A/N: So hello, it's been a while. Six years? anyways, i have no excuses, i, uh... yeah. enjoy
Now, don't get Will wrong, he loved live music. His father was in a band when he was his age. Will's fondest memories of his childhood was watching from the wings of stages and gritty bars as his father roared up a crowd. The way his father would light up the dark room around him with the melodies of a time only he knew was ingrained in him. The notes and tunes of a solo guitar, strumming tirelessly into the shallow dawn of morning was what ran through his veins.
He loved every aspect of it. He did. But unlike his father, he was born tone deaf and the music comprehension that could only match. The only thing he managed to take from his father was a killer whistle that could stop a room cold. But he didn't want the room to freeze, he wanted it to melt with every ounce of love his father used to pour into them.
He stopped playing early into Will's teens, but he still remembered finishing his math homework at sound check.
So, he didn't hate it. He just had a chemistry exam the next day and couldn't afford to flunk it. The last thing he wanted was a disappointed look from his professor.
When Lou, his dear friend from high school, basically dragged him from his dorm to a local club, he wasn't angry. No, he was just worried that the time he wasted at a show would reflect on his final mark.
"You need to live a little, dude," she yelled, pushing her way through the crows of college kids and local punks.
Lou had gone to shows there all the time, each time begging Will to come with her. He had at the start, but when classes started picking up and he worried more about his grades then making college memories, it became dentistry to get him to come with her.
"Lou, I appreciate the worry," he started, hyper aware of someone in a leather jacket who just ran into his shoulder, following their spiked hair through the dissipating crowd, "but I came to university to learn, I can't just-"
"Watch it," a man, easily twice his side snapped as he ran directly into his back. Lou rolled her eyes and flashed an apology, tugging him closer to the stage.
"You have been promising me you'd come see this band for months, I am not letting you miss them before they go on tour." Lou wasn't taking any excuse, and what could Will do, he was already in the club, hand stamped to prove it.
The place was loud and was filled with an earthy smell Will recognised from high school. He would be lying if he said he didn't miss skipping class in high school to hang by the skate park, watching those who had the nerve to lose themselves to the adrenaline. It pained him sometimes to see how uptight he had become.
Back then, he would sneak around, wear too much eyeliner, blasting his father's band's music a little too loud, and scream. He was free. No one judged him, no one had any expectations, but he was an adult, he had to be smart with his choices. As much as he wished he could have followed his father's passion, one of his own, he knew he never would have been able to even begin to master the mountain he built.
Will was his father's pride and joy, but there were days where he felt like he so disconnected from his family. His rebellious faze was trying to seem cooler than he was, even though he knew his father was well aware of his goings.
Lou and him used to sneak out to shows; they knew all the best local bands. If you couldn't by the band's demo out of their truck after the show, then was it really worth it?
But here he was, his closet made up exclusively button ups, khakis, and the occasional jeans. He used to dread the man he had now become.
He shifted uncomfortably, pulling at his clothing. Even though they weren't all that up tight – a pair of slightly ripped jeans and the least boring button up Lou managed to find (earning him a look of disgust and pity) – he still felt like a bonfire on an abandoned beach.
The room picked up in volume, people shouting and pushed, trying to get closer to the stage as a band was setting up. They looked like high school students and Lou informed him that it was an opening act for the night, that there had already a band that had played before and that they had gotten there before the main show. After making a small grimace, she struck down once again with, "If you'd gotten your shit together sooner, we wouldn't have missed it, though."
He made a look of apology before turning his gaze to the band. They looked nervous as they plugged in their amp, the room still loud, mostly ignoring their presence.
Will wanted to think that their music was good, but he knew that they had been a newer band from the moment they started. Even if the timing were off, though, Will still couldn't take his eyes off of them. Their levels were unbalanced, the lyrics lost to the guitarist and mic feed back, but they put their heart and soul into the performance. Even if by all standards they sucked, it wasn't long before Will forgot all about his test the next day and got lost in the feeling of being back at shows.
