It was two weeks into practice and Will still hadn't spoken to Nico, nor had anyone else, unless it was play related. They learned their lines, they acted their parts. Will didn't come closer to finding out why he was attracted to Nico, nor did Nico come closer to finding a friend.

Will was about to give up on himself and Nico, but then Saturday night hit.

It had gotten colder. The trees were almost naked yet still managed to sway in the breeze. The night was colder than the temperature.

Will found himself walking to the drugstore with a couple dollars stuffed deep into his pocket. They had run out of coffee at home, and its necessity was proved by his willingness to go out and get it that night. He was walking out of the store when he caught sight of Nico di Angelo, saw those eyes that seemed to suck in the darkness of night.

"Nico?" Will walked over to the side of the store and looked down at that thin Juliet. "What are you doing out here?"

Nico jolted in surprise before looking up at Will. The hoodie he wore every school day was once again put into use. His bookbag, hidden behind his back, was almost invisible in the shadows.

"Are you okay?" Will asked after seeing that Nico wasn't going to answer his question anytime soon. "You look cold..." He kneeled down next to him, those instincts he had since birth kicking in. They were what fueled him to be a doctor. "Can I help?"

"I'm fine, Solace." Nico's lips were turning blue. "Just go back to wherever you came from."

"Why don't you come with me?" Will offered. "I doubt you'd be out here in the cold if you could help it. You can stay the night at my place."

Nico scowled. "I'm not a charity case."

"I never said you were."

"Then what is this?" Nico asked. "Letting someone stay in your home is charity." He sat up, looked deep into Will's eyes. "I. Don't. Take. Charity. That's not who I am."

"I know that," Will assured him. "And it wasn't going to be charity. I see a friend who needs to come over for a night. So I offered. It's not like you're a stranger off the street. We go to school together."

"Did you...just call me...your friend...?" Nico asked slowly, his eyes wide with shock.

Will flinched, expecting Nico's outburst at any second. "Yeah...?"

Instead of blowing up at Will, instead of bursting out with the "How dare you?!" that Will expected, Nico stumbled to his feet as if they had already frozen and grabbed his bag. His eyes tried to hide the warm emotion fluttering to the surface. "Okay, I'll come with you for tonight. No charity."

Will took a deep breath, having forgotten to breathe for a second too long. "No charity. Just a friend helping the other out. I'd hope you'd do the same for me."

Nico nodded in acceptance. "Where do you live?"

"Not too far." Will stood up and stretched. "This way." He started off, Nico following close behind. "Are you okay?"

Nico scowled. "Why do you have to ask that?"

"I...nevermind..." Will swung the bag of coffee as he walked. "Do you like coffee?"

Nico nodded. "Why?"

"I just bought some. I'll put a pot on when we get there." Will held the bag up for Nico to see. "That's why I was out this late."

Nico's lips twitched. "You went out after midnight to get coffee in the freezing cold?"

Will nodded. "You'll learn that I've got to have my coffee."

"I see..." Nico looked up at the house Will had started to walk up to. "This is where you live?"

Will nodded. "Come on, let's get inside. We don't want to wake my parents."

Nico followed Will into the nice two-story family home. The floors were clean, no messes were in sight. The only imperfections were the cluttered cabinets and the dirty kitchen counters.

"You use your kitchen a lot," Nico commented, watching as Will started the pot of coffee.

"Yeah," Will chuckled. "It's where we live."

Nico rubbed his hands together as he tried to regain feeling in them. "Your parents are asleep?"

Will nodded. "They have work early in the morning."

"Do they know you sneak out to get coffee?" Nico asked. "Because that doesn't sound very safe in this city."

"No, they don't know." Will got two cups out. "It's probably my only act of rebellion, to be honest. What about you? Do anything against your parents?"

Nico's emotions shut down. In an instant, he was back to the troubled boy he was at school. "That's personal, Solace."

"Right..." Will cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"I just don't get why you have to ask those questions," Nico argued. "You have no idea what they'll lead to. Are you that willing to fight?"

"I...I'm sorry...I'll think twice next time." Will looked down at his feet. "I just...was trying to get to know you, is all. As I said...we're friends."

"You shouldn', try." Nico warned. "I'm not going to let you know anything about me."

Will poured the cups of coffee, his hands shaking. "But...why? What are you fighting so hard to hide?"

"Something that's worth it." Nico took his cup, keeping his hands against it as he regained normal feeling. "Just leave it alone. Please."

"You know you could tell me, right?" Will asked. "You could trust me. I could help."

"This isn't something you could help." Nico downed his coffee despite its steaming contents. "Where can I sleep?"

"My room...I'll lead you." Will started for the staircase. "Bring your bag."

Nico grabbed his bag and followed Will upstairs. Will's bedroom was a decent size, with yellow walls and wooden floors. Will went to the couch that had been put off to the side and flung the cushions off, then pulling the pull-out bed out. "You can sleep on this. We got new couches so this ended up in here."

"Okay..." Nico watched as Will put a few blankets and pillows on it. "Thanks, I guess."

"No problem. It's all yours." Will walked over to his own bed, leaving Nico to lay down. "Do you want the lights off?"

"If it doesn't bother you." Nico laid down and buried himself beneath the blankets.

"I'm gonna go work on the computer, anyways." Will turned the lights off. "It's in the office. I'll be one door over if you need me. Bathroom is across the hall."

Nico nodded, his worn bones relaxing. "Thank you, Will."

Will stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. It was the night that changed how he felt about Nico, the night that fixated his eyes on fate. There was something about that boy he needed to figure out, needed to solve.

Nico had been kind, at some points. Nothing like at school. He had let that guard down for mere moments, and in them, Will saw a Nico who so desperately feared for his wellbeing.

But why?