A/N: I have no excuses for why this is a week late. I just finished reading All For The Game and spent 8 hours at one point trying to finish it. plus it was my birthday and i had a bunch of filming (even filming while this is being posted bc i write these ahead of time) But its all fine, right? you can wait after last week :D anyways, im working on the playlists for Sour and Bitter, so if you have any recs, im all ears. I will be realising them at the end of this series, but I might hold out on Sweet's as i want it to be a bigger built up. As the playlists will contain theme spoilers. theyre really meant for rereads and the vibes.


The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

Isaiah 40:8


Will wasn't sure when he woke up if that had been the best or worst sleep of his life. He recalled not a single dream, only the seconds that ticked from the moment he closed his eyes to opening them once again. He felt more stiff than he had ever recalled being and the way his neck was twisted meant he would be feeling it for the rest of the day, if not longer.

It was all a blur until suddenly it wasn't. It came rushing back to him like the migraine he was suddenly experiencing. Every word, every worry. It was a momentary repeat that hit him like a moving train. He couldn't blink it away and every time he closed his eyes he saw the gun, the church, his bedroom ceiling.

He wished he could have slipped back into slumber; it would have been kinder than the wave of nausea that swarmed him with every thought back.

It must have been the change of his breathing, but just as he found himself fully awake, unable to close his eyes any longer, Nico shifted beside him.

They hadn't moved much throughout the night, only the grip loosening with time. Without shifting to glance out of the window, he could tell it was well into the morning. He was beyond exhausted yet his body fought otherwise. He knew he should get up or slip back into slumber, but neither were an option as Nico came to.

There was a moment when he knew Nico had fully woken up but he didn't speak. Maybe he knew Will was awake, too, but neither moved to check it out. As they laid, everything stood still. It was the purgatory of the night before that encapsulated them.

The shifting in breathing was enough to communicate between them. But after almost ten minutes of neither boy moving, words still numb in the throat, Will was the first to shift. Without a word, Nico got up at the same time.

As much as Will didn't want to gaze upon Nico's face, scared what he would see and have to face in the day light, he saw just how red his face still was. Tear streaks stained his eyes from the night before. In the darkness, things could be hidden but as the sun crawled higher into the sky, Will knew there was no more running.

He assumed his mother would stay out of it if they made it clear not to press, so he wasn't worried about that – at least for the time being. But even if she wasn't going to speak on it, they needed to. There was a lot between them that needed to be set straight, and after last night, they were all out of places to run and hide.

Will wished they could have just gone back to where they had been days – weeks – months ago, but he knew things were not that simple; it would never be possible to be exactly there again.

So, getting up, the creaking of the floor being louder than anything Will was wanting to hear for the moment, he said, "Hey, why don't we…" His own voice fell flat, but it was enough to earn a nod of some sort of understanding from Nico.

Despite the time and place, it had been much colder than Will ever anticipated his spring break to be. He wished it was warm and sunny, but the overcast, looking like it was threatening rain, said otherwise. Slipping their jackets and shoes on, they headed towards the front door and out the front. Will thought for a moment about grabbing the gun, knowing the wildlife, but after last night, he didn't know if he could hold it again without wanting either vomit or fire all its rounds at once.

They needed out of the house, even if it was the best place for them. It was small and suffocating considering everything. Will knew instantly where they needed to go and led Nico into the forest, towards the tree house.

Nico took Will's hand without word as they headed in, Will's chest tightening. He didn't know if Nico taking his hand was still a good sign or not, but at least it showed they were in whatever this was together.

As they stepped over branches and smeared their shoes in mud, Will could feel each step closer to the fort in the tightening of his muscles. His heart raced as it felt like he was walking himself to his own slaughter. After the night before, he swore that's where this was headed.

Nico had spoken all of his own insecurities, poured his heart out, and all Will wanted to do was hide. He knew those thoughts, he had had them himself, but he had found a way to over come them. He was happy. And maybe it was because he could hide behind the fact that he still liked girls. He kept some "normalcy" in his life despite it.

