Solangelo Epilogue 4 - END

Instructions

Will Nico looks at me like he is a question and I am his answer. His only answer. I could get lost in his eyes. They are ink wells full of unwritten words I want to spend hours reading. “Ewwww…. You guys were kissing,” I hear a voice say. I forgot we weren’t alone. One of the younger campers (Emile, a son of Demeter judging by the flower crown in his hair) is staring up at us. For a second I’m nervous, but the emphasis on “kissing” and not “You guys” makes it clear that the camper is disturbed by the PDA, not that it’s two boys doing the kissing. Nico starts to step away from me and doesn’t meet my eyes. I smile politely at the kid who turns and scurries back to his group. I don’t let my gaze follow him and instead turn back to Nico. “It’s okay. No one really cares,” I say smiling at him gently. “I know,” He says with hesitation, finally meeting my gaze. Nico We walked back to my cabin hand in hand. Whatever this is, between me and Will, this magic, I want it. I want him to be mine and for me to be his. I don’t want to not fight for Will like I have everything else. Will is worth fighting for. Whatever "this" is, is worth fighting for. “Hey Will?” I say. I stop walking and turn to him so I can grab his other hand. “Yeah,” he says, a blush creeping across his face making the honey skin turn to a sunset. I guess that's what we are. He’s the sun and I’m the night. Together we’re a sunset. But a sunset is always the end of something. Maybe… maybe we’re not a sunset but a… sunrise. Maybe this will be the start of something beautiful. Not the end. I hesitate and look back at Will. I know that what I’m about to say is right. Nothing else up till’ these last few weeks has felt right so this has to be. I take a deep breath and before my brain can fully catch up I blurt out, “Will, do you want to be my boyfriend?” Will is grinning at the ground like an idiot. Perhaps, my idiot? I’m blushing at the thought. “Yeah, I’d like to be your boyfriend,” Will says quickly, as if he’d been waiting for the question since I almost beheaded him weeks ago. “Can you be my boyfriend too?” I laugh at the genuine tone in his voice. “Yes, of course,” I say. It should have been obvious. My face contorts into a grin, an expression I would most likely become closer with. Will squeezes my hand and In that moment I know everything is going to be okay. Will isn’t going to be taken from me like everyone else. Camp isn’t going to disappear come sunrise. I’m safe and have the capacity to be happy. I have a boyfriend with blue eyes and sun tousled hair who's grinning at me as if I’m the sun and not just a star caught in his orbit. As if I deserve this. For a moment, it's easy to believe that I do deserve this. Another moment passes and I still am there believing in this. Believing in us. Whatever the future may bring, I won’t face it alone. I’ll have Kayla and Austin, Chiron, and… Will. I lean in and kiss Will on the cheek. We’re going to be okay. END