Work Text:
Will sweeps his eyes among the crowd.
He has been up on this stage for less than an hour, yet he’s never felt poorer in his life. A party courtesy of HDA Group of Companies would do that to you, he thinks. It’s a charity ball-engagement party, but being surrounded by people with millions of dollars worth of jewelry around their necks and upper body, trying to outbid everybody in this room, would do that to someone.
Moonlight Shadow in solitary
It's just that I'm so thirsty…
The fruit I've sunk my teeth into…
Ravishes me with its sweet, sweet, but deadly poison
Will starts with a sway of his hips. He lets the soft piano and the gentle sound of the guitar get him in the mood. Their band plays sexual and very suggestive songs and people know this. If he gets even one complaint from these snotty people he’s going to drag the motherfucker with him to the event organizer.
Black Cherry make love to me, give yourself to me
You have to leave your seed to be reborn inside of me
It's alright if you don't love me since I don't love you
Don't make me more wretched than this
Then he spots him. Nico.
Don't stop, kiss me! I can't be apart from you…
Don't stop, kiss me! But, I can't forgive you...AH~ Come inside me!
Black Cherry...make love to me, give yourself to me
Leave your seed inside of me!
It's alright if you don't love me...since I don't love you
Make me wretched like this!
Forbidden Territory...I can never break away now
I feel it, Black Cherry...I can't forget the lingering sensation of your kiss
Even from the stage, he sees Nico’s eyes widen as he recognizes Will’s voice. His head snaps in Will’s direction. He grins, sticks out his tongue suggestively, and gives the crowd a wink.
Our short history...it's just a petty fling on the way to something else
With this, Finally...though...once in a while, remember me like this...
He wrote this song the night after the first time they had sex. The lyrics screaming in his mind the whole time Nico was fucking him from behind, his hands all over his body, pinching, grabbing, making his insides melt like chocolate.
Nico captivated him, made him feel things he never had before.
Will, with his band, had been asked to perform at a few events, much like this but more informal. And Nico, being the spokesperson of their father’s estate and the CEO of their charity organization, was always asked to attend for networking purposes. Through their careers, their paths were bound to cross again eventually, and with the help of the right people, their meetings became frequent.
Will was perfectly fine with their arrangement. Ever since they started getting recognized, Will never ran out of people throwing themselves at his feet. However, there was something about Nico that intrigued him so much. It wasn’t the money, the fame, or even the connections of the other man, but what was inside of him. Believe it or not, once upon a time Will Solace wanted someone, be it a man or a woman, to make an honest man out of him. Someone who his mother and younger brothers would love as well.
He was certain that that someone was Nico, but the man had his demons he refused to exorcise.
Being the only son of the president of the HDA Group of Companies, there were certain… roles expected of him. According to Nico, at least, two of those roles were to never embarrass his father and produce an heir. Nico added two and two together and somehow got a fucking three-sixty.
Three years ago, if an interviewer asked if Will was ready to settle down, he'd laugh at their face. Now, if Nico asked him to, he'd drop everything in a heartbeat. Will got used to the fame and luxury that came with his profession, but he'd easily live in a cabin in the middle of Bumfuck, Nowhere if it meant being with Nico for all their natural lives.
He fell hard and fast, doubting he'd see the light at the end of this fucking tunnel. Hell, out of the numerous songs they released in the past two years, at least a third of it was written with Nico in mind. Mostly sexual, of course, but some reduced their manager and producer to tears.
Needless to say, they were absolute hits, hitting the charts for weeks on end.
Nico never acknowledged any of them during their meetings.
“How are we doing, ladies and gentlemen? Still good?” whoo’s and shouts fill the ballroom. “Remember, don’t leave without donating! This next song is called Butterfly,”
As you softly close your eyes, our lips draw closer together.
Close enough to touch, to say “I want to eat you”
Won’t you let me hear your beautiful voice more?
The stinger plucks the thread, “Ask me where you would like me to sting,”
Nico's eyes stay on him while the others flock around him. Rich older women with their lingering touches and melodious laughs, reporters with their endless questions about what's the next move for the amazing Nico DiAngelo, rich older men with their ‘hey, sport!’ and ‘any plans after this?’ When science finds a way for cis men to get pregnant then Nico DiAngelo might seriously think about siring a child.
Didn't stop him from pumping Will full of cum every single time though.
I’m a butterfly who’s been caught in a trap of love.
For my birthday, roses are a little unfair.
A butterfly won’t stop at just any flower.
It’s not “love” but for some reason,
I wanted to try and believe even your lies.
Will thinks of the day that inspired this song—a private party with all his friends organized by his record label. It was his twenty-third birthday and Nico happened to get dragged by a friend. He remembers blushing, despite the alcohol in his system, because of the bouquet of roses Nico gave him as a ‘gift’ since he didn’t bring him any. Will told him it was fine, that the roses were ‘fucking fantastic’ and his presence was enough. They made love, as much as Will was embarrassed to call it that way, but it was the only thing he could think of that would describe what they did that night and the morning after.
