was exactly the kind of story he would. One where happiness is not achieved unless there is suffering.

He may not be a written character, but a real person with real feelings that weren't drawn up by someone with outside power. For the first time in a while, he truly saw who he was from an outside view looking in, and for once, he liked it. And like he had thought before, he had finally made it to the end of a game with all the right pieces.

"I like now," Nico said, admiring themselves in the mirror. "I like how everything turned out."

Will smiled. "Me too."

...

"Will!

"Will Solace!"

"Solace!"

"William Solace!"

Will's name was being shouted out by reporters the moment they stepped out of the limo that Lou Ellen had arranged for them.

Camera's flashed from all angles as they walked along the red carpet to the entrance. Will did stop at a few reporters to answer questions along the way.

"Will Solace, how are you feeling about tonight," a lady in red asked, pointing the microphone so Will could speak into it.

"Well, I'm nervous, not sure for what, but I am," he replied with a laugh. The reporter smiled and laughed along as she continued to asked more questions.

"Have any projects that you're working on for the future?"

Will shook his head. "No, just the T.V. show. Taking some time off to really focus on my family." The moment Will said family, he squeezed Nico's hand, causing him to go red.

"That's so thoughtful - and can I just add that you two are just so well dressed this evening. I know I can always count on Will bringing his A-game with the outfits, but I have to admit, your boyfriend is really giving you a run for that title."

"Well, you know, I make sure to keep him all to myself so people don't notice that and try to take him from me," Will joked, but Nico elbowed him in the side, causing the reporter to laugh.

She thanked them for their time as they said bye and walked away.

They continued on, stopping to take some photos, more of Will being a natural model while Nico just tried not to look constipated (even thought later on when the photos went public, the media fell even more in love with his natural beauty and innocent charm).

Near the end, a blonde reporter waved them down, her slim red dress showing off her curves.

"Hi," she said as the two of them walked over.

"Hey," Will said back, smiling brightly.

"I'm Stacy, and I just want to say that you two look amazing tonight."

"Thank you," Will said genuinely, smiling ear to ear.

"Thanks," replied Nico, unsure of what to say.

"Now, I know you're probably tired by now of answering questions about your feeling about the nominations," she said to Will then turning to Nico and adding, "and you're probably tired of just standing there."

Will laughed wholeheartedly.

"You couldn't be more right," Will told her.

"Because everything that happened last year, I want to be the first to fix the interview that you two so properly need together."

Both Will and Nico couldn't help but awkwardly laugh, one that started out uncomfortable but turned genuine after a moment.

"Alright," Will said, "hit us up."

"Great, so, how did you two meet?"

"Well..." Will started, looking over at Nico who only stared at him back, both smiling as they remembered the time when they had ran into each other - literally - and the premier of One Last Hero all that time ago. "We ran into each other," Will said slowly, smiling more after he said it.

To anyone watching the two of them would see that there was nothing hidden between them, nothing forced in their relationship. The way they look at one another screamed love, even when they weren't aware of it.

"Yeah, he was going to the bathroom and I was trying to get to my seat at the One Last Hero world premier. I actually dropped my notebook and he picked it up. I though I'd never see it again," Nico explained, still looking at Will as he spoke.

"And I'd thought I'd never be able to give it back," added Will, his longing expression directed at his boyfriend. "But after some weeks, I spotted him again at a book store, and it was history from there."

Stacy just watched in awe as the two explained it, but to each other rather than the camera. And she didn't care. They deserved to do this together in a natural way, not one forced like it had been with Drew and Will's interview over a year ago.

"When did you two know that you liked one another?"

"Well, honestly, I had always been madly in love with the mysterious author, I just didn't know it was him until Christmas, actually."

"So Christmas is you two's anniversary?"

Will smiled and nodded, thinking how cheesy and cliche that sounded.

"Yeah, sounds weird when you say it like that though," Nico jokingly added. "For me it, I think it's almost the same. I had always had a crush on you, you know, you being my favourite actor and everything. But for actually starting to develop real feelings, I think it was that day in the bookstore when you gave me my notebook back."

"Before Christmas, for me, it had to be when you got me - then - the signed version of One Last Hero, that's when I had really become aware. It wasn't that exact moment, but it was more of the time leading away from it."

"You two are just too cute, you know that, right?"

Both awkwardly laughed, unsure of how to respond to that.

"Well, I hope later in the future I can steal you two once again for a longer interview, but for now, I'm going to let you two go ahead. It was great talking with you two," Stacy said, waving good bye as Will ad Nico headed towards the entrance. She turned back to the camera, mouthing, "Oh my God!"

...

When they made it inside, they managed to get past security and head towards the staging area. Will and Nico waited over to the side, mainly a request by Will to quickly check his phone and not run into anyone.

"Alright, once we get to our seats, I'm gonna head back out to meet up with Lou for a quick second. She just wants to go over a few things real quick before everything starts," Will explained before taking his head again and heading inside.

Nico didn't know what was proper protocol for these sort of events, only to being one and not even being nominated himself, just a supporter for his own thoughts brought to life.

"Alright," he said as they headed in.

"We are front row, and you'll be beside Rachel and Reyna, so that's a wonderful thing," Will informed him, quickly whispering in his ear with a knowing smirk, "but if you ask me, I'd say that's some of Reyna's wonderful shady work."

"I couldn't agree more," Nico replied with a low chuckle.

When they finally reached their spots, everyone was chatting lowly, the entire theater coming to life with the whispers of those around them.

"Hey," Rachel called them over, standing up to give them a hug.

She wore a lovely white lace dress that flared out at her hips, showing off her shoes yet trailing behind her ever-so-slightly. Her shoes looked designer, but it was hard to tell with the paint splattered all over them.

"So good to see you again," she whispered to Nico as they embraced, smiling as she pulled away to go and hug Will as he came up behind them.

Reyna stood up, her form-fitting dark mauve dress that went up and along her neck making her look absolutely stunning. She gave Nico a hug, one that lasted longer than Rachel's had.

"You look well, Nico," she said, her eyes examining and knowing.

"So do you," he replied back, knowing that her cautious attitude was stemming from the events of last year.

Reyna smiled at him, calming and welcoming.

"I'm glad you're doing well, really."

"So am I, honestly," Nico admitted.

The two of them took their proper seats and chatted until Will got a text and he excused himself from their small group chat.

Nico watched as he headed back up the aisle with a hurry in his step.

...

"Hey," Will called out as he spotted Lou Ellen, a black, loose dress hanging effortlessly over her shoulder.

"Hey," she said, looking up from her phone.

"You got it?" he asked, shaking his hands out while he looked over his shoulder like he was about to commit a drug deal and was about to get caught.

"Yeah," she said. "Just - just remember to breath."

Will smiled nervously. "Yeah."

...

Will had made it back to his seat the show had begun. The MC had started off, getting the crowd to laugh, to shake off the nerves. Categories were being called out for those who worked behind the scenes. Elias Gray had many categories that came up, and even though they didn't take them all, costuming was by far the most obvious win out of the ones they did take home.

The pressure got raised as performances came from breathtaking artist, categories got taking home by winners, and the bigs one still yet to come. It was wracking up a lot of nerves, whether or not you'd win, but the atmosphere was similar through everyone, so the collective feeling of fear was a mutual one throughout.

And when one wouldn't take it home, they would cheer and applause those who did.

Throughout the night, they would show clips from the movies nominated for Best Picture, and when Elias Gray's came on, both Will and Rachel's grip on their seat handle tightened. Nico reached out and took Will's hand, holding it in his own to let him know that he was there for him and that everything was going to be okay.

"Jon!" came from Rachel's voice on the screen in front of them, fuzzy and unclear, signalling Elias Gray's unconsciousness.

Scenes of Will running through the forest, away from Nazi leaders, and through a river played on shaky-cam repeat, Rachel's voice still echoing in the distance.

A silent close up on Will waking up suddenly, breathing deeply came, his giant blue eyes wide.

On-screen Will let out a shaky breath, trying to look around, cuts and bruises on his face.

The camera panned to Rachel walking in with a basket of laundry, hair frizzy, messy. When she noticed Will's current state of awake, she dropped the basket. That caused Will to dart his head in the direction of the noise. He rushed out of bed, breathing heavy, hand reaching for the nearest item to use as a weapon.

"Jon!" Rachel's character screamed, hands shaking.

"Who are you?!" Will's character aggressively muttered underneath his breath.

"Jon!" she called again.

"Where am I?" he tried something else. When he didn't get a response, he tried again. "Who are you?!"

"Jon!"

A man quickly came in - Micheal Yew - hands covered in dirt. His eyes were wide and wild.

"Shit," he mumbled underneath his breath, and then the screen went black, clapping and cheers rang throughout the theater in response.

"That was amazing," Nico whispered to Will, squeezing his hand. Will only smiled in return, eyes not exactly looking at him.

The award continued, and as they did, Will's heart raced more and more. He found himself having to breath manually for most of it, making sure to take deep breaths. His face grew hot, so he tried his best to fan himself. All-in-all, he was nervous for his category.

To Nico's left, though, Rachel was having a mini meltdown. Rachel's category was up before Will's, so she had to face the fear sooner than he did.

But the night climbed on and so did the categories. Elias Gray had managed to take home two more awards for cinematography and original music score. And up next was Rachel's category.

She bounced her knee nervously, trying to take deep breaths to steady herself as a clip of her chopping wood played as she talked to herself, trying to convince herself she wasn't crazy and that they would stay safe through the war while a crackly radio played in the background. When she managed to hear Elias' name being said through the German signal she had managed to pick up on, she dropped the ax and ran inside, shouting.

Clapping came after the clip played, a close up on her face replacing what the audience at home saw. She nervously smiled, nodding her head as the next person was introduced.

They continued down the line until they came to the part where they announced the winner. The actress wearing a stunningly beautiful chiffon dress smiled as she opened the envelope.

"And the winner of Best Actress in a Leading Role is..." She slowly took her time, dragging out the Chinese water torture-like treatment for Rachel. "Rachel E. Dare!" she announced, and Rachel let out the biggest sigh anyone had ever heard.

She stood up and made her way over to the stage, smiling widely as she held her dress up as to not to trip over it.

She accepted her award as she made her way over to mic, wiping away stray tears.

"My god - oh wow," she laughed, still trying to clear her eyes of tears. "I can't believe it, that I'm standing up here, accepting this award. I'm just waiting to wake up." She cleared her throat as she took in a deep, shaky breath. "I'd like to thank my Father, first of all, for being there for me and for supporting me. To Kevin in grade eight who told me that because I was a ginger that I would never amount to anything and fueling my drive, so suck it, Kevin. To the Directer who made such an amazing film and allowing me to be in it. To the camera men, to the costume designers, to everyone who worked behind the screen to make it look as amazing as it does.

"I would like to thank my co-star, Will; you are amazing and made everything feel so much easier. To Micheal, who told me to suck it up when it got really cold - oh my god - to Riley, to Percy, to everyone, really. Oh, and I would like to thank Reyna, my lovely girlfriend for telling me to wear this dress, not the one I was going to because looking back on it now, that one was hideous on me. Thank you everyone!"

Music started to play as she headed to the side, waving, sniffling her tears back with a giant smile. The actress that had handed her her award escorted her off, congratulating her.

Will took a deep breath, his hands shaking. Hand in hand, Nico squeezed his hand to show his support. The actors that were presenting the next awards came on and made a few jokes of their own, talking about how they thought that the one with the blonde hair out of the two of them should have gotten nominated for their work as a background dancer in a Drake video, mainly making the actor in question red from laughter and embarrassment.

"Seriously, you should have been nominated on the spot and given the award for that sick booty shake," a man with a platinum tie said, smiling as his partner shook his head, face red.

"Don't even bring that up."

"If I could pop it and lock it like that, I would be bragging," the man continued on with the joke, even demonstrating with a poor attempt at recreating his move. After a few attempts, the man stopped and laughed, straightening his tie. "I don't think they'll ask us back to do this again," he added, getting ready.

"Agreed," the scarlet faced man said, still trying to catch his breath before introducing the nominees for the category.

Will's knee was bouncing as they went through the list, names being called off and their movie that they appeared in along side a clip to show their work and scene that they were at their best. Almost like he was on automatic, Will clapped after every clip. When his name came up, he was almost hoping that it wasn't him, that he wouldn't actually be nominated. His heart was pounding so hard in anticipation and nervousness, that he almost wish he wouldn't win so he could have a moment where he could actually breath.

"Will Solace, Elias Gray."

The words went right over his head, and as the clip started to play, he was hyper-aware of everything that was going on in his body in that exact moment, his stomach dropped and spun upside-down all at the same time.

As the scene played on the screen, Will's character, Elias Gray, was running through a forest, gun fire and alarms sounded behind him. His arms and bare feet were bloody, but he kept running. There were other characters running, each equally as bloody.

Men were dropping all around him, dying from gun shots. But as he was coming to the edge of a cliff, he received a shot to the right shoulder, pushing him over and down, ending up in a river. He screamed, but his words didn't carry. He managed to climb out, but was soaking wet and shivering, coughing up blood and water. Men in Nazi uniforms were still shooting at him, but he managed to avoid the new gun shots and headed towards the field on the other side, still coughing up blood.

When he fell to his knees, he muttered a sentence that he had been muttering the entire time, an old prayer in Hebrew, voice dry and damaged. As he started to black out, so did the screen, and his words were the last things you saw or heard before the clip went away.

As the lights went up, so did the start of the clapping. Nico clapped as hard as he could, looking at his boyfriend with nothing but admiration, wondering how he ever got so lucky as to have him at his side.

Will, on the other hand, smiled awkwardly, his heart and mind racing a thousand miles a minute.

"You are so amazing," Nico muttered into Will's ear as the camera did a close up on Will. But as the camera zoomed away, Will turned to his boyfriend and smiled.

There was one more nominee after him, but as their clip rolled, Will tried to clear his mind of the thousands of different things flooding it. But before he even had time to sort one away, their time was over and he was getting anxious all over again. When the nerve-wracking silence came flooding into the theater like a dam exploding, not a single sound was made other than the two actors on stage, opening up the envelope, and the small buzz from all the electrical equipment in the area.

"And the winner is..." the man dragged out, smiling as he and his buddy both opened it up and pulled out the piece of paper with the winner on it. After a solid beat of silence and Will almost throwing up, they finally announced the winner together.

"Will Solace."

"-in Elias Gray," added the blonde man.

Cheers erupted as people stood up, ironically enough, leaving Will one of the last people still seated.

The sigh that left him was enormous, and with shaky legs, he stood up. Nico stood up with him, and hugged him tightly.

"I knew you could do it," he whispered into his boyfriend's ear, trying to fight back the overwhelming emotions of pride.

Will pulled back, smiling widely.

"I love you," Will said before Rachel stole a hug from him, everyone still clapping.

Will, with unsteady legs, slowly made his was to the stage, smiling and heart racing, adrenaline pumping through his vanes.

He climbed the stairs, roaring applause still echoing from every corner of the hall. He was greeted by the two actors that had announced his win, and they gave him the envelope that had his name while a girl from back stage handed him his award.

When he made it to the microphone, the first thing he said when everyone quieted down, still standing, was a nervous laugh, which caused everyone to laugh back.

"Oh my god," he started, covering his face with the envelope, "I think I'm gonna drop this," he added, laughing. "I'm so nervous - oh my god. I can't believe that this is actually happening, this is crazy. Umm, I would like to thank the cast and crew that worked on the movie, without any of you, none of this would have been possible. Rachel-" he pointed to her with the envelope in hand, smiling and nervous laughter escaping "- now I know why you were a nervous wreck."

The audience laughed again, all eyes on him.

"I would like to thank my family that is watching at home. Mom, I love you so much, this is all because you believed in me. Dad, you told me I could follow me dreams, even if it wasn't becoming a doctor like you had wanted, but this is better, I think.

"Kayla, for always pushing me and telling me I wasn't good enough when we were younger. If you didn't push me, I wouldn't have, so thank you. And," he stopped, trying to find his words. His mouth was shaky as he looked down at the ground below him before looking back up to the waiting audience, "someone who is worth much more than a simple thank you for five seconds before I move on and say twenty more names."

Will looked over to the area behind the stage, one where Lou stood, nodding.

"Um," Will started, looking over at the two actors, one who in which had been called over to behind the stage to grab a mic. When he came back, he handed it to Will. "Thank you." He passed him his award and put his envelope in his back pocket before heading back down the stage stairs.

Everyone was dead silent as Will hurried off stage quickly, a mic in hand. As he walked he spoke a few words to try and calm himself.

"You can't stop me, music. I won Best Actor so you can't touch me until I'm done." More laughter came, but mainly awkward laughter from everyone who also had no clue what was going on. Everyone was watching now.

"Um," Will said as he approached where he had been sitting. Both Rachel and Nico watched with wide eyes, but Rachel had a small smile playing at her lips while Reyna just stood back, smirking.

"So," he started, slowing his walk until he was in front of Nico, "Nico, I just want to thank you for being my inspiration though all of this." As Will talked, he ignored his pounding heart and the millions of people watching live and those around him. Cameras were on them in an instant, silence washing over the crowd as only Will spoke.

"You have been my best friend, and I wouldn't have that any other way. I may have been a huge jerk sometimes, but you saw past that and loved me either way. You were there when things were falling apart, even thought they were falling apart for you too, but if there was anyone I would want to go through that all over again with, it would be you.

"I can't imagine anyone else being beside me, and I don't know how I ever managed to get this far without you. But now I have you, and everyday without you is hell. Shooting the movie with you so far away was the worst possible thing for me. But now, because of that, I am standing here before you, even stronger than I was before.

"Nico, I love you, and I would never even imagine what I would do if you weren't beside me."

As Will spoke, Nico found himself an emotional mess, unsure of what was even going on at this point. People all around him were dead silent, hanging onto every word Will spoke, tears escaping from their eyes.

"Nico, I don't want to spend a single day second guessing myself, and for the past three months, that's all I've been doing. When I say family, there is no way I don't think of you first. You are my family, my world, my everything," Will said, voice shaking along with his hands as he reached into his back pocket, pulling out a tiny box. He paused his words as he examined it before kneeling down on one knee.

The audience was alive with gasps, but also silence as they hung onto every last word, leaning in and getting up from their seat just to watch them in the front row.

