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REAL LIFE
THE SKY WAS ALREADY DARK WHEN someone knocked at his door.
Nate stood up from his bed with a yawn, rubbing his hand against his face. Last weeks had certainly been difficult for him, not even compared with the hardest or longest rehearsals (and he had had really hard and really long ones). At least the theater was near his house, and he could get to it just after a short walk (paying for a taxi was not even worthy, and money was something Nate could cry over because he didn't have much); but in there, he would almost fall asleep during the ride to the hotel, with not even counting he had to wake up so early in the morning to get on time to the locations.
God, Nate used to hate coffee, but lately, he had been drinking two cups a day to stay awake. He was enjoying it, though: the lack of sleep, the company of others, the view he had when he turned to one side during one take... The knocked came again. He had almost forgotten about it.
Seeing William in the other side, with a well-decorated gift bag in hands, was not exactly what he expected to face. But what could he even expect in the first place? After the party in the studio, they had all been sent to bed to prepare for the next takes, and yet, there was Will, with a timid smile in his face and his blue eyes shining and making the rest of the room suddenly so blue.
Why was everything so blue around him?
"Hey, Nathaniel" William was the first one to spoke, after both saw each other only in silence. Nate blamed his reaction to the fact he was almost sleeping a few minutes before, and Will... Well, to be fully honest, he only blamed Nate's blue eyes (though he wouldn't say it out loud). "I just wanted to..." he chuckled low. "I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. So..." he extended the gift bag in his direction. "Happy birthday, Vincent van Blue."
The nickname came out naturally from him. Nate tried not to smile at the mention of it, but it was impossible. I am mad at him, why am I even smiling? But again: something impossible to do.
"Thanks, Will" he answered kindly. Not 'golden Disney prince' or such, but Will. "You could have given this to me in the party, and I'm pretty sure I heard you sing happy birthday with the others."
He laughed again. "I did, but I wanted to do this in private."
"Nice. Well, thanks again..." Nate was closing the door, but William slightly pushed it back. "You need something else?"
Will looked at him with confusion, and this time, Nate only felt the urge to roll his eyes. Yes, he still liked William, but Will was still the idiot who only talked to him for matter of works or common salutes during weeks, never giving an explanation of the kiss they shared and ignoring Nate's messages (not that he sent too much, because he knew William and Anna was right: his way to deal with hard things was just to avoid them). It was actually very odd to get into Cam's Graham skin and acted as Peter's confident; especially strange since Peter had the face, voice and eyes of William, and both had to be the perfect friends for the camera.
It hadn't been that hard, anyways. Will was polite and kind enough to remind Nate to pronounce the difficult words with the correct accent before a scene started, and they always shared a small chat after every shot to discuss the next one. They saw each other during lunches and in their free day in the weekend, when they'd usually go out with the rest to visit the city. They weren't really strangers to the other, but there was still a void between them if they dared to compare it to what they relationship used to be. They were fine —better than what Nate thought they'd be; then, acting a smile towards the boy was almost pleasant as having him slightly back.
"I think we have to talk" Will said to his surprise.
Nate opened the door more, the enough for William to enter. They sit in the bed after a moment of hesitation of the blond.
"We're finally talking about our kiss?" Nate asked.
Will laughed a third time, like if he knew how perfect it sounded for Nate. "Multiple kisses, but who counted them, right?"
"That was not a funny joke."
"Oh, I know. You've told me a lot of times I'm not funny."
Nate shook his head. "What do you wanted to tell me?"
"I acted like a total dick and I deserve your hate" Will spoke, with an ease that made Nate wondered how many times he had practiced that before. "I should have... I should have done this before, but I thought we will be better without the other and... I was afraid of everything. That kiss was the best of my life because I kissed the best boy I've ever met, and I fell for him over my heels. And I know how bad this sounds, but you're not a girl and having those feelings freaked me out—feeling what I felt for you freaked me out and that was fine, right? Because that's how you're supposed to feel for someone who is special. And you are special for me, Nathaniel. You make everything blue and I like feeling blue for you. I was scared of that, but not anymore."
It took him some seconds to answer. "You could have talked to me about it."
"I know."
"I was scared too" Nate continued. "And I was even scarier when you stopped being you."
"You weren't scared when we kissed?"
"I was thinking in your eyes, how could I?"
Will smiled briefly. "I wasn't scared either."
Nate smiled too. "What changed your mind?"
"Sorry?"
"What happened to make you see that?"
"We've been acting as the cutest pair of best friends. And that has made me feel happiest than any other thing lately. Even my brother said that when I phoned him last night, and it is all because of you. I missed being like that with you, joking and... There. Cam and Peter could do that, why can't we then? They had it harder" Will pointed to the bag that rested over his legs. "Open your gift. I want to see you reaction."
Nate did it. It was a common blue t-shirt, with an image printed in the center of it. When he put attention to it, he understood what Will meant to.
"Vicent van Blue" he read. There was a smile again in his face.
"I ordered it before I fucked up things" Will explained. "It matches your eyes. Our eyes."
"You're really remembering it forever, right?"
This time, Will's smile was wider. "Are we good?"
Nate tilted his head, faking a frown that ended up in another smile. "We're on it, golden Disney king. But first tell me, did you practice this before?"
The smile got even wider. Blue, blue around Nate. Blue in Will, blue in him. "In front of the mirror, for five days."