But Will knew Nico's life and his stances on certain subjects. While things were much more black and white for Will, Nico held a lot of gray in his. It wasn't cut and dry as it was for Will when he chose to leave. His leaving of Texas was his cut off and coming back wasn't like dangling a drug in front of an ex-addict. He saw the hype, and maybe for a second the thought crossed his mind, but it wasn't as appealing as it once was. But for Nico, he couldn't run and recover like he had. In his darkest moment, he turned to the church, and what was worse was Will knew he would. He knew it.

Nico needed an out, and last night proved it didn't matter what it was as long as he got it, even if that meant leaving Will.

Fuck, Will thought. And it was all he could think. He was walking himself to his own death, and in his hand, his executioner.

When they got there, Will was the first one to head up. He worried maybe Nico would complain, but he was quick on his heel. It wasn't long before the two of them were settled up, looking out on the wooded area before them. Will smiled to himself. He had missed it.

It was a long time before either of them spoke. Will knew if they did, it would start the conversation months in the making. He knew they weren't perfect, but when he had to face that truth, it always hurt. He loved Nico, as both his boyfriend and, more importantly, as his best friend. The last thing he wanted to do was lose him, but whatever happened after this conversation wasn't up to him. Maybe they could survive last night, the days leading up, but maybe they were just a passing thing.

Will didn't want to speak, but he had to.

"Are we breaking up?" he finally asked, feeling the shutter in his own breath. Might as well pull off the Band-Aid that had been left on for way too long.

Nico stared at him, finally reaching his eyes for the first time since everything had gone down. He looked tired and defeated. Sitting before him, Nico looked just like a scared child.

"What?"

"Are we-"

"I heard you," Nico cut him off, keeping his eyes. Will looked away, but he still braced himself for whatever was next – good or bad. "Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know."

There was a beat before Nico looked away.

He did know – he didn't know. Maybe he didn't want to know.

"Do you want to?" Nico asked, his voice small.

It was Will's turn to get defensive. But before he could speak, he paused. This entire time he thought he was walking to his own death but maybe it seemed like he was walking Nico's out to his own.

"No." He could barely hear his own voice. Will felt like a child and pulled his legs up to his chest. He felt so exposed all of the sudden.

"Me neither."

"Good."

"Yeah."

Another beat of silence passed between them. With that cleared, Will thought he would be able to breathe better, but it still pushed on his chest. Even if the big, immediate question was out of the way, there was still much more to go through. At least he knew Nico still wanted to fight for this. He really thought he blew it.

"I'm sorry," Nico spoke first. Will glanced over to him but he only stared forward.

"Don't be."

"But I am." Nico turned to face Will and it almost broke him. Nico looked so small and open that just one word could break him. Nico flicked his eyes away for a second. "I keep ruining everything. I really feel like I just don't belong in your life anymore."

"Why?"

"I-" Nico paused before shifting. "I don't know. It's just… you have your life all figured out and I don't even know what I want to do with my own."

"That's not true."

"But it is. You're going off to university next year, and so is everyone else. I'm still lying to my parents that I have something figured out, but when no letters come in the mail, they'll finally see I am just barely hanging on. And when you leave, I'm still going to be here. This is my dead end.

"Everything I've done here has just been further proof that I don't fit, y'know? I can talk with your friends, but I don't really know you like they do."

"I've known them since elementary school. I don't expect you too."

"But you do." Nico looked over at Will and paused. He looked like he wanted to say more but when no words came out, he turned his attention to the splintering wood beneath him. "You know so much more about me than I ever will know about you."

"This is starting to sound like a breakup," Will joked, trying to laugh off the nervousness that was turning into panic.

"No – No, Will. I just-"

Will reached his hand out, seeing what Nico would do. He was so utterly confused on what was going on in Nico's mind and he just needed his best friend. It felt like minutes holding his hand out, and just as he thought he was going to withdraw after making a fool out of himself, Nico took it. They let their conjoined hands fall between them, neither holding up the other or even themselves.

"I don't want to breakup," Will mumbled, doing everything he can think of not to start crying. He was so emotionally exhausted he couldn't take any more blows. A combination of yesterday and the past weeks events were finally taking their tole on him.

Nico squeezed.

"I don't want to lose you."

"Me neither."

It seemed like that was as far as either of them could bring that part of the conversation. It was still a tricky subject, but Will felt like he understood a little bit more. He would keep Nico close for as long as he could so that when he did have to leave, Nico wouldn't second guess him for a minute.

