Will's POV

He could feel Percy's eyes at his back. They watched what he did, ears listening to what he said. He sat helpless as Percy followed his every mood, his eyes flickering to Will's phone screen whenever a text from Nico sent the fatal ding through the air. When Nico texted Will shut himself in his room, the light from his phone illuminating his face. Can you meet me at the coffee shop? Will turned his ear to the rest of the apartment, the tv playing quietly in the background. Five minutes? he typed back, his heart beating at the walls of his chest as the three dots popped up on his screen. Looking forward to it! 

He grinned as he pushed himself up from his bed, cracking open the door and slipping out of his room. Jessica and Annabeth were lounging on the couch, popping chips into their mouths as an Italian sitcom played out on the tv. Percy stood at the island in the kitchen, spreading a thick layer of peanut butter onto a bagel. "Hey, where are you going?" he called out to Will, his head snapping up from his bagel. 

"Just grabbing some coffee," Will muttered, throwing on his shoes and leaving the laces snaking over the carpet. "I'll be back soon."

"Wait-" 

"Bye, Percy." He slammed the door behind him and once he was out of Percy's watchful eye he took off down the stairs, his shoelaces flying behind him. He shoved the door open, sprinting down the street but as he ran past his apartment he could have sworn he felt Percy's eyes watching every move. 

------

"How are you?" Nico asked as he sipped at his cappuccino, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"It's been rough trying to get away," Will responded. "Percy's been watching me like a hawk. I think he's suspicious." 

"Have you tried talking to him?" Nico asked, his brows creasing. "Maybe he'd understand." Will shook his head, rubbing his hands over the cup. 

"He wouldn't understand," he muttered. "He'd just tell me I'm a bad person."

"You're not cheating on her, you know. We haven't actually done anything."

"Technically I'm not cheating on her," Will sighed. "It still feels like it."

"Talk to him," Nico urged. "I know Percy, I've known him for years- he'd understand."

"Soon," Will said as his phone dinged in his back pocket, a text from Jessica on his screen. We're going to brunch soon, it read. You and Percy should get back soon. Percy was gone? "I should go," he said, standing up and grabbing his coffee. "I'll see you later." Nico gave him a sad smile, resting his hand on Will's. 

"See you later." 

When Will stepped out of the café there were footsteps behind him and Percy appeared at his shoulder, his green eyes steely. "You going back to the apartment? Or are you going to disappear with one of your other friends who you've been abandoning us for?"

"Percy-" 

"Will, come on," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest, rolling his eyes. "What's up."

"Nothing, Percy," Will replied quietly. "Nico and I are just friends."

"I won't tell Jessica if you tell me." Percy's eyes were burning into him with pity and Will glanced at the ground, swallowing. 

"I'm just confused," he muttered, staring at a small rock sitting by his feet. 

"About what?"

"Everything," he cried. "Percy, I have no idea what I'm doing! I thought I liked Jessica, and then at some point I just stopped, and then I met Nico and I guess that made me realize how much I hate being with a girl."

"Talk to her," Percy said as he nudged Will down the street, making him stumble. "Jessica's amazing, she'll understand."

"I can't," Will muttered. "I've been dating her for so long, I can't just drop this on her in the middle of what she wanted to be a romantic vacation. I don't want to do that to her. She deserves better."

"You know you're going to have to eventually," Percy pointed out as they stood in front of the apartment building, looming over them. "You're right, she deserves better. She deserves to know. I'll cover for you if you really need it, but you need to tell her eventually. Got it?"

"Yeah." Will hung his head as they stood in front of the apartment door, quiet sounds of conversation coming from inside. He stared at it, biting his lip and Percy set his hand on his back, giving him a sad look. 

"You good?" Will didn't answer, staring at the door as a single tear dripped down his face. "Will?"

"Yeah," he said, wiping it from his face. "Let's just do this." He pushed the door open, immersing himself into a world in which he would never belong.

------

"Hey, who wants to go to a movie? It's showing a few blocks from here, two hours and forty five minutes long," Annabeth said, looking at her phone. "It sounds really cool, actually; it's about why the canals were built. And it's in English, so we won't have to struggle to translate everything. Percy, you in?"

"Yeah, sounds great," Percy responded. 

"Will and I will come, too." Jessica's hand snaked around his neck and Will could have sworn that Percy cast him a look of pity as she peppered his cheeks in kisses, her smile wide. "It sounds interesting, doesn't it, babe?"

"Actually, I'm going to stay here," Will said, staring pointedly at the floor. "I'm really tired; it's been a long day." 

