Nico's POV

It's a Thursday night when Nico hits the road. His bag is thrown in the back with nothing but a couple of shirts and a toothbrush inside. Where he's going, he won't need much. 

He was lucky to get his parent's permission to take the car. They've been almost like helicopter parents ever since he got his license, flitting around and making sure he had a first aid kit, his license, a copy of their insurance plan just in case anything happened. But after a lot of begging, a couple of fights at dinner, and a particularly well-worded text on his part, they agreed to call him out of school and let him borrow the family mini-van, and he's off. 

He turns on music as he drives, the loud beat of the drums and the rough singing contrasting to the quiet outside, the stars glittering above him and the empty streets. You have to finish your homework before you go, his parents had said. You have to eat dinner with the family. He had complied through gritted teeth, crammed mac and cheese into his mouth as fast as he could as Hazel blabbed on about some science test she has tomorrow. It had been eight-thirty by the time he was on the road; at this rate, he won't get to John Hopkins until one in the morning. And yes, he has an arrangement with Will's roommate and yes, he knows that Will will be happy to see him no matter what. But still, it's late, and it's dark. And Nico has always been terrified of driving at night. 

He's on the interstate after a panic-ridden, heart-pounding merge. There isn't anyone coming but he's still wary of his surroundings, waiting for some giant monster truck to fling him to the side of the road or crush him underneath its wheels. His mom's 2015 Kia Sorento isn't meant for that. But soon, he eases into the driving, and the pounding in his chest subsides. He eases into the beat of the music, the thrumming of the engine all around him, uses the sight of the trees blurring into one to calm him. He's never driven five hours alone before; he's only had his license for six months. But soon he'll see Will, and that's all he needs to feel okay. 

Will's POV

It's a Thursday night and he's bored in his dorm room. Austin is gaming, screaming through his headset as he kills something on his screen. Will had always thought it was strange to bring a gaming console and a shitty flatscreen to a college campus, but after living with Austin for six months, he can see why Austin brought it. It's basically his life. "Hey, you wanna, like, go out and do something tonight?" Will asks, picking up his head. They've got a long weekend, and he doesn't want to just stay in like he always does. "Find some party, search the city for something to do. This is a rare occasion- we could be out all night if we wanted to." 

"Let's stay in tonight," Austin says. "I'm in the middle of something, anyway." 

"Come on, I'm so bored," Will says. "I never do anything anymore." Last year, he and Nico would spend every night together, dancing through the streets until their feet ached and laughing until they couldn't breathe. His world lost a little bit of color when he left Nico in New York and even though Nico is planning on college in Baltimore next year, it still hurts to be so far away. He needs something to distract him from the loneliness blooming inside of his chest that grows stronger and stronger every day. 

"You probably won't be bored in a couple of hours," Austin says, giggling lightly into his mic. Will frowns. 

"What?" 

"You'll see in a couple of hours," Austin says. "That's all I can tell you. It's a surprise." 

"I feel like I should be worried," Will says. "Should I be worried?" 

"No," Austin says. "Just wait.  A couple of hours." Will rolls his eyes, sinking back down against his pillow and pulling out a book he has to read for class. Part of him thinks that Austin is lying. Nothing is coming, Will tells himself as he flips through the pages of his book. Nothing exciting, nothing that will bring him out of the boring rut that college has dragged him into. Just another weekend spent doing homework and mourning memories from high school he never thought he'd miss. 

Nico's POV

It's ten-thirty by the time his eyes start to burn from exhaustion. His favorite playlist has long since ended and how he's listening to songs that all sound the same, and his yawns start to grow as he drives. There still aren't many people on the road but still, he's nervous. He needs coffee so he pulls his car to a sputtering stop in a tiny McDonald's parking lot in the middle of a town he doesn't know the name of. 

The lobby is empty and paired with the hum of the lights above and the sizzling of the fryolators in the back, an eerie chill runs up his spine. He almost regrets not going through the drive-thru but there's a certain nostalgia to McDonald's lobbies; he and Will had been broke for the better part of last year, existing off of dwindling savings from summer jobs as they tried to stretch it till summer. Going to McDonald's hadn't quite been a date at first but after a while, their late-night trips to McDonald's turned into something special, a memory Nico clung to during the long nights without Will to keep him sane. On their one year anniversary, Will had put a rose out on their normal booth and had played music as they ate shitty fast food. It's what Nico thinks about every night before he goes to sleep, counting down the days until they could go back to those times. 

He gets a happy meal and a cup of coffee, leaning against the wall as he waits for his food. He scrolls through his Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr; nothing interesting. Nothing interesting enough, anyway, to take his mind off of his plan. Three more hours, he reminds himself. Until he'll be with Will, in a new city with every possibility of the city at their fingertips. 

There's a text from Will waiting for him and he feels a comforting warmth spread through his body as he reads it. Austin mentioned something about a surprise. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you? He sounds hopeful; Nico can hear it even through his text. 

No, sorry. Prolly just Austin being Austin. Will might be disappointed for the next couple of hours, but hopefully, when Nico finally arrives, they'll both lose the loneliness they've been nursing for months. 

He almost doesn't want to leave McDonald's when he gets his food. He's itching to get back on the road and see Will but if he closes his eyes and listens, he can almost imagine he's back in the Long Island McDonald's and Will isn't hours away, only around the corner getting their food. But when a group of people comes in talking and laughing about something Nico doesn't care about, the illusion is ruined and he knows it's time to go. 

