Hi guys, here's the part two to last week's one shot, so enjoy!

Nico's POV

It's hot on the beach. So hot, like sticky fourth of July parades and the inside of a car after it's sat for five hours. Sand sticks to his skin, glued by sweat and coating his arms and his bare ankles, but he doesn't mind. He feels as if he's floating, held up by the beach, and Will's soft arm is underneath him. When he looks over at Will, he can see the stars reflected in his eyes, and on his lips is a smile, soft and sweet. It isn't the biggest that Nico has ever seen but even so it means something, about the kiss, and about the future. "Hey," Nico says. Will turns. "What're you thinking of?" 

"I don't know," Will says. "Everything."

 A pit forms in Nico's stomach and it isn't the biggest, but he knows that left untreated, it will grow. "Do you regret it?" 

"What?" 

"The kiss," Nico says. He scratches the back of his head. "Do you regret it?" 

"Oh, I definitely don't regret it," Will says. He inches closer, cupping Nico's cheek in his hand. His skin is warm but not the boiling warmth like before, but the kind of warmth that comes with a fireplace in the winter, or a cup of hot cocoa after sledding. Even though Will is looking at Nico instead of the stars, they still carry a bit of their brightness, and they shine brighter than Nico thought possible. "I'm just- thinking." 

"About what?" 

"About stuff," Will says. "Like, what happens next?" 

"Whatever we want to happen next," Nico says. "We're completely free. Well, kind of." His mind goes to the next day when they have to go back to being normal counselors, who hadn't kissed the night before, who are just there to do their jobs, get money, and leave. And then it jumps to a week later where the kiss is just a blip in their memory and then, two weeks, where the prospect of leaving forever is on the horizon. 

"I feel like there's something I need to say," Will says. Nico's heart plummets and he tries to keep his emotion from showing on his face. 

"What?" 

"I feel like we shouldn't try to pursue, like, an actual relationship," Will says, taking his hand and rubbing the back of Nico's with his thumb. "Like, it would be nice, but I think it would be too hard. Like, we both go to college in the fall. It would be really hard." 

"Yeah, I kinda figured that," Nico says, pursing his lips. He blinks hard, trying to keep tears from forming. Of course, it would be too naive to hope that something real would form out of the kiss, in the heat of the summer in a camp in the middle of nowhere. Any romance they had would be temporary, and he feels the truth start to sting. "But we have a couple of weeks, right? We can just be friends. Who kiss once in a while." 

Will smiles and his face is bright. He presses a quick kiss to Nico's lips, and for the second time that night, Nico feels the warmth from before reach every tip of his body. "I'd like that," Will says. 

"Good," Nico says. Their romance might be temporary but for now, the promise and excitement it offers are all Nico needs. "Me, too." He rolls so that his body is pressed up against Will's body and even though they need to get back to their cabins soon, be up early for swim hour, he lets himself relax into the moment of just being held by Will. 

Will's POV

Will is usually up and energized for the early morning swim at six-thirty but this morning, he stumbles groggily out of bed, groping for his swimsuit in the dark before slipping into the bathroom to change. As soon as he steps out of the bathroom he's bombarded by ten-year-olds, screaming his name in shrill voices too early in the morning. "Can we go now?" Andrew asks, giving him the toothy smile that Will can never say no to. "Will, I wanna swim. It's hot out." 

"Yeah, Andrew, I know," Will says, patting him on the back with one hand as he hides a yawn with the other. "Come on, guys, let's get down to the lake." It's like herding a flock of sheep out the door, as one kid tries to climb back into bed and another decides he has to use the bathroom right when they're about to walk out of the door. But soon they manage to take their first step out the door, and Will feels himself sigh in relief. 

The colors of the camp are always brighter in the morning, like the exhaustion that comes with managing a massive group of kids hadn't sucked the color and energy out of everything. The trees are greener, the skies are bluer, and even though Will had been on the beach with Nico until one in the morning, spilling their life stories in between soft kisses, he feels himself getting younger. But, apparently, it doesn't reflect on his appearance. 

"Why do you look so tired?" Andrew asks, falling in step beside Will. All of the other campers are running ahead of him, a couple already jumping into the water, but Andrew works to match Will's slow pace. 