"You never want to do anything," Jessica pouted. "This is supposed to be a romantic couple's vacation, not a vacation where you sit in the apartment all night while the rest of us do cool stuff. Please come?"

"He'll be fine here," Percy jumped in, casting a quick look at Will. "He's obviously tired, he'd only drag you down." Will opened his mouth to retort but Percy raised his eyebrows and Will shut it again, feigning a smile. 

"He's right," he said, the smile tight across his lips. "Go have fun, we can watch something when you get back, if you want."

"If you're sure." She leaned over to give him a kiss and the only choice he had was to pucker up his lips, her tongue slimy in his mouth. "We'll be back around eleven, okay? Call if you need anything."

"I will," Will assured her. "Have fun, babe." He hated calling her babe. It sounded wrong in his mouth.

"We will." They filed out the door and just before Percy shut it behind them he turned back to Will, mouthing you owe me one before closing it with a gentle click. 

As the footsteps receded down the hall Will rolled over, grabbing his phone and shooting a text to Nico. Where are you right now?

Just got off work, Nico texted back. Did you want to meet up?

Yeah, do you have anywhere in mind?

Yeah, actually, I've been wanting to show you something for a while, meet me at the coffee shop?

I'll be there.  Will jumped off of the couch, grabbing a few dollars and throwing on his shoes. He felt bubbly from the excitement and he jogged down the stairs, the sun setting over the city. He had hours, a small handful of hours where he could escape into the world he belonged in. As he passed the theater he sped up, staring into the dark windows of the lobby. Somewhere inside Jessica sat, watching a movie with no idea that her boyfriend was sneaking around her back. Percy sat somewhere next to her, keeping all of the secrets of Will's relationship inside of his brain, with all the power to ruin the life he had built up around him. The ideas made sweat dot at his forehead and he ran down the street, his hair flying behind him until the theater was well out of sight. 

"Hey," Nico grinned as Will came into sight. He was dressed in the black uniform of the art store, his converse covered in more doodles than ever before. "Wow, I haven't seen you in so long."

"I think I see you more than I see the others combined," Will said with a light chuckle to hide his slight guilt. "I still don't know how I do it. Anyway, you said you had somewhere to show me?"

"Yeah, come on," Nico said, holding his hand out. "This way." His hand hung in the air for a few seconds and Nico built his lip, staring at Will with big brown eyes. "Oh, sorry," he said, dropping his hand to his side and letting it swing sadly. "Sometimes I forget that you're still dating her."

"No, it's fine." Will grabbed his hand, his fingers fitting perfectly into Nico's. "Friends hold hands all the time, right?"

"Yeah," Nico grinned. "It's fine. Come on, it's this way." With their hands linked together Nico led Will down the sidewalk,  the canals rippling quietly next to them. Soon they reached a port, the gondolas bobbing up and down in the soft waves. Nico craned his neck, his eyes sweeping over the boats until he stepped into a light brown one, a lantern swinging on a pole at the front of the boat. He reached into a small pocket, grabbing a lighter and setting a small flame inside of the lantern. "Come on," he urged. "Get in." He held out his hand and when Will stepped inside the boat rocked gently underneath him and he stumbled before sitting down, gazing around. The blue-green water shone in the moonlight underneath him and street lamps spilled onto them, small specs of light as far as the eye could see. 

"Is this yours?"

"It's my dad's," he explained as he grabbed the paddle from the bottom of the boat, steering them out of the port. "When he was younger, before he started his business, he paddled gondolas. That was how he met my mom, you know. She came to Venice to teach English, and she never left. He paddled gondolas until they had me, and he started his funeral home to support a family. She still taught English, until the accident."

"What happened?" Will stared up at Nico with wide eyes as he paddled the gondola down the canal, a haunted look shadowing Nico's face. 

"Car crash," he responded. "She and my sister. He's never stepped in the gondola since then, but he never sold it. Brought back too many memories, I guessSince then he's kind of thrown himself into work, and my younger sister, Hazel, went on an exchange trip to England. Sometimes, it feels like I don't have anyone anymore."

"Hey, don't say that." Nico had stopped paddling and, steadying himself on the side he stood up, wrapping Nico's hand in his. "You have me." 

"For how much longer?" Nico asked, his eyes connecting with Will's. "You're leaving in a week and a half. And you have a girlfriend."

