The Secret Singer

Will had told himself he wouldn't do it. He'd seen Nico's 'musical job' and that was all he needed. He'd wait till he came back for the week and confront him. So why was he driving to Oakland at night? No, it wasn't to get more closure. No. He just . . . happened to be in the area.

He stopped outside the building, an hour early, and had to just sit there for a minute, reminding himself of the plan. He was going to walk in there, wait for Nico to come on, hear him sing about Percy, probably cry, then start the journey home. He'd already booked a hotel halfway there.

Will took a deep breath and opened the door and stepped out of his car. The wind hit him like ice, but he didn't feel it as his feet carried him to the door and his hand brought out money to pay for a ticket.

Stepping into the room felt like he was stepping onto a fragile glass bridge over the pit of Chaos. There were a few people milling around, and Will wanted to bolt. He had always been a social guy, but his stomach was turning and his vision was a little blurry and the world was spinning and . . .

"Hey, man. You good?"

Will looked up and saw a boy with curly brown hair and cheeks full of freckles looking at him.

"Y-yeah," Will told him with a forced smile.

The boy frowned. "You seem to be having a silent panic attack."

Will hadn't realized it, but the boy was right. All the symptoms were there, heart pounding, breath felt hard to swallow, his legs felt as if they'd fall out from under him, his hands were shaking and sweaty too.

"Here." The boy dropped his shoulder bag off and rummaged inside for something before bringing out an Essential Oil of Lavender.

"Smell this," he insisted.

Will took the small, glass container and held it under his nose, giving it a whiff.

"Good," the boy told him. "Now follow my finger."

He held up a finger and Will followed it with his eyes. The world wasn't spinning anymore.

"Okay now feel my pulse."

The boy took Will's hand and put it on his wrist. Will could feel the steady pulse of another heartbeat and quickly changed his own to match.

"Now, I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer them," the boy told him. "What are five things you can see right now?"

Will's eyes drifted to the Essential Oil in his hand. "I see this bottle of Lavender."

"Good. What else?"

Will looked around the room. "I see someone with a hat."

"Mhm."

"A book someone is holding. A colorful dress. And . . ." His eyes focused on the boy in front of him. "And your glasses."

The boy smiled," Great. Now the last thing I want you to do is picture a happy place."

Will closed his eyes hesitantly. Sometimes when he close his eyes the world felt like it was tilting, but he didn't think about that. He focused on the steady heartbeat and thought of a place that made him happy.

An imaged popped into his mind of the infirmary. But it wasn't just any day in the infirmary, it was one of those three days with Nico when he had demanded that he get some rest from shadow traveling half way around the world with two other people and a 60 foot tall statue. The walls were a warm yellow and Nico was sitting on his cot, begrudgingly eating the food Will had brought him.

"How do you feel?" The boy's voice woke Will back up to reality. He opened his eyes and realized he was smiling.

"Much better, thank you."

"No problem," the boy smiled. "I'm training to become a doctor so I know how to deal with a panic attack."

"Wait, really?" Will asked, staring into the boy's blue eyes.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I go to school not too far from here."

"That's incredible," Will mazed.

"You aspiring to be a doctor too?" he asked.

Will shrugged, "I'm the head doctor at a summer camp I go to and I'd really like to do it as a job but . . . I'm not really sure it's an option for me."

"If it's finance reasons you could just come to my school," the boy offered. "There's a program where you can learn for free."

"No, it's not that simple," Will told him. "But, thank you for that . . ."

"Oh!" the boy's cheeks flushed a little pink and he held out his hand. "I'm Mark."

Will shook his hand, "William, but you can call me Will."

"Nice to meet you."

Will looked around the room growing with people, "did you come here with friends or something, Mark?"

"Nope," Mark replied a little sadly. "My friends are all on break. They live in fancy houses and are staying there for the week, but I just live in an apartment by myself so I'm stuck here."

