Once again, mentions of sex and stuff(nothing ever graphic though) although you'd probably know that by the third part, so if you don't like that stuff just skip past. Anyway, enjoy!

Nico's POV

He's not exactly sure how he feels when he gets that familiar text from Will, the my parents aren't home text or the everyone's asleep and the back door is open text. Exasperated, maybe. Sick and tired and exasperated of making the long trek to Will's house and returning with significantly less dignity than before. He chews on his bottom lip, staring cooly at the text with his phone perched loosely in his hands. He's sure that Will is beginning to wonder why it's taking Nico so long to respond. He's usually so quick with the yes, so quick to offer to be the one to provide the condoms, so quick to bend to Will's every request. The doubt is a new feeling for him, and he isn't sure whether or not he likes it.

Still, though, he types out a quick sure, making it careless enough that Will knows he isn't exactly happy about it, but still willing. Maybe it'll make Will work harder, make him see that he needs to work for a relationship, rather than just sending a quick text and letting Nico pine. At this point, Nico isn't sure why he's still pining because Will has made it painfully obvious that he's only interested in him for his body. It's been painfully reminded to him that they both started having sex just for the sex, and Nico can't
complain when he suddenly wants more than that. But maybe Nico should tell him what he wants, ask for a date, a conversation. He did offer to hang out last time, anyway. Maybe that's a start.

His head feels clear as he walks down the street in the light of the dying sun, music playing through his earbuds, phone tucked safely in his back pocket. His arms swing at his side, feet bouncing to the beat of the music with his eyes staring straight ahead. He'd normally look at his surroundings as he walked, watching as the rundown houses turn nicer with each street he rounds onto, reach up to brush the vibrant green leaves on branches that bow low, tips scraping at the top of his head. But today, he doesn't. Today he doesn't because his head feels clear and his arms are swinging and he finally knows what he wants.

He slips past the empty driveway, glancing into the dark windows as he makes his way past the perfectly manicured garden on his way to the back door. They were always careful. He opens it quietly, padding through the dimly lit house and sticking close to the banister as he creeps up the stairs, keeping an eye on the entryway. Will had said his family was gone, but he also warned that there was a chance they'd be home early. Nico wasn't sure how he'd react if he found a random person going up his staircase, so he figured he'd keep an eye out.

When he knocks on Will's door he gets an immediate response to just come in. It creaks when he opens it and he's met with the sight of Will sprawled across his bed, bare feet hanging off of the edge with his face dimly lit by the glow of his phone. He glances up when he sees Nico, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Hey."

"Hey." He kicks off his shoes; he knows what's coming next.

"Did you bring a condom?"

"Uuh." He pats his pockets, frowning when he doesn't feel the familiar circular bump pressing against the denim of his jeans. "I think I forgot one. Sorry." His tone is flat, and he knows that he doesn't sound sorry. He always brings one, so it's fair of Will to assume that he'd have one. But still, he's getting so tired of being the one to go to the store, shell out his money and be tasked with the relatively important job of remembering to bring it, just because he's trained Will to expect it. "Do you have one?" Will's mouth twists into a frown and he sighs heavily, shutting off his phone and pushing himself up off of his bed as if it takes all the effort in the world.

"Dunno. Lemme check."

"You know I'm not doing this without one, right?"

"Yeah, Nico, that'd be pretty dumb, wouldn't it?" He says it with a smirk as he paws around in his drawers, past crumpled up candy wrappers and his treasured porn magazine. Once, Nico remembers, he had asked Will about it as they had lain down in his bed with nothing but a thin sheet separating their bare bodies from the world, listening to the rain pound down outside. Will had insisted Nico stay that night, to protect him from the harshness of the elements. That had been a good night. And Will had said that it was because it was old fashioned. He liked doing it the way they used to, he had said. That was all he needed. Which Nico had found weird at the time, and still did, but he wouldn't push it. Because he never did.

"Hey, what are we?"

"What do you mean?" He spins around, a condom from the depths of his drawers pinched between his fingers. There's a dust bunny clinging to it and Nico wonders how Will can keep everything so messy. Nico's condoms are stored in the box, underneath a loose floorboard that he keeps clean, almost to the point to where it's unnecessary. But then again, he's always put in more effort into keeping their relationship, if you could call it that, civilized. Will had always been the one to initiate it, though. Because every single time, Nico left just a little bit sadder, because the thing he wanted slipped further and further out of his reach every time he had just another casual fling.

