A/N: dont... dont ask how i managed to pull this off. I still am very unsure i even finished this and didn't just dream it up.

ANyways!

Please enjoy the ACTUAL ending of how last mondays chapter was supposed to go, which just puts us a week behind but its fINE.

Saturday (part 2)

By almost six o'clock, they were pulling up to a small restaurant, and Nico's stomach was screaming from only having junk food and coffee all day. They had been having so much fun that both of them forgot to stop for something real to eat.

Most of their clothes had been dried off, and the parts that were still damp weren't that noticeable. Though, Nico still felt intimidated by the way he was dressed when they headed inside.

If it wasn't for the fact his shirt was a band-T and his jeans had rips in it, he could almost have been a waiter there. It was the type of place where everyone wore black, and it looked good on them.

Nico found out early in life that while everyone could wear black, not everyone should.

Will shouldn't. It didn't make sense for him.

Same with white, not everyone could.

But Will could.

With a flash of his famous smile, Will thanked the hostess who seated them, making small talk as he took the menus. Nico was only half paying attention when she left.

The entire inside of the restaurant looked like the place Nico would have gotten banned from with Piper a few years ago for creating too much noise. Not exactly the place a high school theatre group would celebrate after, but diffidently a place they would get kicked out of.

The lighting was low and deep, the windows tinted so that the summer evening sun wasn't making an appearance despite it still refusing to sink. It was the kind of lighting that was meant for rich people to take their mistresses on so that if someone saw them they couldn't exactly make out the details to tell their wives.

It was the kind of place where you would order a soup and there would be three different spoons brought out and everyone but you knew how to use them. Where the dishes were freakishly small and overly expensive.

Nico was used to fast food runs at three am, and that was something he would call a date. He had never been on one, but that sounded about right. But Will grew up in a different world than him. Dates meant southern hospitality, nice restaurants, and holding the door open for your date. To Nico, if there wasn't the threat of running from the cops or needing to sneak back home, was it worth it?

He felt sort of (extremely) out of place there, rubbing his arms as if the temperature drop compared to outside was meant to enforce the cold, rich stereotype. The hairs on the back of his neck starting to stick up.

"You good?" Will asked, looking up at Nico through his bangs before he pushed them out of the way. A small piece of hair fell again, but the blond didn't touch it. It took a lot of mental and physical restraint to hold himself back from pushing behind his ear, but Nico simple smiled half heartedly, letting the air out of his lungs to relax.

"Yeah," he spoke softly, looking around before he met Will's gaze. It was gentle and welcoming. "Probably just too much sun."

Will let out a low chuckled, shaking his head as he went back to the menu.

"That's what you get for wearing all black."

"At least I didn't wear a jacket."

Will just shook his head and flipped the page, not meeting Nico's eyes.

Nico examined the blonds features for a moment, tracing the curve of his cheek bone down to the sharp lines of his jaw. Nico was well aware of what both Will's parents looked like and he liked to sometimes puzzle their features together to figure out what he got from whom.

His jawline was his fathers, that much was curtain. So was his brows.

See, Nico would never admit it, especially out loud - and never to Will, but Will's father was extremely attractive in his youth. Many had compared him to that of a Greek god (and who could blame them). At one point, Will even pulled out some old magazines from the 90's that his father was in. And there was no doubt that Will was his son.

Even now, Will's father was extremely good looking. Time had shown its ugly head, but instead of dragging him down, it made him look more mature. The wrinkle lines around his eyes when he laughed suited him. Even if he wasn't gay, Nico wasn't fucking blind. He could tell from a mile away, squinting, that his father was beyond attractive.

Now, the only magazine editorials were another thing. Will had forgotten when he pulled them out the context of some of them, but was instantly reminded with the strike of embarrassment flooding over him when he flipped to a full spread of his dad shirtless in his 20's.

"Dude," Nico had laughed, stealing the magazine when Will tried to take it back. "Look at your fucking dad."

He groaned and rolled over on his bed, squishing some of the other magazines.

"All I want is normal parents. Is that too much to ask?"

"Trade you."

Will had flipped him off as Nico continued to flip through. It was strange to be captivated by shirtless photos of your best friend's dad from the 90's. It was something he would lock away in his mind for the rest of his life, the slight blush that burned his ears being enough to seal that deal.

And sometimes, when he would think back to those photos, the more he realised just how similar Will looked to his dad; he was just a younger version with a softer nose.

Will's lips were his mothers, however, as well as his nose. Just like his father, Will smiled with his eyes, but his lips? Those were his mothers. The way she would frown when she disagreed with something was the same as Will when he would give him a concerned look. When Naomi Solace wrote music, she would bite her lip. It was identical to the way Will would chew on his lower lip when he was deep in thought or bored.

Will's eyes, though, Nico liked to think they were uniquely his. Now, Nico had a theory because he would go back and forth. In some lighting, his eyes were the same innocence as his fathers, but some days, the intense gaze would be his mothers. Nico was dead set that Will had one eye darker than the other, so he was sure he had one eye from his mom and one from his dad. It was the only way he could explain it.

As he continued to map Will's face, recounting every freckle (mother) that was splattered high on his cheeks (father), Will glanced up. He raised a brow as the corner of his lips twitched.

"Do I have something on my face?" he asked, the small gap (mother) in his front tooth showing.

"No," Nico said, shaking his head, "I just think it's such a shame that someone could be as ugly as you and still survive."

Will rolled his eyes and went back to his menu, his smile never breaking.

With his ears hot and his pulse racing, Nico glanced down at the menu, realising he had no idea what they even served there.

