It was no secret that Nico preferred solitude.

It wasn't as strange or alarming as Jason could make it seem at times when Nico just wanted to be on his own. Ever since Bianca's death Jason only saw it as some form of pushing them all away and he would get all worried mother-hen on him and try to smother him in friendship. Which would, of course, only result in Nico getting a bit stir crazy and wanting to be alone even more.

He could trade in his quiet dinners for a nice meal with Hazel or Jason or whomever decided to join them. He didn't even protest that much when Leo joined his morning runs – the boy was too busy panting and trying to keep up with him to be much of a conservationist anyways, which Nico had no complaints about. His study sessions slowly turned into study groups. His well-meaning friends were ill-informed on the mental on-workings of his mind and they were determined to make sure he didn't fall back into himself like before.

So, Nico would have to get his solitude in other ways. Feigning sickness before group events he didn't feel up for. Skipping one or two classes just so he could wander the campus on his own for an hour before he was looked for. Showering and doing laundry in the early hours of the night.

Even now as he toweled off his damp hair he felt a bubble of contentment grow in his chest. He bounced down the dorm hall stairway with a slight smile and his laundry bin balanced on one hip. This was one of his favorite routines to do by himself. It was something he'd enjoyed, whether it was a chore given to him the foster family of the week, or done by the crappy washer and dryer in the dorm house. The thick, warm air of the laundry room always felt heavy and clean in his lungs and the smell of his fabric softener and the feel of warm clothes in his hands gave him flashbacks to his mother's hands and sister's grin.

He was rather looking forward to this time alone, and under his pile of dirty clothes was a new novel Hazel kept pushing him to read, and an IPod with a playlist of songs Nico hadn't worn out yet.

To say he was disappointed when he finally edged the laundry room door open and caught a glimpse of a figure laying across the machines would be…well…an understatement.

He heaved out a quiet, annoyed sigh and considered just coming back tomorrow in hopes of an empty room but remembered the dangerously low amount of clean socks he had been working with this past week. His previous upbeat mood twisted into a more pissed off feeling that left him scowling and gritting his teeth.

The figure looked up in surprise when Nico barely slammed his basket onto the sofa chair next to the machines.

"Oh!" The boy exclaimed, scrambling up. Nico's heart lifted a bit at the prospect of him leaving. "Sorry, I didn't think anyone would be awake at this hour." He sat up from his position and rubbed at his eyes.

Nico shrugged, his mood not as bad as the other boy hopped off the dryer.

"I just put my load in the dryer, so the washer's all yours." He told Nico as he stretched. He had a ridiculously thick book clamped in one hand while the other hand flew to his mouth to cover his yawn. Nico, though disappointed he wouldn't be leaving right away, was at least glad he was almost done. "What time is it?" The boy asked, shaking his head as if to wake himself up more, "My phone died." He held up the sleek, black piece of tech as if to prove a point.

Nico began to separate the darks and lights but pulled his own phone out to answer him. "2:26." He answered before slipping the phone back into his pocket. The boy hummed and, from the sounds of creaks behind Nico, sprawled down across the rickety couch.

"I'm Will Solace." The boy told him without prompt. Nico felt a bit of agitation and urged himself not to immediately reach for his headphones.

"Nico di Angelo." He muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Will to hear him. He expected, and hoped, for no answer, but Will seemed determined to ruin Nico's expectations for the night.

"di Angelo?" Will questioned. Nico tensed up at his tone. As if the name was familiar to Will, as it was to nearly everyone who went to school at Bianca's time. It was the tone of 'I know you from somewhere, somehow and I will not let it go until I remember and awkwardly stubble out an apology for something I had nothing to do with.'

Yeah, Nico hated that tone.

"Aren't you Hazel's brother?" Will finally managed. Nico's body went loose in relief at that, and a little bit of his annoyance with the boy began to fade.

"Half-brother, but yeah." Nico corrected weakly. He started the washer and was graceful for the reassuring fragrance that came with the soap. After throwing the darks in, he awkwardly turned to face Will, who was, as he had expected, sprawled across the lumpy surface of the old couch. "How do you know Hazel?" he asked, wanting more to fill the air then to start an actual conversation.

"Frank Zhang is in my pre-med program. We share a few classes, and he's constantly talking about his girl, Hazel. You've come up a few times."

"Don't believe anything he says." Nico tells him, more out of habit then anything. He pushes himself up on the warm dryer and immediately gets the appeal that Will saw in it.

Will let out a laugh, louder then Nico would have thought possible considering the heavy bags under his eyes. "All good things." He says, smoothing his blond hair with a tired hand.

"What are you doing up so late?" Nico asks, this time surprising himself. He excuses it as motive to avoid him next time, but after staring at Will's low rise jeans even he knows he's lying to himself.