The band – Ragtime Disaster, if he recalled correctly – only played three songs before ending their set soaked in sweat, panting and eyes bright. It tugged him a bit inside seeing them play, the joy you'd get when there's nothing but your raw, exposed self giving a room full of strangers everything you had.
The room had only given them their partial attention, chatting through most of the small set, but there was a decent sized uproar when they finished, cheering as they gave their final goodbyes. They pointed to their merch table if they wanted to support them, and Will made mental note to check them out after.
The room went back to the usual chatter, yelling and cheering as the band unloaded, stagehands who looked like they could even be their parents helped, hauling equipment on and off the stage. The lights in the bar remained low, and a warm glow emanating over the audience from a mixture of crappy lighting and stage lights.
Will knew that under any other circumstance he would have gained a massive headache, but for once it felt calming to be in a place where his own thoughts didn't matter, where he couldn't reach them. He was here for someone else to tell him how to feel.
"Those guys are new, I think. Lots of work, but their demo isn't half bad," Lou said, leaning in so she didn't have to strain her voice as much.
Will nodded as he watched them off stage chatting with a few girls that looked his age.
"We gotta check them out after," he said, flickering his eyes over the side of the club. Lou nodded and turned back, looking around a bit.
The crowed had thinned out for a moment, giving time for people to grab drinks or use the washroom before the main act came on.
"… these guys are so good. I've seen them, like, six times already?"
"What?" Will shouted, missing what she was saying. He glanced back over to where the opening band was standing, noticing some new faces. A girl with short black hair, her eyes smeared in black, disappearing into her leather jacket, was speaking with the guitarist, her own guitar in her hand. The younger man had the widest smile on his lips as she nodded calmly.
Will wanted to see if this was the first band that they had missed or was the up coming band. As he moved to get a better view, he saw a flash of blond from someone who came up beside the girl, leaning over to whisper something in her ear. She gave him a look and nodded before turning back over to the guys. The blond man was staring out at the stage, bass in hand. The way he was looking on stage at the people loading the equipment on stage gave Will the feeling this was the up-coming band.
"Will," Lou shouted, "are you listening?"
Will looked over and saw his friend who had an eyebrow raised.
"I'm sorry, what?"
Lou let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head, tapping him upside the head.
"Have you really gone that soft after have a stick shoved up your ass for so long?"
Will couldn't help but let out a semi-forced laugh. He knew what she meant, but it still hurt. He used to be on his A-game at shows, now he feels like he hasn't seen a show before in his life.
"Sorry, I forgot what it felt like to be here," he explained, still trying to see more of the band.
"I can tell. This is why I've been trying to drag you out sooner."
Will shifted around again, losing sight of the section off stage. When it got into his view, the people there had shifted again and all he could make out was the blond who was speaking with another guy he hadn't seen. He was taller than him, but only by a few inches, and also had dark hair. When he turned his head, Will noticed it was shaved on the sides, a tattooed arm running his hand through his hair.
"They should be up soon," Lou shouted, noticing Will's interest.
"I actually can't wait," he admitted, turning to catch Lou with her eyes bright, reflecting the horrible LEDs.
"Fucking good." She nudged him and she pushed her back, a smile shared between them. "Hopefully, I don't have to shove you out the door again to the next show."
"Listen, you know I have classes."
Lou rolled her eyes and gave a heaving noise, rolling her eyes.
"You've become a fucking stick since we graduated."
"I'm sorry I've had class, but what else am I supposed to do?"
"I don't know, continue to be cool? Will," she sighed, facing him, "I get that you're trying to be a doctor and everything, but you're also fucking young, don't waste this time on just studying."
Will knew she was right. He had thrown himself fully into his work and left little for the fun he used to have. He hadn't even listened to his father's music in months, something he would do weekly to remind him what it was all for.
"I'm sorry, but I promise I'll try and come out more." He was sincere.
"You better, 'cause if you miss one more fucking band, I'm going to kill you."
