So I'm trying to keep this accurate and since it's set in Italy there's a little bit of Italian. I'm using google translate for it so it's probably not completely right, but I'd rather have inaccurate words than Italian characters speaking English, if you get what I mean. The translations will be next to the words. Also, I'm so sorry this is late but I hope you like it!

Will's POV

The door shut with a deadly click and Jessica crossed her arms over her chest, defiance masking the true emotion on her face but through the cracks Will could see it, an expression that broke his heart it half; pain. "Start talking," she demanded, sitting on the edge of the bed with her back stick straight and one foot bouncing. 

"Listen, I'm sorry," Will said quietly, his eyes staring above Jessica's head and out the window, the fire escapes criss crossing the buildings. "This was all my fault, and I should have talked to you first."

"Yeah, you should have. But get on with the story. You've been weird this entire trip." Will sighed, scratching absentmindedly at his arm. 

"I like boys," he said, sitting down next to Jessica. She was staring at him but he was looking at the carpet, splattered with colors. 

"Do you like girls?"

"I-I don't know."

"But you don't like me." Her voice was soaked in pain and despite the fact that he felt no love for her, despite the fact that he loved Nico, and despite the fact that it was all his fault, remorse still slapped him in the face.

"You're great and all," he said with a shaky sigh. "Really great. But I just don't think that we should be together. I like Nico, Jessica, I'm so, so sorry." She sighed, tapping her fingers on her leg. It seemed like every part of her body was moving; her leg bobbing up and down, her eyes shifting side to side, her fingers fidgeting. Maybe if she moved enough, she wouldn't have to deal with the truth. "This has been a huge part of my life, figuring out that I liked guys. For years it hasn't felt like our relationship was real and with Nico, I feel like I have something real, that makes both of us happy."

"Have you kissed?" Her voice was scratchy and quiet, cracking at the end. 

"Twice. Or three times, I'm not sure."

"You didn't have to do that," she told him. He watched as a tear slipped down her face, dropping onto the floor. "You didn't have to cheat on me. You could have talked to me."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Will said for the umpteenth time that conversation. "I didn't think you'd understand."

"Oh, I understand just fine." She stood up, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "For this entire trip you've been sneaking around behind our backs. All those late night walks, early morning coffees, those were with Nico. Avoiding me and things that I wanted to do together, as a couple, you pushed me off to spend time with Nico. This trip was supposed to be about us but instead, it was about Nico. Is that it?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Will sighed, staring at the floor. She seemed to tower over him, tear streaked face and angry mouth. 

"If it wasn't already clear, this is over," she said, scrubbing at her eyes and heaving a shaky sigh. "You broke my heart, and I want you to know that. If you had told me what was going on when you had realized you liked him, I would have helped you as much as I could have. You're a good person. We could have stayed friends. But you cheated on me, and that's not okay. Bye, Will." 

She turned away from him but stopped when he called out "wait!" with a hint of desperation in his voice. She paused in the doorway, light bathing her front. "I'm sorry," he cried. "What I did was inexcusable but please, Jessica, just know that I'm sorry."

"I know." She walked out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her and leaving Will in darkness. He sat on the bed, his hands gripping at his knees as the walls of the world he had so carefully built falling apart. Quiet conversation ensued outside of the room, sobs reaching him from beyond the walls. He fell to the bed as guilt consumed his body, watching the fan whirr above him. It moved in a constant pace, kicking lukewarm air around the room and he watched it beat at the air, the only remaining constant in his life. 

He lost track of the time, laying on his bed watching the fan spin five times around, fifteen times around, fifty times around, five hundred times around. When he noticed that the apartment had fallen silent around him he pushed himself up, his legs filled with static as they wobbled underneath him. He pushed himself out of the room, the apartment empty around him. Something played across the tv, tiny characters spurting meaningless words. Percy poked his head up from behind the couch, shooting Will a shaky grin. "Hey, come over here." The tv turned off, the screen a sheet of blackness. "I need to talk to you."

