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Will has always been a bit chubby.
Nico has always been too scrawny.
They were best friends turned boyfriends and both would be happy (should be happy) if only people minded their own business. If only the people that surround them were the good kind.
Whenever the two of them were seen together, girls giggled and pointed and boys jeered and smirked at them.
“I guess it’s only natural for the ugly ones to gravitate to each other.”
“Hey Solace! Maybe you should give some of your chubby loving to that twig you call a boyfriend!”
“I guess you fags couldn’t find anyone to want you, so you settled for each other, huh?”
Will always pursed his lips and held Nico’s hand tighter.
Nico’s grip always went slack, face pale.
It made Will’s heart drop but he always held on.
He didn’t want to let go of what they had.
It all eventually came to a head one day.
Nico was newly out of the closet, he was insecure and broody, and add that to the constant bullying-
Something had to give.
He stopped talking to Will.
Will didn’t know what to think.
He’d sent messages, chased, tried to talk to a common friend but Nico withdrew to the point that he pretended the blond didn’t exist anymore, a determined look on his face.
“Maybe it’s like everyone said.” Will was curled into himself, voice small as he spoke to the phone, “Maybe he’s realized how fat and ugly I am and he-”
“William Vincent Solace.” Came a firm, angry voice on the other end. His sister Kayla scolded him, “Don’t you dare say another word.”
“But it’s-”
“-Not true.” She insisted, “You can’t believe that to be true." When there was no answer, she sighed. “Maybe you should come home early for Christmas break this year.”
Will thought back to his and Nico’s usual plans for the year and felt his heart drop.
“Yeah.”
It’s not like anyone wants him here anyway.
The holidays ended too soon and before he knew it, Will was miserable again, back in school. Barely any friends, no boyfriend, family so faraway.
So it really wasn’t much of a surprise, one afternoon, as he helped their Bio teacher in the faculty room, he blurted out, “I’m transferring.”
The kind, old woman stared at him. “That is- Isn’t that a bit sudden?”
It is. I just decided that now. Will thought but then he thought about more days like this, helping his teacher, keeping away from his classmate, seeing Nico from afar. He realized…
He couldn’t keep doing this.
“It might be but-” Will held his head high, “I know when I’m not wanted, I know I don’t fit in.”
The kind old teacher, gave him a sad look, “Everyone feels that way at a certain point. It will pass.”
“Or it won’t.” Will said sadly, “All I know is that I can’t keep doing this. At least, back home, I have people there who care.”
His favorite teacher looked at him for a while before saying, “If you’re sure…”
“I’m sure.” Will said, picking up the box. “I’m leaving, I’m going home. And I don’t want to comeback.”
There was a sound of books dropping to the floor and Will turned just in time to see piles of books on the floor, and someone running out. The blond exchanged looks with the teacher before Will bent down to pick up the book.
The familiar name Di Angelo written on the front made Will’s heart skip.
He more or less expected the knock on his dorm door as he was packing up his things. His lips thinned as he opened the door and was met with the anxious-looking Nico.
He looked- he looked good. By looking at Nico now, Will became even more aware at how long he last properly got a look at his ex-boyfriend.
He’d gained some weight, his face wasn’t sickly pale looking anymore, cheekbones not sharp with malnutrition. His cheeks were pink from the cold, his skin glowing healthily, eyes bright. Will’s heart lurched.
“Will.”
And it was a testament to how gone on Nico he was that even after everything, the sound of his name still made his heart trip on itself. “Di Angelo.” Will said, his grip on the door tightened as though he was thinking of shutting it before Nico got to say whatever lame excuse it was to get him to stay.
As though reading his thoughts, Nico grabbed his arm, “Don’t.”
Will raised an eyebrow, “Don’t what? Don’t close the door? Don’t think about not hearing you out?”
“Don’t leave.”
Will’s breath caught and he tried to tug his arm back. “I need to.”
Nico’s breath hitched, “Don’t- just don’t.” He said, “Please. I’m sorry.”
Will shoved at the other teen and hissed, “Saying sorry won’t make me stay.” He turned around to continue packing.
“Then I’ll- I’ll come with you!” Will turned, face incredulous. Nico’s face was flushed, eyes determined. “If you won’t stay, then I’ll convince my dad to transfer me to where you are.”
The blond looked at him disbelievingly, “What are you- why are doing this? What are you saying?”
“I don’t-” And to Will’s surprise, the dark-haired teen sound near tears, “I know I’m not- I don’t deserve you and I know that I’m- I’m too thin and scrawny and basically I look like a skeleton most of the time but I-”
Will watched as Nico drew in a deep hitching breath, “But I love you- too- too much so I thought, I thought to get away because you deserve someone better so I-”
“So you stopped talking to me.” Will said, and he should be angry, but right now, he was just tired. He ran a hand down his face.
“I tried… to get better. Be better, I- I ate more, did some exercise, I even- even booked an appointment with a nutritionist like my dad said. I also did some- some therapy. And- and when I was okay, I’d…” Nico’s voice broke, and he said in a quiet voice. “I’d come back to you.”
Will stared at him, eyes wide, “You-” His eyes feel like they were burning as he thought back to those weeks, those months, not knowing what he did wrong. He inhaled sharply, “You can’t just come in here and- and say that.”Not after everything, not when I’m about to leave everything behind.
Nico flinched, “I’m sorry- I-”
But Nico didn’t get to finish his sentence when his arms was suddenly filled with a shaking Will Solace, clutching him tight. Nico blinked in surprise, “Will?”
“Don’t say it, don’t say that, don’t say you love me.” The blond buried his face into Nico’s once bony shoulder and didn’t say anything. His shoulders trembled and Nico’s arms surrounded him, holding him close. “Not when you left me alone. You don’t get to say that.”
“I’m sorry.” Nico whispered again, his own eyes were burning. He buried his face into Will’s blond hair, “I’m so sorry, Will.”
Will didn’t say anything but the heavy feeling he’d been carrying around, started to dissipate.
He and Nico still weren’t okay. It’ll probably take awhile before they were friends again, and longer before Will will stop expecting Nico to leave him and for Nico to realize he isn’t alone anymore.
But they’ll get there eventually. And when they do, they’d be stronger than ever, stronger together, and no words of hate would ever break them apart, not again.
Nico would make sure of that.
He made sure of that, years down the road, when he knelt and proposed to Will during their school reunion, to the envy and surprise of their classmates (the two of them turned out to be quite good-looking and everyone pretty much regretted telling them otherwise).
And Will made sure of that too, when he said “yes” to Nico, a happy smile on his face.
Though it may seem bleak now, things did get better in the end.
In the end, they lived happily ever after.