A/N: I was STRUGGLING to keep up this week. Full time work PLUS two auditions. Next week is a bit more calm so hopefully I can keep up!
Slight TW: homophobic language
Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25
It was early when Will awoke to the sound of his phone buzzing on the nightstand.
He was pulled from a reckless dream he couldn't quite remember as the events slipped from his memory with each fleeting second. At first, he thought he had imagined it, a sound from the seconds before his dream ended tricking him awake, but the sporadic continuation of the buzzing made him realise it was simply a string of texts.
When he tried to reach over and grab it, he was stopped by a weight pressing him into the bed. As he became aware of Nico's presence, pushed up next to him, the events of the night prior came flooding in.
It was a tricky situation they found themselves in. While on one hand they both wanted nothing more than to finally go all the way, it was the inability of Will being able to touch his boyfriend below his waist that was dragging him down. Will was well aware of the stress Nico put himself under whenever they had to stop, usually to avoid a massive freak out, and while he respected him and never wanted to push him beyond his limits, it was starting to annoy him.
It was a ticking bomb each time, and Will always tried to push it. Maybe, he thought, if he got him worked up enough, then maybe he would forget, but this always backfired, leaving him unable to relieve himself.
He loved Nico, and while he knew deep down it would never matter if they had sex or not, the persistence of the issue was enough to start chipping away at both of them. They needed to talk about it, but it was a conversation neither of them knew if they were ready to have. What it entailed was a mystery, and as much as Will loved surprises, this was not one he wanted to explore while on vacation.
So, for the rest of the time being, Will was going to shelf the issue. He wasn't going to address it and keep everything leveled, as if there wasn't even a problem to begin with. To wait would be the best solution to this, he decided.
Skin to skin, Nico's body heat was electrifying. He knew his boyfriend always ran a bit cold, but when he didn't, it was enough to melt an iceberg. And it was comforting.
Without disturbing Nico, Will managed to reach over and grab his phone. He squinted when the screen lit up, telling him he hadn't been asleep as long as he wished. While he usually was up early, he knew today had to be a day of sleeping in.
Lou's name popped up, multiple texts from her to the group chat littered his notifications.
The bitch, the witch, and the fly
Cecil
True
ALRIGTH BYE I HAVE TO GO NOW
Lou
THURSDAY AT WHORES HOUSE
K
BYE
Today 7:47 AM
Lou
WILL
WILL ARE YOU AWAKE
SCREW THAT YOU ARE ALWAST AWAKE
BITCH
IMMA KEEP SPAMMING UNTIL YOU REPOSND WHORE
WILLIAM ANDREW SOLACE CHECK UR STUPID TEXTS
According to all known laws of aviation,
there is no way a bee should be able to fly.
Its wings are too small to get
its fat little body off the ground.
HELLO
WTF
LOU
WHAT DO YOU WANT
Lou
oh ur finally awake
I was trying to sleep
what do you want
Lou
Are you doing anything today?
This morning? ?
Well
If you have to know
I was planning on
FUCKING SLEEPING
but that seems to have changed
Lou
boo
ur always awake at this time anyways so don't blame me
But if ur not planning on doing anything, I was gonan call in sick to work bc fuck em
they don't pay me enough for the shit I do
and get Cecil and hang out before tomorrow a bit
cuz it is not fair that I only get to see you for like
a fucking day
when you are literally my best friend
so
UHG
fine
I don't think we have any plans today
Lou
FUCK YEAH
But I'm not waking Nico up so don't expect us anytime soon
Plus nothings open rn anwyays
Lou
yeah no shit
I just wanted to get u before u decided anything
IM going back to bed
CECIL
WHEN U GET UP, THIS IS HAPPENING
SO GET SHOWERED U DUMB FUCK
Can I go back to bed now?
Lou
Can u even go back to bed once ur up?
Bitch
Lou
Love u
Night
Fuck you
Will turned his phone off and set it back on the desk. He let out a heavy sign and shifted. He was still weighed down by Nico's sleeping form, but it seemed like he was unfazed by Lou's constant spamming of messaged. He applauded Nico for his ability to sleep through almost everything.
He knew he was going to lie awake for the next bit, his eyes automatically opening whenever he tried to shut them. As much as Will enjoyed just lying in his thoughts, he knew it would only lead to a spiral of bad thinking. So, instead, he tried to focus on his breathing and prayed to every god he could think of to let him fall back asleep as soon as humanly possible.