For a minute he felt stupid, wondering why he had said that. He did that sometimes, said things he never meant. He always regretted it the moment it left his mouth, but backtracking made it worse. He had come to the conclusion that being an asshole was better than being a coward.

Will said it was probably his ADHD, his mother said it was because he was Italian.

When the waiter came around, he introduced himself and asked if he could take their drink order to start. Nico just waved Will off when he looked at him from what he wanted.

Will ordered Nico an iced tea and a coke for himself. He thanked the guy before he left.

"You almost said sweet tea, you dumbass," Nico pointed out, not looking up from the menu. The burger sounded good.

"Fuck you," Will snapped back, flipping the menu. "Sweet tea makes more sense then iced tea. Iced tea is just tea with fucking ice. If you wanted your tea sweetened, you want sweet tea, not fucking iced tea. Makes no sense."

"Okay, Texas, no need to get heated over being wrong."

Will simply flipped him off as he kicked him under the table.

"Hey," Nico hissed, still trying to hold back a smile that was growing on his lips, "you're just mad I'm correct, as well as literally anyone anywhere else other than those in Hicktown, Southville."

After some colourful mumbling and Nico continuing to edge him, they went back to the menus.

Nico hated new places. He wasn't sure how they made their food, especially in a place this fancy. If he ordered the burger, would it be the same as the way shitty place near his house he loved so much? Would the pasta be up to his mother's standard? Maybe he would just go for-

"No chicken fingers," Will said, flipping the menu page again.

Nico frowned, about to curse him out when their drinks were dropped off and the waiter asked if they had their order picked out.

Will happily jumped in, ordering a stake with a plate of fries on the side. Nico was starting to panic slightly. Maybe he had spent too much time checking Will's features out to actually figure out what he wanted. And he already said no chicken fingers, so there goes his so-to backup order. How similar are nuggets to fingers, anyway?

"Umm," Nico muttered, looking over the menu, panicked, as he flipped to a random page. "Burger, please." His voice was low and meek.

The waiter raised a brow before looking Nico over again. Fuck, there were different type of burgers.

"Just, the, uh, traditional one," he said, clearing his throat. "No cheese please."

The waiter nodded before telling them their food would be out in about twenty minutes.

Their idle small talk fell naturally into place. It took a few minutes for Nico to stop feeling out of place, but when Will made a big gesture of reaching over to grab his hand, rolling his eyes while muttering, "I just have to hold my boyfriends' hand," Nico had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop laughing.

"What if the old men here are homophobic?" Nico asked, voice low as he squinted, leaning forward. "Wouldn't want to give them a heart attack."

"Babe – baby – darling – my everything – the light of my life-"

"Okay, I get it," Nico exclaimed in a hushed voice, trying to control the laughter that was threatening to escape with every breath. Will smiled with a glint in his eyes.

"I hope you know I don't care what people think." Will leaned forward over the table, resting his weight on his elbows. Nico followed suit, their fingers now grazing each other but not longer fully holding hands. The light touches were enough to send shock waves through his fingers, striking his spine with electricity. His breath hitched when Will's ankle brushed his own.

For a moment, Nico could feel the hesitation with Will's foot, like he wanted to move it forward.

They were playing the most intense game of gay chicken, and Nico never took defeat well. But it wasn't his play, so he just watched the blond's face intently. His eyes flickered over his features, watching as Will's tongue jutted out for a moment to moisten his lips before retreating, leaving just the smallest space between his lips open.

Nico inhaled sharply, letting out a shaky breath when Will's ankle finally brushed his own again, the two of them still barely inches apart. It hooked Nico's leg. Will's foot rubbed the back of Nico's ankle a few times before resting there. It was like holding hands, but more secretive.

"I have been watched my entire life, judged for any move I made. Being compared to my parents was tiring, so I don't care what anyone here thinks." Will smiled, his lopsided, toothy grin he got when he was overwhelmed or too tired to form words. He shifted, straightening his back. Nico was debating if he was going to lean back, break the rest of the distance between them as Will looked around.

"There is only one person I care about their opinion on me." He leaned forward, pausing as his eyes ran over Nico's face. Nico prayed he remembered how to breath, Will's breath a little too close and a little too hot for how he was doing in that moment. He could feel his face heating up, wondering if the restaurant could turn the AC up a little more. "And he is sitting in front of me."

Will pushed a piece of hair that had fallen in front of Nico's face behind his ear, his fingers feathering over his skin. Will's touch was unique as it was like stepping into the sun. As his fingers brushed against his skin, it was like tiny beams of sunlight had broken in and were caressing his cheek.

"That's so fucking gay," Nico managed to say, his voice finding it's way out of his mouth and not getting stuck like he swore it would. He cleared his throat and straightened his back, clenching his jaw hard as he looked everywhere but at the blond in front of him.

This is fake, he told himself. All of this is fake and it's not real. Will isn't actually flirting, he is playing the part I asked him to.

It was hard. Separating reality from what he was actually experiencing. The soft touches, the moments on intimacy, the way his eyes would linger longer than normal, but just for a second, nothing more. This was all an act to make Nico feel like this. And it was working. Almost too well.

It was fake. It always was and always will be. It's never been real and he have to get over that hurdle. They were best friends, so of course they knew how to push each others' buttons. For a split second, the thought of flirting back had crossed Nico's mind. It always did whenever Will would throw his fake feelings around. But Nico wasn't the type. He would make fun and deflect. He would be caught right away from self-indulging in it.

As Nico zoned out, resting his chin on his hand, Will shifted his footing, binging Nico back. When Nico glanced over, he raised a brow at Will who had his phone out, pointed at him.

Smirking, he asked, "What are you doing, Solace?"

