Ok I'm sorry if I've done something like this before because there's a good chance I have, but enjoy!!

Nico's POV

Nico hates to admit it, but the counselor of cabin 7 is, admittedly, cute. He has that whole summery look going on, with a freckle-splashed face and golden blond hair that shines in the sun. He always wears a smile, even when the sky had opened up on top of them and he had to usher six ten-year-old boys back into their cabin. He's tall, and whenever he goes swimming, Nico can always see the muscles on his back rippling, like a modern-day Hercules with a blinding smile. And even though Nico, jaded by his last rejection, had promised himself to never get another petty crush, he finds himself falling fast. 

"Why do you keep looking over there?" Mason asks. 

"What?" Nico says, startling and sitting up. Mason blinks up at him with big blue eyes, the sunburn on his face making him look like he's blushing. Nico wishes he could blame the blush he's probably wearing on a sunburn. 

"You keep looking at Cabin 7's table," Mason says. "I thought you said we couldn't make friends with the kids from Cabin 7 because you wanted to beat them in the Cabin Tournaments." 

"Mason, buddy, that was a joke," Nico says. "You can make friends with anyone you want." He does want to win the Cabin Tournaments, though. A camp-wide competition between the thirteen cabins, lasting for the four weeks of camp. Each stupid little competition, each swim race won and dinner table cleaned the fastest would earn them points. And two weeks into the four week camp period and Cabin 7 is beating everyone by a hefty amount. Which is only because stupid Will Solace can win every counselor swim race he does, and turns dinner-time cleanup into a game for his campers, and has the voice of an angel at the campfires every night. But they'll pull ahead. Eventually. 

"So it's okay that I swim with Jackson tomorrow?" 

"Yeah, Mason, my job is literally to make sure you have fun," Nico says, shoveling a scoop of Brownie Surprise into his mouth. He isn't sure what the surprise is, and he isn't sure if he trusts the cooks, but it tastes good, so he really doesn't mind. Mason frowns at him before waving to Jackson, sitting at the end of table 7. Maybe his love-hate non-relationship with Will is more toxic than he had thought. 

"Cool," Mason says. He crams the last of his Brownie Surprise into his mouth, brownie and ice cream dripping down his chin. Nico sighs, turning back to his own disgusting bowl and stirring it like soup. It's melting in the boiling summer heat, and he pushes it away from him without finishing. Instead, he opts to watch Will at table 7, melting into his bright blue eyes and his shining smile. 

------

At that night's campfire, Cabin 7 sings a song. One of the boys knows guitar and even though it isn't quite tuned right, they still don't sound half bad. As the rest of the camp claps along to the song, Nico sidles up to Will. "Did you teach them how to do that?" Nico asks. 

"Yeah," Will said. "Helped them write the song and everything. And Andrew already had a base in guitar, so I just had to teach him the chord progression. They don't sound that bad, do they?" 

"They sound better than I was expecting," Nico says. "And I'll be honest; I wasn't expecting much from a group of pre-teen boys." 

"Oh, you're just jealous," Will says. "Cause my cabin's got a pretty tight hold on first place in the cabin competition." 

"Not for long," Nico says. "I mean, my cabin is pretty great. See Mason over there? Practically a genius. He can do anything." He points to Mason, who tries to balance half a s'more on his arm as his steaming marshmallow slips down his stick. "Well, almost anything." Will laughs; even his laugh is summery, reminding Nico of watching movies on steaming summer days with Hazel, and reading his favorite books on the hammock eating watermelon until his stomach couldn't hold any more. Nico feels another spear stab his heart, and he falls for Will a little harder. 

"Can you imagine if our cabins combined?" Will says, watching Andrew, the tiny guitarist, finish off the song with an off-tune strum. Nico smiles, thinking about it; he and Will doing the camp activities together, managing a tiny hoard of pre-teen boys, Will sleeping in the bunk underneath his. The suggestion brings a bit of warmth to his heart, like there's a chance at friendship with Will, instead of Nico's previous plans of leaving the camp and yearning for Will for years after, regretting not taking the chance when he had it. His chest swells. 

"We would be unstoppable." 

Will's POV

He can't stop thinking about Nico. At first, he has to admit, he hadn't paid him much mind. He was quiet the first week, and in the hours given to the counselors to mingle, drink lemonade and complain about their campers, Nico had stayed quiet, sitting in all-black drinking his fourth cup of lemonade to avoid talking. But slowly, slowly, he had begun to come out of his shell. It had begun with sitting with the rest of the teenage counselors at the swim hour every morning, cracking quiet jokes that always made Will laugh. He has a dry sense of humor, a bit different from Will's cheesy dad jokes, but Nico's are refreshing for Will. And he had started spending a bit more time in the counselor cabin, eating the stale popcorn and talking about the Cabin Tournaments, or cracking jokes about Chiron, the camp director. Slowly in the past two weeks, Nico had begun to open up, and Will couldn't help but notice. 

