So sorry about disappearing on you guys!! God, I suck. I'm an awful author. I do this all the time.

So anyway, this story already has over 1k reads. I posted it about four weeks ago.

Dam.

Thanks for all the reads and support guys! You're amazing!!

I appreciate it so much.

My writing and I have a love-hate relationship, so to know all of you support me and love what I write is a huge deal.

Again, thank you sooooo much!!!

Anyhoodles,

Enjoy!

- Nico_Solace

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»»Will««

"Hey, babe. We should hang out after school today." Josie interrupts my thoughts, dropping her lunch tray and plopping down as close to me as she can get.

"Hmm?" I ask, my brow furrowing in annoyance.

"We, as in you and I, should hang out after school today. I know this really hot spot to stop for smoothies."

"Um..." I say, stalling as I look around for Nico. "Nah, I'm good. I'm going out with Jase today after school."

"What? So, Jason Grace is more important than your damn girlfriend? Bullshit."

"I don't have a girlfriend, Josie." I point out.

She scoffs. "Then what am I?"

"Annoying."

"What?!"

"You heard me."

"You're-- ugh! So insufferable."

"Do you even know what that means?" I wonder.

"Do I-- ? Of course, you idiot!" She squeals, stomping her bejewled flat.

Furious, she gets up and storms away, most likely off to rant to the cheerleaders.

"So we're hanging after school?" Jason smiles, leaning over.

"I guess. Unless I have another tutoring session with Neeks." I shrug.

"'Neeks'? He lets you call him that? He almost took my head off when I called him that. And we were dating."

"Well, he doesn't necessarily let me..."

"Ah, I see. Picked it up from the sister, did you?" Jason teases.

"Yup." I say, popping the "p".

"Speak of the devil, there he is with that girl Becca." Jase points across the cafeteria at Nico and a girl sharing a cigarette by the door.

I stare for a moment until Nico looks up and my eyes dart away. "I need to talk to him. I'll be right back, Jason."

---

"Trying to get tips from my ex, now, are you?" Nico wonders before even turning to face me.

"Jason's my friend, Neeks. I'm not looking for tips."

"Don't call me that." Nico snaps. "What do you want, anyway?"

"I wanted to talk to you about... y'know." I shrug.

He scoffs and turns back to the Becca girl.

"Nico." I tap him shoulder.

"He doesn't want to talk, pretty boy, damn. Fuck off." Becca rolls her eyes, taking another drag of their cigarette.

"Well, I do." I say, keeping my hand on the crook of Nico's elbow.

"Too bad, so sad." Nico says, taking the cig out from between Becca's fingers.

Fine. He wants to play hard to get, I'll show him hard to get. I think to myself as I tighten my grip on his arm.

"Now as I was-- ow! What the hell, Solace! Let go of me!" Nico screeches as I pull him away.

"I said we need to talk." I pull him out of the cafeteria and over to the spot he left me in this morning.

"Fine! You have me alone. What do you want?" He snaps at me, glaring.

I drop his arm and face him, my expression softening. "I just want to know what you meant."

His brow furrows in confusion. "What I meant?"

"This morning. Right before you left me here. You told me we wouldn't work then you ran off. What does that mean, 'we won't work'?"

"It means exactly what I said, Will." He looks at me and his expression is pained. "We won't. We can't. You're the popular jock. The Golden Boy everyone loves. The- the straight guy that has girls falling all over him."

He looks down, distraught.

"Nico." I say gently, trying to coax his eyes up to mine. "Nico, look at me, babe."

Slowly, he looks up. There are tears brimming his eyes. One, solitary tear rolls down his cheek and off his chin.

"Why are you crying, love?" I whisper, wiping at his face carefully.

When I go to move my hand away, he grabs it and holds it there, on his cheek.

"'M not crying." He insists weakly.

"Okay." I agree easily. "But, Nico, I'm not straight. Never have been. I think you might've guessed that based on the way I kiss you."

"But I've only ever seen you date girls, Will."

"There is a such thing as bi sexual, hun." I say with a light chuckle.

He releases a light giggle. "I- I guess. But..."

"Go on. Ask. I know you want to." I say with a soft smile.

"Why don't you date any guys? If you like them, why solely date girls?"

"I don't only date girls. I just couldn't find a scumbag in this place worth my time. Until you." I smile. "And to answer your next question, no. I'm not in the closet. No one has ever asked me my preferences, so I never told anyone."

Slowly, Nico nods in understanding.

"We still won't work." He whispers, eyes downcast again.

I pretty positive I stop breathing. "Wh-why?"

"Well, I'm the rebel. The outcast no one likes. I have, maybe, two friends and my sister in this hell-hole. You're the popular guy who's friends with everyone. You have the perfect girlfriend and you're the captain of the football team. Our kind don't mix." Nico explains tentatively.

"Nico, look at me." I beg, trying to catch his eye.

He looks up at me through his eyelashes, wringing his hands.

"I'm not dating anyone.I'm a free man." I joke.

"But... Josie--"

"Is annoying and I would never date her. She isn't my type. Besides, I like someone else."

"She gave you a hickey." He deadpans with an annoyed look.

"That I did not condone." I defend. And you put a bigger one on top of."

"Fine, fine. But that doesn't change the fact that we aren't compatible."

"According to other people. But I beg to differ."

With a shy smile, Nico slowly brings his hand up and wraps it around my neck. His hand insistently begins pulling at me.

I follow and allow him to lead me into a gentle kiss.

We hold the kiss for only a few seconds before it's let go.

"I can't be responsible for ruining your reputation." He whispers, mouth against mine.

"To hell with my rep, Nico."

Before he can reply, I'm reapplying pressure on his lips to silence him.

---

"So, did you convince him?" Jason asks me while we're lounging on his bed, playing Mario Kart.

"Convince who of what?" I ask in confusion, bumping my shoulder with his to knock him off the track.

"Nico, to date you!"

"Oh... We- um- well, almost." I say sheepishly.

"Almost is definite progress, William! Be proud of the almost!" Jason cries in excitement, throwing a turtle shell at me.

"What do you mean, 'that's progress'?" I dodge his turtle shell.

He presses pause and turns to me. "He was never worried about what people thought when he dated me. I was a fling. A game to test out what he liked. I didn't mind. He's hot." Jason gives me a half-hearted shrug and a dull smirk. "But he never worried about what others thought. He only worries when something-- or someone-- is important to him. You should feel important if he's worried about 'ruining your rep' or whatever shit he's come up with."

Jason presses play and we resume our game.

"I know he's doing it to, like, protect me or whatever, but frankly? I'm sick of it. I just want to be able to call him my boyfriend and walk around the school with him without him worrying about what other people are going to say to me." I sigh, throwing my controller on the bed and flopping down beside it.

"Yeah." Jason nods, doing the same to his controller and laying next to me. "I get it. Just give him a little time and show him you aren't going to give up, okay?"

"Yeah, alright." I agree.