Sex stuff bla bla bla, you guys know the drill. Anyway, last part and I just want to say thank you from the literal depths of my heart, thank you for 300k! It's something I never thought I'd hit, and I hope that this extra little story will remind you guys of how much I love you:)

Will's POV

He had never thought they'd ever be in his bed fully clothed, Nico laying across his bed, holding Will's arm to his chest as Will wraps locks of Nico's hair around his fingertips, staring lazily at the tv screen. It feels strangely more intimate than the sex, even though he could watch tv with anyone. There's something about the act of just holding Nico to his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his chest with the breaths against his own body, that's more intimate than Will ever could have imagined. He loves it more than he thought he would. He just regrets not seeking it out sooner. "I told Percy, by the way," Nico says, his voice casual. But even though his tone is calm, Will can feel his chest hitch, his breathing less steady than before. And as the words leave Nico's mouth, Will feels his heart seize up, and even though he's laying down, he's lightheaded.

"What?"

"He's my best friend, and he knew something was up." He pushes himself up off of Will's chest, propping himself up on his elbow and that's the first tie that's broken, that sense of intimacy gone. "I made him promise not to tell anyone. And people already know you like boys so as long as he doesn't tell anyone about us it's okay, right?" His eyebrows are furrowed, his lips pursed, a bead of sweat making an appearance just below his hairline. He's trying hard to keep his air of coolness but he's failing, and Will is sure that he's doing even worse.

"You didn't have to tell him."

"I'm a terrible liar. He'd figure it out somehow." A flash of anger appears in Nico's eyes but it's gone within half a second, replaced with a bad effort to keep himself calm. That's the goal for both of them, and they can both tell. "Why does it matter so much, anyway?"

"I dunno," Will says, peering around Nico's body at the tv. Maybe it'll stop the panic that's taking over Will if he can focus on the pixellated bodies on the screen, on the light dialogue, he can forget about the argument that's brewing on the horizon. But whether on accident or on purpose Nico moves in front of his line of vision and suddenly, the tv isn't a barrier anymore because Nico is sitting on his heels, arms crossed over his chest with a look of hurt in his eyes that makes Will's heart pang. "I just don't want my friends to find out."

"Why?"

"Nico, come on." He tries to move so that he can see the tv again but Nico moves, following every move he makes and he chews on his nail, glancing at his floor. "It's kinda weird, right?"

"What is?" There's a sense of accusation in his voice even though there isn't anything for Will to be accused of and he blows out a shaky sigh, pushing himself up and drawing his knees to his chest. It's somewhat of a comforting position, almost like a barrier between him and the world. This was supposed to be a simple relationship, one full of cuddles and kisses and cheesy dates that they both love. But no relationship is simple, he realizes, especially not when they've been hooking up consistently for the past few months, and especially not when one of them has been harboring secret feelings of longing for at least half of that time. He would be naive to expect no complication.

"Us, together." He speaks tentatively, choosing his words carefully, although he's never been good at tact. He can see that as Nico's frown deepens but he stays quiet, probably waiting to see if Will will say something that will be good this time, somewhat intelligent this time. They both know he won't, though. "It's like, we're from very different friend groups, you know?" He waits, breathless, hoping that he doesn't say what he means. Hoping that he doesn't reveal how scared he is of being teased, how desperate he is for the approval of his friends and how he'll keep a relationship he's so happy about private if he means getting that approval.

"Percy does sports. Isn't one of your friends on the swim team?"

"Yeah." His voice falters and he scratches at the back of his head, swallowing hard. "We both know what I mean." His voice is quiet as if that will somehow help him, somehow make him sound somewhat more intelligent. It just makes him sound pathetic and scared. "You and me- we wouldn't make sense to people at school. We're very different people." Nico heaves a heavy sigh before standing up and in the second before he hops off of the bed he's so much taller than Will, looming over him like a god and in that second, Will is terrified.

"Ok. Yeah, Will, I get it." He sighs again, rubbing his face before crossing his arms, his head tilting up and his eyes aimed at the ceiling. "You're ashamed of me."

"No, Nico, that's not-"

"No, I mean, I'd get it," he says with a dry laugh. "We're different people, right? We don't mix. Because you're some cool kid on the varsity soccer team and I'm an emo loser who will just lower your reputation. Right?"

