Nico stopped a few feet away from his apartment building's main entrance and heaved a heavy sigh. The streetlamp that illuminated his bit of sidewalk began to blink as if signaling his arrival.
Nico glared at the undecided, yellow light as if that would make the blinking stop. He thought about kicking the lamp post, even considered summoning a particularly large patch of shadows to coat the damn thing in darkness. He did not need his arrival announced to the entire neighborhood, particularly since he was planning on staying right where he was for a few more minutes.
He needed those minutes. He needed to work up the courage to walk up those steps. To face him once and for all. To come clean. Just the thought sent a chill down his spine as dread settled into his stomach. His legs were sore from walking, his feet were throbbing. His ass hurt like fuck.
He had no idea what time it was. His phone had run out of juice sometime after sunset, while Nico kept up his long, improvised walk around the park. Anything to avoid coming home. Anything at all. In the end, unable and unwilling to drive back home, he walked all the way from downtown.
Perhaps he didn't need to worry. Perhaps Will had had a terrible day at work. Unlikely, but not impossible. If Will had in fact had a lousy day, then he most likely got home in a mood, took a quick shower and went straight to bed before Nico even punched out. This was the ideal situation, Nico realized with a shaky, hopeful sigh.
Nico had come home to this particular scenario more than a handful of times. They'd been together long enough to have experienced each other's bad days.
He could picture it just now. Nico would enter the apartment as quietly as possible, only to realize that Will had left the lights on in the living room. An untouched glass of once chilled wine would be sitting on the kitchen island, still thawing or perhaps having already completely dripped into a puddle on the countertop, as it was Will's first impulse, once home, to pour himself a drink regardless of whether he'd drink it or not.
Nico would then silently creep towards their bedroom, only to find Will already in bed, his back to the door, his still damp towel haphazardly thrown onto the floor. Nico would strip down—not bothering to throw his clothes into the hamper or put on pajamas—then get into bed and melt into Will's naked back.
"Bad day?" Nico would ask, making Will shift in his sleep.
"Hmm," Will would moan in reply, and they wouldn't talk until the next day.
Nico smiled in spite of the situation. That wasn't a bad thing to come home to at all.
Although on occasions, Will wouldn't simply lay still.
Nico closed his eyes and let out a soft moan. Last time Will had had a bad day, he'd gone to bed early, only that as soon as he felt Nico's arms around his waist, he turned around and rolled on top of him.
Will had released his frustration at work by taking Nico with a ravishing hunger that had them both moaning well into the morning. Nico had loved every last second of it.
But this wasn't the case anymore, and a possible repeat of this scenario had Nico suddenly shiver with cold sweat.
How would Will react if Nico simply refused to make love, yet again?
On second thought, Nico hoped Will wasn't asleep when he got home, just in case.
The streetlamp continued to blink intermittently. Resigned to his fate, Nico pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, then raised his face so his eyes found the second window to the right on the third floor.
The window was open, and a warm orange glow was coming from inside the apartment.
Will could have left the lights on.
Or he could be awake, waiting for Nico to come home.
Nico couldn't see into the apartment from where he stood, but he didn't need to. If Will was awake, then he, Nico, could picture the scene as if he'd climbed up the vines to peek in through the window, because he'd come home countless times to this other very likely scenario.
In his mind, Nico could see Will sitting on the left side of the sofa, closest to the window, his naked feet propped on the little ottoman footrest they'd brought back from their honeymoon in Morocco. Soft music played out of the speakers Nico had had installed in the living room, as Will's eyes pored over the lines of some peer review or a newly published article from the university's medical gazette, perhaps even a novel if he was in a particularly good mood. The little table by the sofa held a single, fresh glass of chilled white wine, sitting dead in the center of a beautifully polished, handmade wooden coaster, a wedding gift from Leo.
Nico opened his eyes and felt a pang of guilt pull at his heart. He loved coming home to Will doing precisely just that.