"Dam, I'm sorry about that."

"Yeah. I'm guessing you didn't come here with anyone?"

"No," Will sighed. "Wish my boyfriend would have brought me though."

"Why?"

Will shook his head, "we're just . . . going through a rough patch."

Mark nodded. "How long have you been dating for?"

"Around two years," Will smiled. "I know it's not a lot but we knew each other before that and we've been through and done a lot in our time together."

Mark smiled, "you sound like you'll make it through."

Will nodded, "what about you? Anyone significant in your life?"

"Nah, not really," he admitted. "I'm bi, which makes people think I can and will date everyone, but that's actually not true like not everyone's my type. I'm also asexual demiromantic so it's hard to find someone who wants no sex and I already have a connection with."

"I'm bi too, actually," Will told him excitedly. "I totally get where you're coming from!"

"Really?!" Mark asked, equally excited. 

"Yeah! Has anyone ever just told you you're 'gay and are just too afraid to come out?"

"Yes! Everyone also assumes I'm going to sleep with everyone."

"Yeah, and you're a cheater too!"

"Or I've had people say, 'pick a side!' like, girl, I did!"

"I know! What is up with that?"

Will found that he had Mark had many things in common and talked for a long time, longer than Will would have thought. Eventually though, the lights came down and all conversations stopped. 

A beat dropped and Will jumped at how loud it was.

"Have you ever gone to concert before?" Mark asked.

"No," Will told him, covering his ears. "This volume can't be good for human ears."

"Defiantly not," Mark agreed. "But it's kind of nice after a while."

Will highly doubted it would be nice, and was starting to get second thoughts on his whole 'stalking Nico at his secret job' plan.

An electric wave sound rippled through the crowd and Will's eyes were almost blinded by lights as they lit up the stage and one girl singing in the middle. She had brown wavy hair and was wearing a T-shirt with baggy ripped jeans. A sudden thought bubbled up in Will's head "Maybe Nico wasn't an actual singer? What if he was just filling in for her or something". Will hoped he was right. Nico was just a backup singer for this girl.

Kisses to my exes

Who don't give a shit about me

Kisses, kisses to the next ones

Who think they can live without me

We makeup, then we breakup, and I swear they'll never call me

But I still keep their number and their necklace

Kisses to my exes

Will was too far away to see the girl very clearly but her voice carried through with the microphone. It wasn't just her though, many others were singing along too, including a voice right next to him. Will, turned and noticed Mark was singing along with her and the crowd.

"Big fan?" he asked, yelling over the noise.

Mark nodded excitedly. "I was so happy when I heard that McCassy was opening for Nico!"

Will did a double take. So much for Nico not being an artist.

"So you really like Nico's music too?" he asked. It felt weird to speak of his boyfriend like he didn't know him.

"Not just his music." Mark turned to Will, eyes shining. "Nico is such a kind and sweet person! There are so many pictures on Pinterest of him helping others, and he is just a cute celebrity."

Will didn't know what part of the answer surprised him more, Nico having pictures of himself on the internet, him being called a celebrity, or Mark describing Nico as kind, sweet, and cute. Will had obviously always believed those things himself, but most people at camp didn't see him that way. It was weird to hear him described as an angel rather than some kind of demon or devil.

I'm a, I'm a, I'm a wild ride that never stop

I'm a, I'm a, I'm a hard case they can't unlock

And I, and I swear I care a lot, just not enough

Let's just say it is what it is and was what it was

"Do you not listen to them?" Mark asked, making Will focus back on him.

"Um," Will considered lying and saying that he did, but he couldn't fake knowing songs. "No, I've never heard them."

"Never heard them?!" Mark asked like Will was crazy. "Nico's on the radio all the time! Everyone's heard at least one of his songs!"

Will scratched his neck, "my family doesn't let me have a phone or radio or anything and I'm never in a car or the city much."