“You’re smiling at this innocently again, don’t make me happy for nothing”
Without saying those words, tonight I am embraced by you.
Tomorrow, and the day after, I want to be held by you.
“I love you,” he told Nico one night.
“You don’t mean that,” was the only thing Nico said before kissing him again.
No matter how I try, I cannot move,
I trifle with the idea of raising my voice.
It’s not “love”, it’s not “love” but
I loved you.
“I can’t love you. I thought you understood that?”
“You can, Nico. You can love me! You do love me! The only difference is you’re trying so fucking hard not to,”
If it’s pain, I wouldn’t hate that, but “pain” and “adversity” are different.
While knowing that it’s no good, I walk the thread.
I follow after you, falling at any time, I follow your scent.
Will loses himself in the music, taking time for eye contact with anyone to distract himself from the woman in Nico’s arms as they kiss for the camera.
Two traps have been set,
Alone again… alone again…
Without knowing anything,
I draw the thread towards myself
Applause fills the ballroom and Will relishes in it. He closes his eyes and takes it all in— the admiration, the awe, and the knowledge that Nico’s attention is also on him.
“Thank you, folks. You’re all too kind.” Will turns to Michael, their lead guitarist, and nods at him, giving him the signal. He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head a little, ‘you sure?’ he mouths. Will nods his head in confirmation. Michael turns to Cecil on drums and then to Lee and Lou Ellen on bass and guitar.
“Alright, I know we have plenty of fans here tonight. Let me hear you guys!” Several people from different directions start hollering and clapping their hands in acknowledgment.
“Yeah! That’s what I wanted to hear. The next song we’ll play is a new one,” A sudden scream of ‘Girl’s Prayer?!’ on his left leaves him laughing a little. “No, not that. Though that’s a new song, no. It’s our latest single. We’re supposed to release this in two months, but in the spirit of giving, and the celebration of Mr. DiAngelo’s engagement with his lovely fiancee, we’re playing it here, live. Before we get to that, though, can we share a little love for our LGBTQIA+ shelters of New Rome, anyone?”
The same person on Will’s left screams, ‘five thousand!’ and a few more people, including Nico, alerting ushers nearby, raise their hands. A moment later, the LED screen behind the band flashes the total amount of the money they collected from Will’s little stint.
“Thirty thousand dollars! Not bad, not bad! What about you guys?” Will points at his bandmates, and they all show a thumbs up. “Alright, we’re adding another twenty-five thousand into the bowl. That gives us fifty-five thousand dollars for the LGBTQIA+ shelters of New Rome! Let’s keep this energy tonight, folks! I’m sure we’ll help a lot of people!” More hollers from the crowd and Will is left feeling fantastic.
Will sees Nico call another usher and whispers something to him.
“Okay, before we start, please please no one record this. Can I count on you all on that?”
More ‘yeah’s and clapping from the crowd.
“As promised, this is our latest single, Gentle Lies,”
I loved you… and that gentle voice, too
I loved you… and your slightly wavy hair
I loved you… and your chestnut-colored eyes
I love you… even now, I still love you
Will removes the microphone from its stand and holds it tight in front of him, closing his eyes to rest them from the bright lights. Closing his eyes to keep himself from searching his old lover’s gaze.
Those wounds that consumed me are still hurting
Your tender voice echoes, even now
Please, let me cry a little
"Goodbye" to the one I loved more than any other
Breaking things off with Nico almost took all of Will. He was willing to throw away all his hard work for the man who wouldn’t even shake his hand for a second longer when they were out in public for fear of… what, hellfire? The boogeyman? Isn’t that fucking stupid?
He fought tooth and nail to make a space for himself in this world. To prove to the people who wronged him that he can exist, that he is loved. He was never an abomination and he wasn’t going to hide this part of himself again, not for anyone.
He waited long enough even though Nico never asked him to. Although it nearly killed him to let go, he's quite sure he’ll find another one like Nico, maybe even more. Maybe he’ll find someone who won’t be ashamed to be seen with him, someone who will kiss him in the middle of a busy street, maybe not. He’ll never know if he won’t let go.
You said it, that final lie
You shed them, those last tears
I told you it was over, before dawn
Outside the window, the cold rain
Writing this song was tough, and recording it was even tougher. For the countless times they rehearsed this song, Will assumed all the pain was gone, but performing it in front of Nico is a different kind of torture.
Will ignores the tears streaming down his face, a wordless thank you in his mind to the universe that he’s already drenched in sweat from performing.
These wounds that consumed me are still hurting
Since these will be my last tears for you
Please, let me cry, just for today
"Goodbye" to the one I loved more than any other
Will waits for his friends to finish playing, offering soft smiles to the people in front who are wiping the tears from the corner of their eyes.
Applause thunder in the ballroom, and the five bow in front of the crowd as they give them a standing ovation. Will doesn’t seek Nico’s eyes anymore, afraid of what he might do if he is met again with a longing gaze like that one time a year ago.
He’s happy for Nico and his beautiful fiancee. He’s sure Nico won’t do anything to hurt her and their unborn baby. After all, it’s what was expected of him.