In the good old days, Nico would try to make as little noise as possible as he walked into their apartment, only to hear Leonard Cohen playing softly in the speakers. A bolt of excitement would ripple through him, because that meant Will was up. He would be reading in the living room, waiting for Nico to come home after work. He wouldn't look up as Nico walked into their home, but a smile began to form on his handsome face, sensing his husband about to join him on the sofa. Basking in the bliss of domesticity, Nico would toe his shoes off, then quickly drape himself over Will as he reached to grab the glass of wine, downing it in one go and loving Will's exaggerated annoyance. But he was never truly annoyed, as they often drank out of the same glass. Nico even wondered why they owned more than a single wine glass.
"How was your day?" Will would eventually ask Nico, draping an arm over Nico's shoulders and pulling him close.
"So much better now," Nico would reply, taking Will's lips between his own in a perfectly rehearsed choreography that more often than not led to an extremely satisfying bout of love making.
Shit.
Nico shuddered at the thought. This once ideal, blissful situation had suddenly turned into a true nightmare scenario. Nico's ass throbbed at the thought, and not in a good way.
Nico puffed his cheeks and exhaled, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead towards his pursed lips. The asphalt under his feet, the sidewalk that led to their little apartment, had never felt more unwelcoming.
Were those days behind them?
Will asleep. Will awake. Nico usually loved them both.
Today, they caused him nothing but dread.
The light in the living room, the open window, the soft music that just now reached his ears, told Nico all he needed to know. Will was awake, and he was waiting for him.
After all these years, was it all about to change?
With the streetlamp blinking more and more impatiently over his head, Nico put his mind to work one last time. Now, he pictured Will sitting on the sofa, his eyes frozen over the same word of whatever he was pretending to read. A glass of wine lay empty on the coffee table, alongside an empty bottle, perhaps two, both thawed into a coaster-less puddle. Will's hypersensitive ears picking up the clicking sound of the streetlamp as it screamed in black and white: Nico's home, he's just outside and he doesn't want to come in!
Nico made a sour face at the thought.
Will was awake, and Nico was afraid because he knew Will would ask questions. He'd been doing so for the past few days. He'd noticed Nico's distance, his sudden coldness. Nico hadn't wanted to make love for weeks—a month? A month and a half? How long had it been, really?
And there was very little Nico could do but straight out lie to his face.
Nico shuddered. He didn't want to tell him, not yet, perhaps not ever. He'd made a mistake, that's what that was. And yes, mistakes come with consequences—consequences that Nico was currently dealing with—but that didn't mean he had to drag Will into all of this.
Would he understand? Surely he would.
But then again, what if he didn't?
He'd seen Will angry—truly angry—only once in their life together. He was not looking forward to an encore. Or worse. Will could be disappointed. Nico thought he would die if he ever saw true disappointment on Will's face.
"What did I get myself into?" he moaned into his hands.
For a fleeting second, Nico considered making a run for it, straight to Hades. His father wouldn't ask questions if Nico suddenly shadow traveled to his palace. He might even be able to come up with an excuse for his sudden absence whenever Will managed to make contact. He'd blame it on his father, of course, who Nico was sure wouldn't rat him out. But then what after?
No.
It was time.
He wasn't going to lie to Will anymore. He'd been avoiding this for as long as he could. He couldn't keep being a slave to his own shame. He couldn't keep doing this to him. He'd been distant enough. Cold enough. Will was suffering, Nico knew this for a fact.
In truth, so was he, perhaps even more than Will.
Surely he would understand.
Nico hung his head, his chin resting on his chest.
"Get it together," he chastised himself, then took a deep breath and stepped forward.
His hands shook so violently as he tried to open the door that his keys fell out of his hands. Nico picked them up quickly, then felt his lower back jolt in protest.
Concentrating on the task at hand, Nico opened the door. It swung open with a deafening creak.
Nico's eyes met Will's the second he walked in.
"Hey," Will said with a hesitant smile, his shapely, naked feet propped on the Moroccan ottoman. Will closed his book with a pop and took off his reading glasses.
Nico had forgotten all about Will's reading glasses, and how hot he looked whenever he put them on or took them off.
"H-hey," Nico's voice faltered.
Will got to his feet but remained by the sofa.
"Nico," he began unsurely, "it's two in the morning."