"Like what are we, Will? We have so much sex and neither of us has ever defined the relationship." Will shifts uncomfortably, his hands dropping to his side, the condom swinging gently in his hands. He's holding it so loosely, it looks like it could fall out from his fingertips at any time.

"I don't know." He scratches his head, making eye contact with the floor. "Just a fling, right? I mean, I don't need anything else. I'm good here." Nico purses his lips, crossing his arms over his chest as a headache starts to build between his eyes. He isn't sure if he wants to scream or cry, but he knows if he doesn't get out of Will's room soon, he's going to do one of those two things. He turns away, scrubbing at the bridge of his nose and Will frowns, stepping forward. "Nico?" Will wasn't a bad person. Just really, really stupid.

"Hey, I think I'm gonna go."

"What? What did I do?"

"Nothing, Will. That's the point." He sniffs, pressing the heel of his hand into an eye as if he's trying to hold the tears back. He doesn't want to cry over Will not wanting a relationship with him, and especially not in front of him. "Call me when you're ready for something other than just sex." He turns on his heel, leaving Will standing stunned in his bedroom, the condom still swinging from the tips of his fingers. For a second he's too shocked to do anything until Nico hears footsteps and Will is coming after him, standing at the top of the staircase, but Nico is already halfway down.

"Wait. Let's talk about this for a sec."

"I heard what you said. And you heard what I said. We both know what we want."

"Nico."

"Maybe I'll see you around." He knows that Will is still standing at the top of the staircase because he doesn't hear any footsteps other than his own and he doesn't look back. Looking back would appear weak, regretful over his choices and he can't show that side of him, especially considering that Will has held the position of power from the start. For the first time, he has Will staring after him as he leaves, and not the other way around. It feels good to finally be making the decisions. But, as before, he slips out the back door, rather than going through the front. Because no matter what, they're always careful.

Will's POV

Maybe he messed up. He probably messed up. Actually, based off of the way Nico turned on his heel and left Will's room with a sense of finality, trying to hide the sparkle of a tear in his eye, he definitely messed up. And maybe he should go after him, do his best to talk to Nico, to make up for his mistakes, but he can't help but wonder whether or not it's worth it. Because after everything it really just was a casual fling. And sure, Nico was funny sometimes, and his smile was sweet, and he always smells faintly of citrus, but there will be more Nicos.

Will does his best to convince himself of that, the idea that the Nicos of the world would come and go. But as the hours tick by and he remains on his bed, lying sprawled like a starfish, watching his ceiling fan spin, his heart sinks lower, and he realizes that maybe he was wrong. Maybe there was something special about Nico, something in the shining smile, something in the glittering eyes that made him worth chasing after. It takes a lot of pride to pick up his phone, sighing heavily and scrolling down to Nico's contact. Because he knows for a fact that it's his fault, and it's going to take a lot to admit it. It rings and rings, and Will isn't sure if Nico's going to pick up. It's going to take a lot out of him to call him a second time, but he's willing to do that. He doesn't have to, though, because on the last ring Nico picks up, and he hears his heavy sigh before anything else. "You remember what I said, right? Because I'm not gonna walk back over there just to not have sex with you again."

"Yeah, I know." He chews on his lip, sitting up and leaning against his wall. It feels good to have something to support himself on because if he didn't, he might fall over. "I just want to talk."

"About what?" Nico sounds adamant about never seeing Will again, but Will isn't about to let it end so quickly, so abruptly. Maybe he's wrong for trying so late, but if it takes almost losing Nico to realize what he had, that's better than nothing.

"Can we just talk? Get coffee or something?"

"It's night."

"That's never stopped you before."

"I don't want coffee."

"We can get food, then. Mcdonald's drive thru. I get coffee, you get a happy meal. Or anything else you want. I just know you like happy meals." Nico doesn't answer for what feels like forever, but eventually, he hears a soft sigh and the sound of bedsprings squeaking.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be ready in five." He hangs up without giving Will a chance to respond, but Will doesn't mind. He laces up his shoes, throws on a slightly nicer shirt, one that hasn't been rumpled from hours of wallowing in his bad decision, one that doesn't have a soup stain on the chest. Because he has a chance, one last chance and this time, he isn't going to blow it.