"What's this bands name, anyways?"
"Oh, their Thr-"
"We're Three Times Fate, how are you all doing tonight?" screamed a voice on stage, the mic booming. The crowd suddenly got denser and every single person in that room had their attention trained on the stage.
When Will looked up, he was met with the strangest man he had ever seen. His shaggy black hair was a mess, like he hadn't bothered brushing it since he had woken up. His black pants were ripped and torn in a way that was well used and probably beyond old. He had one hand grasping the microphone and the other on the neck of his Les Paul. With dark makeup smudge under his eye, he looked like had hadn't gotten a wink of genuine sleep in weeks. His shirt was tattered and awkward on his shoulders, hugging his body weird. Everything about this man screamed unstable – and he was the most gorgeous man Will had ever seen.
Will couldn't help but stare. He knew he wasn't the only one, so he didn't feel as bad, but when he spoke, all Will could hear was his heartbeat and the scratchy tone to his voice like he had been screaming only seconds prior.
Even as the crowd around him cheered in response, pushing him forward, everything had gone slow motion for Will.
"Glad to hear. My name's Nico, that's Thalia," – he pointed to the girl making final tunes as she smirked, walking up to the mic and say hi – "Jason on my right," – Jason, the blond with the bass, waved – "and our dear Percy on drums." – Percy did a mini solo to show his presence – "You know I don't like to do much talking at the start, so let's just start."
Thalia was quick to lead with a bit of guidance from Percy who counted them in from the back, jumping right into a quick solo, leading into the rest of the band joining in. Nico stepped away from the mic to pay attention to his guitar, matching each note to the other guitarist.
As Will listened, there was not a single doubt in his mind that this was what a show should sound like. Each member was in synch. If one of them twitched an eyebrow, it wouldn't get past the rest of them. As the music slowed down, Will's breath hitched when Nico took a hand away from the guitar and grabbed the mic.
"I screamed your name
hoping, wishing you'd stay away.
All of your little games,
oh, how'd you toyed with me every step of the way.
Was I fun for you?
Did I get you through?
I'm a shotgun shell straight to the back of you.
Would you forgive me?
For my tasteless aim?"
Will could feel every hair on his body. If he had thought about blinking at any point while watching Nico sing, he wasn't aware of it. He was on fire and he was dependant on every word he said.
"Call me cruel,
Call me kind,
Call me anything you'd like,
but I'm not bending over backwards just to make you feel alright.
Drag me back
or let me go
It's time to reap what you sewed,
'Cause I'm not the mess that you have claim
I'm not apart of your show."
If Will thought he had gone to a lively show before, it was nothing compared to this. In an instant, he was six years old, headphones blocking out the noise, holding his mother's hand as she's holding him back from running on stage. All this time he had been chasing the high of his father's music, and this was the first time he felt like he had gotten his fix. It took failing to see himself to finally see what he had been missing.
"I got no time to feel sorry for myself
I'll rip the knife out of my back without your help.
I'm sick and tired of pleading with my own fucking mind,
and when I'm better I'll make you pay this time.
Would you forgive me?
For my tasteless aim?"
They jumped into the chorus, quickly followed by a guitar solo from Thalia, the crowd losing their mind. Cameras were flashing and people were screaming, Nico had backed away from the mic, Jason coming over and whispering something into his ear before heading back over to his small area.
The music started to slow down as Nico walked over to the mic again, his voice still rough and raw.
"Was I everything you loathed?
Was I everything you'd bless?
Would you love me more
If I loved me less?
Would you take the time
To finally hear me out?
Can you let me know
What all of this has been about?
Would you love me more
If I loved me less?
Would you love me more
If I loved me less?!"
Will was up with the crowd now, he needed to be closer, he needed to get a better view. He didn't care if Lou didn't, she brought him here and now he wanted to get closer.
The emotion that he felt listening to Nico's voice was unlike anything he had felt didn't know what had pained him, but he didn't care. It wasn't Will's place to judge. All he knew was he understood the feeling and he fucking loved it.