Nico brought a hand to his mouth, holding back air that was caught in his throat.

"Will you, Nico di Angelo, do me the honor of marrying me?" Will asked, opening the small box. A tiny black-gold mixed ring sat there, shinning in the lights.

Nico covered his entire face and fell to his knees, curling up into a ball, falling into Will. Will held him close, whispering how much he loved him into his ears as Nico cried into his chest. Not a single word was spoken as this went on, but when Nico managed to shake his head yes, Will brought the mic to his mouth, smiling.

"He said yes," was all you heard before the audience cheered, exploding in excitement.

Will helped Nico up to his feet. They stood, face to face as Will put the ring on his ring finger, bringing him into a tight embrace, a passionate kiss being shared between them. Rachel and Reyna hugged the newly engaged couple when they separated from their kiss.

"I love you," Will whispered.

"I love you too," Nico managed to whisper through voice cracks and tears.

Even as everything had seemed like they would fall apart, in the end, nothing could have been more sturdy. Nothing in that moment could have destroyed what they shared between them. Even with all their ups and downs, it was still the greatest love story every told.

And in that moment, all was well.

Chapter Text

All was well, and it was.

As the night continued, Nico couldn't keep his eyes off of the ring on his left ring finger. Will refused to let go of his hand, gripping it tightly with a smile prominent on his lips the entire time. Even the car ride home was nothing but smiles between the two of them. They never spoke, each time they would try and look at the other, a spurt of excited giggles would erupt over the both of them.

But by the time they got, they didn't need words to express how overjoyed they were. Will had vetoed every invitation to after parties that came his way, determined to be with Nico for this night.

Will fumbled with the keys to get into their apartment main doors, almost running down the hall to get to their apartment. Hand in hand, they continued to giggle at one another, eyes still glued on the other the entire time.

Will fiddled with the key pad to their apartment, huffing as Nico chuckled as he watched his - now - fiance struggle and then drop the keys before Nico stepped in, grabbing them from the blonde's shaky hands. He turned the key himself, pushing the door open with his back facing the hard wood. Nico smirked as Will rolled his eyes as Nico leaned back with the opening of the door, pulling Will in with him after tossing the keys back to him.

Will was already trying to take Nico's suit jacket off before they were both even through the door frame, and Nico was doing the same in return. By the time the door shut behind them, both jackets were discarded and scattered on the floor, shoes thrown off in no attention to care on where they landed.

After the awards, Will trusted Lou Ellen to hold onto his award, knowing full well he wouldn't be paying attention to it that night.

Will leaned in to Nico, not caring how he appeared as he started to kiss Nico frantically along his jaw line, fiddling with Nico's buttons, throwing his tie to the ground after pulling it down. Nico laughed, moving his head to the side to allow more access. He placed both hands on Will's shoulders as he continued to walk backwards.

"Will," he tried to say in between short bursts of laughter. The man in question simply smiled as he continued to trail his lips down his neck, leaving small marks everywhere he went.

Nico gripped Will's tie, pulling the blonde closer with every step. Will managed to unbutton half of Nico's shirt by the time they ran into a kitchen chair, the two of them pulling away for a moment to laugh softly to one another before Nico stripped Will of his tie, tossing it aside on the back of the couch.

Nico's hair was disheveled as Will's hands ran through it, pulling on small strands time to time. Nico's back made contact with the bedroom door, a hard thud echoing throughout. On the small impact, Nico stretched his head back, giving in to the pleasure, his legs feeling weak.

Will's hands ran over Nico's bare skin, moving the now unbuttoned shirt out of the way, feeling the soft skin tingle under his touch. Nico jolted slightly at the difference in temperatures that was presented to him from Will's hands. Nico's breath hitched as he gasped for air, feeling his back slide down the door.

His fingers continued to twiddle with Will's shirt, shaking at the losing control he possessed.

"God," Nico gasped, closing his eyes as Will reached for the doorknob, fiddling with it until it opened. Nico finally managed to expose Will's chest, walking backwards as he pushed the fabric off of the blonde's sun-kissed shoulders.

Inside the room, Nico found room to breath for the first time in a while, letting the silence and darkness coat them. It didn't matter what anyone else thought, it was only them. No cameras, no reporters asking their thoughts on what ever topic was relevant. For the first time that day, there was no one watching them.

Stepping over discarded clothes, they continued to walk further into the room until Nico's ankle made contact with the edge of the bed. Nico turned on his heel and Will's back was now facing the bed. With a smirk, Nico pushed him down, watching as Will looked up at him with hunger in his eyes as Nico calmly slid his shirt off, it slowly falling to the ground, all the time around it slowing down.

Nico fingered his belt, eyes never leaving Will's turquoise. He smirked, watching as Will's face fell into a look of delight, as if he was a child in a candy shop.

"Yay," he breathed, his signature lopsided smile gracing his face. Nico flicked his chin up at him, licking his lips as he pulled his belt through the loop agonizingly slow. Will made no efforts to move as Nico held it in one hand at his side, dropping it and raising a brow.

Nico pulled his fly down, head tilted as the pants slowly slid down his hips, shaking them off. When they flung to the other side of the room, hitting the wall, Nico set his knee down on the bed, the mattress dipping at the extra weight, he slowly leaned forward, making no effort to go any faster. If Will had his way, they would have been half finished this by now, but he was content with the foreplay.

With crawling movement, he continued to push forward as Will sat up, his weight being held by his elbows, eyes wide and content as Nico's other knee made first contact. Nico's lips made contact with his jaw line next, fingers fiddling with the blonde's belt, the sound of metal being muted out by heavy breathing.

"Fuck," Will let out, taking back his lack of self control. He flipped their positions, sitting up on his knees as Nico laid underneath of him, his appearance a mess, but he probably wasn't any better. He stripped his belt off within seconds flat, throwing it off impatiently.

Will smirked as he kicked his pants off, not caring where they landed, only knowing they touched the ground by the numbed sound that came from them.

Will straddling Nico as their lips made contact again, both swollen, but neither cared. Thing's started to get a lot hotter and tighter.

Neither of them had control, so it was only matter of when till the friction between them got unbearable. As things got heated above, the neglect below started to cause discomfort, resulting in grinding between the two of them, neither properly taking care of the problem for a small amount of time.

Nico's hands slipped below Will's elastic band of his underwear, nails digging and leaving marks that would be obvious in the morning.

"Fuck," Nico called out, gasping as Will tugged his underwear off, mouth still making contact to his jaw now.

Will smirked. "Happily."

And within seconds, things went several steps further. This night had started out a good one, but as time continued to ticked on, it only got better and better, continuing well into the night.

...

It was roughly two o'clock when Nico received an email from Reyna. Will was long asleep, his work dragging a lot longer than originally planned. So, when Reyna's email came up, Nico shot up and leaned forward to read the details carefully.

Reyna Ramirez Arellano

Subject: Hope this makes your day.

Attachment: Side-Friend-rough-draft-trailer

Here you go, Nico. You're one of the first people to see this, even the cast and half the crew haven't. Enjoy.

Nico grabbed his laptop from the coffee table and raced to the bedroom, jumping on to the bed.

"Will - Will - Will!" Nico shouted as he sat on his knees facing the blonde who blinked away sleep, yawning as he stretched over to turn on a lamp.

"Nico," Will muttered, voice thick and heavy. "It's two in the morning, what is it-"

"Here," Nico quickly told him, shoving an earbud into his left ear before situating beside Will, leaning into his side while clicking on the link. The video loaded for a few seconds before a few notes came up on screen. The basic studio logos rolled with soft, romantic music played over top, violins and pianos carrying the melody.

The trailer started with a wide shot of a school campus, slowly fading out and coming back to the school hall, teenagers tiredly walking down, talking with one another. Faded cuts continue to come and go, going into classes and other areas of the school while narration came over top of the music, soft and subtle.

"Everyone tells you that life was going to be full of ups and downs, but the highlight of my life could always be drawn back to high school," he said as the camera zoomed in on a a boy with messy brown hair, bypassing a smaller male in the seat beside him who had earbuds in. The boy with the brown hair turned behind him, smiling softly at a girl with chestnut hair with gold highlights; her smile could kill a man.

"I remember that day, the day he looked at her like she was the sun," the narrator said, the music coming to a climax, soft and magical, only to be broken by a loud bletch.

"Ah, shit, sorry," the kid with the earbuds said, his knees resting against the desk as a notebook full of awful drawings was leaning against his legs. There was a pause in the music as the two that were once looking at each other turned to face him, brows furrowed together. The black-haired boy, who was also the narrator, sniffed the air after a short moment before nodding his head with a pleased look. "Chipotle."

"All squint-y and shit."

"Jack!" the girl yelled, throwing an eraser at the back of his head. The brunet only shook his had as he let out a sigh.

The music picked up, scrapping the lighthearted music in return for something more modern. The bell rang as the brunet rolled his eyes at his friend, facing forward and opening his chemistry textbook.

"What?" Jack asked, rubbing the back of his head, eyes darting back and forth between the two of them, frantically trying to find answers before the teacher, an old grumpy dude, walked, balding.

"Homework check!" he yelled, setting his book on his desk, pulling a sheet of paper out as the other students pulled their work onto their desk, absentmindedly scrolling through their phones. Jack looked back to his friend with brown hair and then to the girl behind him, frantically trying to see if either of them didn't do their work. Jack flipped through his notebook, finding the page that he was supposed to do, only random quotes covering it after the start of homework. "Jack?"

He looked up at the teacher that called him, smiling nervously before the teacher sighed, marking his homework incomplete. His two friends only shook their heads as they passed them, checking them off as done.

The screen turned to Jack sitting all by himself in a classroom, the chemistry teacher marking papers at his desk.

"Honestly, I tried to block most of these years out of my mind. But there was one person that made this all better."

The bell rang and he ran out of the classroom, the teacher only glancing above his glasses at the teen who ran out, his bag still open, flapping as he made his way passed. When he walked out of the class, the boy with the messy brown hair was leaning on the locker beside the door, arms crossed and looking at the floor.

"Idiot," he muttered as he kicked off, walking down the hall.

"Noah!" Jack called out, chasing after his friend and catching up.

"We've always been together," Jack spoke over top of the scenes, a filtered filled shot of when the two of them were young, slow motion of them running around a field with blankets tied around their necks, sticks in hand as they swung at each other, laughing, faces wide and bright with excitement. "Noah and I have almost never been apart from day one."

The scene changed to the two of them sitting at a windowsill, looking out on the night bright with stars, the moon almost full. Both of the children were blinking away sleep that was trying to take them. Jack, at age seven, turned to face the same familiar hair, messy and compelling, and said, "Noah, promise me that no matter what happens, we will always be friends?"

Noah turned to his friend, a strand of hair falling perfectly over his right eye. He smiled, wide and goofy. "I promise." A close up of their pinkies locking together as the moon blinked in the background, a look of hope falling in both of their eyes.

"I did say almost."

"Hey," muttered an older Noah, hair shorter on the sides but still messy and untamed on top, a tan jacket hanging loosely off of his arm with very little effort.

Jack rolled his eyes, trying to walk away, but the scene changed when Noah reached out to Jack, taking his hand, stopping him. They made eye contact for a split second before it changed back to high school.

The three of them sat by the garbage cans, the girl with flawless skin and perfectly curled hair sat on the ledge while Noah sat underneath of her, her arms resting effortlessly around his neck. As they sat their, they looked perfectly comfortable while Jack had his shoulders raised and head lowered, moving it back and forth.

"Just imagine that coming at you in the middle of the night," he said, making a strange face as he hopped from one foot to the other, movements slowing as he looked at the two of them, turning his gaze away.

The scene changed to Jack running down the hall, holding a bag in his hand with dark circles around his eyes.

"Naomi - Naomi - Naomi!" he yelled, ducking in and out of the crowd, moving to avoid the people that gave him weird looks.

"What?" she sighed, looking up at the ceiling to collect herself before facing her friend.

"Guess what I finally got! The new limited edition Legend of Zelda game, complete with limited edition action figure!"

She raised her eyebrow, looking him over before shutting her locker, Noah looking out from the other side, eyes wide. He went around and looked in the bag with excitement.

"Dude, did you wait outside all night for that?!" he asked, looking around inside to get a better view. Jack nodded his head, the two of them looking up to meet the others eye, a beat passing over them before the music picked up, their smile towards each other indescribable.

"Did you really wait outside the video game store all night?" Naomi asked, grabbing her books and walking in between the two of them, looking over Noah who looked away from Jack, glancing to the side.

"Naomi, you used to love this sort of stuff," Jack spoke softly, confused.

"Used to, but I grew up. You should do the same."

The scene changed to muffled yelling, going back and forth between the three of them laughing as children to when they were in high school, ending of with a music muffled as Jack just sat in his room, looking down at his hands, shaking, looking up with tears threatening to fall. The music increased in intensity.

"This isn't a love story."

It cut to Naomi and Noah walking hand in hand down the hall while Jack was following gingerly behind them, his head turned down.

"This is a tragedy where things don't end up so bad."

Jack stopped dead in his tracks, looking up at his two friends that turned over their shoulder to face him, Noah looking concerned.

"I'm the villain to your happily ever after."

Noah was about to open his mouth until Naomi's voice came over the two boys locking eyes, speaking without words.

"You know you are a drama queen," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips as the screen turned to a scene where Jack was laying on the ground, his back stretched and hand on his forehead.

"No I am not!" he shot back, but Naomi and Noah just rolled their eyes.

"Whatever," she muttered, smiling at her friends before turning back to her book.

The title screen came up, a half finished animation of the title of the movie coming into view, the main three actors recreating the book cover, Noah and Jack wearing baby blue and Naomi in a soft pink. Naomi had her arm on her hip, smiling as Noah had both on his, smirking. Jack, who stood off to the side a bit, was rubbing his arm and looking off to the side.

The music picked up as the ending credits played, the ending scene playing behind.

"I spiritually relate to Rotten Robbie," Jack claimed, walking like the said character as Noah joined in, the two of them laughing and imitating the character while Naomi just shook her head off to the side.

As the screen went black, Nico turned to Will, smiling widely. Even though the blonde was still yawning tiredly, he smiled widely, grabbing the smaller man and pulled him down, kissing him.

"I'm so proud of you," Will told him as Nico continued to laugh and smile.

...

Walking through the school courtyard was the scariest thing Nico had done in a while. Him and Malcolm made their way to their first class, all eyes on Nico as he continued to walk down. Nico unconsciously put his hand onto his pocket, hiding his ring from the view of the those who were trying to get a view of it.

"I feel like a pig getting ready for slaughter," he muttered to his friend with glasses who only chuckled lowly at him.

"Well, you are engaged to one of the biggest and hottest movie stars in recent events," Malcolm pointed out, smirking silently to himself as he watched Nico sink under the words, almost like he took a punch to his gut.

"Thanks," he shot back with a mutter.

"Well, you asked." Nico rolled his eyes as they continued.

When they made it to their first lecture, Nico tossed his bag on his desk, flopping beside Malcolm that watched him with an amused smirk.

"You good?" he asked to which Nico only replied with a huff as he rested his head back.

"I'm just tried, you know?"

"Oh yeah?" Malcolm raised a brow as he watched his friend open his eyes. "What do you have to be tired about?"

Nico sat up and turned to him, resting his head on his hand. "Well, for starters," he started, slowly blinking, "I have to plan a wedding with the entirety of the world breathing down my neck. I have to finish school while also managing a successful career and a major motion picture."

"Oh, don't complain about your first world problems," Malcolm joked, rolling his eyes as Nico flipped him off. "Anyways, let me see it."

Nico rested his hand out in front of him on the table as Malcolm sat up to look at it. He took Nico's hand in his own and turned it in all different angles to see the way the light reflected off of it.

"That looks expensive," Malcolm pointed out, but Nico just sighed.

"I know," he said as he took his hand back, examining it. "It feels so weird wearing it." He closed his eyes and set his hand back down. "I tell him to not spend so much on me, but he never listens. He throws money around like crazy."

"Well, if he has any other rich friends, tell him to hit me up," Malcolm joked, but Nico still swatted him, the two of them laughing the entire time.

"Hey, Nico," someone called nervously from behind him. Both Malcolm and Nico turned around to face a girl with soft blonde hair and a gentle face. "I'm sorry to invade, but is it true?"

Nico looked up at her confused at first, but when he looked down at his hand, he smiled and flashed her his hand.

"Yeah," he replied, trying to fight off a smile that was pulling at the sides of his lips.

"That's amazing," she said as she leaned in to get a better view, resting her weight on her forearm. "Did you have any idea?"

Nico shook his head. "No idea, but it did make sense after because he was acting really strange for a while leading up."

"I called it," Malcolm said, raising his hand. Nico rolled his eyes while the girl just smiled and giggled lightly.

"Name's Lacy," she introduced herself, extending her hand out to shake.

"Nico," he replied, blushing when he realized what he said. "But you already no that."

"It's all good," Lacy replied, taking her hand back.

"Hi, I'm Malcolm, Mr. Bookman's best friend," Malcolm introduced himself sarcastically. Lacy went along, shaking his hand to which he just smiled back at her. They shared a moment.

"I almost couldn't believe it when I saw it live," Lacy side, resting her hand on the desk behind them again.

"I was there and I almost didn't believe it," he replied, smiling comfortably.

"I'm sorry if this is a little invasive," she started, looking slightly awkward, "but do you know when the first teaser trailer for Side Friend comes out?"

Nico smiled, looking at his lap.

"I'm asking for a friend," she quickly added, looking over to the side.

"Well, I can say that it should be anytime soon, I'm just waiting for the final cut."

"Really?!" Lacy exclaimed, standing up. "The rough draft is already complete?!"

"Yeah," Nico nodded. Malcolm looked back between the two of them.

"Well, for your information, I have seen it."

"Really?!" she asked, eyes wide.

"Yes," Nico said, pushing Malcolm back, "But Mr. Jealous is going to have to wait to see the rest of them like everyone else."

"Hey!" he called out, raising his hands in protest. Lacy watched their exchange with a wide smile, laughing at the two friends. "He's just kidding."

"Try me and see how true that statement is," Nico shot back. Malcolm shook his head as he watched Lacy, mouthing, "no".

The three of them continued to laugh and talk until the professor came in and started his lecture.