…
Nico didn't mind getting up earlier than twelve, and he really didn't care that Will had surprised him with the knowledge they were going to see his best friends, what was bugging him was that he had zero ideas what one could even do for entertainment in such a small town.
"We used to have a Walmart," Will had started to explain, "so we would walk around there for a few hours, stop by McDonalds for a bit before going to whatever thrift store was open."
Small towns confused the hell out of Nico. How does one even manage to do that on a consistent basis?
They had taken Naomi's car into town around eleven-thirty, heading in to pick up Lou first.
"Okay, so, Lou is a bit eccentric. She means well but she tends to have no filter," Will told him, fixing his rereview mirror. "She has been dying to meet you since I first told her about you. And since you became my boyfriend, it was only a matter of time before she would lose it. I was scared she was going to fly down to New York."
"I have no idea what to expect, but if Leo yesterday is anything to go by, then this will be entertaining to say the least."
Will smiled.
"Yeah, she is something, that's for sure. I'm not too sure how to describe Cecil other than he reminds me a bit of Frank, but even that isn't entirely correct."
"So, Lou is insane and Cecil may or may not be similar to Frank?"
"Basically."
"This is…"
"Yup."
Nico sighed as he leaned against the door window and watched Will drive. The blond glanced over at him a few times, smiling.
"What?" he asked, curious.
Nico shook his head.
"It's just kind of funny how we've had the exact same friends since you moved but now, I get to meet yours."
"You get to see into my world now."
Nico rolled his eyes at Will's playful smirk.
"I think I've seen too much already."
"Just you wait."
When they pulled up to Lou's house, it was easily twice the size of Nico's. He knew houses were much cheaper and ginormous there compared to New York, but it still was mind boggling.
Before Will could even pull up into the driveway, a petite brunette girl was already rocketing out of her doorway, shouting something behind her as the door slammed. When Will managed to park the car, she practically flung the door open, waiting for him to get out.
"William," she started, keeping her eyes locked on Will, "get your bougie ass out of this fucking car right now and give me a hug."
Without a second thought, Will had her wrapped up in her arms. She even managed to life him off of the ground in their embrace. It was the type of hug you give to your favourite cousin who you only see once a year, the kind that spoke louder than words could ever properly portray. Nico had given only one of those hugs in his life and it was to Bianca when she got back from summer camp when he was ten.
"You are way too tall, man."
"You're too short. Have you tried growing?"
"Have you tried not being a little bitch?"
"Oh, that's rich coming from you."
And once again they pulled one another close, fingers grasping desperately at clothes.
After what felt like minutes, Lou finally pulled away and jumped into the backseat. Nico just sat and watched as she buckled up, throwing her half-ripped bag into the seat beside her. When everyone was seating and Will was back to starting up the car, Nico gave her an awkward smile.
"You must be Nico," she said. It wasn't a question, but it was hardly a statement.
"Yeah, some people call me that."
She paused before giving him a once over. Nico felt a shiver crawl through his spine, but he managed to suppress the shake. She had piercing eyes that held more secrets than he knew she was willing to share. Unlike being back in New York, this was Will's territory and his people, and Nico had no clue how to win them over.
"He's cuter than I thought," she said. "No offence, though. I knew you were cute, but Will's shitty photography doesn't do you justice." She obviously had aimed the last bit at the blond who only swatted his hand behind him, missing her by several inches.
"Ignore her, she's just mad that I could never take a photo good enough for her Instagram."
"And then you left me with Cecil who can barely even hold a camera."
"Oh, boo. You do fine."
"No thanks to you."
Nico didn't have much to say so he sat back and listened to the bickering. Nico had over heard Will's conversations with Lou on the phone a few times and it was nothing short of those few moments. Words were shot back and forth, each interrupting the other. It lasted the entire way to Cecil's house.
Pulling up, a boy with sandy blond hair was sitting on the front steps of a older house. When Will honked the car, the boy looked up. Lou rolled down her window and shouted, "Get in, loser."
He made his way over to the car, his walk an awkward middle ground between and brisk pace and a jog.
He hopped in behind Nico and shut the door.
"Nico," Will said, turning back onto the street, "this is Cecil."
"Hi," Nico said, biting his tongue over how awkward and out of place he felt.
"S'up?"
Nico wasn't sure if he was supposed to give response to it, but when Lou cut in and nothing was pressed, he got it was rhetorical.
When Will had explained there was next to nothing to do in town, he wasn't kidding. Lou had insisted of going to the thrift store, so they made their way over to the tiny strip mall in the middle of town.