"Shame," Mark sighed, his hair blowing out as he exhaled.  "McCassy and Nico are both really good and make some great songs. But, hey! Now you get to be introduced to them in the best way possible!"

Will smiled kindly, he wasn't so sure he was right though.

The song had ended and the girl, McCassy was smiling at the crowd. 

"Hello Oakland!" she called, giving them a big wave. "Welcome to the Sun and Star Tour!"

The crowd roared with applause and screams, Will was afraid he'd be trampled or loose his hearing.

"Nico will be out in a bit, but for now let's warm up the vocal chords!"

A new song queued up and McCassy was back into performance mode.

Some girls

Feel best in their tiny dresses

Some girls

Nothing but sweat pants, looking like a princess

Some girls

Kiss new lips every single night

They're staying out late cause they're just celebrating life

McCassy was moving across the stage now, pointing at people and keeping everyone's focus on her.

You know some days you feel so good in your own skin

But it's okay if you want to change the body that you came in

Cause you look greatest when you feel like a damn queen

We're all just playing a game in a way, tryna win that life

McCassy had successfully crossed the stage and some on the lights dimmed for the chorus. As Will's eyes had been following the singer's every step, he had also seen a band playing in the background. He wondered how much Nico had talk to them. Did they get paid a lot? Did Nico tell them about his past? Do they know about him or just Percy?

Some girls

Like to keep their physique real private

Some girls

Wear jeans so tight cause it feels so right, yeah

McCassy was taking big strides to the right side of the stage now with Will and the crowd watching her every step.

Some girls

Everyday searching, keep the page turning

Sleeping in late cause they're just celebrating life

"Are you feeling okay?" Mark's voice asked from Will's side. He hadn't even noticed, but the buzz of an anxiety attack had filled his ears and his eyesight was blurred and unseeing.

"Um," Will swallowed, blinking and shaking his head. "Yeah, it's just . . . a lot."

A hand feel on his shoulder and Will turned his head to see it was only Mark.

"If you ever start feeling like you might pass out or go full panic attack, just grab my arm," he told him.

"I wouldn't want to keep you from your concert . . ."

"Will, it's okay to do something for yourself and your own safety."

Will felt like he was punched in the gut. That was something Nico would say because he was his boyfriend and therefor was obliged to tell him that stuff. Now, a person he had known for maybe an hour was saying the same thing? Maybe Nico wasn't just telling him that.

Most girls

Are smart and strong and beautiful

Most girls

Work hard, go far, we are unstoppable

Most girls

Our fight to make every day

No two are the same

I wanna be like, I wanna be like most girls

The songs continued and many more played that made the crowd jump and scream. Through the first few Will would get over whelmed and almost reach for Marks arm before taking a deep breath and focusing back on the stage. He realized that the brunette had been right, the beat of the music and the beat of his heart found a rhythm and the lights no longer burned his eyes. If Will hadn't been at his boyfriend's secret music show, he might have had fun.

The next song came on Will already felt the beat thrumming through his body except it seemed to fill his heart in a way that hadn't before. 

You could be amazing

You could turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug

You can be the outcast 

To be the backlash of somebody's lack of love

Or you can start speaking up

Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do

When they settle 'neath your skin

Kept on the inside and no sunlight

Sometimes the shadow wins

Will's stomach lurched with each line that was sang. The truth of the words cut into his bones and hugged him like a friend he'd banished a long time ago. He had always prided himself in knowing what to say and when to say it. How he could shut his mouth and only speak when needed. But now, previous thoughts of doubting that that was the right thing crept up. So many words and sentences he had learned to silence. What if he didn't?

Everybody's been there

Everybody's been stared down by the enemy

Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing

Bow down to the mighty

But don't run

Stop holding your tongue

Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live 

Maybe one of these days you can let the light in

Show me how big your brave is

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

"Hey!" Mark cried, almost accusatory.

Will looked at him in confusion and was met with a very accusatory gaze.

"What?" he asked.