Nico tried for a smile and failed miserably.
"Oh," Nico replied. "Is it?"
"Nico," Will's hollow voice echoed through Nico's skull. "I have been calling you, texting you all day. All day. Where have you been?"
Had he ever heard Will sound like that? Nico shuddered. No. No, he had not.
Moisture began to swell in the corners of Nico's eyes. He blinked and turned his face away from Will. Shame and dread filled him instantly.
Will was by his side within a fraction of a second.
"Talk to me," Will commanded softly, gently, just the way Nico liked it.
Nico felt Will's hands close in on his elbows, righting him so he wouldn't topple over, just as Nico's knees wobbled.
"Did you… have a good day?" Nico asked, trying to change the subject, hoping Will hadn't seen his eyes. He thought he was doing a pretty good job, even though the living room swam before him. He tried to sidestep Will but as he did so, his ass did another painful jolt and Nico hissed, straightening up like a spring.
"What's wrong?" Will asked, and this time, his voice sounded urgent.
No.
He couldn't.
He couldn't tell him.
It would destroy them.
Finally, Nico looked up and locked eyes with Will. There he was, his husband. The man he'd been married to for years. And Nico had been lying to him, hiding things from him for months now. Shame. Dread. Shame and then some more.
"Will," Nico choked. "Will, I fucked up."
Will stiffened, his face visibly paled, his eyes widened in shock.
"W—what?" Will asked softly, cautiously.
Nico blinked and a tear slid down his left cheek. He remembered coming home two nights before, finding Will waiting for him by the door.
"My love," Will had said, wrapping Nico in his arms as soon as Nico had stepped into the apartment. Wil's breath smelled slightly of wine, just the right amount of tanginess that would guarantee Will's sexual prowess remained intact. Enhanced even. He remembered feeling Will's hard cock against his backside as he turned him around, hugging from behind, and began kissing Nico's neck affectionately.
"Will, don't!" Nico had said, pushing Will away. He had made an excuse—something about being tired or not in the mood—and had left Will by the door. He didn't turn as he walked away, he would have died rather than see the look on Will's face as he left him alone and horny by Nico's dirty shoes.
Shaking the memory away, Nico gasped as Will tried to wrap his arms around him once again.
"Will, don't," Nico gasped, his lungs aching for air at the horrible repeat of two days ago.
Will froze, then took a step back from Nico, his face broken as if he'd been smacked.
Neither of them spoke for what felt like minutes, hours, chests heaving and eyes swimming.
Will took a deep breath, then clutched at his chest.
"Talk to me, please," he pleaded.
Nico shook his head.
"I can't."
"You can!" Will interjected, making Nico jump. "Talk to me. Tell me everything. I love you. I can take it. Whatever it is, whatever it is. Nico, please. Whatever it is, I'm right here. Talk to me," and he made another grab for Nico.
Nico's lower lip quivered. Shame filled him. He wanted to topple over and shadow travel to the underworld, but he knew he wouldn't make it to the corner in his current condition.
Will took a deep, calming breath and put on a brave smile.
"Come," Will spoke softly, taking Nico's hand. "Come and sit down."
That pretty much did it. Nico's ass throbbed harder than ever at the thought of sitting down. With a growl, he snatched his hand away from Will and proceeded to smother his own face.
"Fuck," Nico moaned into his hand. "Fuck, fuck! Fuck!"
When he opened his eyes, Will's face was completely devoid of emotion. A certain redness had begun to color the area around his eyes.
"Are you cheating on me?" Will asked bluntly, quietly.
Nico's jaw fell slack.
"What?" he demanded as his stomach hit the ground.
Will smiled, but it wasn't his ordinary smile. It was an incredulous jeer. He drew his fingers through his hair and began to walk away from Nico. He did two turns around the ottoman, then went straight to the kitchen, where he began to pour himself a glass of red. Will only ever used red for cooking.
Nico didn't speak, only because he had absolutely nothing to say at the accusation. He couldn't quite believe Will had just asked him that. What in the world was he thinking? Should he even acknowledge he had heard him? Couldn't he see how insulting the question itself was?