Lou was the first one out, a bounce in her step and Will on her heel. Nico had fallen behind with Cecil as the two went on about something Nico couldn't follow.
"Don't worry, they're always like that," Cecil informed him. The teen came up to Nico's nose in height, but he was sure it was because of his posture. He was lanky and a bit awkward in his body, but it was almost jelly-like.
"We have this friend Piper-"
"The one with the famous dad?" Cecil asked.
Nico paused. Of course he told them about their friends in New York, but it was still surprising.
"Yeah, famous dad."
"Cool. Go on."
"So, Piper, she and I bicker all time, I just wonder if this is what it's like for everyone else."
Cecil laughed.
"Probably. From what Will told me, she sounds like Lou." Nico nodded. "I can't say what it's like for you back in the city, but when those two are together…" Cecil shook his head and followed Nico through the front doors. "I love them, but they give me a massive headache."
"Yeah," Nico smiled, "that sounds like Will."
Nico started to realise why Will liked these two so much. Cecil, despite being a little airy at times, was very easy to talk to. Lou seemed to challenge Will on a maturity level that he hadn't seen in a long time. Instantly, Nico knew his teachers hated when they were all in the same class.
Lou had made it her mission to find a new spring outfit for when school started back up. She made Will carry a basket around with him and lug around the items she found interesting. While Nico stuck close by, he and Cecil carried on a heated conversation over Yu-gi-oh. Neither of them had watched the show or played the game in years, so there was a lot of googling and talking out of their ass for parts.
Nico was digging through the shirts as Will leaned on the rack beside him, watching as Lou debated between two shirts. (She ended up grabbing both) As he scanned through the racks, he was getting tired.
"I have found literally five shirts with the confederate flag on it," he said.
"Yeah, that's to be expected," Will sighed. When Nico turned to Cecil, he gave a weak nod.
"That is exactly why I can't wait to graduate and get the fuck out of this town," Lou said, throwing a pair of jeans into Will's basket.
"I'm actually surprised you only found five," Cecil added as he started to shuffle through the shirts.
"Oh, there's probably way more if you keep looking," Lou said.
"Someone call Octavian," Cecil said as he held up a shirt with several American and confederate flags on it, "I think he lost his shirt."
"God, fuck Octavian."
"Who's Octavian?" Nico asked which earned a sigh from Will.
"Just some asshole kid we went to school with."
"You don't have to see him anymore," Lou started, "but we do. I fucking hate this dude. He's racist, homophobic, a misogynist, and he's fucking ugly."
"Don't think the last one fits in with the rest," Cecil pointed out as he put the shirt back.
"No, it fucking does. He think's he can get away with anything he wants-"
"He can."
"-because his dad is the chief of police in town. He's literally the reason I fucking hate this place. If I could tell him to fuck off, oh god…"
"Why can't you?" Nico asked.
"Because," Cecil interjected, "he just tells his dad and nothing happens."
"He's the reason Will had to leave town."
"Lou," Will warned, his voice low. There was a caution to his voice and either Lou didn't hear it or didn't care, but she just ignored him.
"He's the fucking asshole who sent him death threats. And you can't exactly go to the police for anything, especially in the town. Like, imagine going to them and saying, 'hey, your boss's son is threatening to kill our friend for being queer. Do something about it.'"
"Lou," Will said again, this time it was obvious he was starting to get stressed.
"So, not only did he drive my best friend out of town, he also gets away with basically murder and has zero consequences. And he paraded around after Will left about how he won-"
"Lou, drop it."
Nico stopped when Will raised his voice. It was a tone he hadn't heard much but still left him on edge. The two stared at one another, neither stepping down. Nico could feel Cecil tense up beside him and it was getting hard to breathe. If it was anyone else, Nico didn't know how Will would have reacted.
Will never really spoke beyond the basics on why he left. He knew it was because someone had found out he was into guys and spread it around. He knew about the death threats and the decision as to why he left, but Nico didn't realise just how messed the situation was.
He knew Will wasn't wanting to talk about it, especially with the close call earlier in the week.
"Anyways, I hate Octavian," Lou said, being the one to look away first. She went back to searching through the racks, but it was obvious she wasn't actually paying any attention to what she was finding.
…..
It was for sure interesting for Nico to watch Will interact with his friends. If he had seemed off before, every bit of unsureness seemed to have melted away. He wasn't constantly watching his back like he had been doing on previous outings. It was relaxing seeing him just fall back into rhythm like he had been when they were still in New York.
