Coffee Shop AU.
Trying my hand at some Solangelo (Will x Nico )... In this they are both nineteen, making Jason, Percy, Annabeth, Piper and Reyna are all twenty-one, Frank, Hazel are only eighteen, and Leo is twenty. Jason is bisexual for purposes of the plot - Trust me when I say Will x Jason wont last long. It won't. I just wanted angst and drama.. Sorry? I have plans. Lots of plans. *coughs* anyways, I'll get back to writing my other fic - Emphasis - eventually. I just needed a change of pace for a second. I really needed a fanfic where Nico wasn't some weak, docile, completely submissive bottom. Not my style, but that isn't saying Nico won't have any weakness... Anywhore, before I start on a rant I really hope everyone enjoys this fanfiction. I know I'm excited for it. Most likely there will be rotating point of views, probably Will and Nico.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, they all belong to Rick Riordan.
Please comment and review! My thanks,
Enjoy!
"The truly scary thing about undiscovered lies
is that they have a greater capacity to diminish us than exposed ones.
They erode our strength, our self-esteem, our very foundation."
― Cheryl Hughes
Nico could still remember the day he'd met William for the first time.
It had been a stupidly hot outside, mid-summer and already Nico was craving the cool winter air. He was no fan of winter in itself, autumn was more his thing, but any cool weather would be better than the hot beating sun. Nico stood in front of the rotating fan, the coffee shop he worked in was an outdoor one, their manager Chiron insisting that they always leave the doors to the small patio open. Café Half-Blood was the name of the shop, not that Nico could understand what had brought about such a terrible name, anything was better than Half-Blood. It made them sound like some sort of cult.
He probably fit the part of a cult too, more than once in his life he'd had people stare a little too long at his piercings. At the thought he reached up to fiddle with the silver stub through his right eyebrow.
Nico sighed in relief as the fan turned his way towards the counter, the cool air played with his dark hair, cooling the sweat he could feel beading on his body. He could go for a nap right now; Jason was due to come back from his break any second to help Nico. Not that there was anyone in the café, most people seemed to have taken to the indoors, staying out of the sun.
At that moment he heard footsteps enter through the open door, muffling a pained groan Nico drew himself up off of the counter to his full height - which he was proud to say he could now look both Jason and Percy in the eye (nearly), they didn't tease him about his height anymore, mostly just his own scrawniness.
The stifled groan quickly became a sharp inhale as Nico watched the customer look around nervously before turning to smile at him.
Said customer was hot.
Not just sweating hot, but gorgeous hot.
Nico was ignoring Golden Boy's choice of style - poorly matched bright shorts with a bright florescent orange top - and instead found himself openly ogling him from head to toe. Toes peaked out from flip flops, and gorgeous length or finely muscled tanned skin stretched before him. Nico absentmindedly wondered if the temperature had suddenly increased in the room. Golden Boy bore a resemblance to Jason, gold hair and bright blue eyes, but where Jason was well-muscled and borderline bulky, Golden Boy was a lithe sort of muscled. His skin was also darker, a shade that someone only could achieve when they spent years out under the sun. He also had (adorable) freckles and was missing the scar on his upper lip that Jason had earned in his high school days. Golden Boy's smile was also nicer - not that Nico would ever disclose this to anyone.
It took Nico a whole second or two to realise that said Golden Boy was staring at him intently with wide blue eyes, that smile attached to his face. Nico also took note, with some satisfaction, that he was slightly taller than Golden Boy by the slightest inch.
Forcing some sort of a smile - which he suspected was more of a grimace - on his face Nico spoke, "Sorry, how can I help you?" He tried to sound enthusiastic about his job, but found his gaze unable to tear away from deep blue eyes.
"Ah," Golden Boy said, looking around the café and then peering behind Nico as if he was trying to find someone. "Sorry I just-" He shifted from foot to foot, his top teeth catching his lower lip.
Nico's thoughts strayed again, wondering if Golden Boy was single and if flirting would potentially get him anywhere. He hadn't been on a decent date in years and Golden Boy didn't seem the type to be too rude if he got hit on by a guy...