The lights go off at ten, since swimming hour starts at six-thirty, and usually, Will falls asleep immediately. The effort of controlling his cabin, helping with the challenges, and combating the hundred-degree weather usually leaves him spent but tonight, he's wide awake. By ten thirty, everyone is asleep; Jackson is muttering unintelligible words in his sleep and across the cabin, he watches Andrew kick off his covers, exposing his choo-choo train pajamas that he's still embarrassed to admit that he wears. 

It's ten forty-five, and Will still can't sleep. His campers are all peaceful, snores rising up from the bunks, so Will slips down from his bunk, padding barefoot across the floor. He needs a couple of minutes outside, away from the stifling heat of the cabin. 

The air outside is pleasantly warm, with wind bouncing off of the lake and cooling Will's sweaty skin. Grass licks at the sides of his feet, and he watches as a moth flits across his vision and disappears into the sky. The camp is so quiet at night, so still, and it feels like a different world, an alternate universe to the one Will is so familiar with, painted in hues of black and blue. 

Still barefoot, in a thin tee-shirt and sleep shorts, he makes his way down to the beach. The sand is soft and warm on his feet, and he lays down, letting the water lick at his toes. The stars sparkle above him and reflect onto the lake, like the worse quality print of a famous painting. But he likes watching the stars and the moon ripple on a canvas of water so he watches until he hears footsteps coming up behind him. 

Nico even wears black to bed. A band tee for a band that Will has never heard of, a pair of black sweats, and socks. "Hey," he says, his smile soft and sweet. During the day he always looks tense, perpetual lines in his forehead. But at night he's softer, he looks younger, unburdened by the stresses of daytime life. "Can I sit?" 

"Yeah, go for it," Will says, staring out at the water. Nico sits next to him, his arm brushing up against Will's. Will feels chills run up his spine, and Nico's cheek flushes. "So. You come here often?" 

Nico rolls his eyes. "God, that's such a bad line." 

"I didn't think it was that bad," Will says. "Besides, it's a valid question. What are you doing out here?" 

"I come here to clear my head," Nico says. "You know, I like being a counselor, but it's exhausting, you know? Like, constantly dealing with kids and making sure they're okay and safe and happy, and then having to fit in with the other counselors and look cool in front of my kids. It's tiring." 

"What do you mean fit in with the other counselors?" 

"You know," Nico says. "Or, maybe, you don't. You're so cool with everyone, and everyone loves you, and your kids love you and your cabin is winning the Cabin Tournament, and it just feels like I'm playing catchup." 

"Oh," Will says, glancing down at the sand. He runs his fingers through the grains, digging a hole for his hand. He never saw that about Nico. How he struggled to keep up, fit in. For Will, it had always seemed like second nature but maybe it isn't like that for everyone. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't think anyone notices. You hide it really well. And all your campers really look up to you. That kid Mason doesn't wanna leave your side." Nico smiles, dipping his head to his chest. His face looks bright when he smiles, ten times happier than he ever looks in the day. 

"Thanks," he says. "It's just hard. To try to keep up my energy and be a good counselor every day when it just doesn't come naturally to me." He rubs his forehead, wincing. He inches closer to Will. "And you're just so good at it, and I don't know how you do it." Will chews on his lower lip, watching the water ripple at his feet. Nico's face is screwed up, his mouth twisted and his eyes half-lidded. 

"Tell you what," Will says. "Why don't we team up." 

Nico blinks. "What?" 

"We can do all the camp activities together," Will says. "Like, tomorrow we're having a fort building contest, right? We can just do it together. Cabins team up for stuff all the time. I can help you out, get you more comfortable. Because you're comfortable with me, right?" 

"Yeah," Nico says. "More than most people, anyway." 

"Great," Will says. He searches Nico's face and it's relaxed again, his smile shining brighter than the moon. "We'll start tomorrow. Together, our cabins will be unstoppable." 

"Yeah," Nico says. He tilts his head, staring up at the moon and as soft light bathes his face, Will can't help but think that he looks like an angel. "Unstoppable." 

Nico's POV

The fort building contest is going phenomenally. With the combined effort of cabins seven and thirteen, they've put together a two-story wooden fort, furnished with Mason's favorite pillow and the flag from the top of cabin thirteen. Even though most of the other cabins have teamed up, with three of the cabins in a group together, cabins seven and thirteen are pulling further ahead than Nico ever could have imagined. Of course, it's mostly because of Will. 