"You told me you didn't know any McCassy songs!" Mark exclaimed.

"I don't," Will restated.

"Then why are you singing along?"

Will's eyes went wide. He hadn't realized it, but his mouth was mouthing the words to the song. How did he know it? Was it a hidden Apollo gift?

Not ready to explain the demigod world to a person he just met, Will just laughed and turned his eyes back to the stage.

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly, I wanna see you be brave

With what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly, I wanna see you be brave

Will, Mark, and the rest of the crowd sang the rest of the song and a smile crept up Will's face. Why was he having a good time? That wasn't how the night was supposed to go.

A slow and deep stringed instrument played through the speakers. All of the songs before had been upbeat so Will was a little surprised by the change. 

I tried to hid it through the silence while I played along

I'm welling up behind my eyelids when I'm holding on

McCassy walked towards the middle of the stage.

So badly I hate it

And I wish that all of--

A different voice came over the speakers and McCassy looked around in mock confusion.

"Nah, nah, nah, that doesn't feel right." Will tensed at the voice. He'd recognize it anywhere. "Maybe, uh, speed it up?"

The band sped up the song and McCassy shrugged before running off stage. The crowd cheered goodbye but that was nothing to when they cheered as Nico walked on stage.

"Yeah, that's nice," he told the band.

Will couldn't breathe. His chest hurt and his heart lurched. Nico was on stage, dressed in ripped jeans, a black T-shirt, and jewelry. A chain, some bracelets, earrings. He looked stunning. His boyfriend was also smiling which made the look twenty times better with his shiny teeth and glittering eyes. 

He couldn't see Nico very well from where he sat but the way he was zoned in on his presence made up for it. He could see every tooth, every piece of silver jewelry, and he had looked into those brown eyes so many times that he could perfectly imagine what they would look like.

I really hate the way you think that you can get away

By blaming all your stupid problems on your mental state

I'm tired of burnt-out lies, oh

Will hadn't had the chance to absorbed the words that were being sung out of his boyfriend's mouth, because he was singing. Nico di Angelo was singing. He had heard him the previous night but that was only a fraction of the beauty that was hidden in his vocal chords.

You think you know me but you hardly even know yourself

I bite my tongue and let you think I only wish you well

I don't , I know you know it, ooh

'Wait.' Will's heart raced and the crowd blurred together. 'Who did he write the song about?  Is it about me? Is this the answer to my questions? Nico resented me.'

And I'm tired of letting someone get the best of me so go ahead and

Cry, cry

Go ahead and ruin someone else's life

'Woah, Will,' He thought to himself. 'You've been making accusations all night. You don't know everything.'

"Hey, Mark?" Will called over the music. 

Mark turned to him, "What?"

"Do you know what this song is about?"

Mark thought for a moment. "There are a lot of guesses. So far none have been confirmed, but the most popular theory's are that it's about his ex crush or his dad."

Will let out a sigh of relief. No one thought it was about him so it couldn't be, right?  

You're more narcissistic than anybody in Hollywood

You're not a misfit don't keep saying you're misunderstood

I'm tired, oh, I'm so tired, ooh

He strained his ears to capture each lyric and nothing sounded like Percy. He wasn't narcissistic and would never say he's misunderstood. Hades didn't say that either as far as Will knew. Who was it than? Will never thought he was a misfit but could he be a narcissist? 

And maybe you're the honest type

And it's been me the whole dam time

I should really try to calm my mind and see things from your side

Or maybe you can

Cry, cry

At the last lyric Will noticed something. His body was tense and images of the gods and monsters filled his mind. Those Stymphalian birds, Hera and her stupid games, Zeus, Nyx, etc. He was showing signs of anger towards people and things that didn't even fit any of the lyrics. He just wished all of them were suffering and being punished in the Underworld.

Hold on, Will never wished harm onto others. Neither did Nico (Octavian is an exception). Maybe the song wasn't about anyone. Maybe it was just a song filled with anger.