"Is Jason around?"
"Jason?" Nico said, his hopes of flirting and dates plummeting down into his stomach. Why would this guy be looking for Jason...? A sudden thought occurred to Nico and his shoulders slumped. "You're Jason's boyfriend I guess, Will is it?"
Golden Boy - or Will's, smile brightened, if that was even possible. "Yeah! I am actually; he said to come meet him for his break today."
Nico narrowed his eyes. "Jason is on is break right now, he should be coming back soon." His tone was a little sharper, a little harsher than he had intentionally meant, but - to his annoyance - he found that Will's smile didn't even waver.
"I missed it?" Will said, leaning forward on the counter. "Oh well, I guess I'll have a drink or something while I wait."
Nico scowled. He suddenly found that Golden Boy Will was slightly more unattractive than before. He didn't seem to care that he was late and missed Jason's break, and on top of that Will was taken, which only managed to put Nico further into a sour mood.
"What do you want?" Nico asked.
Will pursed his lips. "Lemonade?"
"Lemonade." Nico repeated his voice flat. He punched the order into the machine. "Size?"
"Medium."
Once Nico had collected the money from Will, who had tried to get a discount much to Nico's annoyance he turned to begin making Will's lemonade.
Will watched him as he worked, and Nico was all too aware of the others eyes following him as he moved. He shot a glare over his shoulder, and was only met with Will's smile.
"Does Jason always have his break now?" Will asked.
Nico nodded as he passed Will the drink, the cool condensation from the glass leaving water on his hand. He wiped it off on his shirt.
"Normally, yeah."
Will's lips pursed around the straw in his mouth; he took a deep sip, and the loud slurping noise that followed made Nico wince.
"He must have gotten his times mixed up today then," Will said absentmindedly. He stirred the straw in his drink before looking up at Nico with a large smile.
"So, Nico, tell me about yourself. Jason's mentioned you a few times to me, but I want to get to know Death Boy a little better." Will grinned.
Nico winced again, his scowling deepening. Death Boy was Jason and Percy's nickname for him back when they'd been in high school together. Hearing the name from Will wasn't something that would improve his mood. He could already feel his shirt sticking to his back.
"I'm going to kill him later," He muttered, not only for not mentioning to him that his boyfriend was a ball of sunshine, but also for mentioning that nickname.
Will laughed; his head tipping back as he did. "I'd rather you didn't actually," He said. "Come on Nico; don't make me have to force you to play twenty-questions with me."
Nico grimaced - something he had a feeling he'd be doing a lot of around Will. "How about no?"
"How about yes?" Will countered, smiling from behind his cup like he knew some secret that Nico didn't. "Here, I'll start," He said. "What's your favourite colour?"
"I'd really rather not play these stupid games with you."
"Mine's orange." Will said, ignoring Nico's comment.
Nico dropped his gaze to Will's orange shirt, his brow raising as he pointedly stared at Will's shirt. "I can see that."
He felt a swell of pride when Will turned away from him, a hint of red on his cheeks that disappeared almost as quickly as it had come.
Will sighed. "I'm guessing yours is black?"
"What if it's hot pink?" Nick offered, leaning on a counter behind him. Silently he prayed for Jason's return, he didn't like questions. Especially questions about himself.
"Is it?"
Nico rolled his eyes at Will's surprised but hopeful expression. "No, really, did you think it was hot pink?"
"It could have been," Will said. "My friend Connor's favourite colour is pink."
"Well mine isn't." Nico said, tugging at the collar of his shirt in discomfort from the sweltering heat, he found it aggravating how Will seemed unaffected by it.
"What is your favourite colour then?"
Nico glanced towards Will. "Blue."
Will grinned, and Nico's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What's with the creepy grin?"
"Nothing," Will said, though he was obviously unnaturally pleased about something.
Nico scowled. "It can't be nothing if you look like your smile is going to spilt your entire face apart."
"Whose smile is splitting their face apart?"
Nico breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the new voice from behind him. Turning slightly Nico scowled at his friend who had just strolled out from the back room.