He's glad that there aren't any small, unsuspecting children in the road because he's pretty sure if there were, he'd bowl them over. Sure, the headlights are on, casting a dim glow over the street and sure, he's at least paying some attention to the road but he's so focused ahead, focused on making the right turns that he doesn't think he'd see them. The normal sights he always pays attention to on his drive-the vibrant forsythia tree in the Patterson yard, the lush forest that leads to absolutely nowhere-haven't captivated his attention as they normally do. He has one thing on his mind, and he needs to get there as fast as he can. He's nervous that if he takes too long to get there, Nico won't still want him when he finally does.

Nico is waiting for him on his stoop when Will pulls up to the curb, wearing a pair of pajama shorts and his favorite skull and crossbones shirt. It's soft and slightly baggy, slipping off of his shoulder to reveal his sharp collarbone. It's a sight that always made his heart leap, and he takes that Nico is waiting for him as a good sign. "So, what's this about?" Nico asks, opening the passenger side door with a squeak. His car has always been good enough for the both of them but now, with the angry scowl still on Nico's face, he just wishes that the doors would open smoothly.

"I told you. I just wanted to talk."

"About what?"

"You like the nugget happy meals, right?" He pulls out and the wheels squeal on the pavement, and he sees Nico wince. His converse are thrown on lazily, untied laces dragging on the dirty floor.

"I know for a fact that you didn't invite me out just to buy me food."

"Let's get food first. I'll buy you a chicken nugget happy meal with chocolate milk because you eat like a child, and then we'll talk." Nico's still looking at the floor and his arms are still crossed over his chest, but he smiles. And when Will moves his hand to Nico's leg, giving his thigh a light squeeze, he doesn't say a word, but his smile widens, just a bit.

They're not talking, something that Will expected so he turns on the rock station, the one he knows Nico likes. He hadn't known how much he knew about Nico until he was looking to fix what was broken but now he's pulling facts that he doesn't even know how he knows out of his brain; he knew to crank the heat up even before Nico stepped into the car because he's always cold, he knew that the tiny action of putting his hand on Nico's thigh would make him happy, and he knows to order Nico honey mustard with his nuggets as they roll through the McDonald's drive-thru, listening to Will's engine clunk underneath the hood. By the time they're back on the road Nico's feet are propped up on the dashboard and he's dumped the kiddie-sized fry into the second half of his nugget carton, dipping them happily in his sauce. "So, what happens now?" he asks, swallowing a fry whole. "You drop me off, back in my good graces so you can call me again whenever you feel like it and leave me waiting by the phone?" he says it like it's supposed to be a joke but there's truth to his words, and Will's heart sinks.

"No," Will says, turning off of the main road and onto a bumpy side road, with sprawling yards surrounding them, the tiny speck of houses spots on the distance. He can hear the ocean in the distance, the ebb and flow of the perpetual waves crashing on the beach. He can somehow hear them a mile down the road and he can already see a seagull flying across the sky, one iota of white against the pitch-black sky. "I wanted to talk." Nico laughs dryly.

"Funny, because we don't usually do much of that."

"Then how'd I know that you're always cold, so I should turn the heat up before you got in? And how'd I know that your only McDonald's order is a chicken nugget happy meal with honey mustard and chocolate milk? And how'd I know that I could start to get you to like me again by putting my hand on your thigh because you like romantic stuff even though you don't like to talk about it?"Nico purses his lips, inching his thigh away from Will's hand. "We do talk, Nico, and I- I want to do more." Nico is trying to stop it, but he smiles.

"You're just saying that to get me back in bed with you."

"I'm not just saying that, Nico. I know how to do that, and you know I do. But this-the McDonald's, the drive, the beach- I mean, it's a small effort, and not the greatest one, but I'm hoping it'll make you maybe wanna go out on an actual date with me." The sand crunches underneath the wheels of his car as he comes to a soft stop just at the beginning of the beach. The sky above is dark and it paints the water black but they can still see the reflection of the moon, pure white light spilling across the rippling water, exposing the tiny waves as they roll onto the sand before pulling back in. And it's so, so strange to see the beach this empty. If Will didn't know any better, he wouldn't know that a single person had ever set foot on it. The sand remains so untouched, someone might think that it's new.

"A date?" Nico smiles, his hand brushing over Will's, still on his thigh. "Like a boyfriend date? Like you pick me up and we go out for a nice dinner kind of date?"

"You wouldn't know it by looking at you, but you really are a romantic, aren't you?" Nico punches Will's bicep lightheartedly, his face shadowed in the darkness.

"Shut up. Maybe I don't want to go out with you anymore."