"What?" Will says, rubbing his eyes. 

"You look really tired," Andrew points out. "I thought you said that we had to go to bed early just so we wouldn't be tired." Will opens his mouth, searching for something to say. 

"It was just hot for me last night," Will says. "It was kinda hard to fall asleep. That's all." He catches Nico's eye, already on the beach, and he blushes. 

"Ok," Andrew says, eyeing Will suspiciously. "If you say so." Will holds his breath, waiting to see if his sneak-out make-out with Nico last night will be discovered. But ten-year-old boys are quickly bored and soon Andrew is diving into the water with his friends, and Will takes a seat next to Nico. The newly risen sun stretches across the horizon, warming up the waters that the campers play in and the sand that Will and Nico sit in. 

"Hey," Will says, grinning at Nico. His hand sinks into the sand, and he finds his eyes sweeping over Nico's body. He hadn't paid attention to it at first but after making out on the beach last night, he feels himself start to blush. "You look, uh, nice." 

Nico laughs, leaning back and basking in the sun. "You're not gonna be awkward now, are you?" he asks. "I mean, come on, Will, it was, like, one kiss." He keeps his voice down, scanning the beach for any stray ears, but everyone is either busy in the water or snoring gently on the sand. They're surrounded by people, but Will feels like they're alone. 

"It was a couple more than that," Will says. He wants to go back to last night, where they were wrapped in darkness and each other. 

"But thanks," Nico says. "You do, too. I never noticed it today, but you have abs." 

"Oh, shut up," Will says with a laugh. He swats Nico's arms, and his smile splits his face. "But thank you." His heart sinks about the prospect of losing what could otherwise be such an amazing opportunity, at a close friendship and a possible relationship. In any other situation, if Will had met Nico, he would have already been trying to plan a first date. "Oh, also, we need to be more subtle." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Like, Andrew's suspicious. He noticed how tired I was, he's shockingly more observant than I expected. Ten-year-old boys are more intelligent than I thought." 

"Well, Chiron said he wanted the counselors to make friends," Nico says. "That's what we are." 

"We made out on the beach at midnight last night." 

"Ok, so, we're friends who make out," Nico says. That stabs Will's heart a bit. He wants more. He wants to take the connection he feels with Nico and run with it but to have a long-term relationship during his first semester at college would be too hard, so he swallows his feelings and smiles. 

"Great," Will says. "Just what I've always wanted." 

Nico falls asleep pretty soon after that, his lips parted as the sun warms his face. Most of the counselors are asleep if they're not in the water, leaving Chiron and a lone few counselors on the beach to make sure the kids don't kill themselves in the water. Will misses the company of the easy conversation he makes with Nico, but he lets himself settle into the quiet of the morning as Nico sleeps by his side.

Nico's POV

His half friendship half romance with Will gives him more life than he's ever had. In the day they manage their respective cabins, teaming up for various challenges and, in Mason's words, 'kicked everyone's ass.' Chiron had lectured Nico about his cabin leadership skills after he had heard that, but it hadn't even affected him. He feels as if he's glowing, inside and out, and he never wants to leave. 

During the night, he and Will sneak out to the beach. Even though they pay for it the next morning in groggy steps and yawns, but Nico wouldn't trade their time on the beach for the world. Some nights they come in their bathing suits, jumping into the water and swimming in the reflection of the stars, where there are no kids to bother them and no one else to worry about. And some nights they lay on the beach in their pajamas, talking about everything that comes to their mind and, when the mood strikes, they kiss, reveling in their youth and their freedom. 

It's one of those nights when they're just laying on the beach, Nico in Will's arms when they hear footsteps. Nico's head shoots up and he rolls out of Will's arms, frowning. "What was that?" Nico asks, scanning their surroundings for any sign of movement. He can't see anyone but he hears someone clear their throat. 

"I think you're imagining things," Will says, running his fingers through Nico's hair. They say they're just friends but it's these tiny touches that remind Nico that they both want more. 

"I don't think I am," Nico says, pushing himself up. "Will, there's something there." 

