Will's POV

As fingers curled around his face his vision faded away, the sound of breathing hovering by his ear. An arm brushed against his side as a head leaned in closer, the person's breath brushing Will's cheek. "Guess what?"

"Nico, get off me," Will laughed, shrugging out of his boyfriend's grasp and blinking as his eyes adjusted to the bright light from his LED lamp, illuminating tiny words filling the open page of his medical textbook. 

"Oh, come on," Nico pouted, his arms crossed over his chest. "You never want to hang out anymore. All you want to do is study. You're so boring."

"Hey, that's not fair," Will protested. "You know I have to get into med school. Once that's over, we can hang out all you want. Anyway, did you have something to tell me or were you just trying to distract me?" Nico rolled his eyes but he unearthed something from his jeans pocket, handing it to Will triumphantly. "What is this?" he asked, frowning. "Nico, is this a receipt?"

"One night in a hotel, right on the water in Glen Cove," Nico beamed. "It's only an hour drive, if we leave now we'll make it in time for dinner."

"Nico, you're sweet and I love you for this, but I have to study," Will insisted, turning back to the textbook. He rubbed at his eyes as words swam in front of them, hours of studying leaving his brain weary. 

"You can study in the car, if you really want to," Nico said, snatching the book away and waving it in front of Will's face.

"Hey, give that back."

"Not until you get in the car," Nico said. "Come on, let's go. I spend a hundred fifty dollars on this hotel room, you really want me to waste it?" Will paused, his hand dropping to his side.

"That is a lot of money."

"Yeah, I know. Come on, your stuff's already in the car."

"When did you have time to pack my stuff?" The chair scraped against the wooden floor of their shared apartment and he clicked his light off, the desk falling into darkness.

"You've been studying for a while, you know," Nico said, spinning on his heels as he led Will out of their apartment, locking the door behind them. The building was quiet and Nico's excitement seemed to explode from his body, livening up the drab gray walls and the scuffed hardwood floors. "I've been bored. I had time to plan an entire trip after all."

"I hope it's worth it," Will said, following Nico as he leapt down stairs two at a time. "If I don't get into med school it's all your fault. Just keep that in mind."

"Oh, it'll be worth it," Nico promised, pressing a light kiss to Will's lips before pulling the key ring out of his pocket, clicking the button until the incessant beeping brought them to their shared, beat up black sedan. Nico slid into the driver's seat as Will peered into the back from his position in the passenger's seat, eyes falling on two duffel bags stuffed with necessities; one his and one Nico's. He hadn't been joking. "Here's this." He tossed the textbook into Will's lap, a small white scrap of paper meticulously tucked into where Will had left off. "You can study for now, if you want, but once we get to Glen Cove, I'm taking it."

"Fine," Will said, laughing as he slid the paper out. Nico ticked up the heat as he pulled out of the garage, the warmth wrapping around Will like a thick blanket. Low hanging clouds hid the sun from view and quiet music was playing through the speakers, eyelids drooping over tired eyes. His hand fell limp over the paper and the last thing he heard before his consciousness faded away was Nico's quiet singing, soft as silk and stunning as the sea.

------

Sea salt on the air drifting in through an open window woke him up. He lifted his head from where it had fallen onto a condensation covered window. He blinked up at the dreary sky, a thin film of rain coating the sleepy town. "Is it raining?" he groaned. 

"It'll stop soon," Nico promised, pulling into a parking lot adjacent to a small brown building, a cream colored awning hanging over the door. A neon sign stood tall at the entrance to the parking lot, a vacancy sign flashing red. "We can hang out in here until then. It's nice, I got us an ocean view. We can explore the town, too. It's cute." He locked the car doors, opening the trunk and handing Will his bag. He unzipped it to find his beach towel, his bathing suit and his favorite shirt folded neatly on top. He felt a smile spreading across his face, sifting through to find the necessities he never went on a trip without. "I packed everything right?" 

"You always do. Come on, let's get up to the room." Will stared at the hotel lobby as Nico checked in, his eyes falling over the shell decorations sitting above the receptionist's head and the small driftwood tables scattered around the opposite side of the room. 

"Room 313," Nico grinned, waving the key in the air. It hung from a pristine white shell, the spiky ridges baby blue. "Right on the top. The ocean is a hundred yards away."

"You really put a lot of thought into this trip, didn't you?" Will pushed the door open, the long staircase winding out of sight.