Will gulped down half a glass, holding most of it in his mouth with puffed cheeks and red-rimmed eyes, then swallowed with such difficulty he began to cough. Cough. Laugh. Cough. Jeer. He rested his hands on the kitchen island, then dropped his head for two more incredulous shakes. When he looked up, he wasn't smiling.
"You are, aren't you?" he repeated acidly.
The hairs on Nico's body bristled at the continuous accusation. Black smoke began to come out from under his feet.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Nico spat, injecting as much venom into the question.
Will poured himself another glass.
"You won't talk to me," he said, ignoring the glass and taking a swig straight from the bottle, "you ignore me these days. You don't return my texts. You've been acting all wrong for exactly 43 days and counting. The other day you wouldn't even—you wouldn't let me…" he allowed his voice to die down a little. "It makes sense. It all makes sense now."
Nico pressed his palms to his forehead, digging the heels of his hands into his eyeballs as hard as he could. A grunt of frustration escaped him. His ass hurt so much he couldn't even concentrate. Why was Will being such an asshole?
"You can't even say it," added Will softly.
There it was. The disappointment Nico did not want to hear.
Damn right he couldn't say it, but it wasn't what Will thought. Of course he wasn't cheating on him, of course not! For a dreaded second, Nico considered allowing the accusation to stick, if only it kept him from telling Will the embarrassing truth.
But then again, he couldn't do that to Will.
Cheating on him… please.
As if by magic, his anger melted away in an instant. He removed his hands from his face and he saw sparks swimming all around Will.
Shakily, ignoring another painful jolt from his ass, he walked around the kitchen island and snatched the bottle away from Will.
"Don't—" Will complained, reaching for the bottle, but Nico caught Will's arm and pressed his hand to his lower back.
"I have h—he—hem—" he stammered. He couldn't say the word.
Will frowned. He tried to pull away from Nico, but his husband held him in place.
"Will, I have… I have a h—hhghhhh, gahh, fuck!"
"You have a what?" Will asked, his expression changing from utter despair to serious concern.
"Will, you're a doctor," Nico said plainly, as if that explained it all.
Will arched an eyebrow. "Yes," he said unsurely.
"I need you to be a doctor right now," said Nico.
"Okay?"
Nico growled. This was precisely the reason why he hadn't told Will in the first place. It was too damn embarrassing. Then again, if he had known Will would go jumping to stupid conclusions at Nico's sudden distance, he would have come clean ages ago. Stupid husband. Stupid, beautiful, fool of a husband.
"I am not cheating on you. I have never and will never even think about doing such a pointless thing," Nico began, but Will's exasperated click of the tongue interrupted him.
"Stop lying okay? I can see through you, I know you better than you know yourself."
"Yeah, see, I don't think that's true," Nico added incidentally. "The reason I have been distant, a little cold too, yes. Why I haven't replied to your texts when I'm supposed to be at work—"
"I knew you were doing it on purpose!" Will interjected, trying to pull away from Nico, but then again, Nico held him in place.
"I can't sit down," Nico spat, looking anywhere but Will's face.
Will froze.
"Huh?"
Nico sighed. "I can't sit down, Will. And… I feel full, like, bloated. Down there. All the time. I can't eat. I mean it, I literally can't. Like, I haven't eaten in two days now."
"Nico, what are you—wait, what? You haven't eaten… wait, what do you mean two days?!" Will made a move towards the refrigerator, probably intent on cooking Nico a full meal, but Nico stopped him.
"Listen. There's… more. I—" Nico began, looking away. He could feel his face beginning to flush, his heartrate picking up speed. "There was some blood. In… in my stool. A couple of months ago."
Will dropped the pan he had been holding.
"A—and I did go to the doctor, did a full check-up and everything—now, now don't get upset. I couldn't come to you, you're so… blasé about medical stuff and you're my fucking husband. I can't come to you with things like this. It's… it's fucking embarrassing."
"Why?" Will asked, his lips parted, his face pale.
"Excuse me, why?" Nico asked disbelievingly. "Why what?"