"No there-" Someone clears their throat again and Will shoots up, eyes going wide. "Shit. There's someone there." 

"Will, what the fuck do we do?" Nico whispers. "We're gonna have to explain ourselves to some ten-year-old kid what the fuck we're doing out on the beach at, like, midnight." He stops; something that he had just said feels wrong. "Wait, what's a ten-year-old kid going to the beach at midnight for?" He squints into the darkness and manages to make out a shadowy figure, much too tall for even the tallest ten-year-old. "Will, that's Chiron." 

"What?" 

"We have to, like, hide," Nico says. "How d'you think he's going to react to finding two of his teenage counselors cuddling on the beach together? I mean, we're getting paid to be here. He'll kill us." 

Will is silent for a half of a minute, and all they can hear is the crickets in the bushes, waves lapping up on the sandy beach, and Chiron's heavy breathing, cutting through the night like a knife to butter. "Get in the water," Will whispers after a second of listening to the world move around them. 

"What? Will, I didn't bring my bathing suit tonight, my pajamas are going to get soaked." 

"Just do it," Will says. "He'll see us otherwise. There's nowhere else to go." 

Nico bites his lips. These are his favorite pajamas, and he doesn't want to have to face the shame of wading out of the lake as they drip with water. But Chiron is coming closer, and he really doesn't want to have to explain himself. After all, counselors are supposed to lead by example. But as he's trying to decide, Will pushes him in, and he doesn't get the chance. 

The first second, all he feels is cold. The dropoff happens a couple of feet in so for a bit he's just lying with sand in his hair as water seeps into his pajamas. But then Will rolls so that he's completely underneath and Nico, knowing that Chiron is coming closer and he doesn't exactly have a choice, goes with him. 

When they're fully submerged, Nico opens his eyes. Reeds wrap around his legs and he's being supported by the water as he holds his breath. Will is next to him, cheeks puffed as he holds his breath and his hair floating above his head, light and blond. He looks like a mermaid in the water, and through the sheen of blue and green, his face has taken on a pale tinge. For a second they float, staring at each other, and then Will nods and they swim towards the patch of trees on the side of the lake. 

Nico comes up gasping for air. He feels as if he's been holding his breath for forever, and he grabs onto a tree root coming out of the ground to support himself. His legs kick, still in the water trying to hold him up and next to him, Will coughs up water. "You okay?" Nico asks as Will straightens his body, wiping his mouth. 

"Yeah," Will says, propping his arm up on the bank. His pajama shirt sheds water as they speak. "You?" 

"Yeah," Nico says. He's still breathless, whether from being underwater or hiding from Chiron, he doesn't know. The patch of trees protects them from the view of the shore that they came from, and he can't hear Chiron anymore. His chest heaves. "I'm good." They look each other in the eyes and for a second they stew in silence, coming down from the desperate, adrenaline-rush high. And then, they both burst into laughter. 

"I thought we were fired there for a second," Will says. "I mean, I was terrified." 

"So was I," Nico says. He takes a deep breath, and to steady himself, he tilts his head up. Thorugh a split in the trees, he can see the moon, shining down at them, almost like a smile. "But we're safe now." 

"Yeah," Will says quietly. "We're safe now." He inches closer, taking Nico up into the best kiss of his life. Nico takes his hand off of the bank, wrapping his arms around Will's neck. He's held up by the adrenaline of the kiss, by the weight of water, and by the freedom given to him as a gift from the moon.

Will's POV

The rest of the camp passes in a blur of campfire songs, s' mores, and trying to make sure that the kids don't kill each other with various objects scooped up off of the ground. In a shocking turn of events, Cabins 7 and 13 tie in the Cabin Tournaments, and Chiron, proclaiming the tie a historic event, gives all of the kids a tiny plastic crown. Nico wears his proudly, pretending to be the king of the land as his campers laugh. Will smiles, watching him march around the campfire in his dollar store crown. He had grown so well into his role as a counselor, a leader, a friend and now, when he's clearly starting to enjoy himself, the four weeks are over. 