When they turned around, Nico wiggled his eyebrows at Malcolm who only rolled his eyes, pushing Nico's face with his hand. Nico only laughed, turning back to pat attention.

...

Even though Will had to work a lot more with the new year, Nico didn't mind it all that much. He was busy with his school work and the project. Nico had been emailing the director for the past hour, going over final details, waiting for the final cut to come in.

As he waited in the silence of the apartment, he set his laptop down on the coffee table and leaned back, closing his eyes. He was exhausted. Nico knew he shouldn't complain, he had it made, but his work was really taking it out of him. He was sending Reyna rough drafts of his work every other day, trying to get it out of the way while also working on his school work.

He had managed to pass all of his exams, something that took much of his time. But now Reyna was on his case on getting him caught up. The only awful part was that Will wasn't there for most times he needed him, but he always made up for it. They spent all their free time together, doing nothing, but enjoy one another.

But as he laid in silence, everything finding its own way, Nico enjoyed the small amount of peace he had before he received the next bit of information from the director.

Nico opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling as a soft huff left his mouth. He laid there, cloaked in the silence as he raised his left hand up above his head. It was still strange to look up at his hand and see a ring there, shining in the light. The way the gold and black melted and fused together made Nico smile. It showed how the two of them were different, but came together. They worked.

Nico smiled as his hand fell on his face. He sat up when he heard a noise coming from his computer. He opened the lid and refreshed his email, clicking on the new message from the director, smiling when the only words it possessed was:

It's a go! :)

Nico rested his head back on the arm of the couch and smiled to himself. Things might have started out bad, but he was glad where he was. He had to remember to thank Reyna for everything. Without her, none of this would have ever happened.

...

"Do we have to?" Will asked, his knee shaking as he stood on Nico's family's house, looking around as he pushed his scarf up and over his nose as the cold stung.

"Now you know how I feel every time we go over to your parents house," Nico shot back with a smirk, reaching out to the doorknob.

"Yeah, well, your father scares me, though," Will mumbled, pouting under his scarf.

"Well, fake a smile because they're going to kill me for waiting this long." Will huffed as Nico opened the door, stepping into the warmth of the house. "Father, Persephone, I'm home!"

Nico's stepmom cracked the corner, smiling widely as she wiped her hands on a rag.

"Nico!" she exclaimed, setting the cloth over to the side as she gave him a giant hug, refusing to let go, even when Nico tried to pull away. When she finally let him free, she held on to his shoulders, smiling widely. "I missed you."

He smiled back at her gently. He missed being home, but he had another place he called "home" now.

"And the future son-in-law," she called out to Will who was still trying to take off his layers. When she pulled him into a hug, Nico shrugged behind her, giving Will a look of pity as he watched him over her shoulder. "It's good to see you, Will."

Will smiled back at her, glad to be out of her grasps.

"It's good to see you again, Persephone."

"Now," she said as she clapped her hands, turning back to head into the kitchen, "your father is in his study."

"Alright," Nico called out, hanging his jacket up in the closet. He reached out to help Will who was swimming in his jacket. "Here," Nico chuckled, pulling Will's scarf down, stealing his lips for a quick kiss before he unwrapped the blonde who let his fiance help him.

"Thanks," he muttered lowly, cheeks red from the temperature outside and from the embarrassment of being helped.

"Boys! Dinner is almost done, please go wash up. And can you go get your father?"

"Alright," Nico exclaimed back, smiling as he ruffled Will's sweaty hair. "You're so gross."

"But I'm your gross," Will smirked, rubbing his hair all over Nico's face.

"That made no sense."

"You make no sense."

Nico tried to fight back, but Will held him in place, the two of them laughing before they headed upstairs.

After they washed their hands, bumping the other with their hips, Nico wiped his hands on the towel, wiping the excess water off of his hands on his jeans as he made his way down the hall. He told Will to head down without him, saying that he would be there soon.

When he reached his father's study, he leaned on the door frame before knocking softly. When he got no response, he slowly opened the door, gingerly popping his head in to see what his father was doing. His father was seated in his leather chair, his glasses on the bridge of his nose as he examined documents.

"Hey," Nico said softly, his father looking up at the small voice. Nico was swinging on the door like he would do when he was ten, trying to get his busy father's attention.

"Nico," he spoke, surprised to see his son standing in the door way. "You're here already." He sat up and set his glasses off to the side, his hair tied into a low ponytail, a whitening beard finding home on his face.

"Yeah," Nico replied nonchalantly, entering the room a bit more, no longer swinging on the door. "We just arrived actually."

"Oh," he said, nodding ever so slightly. He set his papers down and smiled. "Well, I'm guessing that Persephone wants us down for dinner?" Nico nodded, smiling. "Well, looks like I have to put on my stern father face, huh? Yell at that fiance of yours?"

"Father," Nico groaned, rolling his eyes as his father chuckled lowly, slowly standing up.

"I kid," he said, looking over to his son before adding, "for now."

Nico groaned and smiled, heading out and down the stairs. He smiled when he saw Will and Persephone singing while setting the table.

"I can't believe you two," Nico said as he rolled his eyes, walking into the kitchen. Will sauntered over to him and grabbed his hands, swinging them.

"Aw, but come on!" Will said with a pout, trying to guilt-trip his fiance. Nico rolled his eyes, trying to hold his smile back as Will continued to try and get Nico to dance with him. Will spun him before pulling him close, the two of them smiling as the continued to dance in the kitchen of Nico's childhood home.

"Smells good," Nico's father said as he walked in, his glasses discarded. When Nico heard him, he stepped back from Will unconsciously.

Will frowned at his fiance, wondering why he still would shroud away in ways like this. But he shook it off, walking up behind him and taking his hand in his own.

"Well, I did work hard all day while you locked yourself up in your study," she picked on him as she fixed his collar, fiddling with it as Will swung Nico's hand. "Alright," she called out, clapping her hands to get the men's attention, "help set the table if you can legally drink."

Both Will and Nico's father sighed and complained as they grabbed the plates, heading back and forth to set the table. Nico simply laughed at them, heading over to the table and resting his head on his hands, closing his eyes, hoping he could sleep a little bit before he would have to act human and awake.

But that was short lived as they were all done in less than a minute, the four of them sitting around the table.

Persephone had made spaghetti, something Nico was always down for. He said thanks before he loaded his plate up, overflowing. His family watched, smiling, as he started to dig into. They all remembered separate times when Nico would hardly eat at all, and seeing this, this made everything worth of.

"So," Nico's stepmother started off with a smile while Will was the next one to load his plate, dinner being served in a circular fashion, "have you two started planning yet?"

Both Nico and Will stopped what they were doing, Will looking up from his plate with his fork mixing everything around while Nico was in mid bite, his face low to the plate and mouth wide open. They looked at one another for a beat before looking back at Persephone.

She smiled, laughing softly behind her hand. "I'll take that as a no, then."

Both boys looked away in nervousness. They had sort of avoided the topic on their own for a while, neither actually wanting to admit that it had happened, something that was weird between them. They weren't sure why, but both of them got really nervous whenever the topic was brought up.

Persephone continued to smile as she started, Nico's father long gone and lost in his meal to do anything other then nod when needed.

"We were watching live," she started, taking a moment to chew and swallow before continuing. "And when your name was call, Will, we were ecstatic. But Nico's father and I had no idea that it was going to lead to that." She paused to wipe her mouth, lips still turned upwards. "It seemed like there was a moment where even you didn't know."

Will smiled, looking away before settling his hands on his lap.

"Yeah," he said, face becoming red. "I almost backed out half way through." He stopped for a moment to look over at his fiance, who, in that moment, looked like a child caught red handed, eyes wide, mouth parted. "But I'm glad I didn't."

The two of them shared a smile between them, looking away simultaneously at the thought that followed, something Nico nor Will would ever want to bring up at a family dinner with their parents.

"Do you have any ideas where you want to go from here?" Persephone jumped in, sensing the strange atmosphere.

Nico sat up and straightened his back, stretching almost. "Well," he stated, thinking for a moment, "I'm not too sure on anything really, but I kind of want a winter wedding."

"While I want summer," Will jumped in, the two smiling for a moment before Persephone laughed softly at the two boys.

"You two sure do seem to be going in different directions, huh?"

"Yeah," Will spoke with a smile, eyes lighting up.

"Why not fall?" Persephone added, leaning forward after she took a sip of her drink, Nico's father only following with his eyes as he finished off his plate, reaching over to add more to it.

Nico and Will looked over at one another before turning back to face her, both smiling.

"I like fall," Will said, nodding his head.

"Autumn is nice," Nico added, smiling as he looked over that the blonde next to him.

"Well," she said, clapping her hands with her napkin, "looks like we have something figured out!"

"Looks like we do," Will nodded in agreement as he looked over to his fiance, neither of them looking anywhere but at one another.

"Dear," Persephone said as she looked over at the man that had eaten twice the amount as anyone at the table, "you have anything to add?"

Nico and Will slowly looked away from one another to face him. He simply wiped his face with a napkin, his beard now partially clean of sauce. He shook his head and sighed, closing his eyes, making Nico nervous.

"I can't believe my boy is getting married," he muttered, to which Nico let out a breath of fresh air. He smiled at his dad who looked up to meet his eyes, the two of them sharing a moment. "Only yesterday I was holding you as a baby."

They didn't need words, but Nico knew his father was proud of him, and he was grateful for that.

...

"Stop fixing your collar," Nico sighed, smiling all the same. Will frantically played with his hair. In this situation, Nico expected himself to be the one that would be nervously fidgeting with his appearance, but it turned out to be Will who was doing it instead.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, turning to face Nico with a shy smile, head ducking, "I guess I'm just nervous."

"I don't know why you would be," Nico said, pulling his collar himself, to give it one final fix after Will's consent fiddling. "I should be the nervous one, you're always the one doing these sort of things."

"Yeah, but," Will's voice trailed off as he turned to look back at his reflection. He sighed, smiling as he turned to face his fiance. "I guess it's the whole 'image' thing that's really getting to me."

"Why?" Nico started, his tone turning sarcastic. "Scared the whole world will hate you after everything that's already happened?"

Will smiled, tilting his neck the way he did when he started to get comfortable, his lips lopsided.

"The world already loves me, but... I don't know, the world loves you, but they haven't really seen us together, you know?"

Nico rolled his eyes, pulling Will down for a kiss by his buttons.

"Will. I love you, the media loves you, the entire world loves you, you need to calm down and realize that this will be fine." Will pouted, continuing the act, even thought he knew he felt better.

"Well," he started, voice low like he would be talking to a baby, "maybe if you do that again, I'll feel better."

"What?" Nico asked, raising a knowing brow at the blonde, "A kiss?" Will nodded his head, still continuing to pout. "Well, now that you're doing that," Nico said, smirking as he pulled Will down, turning away just before they made contact, "I wont."

"Hey!" Will called out, smiling as he chased his fiance to the door where he was putting on his shoes and coat. "That's not fair! I just wanted a kiss."

"Yes," Nico said, stopping from tying his shoe lace and looking up at him, his playful smirk still tugging at his lips, "but you tried to play dirty, so no kiss for you."

Will continued to whine as Nico opened the door and walked out, the blonde following suit, still trying to convince Nico that that was unfair.

"Quiet," he said jokingly, "Lou will be here anytime now."

Will huffed and sighed, but complied.

...

When they got to the studio where they were supposed to have the interview, Will was feeling much better, which meant it was Nico's turn to worry. In all honesty, he had never been in an interview, at least not in person. When it came to his books, everything was via email or, more commonly, through Reyna.

This whole, "doing something in person" was something he never had to deal with, but after coming out in more ways than one, a lot more attention was coming his way which meant that he would have to these sorts of things in person.

"Hey," Will spoke softly, taking his hand as they continued to weave through the other people that worked there. Nico looked up at Will who had his head up as he maneuver around, Lou Ellen darting around while she tapped away at her phone screen.

Having Will there was making everything better, with him by his side, he felt like he could do anything.

So, in response, Nico simply squeezed Will's hand, finding comfort in the warmth that radiated from it.

In no time flat, the three of them stood in the studio where the interview was taking place, the same blonde women from the interview was chatting away with one of the camera men, a water bottle in hand as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. Will was quickly whisked away, falling right into pattern with how he had always done things. But Nico on the other hand was looking around, allowing a girl with blue hair to sit him in a chair as she went over his face with a light covering of makeup.

"Don't be nervous," she said with a smile, a lip piercing moving as she did so. "You'll do fine.

Nico smiled. "Thanks," he said, feeling his heartbeat slow down ever so slightly.

As he sat, he watched. And it was amazing how everyone moved in unison, the way they would all move around, work in and out of one another, yet nothing seemed to slow. Just watching it made Nico dizzy, he never understood how all these separate people could function, almost lie they where under one mind.

When he was finally released, he moved awkwardly around until he found Will. The blonde was laughing as he talked with a few people, one of them them the blonde that would be interviewing them. She smiled back at Will who couldn't help but laugh again, taking a drink of his water bottle that was now in his hand.

"Nico!" he exclaimed when he saw his fiance making his way over, looking away from the blonde who turned her head also. Nico smiled back, ducking out of the way of someone who was walking by, almost running into him.

"Hey," he waved back gingerly, smiling meekly.

"You excited?" Will whispered as he took Nico by the waist and held him close. Nico nodded stiffly, but still nonetheless.

"Sweet," the blonde smiled, flipping her hair before a man off to the side yelled to everyone to get in place. "Looks like it's time to go."

"Alright, Stacy," Will waved as he lead Nico out of the way and to where a girl with a headset pointed them to. "I can tell you're nervous," he spoke softly under his breath, looking down to meet his eye when they stopped moving. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I hope so," he muttered in return, taking a deep breath as the two of them took their seats, Nico's knee nervously bouncing up and down.

As people ran to their spots, going over final details, Stacy thanked a man that was retouching her makeup before he walked off and a man started filming. Nico jumped at the snap that came before Stacy smiled and introduced herself and the two of them.

"I'm am currently joined by Academy award winning actor, Will Solace, and his now-fiance, award winning author, Nico di Angelo," she said, turning to face them as Will flashed her his signature lopsided smile, his eyes wide and bright. "It's wonderful to have you both here today."

"It's wonderful to be here, Stacy," Will said in return, truly showing his natural place in front of the camera. Nico nodded along with him, still trying to find his voice where ever it went.

"Just jumping into things," she said fixing her hair before taking a small breath in, "so, you two are now currently engaged, right?"

"Yeah," Will said, dipping his head at the question, corner of his lips turning up.

"I can't believe that it's been roughly a year since you first came out and told the world about you two's relationship. It really is wonderful to see the two of you still together after all of this time."

"I know," Will said, leaning forward. "It is hard to believe how much time has passed since that day, and I don't regret it for a moment." Will looked over at Nico as he took his hand, calming the smaller male who flashed him a smile in return, finding some sort of confidence deep inside of him.

"Yeah," Nico managed to say, doing his best to not seem shy.

"So, I've already gotten a short interview with the two of you on the red carpet, but I have a few more questions and details I want to go over with the two of you, now that none of us are really rushing things." She straitened her back, a small smile tugging on her lips. "If it isn't too much of me asking, how did you two get together?"

"Well," Will started, looking over at Nico, squeezing his hand, "a bunch of things actually happened that just built up to the final event of us actually 'getting together'."

"Yeah," Nico agreed, feeling slightly better and was starting to finally want to answer. "At first, I think I was actually trying to avoid you."

Both Stacy and Will looked slightly shocked and discombobulated at this information.

"Really?" Will asked, trying to run the events over in his mind.

"You didn't know this?" Stacy asked, also in the same state as Will, but Nico just laughed, nodding his head.

"Yeah, I guess it was because I was trying to distance myself from you."

"Why?" Will asked, both parties now intrigued.

"Because I thought you were to... you know, you to ever like me back. So, I guess I did it in an attempt to put an end to our weird friendship, and to my feelings."

Both Stacy and Will looked at one another, letting what he had said pass over them.

"But after that, you..." Will spoke as he thought, trying to make full sense of what Nico was saying.

"The present? Yeah, I actually had Katie drop it off at your door step. She cursed me out after for how she had to sneak in and out before you or anyone else that lived there noticed."

"Wait," Stacy said, putting her hands up, "present?"

"Oh, yeah." Will turned to her. "Christmas Eve, I got a present at my front door from him which was the kick off to all the events that happened."

"I had actually given it to Katie mainly because I couldn't get away from my family," Nico added, Stacy leaning almost out of her chair, eyes glued on the two of them. "And also because I didn't think I wouldn't have been able to face you, or at least your door, and not back out. Also, with the risk of you seeing me, I couldn't have that. Katie had everything planned out, she said," he added as an after thought.

"Wow," she mumbled, lip turning upward into a small grin, "you two are full of so much more than I could have ever imagined."

"And that's not even the most intense thing about that night," Will added, chuckled softly to himself.

"No," Nico said, nodding ever so slightly at the memory. "The gift had actually be sort of a call back to the birthday present I had given him a while back. I didn't want him to know it was me, but at the same time, I had to tell him that I was the author."

"What - how did you do that?"

"He had written inside the same way he had for the book version of One Last Hero I had gotten for my birthday from him, signed - wait a minute," Will said suddenly, leaning forward in his chair then facing Nico, "did you actually just get me your own book and signed it yourself for my birthday?"

"Are you just realizing this now?" Nico asked, smirking as his fiance thought the logistics of that out, looking even more confused. "Anyways, I had written him my feelings on the inside of the cover of a hard edition of Side Friend, a book I actually had written for Will."

"Something I also didn't even find out about until later in our relationship," Will added. "I remember opening it up while on the phone with my mom, and I'm pretty sure I had hung up on her the moment everything snapped into place."

"Are you serious?" Stacy asked, her every movement focused on what the two males were saying. "How - how did things go from there?"

"Well," Will started, smirking to himself before pressing on, "I had just then realized that this scrawny boy that I have been meeting with for the past few months had not only - A: had confessed his feelings towards me via book, but - B: was also the author of these books."

"I can't even imagine what that must have felt like," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Oh yeah," Will agreed, "and you have to know, I didn't have any way of contacting him at this point, so here I was, in the middle of my kitchen, everything making sense at once, and I had no way to do anything about this."

