You're Good Luck, Sunshine

Reclaim

Will's footsteps pounded on the cobblestone. His vision blurred a little, the constant view of bricks flying past his shoes messing with his sense of direction. Every rock, crack, turn- they all looked the same. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, nose stuffy and face flushed. His breath formed clouds in front of him, but they blew past as he continued to run. 'Where the hell...'  

Then, for the second time, his hands slammed onto a door and shoved it open. Cobblestone was replaced with tile. Will looked up. If the door wasn't locked, then someone must be inside... he shoved his way past the countertop and into the tiny bakery's kitchen. 

Nico was curled in a ball next to the oven. Its heat was reminiscent of his new couch, so he closed his eyes and tried to imagine the rest of the room. A window on his left, adorned with hanging gardens and lights. On his right, the wall that he had wanted to pepper with photographs of the memories they would have made. That would have been where the Christmas tree went in the winter, and where they'd sit playing board games by the fire. He hadn't even told Will how he felt about him yet- although he was pretty sure he knew by now. Will... he tried to imagine Will. His bouncy curls tangled after a morning run, cheeks blushing and sprinkled with freckles. His wide, intoxicatingly innocent blue eyes, staring into his as he stood, out of breath, before him. Nico squeezed his eyes tighter in a quick wince. Too much, he'd imagined too much. Slowly, his eyes opened, and then he blinked. He hadn't.. imagined Will straight into the room, had he?? 

The prince knelt down on his knee. His beloved, his heart, was pressed so hard into the corner between the oven and the wall that his own heart squeezed in shame and pity. He never meant to hurt Nico this badly. "Nico..." The other boy blinked in surprise. His eyes were wide but wary, and he remained silent. "Nico, I-"

"I have to take the pies out of the oven." The other boy was awoken from his trance when the ding of the oven timer sounded, and he stood up, still pressed against the wall. Running his fingers through his hair, he started going through the motions. "Are you okay?" Will lifted his arm towards him, but decided against it and let it fall back to his side. Nico closed the oven, placing the last mini pies on the stovetop. "Whatever, Will. Why are you even here? Did you come after me? Why? We're obviously after different things. You don't want to be a prince again and I don't want to leave that part of my life behind without closure, without-"

"Neeks, shut up." Will's voice came out a little more forceful than he'd meant it to, but Nico did snap his mouth closed with a glare. "You're right. We are after different things. I want a beautiful life of justice and hope and people I love. You want to make things right with the place that shaped us. You want closure, to protect your sister and set your record straight. Nico, don't you see? If that's what's best for you.. if that's what you want.. then I want it too. I can have my fairytale life anywhere. You want to go home? Let's do it! Let's go and take that kingdom by storm. Let's show that old man who's really king and rule over the most beautiful, harmonious kingdom in history. And... again you're right. We owe it to our people. They deserve to live under a righteous, kind monarch who will slowly but surely fix their dystopian lives. Thank you, Nico, for opening my eyes. I... I love..." Will took a breath. "I love that about you. You always seem to know the right thing to do, even if you don't know you know." 

Nico swallowed back tears. He hadn't moved since Will started speaking, and now he felt the overwhelming urge to throw his arms around him and shower his face with kisses. But... he couldn't. He held back, and instead tried for a soft smile aimed at Will's shoes. Against his wishes, though, his lips pursed together and he closed his eyes, a slight frown pushing his eyebrows together. "What's wrong? D-did I say something?" Will panicked a little. "N-no..." Nico's heavy breaths turned into quiet sobs and he sunk back to the floor, covering his face with his hands. "Nico!" Will immediately dropped to his knees, engulfing the flour-covered boy in a hug. He pressed him into his chest, one hand rubbing soothing circles into his back and the other tangled in the knots in his coal colored hair. "I thought I ruined it, Will," Nico breathed, his eyes still shut as he inhaled the prince's scent. "I thought you would hate me. I thought you'd stay, and that I'd ruined your dreams. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." His breathing was slowing down a little as Will continued calming him down. He pushed further into him. "I'm getting your shirt wet."

"So what? I'm in love with you. Get my shirt soaked, for all I care." Will wasn't even afraid that time. He didn't even think. The words slipped so naturally off his tongue that he finished his declaration with a grin, staring at the ceiling. Nico had been scared that he'd lose him. He didn't even care if Nico didn't love him back.. at that moment he needed him to know how much he cherished him. That he would never let him go. That he could cry into a thousand of his shirts and Will would still always hold him. 

Nico's heart pounded. His stomach starting doing flips, and his mind went blank. What did Will say? "What did you say?" He pushed out of the warmth of Will's arms. "I said," Will looked directly into his eyes, enunciating his words. "I couldn't give a damn if you got my shirt wet. I am so incredibly head over heels for you that it doesn't matter in the slightest as long as your tears are dry. I love you. I love you."

His fingers traced Nico's cheekbone, his eyes wide as if he were only discovering it himself. Nico pinched his own eyes closed again. "Don't say anything, Nico. I understand. But know that I will never leave you." 

Nico's eyes flew open, and his body surged forward. His arms locked tightly around Will's neck, and then their lips locked, and warmth rushed through his body like a waterfall. Everything inside him felt like it was shaking. He could hear his heart. Blood roared in his ears. But his lips were pressed against Wills, and that was all that mattered. He was kissing the prince. The boy of his dreams. Will was stiff for a minute, then he felt him exhale and all of a sudden they were moving in sync. Nico slid from sitting to lying on the floor, fingers now entangled in golden locks, as Will knelt on top of him. With one leg between Nico's and both arms bordering his head, Will pressed his lips back against the boy he'd wished for for so long. He tasted sweet, like blueberries and lemon, and his tongue swirled against the top of the other's teeth. They stayed, locked into each other on the floor of the bakery in a passionate moment for what seemed like hours to them, but must have only been a few seconds. After a minute, Will broke away. "I'm sorry," he breathed a smile, "I only stopped cause I couldn't help smiling." 

 "I can't believe you said it first." Nico smiled back, one hand sinking to cup Will's cheek. "I love you too, my prince. My darling, my angel, my love of my life. I love you so much." He pecked his lips again and stood up with a giddy laugh of disbelief. "Now, let's go reclaim a kingdom!"