even in the silver light

EIGHT.

Nico pulls the sleeves of Will's sweater down over his hands, blinking at the ceiling. There are stars on it, glowing faintly green.

Will is asleep, breathing quietly, and Nico listens.

And he listens and listens and listens.

A long, slow inhale and a sharper, quicker exhale. The mattress squeaking as Will turns slightly. Nico can almost hear the sound his heat beating.

He's so alive.

Nico rolls to his side, looking over the edge, down to Will, who's sleeping with the blanket twisted around his legs, tossed down as he was falling asleep. He's glowing.

Nico's eyes skim across Will's face, across his eyebrows and the strong bridge of his nose. His freckles. His lips.

Nico sighs.

He kissed Will today.

He kissed Will today.

He'd never kissed anyone before. He'd never even thought it was a possibility, never though there was a chance he'd be able to kiss a boy. But the way Will touches him...

Every time his warm fingertips creeped under Nico's shirt, every time he pressed his lips to Nico's cheek or forehead, every time he pressed his face into Nico's neck, every time his soft voice sent breaths over Nico's ear, over his skin...

And the mural.

The mural Will took him on a long detour to, just to show him. The mural that made Nico's chest and throat tighten, that made him ache.

And Will kissed him back.

Will held him, pressed his fingers into his waist and pulled him as close as physically possible, caressed his cheek like if he held him too tight, if he pressed too hard, Nico would fall apart. And it felt so good Nico thought he might fall apart anyway.

And he whispered to him, that Nico is lovely.

No one has ever called Nico lovely before.

Nico wants to kiss him again. He doesn't know when he'll be able to. But he knows Will will wait for him.

He reaches down and carefully moves some hair from Will's face.

He might be falling in love.

He might already be in love.

Nico tugs the blankets around him up, laying his head down. The pillow smells like Will. So do the blankets. And the sweater.

Like citrus and sunshine.