Mall bathrooms are disgusting, Will thought as he held a bag filled with clothes. Nico had grabbed what he wanted from the bag and headed into a stall to change. This left Will to stand outside and look very uncomfortable as other guys came and went about their business.
"Nico you're taking forever." Will called, as he tried to avoid meeting anyone's gaze.
Will was gay. He knew that. Nico knew that. But that didn't mean he wanted to announce it around an angry macho guy in a mall bathroom. Eye contact was not a good idea in here.
"Sorry." Nico called, unlatching the stall door and walking out of the bathroom, "How do I look? I feel much more like myself."
Will swallowed and had to control his breathing as he looked at Nico. His face was the same as it had been this morning, but everything else was different. Good different. Make Will feel slightly hot under the collar different.
Nico was wearing his black My Chemical Romance tee shirt and a pair of sinfully tight black skinny jeans that made Will's brain feel like it was melting. His new black converse were laced in messy double knots.
"Solace?" Nico asked, waving a hand in front of his face, "Come in Solace. You okay?"
"Fine!" Will said, slightly shrilly. "You look great."
Like really great…. Shut up Will!
"Yeah. I know." Nico laughed and Will was truly amazed at the change that had occurred in Nico within the past day. He shoved the rest of the clothes into a backpack he'd bought and Will was grateful that Nico walked out in front of him…So Nico couldn't see how red his face was…Not because he was still caught up over the sinfully tight skinny jeans. He was over them. Totally.
Will kept his eyes down as they left the bathroom. That was the best way to leave a male bathroom. Just walk away with your eyes down. No eye contact. No talking. No nodding. No acknowledgement. Nobody ever spoke to Will in a bathroom and no one had ever really harassed him over his sexuality either. These two things meant that he was shocked when a guy called he and Nico a derogatory name as they passed.
Nico's back stiffened.
Will swallowed.
"What did you just say?" Nico asked quietly. Will could feel the temperature in the bathroom dropping.
"Let's go, Nico." Will said, "He's just a bigot."
"No. I think he should explain to my face what his problem is!" Nico snapped, whirling around in the bathroom. The lights were starting to flicker.
"Nico. Let's. Go." Will murmured, stepping in front of Nico and the grinning bigot.
"Will, move." Nico seethed.
"What do you expect to do? He's mortal, Nico. Mortal." Will whispered, putting his hand on Nico's chest.
"Did you hear him?" Nico asked, "Did you hear him!?"
"Yes. Nico. Let's go. He's just wanting a fight. Come on. You're going to attract unwanted attention if you keep making a scene." Will whispered.
Nico glared around Will at the guy.
"What's the matter, princess? Afraid your boy can't take me?" The guy laughed, bumping Will as he walked out of the bathroom. Nico turned at started after him. The ground around his feet was steaming.
"Nico. Stop." Will hissed and grabbed his wrist. He had to jerk Nico back and he ended up falling into Will.
Nico was cold. Ice cold. He was angry. Will supposed he got that cold when he was angry.
"Nico. Look at me. Let's go. It isn't a big deal," Will whispered, looking into Nico's eyes.
"Will, he-
"I know."
"He touched you." Nico hissed.
"Yes. And I'm fine. No harm no foul. Let's go. Please." Will put all the calming power he had in that please. Nico glared at him and then sighed.
"Okay. Okay, fine."
"Thank you." Will breathed a sigh of relief and led Nico out of the bathroom.
"How do you listen to that kind of stuff all the time?" Nico asked as they emerged from the bathroom.
"I just think about how they must have been raised by an ignorant family and feel bad for them because they don't understand. And what they don't understand, they lash out against." Will said.
Nico scuffed his shoes on the floor. Gods. Those skinny jeans were really tight.
Nico took a deep breath.
"Okay. You're right."
Will stared at him in surprise.
"You-You're okay?" He stammered.
"If you can be okay, then I can too. Or I can at least try to be." Nico shrugged and scuffed his converse on the floor.
"I'm glad you're feeling better, Nico." Will said gently, smiling down at Nico.
"So am I… Now where do you want to go?"
"Are you sure your dad won't be upset with you spending a bunch of money?" Will asked nervously.
"Positive."
"Okay… Well… I really need some new scrubs."
"Then let's go get some new scrubs," Nico said, shouldering the backpack.
How was he so muscular? He ate less than a bird. Yet, he was toned from battle. Will swallowed and followed Nico across the mall.
Nico had said that those girls were staring at Will earlier, but now they were definitely staring at Nico. He looked like a hundred bucks. Emo, bad boy, hundred bucks, but still. Who didn't love a bad boy?
He looked good. Everyone knew that besides Nico himself.
"So, where do we find scrubs?" Nico asked Will, smiling, completely oblivious to the stares he was getting. Will was just glad that Nico's obliviousness allowed him to remain in awe of what Will had now dubbed the sinfully-tight-skinny-jeans.
"Down here and to the right, I think," Will said, grinning at Nico.
Nico nodded and they headed off to find scrubs with Will finding every excuse he could to check Nico out as subtly as possible.