"Why… didn't you tell me?" Will asked quietly, his voice brittle. His eyes moved very quickly as he began to put two and two together. His mouth began to form silent words. Nico could read them as if he'd been reading a book. Bloated. Blood in stool. Can't sit down. No food. Finally, Will took a deep breath and reached out to hold Nico's hands in his. With a wide smile and a glint in his eyes, Will opened his mouth and all but yelled: "Nico, do you have hemorrhoids?"
Nico cursed and pulled away from Will, shielding his face with his hands. "DON'T JUST BLURT IT OUT LIKE THAT!" then hissed as his ass gave another nasty jolt.
He didn't even see Will practically shadow travel the two yards that separated them in a fraction of a second and wrap his arms around Nico, drawing a painful moan from him as he squeezed him to a pulp.
"Will! Will, get off—"
"Fool. Idiot Nico di Angelo. Why didn't you tell me?" he asked blissfully, picking Nico up and twirling him around once, which made Nico wail. "Oh, sorry," he added, putting him down. He grabbed Nico by the back of the neck and pulled him in for a quick kiss. "Sorry. Let me see?"
Nico's face was so hot he could have cooked an egg on his forehead.
"Wh—what? NO!"
Will's face fell a little bit. "Why not? It's perfectly normal."
"No, Will. It's not perfectly normal! Jesus fucking Christ, that's why I didn't go to you. This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you! Agh, fuck, gahhh. My goddamn ass hurts so much, don't upset more me cause you're making me jolt!"
Will smiled broadly, then drew a hand across his face, letting out a sigh of relief.
"You have no idea how happy this makes me," he confessed.
"Fuck off," said Nico angrily, stomping away from Will and towards the living room. He picked up a cushion from the sofa, dropped it on the carpet and plopped belly down, smothering his beetroot-red face on the cushion.
Will joined him on the carpet, also laying on his belly and resting his face on his forearms.
"Medication?" he asked plainly.
"Brubbrrashn chh," Nico replied, his voice muffled by the cushion. Preparation H, he knew Will would understand him.
"And have you been using it? Be honest."
Nico groaned.
He hadn't. He found it mortifying. He hadn't even bought it. He couldn't bring himself to ask for it at the pharmacy. In the end, he bought it online, but as soon as it arrived, Nico tossed it into a drawer and decided to forget about it. Unwillingly, grudgingly, he told Will so.
"I see. Is that what you meant when you said you fucked up?"
"Yesss," Nico replied acidly.
"Nico. You're gonna have to let me see it."
Nico pressed his face further into the cushion, then tried to turn his body away from Will. "Fuck off, no way."
But he did not move away when he felt Will's hand on his back, slowly massaging the area right above his ass.
"Nico, I've seen your asshole before. As in, every appendage of my body has literally been inside—"
"Stop," Nico raised his head and turned to Will, glaring fiercely at him. "It's not the same. This… this is medical stuff."
"If only your husband were a doctor."
"Diagnostician," said Nico. "Not a real doctor."
It was Will's turn to look shocked. His mouth fell open but his eyes softened at the way Nico burst into laughter. He even allowed Nico to hit him on the face with the pillow.
Laughing, Will turned over on his back and lifted his right arm. Nico got the message and scooted closer, draping half his body over Will.
"I love you. Tell me about your last poop."
"William Solace, if you ask another question like that I will divorce you."
Will smiled and knew Nico was smiling too.
"Well," said Will, "two options. First, you let me see. I treat you like the brilliant doctor that I am, I might not even charge you for my services. I can get you the good stuff. All the things you like."
"Morphine?"
"Not that. And if you do everything I tell you, including eating for God's sake, you'll notice a difference within days. Days, Nico. I promise."
Nico considered this, but did not assent.
"What's the other option?"
Will smiled malevolently. "I'll let it slip to my dad that you're in need of medical attention. He could magically heal you, of course, but trust me when I tell you, he'll insist on a full check-up. And when I mean a full check-up, I mean he'll literally turn himself into a gust of wind and explore your whole body from the tip of your nose to—"
Nico inhaled sharply. "You wouldn't—"
"And you know how he is. He'll likely be telling every single muse around him, and I reckon it'll be minutes before Aphrodite finds out. And then it's straight to Ares—"
"Alright, alright, stop. Don't… don't you dare… your dad… fuck no," Nico stammered, a cold chill going through him. "Fine. We'll do it… we'll do it your way."