"Of course I did," Nico said, pushing himself up the stairs. "We need to get away sometimes. I miss going on those cute dates with you, arcades and tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants." They stepped onto the coral carpet, leading them down the hallway and to the last room on the right. Nico turned the key in the lock, pushing the door open to find a single king sized bed pressed up against the wall, a simple blue curtain hanging over a window overlooking the sea. Will set his bag down on the bed, rummaging through and spreading his pale yellow swim suit down on the comforter. 

"What time is the beach closed?" Will asked, staring out at the sky. Past the clouds he could see a hint of blue but the sun was rapidly setting, shades of pink melting into the gray at the top.

"I don't think it does," Nico responded, smoothing out the comforter. "You want to go swimming?"

"I don't want it to look gross out," Will responded. "Maybe it'll get nicer?"

"It will, don't worry," Nico said. "Come on, you hungry? It's seven, you must be." Will nodded. "Let's go get some food."

------

They passed the tiny shops pressed together like sardines, their warm lights already filtering onto the cobblestone street. There were few other people in the town, a small group of teenagers huddled underneath the awning of an ice cream shop, licking cool drips from the waffle cones. Young parents ushered a toddler out of a toy store, her chubby hand clutching the arm of a doll but other than that the street was empty. "What about here?" Will suggested, pointing at a pizzeria with a young woman wiping down the counter inside. "You in the mood for pizza?"

"Sounds perfect." 

They ordered a small pizza and small conversation filled their lives until it came, the cheese covered in a light coating of grease and the bubbles of the coke lightly popping at the glass. "This is massive," Nico laughed, slapping one of the slices onto one of the paper plates. "How are we going to finish this?"

"We'll take leftovers," Will said, biting into his slice. "Our room has a mini fridge. We'll be fine." A trail of pizza sauce dripped down his chin and Nico reached over, wiping it gently away with a napkin. 

"You look so nice right now, you know?"

"Where did that come from?" Will laughed, setting down his pizza. "You think I look cute eating pizza and covered in sauce?"

"You look cute all the time," Nico said. "But especially now, for some reason. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it's the sunset, who knows." He pulled his phone out of his pocket, snapping a picture of Will, his  blue eyes shining even through the camera. The setting sun painted the backdrop behind him, a small smile on his face. "Look at you," Nico said, showing Will the phone. "Look at how amazing you look. Absolutely amazing."

"You know I love you, right?" Will grinned. "I don't think I've met a single person who's as amazing as you are. You make me happier than I've ever been in my life, and I can't thank you enough."

"Look at us, getting nice and sappy," Nico laughed, leaning across the table and pressing a kiss to Will's lips. They broke apart and Nico's gaze fell onto the sky, the stars glittering in the clear sky. "Are you still hungry?"

"Not in particular."

"Come on," Nico said. "We can get a box for this, bring it back to the hotel. Let's go swimming."

With the box in their hand they made their way down the street, the few pedestrians who had stood in front of the shops a half hour ago gone, leaving the town to Will and Nico. They wiggled into their swimsuits, throwing their towels over their shoulders as they traipsed out of their hotel room once more. "Do you think it's going to be cold?" Will asked as he stared at the water licking at the sand, turning it to grainy mud. 

"Not too cold," Nico said, dropping his towel just past the water line. "It's like eight o'clock anyway, it's going to be a little chilly. I wouldn't worry about it, though."

"I don't really like cold water," Will said, his toes edging away from the ocean. 

"You've been looking forward to this ever since we came here," Nico said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I'll warm you up if you need it. Come on, on the count of three."

"Fine."

"One-" Nico grabbed Will's hand, tugging him so that his feet were covered by the crystal liquid. "Two-" He pulled Will hard and they plunged into the water as Nico yelled three.

The waves pushed them together, tossing them through the salty spray hand in hand. It was shockingly warm, as if the light from the full moon boiled it to perfection. They let the waves carry them, resurfacing fifty feet away from where they had begun. Nico's hair was plastered to his face and he was laughing, salt water dripping from his face. "So?" he asked. "Too cold for you?"

"Shut up," Will laughed, pulling him in for a kiss. The silver moon reflected off of the water, the ripples distorting it, stretching it across the waves. 

"Come on," Nico said. "Lets go out further." He dove back underneath the water, popping up a hundred feet away and waving to Will. "Will!" 