"Okay, so McKinley, he still teaching?" Will had asked when they sat down at a table outside of a small ice cream shop. Nico watched him as he picked at his strawberry with his spoon.
"So, here's the thing with that," Lou started as Cecil started to laugh, face already covered in chocolate.
"Oh, god," Cecil jumped in in between stifled laughter.
"Technically, he's still teaching."
Nico raised a brow.
"What does that mean?"
"See, he got caught sleeping with a student-"
"Allegedly," Cecil added, raising a finger to emphasis his point.
"Allegedly he was caught sleeping with a student."
"How is it allegedly?" Nico asked, taking a scoop.
"The girl, Ashleigh-"
"Ashleigh Morrison?!" Will shouted, almost choking on the ice cream in his mouth.
"Yeah, I know, right?" Cecil said.
"Who's…?"
"Ashleigh is the daughter of a pastor. Been in the church choir since elementary school. Super religious girl," Cecil informed Nico who nodded slowly as he mouthed, "Oh."
"Anyways," Lou continued, "Technically, this all happened after grad. So she-"
"She wasn't his student anymore," Will finished her sentenced. "Fuck man, I heard shit was wonky."
"Exactly. So, there's an investigation being done on him seeing if they were sleeping together when she was still a student."
"And they're still letting him teach?"
"And they're still letting him teach!" Lou repeated, slamming her free hand on the table to prove her point.
"That's fucked," Nico muttered, mouth half full of ice cream.
"Right? Anyways, there's not much going on right now other than the occasion pregnancy from freshmen. Umm, there was a gas leak in the labs that they called science gas for some fucking reason. I don't know what changing the name was supposed to do but now the senior group chats are filled with 'science gas' memes."
"Jesus, science gas?" Will said.
"Yeah, they've evacuated the school, like, five times. The theatre kids were fucking pissed. Right in the middle of rehearsal," Cecil added.
"Your school is fucked," Nico said, earning a hefty nod from the two.
"You have no idea. Everything is breaking and we're about ninety-percent sure there's asbestos in the walls."
"I'm so glad I left when I did," Will said, turning his attention back to his ice cream.
It was a decent day out, only slightly overcast, but it was still warm enough to go without a jacket. Nico felt a small shiver creep up his back as he continued picking at his ice cream.
The group continued to discus things that Will had missed while he was away, filling him in on who got cute and who already peaked. It was mostly gossip for gossip's sake, but it was pretty entertaining. Even if Nico didn't care much for it, not knowing these people helped him get into, and Lou was more than willing to explain backstories in great detail.
"And Courtney found out her and Jake were cousins. Don't tell me why they didn't realise it until after four months of dating, I couldn't tell you. Like how do you not realise you share the same great grandparents-"
Mid sentence, Lou froze. Her jaw clenched and her spine straightened. Nico watched as her eyes were trained on something behind him and as he turned to glance over his shoulder, he noticed a boy about their age walking towards them.
"Fuck," Cecil muttered under his breath as he put his head down, eyes training on the table before him. He sunk into himself.
As Nico was about to ask what was going on, he was instantly startled by someone yelling behind him, shouting, "Hey, fag, didn't expect to see you in town."
Nico felt his breath get caught in his throat, but he instantly noticed Will go stiff. Lou managed to take the lead when the teen approached their table.
"What do you want, Bryce?"
"My mom told me Solace was back in town and I could hardly believe my ears. Had to see it for myself." His voice was rough like he had been screaming continuously for hours. When Nico dared a glance over to his boyfriend, Will's knuckles were white by how hard he was clenching them. His glare was intense and forward. It was obvious he was using all his energy to keep his thoughts to himself.
"Yeah, and what about it?"
He laughed. It sounded sick.
"Didn't think he would actually come back. Here I thought we had said our final goodbyes, but it appears fate has brought us together one again.
"Are you done?" Will finally spoke, dragging his glair over the man.
"Aw, did I upset the fag?"
At the sound of the word, Nico could practically feel Will's jaw clench. He felt helpless, but he knew it would be best to just keep his mouth shut. Maybe he hadn't noticed him, though, that seemed impossible.
"Bryce, what do you want?"
"Again, nothing. Just saw you and wanted to say hi." He paused. "Hi."
Will faked a smile but his eyes laid blank.
"Hi."