"Nico, that's not it and you know it."

"But that's who people see us as, right?"

Will probably took too long to respond. "No." Nico's nostrils flare and Will can see him chewing on the inside of his lip, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. "You know that's not how I see us. You know I care about you."

"It doesn't fucking feel like it, Will." He tilts his head up to the ceiling, letting the tears drain back into his eyes before he looks back at Will with a sad smile on his face. "It's okay, really. I get it. This was just never meant to work out."

"That's not-"

"It's true, Will, and you know it." He wipes a tear off of his cheek, his lips still pursed. "I need some space, I think. I'll call you when I'm ready."

"Nico-"

"See you around." Nico walks out of the room and despite his strong words his head hangs low, and Will hears a quiet sniff. It's a familiar scene, the one he's faced with, the one where Nico is leaving his room with tears in his eyes and Will sitting on his bed with his heart sinking with each step he hears Nico take. It doesn't feel good either time but this time it feels more permanent, as if driving up to Nico's house and bringing him to McDonald's isn't going to fix it this time. As the minutes go by he doesn't sit up and he doesn't text Nico; he knows he won't respond. All he does is sink lower and lower into his covers, curling up underneath and tucking his chin in between his knees. He feels his breath hitch but no tears come out; just gasping sobs that make his head pound. They're exhausting, taking so much out of his body that soon, despite the fact that its midafternoon, his body is so tired that he can't help but fall asleep, curled up underneath his cover as if that layer of fabric will protect him from the mistakes he's made and the pain of the outside world.

Nico's POV

He's pretty sure that he made a mistake. Because when he leaves, storming out of Will's back door because, no matter what, they're always careful, with tears streaming freely down his face, he wonders what if. Because there's still a part of him that wonders what would happen if he could redo that conversation, let Will have his piece in the conversation instead of steamrolling everything, letting his emotions cloud everything until he's just a crying, yelling, mess of a person. But he can't turn back now; this is the second time that he's been in the position of leaving Will's house with a heightened sense of both pride and sadness, and the second time he'd have gone back on his judgment. He can't let it happen that quickly so he keeps walking, hands jammed deep into the pockets of his pants until he finds himself back at his house, moving without completely registering his actions until he's stripping down to his boxers and collapsing into his bed, curling up with the sheet wrapped around his body and his head sinking into his pillow. He's shaking, maybe from sadness, maybe from stress or maybe from the sheer force of just trying to convince himself that he did the right thing.

He doesn't wake up to any texts in the first few hours of their 'break,' and he doesn't send any himself. He's happy with his empty notification bar, the soft glow of the games that occupy his time, keep his mind from wandering into the dangerous world of what-ifs. He stays in his room for the rest of his night; at one point Hazel comes in, maybe to offer dinner, maybe to just come in and talk but Nico is drifting in and out of sleep at that point, and she doesn't disturb him. When he's awake for good, the tears fully dried on his face it's pitch black outside, and the world is quiet. So quiet that the only things he can hear are his thoughts, deep regrets that make his chest hurt. So quiet that when he starts crying, his soft sobs shatter the air of silence around him, sounding not like the small cries that they are but trumpets, horns, ringing out for the whole world to hear. He wants to mourn what could have been in peace, instead of worrying about whether or not Hazel will barge into his room at any given moment, demanding to know what's wrong. He's pretty sure that he made a mistake.

Will's POV

He's pretty sure that he made a mistake. He's pretty sure that he shouldn't have reacted so strongly to something that's considered normal in most relationships. And he's pretty sure that he should have tried a little bit harder to go after him, to explain that it was shock and not anger that caused his confusion. And yes, maybe he should go after him, try to explain but it's Nico's turn to come after him, Nico's turn to make the grand announcement of longing to put a bandaid over their shattered relationship. But at that moment, laying on his bed staring at the ceiling fan there's a feeling of deja vu that makes his chest ache and his eyes well up with tears. Because it feels like all they're doing is repeating a painful pattern of happiness and pain, going round and round in a circle with no exit.