"We still have time," Will reminded him. "I still have time. I'm gonna figure everything out, and everything will come into place. I'd do anything to keep this going." Nico's mouth was parted slightly but he didn't say anything until his body surged forward and he was kissing Will, his lips soft and smooth and his eyelashes brushing at Will's cheek. Will stood stunned, every cell in his body screaming something different until he was kissing Nico back, his arms wrapped around Nico's waist and their bodies so close that Will could see the specs of gold in Nico's eyes. It was like nothing he had ever felt before, effortless and magical and perfect in every way. But when they broke apart his heart plummeted in his chest and he staggered back, his eyes wide. 

"Nico, I can't-" he stammered, his heart pounding and his head swimming. "I can't do this yet. I'm still dating Jessica."

"Do you want to date Jessica?" Nico asked, his eyes pleading with Will to make a decision. "Or do you want to be with me? You know the answer, Will, I know you do. You told me the answer when you kissed me back seconds ago."

"Nico, I can't cheat on my girlfriend with you," Will whispered. "She deserves better. I- I need to think."

"Will-" 

"Just take me back," Will said miserably, thumping down on the seat of the gondola and burrowing his head in his hands. "Nico, please- just take me back." He wasn't sure if Nico would do what he asked until he heart the paddle dip into the water and felt the gondola begin to cut through the canal until they arrived back at the port with the moon watching them with a careful eye. 

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Nico asked, refusing to meet Will's gaze. "I get it if you don't."

"Maybe," Will muttered, bumbling out of the boat as Nico stood at the front like a statue. "I need to think. Bye, Nico." His feet hit solid ground but Nico didn't budge, gripping the paddle and watching Will walk away from him with his head hanging low. 

"Will?"

"Yeah?" When Will turned around Nico was staring at him with pain filled eyes. 

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Will sighed. "So am I." He turned around for the last time, his feet soundless on the street. When he mustered up enough courage to turn around Nico was gone but down the canal a gondola split through the water, occupied by a single boy shrouded in shadow, rowing himself far, far away from Will as a lantern swung from a pole next to him. 

------

He found himself sitting on the balcony late into the night, watching the stars glitter above him. His heart felt as if it was ripping itself apart as his brain screamed at him to do something. But no matter how long he spent wracking his brain for a solution that would leave everyone happy, he came up empty. He was saved from his thoughts when the door slid open and Percy stepped onto the balcony, two cups of steaming tea in his hands. 

"Made you ginger tea," he said, handing Will a mug as he sat down. "Thought you might want it." 

"Thanks," Will sighed, taking the cup and taking a sip. It was tasteless to him and he rubbed his hands across the mug, the warmth comforting. 

"What happened?" Percy asked, concern in his eyes. 

"He kissed me," Will sighed, staring up at the stars. "And I kissed him back."

"Shit." Percy's eyes widened and he set his tea down, giving his full attention to Will. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know!" Will cried, a tear snaking down his face. "Jessica doesn't deserve to have her boyfriend cheat on her during her vacation, and she doesn't deserve to be broken up with on her  vacation. But I don't want to be with her. Percy, I-I'm so unhappy with her. But with Nico- when I'm with Nico I feel like I'm flying." 

"You need to break up with her," Percy whispered. "You're right, she doesn't deserve this, but neither do you, and neither does Nico."

"But I pushed Nico away tonight," Will groaned. "He probably doesn't even like me anymore."

"He still likes you," Percy assured him. "You just need to talk to him, and tell him that you want to be with him. If there's anything you need me to do, just let me know." Will nodded, wracking his brain for a solution. 

"Actually, could you help me with something?" he asked. "I need you to cover for me tomorrow. I'm gonna tell her tomorrow, but I need to do something about Nico first." 

"How much time do you need?"

"The whole day, probably. I know it won't be easy but please, Percy- I need this." Percy sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I'll do the best I can," he promised. "But will everything be over tomorrow? Will you be happy after this?" Will nodded. "Good." Percy stood up, taking a small sip of his tea. "As long as you're happy, it'll be worth it."

------

"You know what I want to do today?" Annabeth asked as she sipped her coffee, a magazine hanging in her hands. "There's this museum, the Gallerie dell'Accademia that I've wanted to see my entire life. It's got all this art from before the nineteenth century, and it's supposed to be one of the most beautiful museums in the country. It's only open until one, but I've heard that you can spend the entire day there. And after there's this restaurant, Cantine del Vino Gia Schiavi, and it's supposed to be amazing. We can go there for lunch. What do you say?"

"That sounds amazing!" Jessica squealed. "Will, doesn't that sound great?" Will cast Percy a frantic look and Percy raised his eyebrows, gesturing for Will to make a move. 

"Actually, I'm not feeling that great," Will lied, his heart pounding. "I'm just gonna stay here for the day, if that's alright with you."