"That's a good boy," said Will, squeezing Nico gently around the shoulders. "Come on. I'll draw you a hot bath."
"Isn't it a bit late for a bath?" Nico asked, stifling a yawn.
"Trust me. Instant relief. You'll see. Also, I need you to eat something. Two days without food…" Will muttered under his breath, "worst thing you could have said to me ever."
Five minutes later, Nico waded into the bathroom as he popped the last bit of a whole grain sandwich into his mouth. Will was kneeling by the tub, making sure the temperature was right. He'd lit a few candles, and Leonard Cohen was playing on the speakers Nico had built into the walls.
"I gotta admit," said Nico as he began to undress. "That looks kind of amazing."
Will got to his feet and proceeded to help Nico out of his clothes. He undid his belt with perfect ease, then pulled down Nico's pants just as Nico raised his legs one at a time.
"Only fifteen minutes, okay? Maybe twenty, you really don't need to soak longer than that and it is quite late. I already called in the office. I'll be doing all my appointments online tomorrow. You're not going to work tomorrow by the way," he said as he took off Nico's t-shirt.
"Is that right?" Nico asked with a smile. "Whatever will my boss say about that, I wonder."
Will chuckled, drawing a strand of hair behind Nico's ear. "I'm sure the Empire State Building's Underworld entrance for tourists can survive without you for one day."
Nico needed a bit of help getting into the tub. He hissed as he sunk into the hot water and held on more tightly to Will who was helping him down.
Once settled, Nico let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Tell me again," said Will softly, "why having hemorrhoids means you cannot answer your husband's texts back."
Nico swallowed. He was hoping Will would have glossed over that particular detail. But then again, the bath did feel magnificent, and Will was being sweet and wonderful to him.
"It's… got to do with how I got them in the first place."
Will nodded, sensing some big revelation.
"You know how you got them?"
"Pretty sure," Nico said with a shrug. "It's also fucking embarrassing and incredibly stupid. It's worse than stupid, to be perfectly honest. I uh… found this game. I've been playing this game…" he looked away from Will. "It's sort of like a fighting game. Online. It uh… it's pretty addictive."
"You've been taking your phone to the toilet with you, is that it?"
"The thing is, it takes up the whole screen and… and… I can't stop playing until the whole round ends, which might take up to maybe…" Nico murmured something so quietly Will asked him to repeat himself.
"Forty minutes?!" Will interjected. "You've been taking forty-minute-long shits?!"
"Shhh—shut up!" said Nico, closing his eyes as shame washed over him.
Will splashed hot water on Nico's face, then pulled him in for a kiss.
"What kind of stupid are you, that you think you need to hide these things from me?"
Will's lips were warm and moist against Nico's as he spoke into his mouth.
Nico looked away.
"Dunno, it's… just not something I like to talk about."
Will laughed incredulously. "You say the filthiest things when we're in bed. Honestly, you're like, dirty beyond words when we're doing it, and yet—"
"Yeah, well. That's different. It's part of the excitement. But these things… they're private, and also super embarrassing. Like, I also baste three times a week. You don't need me telling you what's in my side of the cabinet, cause it's all creams and cleaning solutions, and I bleached my asshole that one time, and I regularly wax, too. I mean, all these things I do for us, I don't see why I have to discuss these fucking things with you."
Will took Nico's hands.
"I want you to," he said, drinking Nico's face with hunger in his eyes. "I want you to share these things with me. I don't want to sound ungrateful or like, the asshole top who only very occasionally bottoms, but I also never asked you to do these things to yourself, especially not if the result is this. And if you insist on doing them, then I insist on hearing about them. I do need you to stop taking long poops. They're not good for you."
Nico shut his eyes and bit his lower lip to stop himself from laughing.
"Idiot husband," said Will, pecking Nico's nose. "It's not like I'm asking you to send me pictures of your stool. Although you can if you want to."