As the instrumental continued on, Nico was still up to the mic, just vocalizing, screaming come in every now and again. Will let out a shaky breath as ever hair on his body stood on edge. He needed to be closer.
"Call me cruel,
Call me kind,
Call me anything you'd like,
but I'm not bending over backwards just to make you feel alright.
Drag me back
or let me go
It's time to reap what you sewed,
'Cause I'm not the mess that you have claim
I'm not apart of your show."
When the band went quiet, the room was filled with screams, Will's voice being on of them. He felt raw, exposed. His throat hurt but he didn't care, he hoped he lost his voice so that when he woke up in the morning, when he had to take his test, that he would be reminded of this exact moment and he didn't dream it up.
Nico was facing away from the stage, towards Percy on the drums. Thalia came up beside him and whispered something in his ear before he nodded and she walked back over, playing a few notes on her guitar before giving Jason a nod.
Nico finally turned around, the crowd erupting again. There was a smile pulling at his lips, but he still wasn't looking out into the crowd.
"Glad you enjoyed that," he spoke, his voice raddling inside Will's skull. When he did look up, he caught Will's sight, locking onto him before looking back up vaguely over the crowd. He strummed his guitar before looking out again, sweat already plastering his forehead. "This next one is still being worked on for the EP, but you guys don't give a fuck."
When the crowd responded back, loud and booming, Nico gave another smile, wiping the hair from his face as he took a moment to catch his breath.
The next song didn't have much of a pickup before the lyrics came it. It wasn't as fast before, but it carried a heavier bassline.
"Can I be anything more unoriginal?
It's the nine-to-five copy and past that
has me itching for fixing of self-inspiration.
Should I have drowned my progress in the insanity
of my unhinged self destruction?
Yeah, it was nice
for a bit,
but it left me beaten and bruised.
He's pages in my book,
but I'm probably barely sentences to you."
Will wanted to have Nico's voice crack memorized by heart. He wanted to listen to him sing all day about his struggles, about his troubles. He wanted to know why every lyric was written, and when Nico looked at him again, he knew he would be front row at their next show no matter where it was.
"It doesn't matter what I say
'cause you'll fall in love with me either way.
You see yourself in every pain I create
and tell me,
would you have it any other way?
I can't wait for you
to romanticize everything I hate about myself."
The rest of the show went by in a blur. The music would come and go, his stomach was doing flips he never thought was possible. He wanted nothing more than to hold Nico's gaze every time it would land on him. To fall in love with someone's art is to fall in love with tiny pieces of them, and Will wanted to collect the shattered fragments and put them back together.
By the time the set was over, Will wanted nothing more than to meet them. He needed to know everything about them. He knew Lou would be down, she had done nothing but hype this band up since trying to get him to watch, and now he knows why.
His father didn't preform anymore, at least not anywhere near where he used to. But this, this show. This was the first time he had the desire to create like him since he graduated. For the rest of his life, he would owe Lou for dragging him there.
"Thank you everyone," Nico said, and Will wasn't sure how he still had a voice. He took a huge swing of water before tossing the almost empty bottle into the crowd. It was instantly grabbed by someone. "We'll be over at the side selling some merch and CD's. Make sure to support the other bands that preformed tonight, they did amazing, and make sure to tip the bar tender. Goodnight."
As they waved off, there was one final roar from the crowd as a few people made their way over to the side of stage where they instantly were getting bombarded. Nico looked a little anxious for a moment before Percy slid up behind him and started chatting the crowd.
Will turned to Lou and said, "We have to go meet them."
"Obviously," she said as she rolled her eyes, gesturing with her chin to head over, pushing through the crowd of people still on the floor. While most people were starting to leave, the live music over for the night, there was still a hefty crowd.
Lou suggested they check out the other bands first, to wait for the line to die down, and while Will wanted to protest, he knew she was correct. Will glanced over his shoulder to look back at the band and crowd, barely catching that Nico had his eye before the man looked away. For a second, he thought he made it up.