And I'm tired of letting someone get the best of me so go ahead and

Cry, cry

Go ahead and ruin someone else's-

The song ended abruptly with a banging drum and the crowd cheered.

"Thank you," Nico told them. He was standing on the edge of the middle part of the stage and his smile was one that Will had only seen a few times.

"Welcome to my tour," Nico continued. "I hope you got your anger out on that one cause I sure did." -the crowd laughed and cheered- "I've noticed that I've been playing a lot of songs from my first album during this tour so would it be alright if we . . . switched it up a bit."

The crowd screamed and Nico turned and walked towards the back, signaling to his band to start the next song. 

Combat

I'm ready for combat

I say, I don't want that, but what if I do?

The crowd drowned out part of the song with their cheers as they recognized the song.

I've got a hundred thrown out speeches I said to you

Easy they come

Easy they go

I jump from the train, I ride off alone

I never grew up, it's getting so old

Help me hold on to you

I've been the archer

I've been the prey

Who could ever leave me darlin'?

But who could stay?

Will knew that nickname. Darlin'. It's what Will called Nico sometimes when he was either really worried or really stressed. Could it be a coincidence? If not then what did it mean?

Dark side

I search for your dark side

But what if I'm alright, right, right, right here

And I cut off, my nose just to spite my face

And I hate my reflection for years and years

Will's eyes blurred but not with fear or overstimulation, but with tears. 

I wake in the night

I pace like a ghost

The room is on fire

Invisible smoke

And all of my heroes die all alone

Help me hold onto you

A small pearl of a tear traced Will's cheek down to his jaw. He wiped it away with his hand but another one came from the other side.

"Me too," Mark's voice came to him gently. Will turned and saw his face had tear marks running down his face. "He's pretty relatable."

Will nodded. "He sure is."

Cause, they see right through me

They see right through me

They see right through

Can you see right through me?

They see right through me 

They see right through me

I see right through me 

I see right through me

All the king's horses, all the king's men

Couldn't put me together again

Cause all of my enemies started out friends

Help me hold onto you

Mark's hand grabbed Will's wrist, making him look towards his new friend.

"Sorry," Mark mumbled, letting go of his arm and wiping tears from his eyes. 

Will remembered what he had said earlier. It was hard for him to find a boyfriend or girlfriend and his friends didn't seem to be the best. Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, Will squeezed his friend tightly. 

And who could stay?

Who could stay?

Who could stay?

You could stay

You could stay

Nico had walked across the stage as he sang, interacting with the crowd a bit, but he was back to his place in the center of the stage now.

Combat

I'm ready for combat

Will let go of Mark to clap and the brunette finished wiping his tears.

"Hey, man. You good?" Will asked.

Mark laughed at the mention of their greeting words. "Yeah, I'm good."

Will smiled and nodded.

You said I'm holding on to heartache

The next song began and Nico slowly stepped forward towards the edge of the stage.

You said I wear it like a crown 

It's gonna drag me down

Holdin' on to heartache

Will's stomach turned at another mention of his words. He had told Nico that he was 'holding on to heartache' a long time ago. Back then he was trying to make him realize that he could just let go. Now he knew that that wasn't right and he shouldn't have said it, so why was Nico singing about it now?

The windy hell just over

We knew that all would change

Creates the strangest feelin'

Just slowly waiting for the end

I still have dreams about it

The moments since they came

The moments never shown to us

Because he faded into darkness

I can still hear a silence

I can still hear a clock that's tickin'

The song was slow a sad. It filled Will's mind with images of his fallen friends that had died in his arms because he couldn't save them. No matter how many times he tried to forgive himself and remind himself that it wasn't his fault, the guilt was still there. Waiting in the shadows of his mind. Ready to grab him when he was at his lowest.

'Gods, when did the concert become a therapy session?'