Maybe it's best for both of them, if neither of them reaches out, if they let the relationship fizzle before it really got the chance to start. Because if he has to repeat that cycle for the rest of his relationship, he isn't sure if he wants it, no matter how cute the boy is. He doesn't leave his room that night, just like the last time Nico stormed out on him. Instead, he stays, laying on his bed, watching the ceiling fan spin and spin and spin until he's stuck in the endless loop of the spinning fan, the blades blurring together until he can't tell which one is which and he can't remember when he started watching them. All he knows is that watching the blades spin dulls the pain just enough so that he can sink into sleep after hours of watching, tossing and turning all night. Because there's a boy dancing through his dreams, a boy with feathery black hair and shimmering eyes who's dragging their relationship behind him on a string.

Nico's POV

He can't help but wonder whether or not Will will show up again, with some small yet important gesture that will make Nico's heart soar out of his chest, but he has a feeling that he won't. Because this time it's Nico's fault, Nico's fault for overreacting, Nico's fault for walking out without giving Will even a chance to explain. If Nico wants to heal their relationship he's going to have to go out and do it himself, make that grand gesture, swallow his crippling pride and make the walk over there. But maybe it's not worth it. Because his pride is holding him to his bed, keeping him from walking back to Will's, apologizing, offering to take him for coffee, or McDonald's. Maybe Will has been the strongest one in the relationship, after all this time. Because there's a tiny voice in his head that's telling him it isn't worth it to save.

Although, he remembers the good times as so, so good. Laying on Will's bed, head on his chest as he watches Netflix on Will's crummy laptop, driving down to the beach as the moon lights up Will's face, the feeling of his hands on Will's chest. And lying there, in the dim light of his room, his stomach rolls, and his head hurts with the confusion of it all, the confusion of trying to figure out whether or not pursuing what could blossom into his first love is worth it, he doesn't know what to do. So he stays, watching the sun rise and fall around his room, hoping that if he stays there, so still he could be asleep, he won't have to think about the choices that are lying out in front of them, waiting for him to pick.

Will's POV

He can't take this anymore. It's been days, maybe weeks since he's seen Nico, and there hasn't been a word between the two. Each day blurs together until he doesn't know whether it's night and day, when he should be out of the house, when he should be sleeping. He misses the feeling of his bodies pressed together, the feeling of his hands in Nico's hair, the feeling of their lips locked in sweet harmony. They had once fit so well together, their movements in sync, their breathing in unison. He misses that time, the simplicity that came in the first two months of bliss when there were no feelings involved. No feelings for him, anyway. Because he thinks he's falling in love, and that makes his chest ache with longing because he's falling in love just a little bit too late.

Nico's POV

He thinks he's falling in love. He thinks he's been falling in love, since the first moment he put a hand on Will's chest, he's been falling in love. But it's taken this long for him to realize it because now, with every second that passes on the ticking clock of time, his heart hurts more and more. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, he supposes, laying on his bed and wishing that he was in Will's. Distance makes him want to be with the boy that he's falling in love with for no reason, and distance makes him want to get off of his bed, pull on his shoes for the first time in one- two, maybe- weeks and make the familiar walk to Will's. So he pushes himself up, pulling on his shoes and grabs some cash for good measure; maybe coffee or McDonald's will be enough to bridge the gap between them. His legs hurt from lack of use as he walks down the stairs, trying to stretch them out best he can. Has it really been that long since he's been out of the house? In a truth, he doesn't know. What he does know is that he needs to go to Will, talk to him, at least see him. It's been too long, and he can't take it anymore.

Will's POV

He's being stupid, and he knows it. Because every day he stays in his bed, trying to distract himself from his feelings with the Instagram explore page or bad Netflix shows, his heart only aches more. He misses Nico more than anything, misses the softness of his hands, the feeling of his warm breath on his chest. His body is aching as he rolls out of bed, throwing on a pair of shoes and tucking some money into his back pocket. If he's lucky, a happy meal will fix the rift in their relationship. If he's lucky. But even if he isn't, even if it takes begging and pleading and losing any dignity he has, it's worth it. Because he can't take it anymore.