"You're sick?" Jessica frowned, advancing. "You were fine yesterday." She slapped a hand to Will's forehead, her frown deepening. "You don't have a fever."

"Probably just a stomach bug." Will wrapped his arm around his abdomen, doing his best to look like he was in pain. It wasn't quite as hard as he thought it would be; the contact from Jessica made his stomach roll. "I'll be fine tomorrow, but I think a rest day would be good for me."

"Well, I'll stay with you," Jessica decided. "You shouldn't be alone when you're not feeling well. We can watch Netflix and cuddle all day."

"No, Jessica, you obviously want to go the museum." When Percy stepped in Will sighed in relief, fighting to hold back his smile. "I'll stay with Will, I was never the biggest art person anyway. You'll be back around two, right?"

"Probably," Annabeth said, taking the last sip of her coffee. 

"Great." Percy pressed his lips to Annabeth's and the two of them were trapped in a passionate kiss until they broke apart and Percy ran his thumb down Annabeth's cheek, his smile wide and genuine. "See you later, sweetheart, okay?" Will felt a small hot flash of jealousy as he watched them interact, the love sparkling between them. He had never once had that in his life; he had never had it with Jessica and after last night, he might never have it with Nico, either. 

"See you later," she said with a kiss. "Bye, Perce. Feel better, Will." 

"Feel better, babe." Jessica pressed a kiss to Will's forehead before walking out the door, shutting it tightly after her. 

"You owe me big time," Percy sighed, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the spot where the girls had disappeared. "You've got everything worked out to meet up with Nico?"

"Yeah." Will scratched his arm absentmindedly, staring at the print of the couch. "We're taking a train up to a lake house that his family goes to in the summer, we shouldn't be back after one. Thank you so much, by the way."

"Whatever makes you happy," Percy said. "You should get going, you want all the time you have."

"Thanks," Will said, giving him one last smile. The last thing he saw before closing the door was Percy still standing, watching as Will quietly shut the door behind him.

They met at the train station just outside of the main city, the tracks standing out against the water on all other sides of them. Nico gave him a smile when he saw Will but its brightness was diminished, like a dying lightbulb. "I made a playlist for the ride," he said, waving his phone in the air. "It's not long, only about half an hour, but I thought it would be nice to play you some of my favorite songs."

"Sounds great." An awkward silence hung between them as they collected their tickets and sat on the train, Nico's arm brushing up against Will's. Will bit his lip, smoothing out an imaginary wrinkle in his pants. "Listen, I'm sorry about yesterday," he said as the train began to rumble beneath them. "I liked it- I just wasn't expecting it. And I'm still with Jessica."

"It's fine," Nico said lightly. "I get it. Here's an earbud, by the way. The train's starting." As the rumbles continued and the train began to putter down the track Oceans by Seafret began to play in Will's ear and as he leaned his head on the windowpane the words echoed through his head. It feels like there's oceans between you and me...

------

"We're here!" Nico announced as the taxi pulled them up to the lake house, the small wooden shack sitting in the sunshine and the water rippling in the sunshine. "It's so nice to be out here again. I love the water."

"You live in Venice," Will pointed out. "You live in a city that is completely water."

"Still," Nico laughed, spinning underneath the sunshine. "I love it here. I love swimming. You brought your bathing suit, right?"

"Yeah."

"Change into it," Nico instructed, pulling his out of his thick backpack. "I'll meet you back out here in five." He sprinted into the house as Will pulled his folded swim shorts out of his back pocket, ducking behind a tree and changing as he heard the footsteps that signaled that Nico was back. He emerged from behind the tree to see Nico standing with his feet in the grass, his smile wild and crazy. "Did you change behind the tree?" he laughed. 

"Shut up," Will grinned. "Are we going in or what?"

"Race you!" Nico's feet dug into the ground as he catapulted himself into the water, diving in head first. He popped up several seconds later, his hair plastered to his head and his smile even wider than before. "Come on, you suck," he called. "That was supposed to be a race."

"Sorry," Will smiled, sliding his feet into the water. It was shockingly cold at first touch but after a handful of minutes floating on top of the crystalline surface it had become pleasantly cool, soothing in the hot summer sun. "This is nice," he said, tilting his head back to watch Nico paddle circles around him.

"Yeah," he said. "This is one of my favorite places in the world. What about you?"

"What?"

"What's one of your favorite places?" He had stopped swimming and had begun treading water next to Will, his eyes staring at Will earnestly. 

"Honestly?" Will said. "Anywhere you are. You're the first person I've ever been truly happy with." Nico blushed, splashing a handful of water at Will.

