Hoped you guys liked the first chapter enough to stick around for number two!
If he thought yesterday was bad enough to bring up memories of him, he was sorely wrong. Today had been even worse. Even though he wasn't at school, every slight mention of the sun, the beach, even doctors had his nerves on edge, waiting for his name to be said. Logically, the dark haired boy knew that none of these people at the grocery store would say the blond's name, but his heart didn't quite understand that. His nerves had been strung so tightly, you could have played them like a violin. His brain couldn't take much more waiting for the bomb to drop. His entire body was tense, ready to flee at the slightest whisper of anything related to him. He should have realized it would be this bad. Today was their anniversary. Normally he would rejoice that he had such a reminder that they had stayed together for so long, but they weren't together any more, and they never were, and they never could be. It was the anniversary of lost chances and broken hearts. After all these years, it should have been easier to think of him without pain or sadness, but it wasn't. It was still the same feelings of hopelessness and remorse that he had felt all those years ago when he had left, and that hole in his heart had only gotten bigger.
"Promise you'll write, or e-mail, or text, I could even get a Skype, or we could-" Will was cut off by a rough hug from his best friend. Actually, Nico wished he could kiss Will, but he didn't want to be rebuffed by his best friend. Based on the stiffness of Will's body when he hugged him, the blond seemed surprised at this sudden rush of affection from his normally gruff friend, but accepted the hug nonetheless. Men weren't really supposed to show emotions, and Nico didn't really want to be criticized for yet another thing, but even passersby could see the turmoil and pain in these two boys as they said goodbye for maybe the last time. Nico could feel the silent sobs that racked his friend's body, but he didn't say anything about it, content to just be together, trying to comfort the blond while desperately attempting to calm his own body down. Finally they released each other and Nico tried to subtly wipe his nose and dry his eyes. Wanting to keep some semblance of normalcy, Nico punched Will's shoulder. Will pretended to wince, and then shoved Nico back, with a hesitant smile playing around his lips. Nico let loose a laugh and he thought he saw Will's shoulders shake with a laugh of his own. Nico couldn't help thinking that this would be the last time he would ever see his friend, and wanted to tell him how he felt, but couldn't bring himself to take that last step towards Will. It was better to leave on a good note, rather than an awkward one, or worse, see a disgusted look on his friend's face. He couldn't have all his memories of Will be tainted by one wrong move that might ruin their friendship. So he just smiled at the blond, and wished he was thinking the same things.
They stood there for what seemed like forever, not talking, but letting the silence wash over them, trying to capture the feeling of being in each other's presence. Nico figured if he couldn't have the real Will with him, he could at least remember the feeling of being with him, so he could replay the feeling later. They stood close to each other, closer than was necessary, but neither moved backwards. Nico couldn't help but flick his eyes down to Will's lips, which seemed impossibly soft and large.
Before Nico's emotions got the best of him, his parents called him from the entrance of the terminal. Immediately whatever happiness they had been able to salvage from the goodbye was gone. Their smiles dropped, their shoulders slumped, and the feeling from before was lost.
"I guess this is goodbye," Nico muttered with a shaky voice, with his head tilted towards the ground.
"Not forever," Will said with a sort of smile. Nico raised his head at last, and gave Will what he thought was a bright smile. But judging by Will's face, it probably looked more like a grimace. Not able to take any more sadness, Nico turned around, away from his best friend, who couldn't see him cry. But Will caught his arm.
"I will see you again. I promise," Will whispered with a serious look. Nico was surprised, why would Will promise him something like that? Nico would probably never see Will again. But he nodded for Will's sake. Nico knew in his heart that this goodbye would be forever. Abruptly, he swiveled on his feet, almost running to his parents, because if he didn't say goodbye now, he never would. At the entrance to the terminal, Nico turned to see Will still there, looking unbearably sad. With a shaky smile, Nico raised his right hand in a sort of wave. Nico saw Will's ring, with its pattern of the moon and stars, and felt a stab of pain: it might be the last time he saw that ring, along with its owner. As he turned around to board the plane, he allowed a single tear to make its way down his cheek.
The blond boy had been right. Their goodbye wasn't forever. But only one of them got to say hello again.
The dark haired boy felt his cheeks getting wet with tears. No matter how hard he tried to forget the way his best friend smiled, or the way his hands were always in his pockets, or how his eyes sparkled when he laughed, he couldn't. The memories were too bright, too blinding. He supposed that's what the down side of being too close to the sun was. You got burnt.
Sighing, and wiping his eyes, he got up off the bed, hissing and groaning in pain at his injuries that still riddled his body with pain. He supposed it was good he didn't go to school today. His anger management wasn't the best, and who knew what would have happened if he took offense at the wrong comment made at the wrong time. So it was for the best that he stayed home today. It was good that his sister had had the foresight to remove all the knives and blades from his rooms yesterday when she visited. He wasn't sure he would have been able to stop himself.
He had always been able to curb his best friend's destructive tendencies with a whisper, you are my sunshine. The thought would pass, and he would just look at him guiltily, sad and remorseful that he was about to put his friend though all the pain of seeing him dead. Thinking back on it, he would have been dead a million times over if it hadn't been for the soft mutterings and calm whispers of his best friend. Only he could get the dark haired boy out of his own head.
The dark eyed boy wondered if he had had the same influence on him when they were friends. He doubted it. The blond boy never seemed to need anyone. He was always so bright and cheerful, always with a smile on his face, always there to comfort his best friend. The other boy wondered if he ever really meant something to his best blond friend. He wondered if he ever actually meant to keep all those promises they made. Because in all his many years of life, promises that were made, were broken. And he couldn't bear to have more be broken by his best friend.
So, I don't know if anyone noticed, but I will end each chapter with a statement that goes along the lines of "promises were made to be broken," because Nico has had many promises broken by people in his life, so he thinks that's their only use.