"Jason, thank god you're here." Nico said. "Come put a leash on your boyfriend."
Jason cocked an eyebrow, his blue gaze drifting to from Nico to Will.
"Kinky." He said, strolling over to lean across the counter and give Will a quick kiss. Nico glanced away as he did, feeling as if he was intruding on a private scene.
"You up for it Will?" Jason asked.
Will, to his credit, had the decency to flush a flattering shade of red to his boyfriends teasing question. His lemonade was still trapped in his hands before Jason leaned over and plucked it from Will to take a sip.
"A leash?" Will said, and Nico snorted.
Jason turned to look back at Nico, his hand moving to push his glasses further up his nose as he handed the drink back to Will.
"Nico hasn't been bothering you has he? He gets nasty when it's hot outside. Messes with his Bad Boy outfit."
Nico scowled. "There's nothing wrong with skinny jeans during the summer."
"Except that they're painfully hot." Jason pointed out.
Will glanced to Nico bare legs; even he wasn't able to withstand the heat forever. He'd caved and wore shorts today, much to his agony, his legs were ghastly pale. Even with his best efforts to get into shape his legs were still thin and pathetic with small, fine dark hairs covering them.
"Nico and I were making progress," Will said, speaking to Jason. "I managed to get his favourite colour out of him."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Black?"
Will laughed. "Blue."
They both looked at Nico, who was now feeling uncomfortable with the sudden attention; he shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Black was last week's colour."
As Jason's attention was drawn back to Will, Nico let his gaze roam over his best friend and his boyfriend. The differences between the two of them were much more apparent now. Jason fair blond hair was nearly white and far shorter than Will's shaggy cut, Will's shoulders were also slimmer compared to Jason's. Though Nico still found it quite comical that Jason was dating someone blond and blue-eyed as he was.
Jason was leaning on the counter, his chin propped up in his hand as he listened to Will chatter on, blue eyes straying from Will's face every so often. He'd push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, distractedly nodding or laughing at something Will had said. To Will's credit he didn't seem to be bothered by Jason's lack of attention. Nico scowled, running a hand along his slightly stubbled jaw. He pushed himself off of the counter, deciding he had enough of playing the third wheel.
"I'm taking my break," Nico said, Jason nodded in his direction, but otherwise gave no sign of hearing Nico at all.
Gratefully Nico slunk away and to the back room before shoving another door open to the small street behind the café. Finding a patch of shade to hide from the heat of the sun he sat down by the wall. He let out a breath, head falling back against the brick wall.
Now out of the company of the two blonds Nico was alone to his thoughts, he tried not to think of heading home to an empty house, his father having the graveyard shift tonight at - ironically enough - the graveyard. He tried not to think of the empty room across from his own or the pictures of a smiling girl he was never going to see again. Nico's lips twisted up into a pained grimace, old feelings of hate and grief rising in his chest.
He could still remember waking up to find his mother sobbing openly on the couch, his father white as a sheet and a police officer standing in their living room. That day had seemed so surreal; the weeks that had passed had been a blur of funerals and tears.
Looking back on the incident he couldn't help but wonder how that officer must have felt having to deliver the news of a dead daughter to a family. He never saw the officer again but had often wondered what had gone through the man's head. Just as he had wondered what Bianca had been thinking when she had gotten into the car when she had known her older friend had been drinking, and why Percy hadn't stopped her from getting in that car.
He had long since stopped blaming his friend for his sister's death, knowing full well that Percy punished himself more than Nico ever could himself. It didn't matter anyways; all he had left of his beloved sister was a headstone and his mother's right next to her.
This bitter thinking did him little good, and it only managed to spur his cravings for a cigarette. While he was "trying" to quit he wasn't exactly putting any effort into it. After Hazel had yelled at him and expressed her concerns for his health he had made a point of never coming home smelling of smoke or letting her catch him smoking. His half-sister was brutal like that.
Nico wrinkled his nose as he dug out his packet of cigarettes; placing the end in his mouth he fished out his lighter held it to the end of it. Soon the embers flared and smoke wafted up from the end.