"Hey, hey, hey," Nico said into his mic, towards the band, when the song finished. "Let's bring up the mood."

The next song started but Will was confused because the song wasn't upbeat at all.

This happens once every few life times

These chemicals hit me like a white line

What if I told you I'm back?

The hospital was a drag

Hospital? Nico never went to a hospital as far as Will knew. Maybe it was a metaphor for the infirmary since you can't really rhyme anything with that and it's not a thing really in the mortal world.

I circled you on a map

I haven't come around in so long

But I'm coming back so strong

So when I touch down 

Call the armatures and cut 'em from the team

Ditch the clowns, get the crown

Baby, I'm the one to beat

Cause the sign on your heart 

Said it's still reserved for me

Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy

Will gasped. Could . . . could the song . . . could the song be about him? It sure sounded like a love song and Percy's heart wad never 'reserved' for Nico. Could it be a love song for him?

Hey, you, what if I told you we're cool

That child's play back in school 

Is forgiven under my rule

I haven't come around in so long

But I'm coming back so strong

Will's face was warm a a soft tear of relief slipped out of his eye. How could he have been so stupid. He should have known Nico loved him. There were so many times he could have backed out and left him, but he didn't. Not when they faced Octavian or when Apollo showed up and caused chaos. Not when they battled dead Roman emperors and when they even traveled into Tartarus. Why would he leave now?

As Will gazed at his boyfriend walking on the stage, he realized that no one was singing with him. 

"Why aren't people singing?" he asked Mark.

"It's a new song!" Mark exclaimed. "His new album is coming out in December!"

Who are we to fight the alchemy

Shirts off and your friends lift you up over your heads 

Drinks sticking to the floor

Cheers chanting cause they said

"There was no chance trying to be the greatest in the league"

Where's the trophy?

He just comes running over to me

The whole crowd cheered at the bridge and Will couldn't hold back a laugh and joined in.

The rest of the song played out and the crowd was ecstatic. Their energy and excitement that came with each song spread to Will and suddenly he was singing and cheering along with them.

"Alright Oakland," Nico called to them through his microphone. His breath was a little shallow since he had just been dancing on stage for the last two songs. "This next song is a song I wrote for my boyfriend so I hope you all with sing it with me for him."

The ravenette sat at the bottom of the stage with his legs dangling off the edge. Violins played quietly in the background but slowly rose until Will realized it was the start of the next song.

Keep your helmet, keep your life, son

Just a flesh wound, here's your rifle

Crawling up the beaches now

Sir, I think he's bleeding out

And somethings you just can't speak about

"A lot of people think Nico's boyfriend is a doctor because of this song," Mark whispered to Will, since it was quiet enough to do so.

Will shrugged, "Who knows."

Mark was silent for a moment. "It's relatable though."

"Huh?"

"The song," he clarified. "I've helped treat patients before and . . ."

He didn't have to finish his sentence. Will couldn't count how many people had died in his infirmary. How many demigods cried while at their side. How many came in with deep gashes and staggering steps. He had seen many people walk in and he could always pick out the ones that would die. It make their passing any less painful though.

With you I serve, with you I fall down

Down

Watch you breath in, watch you breathing out

Out

With you I serve with you I fall down

Down

Watch you breath in, watch you breathing out

Out

Only twenty minutes to sleep

But you dream of some epiphany

Just one single glimpse of relief

To make some sense of what you see 

The song pattered out and as it disappeared into dark stage, the crowd applauded loudly to fill the silence. The applause didn't last long though because only a second or two later, another song started.

You're all I ever wanted

So how come I'm still haunted

By the thoughts inside my head?

You love me but no matter what you say

There's only one of two ways 

That this is gonna end

A tug in Will's chest pulled when he heard the lyrics. Whether it was a connection to the lyrics or a sadness from Nico's voice.

But if one of us dies

I hope I die first

Cause I don't wanna live without you

I don't want to learn

How to fall asleep without you

Tell me, what's worse?