"So what did you do?" she asked.

"Yeah," Nico spoke up, "you never really told me what actually happened."

"Well," he thought about it for a moment, "first I ran out into the freezing cold with no plan, hoping that something would come to me." Both Stacy and Nico laughed at Will's recollection, the blonde joining in after a moment. "I know right? Me, no plan, running ahead first? Anyways, I came to this corner store, hoping to God that they had the first part of my flimsy plan, which they did, so instead of freezing my ass off outside, I waited out there while I managed to come up with a plan after that.

"I actually called Reyna, Nico's editor/manager, after Lou Ellen, my manager managed to get her number. I don't know how she did it, and I don't think she'll ever tell me, maybe because it was illegal or whatever, but when she sent it to me, I called her up and bagged her to give me your address."

"Without context, that sounds so weird," Nico pointed out, everyone, including those behind the camera, tried not to laugh, small snickers echoing.

"I know," Will agreed, laughing slightly as he continued on. "She almost hung up on me, which I'm glad she didn't." Will smiled softly at the thought of what had happened that day. "Man, the more I think about it, the more things seemed against me in that instance."

"Now, you have to remember that I'm at home with my family, thinking that I'm never going to see this man again, ever," Nico added, smiling softly at this.

"So, here I am, about to run - quite literally, too - to Nico's house, something that he doesn't even know that I know, after managing to sell my soul to Reyna. It's freezing, deciding that the one day it's going to be cold is the one day I literally run across the city. But when I managed to get there, I couldn't feel my toes, but it was all worth it."

"I'm inside, not knowing this is going on while my extended family is trying to make me the perfect Italian son in the short time they are staying, so when there's knocking at the door, I'm more than willing to get it. And when I open the damn door, Will is standing there. I lose all mental functions at that point," Nico spoke while letting out a soft chuckle. "All I remember is standing there, regretting every choice I had made up to that point, cursing everyone from God to Reyna, and wishing this was some twisted, sugar induced dream."

Will smiled as he thought about how his expression then had some how managed to portray each and every one of those emotions.

"I remember when you opened that door," Will thought about it as he spoke, turning to look at Nico's profile, "I had never been more scared in my life to see you standing there. And seeing you open the movie, I couldn't breath. I'm not sure if that was because I was having some sort of asthma attack from the cold and running or from the fact that I'm pretty sure that I was two steps away from passing out, but something held onto my chest that night."

"And reading those words, I was a hundred percent sure that I was dreaming." Nico turned to face Will, smiling as he caught his eye, the light hitting then just right to send him drowning in the ocean.

"Wow," Stacy spoke up once more, shaking her head and blinking, as if she couldn't believe it. Her mouth had turned against her as her lips turned upwards without her permission. "That is incredible. To think all that happened in such a perfect way."

"It's weird to say it out loud, but yeah, I guess it did turn out that way," Will spoke softly as he looked at the ground for a brief moment. "But enough about our relationship," Will added in a sudden rush as he smiled nervously to which the other two laughed softly at.

"Alright, if you insist. Now, I have some questions for you, Nico. Everyone already knows everything about Will," Stacy stated, to which Nico smiled and went along with, waving his hand and adding a sarcastic "of course." Both shared a quirt moment before she continued. "How did you settle on the story line for Side Friend?"

"Well," Nico started, chuckling at the thought of it, but it slowly turned more into a cry for help, "it actually was a few ideas I had that I put together into one cohesive story."

"Wow, really?" she asked, interested in his words.

"Yeah, and actually it didn't have a name for a while. It hit me one night like a ton of bricks right before it needed a name, so that kind of worked out," Nico explained, leaning forward the more he talked. "Actually, speaking of names, the name for One Last Hero was supposed to be No More Heroes, but due to copy rights with a game by the same name, my manager made me change it last minute, which sucked 'cause I had to change parts of the book for it to match."

"And she didn't catch it earlier on?" Stacy asked, both her and Will interested in this never before heard information about their favourite books.

"Yeah, actually it was a huge plot factor too, mainly because it was supposed to be a common theme throughout that showed that Nate and no one else was meant to be the good guys, just two chaotic forces battling it out. It followed the saying that you can't have a hero without a villain, but you can have a villain without a hero." The more Nico talked, the more Stacy and Will got drawn in. All these small details they had never noticed were all thrown off because of two simple words in the title. They were amazed and awestruck.

"That's incredible," Stacy said as she just shook her head, her mouth hanging open. "I am so shook, but sadly that is all the time we have for today. It was absolutely amazing to have you two on here with us, and I would love to talk with you both again in the future."

As Stacy closed up the interview and the cameras turned off, Will turned to Nico with a stunned look on his face.

"I didn't know that," he said.

"You never asked," Nico replied with a smirk,his brow raised as he started to head off towards the door, Will following steadily behind him.

...

As they headed into the hall, Will shook his head with a contend gleam in his eyes.

"Look at my boy, heading in to kick ass and look good, and he is already looking good," Will spoke as they searched for their table where Reyna was already seated.

"What are you talking about?" Nico asked as he semi-ignored Will as he sat down in his chair next to his editor, manager, and long time friend.

"Look at you, New York Time's best selling author, strutting into these book award thingies like you own the place, coming to take all the awards for your books," Will explained, taking his seat beside his fiance's.

"First off, it doesn't take much to get on New York Time's best sellers list, it just sounds all high and mighty, and secondly, I'm not looking to win anything tonight. Side Friend has already taken enough awards home in the past, this is just courtesy."

"Nico!" Will exclaimed. "You are being too modest. That book of yours is going to take it home."

"Look," he started, "the only reason I'm here is because Side Friend got skipped over last year due to some weird rules that came out, but is back in. And I haven't released anything new in ages, so just shut up and enjoy the night."

And he did.

The night continued on peacefully as they sat with dinner and watched the awards being handed out to each winner. During breaks, Nico would introduce Will to other writers, and just like Nico had done to actors he adored, Will found himself weak at the knees.

Each one wished him luck on his ways, even with most of them being twice his age. Nico was quite young to be a successful writer, so there wasn't many people there his age.

As the awards continued on, Will sat impatiently until Nico's category was called. But when Nico wasn't called up, Will felt a little sad because of it, but clapped along just like everyone else at their table had done. Will didn't like that Nico had lost, but Nico simply shrugged when the winner was announced, cheering her on as she took the stand.

As the night continued on, the more books and authors got reconsidered for their credibility. But it wasn't until late into the night did something major happen. Waiting for the next category, two gentlemen walked up to the mic, smiling as they addressed the audience.

"Good evening, everyone, how are you enjoying your time so far?" a man that appeared to be in his late forties/early fifties spoke out, his wrinkles showing his age as he smiled. The response was appropriate to the event and time of the evening. "That's good. Around this time I would be crawling into bed while my wife yells at me to shower."

As the crowd laughed, a younger man spoke into the mic.

"Hopefully you showered before tonight," he spoke, earning a hefty laugh from everyone, including Will and Nico. "So, we will be taking a quick break from our usual categories to present an honorary award to someone specific tonight."

"This author has stormed their way onto the scene with a force that I think frightened most of us older authors," the older gentleman spoke, chuckling lowly himself at his own words along with a generous response. "They have shown us what it is like to carry natural talent, something most of us know."

"At such a young age, this author has shown us worlds that have captivated us all, and will continue to inspire generations to come. They have represented groups of people that have been put on the back burner, showing through their words that just because one loves someone different doesn't make them any less important."

Nico looked over at Will who was looking back at him. He mouthed, "What's going on?" to the younger male, only to earn a confused shrug in return. Nico turned to Reyna who simply raised a brow with a shrug, the only difference from Will being the smug smile that was found tugging at her lips.

With brows furrowed and mind racing, he turned back and continued to listen to the two gentlemen talk about this outstanding author, wandering if he knew who it was.

"Their work has shown us that there are not always happy endings to fall back on, but striking truths that make us feeling unfilled with the way things work and keeping us wanting more. If you have not heard about the amazing works of this up and coming author, then I would have to ask what rock you are currently living under as they are taking the world in a huge sweep once again," the older man spoke out as he took a small pause.

"Today we are honoring an author that will continue to take the world of writing by storm and shaping literature by its roots. We would like to call up and recognize Nico di Angelo, more commonly known as N.D. Augustine, for his breathtaking stories and contributions."

As cheering echoed from every side of him, Nico slowly stood up, looking at Reyna who was clapping along, simply shrugging her shoulders once again at his expressions.

"You knew about this," he whispered to her over the noise.

"Didn't mean I had to tell you," was her simple response.

With a shake of his head, Nico looked over at Will who had never looked happier than he did in that moment.

"Congratulations, love," he told him as he shooed him off.

Through the cheering, Nico took the stage, a women in a flowing white gown helping him up the stairs to which he thanked her for.

As he looked out at everyone in the audience, one by one, they all slowly stood up, taking Nico's breath away when he got to the front and thanked the two men who had given him his award.

"Oh gosh," was all he managed to mumble out as he looked at the still cheering audience, eyes focused on Will when he started to get dizzy, "how does one go about starting this?" When the crowd laughed, he followed, feeling slightly better as many still stood standing, watching him as the noise went down. "My manager and best friend is still giving me that look, you know the one, the one where they obviously knew what was going to happen and didn't tell you.

"Gosh, thank you, umm... everyone. I don't know how to go about this, really. This is beyond amazing. I don't know how I got this lucky, you know? I was just a kid typing helplessly away at his keyboard hoping something made sense - hell, I still am! You can ask my fiance that even.

"This is probably one of the highlights of my life, really. I can't believe people even picked up my book. This started out as a hobby that took off way back when I was still young and naive. But now I'm here, looking out on a group of people that made up my childhood, and the fact that they stood and cheered for me - wow, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.

"I know it may not be much, but the fact that I am able to show people some truths and persuade them to see my views on the world is enough. To be able to show people that just because someone is different, that they aren't broken, damaged - now that is all I need. But this is an added bonus." A small bundle of laughter broke out from the crowd as Nico tried to find his words once again, looking down at the small award in his hand. "I hope I can continue to live up to this name, and not have reached my peak by age twenty." He raised the award up. "Here's to many more years and words to come!"

The crowd erupted once again as he was escorted off of the stage by the two men, unable to believe what had just happened.

When he got back to his table, Will brought him into a tight embrace, neither of them wanted to break apart. But when they did, they once again took their seats, all-the-while smiling like idiots. Reyna rolled her eyes but couldn't help but feel proud of the once small boy that now sat in front of her, a man.

...

Hand in hand, Will and Nico made their way down the street, adding small comments about the street they passed. Nico would bump into his arm as they walked, smiling the entire time. Will would squeeze his hand, not for any reason, just to let Nico know that he was there.

Nico yawned.

"Tired?" Will asked, adding a slight swing to their conjoined hands.

Nico nodded.

"Yeah," he replied, suppressing another yawn as he rubbed at his eyes that had accumulated tears. "I know it's not actually very early, but I was up all last night finishing three different essays."

Will chuckled lowly as he brought Nico's hand to his lips, letting them rest there for a beat before smiling over to his fiance.

"I know," he spoke softly, "you didn't come to bed until late."

Nico nodded as he stretched out a little bit.

"My entire schedule is messed for the next month, I don't know how I'm going to continue this - hell, I don't even know how I've done it so far."

Will chuckled at that, squeezing his hand.

"Well," Will started, looking over at Nico, "I believe in you."

Nico leaned into Will's arm, smiling softly to himself, letting the sun bounce off of his face as it started to show its face, warming up the world for the first time all winter.

"I know," he muttered, meaning it to reach no ears, just fizz into the wind and fly away.

As the reached a small coffee shop, not the one Katie worked at, something Nico was kind of upset about, their pace sped up slightly as Will reached out for the door, opening it for the two of them.

"I'm glad it's warming up," Will spoke aloud, for no reason, just to let the words be out there for any to hear.

"Yeah," Nico agreed. "It's nice, but on the other hand, you internally cringe knowing that it's because of increased greenhouse effect."

Will laughed and agreed as they spotted Annabeth and Percy sitting in a corner table, aimlessly talking about nothing and everything all at once. When Annabeth spotted Will, she smiled and stood up, hugging him as he let go of Nico's hand to embrace his dear friend.

"It's so nice to see you again," she told him quietly, smiling as they stood there for a second longer just to relax in one another's touch.

"It is nice to see you again," he replied, gripping her back slightly tighter than normal.

While the two blonde's caught up with one another, Percy and Nico smirked as they saw one another, Percy standing up in front of the smaller male. Instead of hugging like their partners, they pull out a crazy hand shake, the two blonde's smirking as they pulled away from their embrace.

"When did they have time to learn that?" Annabeth asked as she held back a laugh, a smile breaking through, shaking her head.

"No clue," Will replied with the same amount of uncertainty.

Once Percy and Nico finally finished their handshake, it ending with the two of them jumping and high-fiving under their legs, they simply nodded at one another, acting as if what had just happened was nothing.

Will and Annabeth slowly took their seats, still eyeing their male significant others. With one final eye roll and sigh, Annabeth straightened her back and took in a deep breath, pushing her hair behind her ear before taking a simple sip of her drink.

"So, how are things been with you two after... everything?" She asked, referring to their engagement.

Will shrugged with a warm smile on his rosy cheeks, freckles dancing along his face. "Everything has been good."

Nico nodded with a slight blush sweeping over his face. "Yeah, nothing truly noteworthy - Oh! They finished the first teaser trailer for Side Friend!"

Annabeth's face lit up. "Really?"

"Seriously?" Percy added, leaning in with the same amount of excitement as his wife.

Nico nodded with a goofy smile, the one he wore when he was flattered but also embarrassed.

"Dude! That's freaking amazing!" Percy exclaimed, trying his best to keep his voice low.

Both Annabeth and Percy were well aware of the book and what it represented, mainly due to being on the receiving side of Will's four hour long exasperation. So, when they heard about the movie adaptation, they both found a new love in the book all over again. As they sat there with the two of them, they couldn't help but notice Will's attempt at hiding his pride, especially considering he had much practice as this was most definitely not the first time this had come up or the first time he had thought of it.

"Yeah, it should be out within the next two weeks, I'm actually really excited! I met a bit with the cast at the beginning and a bit throughout, as well, so I know it's going to be amazing." Nico smiled as he looked down at his hands, his expression becoming relaxed.

Annabeth watched them with a sense of pride. She might not have known Nico as long as some people, but it was amazing to see how much he had grown since the first day she had even heard of him, and then seeing him and watching as he helped them out, it was amazing to see Nico where he was then.

"Well," she spoke up, attracting the attention of the table, "even thought I would love to continue on this topic, I think we should hurry up and move on to the real important things. Have you two figured out where you want to get married?"

Will and Nico looked around, unable to properly answer the question. As Annabeth rolled her eyes at them, Will popped his head up and said, "Well, we did sort of agree on fall."

"Aw, a fall wedding sounds really nice," she said softly, Percy nodding with her as he took a sip of his mocha.

"I guess we are having a sort of hard time on where, mainly because we are so different in where we come from," Nico pipped up, shrugging as he thought about it.

"Yeah," Will agreed with a sigh, "Nico is from Italy and I'm from here, so finding a soft medium in between has been the main problem."

Annabeth leaned back in her chair as she went through all the possibilities until Percy spoke up first.

"Why don't you two find a more traditional church with European-type influences," Percy suggested. Annabeth was intrigued on why he thought of this option. When Percy noticed her trying to figure it out, he simply sat taller in his chair and smiled. "Well, Nico told me a while back that his mother had brought him up Catholic until she passed, and Will used to go to church with his mom when he was younger, so simplifying the search to that might make it easier."

Annabeth was speechless, it made so much sense. She knew he was smart, but sometimes he really blows her away.

"That's... actually really good," she spoke up. Annabeth turned to face Will and Nico. "What do you two think?"

The two of them looked at one another, a small smile appearing on their faces.

"Well," Nico started slowly, "you want to go with something lavish and high class but also has meaning."

"And you want something more traditional and small, something that honors your mother and her faith," Will added next, the two of them realizing that going with a more European-style church, something that had roots in Roman and Italian architecture would satisfy what they both were looking for. "I think it's perfect."

"Me too," Nico spoke back gently, the two of them smiling as they thought of their future wedding.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Will said with a smile that slowly grew wider.

"I know," his fiance replied back with the same amount of excitement.

"Great," Annabeth spoke up, mainly to Percy as the other two where paying more attention to themselves than to the two beside them, "looks like we can start planning a wedding." She leaned in to the two of them when they broke their eye contact. "Now, where should we start looking?" she asked with a smirk that translated to the three males that she was unable to be stopped.

...

"Katie!" Nico quietly exclaimed as his friend sat down in front of him, handing him his usual coffee. "God, this is why I love you!"

Katie rolled her eyes as he took a long sip from the cup.

"Anyways," she said as she stretched out a bit, "it's been so long, been busy?"

"You have no idea," Nico muttered tiredly, smiling softly when he looked up to meet her eye. "Between school, work, the movie, and the wedding, I've been booked up solid. Gladly I don't have to do too much for the wedding, though." He put his coffee down and leaned in and held an astonished expression. "You would never guess by looking at him, but it's like Will had this entire wedding planned out since he was, like, six. I swear, it's hilarious hearing him go on and on about all these things that we need, like, the seats need a very specific type of ribbon and cover. Like, why does he know all of this?"

Katie put her had over her mouth as she tried to hold back her laughter. She shook her head as she couldn't believe it.

"Wow, that's... that's actually really funny! Travis has no idea about anything I say it, honestly, if it wasn't for my mom, I wouldn't know what I'm doing," Katie added, taking a sip after sighing.

"You can say that again. Will's mom keeps sending me pictures of decor and flowers, and it's over whelming. They know what they are doing. Me? No idea."

Katie nodded and then the two of the sat in silence. Two friends planning a wedding with no idea what they are doing is really stressful, the both of them thought.

"Yours is sooner, isn't it?" Nico spoke up.

"Yeah," Katie replied with a tired sigh. "Next few month's I'm nowhere's near ready."

"But your dress is really cute," Nico added to try and make her feel better.

"You're right," she said with a smile, thinking to the lace, keyhole ballgown Nico had helped pick out just three months back.