Will stared out, watching a pair of birds perched on a tree branch. They were flying from branch to branch for a bit before resting. It wasn't interesting but it was keeping his attention while his mind went to the heat in his hands.

He knew now was the only time he was going to get the answers he needed, but he was still so exhausted. Maybe he could hold off…

"Hey," he spoke. Nico jumped ever so slightly beside him at the sound. Will thought that Nico wasn't expecting him to speak. He squeezed his hand to show him he was there. "I think there's one other thing we need to talk about."

Will saw Nico's jaw tense from beside him. Both boys knew exactly where the conversation was going and neither had wanted to have it before. That was not changing now.

"Will," Nico tried to plea, but there wasn't any force behind it. Both of them were already defeated.

"I know we've been avoiding this, but… after everything that's happened, I think it's best we clear the air completely before we go back."

"I don't know," Nico said, jumping ahead of Will. "I don't know, okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"I-" Nico choked on his own tongue before clearing his throat. "I don't really know why I keep stopping myself, okay?"

"Is it something I'm doing?"

"What? Oh, God, no. It had absolutely nothing to do with you and everything to do with myself."

"Okay."

"I just… I want to, you know? I want to be with you. God, I fucking love you, William. I want to do this so badly."

"We don't have to actually have sex if you're not ready or don't want to just yet-"

"But I do." Nico turned to face Will, their hands still firmly connected. "I don't want to wait. I want to have sex with you but… I don't know why I can't."

"It's okay."

"No, it isn't. I don't know why I can't do this. I want to be with you so badly it hurts."

Will sat for a moment in thought.

"Do you think you might be ace?" Will asked.

Nico licked his lips as he ghosted words over his mouth before saying, "I thought at first that I might be, but I don't think I am. I want to have sex with you. I know that. I am sexually attracted to you and I can get all the way up till then perfectly fine."

"Demi, maybe?"

Nico just shrugged.

"Whatever my sexuality may or may not be doesn't matter. What matters is that I want to, but I don't know why I can't. And I'm so frustrated and angry that I can't just – do it. I don't want to let you down."

Will let go of Nico's hand and brought it up to cup the side of his face. He could see the truth and pain in those words. He hated the thought that he had put these worries there.

"Nico," Will said, waiting for Nico to finally meet his eye. "I love you. I don't care if we do it tonight, tomorrow, next month, or never. All I want you to know is that I don't want you pushing yourself for something you think I want."

"Don't you?"

Will sighed. Not a tired sigh, but a frustrated sigh that told Nico that he did – very badly.

"I do. But I don't want it to be because you're forcing yourself to. I don't want you to force yourself to a place that is uncomfortable for you just because you want to please me. If we have sex – and I mean if – I want it to be because we both want it; we both are ready to finally take that step."

"But you are."

"But are you?"

Nico closed his eyes and leaned into Will's touch ever so slightly. When he opened them, his gaze was glassy and down.

"I will be," Nico mumbled, not sure if those words were meant for Will's ears or just for himself.

"When you are, whenever that may be, I'll be here. Just," Will paused, stroking his thumb along Nico's cheek, "not a moment early."

"I want to have sex with you."

"And so do I. And it going to be just as weird and awkward we think it's going to be."

Nico laughed. It wasn't much, but it was enough to lighten the mood.

"You better not cry after," Nico said, sniffing through the left-over laughter. It was Will's turn to laugh. He hadn't noticed how stuff both of them had gotten until they tried to lighten the mood. There were tears threatening on both sides and the chill in the air wasn't helping, but it was soothing the awkward heat that the conversation was creating.

"I make zero promises."

"You're such a dork," Nico said, still chuckling.

"Yeah, but I'm your dork."

Will smiled as he leaned in, meeting Nico halfway to the middle. It wasn't much of a kiss, but it was enough to convey what needed to be said.

Will pulled away, now resting his forehead against Nico's. He still had his hand on Nico's jaw, but he let it move up until his was cradling the back of his head, fingers full of hair. Nico had brought his own up and cupped both sides of his boyfriend's face.

"I love you," Will spoke. It was simply yet effective.

"I love you, too."

Will leaned in again, meeting Nico's lips once again with his.

