our heart beats || solangelo AU

Four

A/N: Not me telling you to go stream an album that came out 8 years ago

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Anyone can see you're hiding

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“What are you still doing here?” Nico asked, hands gripping his bag’s straps. There was no scowl or sneer on his face. His expression was neutral but the raised eyebrows and wide eyes made him almost look… cute.

“Missed the bus.”

“You take—never mind.” He sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

“My grandfather was picking me up last week, I forgot that I was supposed to take the bus starting today.” Will volunteered. “You walk home?”

Nico scrunched his nose in irritation but opened his pursed lips and said with a sigh, “Yes.”

Will rolled his eyes, unable to hold back the question, “what’s your problem?”

His eyes narrowed at him. “Sorry?”

Something in the back of his mind told him to refrain, but the words spilled out of his mouth. “Why do you hang out with those guys? Like, what are you afraid of?”

Nope. There was no way in hell Nico would open up to him now.

His guards were building up, wide eyes moved to his feet, shifting his weight and Nico shook his head, “Afraid… Who even are you?”

“Forget my name already?” Will considered him. He didn’t seem to idolize Dan like the others. The two seemed to be on equal footing on the 'hierarchy'. So, continuing past Nico’s muttered illegible response, he said, “You don’t really like Daniel, do you?”

“Huh?” He was exasperated and confused, eyebrows drawn together, eyes wide and dark—not only the bags under them but also his iris. It was a deep and rich brown, almost black. There was something so alluring about the color.

“All that bullshit he was saying during lunch. I’m glad I didn’t strangle him. Unfortunately, ignorance isn’t a good enough reason for murder. Apparently nothing is, unless I could play it off as an accident…” Will glanced at Nico, trying to gauge how much society had indoctrinated their irrational beliefs into him… About trans people. Not murder, obviously.

Nico’s gaze was fixed on Will’s shoulder as he shrugged.

“You look uncomfortable… which, I mean, it’s this place. I don’t expect people to be super accepting or open about everything but, you know." He paused. "If by any chance you wanted to continue this conversation, I invite you to keep the ball rolling, say anything. At all—”

“I—I think people should do whatever they want, wear whatever they want, it’s none of my business. I—yeah.” Nico burst out, folding his arms over his chest.

“That’s the spirit.” Will offered him a grin that was not returned, so he continued psychoanalyzing the rest of Nico’s friends. “The others are stupid though. ”

Nico stared at the ground strangely with his brows furrowed and lips tugged down—a glare that Will had a feeling would have been directed at him by any other person. Nico, however, seemed to have some qualms looking people in the eyes
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“The lackeys definitely follow Dan around like he’s a god, worshiping the ground he walks on—” As Will rolled his eyes, the shorter boy interrupted his words.

“Lackeys?” He looked about ready to jump at him, eyes wide and trained still somewhere on the wall next to his face.

“Oh, yeah, that’s what I call the guys that follow you three around—you know, you, Dan and Jeremy.” Will stated.