"What's up?" Will stared at his hands as he sat down next to Percy, refusing to meet his gaze. "Where are the girls?"

"They left." 

"Where?" 

"They're going back a few days early." That got Will's attention. His head snapped up, his heart pounding in his chest. "Why?"

"Do you really think that Jessica wants to stay here and watch you come here every night, back from kissing the boy you cheated on her with?" There was a hint of accusation in his voice and it made Will's heart drop to his stomach. "That sounds like hell. She left and Annabeth went with her, just for support. We all agreed she shouldn't be alone right now. I'm staying here to see what you do. Also because we already paid for the apartment."

"Wait, see what I do?" Will frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you going to do about Nico? You clearly like him, after all you cheated on your girlfriend who you've had for years for him. So what are you going to do?" Will shook his head, burying his head in his hands. 

"I don't know," he groaned. "We live across the world from each other. What do you think I can do?"

"I'm done helping you," Percy said. "This is out of my hands now. You have to ask yourself a question now- do you love him enough to turn your entire life around for him?"

"I-I don't know." His voice trembled, his brain whirring. 

"You need to think about it," he said, standing up. "Just remember, a lot is riding on this decision. I'm getting food, do you want anything?" 

"I'm good," Will sighed, stretching out on the couch. "I have a lot to think about."

Nico's POV

The gallery was empty. He pulled a sharpie out of his desk, uncapping it as he propped his feet up on the desk. He bent forward, drawing tiny spirals on the rubber soles of his converse. It's difficult to fit in, amid the geometric patterns and the trees sprouting up from sharpie dirt but he finds a place in between a half colored-in triangle and a tiny fish with bubbles sprouting up from its mouth. The doorbell chimed and his head snapped up, his feet dropping to the floor in a heartbeat. He felt himself relax once he saw that it was Percy, chewing on a sandwich and walking over to him. "Hey, Percy," he said. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to talk to you before Will does." Nico sat up straight, his eyes widening. 

"What about Will? Did something happen?"

"He broke up with Jessica," he said, leaning on the desk. "Or, technically, she broke up with him. She found out about the cheating." 

"Oh."

"She and Annabeth went back to America," Percy explained. "But we're staying here, and then I'll leave when our rent on the apartment ends. But he might stay. It depends on what he decides."

"He's thinking of staying?" His leg was bouncing up and down, scraping the underside of his desk.

"Don't get too excited, lover boy," Percy laughed. "He's got a lot to think about. His first and only long term relationship just ended, he's probably confused." 

"I forgot about this." Nico sagged. "It's my fault, isn't it? If he had never met me, he'd still be with her."

"Yeah, he'd be in an unhappy relationship that wasn't meant for him," Percy pointed out. "I'll never agree with him cheating on her with you, but I've never seen him happier. Maybe this is for the best." Nico tapped his fingers on the desk, his body churning with thoughts and ideas. It felt as if he needed to be moving, adrenaline shooting through his veins. "You'll probably be hearing from him soon," Percy continued. "Until then, just wait for him to figure it out." Nico nodded, his head swimming. 

"Thanks. Thank you so much."

"Whatever decision he makes, just know it'll be the right one," Percy assured him. "I should go, but I'll come see you before I leave, okay?"

"Yeah, see you later." Percy gave him a small wave, his footsteps bouncing off of the walls as he closed the door behind him. As soon as he was out of Nico's line of vision he buried his head in his arms, the desk cool underneath his forehead as thoughts rushed through his mind. His heart pounded and his head flew up when he heard the door swing open. He searched for Will's mop of blonde hair but instead it was a high brown ponytail as a young mother herded two screaming children inside of the gallery, a fat bag sitting on her back. 