Inhale.
Exhale.
He didn't want to ponder the past, but worse than the past was the future. His step-mother had recently married his father, introducing Hazel as his new step-sister. Nico loved Hazel, in a sisterly way, she was kind, a proper sister, and above all else she was his friend. Nico had to admit she also had a great taste in men, her boyfriend, Frank, was definitely a catch. He wasn't specifically Nico's type - not that Nico had a type (besides men in general) - but he was well suited for Hazel. Deep in his heart Nico resented Frank slightly for selfish reasons of his own, mainly for stealing Hazel's time away from him.
Inhaling the smoke from his cigarette Nico practiced blowing the smoke out in perfect rings. He was quite pleased to find all his practicing had paid off, and felt a small glow of pride in himself as he continued blowing aimless smoke rings in the air.
Well aware the habit he had picked up in his early years of high school was a silent killer Nico rolled the cigarette in between his fingers, he stared at it pondering if his fate was engraved in stone every moment he inhaled.
Was he destined to a painful demised hooked up to machine in the hospital? Probably.
"You know, Hazel would smack you upside the head if she saw you smoking."
Nico started in surprise at the sound of Jason's voice, he turned, a challenging eyebrow cocked in the blonds direction.
"But she won't know I was smoking now will she?" Just out of spite Nico took a drag from his cigarette and blew his well-practiced rings in Jason's direction.
Now it was Jason's turn to look unimpressed. "How long did you practice that?"
Nico looked down, chewing his bottom lip he grinned up at Jason with a guilty smile. "Two months."
"Was it worth it?"
"Definitely."
Nico didn't have to look at Jason to know he was rolling his eyes. Without taking his gaze off his cigarette Nico waited patiently for Jason to speak again.
"Will's gone."
Nico felt both his eyebrows shoot up. "He is?"
"Yep." Jason said. "Sorry I forgot to mention that he might be coming by..."
Nico snorted. "You also told him the wrong time." He glanced over at Jason, who had the dignity to look ashamed.
"Yeah, that was my fault."
"It was." Nico repeated.
"You might end up seeing around more often now, just a fair warning."
"Perfect."
"What are you doing here?" Nico asked; it was too early for him to be dealing with such a bright smile.
But there Will was, dressed in another horribly coordinated outfit, but this time with jeans on - it was raining outside, funny how the weather did that, unable to make up its mind. Like Will, who was currently holding up the small line of customers who had come to the café seeking shelter from the rain.
Will grinned. "Do I need a reason to come see a friend?"
"We aren't friends." Nico said his face devoid of emotion. Behind him he heard Percy snort and he shot a glare over his shoulder at his dark haired friend.
Will sighed and shook his head sadly before leaning forward on the counter with that shit eating grin of his. "See, that's the thing Nico," Will said. "I'm friends with you, even if you aren't with me!"
Nico scowled. "Are you even going to order something?" He growled. "You're holding up the line."
In truth most of Nico's customers had abandoned ship and were ordering from Percy's cash, so it didn't really matter either way.
Will looked behind him before turning back to the menu.
"A lemonade," He said after much length.
Nico let out a frustrated breath, telling himself that smashing his best friend's boyfriend's brains in would not be a good move and that Will was a just being difficult.
Grudgingly he turned away from the cash and began putting together the lemonade that Will had ordered. As he was putting the lid on the drink Percy sidled up to him with a mischievous grin on his face.
Nico scowled. "Not a word." He said, but Percy's grin grew, sea green eyes twinkling.
There had been a time where this close proximity with Percy would've sent his heart into a panic and had his palms sweaty. Nico's crush on Percy was over and done with, but Percy inadvertently had been the one to help Nico realise his sexuality, with the help and support of Jason and Reyna of course.
"Who's the cute blond? Someone you know?" Percy wiggled his brow suggestively and Nico's scowl darkened further.
"Jason's boyfriend." He snapped out and was immediately felt guilty of the small surge of pleasure he felt at Percy's defeated expression.