As tensioned thickened, Nico felt like he was going to be sick. He managed to sneak a look across the table at the others. Lou was being held down by a single hand provided by Cecil who still studied the table like he had an exam tomorrow.
"Now, I would be careful, William."
"Are you threatening me?" Will asked, but his tone held no curiosity.
"You know I would never do such a thing."
Lou scoffed, earning a hard look from Bryce. For a moment, his sickly exterior melted, showing something kin to hatred.
"I'm just sayin', not a lot of people will enjoy the fact that you're back in town," he warned.
"Good thing I'm not stayin'."
For a moment, they simply stared at one another. It was long and hard and Nico feared an altercation was about to break out. But it was Bryce that broke away, letting his twisted smile find its way back to his mouth.
"Good thing you aren't stayin', indeed." His words rang through the area, and despite them being outside and in a fairly public area, not a single sound was heard other than Bryce's voice and the pounding on their own heartbeats chanting in their ears. "Well, I better get going. It was great to see you again, hope next time is just as exciting."
And with that, Bryce had walked away.
Nico was scared to ask the question he knew the entire table knew the answer to but him. Instead, he watched Will, seeing the way his eyes were glossed over in a rage he couldn't put a name to. This was the same look he had seen glimpses of all week.
"I want to fucking kill him," Lou muttered, eyes still trained on his retreating figure.
When Nico went to open his mouth, he found it dry and impossible to speak.
"Bryce Lawrence," Cecil said, looking up to meet Nico's eyes for the first time since said boy had appeared. He had obviously been reading Nico's confused and curious mind.
"A fucking prick, is who he is," Lou spat.
"He's best friends with Octavian."
Nico swallowed hard. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew that Bryce knowing him and Will were in town wasn't a good thing.
Will still stayed silent. For a second, he looked like a shell of a man. When he started to move again, going back to picking at his ice cream, both Lou and Cecil watched him, afraid to move. There was egg shells all around them and they still had a mile to run.
"Will," Lou spoke, but Will didn't even spare her a glance. Nico wanted to comfort him, to say something, but he was worried his boyfriend would lash out.
"Lou, don't," Cecil spoke when Lou tried to reach out.
Will shifted and smiled, looking over at Nico. While he looked and sounded like his boyfriend, something about Will seemed off. It was as if the man before him wasn't human at all but pretending. When he smiled, Nico felt a shiver rush through him, feeling more frightened than relaxed.
"Sorry about that."
Nico felt his mouth dry up even more so he simply shook his head, hoping to get the point across. Whether he succeeded or not was alien to him at that moment, but Will ignored it. He was quick to turn back and act as if nothing was wrong.
"So, you were saying about Courtney?" Will said, digging once again back into his ice cream.
Lou and Cecil gave each other a quick glance before Lou continued with what she was saying. She looked a little confused, but she kept glancing back over at Will to make sure he was okay.
As much as Nico wanted to place his hand on Will, he was scared he was going to snap.
…..
With Bryce's self-insert on their day, the group decided that it was good enough to call it a day after a few more hours wondering around town. There truly wasn't much to do other than slip into a few local shops, which, they agreed to avoid after the sudden interaction.
After dropping Lou and Cecil off at their places, setting tomorrows events into stone, Nico and Will headed back to the farm. It was a quiet drive with the radio turned practically off. Nico had thought about turning on his own music, but unsaid words still blared heavily in the air.
As Will turned onto the highway road, Nico couldn't handle the stale positivity that Will was still exuding. As much as he wished Will was okay with everything, he could tell it was chipping away at him.
"Will," Nico spoke, his words breaking the silence that loomed just above the car's engine.
The blond hummed, acknowledging his presence but kept his attention turned to he road. The graying skies loomed above.
"Are you okay?"
There was nothing for a long time, just the sound of tire on cement. Will's eyes never moved from forward. Then there was a sigh.
"Nico, I really don't-"
"I know you don't want to talk about it, but it's obvious that it's bugging you."
Will's eyes flicked over, glancing quickly over Nico before he turned his attention back to the road.
"I think it's-"
"Nico-"
"No, I think it's starting to really bother you being back."
Silence fell again. Nico noticed Will's fingers grip the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning pale from the pressure.
"I get why you left and why you don't want to be back, but I think there's something-"
"What I did was hard." Will's voice was rough, like there was something sharp pinned in his throat. "And I hate that I had to leave, yes, but it's also way more complicated than that."
Nico said nothing and only watched the blond. It seemed like he wanted to say something else, but he wasn't sure how to word it. Nico was willing to give him as much time as he needed.