Things were far from over and they still had a few more issues that would need ironing out, but even then, Will wasn't afraid. He knew that no matter what, Nico was just as willing to fight for their relationship as he was. They could argue and bicker and fight all they wanted. They did it before they got together and Will knew for damn sure it would continue well long into their relationship, but even then, they knew it wouldn't get the best of them. If it hadn't come between them at that point, then there was nothing that could.

…..

It was a while before Nico and Will headed back. The view from above was silent and peaceful. Not much was spoken between them, but every so often Will would point out a bird or a smaller creature to Nico.

Nico wanted to go back, he was so emotionally exhausted, but that would mean stepping back into the real world and he couldn't hide in this perfect fantasy him and Will had created with their conversation. Even though it was simply the start to a much bigger change, it was still nice to believe that everything between them was perfect.

For a moment, Nico swore Will was going to break up with him. Everything he had done this past week was just one blow after another. He made so many mistakes it was only a matter of time at this point. And after last night, there was no way Nico saw this conversation ending with them still being together. And yet, here they were, their hands only a breath away from one another still.

While everything seemingly worked out, there was a moment where Nico almost wished Will would have broken up with him. It would have been the easier solution to all of this. All the worry, all the question and confusion wouldn't have mattered anymore. If Will broke up with him, he could live with the "what if's". It might have killed him, but at least it hadn't gotten far enough to completely destroy him.

Nico fully believed that he could repair his friendship with Will if that did happen. It wouldn't be the same as before, but he was certain there would be some common ground. And Will was leaving. Breaking up meant not dealing with the consequences of Will leaving for university come fall.

But Will was still here, still by his side until the next snag in the rope. Maybe that would be the final straw, but in that very moment, it wasn't.

The thoughts were still swarming when Will suggested they headed back. Nico didn't have the strength to fight and he was starting to get a little hungry. Even through all the stress, it was starting to become noticeable.

Hand in hand, they headed back to the house. The way back seemed endlessly shorter than the trek out to the treehouse. Maybe it was because he wasn't anticipating the inevitable breakup he swore was about to occur, but he didn't complain when they broke the end of the bush and stepped out onto the lawn.

Nico was still blind to the time, but it was easily coming past mid day. If he had to guess, it was three, but he still found himself walking in a daze of events. His mind was still fogged from days prior.

When they came back, Naomi noticed them right away and turned down the country music she had been playing in the living room. She was folding laundry she had been doing that morning and a suitcase was open beside her. Not much was in it, but just enough to show she was getting ready for when she had to head out. Nico recalled she was leaving tomorrow morning, but he knew how organized the Solace's like to be ahead of time.

"Hey," she said, setting a towel off to the side that she had just finished folding, "you're back."

Will nodded and headed towards the kitchen. She watched him go and bit her lip. She looked like she wanted to reach out to her son but decided against it in the moment. Will ran the sink and got a glass of water. Even if they had a water filter in the fridge, Will decided quickness was better than quality in the moment.

It was clear to Nico that Naomi wanted to ask about the night prior, but she didn't want to step over a boundary that was clearly being set. She had no idea what happened, but Nico knew she had a little bit more than what she witnessed based on how she reacted when they got home.

Naomi always felt like a second mother, even if Nico had only seen her maybe three times prior to the trip. She was everything he wished his own mother was and coming back to her open arms, no questions asked was exactly what he needed. She deserved to know, but Nico knew he wouldn't be the one to tell her. He didn't think he could.

So, for then, Nico stood silent.

"Mom," Will finally spoke, setting the cup on the counter, "I think Nico and I are going to head into the city early."

Nico didn't know about this decision but he wasn't about to complain. Leaving early meant getting out of this town a lot sooner, and that might just be the best idea Will had ever had.

Naomi's eyebrows raised as she nodded along.

"Yeah?"

Will nodded.

"How are you getting there?" she asked, but there was nothing accusatory about her words. She was gentle and deliberate with her words, but she held zero malice. She was simply asking a question.

"I was hoping to take the car, if that's okay?"

She hummed as she started to pick up the abandoned laundry. Naomi thought it over as she picked up on of Will's shirts, folding and setting it over to the side in a pile of his clothes. She seemed to have set aside her initial concern and picked up right where she had left off.