While Nico helps with the design of the cabin, making sure the kids remember to leave a spot for their curtain door, Will does the heavy lifting. He drags dead logs from the woods, hoisting them up onto the second floor of the fort as the kids all cheer. And while their fort is big and sturdy, and the combined cabins rejoice in what's going to be an obvious win, Will is starting to look unsteady on his feet. 

"Hey," Nico says, jogging up to him and setting his hand on Will's shoulder. "You good?" 

"Huh?" Will says, wiping beads of sweat off of his forehead. He wraps his arms around his stomach, taking a wobbly step back. 

"Will," Nico says. "You're sweating. Like, a lot. You wanna go in for a sec and get some water or something?" 

"I have to help them finish this," Will says. He wipes another bead of sweat off his forehead, and in the background, Nico can see Chiron looking at them. 

"They're almost done, Andrew just has to build his teddy bear a nest, I think they'll be fine," Nico says. Chiron starts to jog over. 

"Everything okay over here?" Chiron asks. "Will, buddy, you're looking pretty pale. You feeling alright?" 

"Yeah," Will says. He starts to sway and almost unconsciously, Nico puts a hand on his back. "It's just really hot out here. But I'm- I'm okay." Chiron frowns, pressing the back of his hand into Will's forehead. 

"Listen, I think the heat's really started to get the best of you," Chiron says. "Nico, you wanna take him to the counselor's cabin, get him some water?" 

"What about the kids?" Will asks. He's starting to lean on Nico more heavily, and Nico strengthens his hold on Will. 

"I'll make sure they finish up, it's just mostly clean up after this," Chiron says. "Take fifteen minutes to cool down, I promise the camp won't fall apart without you." Will smiles but Nico can tell it's strained. A couple more beads of sweat pop up on his forehead, and his back is clammy underneath Nico's skin. 

"Come on," Nico says, patting Will on the back. "They'll survive without you for a couple of minutes." 

------

As soon as they're in the counselor's cabin, Will collapses onto an armchair, rubbing his face with his hands as he lets his legs splay out across the floor. Nico fills a cup with water, dropping a couple of ice cubes into the glass before handing it to Will. He sips slowly, keeping his eyes cast down to the floor. "How're you feeling?" 

"Better," Will says. He takes a long, slow sip from his water, massaging his temples. "Do you think they'll be okay out there?" 

"They're going to be fine, Chiron literally runs the camp," Nico says. "Besides, they're a big group of pre-teen boys, they'll always find something to do." Will nods, staring down at his cup. "What's up with that?" 

"With what?" 

"I don't know," Nico says. "Like, you're scared to leave them alone, and even when you were probably overheating you didn't stop dragging out those sticks for the fort. It's like you just never stop doing stuff for them." 

Will sighs, setting down his water. He draws his knees up to his chest, stares out in front of him as if there's something there. "Do you ever get that feeling, like, if you don't keep doing stuff for other people they'll stop liking you?" 

Nico blinks. He wasn't expecting that. "I mean, not really. I'm pretty lazy, so they don't expect much in the first place. But I know what you mean. And, like, I see it in you. A lot." 

"Yeah, I feel like I don't hide it too well," Will says with a quiet laugh. 

"And I also think that you mean a lot more to those kids than just a nice set of arms that can carry wood," Nico says. "I mean, they love you. A lot. I see the way they look at you. They admire you so much and even if you were lazy and did the bare minimum, I think they'd still love you." Will smiles, sighing shakily and taking another sip of his water. The color has begun to return to his face, and the beats of sweat don't crop up like they were before. They can hear movement outside, and Chiron yelling at Mason to please, please, put down the stick before he hurts someone. 

"Thank you," Will says. "I kinda think I needed that." 

"I know you needed it," Nico says. "It's pretty obvious if you look hard enough." 

"Oh," Will says, sitting up straighter. "So you've been looking?" 

Nico feels his face flush, and it takes him a second to register why. "Shut up," he says. "Not like that." 

"Oh, yeah, totally," Will says. "Not like that. At all." Nico can't tell whether or not Will is flirting. It's a fatal flaw of his; a slight inability to accurately interpret social cues, paired with a middle school full of isolating himself from everyone except his sister had led to a complete lack of understanding of both friendships and anything that might be considered as romantic. 