"Documenting our first date," he explained, snapping a photo of Nico. The younger boy laughed, trying to hide his face.

"Why?"

"To show our grandkids in the future, duh," Will said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You are literally too much," Nico shook his head, hiding his smile behind his hand. A look washed over Will for a split second, and if Nico hadn't been watching from the corner of his eye, he would have missed it.

Will looked almost embarrassed – hurt? Something passed through his eyes that caused his face to fall before he stretched his neck and shifting his body. He set his phone down and smiled.

"Besides," Nico jumped in, "bold of you to assume we're having kids. You won't catch me dead as a father."

Will put his hand to his chest, making a small scene of being hurt.

"How can this happen? All these days we've been together and you never told me you didn't want kids!" Will settle back in his seat and folded his arms. "I don't think this relationship is going to work out."

"Are you breaking up with me in the middle of a restaurant because I don't want kids?"

Will thought for a moment before nodding.

"Then I guess you're eating alone." There was a moment of fear that this was when Will was going to dump him. He felt his heartrate increase and suddenly he felt like throwing up and crying. He was hyper aware of everything around him. The lights were too dim yet too bright, and he needed them to stop humming.

Will's eyes went wide and he shifted forward reaching out to place his hand on top of Nico's.

"I take it back, babe. We can work this out. We don't need kids."

The nervous laughter came next, but he tried to play it off by folding his arms and leaning back. The adrenaline rushing through his veins was what was keeping him from crashing. God, how did one joke mess with him that much? He was far too deep into the danger zone to back out, all he could do was keep digging his grave.

Will kept the conversation rolling, at some points pretending he knew nothing about Nico so he could ask what he referred to as, "first date questions." It was goofy questions like, "Where are you from?", "Have any siblings?" ("Are they hot?"), "If you could have any powers, what would they be?".

Nico thought for a minute, stealing one of the fries off Will's plate when they arrived.

"Probably control of the shadows," Nico said, chewing the fry. Will scrunched his brow and shook his head. "Or darkened in general."

"That's lame."

"Nu uh," he said, swatting at Will. He picked up his burger. "See, shadows are every where. Light is only temporary, darkness in the default of the universe. There is only light because there's dark. So, theoretically, having control of the shadows would mean you could control most of the world around you. Especially if you could use them to travel. Like, you slip in one and out the other."

"I still think it's lame."

"You're lame." Nico took a bite, and asked, while still chewing, "What would your powers be them?"

"Close your mouth – healing."

Nico rolled his eyes.

"Talk about lame."

"I don't think it's lame." Will wiped his hands on the napkin and took a sip of his drink. "See, everyone can get hurt so everyone needs healing. Also, have you ever tried playing DnD without a cleric? Every party needs a healer, so I would be that person."

"You must be so much fun at parties." Nico stole another fry, popping it in his mouth. "Like, yeah I get you need a healer, but why would you want to be one when you could be so much cooler than that?"

Will shrugged, taking a bite of his steak.

"Out of everything you could do, you chose to be the support?"

"I guess I'm not really the fighter type."

"At least chose a power that you aren't already going to do."

"What do you mean?" Will questioned, intrigued by Nico's words.

"You're already going to go to school to be a doctor. Healing and shit. Why would you make that your power? Wouldn't you get bored of always healing?"

Will shook his head.

"I think it would work even better. Like," Will swallowed, "imagine a kid comes in, no one can figure out what's wrong. All his tests come back negative, and he's obviously very sick. I could just wave my hand and figure out what is wrong and cure it, just like that."

"You are always the good guy." Nico said.

"And you wouldn't?"

"No way, man. Imagine always having to do the right thing. I'm selfish, I know that. I can't always make choices that are for the benefit of others. No hero is happy, right? So why would I choose to be upset my entire life when I can work for my own benefit? If I had to chose between, say, the love of my life and saving the city? RIP to those people, but I don't know you. Villains can choose to save those they love, while heroes have to do what's best for the world. I would rather watch the world burn than be unhappy."

Will was shocked to say the least. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but he just sat there looking like a fish underwater. His brows shot up into his bangs as he nodded.

"Noted."

"Now, I'm not saying I'd go on a murder spree, I'm just saying that if I had to choose, I'm putting myself first. I might not be the hero, but I don't think I would be the villain. Just the morally gray character that decide who to help based on my own values."

"I think everyone deserves a chance in those instances."

"So," Nico started, leaning forward, "you're telling me that if you had to choose between the love of your life or a random bystander, you would let your partner die?"

Will was silent.

"Because a hero doesn't always get that choice," Nico finished.

"How about this." Will crossed his arms in thought. "What ever team you're on, I'll be with you. That way I don't have to choose."

Nico forgot how to breath. He felt the smile creep onto his lips, pulling at the seams. Everything inside of him was unraveling and falling apart. What could he do in that moment other than take in what Will had said.

Will would always choose him.

Will.

Would choose him.

Be on his side so he could choose him.

Because heroes can't be happy, so he wouldn't have to choose to be one.

Will would choose him.

"Deal," Nico told me, smirking as he went back to his burger.

…..

When they pulled back onto the carnival grounds again, the sky was deep set with purples and grays, the fleeting clouds mixing into the dissipating night sky. It was hard to find parking as the carnival was in full swing. The lights reflected off the hood of the surrounding cars as Will managed to find a spot, laughing as he beat the person who had cut him off a row back for it.

"Serves her right," he said joyously, turning off the engine. Nico had been resting his head on his hand while leaning against the window. He watched the blond with a soft gaze and a smirk. He was tired from the day but he wouldn't tell Will that; he'd make them go home.