With a sigh, Will continued. "Bryce was one of the people that made my life hell for those few months before I finally left. No matter what I tried to do, him and his friends wouldn't leave me alone.
"I knew of other queer people at the school, but after the incident, none of them even wanted to be in the same room as me. People who didn't even care turned a blind eye on the shit they did. I had literally no one but Lou and Cecil, and they paid for it. The teachers, the other students, no one wanted to be associated with the 'gay' kid. So, while being back is hard, what's worse is that I don't know my safety here."
Nico reached out and put a soft hand on his lap. Will, at first, froze at the touch, but soon melted into the contact. Will set a hand on his and squeezed before looking over and smiling. It was tired and full of pain, but it was genuine.
"And yours."
Those words came out a little harder than the ones before.
Will released Nico's hand and turned back to face the road.
"I know I will be safe. I was born and raised here, plus ma being as big as she is, I'll be fine. But you? I'm scared for you."
"I can take care of myself," Nico told him to which Will gave a weak smile.
"I know."
"Good."
The rest of the drive continued to divulge in silence, just the passing of the countryside bringing a new horizon to the moment. Nico knew that was as good of a conversation as they were going to have on the topic for the moment, but at least Will seemed to have some weight lifted off his back. Much needed to still be said, but there would be time to continue that another time.
…..
"At least once," Will begged, pulling at Nico's arm who kicked up a fuss.
"No fucking way," he said, frowning.
"C'mon, you promised."
"I didn't promise shit," Nico lied, knowing full well he had agreed to do so just hours prior.
"That's bullshit and you know it."
"Fuck you."
"Listen here," Will started but was meet with a dish towel to his face.
"Both of you, will you shut it?" Naomi cried out, exhausted.
Nico and Will stopped their bickering and turned to her, Will still a little confused as to why he had a towel covering his face.
"Nico, honey, will you please take my loud son outside with you and let him show you how to shoot a gun before I take him out back myself?"
Nico bit his lip to stop the snicker that was threatening to escape as he gingerly nodded his head. As much as he didn't want to go shoot in the backyard, he could tell Naomi was already regretting having Will back in the house, even if it was just for a few more days.
"Hey," Will shot back, tossing the towel at his mother who swatted it away with a wave of her hand. "Rude."
"Exactly." She sighed and put the towel back on the stove. "Now, go out back before it gets dark."
Will grabbed Nico's hand and rushed him to the door.
"And the moment I say come back, you better listen. No shooting pass sundown."
"Yeah, yeah," Will said as he was already halfway out the door, dragging his boyfriend with him.
The sky was still cloudy and the wind was starting to pick up, but there was no sign of rain for as far as either of them could see. Nico tugged his jacket closer to his body as a gust of wind sent a shiver up his spine.
"Slow down," Nico shouted, but Will had no intent of doing so.
With his holster already at his side, he pulled Nico over to a small shooting range that was made up of mismatched coffee cups and tattered targets.
"This looks sketchy as fuck," Nico muttered as he sat over to the side. He had no intention on being the first one to fire, so he watched as Will got everything set up.
"Oh, it totally is," he said, checking the barrel of the pistol, "but it works."
"You do this a lot?"
Will nodded, adding to the chamber.
"When I was in middle school, ma used to teach me to shoot out here. Dad was horrified when he found out, but that just makes me a better shot than him."
Nico nodded as he watched Will's nimble fingers quickly get everything in order.
"Here," he said, raising the gun up and pointing it, "I'll show you first."
Within a second and loud bang echoing, a pop can flung off the pile of wood it was set on.
"Easy."
"That," Nico started, but still was a little shocked by the sudden noise, "I guess."
Will fired off a few more rounds until the firearm was fully unloaded. Nico gingerly made his way over to his boyfriend as he double checked the barrel. It had seemed easy enough, but Nico still wasn't entirely sure about firing a gun, especially since he had never even held one before.
"C'mon, New York, let's get you strapped," Will said, smiling, as he reloaded the pistol.
"Never say that string of words again, please."
Nico took hold of the gun when it was passed to him, keeping it aimed out in front of him. He was taking zero chances with the loaded weapon Will seemed to haphazardly swing around. Will stood behind him and raised his arms, keeping Nico's aim steady for the first shot.
"Just aim and fire. Don't try to fight the kick back and don't lock your arms up." Will's breath was warm on the back of his neck as he spoke, raising Nico's elbow just by a hair.