"Just know that I'll be there for you just in case you get nervous. And if you plan on running away, know that I'll be the one to through you to the ground and make sure you get your ass down that damn aisle."

Katie smirked. "'Throw me to the ground'? You sure you're strong enough to do so?"

Nico looked offended, throwing a piece of a napkin at her. "Shut up! I can so!"

"Uh huh," Katie added as she looked around with the smirk still pulling at her lips.

...

"Alright!" Annabeth shouted as she raised her sun glasses to the top of her head. She looked out on the group of girls and Nico before her. "We have to crack down on wedding things. We will each tackle a specific area that was pre-given to us, so when your area comes up, you must tackle and complete it as soon as you can while still being efficient." She turned to each girl as she spook. "Reyna, you are in charge of venue decorations. Rachel, you are in charge of flower arrangement and colour coordination. Katie, you will tackle the food arrangement. I will take care of your suit. And Nico, you remember my good friend Piper who was also in O.L.H.?-" Nico nodded - "good, she is here to make sure everything matches and goes smoothly."

Everyone nodded as they were all determined to successfully follow the plan. As three celebrities, a manager, a writer, and a barista stood in the middle of the street, they were starting to attract a lot of attention, but no one was worried about it as they all stood well-dressed and ready to cut anyone that stood in their way.

"Now, the first appointment is with the tailor, so let's get going before we are late." With a collective nod, Annabeth lead to group down the street and they headed to the first stop on their day long journey. It hadn't even fully started, but Nico was tired and wished that Will wasn't currently back at work, shooting new episodes.

When they finally got there, Nico was whisked away by the tailor as she looked him over. Her face was full of wrinkles, but even so, Nico knew she wasn't as young as she managed to appear. She had a gray bob and glasses, her clothes well picked out, as what was expected for a high-class tailor. Just by the smell and the texture of the fabrics and store, he knew this place was expensive, something he would yell at Will for later. While Nico wanted small and quaint, Will being a high-class celebrity himself, he wanted to go full out.

She poked and prodded at him while her male assistant recorded down measurements while she continued to wrap and unwrap a measurement tape around him. As fast as he was in there, he was being pulled out, being told by the tailor as she walked around with a thick accent that he would have to come back in two weeks for a fitting. While Nico barely had time to even hear her, Annabeth was already telling her that they would be back.

Being pulled from one store to the next, each girl was on their phone or writing down things in a notebook. Recording and researching while they stopped for their job was what Nico was noticing was becoming common.

Rachel had grabbed him by the arm as she pushed him into a flower shop that seemed to be hidden, but when he entered, he was hit by abstract colours and a fragrance that left him feeling breathless.

"Rachel, do we really need flowers?" Nico asked as he looked around. When the red-head heard him, she took personal offence.

"Of course you will need flowers, it is not a wedding without them. Now, I'm assuming that you'll be walking down the aisle, or are you going to be already up there with Will. Personally, I feel like you should walk, but that's not for me to say. Anyways, what are your guy's colours?"

Nico was overwhelmed by all the questions at once, trying to figure out each of their answers.

"Um... I think I will be walking, but-"

"I don't need 'think', I need 'know'!"

"Um... well, I haven't talked about it with Will, but I guess I will be walking," he replied back skittishly. He wasn't aware how intense everyone was going to get when he first agreed to go wedding shopping. Apparently Will had asked them to take Nico so he could finally have some major say on what they were doing.

"Good," she said, raising two fake flowers in either hand beside Nico's face, going back and forth between them, trying to figure out which one would look the best, "because that will determine whether you will be holding flowers."

"Uh, I don't know if I will be holding any, isn't that more of a girl-thing to do?"

"Well, make up your mind because I need to know whether or not we need to order you a bouquet."

"Okay-"

"What were you and Will thinking about for colours?" she interrupted him, continuing to look through the store.

"Well, we were thinking of going for maybe gold and purple, maybe black instead, though," he told her as he followed her around the store like a lost puppy because that's what he felt like.

Rachel stopped and turned around. "Aw! Like Tangled! I love that idea."

"Yeah, I guess like that," he said softly, thinking of the movie suddenly.

Rachel continued to walk through the store until she stopped and put up her pointer finger. "Reyna, Piper! Write this down: lanterns."

Both girls nodded and started to record the idea down.

"Lanterns?" Nico asked.

Rachel smiled and nodded.

"Imagine lanterns, maybe hung up as lighting. Candle light in fall is the prettiest, you agree?"

"Yeah," he agreed, smiling at the thought. He would have never been able to come up with this sort of stuff on his own, so he was secretly thankful for their help. "Gold is Will's favourite colour and you know how stubborn he is, so we have to go with it no matter what."

All the girls sighed and then laughed at the same time, each and everyone of them knowing how true that statement was. Will had a lot to say when it came to the wedding, and he knew that Nico would nod along to everything he would say, so he made the girls take him out and get him to be involved in the planing above just agreeing.

"It's a weird colour combination, I know, but he wont budge."

"Well," Rachel started with a sigh, "I can make anything look good."

They spent the next half hour pointing and picking out flower agreement and types. They had a list of ideas and plans down, the florist doing her best to help out and answer any questions. They had a while before the actual wedding, so they didn't have to rush, but it was nice to get everything ready. Will had agreed to going to order everything with Nico once he was done filming, which wasn't much longer.

When they finally left the flower shop, Nico's head hurt from the amount of useless information he now carried on flowers. But it was short lived as he was being taken away to a quaint bakery where Nico had helped Percy out with his cake tasting.

When he walked through the door, he felt something familiar hit him, filling him with pleasure. Before he could fully take everything in, he was holding back his laughter that was building from within. There, standing in his usual casual attire, Percy smiled with one hand on his hip.

"Will wanted to come, but he couldn't make it, so he sent me over," he explained, but it wasn't helping Nico much. While he did feel sad that Will couldn't be there, he was glad Percy was. The first time they had done this was when him and Annabeth were engaged, but now the tables had turned and it was time to return the favor.

"Just like last time," Nico said with a smile building, pulling his lips upward as he walked forward to the man.

"We'll leave you two to finish this part while we get everything ready. We'll meet you back here in thirty, okay?" Annabeth announced, taking her phone out.

"Okay, babe. I'll massage you later, love you!" Percy shouted back, raising his hand to wave as Annabeth replied with a halfhearted nod and a half audible mumble of agreement. "So much love. Anyways, let us go sit, and in the words of Marie Antoinette, 'let them eat cake!'"

"Actually," Nico spoke up, sitting in his chair, "Marie Antoinette did not say that, it was only put in for the movie."

"Wow, thanks for killing my buzz! How else am I supposed to be the cool friend if you always shoot me down every time I try to be smart?"

"Stop 'trying' and actually be smart," Nico told him simply, smirking, as Percy put his hand to his chest dramatically.

"Wow, actually wow, I am offended by this!"

"You'll get over it," Nico muttered back sarcastically. Percy dropped his hand as he laughed and shook his head.

"You're right."

When Silena, the baker that had served the two of them when they first were there, came out, she smiled widely at the sight of them.

"Look at you two, I swear, you two are only coming here for free cake for the amount of times I've seen you," she spoke softly, finishing with a wink as a man with chocolate skin came out holding two trays of different cake slices on them. He placed them on the table with a smile as he whipped his hands on his apron. "This is my husband, Charles. He didn't believe me last time that you two were here, so I told him that he was to serve if he wanted to see."

"Even thought I'm better left unseen," he said with a small smile playing at his lip, his arms and jaw line riddles with scars, part of his face looking like it had been burned. Silena beside her husband really stood out. She was flawless, not a single pore or blemish visible, but Charles had obviously taking the opposite route when it came to looks, whether it was his choice or not.

"Oh, don't talk like that," Silena swatted him with a small towel she had in pocket. "You are gorgeous, and if not, I have enough looks for the both of us."

Just from watching them, you could tell they were truly in love.

"Well," Percy cleared his throat and straightened his posture to seem more formal as he hid his expression, "I know it's hard to believe that I, Percy Jackson, would be here, but it is true."

"You can spray him with water if he acts up, if you want. I'm still training him," Nico said nonchalantly as he grabbed the first piece of cake. Percy's eyes went wide as he stared at his friend with his mouth hung open. He had to idea how to respond to what Nico had said. But Charles was in a full belly laugh, his eyes closed, head thrown back, and all.

Silena put her hand on Charles' shoulder as she shook her head in disappointment, but still finding a small smile creep up on her lips.

"You two, stop it. I will be back in a few to make sure that all is going well. Now, call if you need anything in the mean time." And with that, both Silena and Charles were on their way out, Silena still shaking her head at Charles whom was still trying to keep it together.

They took their time, going back and forth between five different flavors, knowing they would have to narrow it down to at least three. By the time Silena had come back around to see them, the two men had ruled out one more kind, knowing that Will wasn't all that big on triple chocolate. With a simple smile, she wrote down their top four, saying that when Nico came back with Will the next time, she will have those four ready for him to try.

Annabeth and the others had already been waiting outside by the time they waved goodbye to her and her shop once more, Percy smiling as he kissed Annabeth's cheek, telling her that he would see here at him. He had left the group to once again drag Nico around.

The next stop was to look at menu options. Katie already had an idea, taking the group and Nico to the caterer that she had booked for her wedding. She already waved off any worries Nico had, telling him that he was the best you could get, money and all.

And when Nico walked into restaurant, he knew instantly that Katie had not spoken a single lie.

"This guy is my best friend's cousin, and honestly, he is the best," she whispered to him as she smiled widely at the man who was wiping his hands onto his pants, walking her way. They embraced in a tight hug, both over joyous at the sight of the other.

"I missed you," the man spoke softly to Katie as they pulled apart. She smiled as she backed up. The man walked over to Nico and put his hand out. "And you must be Nico, the one we are here for today."

"Yeah," Nico replied with a smile, shaking the man's hand.

"I'm Huston, and I'll show you around and a few samples I whipped up."

They got through everything in record time, and while it was nice to have the opinions of his friends there to help him out, as he sat at the table listening to Huston and Annabeth talk about how things would go smoothly, he felt distant from the rest. He picked at the entree that he had placed in front of him, taking deep breaths, telling himself that Will was busy with work.

But they managed to finish what they were doing, Annabeth and the rest of them writing down and planning as they moved to the next place. Reyna had led the group to multiple stores as she showed Nico different ideas for when it came to wedding decoration. They had the venue for both the ceremony and reception picked and booked, so all they had to do was figure out how it was going to look.

Will already had so many ideas that he simply gave them to Reyna and told her to get Nico to have some input, so that's what she did. She dragged him around and pointed out neat and cute ideas that they could do.

As Nico aimlessly wondered around, he found himself in the corner of an older section of the story. He was running his hand along the spine of a book that looked to be older than him, but that might have been just the dust that had collected on it and made its home.

"Nico?" he heard Reyna call out to him. He turned around to face her, hand still lingering on top of the book.

"Yeah?" he replied, softer than he intended.

"You okay? You seem a little off today," she pointed out, walking up to him to stand by his side.

Nico nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm fine... Just..." he tried to find the words, but as they left his mouth, they seem to permanently leave him.

"'Just'?" she asked cautiously.

"Just," Nico tried again, this time sighing, "I guess I just don't know what I should expect, what I am expecting, you know? With all of this? I'm just sort of lost, is all. I thought I would be going through this stuff Will, he knows what he's doing. But me? I have no idea. And I'm grateful for everything you all have done for me, really, I guess I'm just not used to any of this yet.

"And what am I supposed to do once we figure all of this out? Will seems so ready for this, but me, I'm not sure how to go about any of this. I guess I'm just feeling lost and confused."

"How about after all of this, you focus on being married for starters," Reyna suggested with a soft tone that made Nico remember in that exact moment why she was one of his best friends. She was always there for him, no matter what, he couldn't think of anyone other than her to be by his side for all these years. "For now, just picture how you want your wedding to look."

"Well," he spoke gingerly, looking around the area he was in until he realized that his hand was still on the book, "how about something about books?"

"Books?" Reyna asked, trying to figure out where he was coming from.

"Yeah," he said more confidently, "that's how we met and where we got to know one another better."

"That damn book store," she spoke mostly to herself, smiling slyly as she shook her head.

"And maybe some sort of coffee station to represent the cafe?"

"Now you are getting it!"

Nico smiled as he looked back to the book his hand was resting on. This was it, it was really hitting him. He was getting married to his best friend, and he was going to show everyone just how it had happened.

...

"Honestly, after a while of wearing a suit constantly, it really starts to lose its charm, huh?" Will asked as he eyed himself in the mirror. He pulled on his suit jacket and started to raise a brow at himself, smirking as he checked himself out, fixing his hair a bit.

"We get it, Will," Nico started, rolling his eyes as he set his phone on the kitchen table behind him as he leaned on his with his legs crossed, "you wear fancy outfits all the time. Anyway, I just texted Katie, she said that her sister is running a bit late with her nephew, so we don't have to rush traffic."

"I can't believe Katie asked you two be her flower girl - I mean boy," Will corrected himself, but he mainly said it just to bug him. Nico rolled his eyes as he watched as his fiance walked up to him, allowing the blonde to take his hand as he reached out for it.

"She didn't exactly ask me to be her flower boy, she wants me to walk her nephew down while he does it," Nico stated, raising a brow as Will stood there with his smug smile as he didn't believe a single word.

"You know she only said that because she wanted an excuse for you to be her flower boy. The nephew is just a cover." Nico rolled his eyes at his fiance, knowing that he was right. "Anyways, if you were a girl, she would have most likely made you her Maid of Honor."

"I'm surprised she didn't in the first place," Nico joked back, smiled comfortably next to Will, their hands interlocked with on another. "I would have rocked that dress."

As they stood there, about to leave for Katie's wedding, it was nice for once to sit back and not worry about their own wedding. This day they were focused on Katie and her special day. Just being able to relax for the first time in a while and get their mind off of all that was plaguing them was enough.

After what felt like a life time, Nico reached for his phone after it buzzed behind him. He typed something quickly and sent it.

"We should probably head out now, she wants us to meet up as early as possible to go over last minute details," Nico said as he placed his phone into his pocket, looking back up to his blonde fiance with a soft smile.

"Good idea," he said in return.

Will stepped away and went over to the counter and grabbed the keys as Nico put his shoes on, grabbing his own suit jacket that laid on the table. With a nod, the two of them headed off and made their way to Katie's wedding.

...

The ceremony went by in a flash, everything seeming perfect. Katie's hair and dress was the highlight of the event, her and Travis' vows made almost everyone tear up. Will wasn't going to lie that he saw Nico walk down that aisle that he could almost see their day fast approaching, that same man walking down towards him, all eyes on him the entire time.

But after that thought popped into his head, the next one seemed even crazier; as he saw Nico walk hand-in-hand with the five year old that threw out flower pedals in hand fulls, each one being dropped at his side as he trotted beside Nico whom held the basket with the rest on them, he image of Nico with a child was one that he couldn't get out of his mind. His hand fit perfectly within the smaller one, his caring smile and gentle eyes sending chills down Will's spine.

But what really got him, the real epiphany that hit Will all at once was when Nico held the child at the end of the aisle, making small faces to calm the antsy child. Before he could dwell too much into it, the ceremony had swept him up and pulled him away from his thoughts.

Once the ceremony was finished, the guests exited and headed towards the area where the reception would be held. Will stayed back to help the rest of the wedding party, making his way to Nico who still held on to the child.

"You look good with children," Will spoke aloud, smirking as he approached him, hands in pocket.

Nico bounced the child lightly as he watched him, his eyes staying on the child a bit longer before turning to the blonde.

"Nah, not really, I'm not really good with children at all." He smiled crookedly. "You on the other hand," he finished with a knowing smile Will's way after he continued to attempt to get the child to look at him. Will watched with light in his eyes as he watched Nico interact with the small child, bringing his hand to his mouth when the child swings his hand and hits Nico square in the face.

"Oh, that's enough, small one," Will said as he took the child from Nico's arms and cradled him in his own. Nico watched in awe at how amazing Will was with the child. He didn't scream or cry, he simply looked up at Will and stared.

"I know, Thomas, I know," Nico talked to the baby as if he could fully understand him. With a smile, he failed to spare Will a glance. "He's pretty isn't he? That's why I'm marrying him."

Will just watched as Nico continued to interact with the baby from where he was. This was it, this was all Will wanted. If this was his, he wouldn't have a word to complain.

...

The reception was wild. It was everything Nico could imagine and more. Katie claimed she had no idea what she was doing, but standing in the middle of the dance floor with Travis, her new husband, and Will was enough to tell Nico that she knew exactly what to do to pull it off.

Travis and his brother Conner had proven to be the center of attention when the two of them started to dance to "Barbie Girl," Travis lip-syncing Ken's lines while Conner took over the role of Barbie herself. By the end of the night, everyone was screaming and hollering as the night went on, not a single person left that night without some sort of permanent memory, whether that was Conner's new scar he got that night on his wrist or the pounding headache Nico found himself having as the night died down.

But before it cold fully sink in, causing them to have to leave, Will grabbed Nico by the waist, and slowly rocked him back and forth to the slow rhythm.

"This was an amazing night," Nico muttered into his finace's dress shirt, suit jacket long forgotten and vest discarded after using it to help stop Conner's bleeding.

"It was," Will spoke back, resting his forehead on top of Nico's head, resting and relaxing into the scent of his shampoo. "And we get to do it again soon."

"Don't remind me," Nico replied after making a small noise at the back of his throat.

Will laughed.

"Why not?" he asked, head up and alert, unlike the body that was barely standing against him.

Nico sighed but smiled.

"I don't know what I'd do once I get in this situation. Look at them, everything seems so... right, but for me, I don't know, I just feel so lost." Nico sighed as he rested his head back on Will's head with a soft thud. "I know it's not what you want to hear, me second guessing our wedding - at a wedding, but... I don't know, I'm just lost, scared, I guess."

Will chuckled softly.

"God, I'm so glad you feel that way," he said, causing Nico to look up and meet his eye.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. Why was Will glad that Nico was second guessing the wedding?

"Because," he started, looking down to meet Nico's eye, the light catching his eyes perfectly, "I thought I was the only one going through these thoughts. I'm glad you feel like this, too." He smiled and leaned down, taking his lips with his own. "I love you," he whispered.