The sound of Taylor Swift was dimly passing through the air, Will's own music winning out as Nico cared less and less about what played. As long as it wasn't backwoods county, he didn't care.

Nico heaved himself out of the car, pushing his muscles to finally lift him out as they found strength. As he shut the door, Will was already around to his side, his keys shoved in his back pocket and his hand slipping into Nico's.

Normally, he would be self-conscious. But he was tired, it was dark, and oh boy did he want to lean on the taller boy. So he did.

As he leaned his weight on Will as they walked back through the parking lot, the sound of music and screaming flooding the scene the closer they got, Will smiled as he pulled Nico closer. He could blame it on being tired if he was questioned, especially because he was notorious for hating his personal space being invaded.

Will had a soft hum ringing through him as they made their way through the entrance, teenagers running past, screaming as they went. The small pattern Will drew on the back of his hand was enough to put him to sleep right there and then.

Their dinner had ended nicely, the two of them thanking the waiter and rushing off to the car. The energy dipped once they got in the car, but the atmosphere never got awkward. There was a nice silence that washed over the pair as they drove through the city.

And almost like magic, Nico could feel his heartrate increase but this time from excitement. He wasn't focused on soft touches Will was giving him or the way the heat lingered, he was ready to go on more rides. He never got to go on more than six when he was younger, so he was using this as an excuse to go full out.

He was past his pride as he pulled Will over to a line up that earlier in the day had been filled with children, but now laid mostly bare.

"Marry-go-round?" Will asked, raising a brow.

Nico shrugged. "You have a problem with it?"

"Not one bit."

'Good, 'cause for someone's whose favourite ride is the swings, I'd find it very off putting if you had opinions against it."

Will laughed and pulled Nico closer by their hands. He fixed a strand of Nico's hair before smiling down at him.

"You are actually a really soft person at heart, you know that right?"

Nico inhaled sharply and scowled.

"Fuck you," he exacerbated as he pushed Will back. All the blond did was laugh.

"Nerd."

"You're the nerd. Nerd."

They went back and forth before the tired man at the front of the line waved them in. Both of them dashed to the horses they wanted, hopping up and laughing the entire time. Some of the other horses were filled with two families and a couple of preteens that looked way too bored to have been there by choice – even though they were the only ones in that area.

"My horse is faster than yours," Will said, straddling the plastic ride.

Nico had to bite his lip at the slight while shaking his head in response.

"You're such a loser."

"Okay, but," Will said, gesturing to himself, "I look hot on a horse, am I right?"

"You look like a Disney reject."

"Ouch!" Will said, clutching his chest. He shook his head and pulled out his phone. "Smile."

Nico did exactly so, but also flipping him off. His grin was wide and goofy, mouth slightly open as the flash went off.

"Classy," Will said, smiling.

"Always." After a moment, Nico raised a brow. "Who are you sending that to?"

"Piper, Hazel, Jason – the usual." He paused, smirking. "And your sister."

"Fuck you."

"Oh babe-"

"You finish that sentence, I will end you were you stand."

"Sounds kinky. But I'm not standing."

"You really are a pain in my ass, Solace."

"I can arrange that if you'd like."

"Eat shit and die!" Nico exclaimed, knowing that if he had anything near him, he would have thrown it.

The ride jolted forward and started spinning, the music just slightly out of tune. The lights flashed as they went around, burning stars into their eyes. Nico watched as Will pretended he was in a horse race, putting his whole body into the movements.

Nico laughed, leaning forward to rest his head on the plastic mane.

"You look so weird."

Will beamed. "I'm winning."

"Idiot."

Will continued for a few more rounds before glancing over at Nico who was watching him intently, his grin wide as he slowly blinked. Will's goofy smile met him back as he mirrored him, leaning forward.

The two of them just watched one another, eye contact that felt like it would snap at any moment if they weren't able to keep it together. So they held it firm instead. It was too precious to break. When Will smiled, Nico followed suit.

Nico watched as Will sat up and pulled out his phone, pointing it at him. Nico rolled his eyes as he knew Will was recording him. Even if it wasn't going to be posted anywhere, he knew Will loved recording moments he didn't want to forget.

Nico felt at ease as he rolled his eyes, sitting up and looking forward. The ride was moving slowly, but it didn't matter. He would stay there until it refused to spin no more.

"You look like a tall child, dude."

Nico laughed and raised his arms, screaming. Will burst out laughing as Nico looked over. The blond was leaning back against the poll that was held in place, his head thrown back over one side.

"You look stupid."

"You should see yourself."

"You're just jealous that I look better riding a horse than you do."

Will put his phone away as the ride came to a slow halt. With a wink, he hopped down and walked over to Nico's horse and offered his hand.

"What?" Nico asked flatly.

"I'm helping you down," Will explained. "It's only the nice thing to do for your date."

Nico rolled his eyes but begrudgingly took Will's hand. As he kicked his leg over, Will held on as he slid down, landing a bit to close to the blond. But Will either didn't notice or didn't care because he took his hand with a smile and rushed them out and towards the next ride.

Will managed to avoid the roller coaster this time, but only because the lines were too long. Because it was so late, a lot of the child rides were a quick in and out so they met in the middle and went on the rides they agreed were the lamest as well as the ones they both agreed didn't suck as bad.

Will had tried to drag him to the swings a few times, but Nico made set that the first time was the only time, even if he did actually have fun.

It was a quiet evening and as Will noticed Nico was getting quieter, he pushed them towards the farris wheel. Nico had rolled his eyes but a smile pulled at his lips at the thought. The sight would be amazing from that high up, and with all the lights, he knew it would at least not suck.