With a slow nod, he closed his left eye and took aim. Will had taken a step back and off to the side leaving Nico to fire on his own. With one last heavy breath, he fired.
The kick back was as Will said: unexpected. At first, he swore he didn't aim properly, but he noticed a fresh hole on the target. His heart was pounding in his ears as he lowered the gun. It was exhilarating and he was wanting to try it again.
Will clapped as he made his way back to his boyfriend's side.
"Nice shot," he said, his voice warm in his ears.
"That was…"
"Now," Will started again, raising Nico's arm into position, almost chest to back, "this time you will be expecting the backfire. Don't let this change your aim. Hold it the same way and fire."
Nico gave a quick nod once again as he took aim. He was shaky from the sudden fire and adrenaline coursing through his veins. There was still a ring in his ears from the sound, but it was nothing more than a dull buzz as he took the next shot.
The next bullet grazed the target, but wasn't as far off from where he had expected.
"You're getting good at this," Will said, hands in his pocket as he watched in amusement.
"I'm only two shots in."
"Give it a third."
Nodding, Nico fired off the rest of the rounds. One after another until the barrel was empty, Nico fired. He managed to hit the target a total of four times, even earning an impressed nod from Will who didn't fail to miss one target in his warmup. His ears rang but it didn't last forever. He understood why most people wore protective gear, but given that they were outside, it lessened the sound.
Every so often, Will would hold him to reposition him, but on some occurrences, Nico could tell it was just because Will wanted to be close. As much as Nico had given being in Texas a hard time, it was the moments where Will showed him just how he lived that made it worth wile.
As the sun grew closer to falling, the two of them called it a night when neither wanted to touch the freezing metal. They rushed back inside into the safety and heat of the house where Naomi was finishing up dinner.
…
Once finished with the dinner that had been scraped clean by both boys, Naomi was putting around the kitchen as Will and Nico pretended to help clean up, but mostly it was them tossing bits of garbage at one another. More than a few times did she role her eyes at them and call them children.
"I have to head into town," Naomi announced as she placed the final plate on to the drying rack, "do you two wanna come?"
Will stopped picking at Nico's shirt for a moment before glancing down at his boyfriend. Nico gave him a shrug in return and Will nodded.
"Sure."
"Great, I'm gonna go grab my bag from upstairs, can you two meet me in the car?"
Both boys continued to bug one another as they raced to the front door and out to the car. It didn't take long for Naomi to meet them as Will swatted at Nico's hands from the front seat.
Buckling her seat belt, she said, "Can you two act normal for one day in your life?"
"Tell that to Will," Nico said, managing to tap the blond's cheek. Turning back in his seat, he reached around and grabbed at Nico's hand, only earning a muttered laughter from his boyfriend.
"I swear to god, Nico," Will warned, but his threat was empty.
Shaking her head, Naomi turned up the radio and pulled out of the driveway. Skirting the country lines, they made their way into town. Naomi told them she just had to pick up some medication and that it would only be about a ten-or-so minute wait. Neither of the boys cared as they were more preoccupied with trying to annoy the other.
As Naomi made her way to the back of the pharmacy to fill out and pick up the proscription, Nico and Will decided that they were going to continue to create havoc in the store. They didn't want to bother the workers or the other shoppers, only one another. And that is exactly what they did.
They would chase and follow one another, picking up random things and toss it to the other. They received a few dirty looks from the older employees that were trying to restock and really didn't have time for two teenagers running around and making a mess.
The sun was already setting outside the glass windows, leaving just the florescence of the flickering lights above.
As they chased each other into an isle lined with makeup, Will was the first to stop. Nico had almost run into him, blond coming to a bleak pause. Confused, Nico tugged on Will's arm but he was met with Will swatting him in a way to get him to seriously stop. Looking up, Nico met the eyes of an older lady with her gray hair pinned up.
"Mrs. Summers," Will spoke, voice airy.
"My, William? William Solace?"
The women's voice sent a shiver down Will's spine and he was once again fifteen and unsure.
"Hi."
"What are you doing here? I thought you moved away," she said. The way she carried herself was lifted and fair. Even without knowing, everything about her made sense that she was teacher.
"I – I did," he said, keeping himself grounded. "I'm just here visiting my mom."
"And how is your mother?"
"She's well."
"I haven't seen Naomi around lately, she been busy?" At first Will was trying to figure out what she meant, but it was clear upon second thought that she meant church. Since Will had moved away and his grandmother passed, his mother had stopped going to church, knowing that the only reason she went was because of her own mother.