"It should be. Rodriguez said he wanted to pick me up."

Nico scrunched his brows and looked at Will.

"Manager," he clarified before turning back to his mother. "Great. We'll get packed up and let you know when we're heading out."

"You know where you're staying?"

"Probably just at a hotel. I'll call dad and let him know where heading up a day earlier. He shouldn't mind us getting another night added on."

"No, he's usually pretty good about that sort of stuff," she said with a smile. "If you run into any troubles, call me, okay? Some of the guys are already down there to help set up the event and they will drop everything if need be."

Will smiled at the thought, his shoulders looking a little more rested.

"Thanks, but I think we should be fine. I just-" Will paused, his arms crossed over his chest. "I want to get out of here as soon as possible. No offence."

Naomi shook her head. "Not at all. I only wish your break was longer after the show so we could hit the city together, but alas."

"Yeah. Our flights the next morning."

"I'll drive you both to the airport. It's the least I can do."

"Well, we'll have your car, won't we?" Will joked and earned a pair of socks folded in on themselves chucked at him. He chuckled and tried to catch them, but they fell off to the side, bouncing off his hand.

"You sarcastic little shit," she said, but it was all empty. "This is why I didn't want you living with your father, you sound too much like him now."

"Hey," he said, but quickly dropped it. Will pushed himself off of the counter he was leaning on and headed towards the stairs. "I'll go get our stuff started." Nico wasn't sure if he was talking to him or Naomi so he took it as notice to start packing.

"Go on," Naomi teased, shaking her head as she picked a pair of her own jeans. "Oh, Nico," she called, reaching for a pile of clothes, "I finished folding your guys' laundry, take it with you when you head up, 'kay?"

Nico nodded and took the two piles, thanking her as he followed Will.

When he got to the bedroom, the door was half closed so he nudged it open with his foot. Will had both of their suitcases out and open and he was already starting to refold the laundry that was still inside.

"Naomi washed the rest of our clothes," Nico said as he made his way over to the bed. Setting the clothes down beside the suitcases, he paused. Will only nodded but didn't look up.

"I'm sorry," Will spoke. He slowed down but didn't stop.

"For what?"

"For just saying that we were leaving."

"Oh, God, don't apologize. I want out of this town as much as you do. I was thinking the same thing, actually."

Will smiled as he set a shirt back into his suitcase. He rested his hands on it for a second before looking up and over at Nico.

Looking at Will head on was quite odd for the moment. With everything that had happened, Nico was walking though a cloud of fog, but he could finally see it lifting. Ever so slowly, things were starting to clear again, and seeing Will properly was one. He wasn't older or different, he was just Will.

"I'm glad. I was worried I over stepped."

"Nah, not this time." Nico gave him a small smile and Will returned it with his own lopsided look.

Will brought his hand up to Nico's cheek and held it. Will's hand was warm and strong and he didn't care when he leaned into it. Through everything, he deserved this.

"Good."

He closed the gap and pressed his lips to Nico's forehead. Nico hated people being in his space or touching him, but never with Will. He always felt safe when he was around. He could melt into his body heat, and maybe he would have if he wasn't seeing the end of the storm.

When Will pulled away a few seconds later, the two of them made swift work at packing up and were done within the half hour. As much as they wanted to leave right away, Naomi was strict with her stance of feeding them before they headed off. Nico knew they couldn't win this argument and he wasn't willing to try. He was starving and was more than grateful for the meal.

They finished it off with idle chitchat that steered clear of any topic of the last 24-hours. Instead, it turned into a conversation about the up-coming charity show. Naomi told them that she would have their VIP passes by mid day if they wanted to stop by beforehand. Will promised he would try as long as he got decent parking. Naomi had rolled her eyes and agreed. There were a few others performing, but Naomi was the headlining closing act and would be the last one getting checked in. Nico and Will didn't really care for the other acts but would be willing to check them out if they were feeling up for it, and after the day they just had, Naomi wasn't pushing it.

She sent them off with a few road snacks, words of love and worry, and enough hugs and kisses to last a lifetime. Nico swore she hugged him so hard it was going to leave bruises, but he didn't mind.

They were all packed and ready to go, leaving just the open road and Will's questionable playlist for the next few hours.

…..