Will was swinging their arms together as they waited in line. They didn't speak words to one another, but one person would squeeze their hand and the other would squeeze back. Sometimes they would do it in patterns and the other would laugh. There wasn't a dictionary to what they all meant, but both of them got the gist of it when they did.

As they got seated into the ride, the ride operator rushed over the rules he obviously didn't care enough about to properly explain before sending them on their way, stopping a few times to let on other riders. The other people on the ground got smaller as they went up, the lights looking like a pattern you couldn't quite make out.

Will's heat beside him was warm and welcoming. Even though it was summer, there was a chill in the air as they got up. He move closer, hoping to steal some of his warmth as they went. It was nice – it was familiar.

This entire day had been nothing he ever could have guessed. When he asked Will to do this fake dating, he was expecting a shitty date to McDonalds followed by a bullshit break up quickly afterwards that would have left him in tears of laughter. But now? He was finding himself falling into a position he knew he would never be able to climb out of.

The date was perfect. Too perfect. For a minute, a thought crossed his mind.

How many times had Will done this date before?

Had this been reused? Had Will taken other guys and girls to the carnival? To that beach? To that restaurant? He must have.

Nico could barely recall a time their sophomore year Will wasn't in a relationship. He hadn't been single for months, always someone new the next week. Most of them weren't long or serious in any means, the longest going for four months.

Why had he stopped?

Will told him that he wanted to focus on school, that being in a relationship was tiring and that he didn't need one at sixteen. Nico wasn't upset. He got to spend more time with his best friend so who cared?

It was a dreaded thought, really, but Nico didn't want to be just another name in the long line of people Will dated for a week before he would break it off. No one had really been mad at him, but there was something depressing about Will's attention suddenly being off of you.

He was the sun; he was warmth. When he looked at you, encouraged you to speak, it was like no one else could speak but you.

Will was the type of guy who would nod along to your story when everyone else in the group had tuned you out. It was welcoming and a form of comfort. Being with Will was something everyone should experience but few truly had the pleasure.

It was a bright light in a darkness that would swallow you whole.

No one wanted to be alone, to be cold. With Will, you never even had the chance.

And that's how Nico ended up with his head resting on Will's shoulder, looking out over the carnival and parts of New York, thinking that he was just another one of Will's passing dates, praying that his heat would never burn out.

It was poetic really. Nico had lived his entire life away from the light, purposefully keeping himself hidden both from himself and from those around him, to protect himself. And here he was, clinging to the brightest light source he could, nails clawing into it so it would never leave him, never let go. It was sad, really.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in, filling his lungs with the scent of the crisp air and Will. The smell was that of peace.

"You know," Will spoke after the farris wheel came to a stop, their cart overlooking the entire grounds, not the top, but it was getting there, "when you asked me to do this, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect."

Nico shifted so he could get a better view of Will. Even in the dark light, the neon around them bounced off his skin, giving him a purple glow. His hair was a million streaks of light, like shooting stars. For a second, Nico thought he was nervous.

"I mean, yeah, I had some ideas of what to do, but like, how do you go on a fake date, you know?" Nico nodded when Will looked at him, something unrecognizable was crossing his face before he glanced back out. He smiled. "So, I stopped thinking of it as a fake date. That would just be cheesy and over the top. Making it as close to real was the best option."

Will started to quietly laugh at himself, ending in a soft smile.

"I was so nervous. I hadn't actually been on a date in so long, for a second I thought I forgot how to." He turned to face Nico, his hair falling in his face but he didn't bother to move it. "But being with you isn't like being on a date. I've done that, plenty of times. Those are routine, structured. To be honest, I wasn't really sure what we were doing until we just starting… doing."

Will held out their hands that were still grasped tightly together. The cart shifted and they move up a spot.

"There was a moment I thought I was going a bit to far, you know? Like, "is this really necessary?" or "is he getting uncomfortable?" or "is this too weird?". I wondered that for a while, each time I might have over stepped." Will brought their hands down, still tightly intertwined.

"There's something to say about hanging with you, dude." Up another step they went. "I don't know if it's because schools been rough or we just haven't had everyone together in a while, but I think this was the most fun I've had in a long ass time. Like, being completely real with you, on a bro-to-bro level, this was probably one of the best dates I've ever been on."

Nico couldn't hear or see anything but Will in his toxic neon glow. He wasn't aware of the cart moving to the top of the ride, he wasn't aware of the music blaring from a ride halfway across the park. He wasn't aware of the cold wind striking his exposed arms.

Will dropped their hands, instantly the cold crept through and Nico was missing his heat source. He had to catch himself from leaning forward and back into Will. The blond shifted and faced Nico better, resting his arm on the back of the seat. Nico shifted to almost mirror him, turning his body so that they were face to face.

Will looked down at his lap, not really seeing anything as he smiled. There was a thought that was passing through his mind that Nico wanted access to, but no matter what, he had to deal with it being just out of reach. Will's gaze moved back up, his blue eyes reading Nico's every thought it seemed.

He must have been still working through that thought as he glanced over Nico's face before moving a stray hair from in front of his face, tucking it behind his ear. The move was effortless, like it had just simply been in his way and was just most convenient. His fingers lingered by Nico's ear, grazing it as they stilled.

Nico watched him, watched as he pieced some puzzle together. Nico was never good at puzzles, but what he would give to see what he had finished. Was Will missing most of the pieces still and was taking a shot in the dark or had he been two away from done, just procrastinating the final touches?

The fingers stayed, this time twirling a piece of Nico's hair that was caught between them. It was rhythmic, and Nico never thought having someone play with his hair would be so calming. His sister did occasionally, mainly when they were young, though, to relax him. But there they were, at the top of the farris wheel as Will played gingerly with Nico's hair.