"Shit," Percy said, eyes drifting to Will. "That's too bad man, but hey," Percy gave an affectionate slap to Nico's shoulder. "There's plenty more fish in the sea."
Nico rolled his eyes, "Go serve table six already, they're waiting for their tea."
"Yes sir!" Percy gave Nico a mock salute before he wandered away with tray in hand. Nico sighed and set the lemonade down in front of Will who accepted it warmly.
"Thanks Nico!" Will said, before he began to slurp noisily at his drink.
Nico grunted and turned his attention back to the cash, the line had dissipated and there were only a few tables of people who had decided they wanted to order in instead of taking a drink on the go. Percy was already hovering at tables, taking any extra orders and distributing drinks.
He wasn't needed there.
Nico turned his stare back to Will. "You know this is a coffee shop right?" He asked.
Will nodded enthusiastically. "Yep, but I like lemonade and hot chocolate over coffee." He made a face. "Coffee gives me too much energy. Something I already have enough of."
Nico nodded sagely, his fingers drumming against the counter.
"That you do," He grunted, then a thought struck him. "Jason isn't working today," Nico said, watching Will carefully.
"I know," Will said nodding; he stirred his straw around in his lemonade, poking at the ice cubes floating in the drink.
"You know," Nico repeated. "Let me ask again, what are you doing here?"
Will didn't look up from his lemonade. "I already told you; do I need a reason to visit a friend?"
"Yes." Nico said.
Will pouted, and Nico had to struggle to keep his gaze on Will's eyes and not his lips.
He's dating your best friend. He's dating your best friend.
"We never got to finish our game." Will said suddenly.
"What?" Nico asked, wondering if he had heard Will wrong.
"Our game," Will said. "You only answered one question; it's called twenty questions for a reason."
Nico let out a carefully controlled breath. "Twenty questions my ass," He grumbled. "Look, I'm on the job right now, why don't you go play your stupid question game with Percy or something?"
"I'm on the job," Percy said as he passed them. He smiled and raised a hand at Will. "Percy," He said. "You must be Will."
Will grinned. "Yep, that's me."
Percy grinned as he started putting together fresh pots of tea.
"Jason's been hiding you from us," He said, and then dropped a wink in Will's direction. "Probably 'cause he was worried that Nico here would scare you off."
Will laughed, and Nico scowl deepened. Did everything Will do have to be so... so… Nico frowned as he was unable to find the word he was looking for to describe Will.
"If Nico's the worst I think there won't be any problem." Will said.
"Reyna." Nico said, and Percy nodded in agreement.
Will looked confused. "Reyna?" He asked. "Who's Reyna?"
Percy pursed his lips as he set the tea trays on his main one. "Jason's ex-girlfriend from high school."
"Oh," Will looked down at his lemonade.
Percy looked sympathetic as he passed them again. He patted Will's shoulder.
"Don't worry, they didn't work out well, and anyways, Reyna isn't interested in Jason like that."
As Percy left Will looked up at Nico with a curious expression.
"Reyna," Will started. "Is she..."
"She's taken," Nico stated. "Has a girlfriend that goes by Rachel."
Will bit his lip, and Nico got the impression he was trying to hide his relief.
A moment of silence passed between them before Will perked back up.
"It's your turn to ask a question." He said.
"I thought I told you I wasn't going to play this stupid game with you." Nico growled, his nerves were fraying at the ends and his patience was growing dangerously thin. Will seemed completely oblivious to this fact and continued to smile.
Will leaned forward, reaching over he poked Nico between his brows before Nico could pull away.
"If you keep scowling like that you're going to get wrinkles." Will advised.
Nico stepped back from the counter, his hand rubbing at the offended spot. His scowl deepened.
"Don't. Touch. Me." He ground out, eyes flaring dangerously.
Will baby blues widened slightly as he seemed to register that he might have over stepped a line. He immediately smiled, but glanced towards the counter as new customers poured in.
"I'll see you around Nico," Will said, moving away as well. "And I'll definitely get my twenty questions from you."
With that Will turned and left, a spring in his step and the straw of his lemonade between his lips.
Nico grumbled. "Idiot."