"Go on, look around," she urged them, pushing a the young girl towards a watercolor, the canvas dotted with faded blues and greens. That picture had always drawn Nico's attention and it made him sad imagining the child's grubby hands smearing dirt across its pristine surface. He pushed himself up, giving the young girl a small smile as he calmly showed her the box of crayons he kept underneath the desk. He watched her scribble mindlessly on the paper, creating a curious mixture of reds on top of purples but his eyes kept flitting up to the door, always on the lookout for the pair of bright blue eyes that made him fall in love again every time he saw them. 

It was dark when he heard the door swing open and a figure stepped into the bright lights of the art gallery, bags hanging underneath blue eyes but when he saw Nico his face split open into a smile and he let his backpack thump to the floor as he rushed into Nico's arms, burying his face in his shoulders. "I missed you," he murmured with a voice wrought with pain. "It's been a rough day." 

"I can imagine," Nico said with a wry smile. "Come on, sit down. Tell me everything." He rummaged around in his desk, pulling a small sealed tin out of the bottom drawer and sitting next to Will, his back pressed against the wall. "Try this," he said, pushing the tin towards Will and grabbing a small handful of chocolate covered almonds. "They're amazing." Will dropped a few into his mouth and chewed thoroughly, taking a couple of seconds before opening his eyes, forcing a smile onto his face. 

"So, Jessica and Annabeth went back to New York early."

"Percy already told me." 

"What else did he tell you?" Beads of sweat popped up on Will's face and Nico gave his arm a tight squeeze. 

"That's pretty much it, other than you had some pretty big decisions to make," he said. "Any news?"

"Yeah, actually." Will took a deep breath, grabbing his backpack from his side and pulling out a thick stack of papers, scraps of paper sticking out from in between the pages. "You know how I'm going to NYU, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, they have a study abroad program in Florence." Will passed him the paper, two happy students smiling at him, backed by sprawling greens and architecture that had stood for hundreds of years. "It's a three hour drive from Venice, we could take turns driving up, maybe. I'd still be able to go to school, and if we really worked out, I could see about transferring permanently. There are still things I'd need to work out- I have to talk to the dean, and talk to my parents, and figure out all the minor details. But I think this could really work out." His eyes were filled with sparkling hope, his chest rising up and down with his quick breaths. His hair was brushed over his face, scraping at the top of his flushed cheeks like curly fries. Nico was speechless, tears welling in his eyes. "Nico? Is it alright?"

"This is the best thing anyone's ever done for me." He wrapped his arms around Will's neck, pressing his body against Will's. He could feel the soft fabric of his shirt, the tiny bug bite on his shoulder, the dull thump, thump, thump of his heart. "You moved your entire life around, just to give me a chance."

"You're the only person I've ever been happy with," Will responded, resting his head on Nico's shoulder. "I'd do anything to give you a chance."

"When do you have to leave?" Nico asked quietly. 

"Percy and I are leaving tomorrow morning," Will responded. "Ten in the morning."

"I'm working," Nico muttered. "You're leaving for New York again and I'm working. I can't believe I can't see you off." He groaned, letting his head hit the lumpy white painted wall and Will ran his fingers through Nico's hair, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. 

"I'll be gone for three weeks," he promised him gently. "Three weeks and then I'll be back here for the next few months. Just think about all the weekends we'll spend roaming the city, boating through the canals and doing homework in cute little coffee shops drinking cappuccinos." 

"If it works out," Nico said. "What if it doesn't work out?"

"I'll make it work out," Will said. "Until then, we can enjoy tonight. Come on, what do you want to do?" He pulled Nico up off of the floor, his hand warm and comforting in Nico's. 

"I'm still working," he laughed, looping his arms around Will's waist as he swirled in circles, his head tilted up at the art mounted on the walls, collages and sculptures and paintings and photographs. 

"You can close early tonight," Will said. "Come on, you were the one who said that this might be our last night together." Nico rolled his eyes, pushing himself off of Will's chest. 

"Fine. Give me one second." He stuck the cash drawer into the safe, flicking off the lights and the room fell into darkness, the colors of the artwork muted. "Come on." He pulled Will out of the building, clicking the lock and slipping the keys into his pocket. "Where do you want to go?" He watched as Will tilted his head up to the sky, a clear night showing off twinkling stars. 