"She's been busy, yes," Will half-lied, smiling.
His heart was picking up and a small amount of panic was settling in. He needed to find an out and get him and Nico back to the car. He was starting to regret going with his mother by the second.
"My, bless her heart. Such a talented one, she is."
"Yeah."
"How has life been in… New York? Is that where you live now?"
"Yeah, with my dad."
"My, ain't that sweet. Such a colourful city, that is."
Will let out a nervous laugh. He could feel Nico's presence beside him and he sent a silent thank you his way for reading the sudden energy shift.
"I really like it."
"So," she shifted, "how's life been treating you?"
"Um, pretty good, can't really complain."
"Oh, that's wonderful. When you left, I had you in my prayers. What happened was so awful, but what could have been done?"
Another nervous laughter broke from Will. This was not the conversation he was wanting to have with his old teacher. This wasn't a conversation he was wanting to have with anyone. He was scared he was going to get hurt again, that his past was going to follow him. Even though he ran, like water to the ocean, he would always return to where he once belonged.
"I hope the good lord helped you find your way and that you've found a path for yourself that will help move past that time in your life."
With gritted teeth, he smiled.
"I appreciate it."
"Oh, good," she said, "you were such a bright student, I just don't want it to go to such waste."
"Will?" his mother called and Will had never been more grateful to hear her voice. "There you two are."
"My goodness, Naomi," Mrs. Summers spoke, turning towards Naomi as she headed down the isle with a small paper bag in hand. "Don't you just look marvelous."
Smiling, she said, "Oh, why thank you. How have you been, Susan?"
"Just peachy. We've missed you at service."
"Been busy with work lately, but I've being sending my prayers to the group from home."
"Ain't that just sweet. Well, I better get going. I hope to see you around, Naomi. And Will, it was great to see you again."
As much as it hurt, his fingernails digging into his hand was the least of his concern. Everything was buzzing around him and he couldn't quiet focus on the words around him. When she was out of sight, Will was the first one to book it to the exit and get to the car.
He hated it here. He hated this town. He hated the people in it. And he hated himself that he felt at home in a place that hated him and wanted nothing more than to see him in pain. He hated what he went through and why people did it in the name of God. He just wanted to leave.
He cried too many tears over simply being himself to waste another drop on those who only wished him harm. All his pain didn't make him stronger, it only made him angry and bitter. It made him someone he hated, and it was hard to love someone who you hated.
….
There wasn't much conversation that night when they got home. The entire drive, Will kept his attention glued to his phone. Nico noticed the worried glances Naomi would steal to her son as he continued to smile through his one-word responses he would give.
When they got home, Will was quick to retire to bed. When Nico would try to talk, Will would shut the conversation down. It hurt to be shut out by the one person he thought he could count on. Even through all of their ups and downs, they could always turn to one another to deal with the worst. But this was even beyond Nico's ability. All he wanted was to show his support for his boyfriend, knowing it was hard to be in a place where those around you don't support you.
He wanted to reach out, but he knew Will would pull away.
But he did anyways, needing that warmth that came from Will's gentle touch. And to his surprise, he didn't. Will stopped in his wake and just paused. Neither looked at one another, but just the grip was enough to say, "Stay."
And Will did. He stood there, back turned. All there was a shaky breath shared between the two of them.
"I'm sorry," Will muttered.
Nico only gripped tighter.
Stay.
But what he couldn't put after was, "with me."
A/N: I- have never dug so deep into my knowledge of the most random things as I have for this fic. I have reached out to my brother for car details and ran a lot of my bible quotes by my friend who's the child of a pastor but this fic is really pushing my own knowledge to the brink.
I'm having so much fun writing these chapters, but my god I have to stop making these chapters super long. I write them after work when I get home and I usually close so I write between 9-11pm. But don't expect me to slow down in size. We're getting to the good parts.
I'm really enjoying playing with the dynamics of these characters in this fic and how they all interact. As much as I love a "perfect" situation, it never leaves me totally fulfilled liked those 300k hurt/comfort slow burn that are super realistic. I feel like I'm speed running those emotions.
I am so intrigued by the theories you have and they make me so happy. Having this entire story arch planned out, some of you have been REACHING and it's a good thing! But all I can say is stay tuned and keep me posted with ur comments! They really help shape aspects of the story!
Nothing lengthy this time! Thank you for checking out this chapter and I love to hear from you. Until next time.
Kitty