"Stop talking," Nico interrupted, splashing water on Will's face.
Gently, Will drew his hand down Nico's back. Nico jolted but felt no pain as Will's hand closed around one of his ass cheeks.
"Show me?" he whispered, his eyes gentle, his smile steady.
Nico closed his eyes and gulped. With Will's help, he got on all fours.
It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Will used his flashlight instead of turning on the bathroom lights, which Nico knew he did for the sake of his own comfort.
"I see," said Will quietly. "I expect you know how serious this is, since it's gone without treatment?"
"I know, I know."
"It's internal and external, Nico. This is going to require discipline to heal."
"I know," Nico repeated quietly.
"Where is the Prep H?"
Nico thought hard for a second. "Second drawer, all the way at the back."
Will stood up and retrieved the box, still intact.
Nico heard Will working the applicator, then opening another drawer to retrieve what could only be lubricant, as it was their lubricant drawer.
"Can I get the fancy one?" Nico asked playfully, trying to diffuse the tension.
"Anything you want," Will replied.
Nico hissed and jolted slightly as he felt Will's fingers nearing his asshole, but he did not feel any pain. Will was exceedingly gentle and quick, he was after all, both doctor and a magnificent lay who knew his way around Nico's body.
"Take a deep breath. Lean forward a little."
Nico did as he was told and he felt only the slightest bit of pain as Will inserted the applicator. Then relief filled him almost instantly. Will proceeded to coat the outside with a thick liquid that felt cold at first, then wonderfully cool.
"Fuck," Nico hissed. "Had I known that's what Prep H does, I really would have used it long ago."
"Do you know what the H in Preparation H stands for?" Will asked conversationally.
"Uh," Nico stammered, "Yeah, duh. Don't make me say it though. I can't seem to get the word past these lips of mine. Drives me bonkers."
"Well, this isn't the regular Preparation Hemorrhoids that you can get over the counter. This one's special."
"Oh?"
"It's ambrosia cream," said Will.
"Shut up," said Nico. "Really?"
"Single source brand, special edition. I'm probably the only doctor in the entire New York area that carries this particular product, which incidentally, it's also called Preparation H, only the H stands for Hermes." said Will smugly.
"Shut up!" said Nico, turning around, his jaw slack. "Hermes, really?"
Will smiled as he applied another coating over Nico's asshole. "You didn't hear it from me."
Nico took Will's hand as he pulled him out of the tub. Gently, Will padded Nico dry with one of the large towels, then did his hair. All the while, Nico's eyes never left Will's face, loving the look of concentration he wore as he pampered him.
"You better not do this with all your patients," Nico threatened playfully.
"Just you," said Will, draping his own fluffy bathrobe around Nico's shoulders, "promise."
It was Nico's turn to help Will undress. They got into bed, Nico instantly draping an arm and a leg over Will's naked body, pressing his cheek to Will's chest.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Nico whispered.
Will drew his hand up and down Nico's back. "I'm sorry I thought you were cheating on me. I don't know what I was thinking."
"I forgive you," said Nico, kissing Will's chest.
"Don't turn over tonight, ok? Sleep on your belly. Tomorrow you'll be able to sit down, I promise."
Nico took a deep breath, feeling better than he'd had for months.
"When can we fuck again?"
Will chuckled.
"Get it out of your mind, it's not gonna happen for a while."
"There's loads of things we can do without inviting my asshole to the party," Nico reasoned.
Will smiled. "Such as?"
Nico's hand found Will's cock under the covers.
"I could suck your dick and fondle your prostate. We can sixty-nine. I could lay on my belly on the kitchen island while you fuck my face and suck my dick at the same time like we did that weekend in Vegas. Or I could fuck you the way you like it, tongue first and everything."
Will chuckled, swatting Nico's hand away from his cock, which was starting to grow hard.
"And yet you can't say the word hemorrhoids."
Nico huffed. "If you're not gonna let me rim you, then go to sleep."
The next morning, Will woke up to a sloppy blow job, and Nico sat down for breakfast for the first time in weeks.