They spoke with the band they managed to see, Lou taking the lead, obviously having seen them previous, along with the band they had missed. Will bought a shirt and their demo, knowing it would be nice to start to grow his collection again.
After about ten minutes of idle chat, Will was going to scream if he didn't get to go over and speak with the main band, so he bugged Lou and told her he wanted to try. She sighed and waved goodbye, catching the location of their next show before pressing forward with Will.
When they got to the side, it was mostly the drummer, Percy, speaking with the fans as well as Jason.
As soon as Percy spotted Lou, his eyes went wide and waved her over, a few of the girls in the crowd gave her a look.
"Lou!" he exclaimed, cheery as he sat on the side of the stage, feet dangling. It wasn't a very high stage, but it made do. "Glad you made it, I thought that was you."
"You know I wouldn't miss a show," she said, clasping him on the back. "Where's – "
"Back," Percy cut her off, smiling as he motioned to backstage with his gave her a smile letting her know that he was dealing with the crowd for the meantime and that they could talk after. With a smile and nod, she hoisted herself up the stairs, Will following after.
As Will wondered closely behind her, he saw Thalia and Nico speaking, their voices low as they were glancing back down at Thalia's guitar.
"Hey, Nico," Lou called, and when he heard his name, both him and Thalia popped up, looking over. They shot her a warm smiled and waved, Thalia putting her guitar away in the moment.
"Dude, so glad you came," he said, his movements much more awkward off stage than what he was doing when he was preforming. His voice was still coarse, but it had resonance.
"Of course!" she said, putting her hands in her pocket. "This is my friend Will I was telling you about."
Nico gave him an awkward look, something flashing in his eyes for a moment that he couldn't quite place. Lou muttered something and Thalia came over, her guitar packed and set off to the side. The two of them started to talk after Thalia gave her a hug. Will looked over at Nico who was fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
"I really like your music," Will blurted, not sure how to exactly start conversation. They were strangers, yet he felt like he knew everything he needed to know about the other man.
"Thanks, that means a lot." Nico tried to sound sincere, but Will knew from experience that it was only common curtesy.
"My name's Will," he said, still stammering his words. He shoved his hand out and for a moment, felt stupid. Lou already introduced him and he knew his name already. "Solace." Nice save.
"Nico," he said, gingerly taking his band before his brows furrowed together. "Wait, Solace?"
"Um, yeah."
"As in, lead singer of Trials of Apollo, Lester Solace?" Nico was eyeing Will up and down, almost as if he were trying to do some sort of math equation.
Will rubbed the back of his neck gingerly, taking a deep breath in and out.
"Yeah," he finally said, feeling a nervous laugh building up. "That's my dad."
"Dude," Nico started, trying to find the words that failed to reach any further from his tongue, "that's so fucking cool. Oh, my god."
"I mean, when you see him try and make bad jokes and drink too many White Claws, then it kind of loses the cool factor," Will tried to say nonchalantly, waving his hand around, but it came off as awkward. But Nico still laughed. It wasn't forced as he started to relax. Nico must be a bit anxious, he though.
"Oh man, I've been listening to his music since I was in middle school." Nico put his hands in his back pocket and his shoulders relaxed, his head bopping to one side as he ran a hand through his hair. It was still sticking to his forehead. "Shit, you probably don't want to talk about your dad right now, I guess."
Will laughed, feeling a little less awkward as well.
"It's all people usually talk about when they first find out, don't worry."
"Now I feel weird. He's cool and all, but…"
Will couldn't help but let a chuckle leave his lips. He thought for a second shooting Lou a look of help, but he had Nico's gaze locked on his and he wasn't looking away. If that meant using his dad, he would use him.
Nico looked around, pulling at another loose string before motioning with his head over to a few chairs.
"Wanna sit down? It's a little quieter further backstage." Will smiled and nodded, following him.