The air of the dying summer is cool on his face and he shivers, wrapping his arms around his chest. His heart is pounding hard and even though there's a chill in the air, he's sweating. He never thought he'd give this much thought to a relationship; everyone before Nico, the dates to dances and the casual crushes had seemed like nothing more than a little bit of fun. And Will had thought that Nico was like that, a casual fling and nothing else. But it's blossomed, into something so special and so beautiful that he can't not go after it, no matter how much pain and nervousness it causes him. In the end, it will be worth it.

As he reaches the halfway point between their houses, he sees another person walking. Another person coming in Will's directions, head bent low, hands shoved into pockets. Another person in the same nervous, slightly shaky pose that Will is currently in. A person who's black hair curls around the top of his head in the soft summer breeze, a person who's eyes are cast towards the ground so that they probably can't see Will. Will perks up when he sees the person, squinting and trying to pick out every tiny detail on the person's face to piece together. As he draws closer, his palms grow sweatier and he begins to see more details; the pale face, the skull design on the shirt, the way the shoulders of the person seem to shake with nerves, just as Will's are doing. Will frowns, his body overheating as he stares out at the other person on the sidewalk, pausing just as the other person does the same, as the other person realizes who Will is. "Nico?"

Nico's POV

"Will?" Nico feels his heart stop in his chest when he gets a closer view of the mop of blonde hair, the splash of freckles on his face, nothing more than minuscule dots from the distance. He isn't sure whether to speed up or turn on his heels and run until he's back at his house again because the speech he's been planning in his head is only half-finished and suddenly he's on the spot, staring his almost-boyfriend in the face as the sun sets around them, a spotlight backing Will, making him look like a movie star. He's always looked like a movie star, with the tall figure, lean yet muscular and the bright blue eyes but now, with the glow of the setting sun behind him, he looks almost god-like. And Nico wonders how he could have ever thought that the half-assed speech he had been planning in his head was good enough, because at that moment, nothing is good enough for Will, and Nico knows that he's done everything wrong.

Will opens his mouth, his hands jammed into the pocket of his pants but all that comes out is a squeak, so small and so weak that Nico doesn't know how he can possibly be intimidated. Because Will's face is bone-white, his eyes round and Nico can tell that Will is just as nervous as he is. But none of that stops Nico from bursting into tears.

He wishes that he could control the tears streaming down his cheeks, cutting paths into his cheeks, curling the edges of his face before meeting at the bottom of his chin and falling, one by one to the ground. He wishes that he could control the relentless pounding of his heart in his chest, the way his head throbs in unison with it, making his entire body feel like a drum that's been beat, again and again, and again. Everything feels humiliating, to be standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring Will in the eyes as he cries, shaking like a leaf from head to toe. But maybe it's not as bad as he thinks he is because Will reaches his arms out, tentatively with the same nervous energy he had been emanating since the beginning and draws Nico's head to his chest, strong arms wrapped around his body, his head resting on the top of Nico's. His heart beats with the same rhythm as Nico's. Everything is a blur; the setting of the sun, the car that drives down the street with tires spitting up rocks from the ground. The only thing that's sure and steady is the beating of their hearts, the pounding in his head, the throb that starts from his chest and moves outwards, reaching the tips of his fingers and the bottoms of his feet. It tethers him somehow, and in some strange way, it's comforting, both to have that stability, and to feel the same steady beat in Will's body against his.

"I'm sorry," he chokes out, his tears staining Will's shirt. "I think I fucked up."

"No, you didn't," Will says, his breath light in Nico's hair. Their touches are so soft that Nico melts into his body. He doesn't want to leave the warm embrace. "I did."

"No, you didn't. I overreacted."

"I was the one who overreacted." Through his tears, a watery laugh comes from deep inside Nico's chest. He pulls away from Will's chest, wiping the water off of his cheeks as more tears come and the laughter continues. Will frowns; Nico must look absolutely insane, but he doesn't care.

"This is how our entire relationship has been, hasn't it? Neither of us knows who really made a mistake and it's all just a confusing mess of emotions." Nico smiles softly, brushing the final tear from his face and tilting his head, looking at Will. His eyebrows are furrowed in the middle and a tear glints in the corner of his eye, sparkling in the final rays of the sun.

"You're right. You always are, but you're especially right this time." His voice is husky and he wraps his arm around himself, almost as protection as he clears his throat. "Why does everything have to be so confusing?"

