Will sat across from Nico at the ice cream shop café. They stared at each other, the sun setting behind Will's shoulder making him look like an angel. Their English teacher, Mr. Blofis, had brought them together as writing partners. As opposite as night and day they were, he thought they were a good pair.
"So, Solace, have any ideas?" Nico asked carelessly, brushing his midnight-black hair into his eyes. Will resisted the urge not to touch him, even to put a hand on his arm. To Will, there was something about Nico that just made them perfect for each other. Not that Nico felt the same way, or at least he didn't show it.
"How about a modern-day fairytale? It could be called The Midnight Soldier." Will tried to pretend he had just came up with the idea, when in fact he had been thinking about it since he had met Nico.
"No. No fairytales." Nico looked disgusted at the idea that Will would even suggest such a thing. Will felt offended for a second, but he didn't stay that way for long. Being with Nico was the only thing that made Will truly happy. Yeah, he pretended to be upbeat all the time, but only when he was with Nico did he really mean it.
"Why don't you suggest something, Death Boy?" Will had spent a whole night coming up with that nickname, and had been dying (no pun intended) to use it on Nico, because of his dark personality that amused Will so much. But the effect didn't rub off as he hoped. Instead, Nico's eyes filled with tears.
"You're right. I am a death machine. Everyone who gets close to me dies." Nico swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing. "That's why you should stay away from me, Will. I care too much about you to let you go." With that, he put his face in his hands and started to sob.
Will moved so that he was next to Nico. "I...I didn't know." He put an arm around the shaking boy, and for once, Nico didn't squirm away. "I'm so sorry," Will said. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Nico shook his head, but Will heard his voice, muffled as it was, start to tell the story. "I had a mom. She died in a building collapse. That was the first one."
Will hugged Nico tighter, neither of them feeling awkward. "Bianca was my sister. It was my fault that she died." Nico sat up and wiped his eyes. "But it doesn't matter. No one cares about my life."
"I care about you!" Will cried indignantly. "Being with you makes me happy. That's the only thing that matters. Not your past, not your future. Just now."
And then they were kissing. Nico's face turned bright red, but he didn't pull away.
"I guess you're just as much of a freak as I am, Solace, huh?" Nico asked when they pulled apart. Will nodded, happy to have finally found someone who was like him. Assignment forgotten, the happy couple walked arm in arm out of the shop.
"Being with you is better than any fairy tale," Will said, and Nico agreed.