When they sat down, it was just them. Will had so many questions, but he had only just met the guy.
"You're sound is incredible," Will blurted out after a few seconds of silent felt stupid for a moment, his ears becoming hot and he become hyper aware of how sweaty his palms were. "I mean – like the band, you know? Not that you don't sound good, too. I mean, you do, like really good, just – "
As much as he wanted to burry his head, the moment he saw a shy smile ghost Nico's lips, all the embarrassment started to go away. Even if he was being weird, at least Nico thought his dad was cool.
"Thanks," he said, ducking his head down. He scratched the back of his head, pulling at a knotted curl. "Sorry," he spoke softly, "I'm not the best at this. Sorry if I'm a bit awkward."
"Oh, god no, don't worry about that. I'm over here running my mouth like an idiot." Will tried to reassure him, feeling a bit relieved that he wasn't the only one not sure what to say. That earned a smile from the singer. "I really love your lyrics. And the way you performed them? I know I'm just praising you, but they're seriously so good."
"Thanks," Nico said, "I'm not sure what to say." There was a moment that passed over them where neither of them knew what to say. Will chewed on his bottom lip a bit before making eye contact with the singer. A second passed before both cracked a smile, finding a common laughter.
Will took a breath, shifting his gaze to his hands that were clasped in his lap. There was a tiny shake as his breath followed.
"You know," he started, knowing he wasn't fully in control of his words, "I always wanted to go on stage and perform just like my dad." A smile ghosted his lips as he thought back to his dad's performances. "But I was never good enough, you know? Lou and I used to live that fantasy by going to shows, pretending that at any moment, it would happen. We would be able to run away as rock stars. Even with my father, I didn't get any of his musical talents, so when people would ask if I was going to do what he did, no matter how much I wanted to say, 'fuck yeah!', I knew it never was going to happen."
Will looked up to meet Nico's gaze, his hazel eyes glistening in the damped light. Everything he thought he could have been, everything he dreamt up was sitting in front of him. Nico was doing the exact thing he always wanted to do. He was jealous. He was full of envy. He couldn't take his eyes off of him.
"My father used to say that he was mosaic of everyone he ever met, his style would change to reflect who he was becoming, and his music was just an echo of the world around him. I think that's why everyone listened to his work because they found themselves in his lyrics. Because you don't go to music shows to live in your own world, no, you go to be told that while life is shitty, it's still wroth living.
"I might not have always known what he meant when I was growing up – and I guess that's why I went to so many shows growing up, to find a reason – but, I think for the first time, I understand. I get why so many people came to watch him live. Listened to his work. I don't know, but… Tonight, I think it was the first time I understood my father's reason for making music."
Nico's lips were separated as he watched Will, hanging on every word. There were people walking all around them, but for a second, they were the only two backstage. Will smiled as he shifted.
"I think my dad would love your music."
Nico was about to say something when Thalia shouted, "Neeks, dude, we gotta head out front, they're getting antsy."
Will watched as Thalia hoisted her guitar case over her shoulder, standing next to Lou as she rested her weight on her hip, eyeing the two. When she raised a brow, Nico cleared his throat and got out of the chair. He headed over, not glancing a second more over to Will.
Will shrugged and headed over to meet Lou as Nico and Thalia went over to where Jason and Percy were signing merch for a few of the fans.
"He's cool, isn't he?" Lou asked, elbowing him. It took Will a moment to remember to breath.
"Yeah," he managed to say, "he really is."
The two of them headed out down towards their merch table that was set up. Nico was already putting on a warm smile and signing CDs along with the others. He would nod at questions, answering them like they were the most important piece of information in the room.
As Will stood in line, he kept trying to sneak glances at him, hoping that their eyes would meet, but hoping he would look away in time so he wouldn't question why he was staring. When he got to the front of the line, he pushed a CD of their demo in front of them, letting the entire band sign it, getting to Nico last. The few girls behind them speaking with the rest of the band.