"Up," he said. "Do you remember where we went that first night? I want to go up there." 

"Back on the rooftops?" Nico tilted his head toward the sky, smoke billowing from the stacks and scraping the bottoms of the stars. 

"Yeah. It was beautiful up there. And it makes me think of you, more than anything in the world. When I have to go back I want that to be the memory I cling to, the one that keeps you in my mind. Because our relationship is so new, and I'm going to be across the world, and I don't want to lose what we have together." He had grabbed Nico's hands, his eyes welling with silent tears. "I don't want to lose you." Nico squeezed his hands, giving him a small smile. 

"You won't lose me," he promised. "You'll be back and I'll be waiting for you when you are. And we still have tonight. One more night together." The water in the canals licked at the sidewalk, spilling onto the cobblestones and scraping at the soles of their sneakers. "Come on. Let's go." Nico pulled Will along, rushing down the sidewalk with the flow of the water until they jumped onto the bridge, hopping from rooftop from rooftop, their heads among the clouds with birds soaring above them, so close they could reach out and touch their silky wings. Nico's hand fit into Will's, their footsteps in sync as they rose into the sky, the sprawling city stretched out underneath them. The wind was blowing Will's hair back from his forehead, his face scrunched up and his smile wide. 

"It's still so beautiful," he murmured, lying down on the roof with his arms spread-eagle and his mouth parted. "I don't think it'll ever get old."

"There are so many other places, too," Nico grinned, lying next to him. "There's this little swimming hole we can go to on a warmer day and when it starts to get cold they freeze it over and you can go ice skating and drink hot chocolate and eat fries. You'll love it." 

"If I can make it work," Will reminded him morosely. 

"Hey, don't think about that." Nico squeezed his hand. "You'll make it work, don't worry. Let's just enjoy tonight. You have one more night in this city, and we can spend it together." They huddled closer to one another, their bodies curling together and fitting like puzzle pieces. Below them the city buzzed, footsteps on cobblestones and gondolas drifting down canals. Below them mindless chatter ensued, lifeless conversations and pointless interactions. But they were raised above the world, ignoring the hum of the city below them as they focused on themselves.

------

As time passed the memory of Will's face began to fade from Nico's mind. The freckled sprinkled across his nose, his laugh filled with happiness, the way his baby blue eyes twinkled in the sunlight. He clung to the memories he had, keeping Will's face, voice, laugh in his mind to keep himself from drifting away from Will in his absence. The calls rang from his phone daily and piles of letters accumulated on his kitchen table, filled with hugs and kisses of love. The distance was still real, the thousands of miles stretching between them pushing them apart, the ocean a bottomless pit impossible to cross. That was why, when he got the text from Will telling him that everything was set, that he would be in Italy in two weeks time, he thought he was dreaming. He crossed off the days on the calendars in red sharpie until the tip scraped against the bright red circle drawn around the date five times, with smiley faces filling the tiny box with Will is coming!!! scribbled in the corner. He stuck his wallet into his back pocket, locking the door of his apartment and stepping out onto the sidewalk. 

The lukewarm air wrapped him like a blanket as he walked down the cobblestone sidewalk, a spring in his step bouncing him up and down. Will's coming back, Will's coming back. The words echoed in his head as if bouncing off of a cave wall but they grew stronger as the seconds passed. Will's coming back, Will's coming back. Will's coming back. He could almost feel Will's hands on his back, his lips on Nico's cheek. He walked faster.

The barista at the coffee shop knew him by name and she gave him a smile as she grabbed a large, pale green cup from the stack, scribbling his name on it. "Il solito(the usual), Nico?" she asked, filling it up with steaming, frothy cappuccino.

