The days turned into weeks. During the dark nights, Will laid in his bed with his eyes on the ceiling. You know you're in love when reality is finally better than your dreams. He fell asleep and dreamed of Nico's dark hair.

The days were even better. Kisses, conversations, hand-holding. Will fell more in love with each glimpse of his boyfriend.

Will started high school just as everyone else did, with that faint sense that this was it. It might be the best and worst years of his life, but it would lead him somewhere. This was where he needed to be if he wanted the life he had always picked out for himself.

But high school was never what he expected. He didn't expect to find love, he didn't expect to find centuries worth of secrets. And more than anything, he didn't expect to meet Nico di Angelo.

And he couldn't escape that. If Will had seen earlier, maybe he could have. But the story ended with this: a girl, a play, a grave. Maybe a crown somewhere in the mix.

And he never saw it coming.

But it did.

Nico coughed into his hand as he made his way down the street with Will. His pale skin was speckled with red spots.

"Are you excited?" Will asked, oblivious to Nico's mess. "I am."

Nico wiped his hand on his dark jacket. "Very. Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see when we get there. It's a surprise." Will eyed the Starbucks across the street. "Want to get a coffee?"

Nico pulled Will in that direction. "Carmel frappe with-"

"Extra whipped cream," Will finished. "I know."

Nico smiled as they stepped into the warm interior. "Just reminding you."

Will pulled his wallet out as they got in line. "So...have you ever been on a date before?"

Nico shook his head. "What about you?"

"Nope." Will ordered their coffees before looking to Nico. "That's why I'm excited to take you on one."

Nico watched Will pay before eyeing the coffee as it was made. "So...where are you taking me?"

"Again, it's a surprise." Will wrapped an arm around Nico's shoulders. "But you'll love it."

"Will I?"

Will kissed his forehead. "Yes, now calm down." He got their coffees. "Here, take yours. We can't go in with them."

"Ah, so thats a hint." Nico kept his coffee close as they walked out of the Starbucks. "And I'm still very confused."

Will chuckled as he relented. "Fine, fine, I'll give you more hints. What's your favorite thing besides coffee and lasagna?"

"Uh...history? Death?"

"History," Will shook his head in exasperation. "Stop with the death, it's so morbid."

"So is most of history," Nico argued.

Will rolled his eyes. "Okay, back to the conversation. I thought we could go to the museum downtown. "

Nico's eyes lit up. "Seriously?"

Will nodded. "So drink the coffee on the way."

The straw quickly returned to Nico's mouth as they walked down the streets he once called home. Another cough echoed out of his lungs, caused his coffee to taste more like iron that carmel.

"So that's my dad." Nico whispered, leaning against Will as they gazed at the old painting. "When he was my age."

Will's eyes flashed over that troubled face. "He looks like you."

"I know."

"Does that upset you?"

"I'm not sure."

Another week went by. Suddenly it was dress rehearsal, suddenly Nico's angelic face was plastered with makeup and face pleasantries that made him and his boyfriend want to puke. When they went home, Will sat by the tub and washed every ounce of it off Nico's face. The mascara stuck to his eyelashes.

"You're handsome," Will reminded him with a kiss on the forehead. "Let's get in bed and cuddle. After this weekend, no more Juliet."

Nico's dark eyes stared at the bath water. "No more Juliet."

"Come on," Will coaxed. "Get out of the tub." He watched his boyfriend crawl out before wrapping a towel around his boney shoulders. "There."

"Will?" Nico's eyes were darker than usual. The bags underneath almost matched the pits of hell. "I...I love you."

Will ran a hand through Nico's hair, didn't look away from those eyes when another cough shook his love. "I love you too."

"We can cuddle?" Nico asked. "You're so warm and I'm fucking freezing..."

"We can cuddle." Will assured. "Let's get you dressed, first. Then you can forget about today, okay?"

Nico nodded, his eyes dull and unmoving as Will dressed him. He never expected dress rehearsal to stir so many flashbacks, yet there it was to haunt him.

"Two more days," Will led him to bed.

Nico covered himself with the blankets, buried his head in Will's chest. "Two more days..."