No words were spoken; none were needed. Nico had a million guesses on what was to come next, a million thoughts he played out one after another, but as the seconds ticked by, all failed to be seen through.

"You are my best friend," Will finally broke the silence, his voice shaking ever the slightest as he spoke. The breath that followed also had immense control. Nico couldn't hear anything as it was being said, his heartbeat was too loud. It took him a few seconds to process everything. "Seriously, I think you're one of the greatest things to ever happen to me."

Will met his eyes, a flood of unspoken words laying just beyond those blue. Nico wanted to take an ice pick and let them bleed out.

There was a loss of words that comes with someone pouring their heart out to you. It doesn't matter the context, but when you are faced with words that invoke such strong emotions, it's only nature to not be sure how to respond. And not knowing is what Nico did best.

He shifted in his seat, needing to find some footing twenty feet in the air. There was a moment when Will stopped what he was doing, letting the hair drop from his fingers, but he left his fingers there.

Not a word was uttered, barely a breath was audible as Will's fingers slid to the back of Nico's neck. The sensation was enough to send a rocket of energy crashing down his spine. He almost shook from it.

The touch was light and uncertain, but it grew sure of its own actions as it rested, Will's fingers finding the knotted stands and laced themselves through. Will's hand was resting on the back of his neck, entangled in his hair, and Nico couldn't think.

Nico wanted to shift forward, wanting to lean into the touch of the hand and into the arms of the blond. It was a push and pull that tore him apart; he was the waves and the moon wouldn't let him calm.

There was a split second when Will's eyes were suddenly a lot bigger, a lot more in focus. His face was so close, his breath was dancing on his lips.

The cart moved again, this time staying in motion.

Will's hand slipped out from behind his neck and he sat forward, resting his weight on the bar. He leaned out and watched the sky pass on.

Nico, still trying to piece together what had occurred for the past five minutes was struggling to keep up. Instead, he followed suit, shifting forward and leaned on the bar. The world around them seems to have kept up, not slipping away as they had. They weren't alone as the ride kept spinning.

Nothing more was spoken on the ride. They exited it one after another and slipped into the crowd. There was a moment where neither of them moved, looking around, trying desperately to find something to say.

Should Nico bring up what almost happened on the ride? Should he ask what he meant by all of that? Was he looking too far into everything that occurred and Will was just doing his usual thing? His mind had every question and no answer to show for. It was strictly confusing and he needed something to grasp onto for security.

"Hey," Will finally spoke. For a moment, Nico had forgotten what he had sounded like. "I don't really want to stick around here anymore, but…" Will looked around, looking anywhere but at Nico – had he even looked at him since they had gotten off the ride? "I don't exactly want to go home yet."

"Same." Nico's voice sounded foreign to himself. He cleared his throat and looked up to meet the blond's eyes.

He smiled. "Good."

Will grabbed his hand and they weaved through the crowd. Will made quick work to get them to the car with little interruptions.

It was always a curious thing to Nico how someone could go from acting one way to another with very little shift. Will had gone from opening up about how much he meant to him to whisking him away to the car, ignoring the middle ground that screamed unsure. What had Will meant to do – to say – before the ride moved? Had it been important? Had it been nothing? Had he simply forgotten?

Curious, indeed.

As fast as he could, they got into the car and drop off, Will's 80's playlist instantly connecting, the sound of keyboards and synths being their soundtrack as they raced off.

….

They had no plan. Zero. Nada. But what they did have was a need to cause trouble. And that's what they did.

Nico had been the one to spot it, and when Will noticed, he pulled in.

He didn't care how he parked, he just stopped his car far enough out of the way it didn't look like he was awaiting for a drug deal. Nico was the first one to jump out and run to the shopping cart that had been left behind in the parking lot. Most of the carts were locked up every night, but once in a while you could find one that wasn't claimed by a homeless man.

Will chased after him as Nico pushed the cart, running. When Will caught up, Nico jumped in, wobbling as Will held his arm. They tried to keep it down, but they kept shouting, laughing their asses off – especially when Nico almost fell face first.

Will pushed him, running around the poorly lit parking lot as Nico stood, doing whatever he could to keep his balance.

This was what they were used to. They used to steal shopping carts and race Piper and Jason all the time, Hazel and Frank being the judges at the end. It had started when Bianca and Thalia had forced Nico and Jason to be subjected to the terrors that was cart racing at a young age, so it was only natural the would introduce their friends to the intense sport.

It was different with only two people and one cart. They couldn't race off, but they could see who could stand the longest.

They ran around until it got boring, pushing the cart down the road a bit until they saw a Seven-Eleven. With a flick of the brow and a smirk, their wordless conversation was sealed and they ran inside.

It only took a minute before their hands were loaded with junk food and sodas. The tired college kid that ran the counter just eyed the two of them up, his expression blank. His name tag read, "Ethan," and it was obvious he didn't want to be there.

"Your total is twenty-six eighty-nine."

Will swiped the credit card as Nico was already half out the door with a handful of junk food.

When Will came out with the rest, Nico was sitting in the cart, already tearing open a bag of gummy worms. Will threw the rest in and started pushing the cart, opening his mouth as Nico fed him a worm.

Will pushed them until they came to a small park, parking the cart and helping Nico out. They sat at the top of the jungle gym, looking out over the rows of houses. It wasn't much of a view, not like the farris wheel, but it still was calming.