Thalia kept sneaking glances over at Nico as he signed it. Will grabbed another one, slipping a ten over to Nico as he eyed the unmark CD.
"It has the songs you played tonight?"
"Most of them," Nico said, his voice cracking at the end. He cleared his throat before signing the CD that was in front of him. "Two songs from the set are on the EP. It's coming out soon, though."
"I can't wait," Will smiled, his chest fluttering at the smile he got back.
"Why do you have two?" Nico asked, shutting the CD shut with a bit too much force, sliding it over. He closed the lid on the sharpy.
Will waved the CD like it was the most obvious thing in the world and rolled his eyes. "For my dad, obviously."
Before Nico had a chance to reply, Will grabbed the signed CD and let Lou lead them out. Lou waved goodbye as two girls slid their CDs and other merch over. Will gave him a shy wave over his shoulder, fixing the singers face to memory. He knew he was going to see them live again, but he wanted to be able to see him clear as day when he listened to their music at home.
As Lou unlocked the door to her car, getting into the driver's seat, Will admired the cover art, tracing his finger along the side of the CD. He enjoyed the groves in the casing, cracking it open. When the CD case opened, he looked over the signatures. Will wasn't worried about how much this copy would be worth one day, knowing that they would make it big, what caught his eye was what was written underneath Nico's.
Nico Di Angelo
XXX XXX I576
if you want
Will felt his entire face heat up, his heart racing. Nico left his number under his signature. As much as he wanted to hide his growing smile, he couldn't help it. His lips hurt as he let out a controlled laugh. Even the cold breeze that was passing over his damp skin was too unbothered by it to shiver.
"Will," Lou shouted, starting the engine, "get in the damn car or I'm leaving you here."
Will shut the case and opened the door, sliding in and buckling up his seatbelt. Lou gave him a strange look as he was doing everything he could to hide his excitement.
"You good?" she asked, something in her voice giving away that she knew something was up, but not knowing enough to know the exact details.
"Yeah," Will said, hands tight on the CD, "I'm really good."
Lou accepted it as she pulled out of the parking lot, the streetlights illuminating the street as she turned down the way to Will's dorm.
"Thanks for taking me out tonight."
"No problem," she shrugged, flicking her blinker on.
"Seriously, I really needed this."
"I think we all did."
Will glanced down at the CD, holding his breath every time the streetlight would pass by so he could get the best view he could of the demo. He knew the moment he got home he was going to pull out his cellphone and text him. As much as he loved Lou, this was something he didn't exactly need her to know.
He didn't care about his test the next morning, for the first time in his life, he didn't care if he failed. He finally felt alive, finally felt like he was doing more with his life than just doing what was expected of him or asked. It was a lot to keep track of, but for the first time, he felt like his own person. He wasn't just his father's son anymore.
Will knew it was cheesy to think, but he got it. He finally got it. And it was seeing the world how they viewed his dad that did it. He knew Nico and the band were going to go places, more people needed to hear their music. His dad needed to. If he could help in anyway, he would. He had to.
And if it meant he got to see more of Nico, then it was worth it.
Will didn't know how tomorrow was going to go, how next week was going to plan out. And he didn't care. This was a night he was never going to forget, no matter how things planned out.
And yes, he would always remember it, even when he would watch Nico play from backstage like he did as a kid, but this time, he wasn't lost.
A/N
Okay, so listen, i can explain! I really cant other than life really got away from me. For those who read Side Friend and wanted more from me, i am so sorry i wrote that and then disappeared. I have been debating on whether or not to finishing my first two fics, but jesus they are so bad. actual hate crimes! I'm so sorry i left you with nothing but half baked stories. Who gave me the write to write Side Friend at sixteen and then disappear when you all wanted more from me. It's fine, i actually have new pieces of fan fic actually in the works. this was just a short break away from the 150K (?) fic im writing? it'll be all in one go. But yeah, i graduated college this year. I'm in a band. so much has changed. hope some of you enjoy this! let me know whats going on in your life, its been way too long.
Kitty out