They hear more noise outside, and Nico hears a voice call his name. "We should get back out there, shouldn't we?" Will asks, sighing. He almost sounds sad, to leave the tiny cabin with the cracky furniture and the boiling air. Sad to go outside, even though outside means a cool breeze and spending time doing a job that he clearly loves. Nico wonders why, and he feels himself blush.

"If you're ready," Nico says. "I don't wanna drag you out there only to have you pass out on me." 

Will rolls his eyes, pushing himself up. He doesn't wobble, doesn't go pale, or sit back down. He's clearly fine, and Nico's heart sinks, thinking about going back out, back to their day and away from their tiny, quiet heaven and back into their hectic lives. "Nico, I'm good." 

"You have to drink more water." 

"I will." 

"And take more breaks." 

"I will." 

"And-" 

"Nico, don't worry, I get it," Will says. He squeezes Nico's shoulder, and sparks run up Nico's spine. Sparks are flying, electricity is crackling, and Nico is falling hard. He hasn't felt like this in forever; this connection, this static in the air. He gulps, trying to contain his blush before following him out of the cabin. As he leaves, he feels himself separate and as part of him stays in the cabin with Will, the other part leaves, and he feels a sense of loss for something that never happened in the first place. 

Will's POV

He can't sleep again. It's hot, first of all, and Andrew is snoring louder than Will ever imagined a ten-year-old could snore. But the main thing, the thing that sends shivers up Will's spine, is that he can't stop thinking about Nico. The way Nico looked at him in the cabin, first of all; Will can't get that look out of his mind, the one of quiet concern and even quieter longing. The way his eyes went soft looking at Will, the way such a guarded and quiet person could come out of his shell, even a bit, for Will. When the clock hits ten forty-five, and Will can't take lying in silence any longer, he slips out of bed for the second time in two nights, hoping to find a familiar person in a familiar spot. 

Nico has beaten him to the beach that night, staring up at the stars with his head propped up on his hands. He's stretched out on the sand and he looks taller somehow as if he grows a bit when night falls. Will sits next to him, his hands sinking into the sand when he does. Will didn't think he would ever find anyone who looks better in the moonlight but Nico seems to glow in it, and his face looks more alive than Will has ever seen it. The stars are reflected in his eyes, and Will is glad that he took a risk on one of the quieter of the counselors, glad that he took the deep dive into a new friendship or, hopefully, something more. 

"Hey," Nico says, grinning. Even his voice is more relaxed at night and Will wonders how a switch in lighting and atmosphere can bring out a completely new person, and how Will can somehow spot that, even though he's only known Nico for a couple of weeks. "Is this, like, our spot now? Because I won't lie, I'll miss having it to myself. Although it's nice having you here, too." 

"Oh, so you want me to leave?" Will asks. 

"No, Will, I'm joking," Nico says. His hand flutters to Will's arm, and Will feels the hairs on his arms stand up. "I like having you here." His hand comes to rest on Will's arm permanently, and Will wouldn't even consider asking Nico to move it. "You know, I don't have many friends at school." 

"That's a shock, considering your bubbly and inviting personality," Will says with a smirk. Nico slaps his arm, and the grin on his face is as bright as the moon. 

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Nico says. "I give off the creepy kid in the corner vibes and it's hard to get to know me. But this camp, these past few days, you; it's so new. Being able to make a connection so fast. It's been nice. Really nice." His chest rises and heaves, and he lets out a shaky breath. He sniffs, and all through this process of emotion, his hand doesn't leave Will's arm. "Hey, I have something I need to tell you." Nico stares up at the stars as if he can find the answers to all of life's problems scattered within the constellations. "Will, I-" He takes another shaky breath, and a tear glints in the corner of his eye, twinning with the stars in the sky. "Why is this so hard?" 

"It's okay," Will says. The doubts drain out of his body as if there are holes in his back. "I think I know what you're going to say. You're not as slick as you think you are." Will rolls over so that he's staring Nico in the eyes, and his smile is wider than Will has ever seen Nico smile. Will cups Nico's cheek and his skin is warm underneath his hand but more than that, it's alive. When Nico leans in, Will meets him in the middle. The kiss is soft and sweet and warm as the summer air and sinking into the sand, letting it stick to slightly sweaty skin as lake water reaches for their feet, Will feels more alive than he has in years.

Hi guys, so I'm probably going to do a part 2 of this next week just because I feel like the story's kind of unfinished, so look out for that! Also, just a quick question for anyone who feels like answering, but how did you find this book? Because there are a ton of parts and I have a feeling that you didn't read all the way through, so did you just start reading somewhere in the middle? Or like find this through google? I'm just a bit curious so let me know if you want(or if you don't that's totally fine too) and I hope you liked it!

Nina