The last night for Will and Nico on the beach is bittersweet. Will wants to kiss him like never before, wrap him up in his arms and never let go, but they both know that in the morning they'll be gone so that last magical night on the beach they just talk; about their lives back home(Nico had been staying with his grandparents for the summer when he wasn't camping, and in a couple of weeks, he'll be back in Maine), about college, about a future, a future that doesn't hold the romance that they had both dreamt of, but a friendship filled with face-times, car trips to visit one another, and restless pining. It's two in the morning when Will drags himself back to his cabin, loss already aching in his chest. 

The kids leave at noon the next day, but the counselors stay later to help clean up. Will sweeps his cabin, checking every nook and cranny for a spare toy or shoe, anything to avoid leaving. If he could, he would clean for ages, just so that he could still pretend that his fantasy with Nico still exists. But with each sweep of the broom and scrub of a stain, the fantasy disappears, and by the time they each step out of their shimmering cabins, it's like it had never existed in the first place. 

"So, this is it, huh?" Nico says, duffel bag sitting by his feet. It looks strange next to him, the possessions that had gotten him through the past four weeks all tucked away neatly. As if he's packed up his memories with his things, and their relationship had gone with it. 

"Well, it isn't it," Will says. "We'll still be friends. I have your number; we can face time." He kicks a rock with his shoe, and he hears cars begin to roll up and counselors climb inside, wishing slapdash goodbyes before peeling away. 

"Yeah, but you know what I mean," Nico says. "There's no us anymore." He loops his pinky around Will's, squeezing tight. If Will is being honest, he wasn't sure if there was ever an us to begin with. Sure, they had kissed and shared their secrets on the beach as if the world belonged to them, but from their first kiss, they had both made it abundantly clear that any romance was to be reserved for the camp and the camp alone, and out in the real world, one not made up by trees and shrill ten-year-old voices, they were just friends.

"We'll come back next year, though, right?" Will says. He's worried that he sounds too desperate, but he needs to make sure that Nico remembers his request. Up until they get too old they'll be counselors at the camp, fighting to win the Cabin Tournaments in the day and kissing on the beach at night. 

Nico's face lights up. "Yeah, of course," he says. "I'll come back next year after my first year of college and I'll be all cool and tough and you'll fall for me all over again." Will laughs. The image of Nico being tough isn't one Will thought he would ever be imagining, or a summer where Will wasn't falling head over heels for Nico. He knows that, even into the deep winter, he'll still be thinking of Nico's shining face, his laugh, the way his arms feel. around Will's shoulder. But brief summer love will have to be enough, for now.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure you'll have grown six inches and will have suddenly developed massive muscles," Will says, pulling Nico in tight. He rests his chin on Nico's head, breathing in the scent of his shampoo for the last time that year. Unless they visit each other in college, make the ride in their cheap cars or on busses getting stares from creepy old men, they won't see each other for a long, long time. 

It hurts to break out of the hug, to give Nico up to the outside world full of people Will doesn't know and things that he'll never experience. Nico smiles sadly, his hand bumping into Will's. "Anyway, I have to go," Nico says quietly, eyes full of pain. "My grandparents are waiting for me at a cafe downtown, and I think they're getting antsy. My grandmother keeps trying to facetime me. I don't think she knows how phones work, but I know she's getting annoyed." 

Will laughs quietly, trying to hold back tears. "We'll keep in touch, though, right?" 

"Obviously," Nico says. "I'm not going to forget you and if you forget me I'll personally drive up to your college and give you a nice reminder. But I really do have to go." Standing on his tiptoes he presses a quick peck to Will's lips. It's nothing special, but it tells their story to the world, gives Will one last thing to remember him by. "Bye, Will. I'll talk to you later." 

"By, Nico," Will says. Nico starts to walk, his duffel bag weighing heavy on his arm. He looks back until he's out of the camp gates and when he begins to turn nothing more than a blot on the landscape he turns around, and Will feels their connection begin to sever. He watches Nico until he's smaller than a bug, feeling the loss of something sweet burn in his chest. He had known that his relationship with Nico would be temporary but it hurts all the same, and it's only when he's let a couple of tears slide down his face when he begins to make the trek into town.

Hi guys, I know this ending was a little bittersweet but I honestly really like how it turned out so I hope you do, too!

Nina