And as Nico rested his head back on Will's chest, the music moving them like they haven't got a care in the world, Nico released a breath he hadn't known he had left in him.

"I love you, too."

...

"Do you really have to leave?" Nico asked, trying his best to not fiddle with his fingers as Will went around making sure he hadn't forgotten anything.

"I'm sure," he insisted, standing in the middle of the empty space between the kitchen and living room. His back was facing Nico, his strong silhouette illuminated by the morning sun.

Nico hated these mornings, the early mornings that would come all too fast, leaving him with a gross taste in his mouth. These mornings were few, but they happened all too much for Nico's liking, even if it was only was four a year.

"I hate it when you leave," Nico spoke aloud as Will finished his rounds. The blonde stopped and turned to face him, a weak smile finding its way onto his chapped lips. Even though he was smiling, his eyes weren't.

If it were another day, one that just wasn't today, he would have been fine, but this one stung harder and longer than when he had gone over seas for two months. Will wasn't going to be gone for long for shooting, just under three weeks, but those days were going to stretch out and choke him.

They weren't going to see each other till their wedding, that is what stung the most. And it wouldn't even be the day of, it would be when the ceremony begins. As a groom sees his bride for the first time in her dress, Will will be seeing his groom for the first time in just under a month.

And it stung. It stung unlike anything either of them had ever felt.

"You're going to make this harder on me," Will managed to breath out, his words airy and lacking the usual life. It was hitting them both.

"I don't know how I'm going to do the rest of this without you," Nico continued to say, each time meaning more than the last.

"Nico," Will tried again, stepping towards his fiance.

"I wont see you until the day," Nico said as his vision blurred.

"Stop it."

"You wont be here beside me until then."

"Enough."

Will was directly in front of Nico, his strong scent sparking something within him. It was heavy, yet light, as if a flame had ignited within. He looked down at the smaller man and gave the closet thing to a smile as he could, but the ends of his lips shaky.

He pulled his face close and kissed him, not letting him go.

...

2:39 AM

It had been the fifth time he had checked the clock in the passed three minutes, each time he hoped that it would read morning, or a week and a half from now.

He wasn't sure how long he had kept up like this within the past few days, but the more it happens, the worse he gets, which causes it to happen again, creating one huge never ending circle of suffering. He hated it, but what could he do?

Nico sat up with a sigh and looked at his feet where one of his cats had curled up into a ball and passed out, not giving him a second look at the shift in the bed. He kicked his feet off the side of the bed, the urge to jump not fully there.

It was late, he couldn't bother anyone. Will needed his sleep, Reyna was busy with everything, Annabeth had been sick lately so there went Percy as well. Katie had just gotten married, Micheal had a test in the morning, and Rachel had just gotten back from filming. He felt alone, and the bed hadn't felt this empty since Will had slept on the couch.

His nerves were kicking in, anxiety starting to take over. He didn't want it to, but he knew it was only a matter of time until it felt like he couldn't breath. With his last year of university already started, the wedding, and his new book being released in less than three months and not everything had been finished, his stress level was his final blow.

He got up and sat on the couch, the cold floors being a friendly reminder that he was awake. So, there he sat, legs clinging to his body as he sat in the dark, the occasional car driving by and casting a ray of light on the walls. And he was cold, but not literally, it was like his internal temperature had gone down without him knowing, like he was freezing from the inside out.

And there it is, the final sinking feeling that made him want to throw up. It had finally hit and there was no one he could call or turn to. At least that's what he thought. He knew there was only one person he could call that would understand and know what to do, but was it worth it?

Nico knew that even though the voices in his head were telling him that he shouldn't bother, he knew he did. So, as he felt the air leaving his lungs, he reached for his phone and quickly dialed Reyna.

It rang.

It rang.

It rang.

It rang-

"Nico?" Reyna asked from the other end, her voice groggy and full of sleep. "You do understand what time it is, right?"

"Reyna," Nico managed to say, only the littlest of noise coming out. Right away Nico heard shifting from the other side, alerting him that she had sat up.

"Nico? Are you okay? What's going on?"

"I can't breath," Nico stuttered, holding his legs closer to his body.

There was silence on the other end for what felt like an eternity, but when Reyna simply said, "I'm on my way," Nico snapped back into reality like an elastic band. He heard the line go silent and he let his hand to limp, the phone falling. Nico shrunk his body down and wrapped his arms back around his legs and rested his head, breath heavy and uneven.

It was only fifteen minutes later when Reyna walked through the door, throwing her own pair of keys on the table. She had insisted on her own pair after Nico's last anxiety attack, but when she saw his state, she knew right away that this was nowhere's near as light as the other one had been.

"Oh, Nico," she managed to choke out as she rushed over, Rachel following behind her. Reyna had insisted on Rachel meeting her over, knowing that Nico needed more than just one person there. She had agreed and rushed over, calling a few people on her own.

His face was red and blotchy from crying, his breath was hitched. He was choking on air.

Reyna ran over and wrapped her arms around the shell of a man and held him close. She whispered soft words as he seemed half grounded in reality.

Rachel took a deep breath in, not knowing what to do. She knew Nico had anxiety attacks from Will, but seeing one left her almost as breathless as Nico was. She ran over to the sink and grabbed a cup, filling it up and bringing it over to Nico right away.

"Here," she said softly, her face full of concern and matching Reyna's. The two girls looked at one another and spoke without words, both knowing one part of the whole story just by observing. "I called Malcolm, Katie, and Annabeth. Annabeth might not be able to make it over, but Malcolm and Katie both said they were on their way."

Reyna nodded as she took in her own shaky breath.

"Thanks, can you get a wet cloth from the bathroom please?"

With no sign of hesitation, Rachel rushed to the bathroom and grabbed a facecloth off of the shelf and turned on the water full blast to cold. She tapped her foot as she flicked the water, cursing that it wasn't cold enough.

"C'mon," she spoke with haste. With a heavy sigh, she stuck the fabric under the water the moment it got cold enough.

She rushed out of the bathroom and down the small hall to the living room where she tossed Reyna the washcloth. She smiled and nodded hardly as she quickly placed it on the back of Nico's neck, hoping to shock his nerves a bit. Reyna grabbed a blanket off of the back of the couch and wrapped it around Nico, holding him tight once again.

After a few moments passed, Malcolm was rushing through the door, his hair disheveled from just waking up, his glasses not even on properly.

"Is Nico okay?" he asked as he removed his coat and shoes, placing them off to the side somewhere.

"Yeah," Rachel informed him, "he's doing a little better now."

"That's good," he sighed a breath of relief. "I was really worried."

"Sorry to call you so late into the night," Rachel apologized, rubbing her face as a wave of tiredness rushed over her suddenly.

"No, I'm glad you did. He's been acting weird lately, so this was bound to happen again." He smiled flatly at her before he turned to where Nico had managed to sit back on his own, Reyna only having her hand resting on his knee.

Katie was the next one to arrive, her hair also in every direction, but even worse than the others. She had a bit of left over makeup that didn't wash off completely from the night before smudged under her eyes, making her bags stand out more.

Everyone slowly made their way over to the couch, everyone taking a spot on it or the chair beside. The lights in the house were all on at that point, the street lights adding to the warm environment.

"You guys didn't have to come," Nico managed to mew out, his voice sounding dry so Reyna passed him the cup of water. He thanked her with a weak smile.

"There is no way we would have left you all by yourself like this," Katie said with a voice of silk, her smile just as soft.

"Seriously," Rachel agreed with a set mind. "You needed friends and we came. You're stressed right now, so we are here to de-stress you."

Nico smiled as he met Rachel's eyes as she sat beside Reyna on the couch. Katie found her way on the ground, sitting cross-legged.

"It's tough to be about to get married and not have anyone here with you," Reyna spoke gently, squeezing his knee to show him that she was there for him. Nico smiled back.

"It is stressful and tiring, but enough about the bad! We are all here together late at night, let's turn the T.V. on, grab some snacks, and stay up till the sun is high in the sky!" Katie exclaimed, standing up as she headed to their kitchen, looking through their snack drawers.

"Ooo," Rachel piped up as she rushed to the kitchen, "we need things to drink!"

"Guess I'll pick the movie," Malcolm said as he heaved himself out of the chair he was sitting in and wobbled over to where Will and Nico kept their movie collection. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them it is."

Nico smiled softly to himself as he watched his friend move about his apartment this late into the night. They were there for him even when they didn't have to be. They could have ignored him or said they were busy, but instead they all rushed over and made sure he was okay. He may not have had a lot of close friends, but the ones he did were there for him.

Katie set down every piece of junk food she could find on the ground in bowls, bags toppling over, unable to stand on their own. She ran around until she managed to grab enough blankets and pillows for everyone, Rachel returning with cans of pop from the fridge as well as hot chocolate.

"This is a girls' night," Katie explained while she set everything up as the movie's opening features started to play.

Malcolm coughed dramatically.

"Oh, shut up," she said sarcastically, "there's more girls than boys so you have to deal with it."

Nico laughed gently as he slowly gained his breath back. He smiled as he watched them bicker back and forth, reaching for a chip.

As the movie started to play, everyone turned their attention to the screen, the arguing finding a close. The night flickered on, and by half way through the movie, Nico had passed out on the couch, hand dangling off of the side. Rachel had also passed out while Malcolm and Reyna blinked heavy lidded eyes. By the end of the movie, though, there wasn't a single open eye in the apartment, everyone welcoming sleep with open arms.

And that night, despite the awful position and the sugar running through his system, Nico managed to have the best nights sleep he had gotten in a long time. He didn't know if it was because he was so tired that his body passed out on him or that he was surrounded by his friends, but what he did know was that he was going to make it through the rest of the days, even if he was alone.

...

"Do you have everything?" Nico asked frantically, wide eyes staring at Percy who held his hands up.

"Yes," he insisted, fixing his cuff when he put his hands down, still cautious of the frantic groom.

"Are you sure?"

"I am positive," Percy said as he took a deep breath in, nodding his head.

"Really?"

"Want me to get Annabeth?" Percy asked, doubting himself at this point, unsure if he really was sure. Malcolm just rolled his eyes and shook his head in the background as he listened to their conversation, smirking.

"Yes," Nico partially demanded.

With a frantic nod and a worried expression, Percy rushed off, running around the corridors of the old, almost gothic church.

"Nico," Malcolm started, one end of his lip turning upwards as he effortlessly walked over to where Nico was sitting, "you need to calm down, you need to breath."

"Breath?" Nico repeated, grabbing the back of his chair and turning around. "Malcolm, I'm about to get married, I can't breath!"

"Yes you can," Reyna said flatly as she threw an empty water bottle at Nico's head. "You are just worrying too much. Annabeth has got this. Her and Piper have everything running smoothly, your job is to be calm and have fun."

"Be calm or have fun, which one is it because I can't have both," Nico spoke back, looking back to the mirror with a worried expression.

Reyna sighed heavily as she stood up from off of her chair, her purple dress hugging her body nicely. It really was her colour.

"Stop being such an idiot, Nico. You are about to get married to literally your childhood celebrity crush. Will is probably in the other room freaking out just as much as you are."

"I highly doubt that," Nico huffed, resting his chin on his hand as he stared back into the mirror, trying to count his flaws, "Will is perfect under pressure. I bet he isn't even fazed a little."

...

"Annabeth," Will stressed, his voice cracking, "I'm freaking out!"

Annabeth put her hairbrush down with a heavy sigh.

"You're going to be fine," she spoke softly, turning to face the blonde. "You have nothing to worry about.

"But what if something goes wrong?" Will continued to worry, frantically playing with his hair which Piper slapped his hand for, grabbing the can of hair spray that was on the dresser in front of them.

"Then you have a wedding," Annabeth put plainly. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "It wouldn't be good luck if everything went perfectly."

"It's true," Piper piped in as she fixed Will's hair after he ruined it. "You need at least one thing to go wrong before it's over to make for a happy marriage."

"Did anything go wrong during your wedding, Annabeth?"

"Oh, plenty of things," she said with no care. She turned and smiled gently. "But I didn't panic. I had people that handled that, just like you have us."

"Totally, dude," Jason spoke up, walking beside Piper as he adjusted his glasses. "Anything you need, we got it."

"What I need is death," Will mumbled.

Just then Percy had burst through the door, panting. He smiled once he locked eyes with Annabeth.

"Baby, you are needed in the other room, pronto," he said in between breaths that came out in erratic patterns. Annabeth simply sighed and smiled, shaking her head as she stood up, her gold dress swaying as she moved with grace.

"I'll be right back, just have to check on Tweedledee," she said as she winked at Will.

"Why am I Tweedledum?!" was all Annabeth heard as she closed the door behind her with another heavy sigh. This wedding was giving her an early midlife crisis and it wasn't even her own wedding.

...

With a knock, Annabeth poked her head through opened door. "You called?"

"Oh Annabeth," Nico said as he stood up, his legs shaking. "Is everything here and in place?"

She smiled softly as she entered through the door fully, closing it behind her.

"Yes," she reassured him, placing a hand on his tense shoulder.

"I told you," Reyna spoke up, fixing her hair in her mirror before making her way over to meet up with the two of them. Both Annabeth and Reyna wore the same dress, a formfitting, floor length with a silver ribbon around their waist, just in different colours.

"I know, but still," Nico muttered as he started to pace around the room.

"Just think," Annabeth chimed in, "You get to see Will for the first time in almost a month."

A weighted breath left Nico as he thought about seeing the blonde again. It had been so long since he had last seen him that it almost made the pain worse, yet not in a way that hurt.

"But what if he doesn't want to see me?"

"Nico, get your head out of your ass, it's not a hat," Katie shouted as she finished her makeup. "Of course he wants to see you, he's been nervous tweeting this entire time, and the longer this goes on, the worse it gets."

Nico scratched his head as he tried to calm down. He shouldn't be this nervous, but he was. And it was frustrating.

"Just breath and I'll go see how much longer, 'cause if I keep this up, I'm going to be gray by the end of toady - if not by the ceremony," Annabeth muttered as she exited the room.

"You're going to be fine," Malcolm said as he patted his friend on the back.

"I know," Nico mumbled, "I just miss him."

...

Nico paced back and forth, only minutes before the whole thing started. He wanted to see Will, to marry him, but as time ticked by, his mind started to run wild, thoughts coming at him from all angles. He tried to take in a deep breath, but it came out shaky. Nico closed his eyes and shook his hands, trying to calm his nerves. He was brought back to the moment when a strong pair of hands fell on his shoulder.

"Dad," he managed to say as his voice came out airy. He sighed in relief before once again being flooded by his thoughts.

"Son," Nico's father spoke, his voice deep and rich, yet it held a sort of sadness, "I am proud of you."

Nico let out a noise the was akin to a cry as he rushed into his father's arms, his strong arms wrapping around his little boy.

"You look so much like your mother," he said slowly as he pulled his hug away, a hand still fainting on his shoulder. He sighed and shook his head. He smiled, but it was sad. "Especially like she did on our wedding day all those years ago." He paused to find his words. "I love your step-mother, Persephone, but when I saw your mother, Nico, I knew she was the only one I ever wanted to be with. And seeing you here today, seeing you about to get married yourself, I am reminded of the moment I first saw her walking down the aisle."

"Dad..." Nico mumbled, getting emotional all over again in a new way. He had never seen his father as vulnerable as he was standing there before him.

"Now," he straightened his back, voice going back to its booming power, only a bit more gentle, "it's about time to start, how about it?"

"Yeah," Nico agreed, smiling as he wiped away a single tear that had found its way out. "It's about time, isn't it?"

...

Will stood at the front, finding every moment to fiddle with his suit, stressing and worrying about every single thing, hoping and praying that nothing goes wrong. His mother and father smiled from the first row, beaming as they watched their once little boy standing before a crow of people, ready to say his vows. Even though they were shaking their heads at his nerves, they still couldn't help but love every minute of it.

And when the music started, everyone stood, and Will's heart picked up to record breaking speeds. All eyes were painted on the entrance as Will's younger sister (whom bagged to have the role despite being too old) entered, carrying both a small bunch of flowers and the rings, leading the wedding party that followed.

Reyna and Octavian kicked off the main wedding party, the Maid of Honor and the Best Man setting thing underway. Will would never admit out loud, but even though he fought with Octavian every other event, he was one of his longest friends, the two of them staring together as children in an ABC sitcom show when they both were getting started.

Being beside Octavian emphasized Reyna's beauty, but she just had that way with people in general. She might keep her hair away from her face and dress in only two colours, catch her on the right night and you would mistake her for the movie star.

When they reached the end, Octavian elbowed Will with a smirk as Katie and Jason followed next. The two smiled and smirked at one another, having a silent conversation as they walked down the aisle. Piper and Malcolm were next, Will's side following the gold colour with Piper arm-in-arm with Malcolm in a stunning golden dress that hugged her curves while Malcolm's tie was a brilliant lavender.

The torch was passed to Percy and Annabeth as they couldn't help but feel like proud parents as they walked down, staring Will directly in the eye as the man moved awkwardly in place. Malcolm and Percy bumped fist as he found his place in line with Piper and Annabeth carrying out their own silent conversation from the other side.

There was one last couple to walk down before Nico headed out with his father whom insisted on walking him when he found out he was going to go through with it, saying that he never got the chance with Bianca so he wasn't letting Nico slip away so easily.

He had agreed. If you had asked, he would have said that he was reluctant, but he would never admit that he had felt like he had never been happier, as it meant so much to him.

Through all the drama that had happened, Nico was the one to suggest Will's final wedding party. He had been surprised, but as the months weaved in and out, him and Drew had gotten on a lot better terms. With Rachel being his last person, she and Drew closed off the last bit before everyone truly tuned in.

As the music changed and everyone - mainly Will - held their breath, is was as if all the air in the room had been taken out when Nico cracked the corner. Will knew how gorgeous his fiance was, but he wasn't sure if it was the moment, the music, or just dust in his eyes and the lack of sleep, but he fought back tears, having one managing to slip out.

Octavian dabbed his eyes with his pocket tissue that he always had for some reason, a mystery that Will had never figured out since the moment they met, and shoved it away.

Nico's father was easily six-feet-tall, and compared to Nico, whom obviously took after his mother, he looked even more delicate than before. Side-by-side, they looked so much alike, both holding the same intensity in their eyes that could peer into your soul.