"Shut up, nerd."

"I'm serious," Will grinned. "I want to be with you, Nico. I'm breaking up with her as soon as I get back." The smile slid off of Nico's face, replaced with a look of astonishment.

"You're serious."

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" Will asked. Nico's jaw dropped and for a second they treaded water underneath the glare of the sun before Will wrapped his arms around Nico's neck, kissing him fiercely. It was strange, really, how much love blossomed inside of his chest when he kissed Nico. It was a foreign experience to him, to kiss someone who he wanted to kiss, but one that would leave specs of happiness inside of him for as long as he lived. 

"Will." Nico was staring up at him, cocooned in Will's arms. "Will. Will, Will, Will."

"What?" Nico was babbling until he stopped, burying his face in Will's chest and clinging onto him as if he was his lifeline. "I'm so fucking happy," he sobbed, bobbing up and down in the water. "You have no idea." Will could feel him shaking and all he could do was hold him, pressing kisses onto his head as the waves rocked them gently back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

------

When they climbed out of the water with droplets hanging off of their bodies Nico reached into his backpack, pulling out a simple wicker picnic basket and spreading out a red checkered blanket over the grass. "Hide behind that tree," he instructed, gesturing to an unspecific point somewhere behind him.

"Why?" Will asked as he grabbed one of the towels from the heap Nico had dragged out of the house, shaking the water from his hair. 

"I packed a picnic," Nico responded, hanging onto the basket. "But I want to surprise you with it, because it's a really nice picnic and I want to make it look really nice."

"Seriously?"

"Go." Nico beckoned for him to leave and it wasn't until Will heard his name being called out from behind him when he turned around, walking with bare feet over to the picnic to find every food imaginable spread out before him, mini sandwiches on porcelain plates and tiny cakes topped with strawberries on platters. 

"Did you do all of this this morning?" Will asked as he sat down, his eyes wide. 

"Well, I had to buy the cakes and stuff pre-made," Nico explained as he handed Will an orange Izzy. "But the sandwiches, the salad, that was all me. I got a little carried away."

"Well, all I have to say is that I have an amazing boyfriend." Will was pressing a kiss to Nico's cheek before realizing what he had said and pulling back, his eyes wide. "Sorry," he said hastily, blushing. "I just realized that we never really specified what we wanted to be, and-"

"It's fine," Nico said as he took a bite of the salad, a walnut crunching in his mouth. "How about soon to be boyfriend? You're going to break up with Jessica first, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Will said. "Soon to be boyfriend, that's perfect."

"Labels don't even really matter than much," Nico said. "All that matters is that I'm with you, and we're both happy, right?"

"Yeah," Will said as he picked up one of the mini cakes, the chocolate rich and creamy. "You're happy, right?"

"Of course. Are you?"

"Always." 

"Than that's all that matters," Nico said, taking a swig of his Izzy. The sun beat down on them, the last of the droplets on their bodies drying. Back in the city a storm was waiting for him, a breakup that Will was dreading with every inch of his body. But there, for a moment, he was happy, and that was all that mattered.

------

Nico had walked him to the door of his apartment building but that did nothing to calm his nerves. There was still half an hour until two; Jessica and Annabeth would still be at lunch but even the thought of stepping into the apartment made his throat constrict and his palms sweat. "You all set?" Nico asked quietly, rubbing his back. 

"Yeah, I'm good," Will said with a false grin. "This has to happen at some point, right? And after it does, we're free."

"Good luck," Nico said, pressing a kiss to Will's cheek. His hand lingered on Will's back for a split second before it fell away and he walked down the street, leaving Will in front of the towering building. 

As he walked up the stairs, his footsteps bouncing off of the high walls a growing sense of discomfort mounted in his chest sense of discomfort that wracked his body with chills and made his head swim. He pushed open the door to his apartment with shaking hands and almost immediately Percy bolted around the corner, panting. "Have you had your phone off?" he demanded, his blue eyes wild.

"Yeah?" Will asked with a note of panic in his voice. "I wanted to spend as much time as I could with Nico. Why? Is there something wrong?" The footsteps behind him made shivers wrack his spine and Percy's face went white as he stared at something behind Will. 

"They came back early," he whispered, his voice so low that Will could barely hear him. "I tried to text you, but your phone was off." Will turned around slowly to find Jessica standing in front of him with her arms crossed and her eyes tinged red. 

"Hi," he said meekly, shame rising in his body. "We need to talk."

Hi guys, I honestly can't believe this is almost over! The last update it going to be next week, and I'm so, so excited! Anyway, I hope you liked this one!

Nina