"Due, per favore(two, please)," he said. She raised her eyebrows, whipping out a second cup. "Sto incontrando qualcuno di speciale(I'm meeting someone special)," he explained, taking the steaming cup. Frothy milk bubbled down his throat and it tasted like summer, like warm nights dancing on the edge of the canals and hours spent curled together underneath the waxing heat of the summer sun. 

"Divertiti(have fun)," she winked, waving at him as he walked out of the coffee shop. The liquid sloshed at the edges of the cup as he took off into a light jog, his feet pounding against the pavement. He could feel Will's pull getting stronger and stronger, their connection tightening and strengthening with each step bringing them closer. His watch read twelve fifteen; fifteen minutes until Will's plane touched down and Will would step off, laden with bags and searching for Nico. Nico ran faster.

The airport hummed with energy when he stepped onto the carpet, the blue adorned with splashes of color stretching out like the sea. His eyes were peeled for a mop of curly blonde hair, the cappuccino growing cold in his hand. His phone dinged in his pocket and he managed to pull it out of his back pocket, swiping into his texts with Will. Hey, I'm at gate fifteen. Come meet me? He balanced the drinks on his arm as he typed back a coming! riddled with typos. His eyes swept around the airport, lit up numbers sticking up on long thin poles. Six, seven, eight, he sprinted down the line, the numbers growing larger as he ran. Nine, ten eleven, he was growing impatient, the need to see Will growing stronger with every step. He ran faster. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, his eyes scanned the airport, searching for the neon fifteen where Will would be waiting, with his soft smile and sparkling blue eyes.

 "Nico? Nico!" His head whipped around and standing underneath the sign was Will, his smile as wide as the sky. "Nico!" His arms were laden with bags but he began to sprint, falling into Nico's arms as their hearts beat in tandem. "Nico."

"Will. Will, Will, Will." It felt like if he stopped repeating his name he would disappear forever.

"I missed you so much," Will cried, tears leaking onto Nico's shoulders. 

"I missed you, too," he murmured, cupping Will's face in his hands. "We're together again, though. For a long time. You're not leaving anytime soon. You're here." 

"It feels like forever since I've seen you." Will's hands were gripping Nico's wrists, his thumbs moving up and down and making Nico shiver with happiness. "I missed you. I want to do things with you, walk around and talk and drink cappuccinos and fall more in love."

"We can do that," Nico said with a crazy laugh, shouldering one of Will's bags and handing him his drink. The sunlight filtering in from the window drew a golden halo around Will's head and he looked like an angel with his suntanned face and his smile, beaming happiness. "We can do whatever you want. You have two weeks until school starts, we can do anything." The rest of the world seemed gray, the blue of Will's eyes and the soft orange of his tee shirt more vibrant than ever before. There was hope in his eyes and it burst at the seams of his body, threatening to burst out and infect the rest of the world with his happiness. Of course, it had already touched Nico. He felt bubbly with joy as they walked through the airport as Will rambled about how excited he was, how the campus was supposed to be beautiful and how he had bought an old car for cheap and how excited he was to see Nico. It was good to hear his voice again.

The city looked different when they stepped outside, the talk happier and the sun brighter.There was nothing brighter than Will, however, who stared at the city as if he had never seen it before. "What should we do?" he asked Nico, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "We should drop off my bags at your house but after, we should do something." As they walked Nico tried to place what was different about the city but he couldn't quite put it into words, but it was magical and wonderful and it filled Nico with happiness.

"Aren't you jet lagged?"

"A little," Will admitted. "But I'd be to excited to sleep. I want to do something special." 

"We can do anything." Nico grabbed Will's hand, swinging it gently. "It'll be special because you're here." As he stared into Will's eyes he realized what was different about the city, what made it stand out more than any other time before. Anything is beautiful when you're with the person you love the most.

Hey guys, part of me honestly can't believe that's over! It's probably one of my favorite things that I've written and I feel kind of like when you take a really cool trip and then you have to come home, if you get that. It was such a nice experience to write it, and I just want to say thank you so much for 200k reads. Every single one of you means so much to me and I hope you liked that!

Nina