But none of that mattered to Will. Nico was getting closer and he was forgetting his own name or even the reason why he was there in the first place. It felt like years for Nico's father to hand him over, yet Will didn't want it to stop. He wanted that walk to last forever.

They hadn't seen each other in almost a month, so standing at the alter, with everyone watching them, all they wanted to do most in the world was to just be with the other, to hold him, to love him. But they could only do some much, so Will simply settled with reaching out and grabbing Nico's soft hands with his shaky ones.

Nico smiled, his hair falling perfectly over his eyes as part of his was pushed back. Will felt weak.

"Hi," Nico whispered, his voice shaky and raspy.

"Hey," was all Will was able to manage in return.

The ceremony had started and was underway as the words simply washed over them, neither of them really able to pay attention.

It went by like a blur until the vows came. Will was the one to go first. He smiled nervously as he cleared his voice, looking Nico directly in the eyes. He loved that man and he was going to tell him and the whole world it there that day.

"Nico," he started, his mouth going dry as he tried to speak, "I have so much to say, and even if I managed to find a way to express it, there wouldn't be enough time to ever finish." He paused for a moment before collecting his breath. "I have done many things in my life time, and I've been blessed to continue to do them. But as I stand here in front of you today, none of that matters because you will always be my greatest journey.

"From the moment I met you to the moment I, well, met you-" the crowd started to chuckle slightly "-I have just been going through life. But from the moment I truly got to know you, everything seems so new. Waking up beside you to simply texting you, everything makes me feel so lost. But that's okay because you're my light and you guild me. Nico, I promise to love you and to hold you until my dying breath. I promise to stand by your side even when we are worlds apart. I promise that you will never shed a sad tear for me, that I will be the one to pick you up off of the ground when you fall.

"Nico di Angelo, I love you with every ounce of my being and I never want to go a day without you by my side."

As Will slid the gold and white wedding band on Nico's finger, even though the room was so silent you could hear the rattling of the vents from down that hall, Nico was deafened by the sound of his beating heart. He was moments away from tears, and the longer he thought of Will's words the less control he had.

They had agreed to write their own, and after listening to Will's, he felt like his was worth nothing.

"I don't know how to follow that up," Nico managed to say, earning a hardy laugh from the crowd. He took a deep, shaky breath in before he started. "Will," he started, just the same as he did before, "years I had spent watching you from afar. You were everything that ever could happen and would happen all rolled into one. You were the sun that came out even when the storm was raging with no clear end in sight. You took my breath away yet gave me life, everything you did was a battle between 'take and give,' and I always lost.

"To think that one small action would snow ball and lead me to you, but against all odds, against everything that made sense, I managed to find my way to you and you were willing to let me in with everything that I brought with me. I know it might sound crazy, but I can't think of a time when you weren't involved in my life. Even when you were a endless garden and I was simply a tiny spider, you paved my way with every action. I love you, Will. I never say that enough. I could say it every second of every day and I would still feel the need to make up the time before I met you. I love you so much that even words won't work for me to describe it.

"I never want to see you hurt, I never want to see you cry, I never want to see you lonely. Will, I will always be by your side. I'll stand by you even if the world is caving in, I will love you even if the world is ending. I will be your light when you are lost, when you are in the dark. I love you, Will Solace, and I don't want you to ever forget that."

Will's lopsided smile was as large as it has ever been. He didn't care if they got married, he didn't care if they weren't even engaged, if he got to stay by his side forever in one way or another, he would be happy.

Nico struggled to get Will's ring on, his hands too shaky to aim properly. Will half laughed as he gently grabbed Nico's hand to help guild him, Nico's face blowing up from embarrassment.

"And that's why he's the writer," Will added once both rings were on their fingers. The crowd once again found comfort in the nervous comedy that was going on.

"I now pronounce you husband and husband," the officiant said as Will and Nico fought to keep it together for a little bit longer, "you may now kiss your groom."

And with no time to spare, Will leaned in and took Nico's face, their lips crashing together. Under normal circumstances, Nico would have hated the applause and cheering, but just the familiar warm feeling was enough to make him not care. He was married now to the man he never thought was ever going to love him back. He felt like he was living one of his books, that he was going to wake up any minute now. But as Will fixed his grip on Nico as they locked lips in front of their friends and family, Nico enjoyed every last moment he was awake for and wrapped his arms around Will's neck, pulling him in.

...

It had finally happened.

Nico and Will were finally married.

As they walked into the reception, everyone cheered and clapped as they entered hand-in-hand, two gold rings shined from either finger, showing off what had felt like a long time coming.

Neither Will nor Nico could believe that it had finally happened. They were married and walking into their reception, something neither of them could ever possibly imagine - even as it happened!

Even as everyone stood and applauded them, they couldn't hear anything other than their heartbeats racing in their ears, the sound of the other breath, the beat of the music. They were deaf to anything other than each other.

"I can't believe we are finally married," Will mumbled to Nico as they stood in their own world surrounded by the rest.

"I know, I can hardly believe any of this is happening," Nico replied, voice cracking but he didn't care.

"Introducing Mr and Mr Solace-di Angelo!" the man over the speaker called out, and the sound of everyone got louder. "Gather around for the newly weds first dance as a married couple."

There was a hush that fell over the crowd as Nico and Will faced one another, isolating them even further from everyone else in the room.

"After you, Mr. Solace-di Angelo," Nico said as Will put his hand around his waist.

"Why, thank you, Mr. Solace-di Angelo," Will replied with the same amount of giddy that Nico possessed. Neither of them could keep their smiles off of their face, so when the music started, everyone else in the room disappeared.

Their song was one that both of them managed to agree on, something more classic for Will, yet just enough edge for Nico not to feel too sappy. It took a while for them to get Annabeth on board with their song, but after some explaining, they managed to get her on their side for Can't Help Falling in Love, recorded by Twenty One Pilots.

Now, a lot of people might have found it to be cheesy, but the song held a lot of meaning for them, it told of their story, how their relationship came to be. Down to the first word, everything spoke true. So as they danced in each other's arms, everything fell into place. The world could fall apart around them and they wouldn't notice or even care.

But just as it was over, it had ended, the crowd cheering once more as they just stayed in one another's arms, the warmth being the only thing they needed in the world.

...

"I can't believe you convinced me to do this," Nico said dryly as he rolled his eyes after Will wrapped his arm around his waist.

"You agreed to this," Will replied with a smug smile, nudging Nico with hip.

"Whatever," Nico let out a sigh as he stared out at the small house in front of them. "But did we really have to move so soon?"

"Of course!" Will explained, turning to Nico as he took his hands in his own. "We are a family," he explained, smiling softly as he looked up at the house in front of them. "I grew up in a house, so now that we are married, I want to continue that."

"Family, really? Nothing's changed other than the fact that we are married now," Nico said as he raised a brow at Will. "All we have is us and the three cats, I wouldn't really call that a 'family.'"

"But we are! Official we are a family," Will spoke as he gestured to the house.

"But weren't we before?" Nico regretted saying after the words left his mouth as his ears went red. Will simply smiled as he brought his forehead to rest on Nico's.

"We were," Will told him with a soft hush in his voice, "but now it's official to everyone else."

"Whatever," Nico rolled his eyes again.

"Anyway," Will said as he eyed the structure once again, "now that we have all this space, we must fill it some how."

"Will, no," Nico spoke with a sudden caution towards Will. The blonde simply smirked.

"Will, yes."

...

"I hate you," Nico said.

"No you don't," Will corrected him with a cheery smile, almost too proud of himself.

"I can't believe you did this."

"I don't know what you mean," Will said as he looked anywhere but at Nico who stood in front of him wearing baggy, worn out clothing. His hair was pushed back with a headband and his hands smelt like cleaner.

"Will!" he exclaimed, raising his hands in frustration. "You can't just go out and buy a dog whenever you feel like it!"

"But he likes you," he said softly as a tiny black lab stood at Nico's feet, running in and out of his legs, trying to lick him through his clothes. Nico simply stood with his arms crossed as he refused to cut his glare.

"I don't care if he likes me or what, Will, we already have three cats, we can not have a dog on top of that!" He took a step forward, making sure not to step on the dog. "I have been cleaning all day while you've been at work and you come home with a dog? You really think that that was a smart idea?!"

"Yeah..." Will spoke slowly as he watched his words, watching Nico flip out, turning on his heel, and leaving the room with a loud scream of frustration.

...

Getting a dog wasn't Nico's first idea, but as he and Will laid on their couch in their new living room, the T.V. echoing through the still empty spaces, everything snapped together. Cerberus - the name Nico forced on Will after agreeing to keep him after much persuasion - laid rolled in a ball at the base of the couch, snoring softly as a slight breeze rushed over the couple.

"It's cold," Will said as he yawned, blinking at the light from the television.

"Don't move," Nico muttered as he gripped Will's shirt with tired hands.

"I wasn't going to move," he told the mound that laid on his chest.

"Good," Nico managed to say just loud enough for Will to hear.

The creaking continued from the temperature outside changing, rattling the pipes and stirring the puppy.

"Don't you think it's quiet here?" Will pointed out after a few moments of silence with the background noise of the T.V. sounded.

"Maybe if you didn't buy such a big house then that wouldn't be a problem."

"It's not that big," Will blurted out in protest, dropping his chin to get a better look at Nico. "Well... it wouldn't be too big if there were more people living here."

Nico raised his head to look at Will with slightly confusion.

"What do you mean? It's only the two of us - and if you try and get another dog, you will be sleeping on the floor," Nico spoke as he watched Will, pausing for a small moment. "You better not be telling me that you want your parents to move in."

"No," Will responded with a small bound of laughter, his eyes glowing as his face slowly fell, something else coming to his mind, "not exactly."

"Then what do you mean?" Nico asked, raising his body up as he watched Will with intensity. He tried to understand what Will was getting at, but nothing was making sense. What did Will mean by other people? Did he want to get roommates? But if he thought it was too big himself also, then why did he insist on this place? Will's words weren't making much sense in a literal sense.

"I mean," Will paused to swallow something hard in his throat, "what if there was another pair of feet walking around?"

Will's heartbeat was going faster than he had ever felt it go before, his hearing becoming fuzzy as the pounding is all he heard. It rattled inside his mind, making his throat dry.

This time Nico sat completely up causing Cerberus to fuss around for a bit before jumped down off of the couch. As Nico rested his back on the arm of the couch, Will slowly sat up as well, neither looking away from the other.

"Wait," Nico started, trying to place his thoughts, "are you saying that... that..."

"That maybe I want kids, then yes."

There was a silence that fell over them, neither moving or speaking. It was as if a bomb had been dropped. No one wanted to be the first to say anything.

The air around them hung like a heavy cloud, sucking all of the energy out of the room.

"But what if I don't?" Nico finally asked in a small voice, trying to break his eye contact from Will in almost a shameful way.

Nico sat there in silence, this time it was his turn to not be able to breath.

As the sound of the television played in the background, both sat in silence, neither knowing what to say. This was never a topic that had come up in the past, one that they never bothered to bring up.

For Nico, this was a topic he knew that Will, given his childhood, would want. He always seemed like a big family man, someone that would enjoy to have three, maybe four children, but for Nico, he wanted nothing to do with that. It wasn't that he didn't like children, but it that he didn't know how to deal with children.

He had never been too good with kids. They would always cry when he held them, the would hide when he came around, and they never wanted to be left alone with him. Nico just didn't know how to handle children, and it left him not exactly wanting any of his own. He just thought that he wouldn't make a very good father, something he knew Will would be extremely good at, and it pulled him in either directions.

"Okay," was all Will said as he turned his attention back to the screen, his tired eyes forcing themselves open. And it hurt Nico.

...

"I'm so glad you two could come over," Annabeth said as she finished up washing a plate, sighing as she headed into the attached living room to grab her's and Percy's daughter who was trying to throw the television remote.

"Truly, and I know that Kelsey and Eli are glad to see you two again," Percy said as he bounced a newly born baby boy in his arms gently.

"I'm sorry we couldn't get over sooner, but between moving and work, we've been very busy," Will explained as he went into the living room to grab Kelsey from a tired Annabeth who looked like she hadn't slept for a week.

"Don't apologize, it's just nice to see people again," an equally tired Percy said with a smile as he yawned.

"Just be glad you can sleep while you can, 'cause once you have children, they never let you see your bed," Annabeth spoke as she headed back into the kitchen to finish cleaning from that morning. Will laughed softly before turning his attention back to the little girl in his arms.

"Hi," he spoke to her in a soft voice. "I don't think we really have to worry about that," he joked as he faced Percy who still sat at the kitchen table.

"You don't have to watch her too close, just make sure that she doesn't eat random things," Annabeth told Will with a small chuckle. "She's in that stage. It's a pain to chase her around to make sure she doesn't have random things in her mouth."

"Oh no," he laughed, turning his head to the small blonde girl with the same bright eyes as her father. "I remember when Kayla was in that stage. I got so mad because she tried to eat my comic books."

"Nerd!" Nico called out to which both Percy and Annabeth agreed with laughter.

"Listen! No one touched my Batman and got away with it, even if it was my little sister," he explained, waving his hands at the small child as she brought him a round red ball with a hobble in her diaper.

"Well, can I get you anything to drink?" Annabeth offered as she wiped her hands off, smiling at Will.

"Water's fine," he replied, "Thanks."

"No problem," she said with a smile, turning to Nico whom simply waved her a no with the shake of his head and hand.

Nico sat down on the couch and watched as Kelsey stumbled over her legs trying to catch the ball Will kept throwing.

"She's not a dog," Nico said.

"Not the way Percy treats her, I swear," Annabeth said under her breath, obviously loud enough for all to hear while trying to act secretive.

"Hey!" Percy called out, turning his head as he cradled Eli in his arms. The child started to fuse, making small wailing noises. "Ah crap - shhh, don't cry. Daddy is sorry for being too loud."

"Percy," Annabeth called out, "did you switch the laundry?"

"Oh shit," Percy aggressively whispered as he stood up. He quickly walked up to Nico and handed him Eli to which Nico simply stared at confusion at the baby. "Here, hold him for me for a hot sec." Before Nico could refuse or explain anything, he held the crying baby in his arms, too scared to move or do anything for that matter.

"What do I do with it?" he muttered under his breath as he looked down at the small child in his arms, his gray eyes beaming back at Nico as tears ran down his face. "It's okay, tiny one. I tend to cry a lot, too. It's better if you save your tears for a time that is truly needed. Trust me, you'll need them a lot."

Nico looked up at Will who was still paying attention to Kelsey. He hoped that he would notice him and see his struggle and take the crying child from his arms.

At first Nico was confused why Will hadn't been looking up at him. He thought for sure that the sound of a crying baby would cause Will to look over, but the longer he ignored him, the more Nico grew confused. It wasn't until he looked back down at Eli that he noticed that he hadn't been crying, that he had stopped. The baby laid peacefully in his arms for the past few moments.

It confused Nico even more, though. He wasn't good with children, why was this one no longer screaming? If he was a baby, even he would be crying - hell, he would be crying harder.

"Why aren't you crying any longer?" he asked the child, as if he could respond. But when he got a simple noise in return, he took his free hand and moved the blanket out of Eli's face. A small smile crossed his face when the child reached up and tried to grab his hand.

Annabeth sat beside Will on the ground, smiling and encouraging Kelsey when she came over with the ball. She handed Will his water as she leaned back to rest for a bit. She turned her head to watch Nico on the other couch.

"He's really good with Eli," she pointed out with a smile, tossing the ball back to Kelsey when she handed it over to her.

"Yeah," Will agreed, "he really is."

She turned to face the blonde who turned back to face her also.

"Are you two thinking of adopting or something?" she asked, smiling quickly back at Kelsey who flopped down on the floor.

Will shook his head after some hesitation, his expression turning slightly sad.

"Probably not, no," he told her, playing with Kelsey a bit. "He doesn't want any. That's why I come over here and steal your children."

"Why not? He's amazing with Eli, and Kelsey also loves him," Annabeth pointed out again, smiling at her daughter.

"I'm not too sure, he won't tell me. He doesn't like it when I bring it up."

"That's too bad," Annabeth said, resting her head on the couch behind her, closing her eyes for a moment.

As Nico watched the child in his arms, he couldn't help but smile. He was small, everything about his life hadn't been decided, yet it had. He had not does a single thing in his life beside exist, and the more Nico watched the poor baby bat his long eye lashes as he watched Nico with an awe that only babies held, something inside his changed.

He couldn't explain it, but as he sat there, holding the small child in his arms, he felt like he was going to cry. He had never been a big fan of babies, but as this one watched him, a lump formed in the back of his throat. He felt small, but looking at Eli, he felt like he could also take on the world.

"It's going to be okay," he told the child, but he was more telling himself. "Will, I hate you," Nico said loud, his voice almost breaking.

When Will looked up, he saw Nico fighting back tears with Eli in his arms. The soft light coming from his eyes let Will know exactly what he meant.

...

Even with just the two of them, the house was alive with sound - and also panic.

Nico frantically rushed around their house, going back and forth between rooms, double checking everything. This time it was Will's turn to shake his head at an anxious man running about.

"Nico," Will said with a small bout of laughter as he watched his husband go from one room to the other, "there is literally nothing to worry about. We've already made sure everything is ready."

"But - but-"

"Nico," Will spoke once more, holding the smaller male by his shoulders, "breath. Everything is going to be fine."

"It's just - I don't know if I'll be good at this whole thing, you know?" Nico said with a soft voice, his breath still heavy.

"You'll be fine." Will put his forehead on Nico's, staring him in the eye. "You don't have anything to worry about. You are going to be an amazing father and there is nothing that's going to change it."

"But what if I mess up? I'm not really a whole 'family' person, like you are. What if I screw something up and this child turns out a wreck?" Nico frantically asked, overthinking everything.

"You will not mess anything up. We haven't even picked him up yet. You literally cannot mess anything up at this point, and if you do, I'll be there for you to fall back on."

Nico smiled took a deep breath.

"Are you sure I'll be fine?" he asked once again to which Will responded by stealing a kiss.

"I am sure, Nico. I love you and you are going to be an amazing father, I promise," Will told him, taking his hand in his own.

"God, it feels like only yesterday I was a scared college student who didn't know how to handle my own feelings."