Houston, Texas was a lot bigger than Nico thought it was. They got caught at the end of rush hour traffic coming into the city and managed to get to the hotel a little after seven. Will had texted his father, Lester, about their updated arrangements. While he asked a few questions, he was quick to agree, even saying he would call ahead to make sure everything was set for their arrival.

Will grumbled about how he knew his father would go way over the top, but inevitably shook his head and kept going. Nico only gave him a laugh out of pity but appreciated Lester's attempts.

When they pulled up and found parking, they rolled their luggage to the front door to check in. Will was double checking his phone to make sure all the info he was giving the lady at the check in was what his father set it to.

"Reservation for Solace," he told her. She nodded and started to look it up. Her and Will went back and forth to make sure everything was as it should be.

"So, I see here you called ahead and changed your check-in time."

"Correct."

"That's perfectly fine, we just don't have the room originally available, but that seems to be all taken care of already. Just let me grab your key cards and you can head up. Do you need help with your bags?"

Will shook his head.

"We got it, don't worry."

"Okay," she said with a smile. "Here they are. And your rooms are on the twelfth floor. You want to head over to the elevators just over there and swipe your card to go up. Can I help you with anything else?"

"No, but thank you."

"Aright, I hope you two enjoy your stay."

Nico and Will headed to the elevator, swiping the card and waiting for the cart to go up. Nico leaned on Will and closed his eyes, feeling the exhaustion aching in his bones. All he wanted was to get to their room and crash. Will put his arm around him and held him close. They stood there until the reached their floor.

When they opened the room, Will sighed. It was bigger than what he expected, but still a more normal looking size. But sitting on the bed was a little gift package.

"Of course he did," Will muttered, shaking his head and abandoning his suitcase off to the side.

Nico noticed that there were two beds instead of the one he expected. It must have been due to the last-minute switch. He knew a lot of people were in town for the show which meant open hotel rooms were sparse. It must have been a pain to get this one changed to suddenly.

"What's in it?" Nico asked after peeling his eyes away. He set his own luggage down as he took a small gander at the room. Tv, dresser, two beds, and a desk with basic kitchen needs like a mini fridge and microwave. It felt like a hotel room and he was thankful for that.

"Just some snacks and – Jesus fuck, dad, really?"

"Hm?"

"I have no idea how he got wine delivered to this room."

"It's under his name, so they wouldn't know we're technically underage."

Will shook his head and headed over to the beds where Nico was now sitting.

"Yeah, you're right. But still. Do we look over twenty-one?"

Nico thought for a moment. "Not me, but I'm pretty sure you do."

Will smiled and cupped Nico's face.

"You have a baby face."

"And you will have a bruised rib."

"Ouch," Will winced, "it's a good thing. It means you won't grow old as fast."

Nico cricked his neck to the side. "But it feels like I'm already halfway there."

Will only laughed and pressed a kiss softly to his lips.

"Alright, old man. Let's get settled and then we can see if they have a seniors discount downstairs."

"Fuck you."

"Mhm," Will hummed, backing away.

…..

Being in Houston was a huge wave of relief. While they were still in Texas, being in the city felt much more like home than anywhere else. There was a bit of hesitancy being out together in public, but they kept it to a minimum that night and mostly stayed in their hotel room.

They had gotten room service delivered and Will told Nico to order whatever he wanted because his father was paying. They had debated heading to the restraint downstairs, but even the thought of heading down sounded like too much work. If he was going to leave is credit card on file then they were going to use it to its full extent. Will always had a thing about just getting what he wanted with his father, but Lester always went out of his way to do just that. Nico couldn't complain one bit, though.

Will had headed down to the front to get some fresh air and call Naomi, let her know that they were safe and checked in. Nico didn't care too much and told him he'd still be there when he got back. As he waited, he flipped through his texts from their friends back home.

Hazel had kept him updated on her and Frank's mini vacation over spring break up to Canada to visit some family. While most of them were on the west coast, he had some cousins up in Halifax. But they were back and she was still reminiscing over the week. She kept him updated with photos to make sure he would feel like he was with them the entire time.

Jason was complaining about his schoolwork, but still found time to send blurry photos from his dorm window in California. Nico had a collection building up in his inbox of over exposed, fuzzy photos of Jason eating ice cream. If he swiped through them fast enough, he could see Jason's sunburn turn into a tan in real time.