They passed the snacks back and forth, throwing candy at one another, getting too sugar high to really care. Neither of them spoke about what had happened – or didn't happen. They traded stories that both of them had heard a million times, they talked about their childhood. Will told Nico about his time in Texas, watching his mother preform from behind the stage. He was quite fond of the memory he had of his father who had come to one of his mother's shows and held him in his arms.

Nico told Will about the time he was in Italy. He spoke about his favorite beaches, the small bakery his mother would take him. His mother was born and raised in Vienna so she knew all the best places to take him. Bianca was quite a daddy's girl when she was younger, so when his dad and sister would have their time together, Nico's mom used to spoil him dearly.

"I love her," he spoke softly, the memory warming his now cold arms, "and a part of me wishes I could go back to that time."

"She loves you dearly, you know that."

"I do but…" Nico sighed and leaned back, staring up at the sky. There were no stars to turn to so he stared into the emptiness. "I know she wishes I was different. I know she prayed every night that I'll marry some nice catholic girl who can cook. She wants me so fucking badly to be this perception she had of me when I was young that I know it breaks her heart that I'm nothing like it."

"I don't think you have to be, though."

"And you're right, but family is different where I'm from. Your mom and dad love you, support you. It's easy for you. But my family? Things are very traditional, and not just catholic tradition. It's culturally. I'm the eldest son, I have to carry the name. Me not wanting to have kids and no way in hell creating biological ones is not something you do. I have to uphold something that runs deeper than me. But I can't and she knows it. I just don't think she can admit it, yet."

They were silent. It was already tough speaking about his mother in that context. He loved her. He loved her endlessly. But when you know your mothers love only runs as deep as your identity, it stings. Nico had always been aware that his mother would never truly love him in the way he needed because of his sexuality.

Love was conditional, yet it was expected. He lived in this middle ground where her love was always present, but it came with a "but". He needed her, he needed her to love him. Nico loved his mother with his entire being, but he did have a bag packed at several points in his life. Bianca even knew about it once.

He could run. But he would miss her.

And that was the hardest feeling in the world.

Will made these conversations make sense. He helped ease the confusion and pain Nico always found daunting into a way he could process. He was right, Will was one of the greatest things to happen to him.

The spoke softly for a few minutes, letting the conversation fall into a calmed hush before they laid on their back, watching a cloud pass overhead.

When the silence was no longer welcoming, they sat up. They were quick to pack their leftover snacks back into the shopping cart before they pushed it down the street, the conversation going back to random topics that never got heavier than a dinky car.

By the time they had gotten back to the car, it was closing in on midnight and the world was silent around them. Despite being in the city, they were far enough away that only the occasional car would pass by.

There was no music this time as they drove. The heat was on but the windows were down, the sounds of rushing wind was all that was needed. Both parties were viably exhausted, and Nico couldn't wait to go home.

Home.

Going home meant this was over.

There was a twist in his stomach that made his want to throw up. And not the good kind.

When Will pulled up to his house, Nico thanked him for everything. Will shook his head and turned off the car, following a questioning Nico.

As Nico stood on his front porch, he raised a brow.

"What are you doing?"

"Well," Will started, kicking the ground as he hopped up the steps, "I wouldn't be a good fake boyfriend if I didn't walk my date to their front door."

"My hero," Nico grumble.

Will smiled.

"I, uh," Nico cleared his throat. "I had a really great time. I know I didn't really say it easier but… thanks."

Will shook his head, his face light.

"You don't have to say anything. This was honestly the most fun I've had in a long time. Even if it was a joke, I'm so glad we did it. I-" Will stopped for a second. "I really needed this."

Nico smiled, this time it was his turn to kick the ground. When had their porch gotten so dirty?

The rest of the street was silent but the soft murmurs of the television from the family living room could be heard through the door.

Under the porch light, Will's hair was pure gold. His curls were still wind blown from all the running they had done. He ran a nervous-looking hand through them, tugging at a knot.

"I – ah," Nico stuttered, shoving his thumb over his shoulder when he couldn't place the words properly. "It's late."

"Yeah," Will said, rubbing his hands on his jeans. While they both agreed to end the night, neither of them moved. Will had a restless bounce to his step as he shifted his weight, almost like he was debating on where he was going. "It is late."

"Yeah."

It wasn't like it meant much, but when Will stepped forward, Nico caught his own breath. His hands were in his front pocket, stiff from the chilled nighttime air. He leaned in and kissed the side of Nico's cheek. It didn't last long, but it was long enough for Nico to register what it was and for his heart to pound uncontrollably.

When Will stepped back, he bit his lip and laughed nervously.

"Just," he started, clearing his throat, "staple date things. Gotta be a gentleman, you know."

Nico rolled his eyes, manually breathing as he let out a shaky breath. His nervous laugh sounded more forced as he crossed his arms and looked anywhere but at the blond.

"Aren't you classy."

The next laugh that escaped Will's lip was soft, gentle, and a harmony arranged by the gods. Will's shoulders relaxed as he popped a hip out, his goofy smile pulling to one side. His gaze was inviting and intimate, and for a moment, Nico swore Will was the only man alive.

"I should get going," Will spoke, this time actually starting to head towards his car.

"Yeah," Nico said, sniffing quickly to break his own tension. "It's late."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Bye," Will waved, almost tripping as he went down the stairs.

"Don't die."

"I'm trying."

Nico stood on the porch, watching and waving a Will fumbled his way to the car and the entire time he fought with his keys to get them out of his pocket. When Will gave the final wave once he was in the car, Nico watched as he drove away, a sinking feeling settling in his bones.

He was cold.

Not because the air had a crisp bite to it – it could have been 200 degrees out and it still would have felt freezing. It was a deep cold. It was deep inside and it was lonely. It was the truth setting in; Saturday was up and Nico and Will were done their fake dating.

