Nico

Will arrived at my apartment at five o'clock. I was staring at Hazel's later in frustration, trying to come up with something to tell her, when I heard a knock at the door. "Coming!" I called. I folded up the letter and placed it back on the nightstand. Replying would just have to wait. I opened the door to find Will standing in the hall, beaming.

"Hello, Nico!" he exclaimed. 

"Hi, Will," I replied. 

"Ready to go?" he inquired. 

"Yeah, just let me grab my jacket," I answered. I ducked back into the apartment and snatched my jacket off the foot of the bed. I pulled it on and exited the room, shutting the door behind me. "Okay, ready," I said. Will grinned and started down the hall. I shoved my hands into my pockets and followed him. 

Several minutes later, we arrived at our usual spot, Romeo's Deli. "This place again?" I said as we entered. 

"Yep. It's starting to become my favorite," Will responded. We sat down at a two-person table by the window, and Will began scanning the menu. Okay, it was now or never. 

"Hey, Will," I began, "I need to talk to you about something."

Will set aside the menu, "What is it?"

"I saw you at the soup kitchen today," I said. 

Will's face paled, "Y-you did?"

"Yeah, I was doing an article about the homeless population in New York and my photographer, Jason, and I visited the soup kitchen. While we were interviewing a guy, I saw you walk in and sit down," I explained. 

Will's smile melted into a look of guilt as he stared down at the table. "Nico, I'm sorry," he answered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked calmly. 

He sighed and shook his head, "I didn't want you to worry. You're dealing with enough stress between moving into the city and getting situated in your new job. I didn't want to burden you with my problems."

"Will," I said, reaching across the table and placing my hand on his shoulder, "It's not a burden."

"Yes it is!" Will cried. He cradled his face in his hands, "I'm a bum and that's my fault. I shouldn't make you deal with it."

"You aren't a bum," I answered firmly.

"I'm making three dollars a week from playing guitar on the streets!" he argued. 

"That doesn't mean you're a bum!" I retorted. 

He shook his head, "I'm unemployed and homeless!"

I squeezed his shoulder, "Will, listen to me. Are you doing what makes you happy?

"Yes, but-"

"Then you're not a bum," I interrupted. "In fact, I think you've accomplished more than a majority of the business men on Wall Street."

"They have money, Nico," Will reminded me. 

I slammed my fist on the table, causing the silverware to rattle, "They may have money, but most of them want out. They want out of their jobs, they want out of this city, and they want out of life. You, on the other hand, love this city and love life. Hell, you love it so much you're making me love it. I remember the way your face lit up when you took me on a tour of the city. That was nothing but pure happiness. You love the world around you and that's more than most people can say. If you ask me, you're the prince of the city, not a bum."

Will stared at me in silence for a few minutes. His blue eyes scanned my face, searching for a sign that I was lying. But he would never find it, because it isn't there. 

Finally, he looked up at me. "You mean that?"

I nodded, "I mean it." 

Our conversation was cut short by a waitress who came to take our order. Several minutes later, she returned with our food, and placed it on the table. 

"You're not mad at me for lying, right?" Will asked as we dug into our food. 

I shrugged, "I wish you had told me sooner so I didn't let you pay for all this food we've been getting."

Will chuckled, "Sorry about that."

"I'll forgive you if you let me pay from now on," I proposed. 

"Deal," Will agreed.

"Oh, and one more thing, you come live with me."

 He stopped and stared at me. "What? No! I can't do that to you!" he cried. 

"Do you have any other place to go?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then you're coming to live with me."

Will sighed, "Nico, you barely have enough money to support yourself. How do think you'll be able to support me as well?"

I paused for a moment and bit my lip. "I don't know," I confessed. "But I do know that I'll find a way."

"You're sure about this?" Will asked.

"I'm sure," I replied. 

"Well, as long as you're absolutely sure that this is what you want, I'll accept your invitation," he finally agreed. 

"Good, I won't be able to sleep at night knowing your laying in the street somewhere," I said. 

A light blush spread across Will's cheeks, "Thanks, I guess."

"Do you have any possessions you want to take with you?" I inquired. 

"Just a few small things, nothing much," Will answered. 

"Okay, you can move in tomorrow," I informed him. He nodded and stacked our dirty dishes in the center of the table. He started to reach for his pocket, but I grabbed his wrist to stop him. 

"No," I said, "You're letting me pay tonight."