Nico had never been more embarrassed, had never been so relieved, had never been so awkward. This boy━William Solace, a doctor in the making━this boy told him that he loved him. Romantically. Relationship wise. Illegally.

Gay. The word popped into Nico's mind, sent his heart into his stomach. Will was gay, Will was gay. He loved Nico.

Nico was gay. He had never admitted it out loud, didn't know if he could. In a society that hated it, in a society that shunned it away. He was gay.

Though he couldn't say it out loud, he loved that boy, too. He loved William Solace, the doctor to be.

Love... It was created to be amazing, created to bring peace and joy. But in a fallen world, all it brought was destruction. Rules. Disrespect. Hate.

In a world where love was just meant to be love, hate twisted it into damnation.

"You shouldn't say anything." Will finally blurted out, his face as red as Nico's. "Please don't say anything. Just forget about it and tell me why you were in the forest."

Nico closed his eyes for a minute before reopening them. "Um...I... Don't know how to explain it."

"Try."

"Can I take you there?" Nico asked. "That's the only way I can. I don't know why."

Will nodded. "Sure. Why not?"

Nico grabbed Will's hand and dragged him into the forest, each step sending his mind deeper into its unknown thoughts and further away from Will. The trees grew around them, tall and thick in the dim light. The canopy above kept the sunlight out, leaving the two boys in darkness. They followed a thin path that was overrun by weeds and roots and even some vines that snapped beneath their feet.

"Nico...are you sure you know where you're going?" Will asked nervously.

Nico nodded. "I've come here a lot recently. And there's a path."

"You aren't even looking at the path," Will argued.

Nico glanced down at their feet. "We're still on it, aren't we?"

Will couldn't help but chuckle. "I guess we are."

They walked in silence from there on out until they reached a clearing. Nico went and sat in the middle, the grass as green as anywhere else. But something felt...off. Will could feel it as soon as he saw Nico sat. "What is this place?"

"Exactly." Nico laid down and stared at the sun above. "I feel...I feel like something should have happened here but it didn't. I feel like I want to lay here forever."

Will stepped more into the clearing. "Okay..."

"I know it sounds weird," Nico replied miserably. "I can't help it."

"It's okay," Will assured. "Can I lay by you?"

Nico glanced over at him. "You would want to?"

Will smiled. "I like spending time with you, Neeks. No matter what we're doing. And it's pretty out here."

Nico looked back to the sky. "Okay, come on."

Will laid by Nico so that their shoulders brushed against each other but weren't fully touching. He stared up at the same sky Nico did, the same sky others looked up at. The same sky that graves laid to rest under.

After hours, Nico spoke. "I love you, too."