Losing you now or later?

Maybe I can break the curse

And I could be in love forever 

Will's heart hurt with the weight of the music. Demigods usually didn't live very long, Percy and Annabeth were a miracle, so the idea of Nico dying was defiantly a topic in his mind. It also didn't help that he could still get drained by his powers. He had imagined it in his nightmare dreams where he was holding Nico's lifeless body while he could do nothing to save him. Then he'd wake up and see Nico breathing body at his side and realize it was only a dream. 

It wasn't a crazy thought though, he had been a therapist to many of the seven after their trips and learned that they all had similar dreams. Will had realized then why Nico always distanced himself, it was much easier to sleep when you didn't see anyone you love dying before you. It was one of the perks of being able to talk to Nico in his dreams, it was reassurance that whatever was going on in the nightmare wasn't real and when it was over, Nico would still be there.

I could be in love forever

Love forever

Love forever

Nico finished the song and of course, the crowd applauded.

"Last song of the night Oakland!" Nico told them. "One last chance to sing as loud as you can!"

The crowd screamed to prove that they could be loud still and a guitar started to play.

I got a heart

Nico started to sing the song but abruptly stopped when he heard the crowd singing the lyrics just as loudly back.

And I've got a soul

Believe me I'm gonna use them both

In disbelief, Nico walked closer to the crowd and help out his mic for them to sing into.

We made a start

Be it a false one, I know

Baby, I don't want to feel alone

Nico shook his head in amazement and he took the mic back but smiled as he continued singing.

So kiss me where I lay down 

My hands press to your cheeks

A long way from the playground

I have loved you since we were fifteen

The crowd's singing exploded with the music as the chorus hit and Will blushed at the lyrics.

To be loved and to be in love

And all I can do is say that these arms were made for holding you

Ooh

I wanna love like you made me feel

When we were fifteen

Nico paused at the left side of the stage where he had been singing and turned to walk to teh other side.

We took a chance

Gods know we tried

Yet all along I knew we'd be fine

He skirted around the edge of the stage, sure to rouse the crowd up so their energy was still alive.

So pour me a drink

Oh, love

Let's split the night wide open

And see everything we can

Living love in slow motion, motion, motion

He made it too the right part of the stage and stayed there for the first half of the chorus before stepping down what must have been a flight of steps towards the crowd. Will and Mark were in a corner of the room so they couldn't see the floor up front, but Will guessed there were barricades or something there because Nico greeted the crowd without falling into them and then walked over to the left side and did the same. 

When we were fifteen

Oh lord, when were were fifteen

"Wait!" Mark almost yelped. "I need to give him my bracelet!"

Mark rushed  off into the crowd and Will was tempted to run after him but the idea of getting lost in the crowd of people was not a pleasant one.

Kiss me where I lay down

My hands press to your cheeks 

A long way from the playground

I have loved you since we were fourteen

Nico was now standing in between the two aisles. All the lights were dimmed except for one on him. His dark hair was lit by the light and his eyes shined with excitement.

Long before we both thought the same thing

To be loved and to be in love

The lights flashed again and Nico made his way slowly up the middle of the crowd where more barriers must have been. He also seemed to be collecting things. Bracelets?

When we were fifteen 

I wanna love like you made me feel

When we were fifteen

Nico had made it to the end of the aisle and waved to the crowd with an arm half full of colorful bracelets. Then everything went dark.

***

Mark returned and said goodbye to Will before he left. Will really hoped he would get to see him again. He left the building and drove his car to a hotel he had booked where he lay in his bed, remembering the night.

As he turned on his side and closed his eyes, ready for hopefully another night of no nightmares, thoughts kept into the back of his mind.

He's moved on

'He has a job' Will argued with himself.

But he's moving one too the voice insisted soon everyone will have moved on except you and you'll be all alone

'Shut up' Will told the voice. It did shut up, but it had already given it's message.