"I'm coming," Will said. He dove underneath, the water slicking his hair back. For the first few yards he kept his eyes shut but something pushed him to open them and he was met with the sight of sand coating the bottom of the sea floor, a minnow flitting past him. The salt water stung but soon his body adjusted and he made out Nico's legs, ever so slightly distorted in the water. Will sliced through the water, his hands reaching for Nico's legs. Nico jumped as Will's hands latched around his legs, the latter shaking with silent laughter. 

"You're the worst, you know that?" Nico spat, shaking out his leg as Will wiped soaking wet strands of blonde hair from his face. "The absolute worst. Hey, stop laughing. I mean it."

"Sure you do." Will swept Nico up in his arms, his skin slippery against Will's hands. He dipped Nico down so that his black hair hung mere inches from the water, his hands gripping Nico's head as he kissed him underneath the silver glow of the moon. To anyone standing by the shore they would have been nothing more than dark shadows, unable to recognize even the most basic of features but Will could make out the sparkle in Nico's eyes, the tiny gap between his two front teeth, the way one piece of hair curled underneath his ear. His olive skin glowed in the moonlight, his smile bright as the stars. He was an angel, aglow in the darkness. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, his voice reaching only Nico and the stars. Waves lapped at his waist as they kissed, passion thick and heavy within them. 

------

They stumbled back to their hotel dripping with the water of the sea, smiles stretched wide on their faces, beach towels wrapped around their sopping shoulders. "You had the right idea, coming here," Will grinned, turning to his boyfriend. "I can't even describe how perfect this has been.

"You're welcome," Nico said, his head resting on Will's arm. He craned his neck for a kiss, the hollow eyes of the empty stores watching them as they stepped into the hotel, the lights buzzing with electricity. Will wrapped his arm around Nico's waist, pulling him closer. The feeling of Nico's body against his brought a feeling of ease to his heart as the wound up the stairs, down the coral coated hallway and into their room, imprints of their wet bodies soaking into the bed. "What should we do?" Nico asked, his head resting on Will's chest. "I don't want to go to bed yet."

"There's a TV," Will pointed out, pushing himself up and digging around in the cabinet. "There are some old DVDs, we could see if there's anything good." He sifted through obscure movies until his hands landed on gold. "Nico."

"Yeah?"

"Finding Nemo." Nico laughed. 

"You really want to watch Finding Nemo?"

"I really, really, really, want to watch Finding Nemo. It was my favorite movie when I was younger and you know it."

"Put it in," Nico said, changing into his pajamas and dropping his damp swim suit onto the floor. "Change first though. You're soaking."

Will wriggled into the bed, slipping underneath the covers with the pizza sitting on his lap and excitement building in his chest. Nico rested his head on Will's chest, reaching over to his bedside table and grabbing something. "Here's this, by the way. Just in case you wanted it back." He handed Will his medical textbook, the slip of paper still tucked inside. 

"Thanks," Will said, setting it on the floor. "I don't think I'll need it, though. We can just watch the movie." As the opening scene appeared on the screen he grabbed a slice of pizza, cold and hard and just as delicious as before. He felt warm, with Nico and the food and the movie. A rare warmth that was difficult to come by, a warmth that was so often chased after by so many people. A warmth that only came with pure happiness.

------

He woke to waves crashing against the sand and thunder crackling above him. He dragged open his eyes, the blue DVD screen aglow in the darkness of the room. Out the window he could see the beach, a summer storm raging on the water. Nico's body was curled against his, his breathing steady, making his hair flutter. Will's eyes fell on his textbook on the floor, the medical sign staring at him menacingly. You should be studying it seemed to whisper, shoving guilt into his heart. Will turned away from it, facing out the window as he listened to the wind howl. Lightning split the sky, turning the world white for a second before it returned to its previous state of darkness. Nico's breath ran shivers across his chest and he gently carded his fingers through Nico's silky black hair absentmindedly as he watched nature beat down relentlessly on the ocean. 

The textbook was calling to him, but it could wait. Nico was right- he would be boring if all he did was study. He could always chase his dreams in the morning but there were other dreams to think of, aspirations of a perfect relationship with a perfect boy. He wasn't sure if he could make it any more perfect, but he could try. He nestled back underneath the covers, his body pressing into Nico's as he listened to his boyfriend's breathing. The rhythmic sound lulled him back to sleep, a perfect sound that he could listen to forever.

Hi guys! I didn't even look over this after writing it, so I'm sorry for any mistakes whoops. Anyway, I hope you liked it!

Nina