Nico knew he asked for this, he knew this was going to happen. Nothing that occurred was a surprise. The only thing he didn't anticipate was how gross and empty he would feel after. Maybe this was what Bianca was worried about.

When he finally opened the door, he was met with his sister who was leaning on the wall. Her brow was raised and she looked almost pissed.

"What?" Nico asked, pretending to ignore her. He moved most of his focus on kicking off his shoes.

"Mom and dad could have seen you," she said. Her face was stern and unmoving. "You have to be fucking careful. Be glad they already went to bed."

"It doesn't matter anyways," Nico muttered, his voice coming out more harsh and cold than he even expected. It caught him off guard. And apparently Bianca as well. Her shoulders relaxed a bit as she uncrossed her arms.

Nico was struggling to get his shoes off. He managed to get on done before he huffed, trying not to lash out. Why was he so angry? He had just been on cloud nine not even five minutes previously.

He cursed as he flailed his foot around, desperately trying to remove his shoe without bending down to untie the laces.

"Fuck," he cursed as it failed to budge. After a few more attempts, he got down and started untying it, grabbing the shoe once he was done and throwing it. "Fucking piece of fucking shit – fuck!" When the shoe hit the wall, all that was heard was the loud thud and the sound of the television that's volume had been lowered. Silence fell with the rise and fall of Nico's chest.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she finally asked after a moment. Nico's breathing was less erratic, but when he looked up to meet his sister's gaze, all forms of control broke apart and he lost it.

He didn't feel in control of his emotions and it scared him. He wanted to scream, to cry, to laugh. Nico wanted more than anything for time to be paused to nothing more could further from there. He felt like a child and he needed his older sister.

He leaned over and rested his head on her shoulder, feeling like a small child who was scared of the dark again. What could he do but cry?

And that's what he did.

Everything was hitting him. Everything from today that he didn't have time to process was finally rearing its ugly head. His thoughts and feelings that he ignored over the past few days were suddenly all pouring out of him and he had no way of stopping or even controlling it.

"I fucked up," he admitted, clinging to his sister like he did when their first dog ran away. Bianca wrapped him up in her arms, gently playing with his hair to calm him down.

"I know," she spoke. Her voice was strong but understanding. She wasn't going to let her brother cry his way out of this one, this was something he needed to face on his own.

"I really fucked up."

"I know."

They stood there for what could have been hours as Nico finally got his breathing under control. When the sobbing turned into gentle hiccups, he pulled away, stilling gripping her shirt for dear life. His eyes were red and blotchy, snot was running down his nose. He looked bad.

He sniffed as he wiped his nose on the back of his hand. Bianca grimaced.

"I wanna go to bed." His voice was hoarse and raw.

Bianca nodded. "We can talk more tomorrow if you want."

Nico nodded as he rubbed his eyes. He knew he looked like a child, but he didn't care. He felt like one so might as well.

After a few seconds, he let go and headed up stairs. When he got to his room, he managed to blow his nose before he stripped his shirt off. He found one that was probably dirty off the floor and threw it on, stripping his jeans off and tossing them aside. He threw his phone onto his bed as he did so.

He grabbed a cup of water and downed it in one go, not realising how thirsty he had been.

By the time he was ready for bed, it was well after midnight and he could feel his body wanting to shut down. As he climbed into bed, his phone lit up.

There was a moment of hesitation before he grabbed it. When he saw Will's name pop up, everything around him spun. Maybe Will would forget to break up with him. Maybe he could avoid it by a technicality. Will didn't need to know, right?

With shaky fingers – and a few messed up password attempts – he opened the message.

Sunshine Boy
I had a lot of fun today
But like
I just don't think it going to work out between us, you know?
You and I just don't vibe right.
I love yah but…
I think its over between us.
Were probably just better off as friends :/
Now that that's done!
Actually yesterday
You know Katie right? You guys had English together last year!
ANYWAYS
She asked me out Friday.
I'm not a cheater so obviously I told her no ;)
But now that I'm single,,,,,
Who knows, might be a sign.
Funny timing at least
Anyways, I'll let you head to bed.
Goodnight and sorry it didn't work out between us.

Vomit. That's what he wanted to do.

It was fake. This entire thing was fake.

But why did he feel like ripping his chest apart to stop the pain that was searing through him? He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He needed to throw something. Fuck, he needed something to get this void in his chest to stop growing.

As much as he ignored it, skirted around the issue. Sometimes there's only one correct conclusion.

Now, realisations are a tricky thing if you aren't ready to confront them. They're even harder to accept if you aren't willing to budge on a conclusion. They will come to fruition whether you want them to or not. In the end, you are not in control of the results of events, it's just up to you to piece the puzzle together and understand what had been prewritten for you.

He could deny, run from, and ignore what happened all he would like, but in the end, Nico di Angelo could not deny the realization that he was falling for his best friend, Will Solace. And things would never be the same.

A/N: So, the thing about Will's password in the last chapter i phrased poorly. what i meant is that it actually has a meaning. the second meaning of it tho is that it was friends phone password from high school that i remembered and i thought it would work really well in the story.

ANYWAYS

do you love me? you shouldn't.

Also, Sour has officially put into a series called Tasteless if you wish to subscribe to it. there should be three parts to it, each already having a name (Sour, Bitter, and Sweet), so look out for those. I have so much planned. and if you've read my previous work Side Friend, well, you should see how this story structure is gonna go.

Please let me know ur thoughts, i love hearing ur paragraph rants. they are so funny and i show them to my friends. please, they make everything better. also helps me see if i'm writing it in the right way and hows its being precieved.

Kitty