Daisy Clarke is four years old. Will Clarke is five years old. They are playing in her front lawn because his mommy and daddy are arguing again and Will wants to pretend everything is okay for his baby cousin. ("I'm not a baby!" "Are, too!" "Are not!") He laughs and trips her to win the race and she cries through her blonde hair. Her big doe eyes are soft and brown and wet with tears so he hugs her and pretends that he doesn't want to cry, too.
Big boys don't cry.
xXx
Daisy Clarke is six years old. Will Clarke is turning eight today. It's hot, the middle of summer, and they're at the pool. Aunt Naomi, Will's mommy, isn't talking to Uncle Dave, Will's daddy. She and he are at opposite ends of the pool. Daisy and Will are racing. She pushes on his arm and bursts into first, but she bumps her head against the side of the pool and it hurts, so she stops and forgets to swim. Will has to pull her up and holds her when she cries. She thinks she sees him cry, too, but that must be the concussion.
Big boys don't cry.
xXx
Daisy Clarke is twelve. Will Clarke is thirteen. He's going away to summer camp for the rest of vacation. Daisy doesn't want him to go. Aunt Naomi, who divorced Uncle Dave three years ago, has made Will's last name Solace now, like her maiden name. So there is no Will Clarke anymore, not really. Just Will Solace. And Daisy feels her heart break a little on the platform, waiting for the train to New York. Isn't Texas, isn't Daisy, enough for him? She hugs him tightly, hot tears spilling from her closed eyelids. Will wipes his own eyes on the train.
Be strong.
Big boys don't cry.
xXx
Daisy Clarke is fifteen. Will Solace is sixteen. He's come to visit during the summer, which he never does, and says he has someone he wants them to meet. Daisy doesn't care who it is; she just misses Will. When he comes back, she embraces him and sobs with happiness. Will laughs and wipes away hasty tears and introduces them to his boyfriend, Nico di Angelo, who smiles weakly and takes Will's hand. He makes Will stop crying. That's good enough for Daisy.
Big boys shouldn't have to cry.
xXx
Daisy Clarke is Will Solace's adored little cousin. She obviously loves him – she cries with joy upon his return and her introduction to his boyfriend – and the feeling is mutual. Will hadn't cared about his mother or mortal stepfather's approval; he wanted Daisy to love Nico as much as he did, because he wanted the two most important people in his life to get along. As it turned out, Daisy didn't care if he was with a twenty-ton giraffe so long as he was happy. He thought he could've cried right there.
That night he did weep with relief.
Maybe crying isn't such a childish thing after all.
Maybe big boys do cry.
A/N: I know. Frank is getting shuffled around. But for now, have some cousinly fluff. Thanks to Quihi for the suggestion.
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