"It's high school, Will. Everything's gonna be confusing."

"And you're right again. I don't know how you do it."

"I've had a lot of time to get my thoughts together."

"Yeah, me too." Will smiles, his eyes sparkling. Around them, day turns quietly to night, the deep blackness dripping down into the remaining pinks and oranges of the last of the sunset, but Will still sparkles. And Nico thinks that maybe it isn't the sun that gives him such a sparkle; maybe it's just the aura around Will, this bright, happy feeling that he brings with him wherever he goes, a feeling that sticks with him even on the brink of a turning point, even as a tear glistens in his eye. "Neither of us really know how to have a relationship, huh?"

"We're kinda terrible at it," Nico says. "It's okay, though. We're learning, right?"

"Yeah. We have a long ways to go, but yeah." Will draws forward, taking Nico's hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. It sends sparks shooting up through Nico's veins, electrifying his heart. It's as if Will's bright aura is contagious, and Nico has been lucky enough to get just a tiny bit of it. Just that tiny bit lifts his mood, brings the shadow of a smile to his face. It almost feels as if the sun is still in the sky, warming his entire body. Although, he doesn't mind the night. He has Will to be his sun, anyway.

"What do you say we call it a truce and forget everything over McDonald's?"

"Sounds great." They start walking, hands swinging between them, bodies swaying back and forth. Everything feels so simple, just two boys strolling down the street as the newest night falls around them. But then Will stops, frowning, staring at nothing in front of them. "I have to do something first, though."

Will's POV

He leads Nico through the streets, tripping on their feet down the hills, passing through circles of light cast by the streetlamps. His destination isn't exactly en route to the local McDonald's, but it's an important one, and the decision to stop could either make or break their relationship. And with the new momentum, he has the drive to do it. He's buzzing with an energetic high, the power to do what he needs to do, what he should have done months ago. Besides, it's not like they don't have the time to cross through back streets, dance in and out of driveways, kiss underneath the pale light of the moon. That night belongs to them and it always will, no matter what happens next.

"How open are you to seeing people from school right now?" Will asks, staring up at the house towering above him. There's a light on the second floor but the basement is buzzing with activity, and he can hear shouting from inside.

"Not very."

"Great. Gimme five minutes and I'll be right back." He's about to slip in through the front entrance before Nico grabs the back of his shirt, pulling him back.

"Wait. What are you doing?"

"You'll see. I just need to talk to a few people and I'll be right back."

"Will-" Will stops him with a kiss, cupping his cheek and setting a hand on his back, gathering up the fabric of Nico's shirt, feeling the softness of the fabric underneath his fingertips. That's nothing, though, to the feeling of their lips together, the faint flick of Nico's tongue. It's electrifying.

"I'll be right back," he says, smiling softly. "Just wait here." He gives Nico's hand a squeeze before turning, slipping inside the house without another word.

The first floor is empty, dishes from dinner still stacked in the sink, the doors of the cupboards hanging ajar. There's soft music floating from the second floor but it's almost drowned out by the sound of video games coming from the basement, excited yelling and the sound of fake gunshots. Will follows the sound, padding down the familiar set of stairs until he's standing at the bottom as three sets of eyes turn away from the tv and onto Will.

"Will, hey," Jack says, setting down his controller in his lap and stretching out his limbs, reaching towards the ceiling. The three boys are sprawled across the couch, sinking into the material that threatens to swallow them every minute they stay. There's a half-eaten slice of pizza on a grease stained plate and a moth knocks against the window, willing to do anything to reach the light inside. It's such a familiar setting, Jess's basement. But this time, it feels so different. Standing just at the foot of the staircase, with three sets of eyes on him, he feels like an outsider. "I thought you had plans tonight."

"They got canceled." His plans had been to stay in his room and wallow in self-pity, but his night had turned further from that than he could have imagined.

"Sweet," Lucas says. "We got pizza left if you want some."

"Actually, I'm just stopping by," Will says, scratching the back of his head. He has no clue why he's this nervous; he shouldn't be this nervous, in a room with the three people he considers his best friends but there he is, sweating and grinning a fake grin like someone on death row. "I just- I had to tell you guys something first."