"Now look at us."

Nico smiled.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," Nico replied with a shaky breath. "Let's go get our son."

...

"See?" Will said as he laughed, trying to stay supportive. "I told you you would be fine."

"But I'm going to drop him," Nico explained, hands shaking.

"No you're not," Will told him as he set down the baby bag by the couch, taking the dog to the bedroom.

"Will!" Nico exclaimed. "Don't leave me alone!"

"I'm not leaving you alone," Will yelled back as the sound of the back door creaked. "I'm just letting the dog out."

"Will," Nico muttered as he stared back down at the small child in his arms, eye lashes long.

He looked around before sitting down on the couch. The silence was inviting, yet also threatening. Nico took a deep breath in before taking another look at his new son.

Son.

It was a strange word for Nico to use. He was a father and a husband. How was his life going so fast and so well? He felt like he was living in a dream. Never once did he think he would get to this point in life. Five years ago, Nico didn't know what he was going to do in a week, but here he was, child in hand wondering when his husband would come back with their dog to hold their new son.

"Luca," Nico started, "I promise no harm will ever come to you. I promise that all you will feel is love, that you will never know pain worse than loss. I will teach you to be brave, to be strong. You are growing up in a cruel world, a world where not everyone is loved. But just know, Luca Jenson Lee Solace-di Angelo, you will be okay because you are loved."

"You okay?" Will asked when he came into the living room, Cerberus at his side. He picked up Luca's bag and placed it on the coffee table.

"Yeah," Nico told him, "everything's okay."

...

"It was like yesterday they were children talking in front of a camera," Wanda, gossip news handler, said, smiling as she looked down at her cup.

"It's true," Stacy agreed, nodding as she dusted off her dress from imaginary dust. "It's amazing to watch them grow up and start their own families, but it really makes you feel old."

"I remember when the world was taken by storm by the news of their relationship and we first covered it," John, the man with a once neatly trimmed beard, spoke, his face clean.

"But once again Will is back in the spot light, especially with his new T.V. show coming out," Chris explained, shifting in his seat.

"It was sad to see him take some time off after he adopted his son, but seeing him and his husband raise him was worth it," Stacy added with a smile as everyone nodded in agreement.

"He sure has gotten quite cute, hasn't he?" John stated, which Wanda agreed with.

"He sure is becoming quite like Will in his attitude, too."

"He sure has," Chris said as he took a sip from his cup.

...

"Will!" Nico yelled, his hair tied up into a loose bun, stray hairs falling out as he typed away on his computer.

"Yeah?" he called back from the bathroom.

"Can you come get Luca, he's playing with the remotes again!"

"Why can't you?" Will asked with his toothbrush in his mouth, spitting as he stuck his head out of the door.

"I'm busy," Nico called out as he tapped his foot.

"So am I."

"Will!"

"Fine!"

Will came out with toothpaste all over his mouth.

"Come on, Angel, daddy's trying to write," Will said as he picked up his small son with both hands after Luca ran around the living room, laughing.

"Daddy looks funny," he said in between giggles.

"What? Is it my face or his hair?" Will asked his son as he hung upside down by his feet as Will lifted him up.

"Will, I'm right here," Nico growled.

"I know," Will replied with a sly smile.

In between giggles and then hiccups, luca said, "You both are funny!"

"Luca," Nico said, closing his laptop and turning towards his husband and son, "tell your father that if he doesn't get you off to bed, the spirit of nonna is gonna come and get you."

In a fit of giggles, Luca got down and rushed off to bed, screaming about how doesn't want nonna to get him.

"Nico," Will said in a huff as he shook his head at his husband, "don't scare our son with the ghost of your mother."

"How else am I going to do it? Yours is still alive," Nico said with a sly smirk. "Anyways, how's production going?"

Will fell on the couch with a huff. He yawned. "Tiring, but it's coming. The new book?"

"Tiring, but it's coming," Nico copied Will, the both of them laughing in a tired manner.

"I love you," Will said suddenly.

"That was random," Nico spoke with a slight chuckle.

"But it's true." Both of the smiled at one another, just enjoying the other's presence.

"I'm glad you're in my life," Nico told Will.

"I know," Will replied with a smirk.

"Hey, that's my line," Nico said as he threw a pillow at his husband in a childish manner.

"Daddy!" screamed Luca from his room. Both men looked at one another and stood up with a moan.

"After you, love," Will said with a slight bow of mockery.

"Fuck you," Nico said as he headed down the hall to their son's room with his husband, hand-in-hand.

Standing there, nothing seemed like it would fall apart. Everything fit together like a puzzle piece. Their family had come a long ways to get to where it was, to how it loved and protected one another. To them, it didn't matter what had happened or what was to come next. To them they were happy, they were safe, they were loved.

Right then, all was well, and to anyone that asked, the story of two boys that loved when no one else thought they could was the greatest love story to be ever told.

Chapter Text

theusualmeh

Q: Do you plan to start a new solangelo fic after this? Or are you working on something else? Or possibly even stepping away from the ship/fanfiction in general?

A: Well, I would love to do more solangelo, but sadly as the fandom and ship gets older, less and less people keep coming. So, on that note, I do plan on keeping up my Christmas story tradition, so expect another Solangelo story this year, and also I have so many ideas floating in my mind to write that I think I might put one more down after I finish HAN and X. And I am working on a Klance fic on Archive that i'm thinking of bring over here so if you're a fan of Voltron, expect that some time in the future. And for those who can't wait, it's called Still Likeness and i'm under basically the same name on there also. Same profile pic anyways. I don't want to step away from the fandom, but as I have stated earlier, with the fandom growing older and less and less Solangelo coming up cannon, its gotten hard to draw in new members, but again, there should be two new ones after this, I promise!

1Anime2Freak

Q: Are you thinking of making another solangelo story?, and have you ever thought of making this into an actual story but with different names like im wattpad or making an actual story and try to publish it XD cus I feel you'll make an amazing book author. Anyway thats all! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

A: As stated before, hell yeah! I ain't ending my reign on a high note! No way! I'm going to crash and burn like the rest! And i haven't thought of turning Side Friend (fanfiction) into a story, but I have considered on multiple occasions of turning Side Friend (story) into a fully fleshed out story. C'mon! Why would you want to waste your money on something you can get free online instead of paying for an altered, obviously solangelo fanfiction with different names?! And if I did that, I probably wouldn't be able to turn Side Friend (Story) into a full story unless I pull a Rainbow Rowel. And if I did go to wattpad, I don't feel like i would gain the following there as it does here, but maybe sometime down the road, if I'm bored enough, I'll think of that.

Love (Guest)

Q: Have you thought of changing the names and publishing this as an actual story? Cause it's really that amazing! Also, what made you want to continue this after the original 5 chapter story? Are you planning on any more Solangelo stories, long or short?

Ps. Thank you for the best year and a half of my life 3
Also, this Q and A is a really good idea!

A: What made me continue this after chapter 5? God, even I'm not 100% sure - oh wait, I am. lol. Well, it was more like i was expecting this story to gain maybe 10 followers during its original run, like the first 5 chapters, but by chapter 2, I was giddy and couldn't hold anything back. Just waking up those mornings before Christmas to dozens of emails from you guys liking it, favourting it, and following it and me was too much for me to fully handle. Thing's weren't always perfect in my life, and I remember writing it as an escape, so seeing all those people enjoy something that was coming to an end made me selfish. Anyways, I wanted to continue it mainly because I knew the story that was to follow, but you guys didn't. I knew how they would get married, I knew how Nico was going to introduce Will to his mum, but none of you guys knew any of that. So I started writing, and I remember that one person commented that maybe Will's ex girlfriend would show up and BOOM! Everything took of from there! I was able to show you a world that I had sculpted out and just enjoy sharing it. I always knew that Will would propose on live television (cuz he's extra) and that Malcolm was to become his great friend. Funny note, Malcolm was originally meant to show up in the original 5 chapters and work as Katie but when he was at work. Due to lack of school scenes, that obviously never happened. There should be one short (Christmas (which I need to come up with the idea for that now (let me know if you have any suggestions for that))) and one more long which will most likely be my final going out. Sadly. And I can't thank you guys enough, this has been some of the most amazing times writing this, reading what you guys have to say. This year and a half is currently an era that has sadly come to an end (for now).

Mr. Flamingo

Q: yes yes yes yes yes

A: Well thank your lucky stars I did!

Kouchu

Q: Add more chapters, Please! And work on X

Please continue these stories they are very good. I hate waiting, so please please please UPDATE. you are such a good writer. Please make more Solangelo Fics!

A: I am, actually! I have most of the rest of X fleshed out in a document that i think is close to 1000 words, and that's a quick summery. I've been so busy with school and finals (I have a final int he morning and it midnight, can you tell how I spend my time correctly?) that I haven't been able to properly address them like I used to. And regarding HAN (I know you didn't ask, but might as well give that info to) that one has the entire base planned out also, and trust me, if you thought this on sad... oh boi... Anyways, I do plan on updating the others, but sadly, as all good things must come to an end, we say goodbye to an era, and this is one that I am saddened to let go.

As a side note, I'll answer some more questions that I get all the time or just some that made me think a bit.

The way I portray certain characters

This is one I get time to time, actually. Mostly regarding Drew and sometimes Lou Ellen. Now, Drew is a tricky situation and is hard to tread lightly on her topic. She is usually portrayed as a character to get in the way of relationships/ships, and while I did use her in that sense, I did not want to use her as a direct block. It wasn't her choice just as much as it was Will's so don't go and say I strictly used her for that purpose. I wanted to humanize Drew in a way I haven't seen done before. I wanted to show that she too had feelings, and while she did play a cliche role, I wanted to show the reality of it, something I love to do and hardly ever see. They are cliched for a reason. Anyways, I don't like when people see my portrayal of Lou Ellen as the bad guy. She is simply doing her job, whether she liked it or not. Will needed to follow "orders" and in the case of Drew, she saw the balance between doing it and not, and knew that the director was right. The publicity did sky rocket, but the negatives were still unseen. And sadly they weren't the kindest negatives.

Where I got my idea from

Actually, most of my stories are from me reading something and saying, "I can do that better," but for this case, it was one of the first times I had grabbed an idea I had sitting around in the back of my mind and fleshed it out. I wanted to put Side Friend as both the fanfic and the story to good use, and originally the name of the fic was called One Last Hero (or No More Heroes as Nico (I) told everyone in the last chapter. But good thing Side Friend came. I had taken the idea, "What if Will was famous and Nico loved him?" and the idea, "What if BOTH of them were famous and idolized one another?" and stuck them together. It's hard to explain really where it all formed together, but some how it came perfectly together and this is what came from it.

What do you mean this isn't complete?

Yes, I know, I still get those. In the beginning, i got a lot of people asking me why it was marked as complete, and if you were a more newer reader, I'll answer that question in full! As I've stated before, Side Friend was a 5 chapter story that ended on Christmas day, a year and a half ago, and because y'all wanted more and I'm a hoe for attention, I wrote what came next. But this was the Epilogue! So the epilogue went from chapters 6-34. So when the final chapter was posted, this was known as the Epilogue-Epilogue! But now that we are complete, no one can bug me on that now!

John Green and Rainbow Rowel

Okay, this was real popular in the beginning when I first was writing this. I get a lot of people asking if I got inspiration from John Green - especially The Fault in Out Stars, and the direct and easy answer is no. I have never once read a john Green book - expect for the on he paired up with Leviathan, and even that is only half finished. I have not seen the movies either, so no, i have no influence from John Green or The Fault in Our Stars. And for Rainbow Rowel, I love her man! I've read Fangirl and Carry On and they are my shit! She has a few more that I want to read, but I have a huge stack of unfinished books I want to get through before I do that. And to be compared to them, I don't think I could have reached a bigger honour from you guys on that. I actually, literally cried the first time I read one of those comments from you guys.

Will a sequel happen?

Probably only if you pay me. I have a sequel in mind, but that's a story line that I only know that happens afterwards that involved Luca and another person, but that is maybe, probably never going to happen, sadly. But seriously, if I get paid to, damn straight you are going to see more of Nico and Will, but that's the only way.

Where things meant to be different?

Actually, yeah, a lot of things were changed. Most of them were small details, like places or different angles and shit, but somethings were changed to make it easier. Like, strangely Kayla's age changed drastically during a single chapter. I had written her to be maybe 5-8, but by the end, bitch was was like 13-5-ish maybe 16. Like, yeah, that was a huge change. Mainly this occurred because there were some scenes I wanted her in and to do that wouldn't have been as possible if she was that young.

Malcolm

That's it, just an entire section on him because y'all treated him like Viktor from Yuri on Ice. I laughed when you all thought he was evil. Like, that was my favourite mutual agreement from you all. God, he is a pure boy, and yeah he a lil gay for Nico, but who isn't? Anyways, he ends up with that Lucy chick (I hope that's what her name was cuz I'm too lazy to go back and check). And still I remember laughing at the comments that you guys thought Nico was going to go for him, starting an entirely different ark, even after I said the pain was over. Guess I deserve the fact that none of you trusted me after what I had pulled, but still! Don't hate on my sweet blond baby with glasses.

Inspiration

You guys don't realize how much you actually inspired bits and parts of the story. I am going over old reviews to make sure I have everything covered, and the amount of things you guys either inspired or guessed right before I even thought of them are astonishing. I can't believe it.

Songs that you should listen to while rereading this!

So, I first got this idea because someone (i'm so sorry I don't have your name, I'm just too lazy to go back and look for it) messaged me and said that I Hate You, I Love You was a perfect song to listen to while going through the Drew ark, so here are some songs that helped me and that I got from you guys!

I Hate You I Love You - Gnash feat. Olivia O'brien (jk it was Greenamazon, one of the OG)

It's True - The Backstreet Boys (ammstar11 wrote at chapter 19)

Falling in Love With You - Elvis or Twenty One Pilots.

So, before I say my last goodbye here, I thought I would leave you guys with a lil last mission. I have probably two stories left in this fandom before I make my way out, I would love to hear your guys' thoughts on what you would like to read. I'll put a few I have brewing and you can suggest your own and/or vote for your favourite, and tell me why, cuz just saying one is too easy.

Celebrity Au: Will is a well-rounded actor and singer and has made a name for himself as America's sweetheart. But on the other hand, Nico is known as the King of Punk and has taken the world by storm with his band. Both are casted to play the leading roles in a groundbreaking Disney movie that tackles LGTB+ and diversity and things go from there.

Celebrity Au (2): Will always loves talking with his fans, and especially loves conventions, so when one day the co-star of the hit superhero T.V. show Undefined appears at a comic convention, he is awe struck by a cosplayer that has perfectly embodied his favourite character from the comic book origin - which just happened to be Will's characters love interest in the original works. He is set on a mission to take as many cute and amazing photos with this fan, and as news gets out that they are thinking of casting that exact character in the show, Will gets a brilliant idea.

Celebrity Au (3): Nico di Angelo has always admired amazing child actor Will Solace, even telling his friends in the fifth grade that he was going to marry him when he and his friends would talk about celebrity crushes. Fast forward to years later as Nico is casted as a side character only meant to show up five times in the original run time, but as fans love his quirky character, he is called back as a co-star regular, all the way up to a main character, working along side his idol, Will Solace.

OR

Nico gets casted in his first T.V. show, unknowingly being casted in a main role for his first T.V. gig. As he thought he was a simply side character, he is blown away by the fact that he is working side by side with his middle school celebrity crush. As things move along, their characters grow even closer. Is Nico able to handle all of this?

Angel and Devil Au: Nico had always known he was different, but when he met what he thought was a mortal named Will Solace, he was turned on his head. Growing up in a foster home, he had watched his foster family go about their day, which always made him wonder where he came from. But running into Will sent him down a path he was not ready to discover.

MPreg Au: That's all you get for that one, if you want it, it'll be a complete surprise on the story line. (If you don't know what MPreg is, google it)

Royalty AU: Nico lived his life in the castle. Everything he did was to serve. But he never knew where he came from. He spent his days working along side the youngest prince of the castle, the Queen showing pity on the youngest member of her staff after his mother had past. When time came to travel to a large and powerful neighbouring kingdom, Nico traveled along side the prince, only to find an almost two decade long secret that had been hidden from everyone but to the knowledge of two.

High school Au: Will and Nico were best friends all through elementary school. They were a sight to be hold as Will was near sighted and wore glasses almost as big as his waist line and Nico was lanky and would consistently trip over his own feat. But when Nico's family moves back to Italy, they believe that they will never see each other again, but as fate has it, Nico's family moves back just in time to meet one another for junior year, but when he sees Will for the first time in years, everything he once believed no longer stood.

Religion Au: Nico grew up in a super religious family were homosexuality is seen as the biggest sin. He believed this though and through, but when he met Will Solace, the first gay man he had ever talked to or met personally, his life is flipped when everything is turned on its head. (this one will most likely be written unless otherwise overrided)

Superhero Au: Nico has prided himself on his evil ways and superpowers, but when he is faced with a group of superheroes trying to stop him, he must find a way to beat them. But as a mutual evil threatens both groups, Nico has to find away to beat both sides while also standing on top, but a certain blond hero has another way.

Superhero Au (2): Will has managed to balance being a full time superhero and student in high school, but when he is awe struck by a boy in his class from sophomore year, he finally gets up the courage to talk to him before his partners make their own move on him. But as things start to get strange, Will's balance between his new found love life seems to intertwine with his job, leaving more questions than those answered.

Superhero/time traveler Au: Nico had always had a strong rivalry with one William Solace, but when one fight goes wrong, Nico finds himself sent forward in time. He is saved by a monster by a blond hero that had been around, and he agrees to help him out until they find a way back. But things take a strange turn as things go forward and the truth seems to be stranger than fiction.

So, here we are, my final info spew to you guys. PLEASE, I want to know your thoughts on which story you want next. Remember that I want a reason why you choose which one. And yes, I have a fully fleshed idea for all of these. I have been going back and forth on these topics for a while. And don't just choose a topic because you want another Side Friend (even though I would love to, I don't want to redo whats already perfect)

Anyways, if there are any more questions, just message me! I will respond with as much as I can give. I hope I have given you all everything you need and it has been a journey. And this is it. We have ended an era and I hope we can create something new soon!

And as I state now,

Kitty out!