He eats in his car, a spot of sweet and sour dripping onto his mom's car seat. He shoves nugget after nugget into his mouth, chugging his burning hot coffee. It hurts, but he needs to feel at least moderately awake before he gets back on the road. He wipes his mouth, tosses his trash to the floor, pulls his car out of the lot. He steps on the gas as soon as he's back on the highway, the engine roaring as he speeds off towards Baltimore. The sooner he gets to Will, the better. 

Will's POV

He's tired of his book. It's boring, and the fact that he has to read it for a class makes it even worse. His eyes ache, and he wishes when he could read for fun, read what he wanted when he wanted. He misses those young days of feeling free and happy when his heart wasn't tied up in knots about someone living five hours away. 

He scrolls through his photos to make himself feel better. He misses how Nico had glowed gold in the sunset, how his eyes lit up when he laughed, the bounce in his step when he was excited about something. He blinks back tears thinking about those times, how good they used to be and how he had taken them for granted, been so naive to think that they'd never end. He sniffs deeply, wiping at his eyes with his sweatshirt. Austin glances over, taking his headset off. His tv screen lingers on play again? and he clicks no. "You good over there?" he asks Will. 

"Yeah," Will says. "I don't know. It's just hard. Like, I had someone when I was in New York. I spent literally all my time with him and I really, really loved him. And now I still love him, maybe even more than I did, but I never get to see him. I'm just lonely, I think." He flicks another tear off of his cheek, and Austin gives him a sympathetic smile. 

"I know it sucks," he says. He isn't making eye contact with Will, as if he has something to hide but still, Will is grateful for the support. "I was in a long-distance relationship at one point. It was completely internet-based so it wasn't totally the same, but we drove every weekend to see each other. And it was hard but in the end, it was worth it. Because I really cared about her. I think if you really care about someone you just gotta push through it and do your best. Besides, he's planning on college in Baltimore too, right?" 

"If he can," Will says. "But that's the plan." It makes him too happy to explain, to think about him and Nico being reunited in one city, taking life one day at a time and doing everything together. Austin is right. He needs to push through this year, and then all the pain will be over. "Thanks," he says. The tears have stopped and his head feels clearer. "This helped a bunch." 

"Yeah, no problem," Austin says. "I have a feeling it'll all be over soon, anyway." His words are slightly too cryptic for Will's liking but Austin has already turned back to his game, and Will doesn't care enough to press it.

Nico's POV

I'm here, he text to Austin. He's waiting in the lobby of the dorm room as the security guard stares daggers. He can't go up without someone from the school swiping him through, and he doesn't want to be in the lobby for more than five minutes. He feels out of place. 

After five minutes the three dots pop up, a quick yeah I'm coming coming up after it. Nico has to try hard not to have a visceral reaction. The security guard is still staring at him as if he, a tiny eighteen-year-old with a happy meal toy stuffed into his sweatshirt pocket, is going to go on a wild rampage throughout the John Hopkins dorm building.  

Austin comes down a couple of minutes later, his hair messy and his body swallowed in pajamas. Nico's met him before when he helped Will move into the dorm rooms last summer. He's a good person; funny and outgoing, perfect for helping Will get his foot in the door of the social scene. Willing to help with Nico's slightly crazy plan, too, which is always a bonus. "Does he suspect anything?" Nico asks as Austin swipes him through, with a glare from the guard. 

"Don't think so," Austin says. "If I'm being honest I'm not the most subtle person, so he might have a clue something's up. But I think he'll still be pretty surprised. 

"That's good," Nico says. His leg is bouncing up and down during the elevator ride to the third floor and he keeps shifting his backpack around, taking deep breaths. "I wanted it to be a surprise." Part of him is scared that Will won't want to see him; it's only been about a month since Will's winter break but still, part of Nico is scared that college changed Will into someone completely uninterested with a high schooler. 

"I honestly don't think the surprise matters much," Austin says as the door opens. Nico's leg is going a mile a minute now. "I think he'll be happy to see you no matter what. He really misses you." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, he told me. Don't tell him I told you, though." 

"I won't," Nico says. There's a warm feeling spreading through his chest but as he steps up to Will's door, panic takes over. "Should you go first?" 

"Nah, I think you should," Austin says. "He's your boyfriend, after all. I don't think he'll be that excited to see me. He has to every day." Nico has to psych himself up to open it. He'll be excited, he tells himself. He still loves you. Nico still has a hard time convincing himself that it's true but on the count of three he opens the door, and he sees Will for the first time in a month.

"That was a long pee break," Will says. He's reading, his back turned to the door. He hasn't seen Nico yet. "Is your bladder okay?" 

"I just take super long pees," Nico says, grinning. "It's a family thing." Out of the corner of his eye, Nico can see Austin glaring at him, but he doesn't care.  A moment of realization dawns on Will's face and when he turns around, excitement makes his face glow. 

"Nico!" he says, throwing down his book. He wraps Nico in his arms and Nico buries his face in Will's chest, hugging until neither of them can breathe. In Will's arms, he feels safe, supported, loved, and he never wants to let go. The fear from before is gone, replaced with warm happiness that makes Nico feel like he's floating.

Hi guys, I hope you liked it!

Nina