When he doesn't continue, Jess raises his eyebrows, propping up his arms on his knee and staring Will dead in the eyes. Jess has never been an intimidating presence; he's small, skinny, usually utterly benign but at that moment, Will wants nothing more than to hide from the stare that makes him feel as if he's being cut into. "Well?" Jess says.

"I'm in a relationship. Kinda."

"Ooh, she hot?" Jack asks.

"He."

"Well, is he hot?" Lucas continues. Will lets out a sigh of relief. At least that part had gone down easily. The coming out part, opening up his soul and letting his friends see his longing for men rather than women part. The next part might not be so easy.

"It's Nico Di Angelo." Jack's mouth drops open, and Jess badly stifles a laugh from his spot on the couch.

"Nico Di Angelo?" Jess says, his voice strained with the effort of not bursting out into laughter that he knows will make Will's heart sink. "You're a decent looking guy, Will. You really couldn't do any better?"

"No, I couldn't, because he's amazing and funny and also really really good in bed, and if you don't like it you can just keep your mouths shut about it because I don't care." He's breathless when he's finished, his chest heaving with the effort. It feels so light; he feels so light, the secret of their relationship out in the open after months of thinking that he had to hide it. Nico's waiting for him outside, standing underneath the glow of the streetlight, probably wondering what Will was doing inside of this strange house, and he couldn't be happier. "Just think about it. Or maybe don't. I don't know which one is better." He smiles nervously, and Lucas flashes him a tight smile. Jess's mouth is still hanging open, his eyebrows still raised. Jack looks confused, somewhere in the middle of Lucas's fake happy and Jess's unconcealed shock. And Will thought that he would care more, that he'd take a good response as a sign to continue and a bad one as a sign to break it off early. But the mixed response doesn't phase him because the only thing he can think about is the pull that's trying to drag him back out to Nico standing on the curb, longing to hold his hand, dance through the streets with him as he had before. "Anyway, we're going out now, so I'll see you later."

"Have fun," Lucas says, his voice squeaking out of his mouth. It's so small that Will is surprised it makes it past his lips, but it's an effort.

"Thanks," Will says with a smile. "I will." He isn't sure whether or not the have fun was serious but he's going to take it as a sign that, when he walks up the stairs and out the door, he won't be judged, or mocked mercilessly. When he walks up the stairs he can hear murmurs behind him, but they aren't judgemental. Maybe confused, trying to figure it out. He can deal with confused.

Nico walks up to him when he steps back out onto the street, smiling with his head tilted in confusion. He grabs Will's hand when they're close enough, squeezing it lightly, pulling him in and kissing him softly. "What was that all about?" he asks when they're done, his eyes shimmering. Will opens his mouth; he's ready to tell him everything. The desperate attempt to be happy for Will, the confusion, the question of whether or not he's being judged because, in that room, he really couldn't tell. But Nico looks so happy, his cheeks rosy with his smile and Will doesn't want to ruin this moment, just the two of them standing in Jess's driveway with nothing behind them and everything ahead of them to look forward to.

"Don't worry about it," he says, wrapping his arm around Nico's waist and pulling him close. "I'll tell you later."

"Well, now I'm curious," Nico says, his smile soft. His smile reminds him of cold nights spent underneath a warm pile of blankets, of the first days of spring with the sun shining freely, of the feeling of warm pavement underneath bare feet. He could melt into Nico's smile and stay there for hours.

"Hey, like I said, don't worry about it. It's nothing." He kisses Nico's cheek softly and that warm smile widens as his head drops to Will's shoulder, fitting perfectly into the groove of his neck. It's warm that night, despite the absence of the sun and, despite the absence of the sun, it's light out, too. It's the perfect night for walking, strolling down the street at whatever pace they want. They don't have to rush or worry about timing because they're just going to McDonald's, after all. They're just going to McDonald's and they have all the time in the world, and the night is theirs.

Hi guys, so first I just want to say that I'm sorry that this didn't go up last night but I was with friends and had no time to edit this, and I wanted it to be decent so I figured it would be best to wait. This is the last part of the series and I just want to say how incredibly grateful I am to have such amazing readers! Also, I feel like my stories haven't been that good recently and I want to put out the best stuff possibly, so if you guys have any requests or suggestions just let me know!

Nina