"Hey, it wasn't supposed to be an insult. I think it's cute." Nico smiles and even in the darkness, even with half of his face cast in shadows, Will can see the twinkle in his eyes. It stands out, with everything else veiled by the night, and even with the beach right next to them, the twinkle in Nico's eyes is the thing that strikes him the most. And when Nico leans in, pressing a kiss to Will's lips, everything else around him disappears until it's them and only them, lips locked together out of longing, this time, instead of out of lust. He can't think about anything else, can't pay attention to the waves crashing or the sound of the seagulls because all he can pay attention to is the feeling of Nico's fingertips wrapping around his wrist, the feeling of Nico's warm breath on his face when they're done. All he can pay attention to is the soft exhale of happiness from Nico because it means that he finally, finally made the right decision.

Nico's POV

"Why are you so happy?"

"What?" Nico's head snaps up from his phone, thumb hovering above the send button just as he's trying to perfect his text to Will. The plans for the date haven't been set in stone yet and they've been busy for the past week; Will visiting his grandparents in New Hampshire, Nico slammed with work, but it'll come. He hopes.

"See?" Percy says, tossing his phone onto the pillow next to him and crossing his arms. It's not like the couch they're on is small; Sally has always believed in comfort over cost and they're lounging on one of the biggest and softest couches that Nico has ever sat on in his life. He feels as if he's sinking down into the cushions. But still, with that question in Percy's eyes, he wishes he was far, far away. "You're distracted, too. Distracted and happy. Very strange combination, and it probably means that you aren't telling me something." Nico sighs, shutting off his phone without sending the text. While it was just sex, what he said didn't matter because he knew for a fact that no matter what, Will would always be horny, and Nico would usually be available. But now that there was official boyfriend-ship on the horizon, he had to be careful with what he said. Every word was either a gift or a weapon against their new relationship and if Nico destroyed what they had this early on, he'd be crushed.

"It's nothing." His voice falters.

"Bullshit. You're a bad liar, Nico." Nico frowns at his hands, shaking slightly in his lap. Will had made him swear to keep it a secret, at least still in the infancy stages. Nico, overwhelmed with giddiness and excitement, had agreed. But Percy was staring at him with daggers in his eyes, and Nico knows that he'll either have to tell him about his relationship or get better at lying in the span of the next minute.

"You can't tell anyone about it," he says quickly, regretting his words as soon as they're out of his mouth. Percy raises his eyebrows and he scoots closer, eyes greedy. Nico doesn't blame him. He's rarely open about his life and it's a surprise to even him that he's talking about it. But maybe he's just so excited, he can't keep it all in. "Promise."

"I won't. What's up?"

"You know Will Solace, right?" Percy's mouth opens slightly, his eyebrows raise and for a second he doesn't say anything, and Nico feels his face break out into a light yet present sweat.

"Yeah."

"We've been hooking up for a couple of months."

"Oh."

"And I think we're gonna go out on a real date soon."

"Oh."

"Is that all you're gonna say?" Nico swallows hard and with each second Percy stares at him with a look of pity and fear, his heart sinks lower.

"I don't know, Nico. What am I supposed to say? He's not exactly boyfriend material."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you've been fucking for months and you didn't tell me, even though you tell me everything so he probably asked you to keep it a secret, right?" Nico glances down at the thin blanket covering his lap, twisting one of the strings around his finger until it starts to turn red. "And I bet he probably asked you to keep this a secret, right?"

"It was mutual. We wanted to see how it would go."

"Yeah, sure."

"Percy!"

"Fine." He shakes his head, rubbing his face in his hands. "I don't love it but if you really think it's a good idea, I'm fine with it." He looks up, forcing a smile onto his face and Nico gives one back, trying to ignore the pounding heart in his chest.

His phone is slick in his sweaty hands and he says a quiet "thanks," before turning back to the texts between him and Will, thumbing through the history. It's sweet stuff for the past few days, cheesy i miss u:) texts that either make him want to gag or do a cartwheel but past that, scrolling up two, three weeks back it's nothing but asking if Nico's in the mood or Nico asking Will whether or not it's safe to come up.

The draft of his text is still sitting in his box, every word perfectly chosen because of course he has to be careful in this stage. Of course, he can't do anything to mess up a chance he may never get again. But the butterflies in his stomach told him not to send it so he shuts it off with a quiet click, his pale face reflected in the black screen as a familiar sense of doubt that he finally thought he was rid of rolls through his body.

Hi guys, I just want to say first of all how thankful I am that you all were so understanding about me not being able to post while I was away, and just how grateful I am to have such an amazing group of readers. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed part three!

Nina