Piper was still sending him every half-baked though she could muster that she decided against tweeting. She was smart enough not to post it but still had to keep Nico updated with the swirl of thoughts she had coming.

He thought about sending Piper a text, but as he stared at the screen, he couldn't bring himself to type out the words. It was a lot to make his fingers move, but every letter he typed, he deleted. Shutting his phone, Nico tossed it to the side.

He sat on the edge of the bed, glancing out the window. The city skyline was bright with movement and colours. It was so familiar, and yet…

The door cracked open and Will's voice came through. He was nodding as he tossed his key card on the table. He gave Nico an exasperated look as he continued to agree with whatever his mother was saying.

"Yup – okay, got it. Yeah. Mhm. Of course, ma. I know. Love – yes, I know." He waved his hand around in wild motions as he kicked his shoes off and went over to the bed. He sat down next to Nico and the bed sank under his weight. "Okay – okay – okay. Mom – yes, of course. Yes. Mom – mom – ma, I love you. Yes, I know. Ma, I have to let you go – yes, I know. Yes. Okay – okay, goodbye. Love you – yes, I will. Okay, okay, bye. Yup. Bye."

Will set the phone on the bed and sighed.

"I love her but it's like we didn't just see her for a whole week and we ain't gonna see her tomorrow."

Nico smiled and hummed.

"Yeah, mother's can be like that."

"Yeah."

Nico bit his lip as they sat in silence. He could only imagine what Will had to say to Naomi that involved him stepping out. He could probably guess it was the incident last night, leading up to their early leave. He couldn't blame her for wanting to know. Nico knew he owned it to her to tell that story, but not in that moment he could. He was almost happier it was Will.

"Okay," Will said, clapping his hands. "How about you and I stay in."

"Of course."

"Given; and we rent a movie."

"An awful movie."

"Always. And we drink this shit my dad got us and we continue to order as much room service as we want and we fall asleep to the sound of the city below."

Nico smiled.

"Sounds like a date to me."

Will gleamed as he leaned in and gave Nico a soft kiss.

"The best kind."

The movie Will put on was holding zero of Nico's attention, but he didn't care. Will laughed at all the right parts and the wine was just dry enough he finished it before halfway through. His entire body was buzzing and having no stresses clouding his mind was the only thing keeping him grounded. He knew come Monday life would carry on like it always had and he would have to find a new course of acting, but for the time being, he was loved and warm.

Thoughts still swirled his mind, but Will's gentle kisses to the side of his forehead lulled him. For the first time it felt like Will kissed him just to kiss him. He knew things would come up down the road, but no matter how soon or far away that was, when it would finally be there, he knew he would be ready. For that night, nothing other than a shitty movie and Will's calming laugh mattered. And it felt almost like home.


A/N: This marks the passing of word count in my most popular series. That had 144k words and this chapter put us over that. holy fucking shit wtf. i spent a over a year writing that and this has been just a few months.

This chapter was a needed hurdle for this series and i just couldn't stop writing once i started. i had so much to do this past few weeks but im so glad it came out this easily. again, sorry for weeks late chapters, but December has been loaded. i'm hoping to have this series done in within the year, but i'll also be at my brothers this Christmas and he has shitty wifi.

For the next part, Sweet, i have a lot more of it mentally finalized and as much as i want to start in first week back, i might take an extra week or so to properly plan it out. It will be massive. for sure longer than Sour, maybe even double if not more. all lead up as led to this part, and im so excited. i wont be giving anything away other than the name because its gonna be a wild ride.

but wow. second last chapter. i cant believe we are already here. i still remember when i jokingly sent my friend the prompt for Sour and they didn't respond right away so i started writing it. and now we are almost done the second part, Bitter. I hope you are enjoying this series and are keeping a close eye on the story. it's keeping me on my own toes to make sure i dont slip up. everything down to the names of the stories to chapter titles to small one off details have meant so much to me and i hope you enjoy them just as much.

thank you to everyone so far and i hope youre ready for the next chapter, especially after surviving these past few. if you have any questions about Bitter or whatever, ask em now! i'll make sure i'll answer them on the last chapter!

Kitty