Will let out a long groan before answering, a groan that Nico isn't proud to say brought him much joy. It was vaguely startling to witness how fast Nico went from 'fuck you' to 'fuck me.'

"Studying for this huge test we have coming up." Will tipped his head back onto the lumpy arm of the couch and cracked his neck. "Have you ever tried to map the nerve system of the erogenous zone? I have. And I have failed. I was a brave man before and now I am broken." Will threw his hands into the air and sighed loudly, "Genitals have broken me!"

Nico turned his head and smothered quiet laughter into his sweatshirt. Will's voice went high with laughter, "Are you laughing at me?!" he exclaimed, laughter coating his own voice, "Are you laughing at a broken man?"

Nico bit his lip and let off bubbles of laughter just in time for his lungs to start off their protests. He panted out through grins and giggles.

"Well, I'm glad someone is enjoying my suffering," Will observed with a smile. His lazy body was still laced in exhaustion but his eyes danced in a way they hadn't before. "When I fail my genitals nerve test I'll come straight to your door and I'll let you frame it so you can laugh every time you pass it. "

"I don't want your genitals test." Nico told him with a grin. Had 'test' not been tacked on at the end, that sentence would be a lie. Nico grinned a little stupidly at his own joke.

Will was goofy funny, and that was always something Nico went for in a guy. Of course, his messy blond hair (probably more from lack of sleep than styling at this point), his coffee brown freckles that kissed his cheeks, and his extremely nice hips didn't hurt either.

"It's rude not to accept someone's gift." Will told him with a scandalized look on his face, "Especially if they've put a lot of work into it."

Nico rolled his eyes playfully, "I'm not exactly known for my manners, Solace."

Will grinned with an edge, "Oh? Then what are you known for, di Angelo?"

Nico turned a soft red and changed the subject, "Why haven't I seen you around? I'm usually up here every Monday night or so."

Will wiggled his eyebrows comically, "Oh, good. Now I have a time estimate. Now I can come back and you can do laundry while I talk of genitals. What a life."

Will spread his hands out in a rainbow motion and grinned a little hysterically. Nico grinned at the thought and wasn't as opposed it as he originally thought.

If Nico hadn't known any better, he'd think Will was flirting with him.

But, hey, what did Nico know?

Will continued, "I usually do my laundry at normal, human functioning hours. Unlike you, who seems to be pleased to be up at this ungodly hour. Why are you up anyways?"

Nico shrugged, "It's nice down here at night."

His eyes widened comically, "Nice? It's nice? Nico, I almost brought a scalpel with me down here. It's creepy as hell down here in the morning, and at night when I'm by myself? You scared me when you came down here, I could have attacked you!"

Nico gave him a look, "Attack me? With what, Tide pods and laundry detergent?"

Will shrugged, "You never know. Those things can be deadly in the wrong hands."

He laughed, "And I highly doubt those wrong hands are yours."

Will tried to grin back at him but was interrupted by a yawn.

"You should probably take a nap." Nico suggested, both for the unread book in his basket and for Will's exhausted self. "I'll wake you up when your load is done."

Will complied with Nico's suggestion and, more importantly, his quickly drooping eyes. Soon he was curled in ball with a clean, fluffy towel covering most of his body. Nico stared at him for a second before diving into his book and enjoying the quiet.

He did like Will though. He seemed kind and didn't have a shortage of jokes, which Nico enjoyed in a person. But as much as he enjoyed the other boy's presence, a part of him couldn't help but wish he had gotten his alone time. He quickly resolved to simply get up earlier than usual tomorrow and get breakfast before anyone could tag along.

He liked sitting on the dryer. He had never tried it before but the warmth and the soft sounds of the washer and dryer comforted him. He continued to read and eventually became absorbed in the book, falling in love with the story just as Hazel had told him he would.

It was all too soon when the dryer let off its signature buzzer, startling Nico and waking up Will with a start.

Nico dog-eared his book, gently shut it, and glanced at Will's ruffled hair and bleary eyes before letting out a small laugh.

Will blinked up at him. "Are clothes done?"

Nico grinned, "Yeah. Clothes are done."

Will yawned and stood, his body loose with sleep. He began shuffling the warm clothes from the dryer into his hamper, stopping only when he noticed Nico's amused eyes.

"Stop enjoying my exhausted misery." He ordered, glancing up at Nico's spot on the dryer from where he bend over his clothes.

Nico hummed, "I'm not enjoying anything. Certainly not your bed head, or anything of the likes. "

Will gave him a playful scowl before pulling the last of his clothes out. "I better get going." Will told him, shutting the door to the dryer. "If I don't get to sleep soon I might die from exhaustion and all of my studying would have been for nothing."

Nico nodded very seriously, "Of course. That would be a downright tragedy."

Will grinned around another yawn, "Next Monday, 2 am?"

Nico bit his lip, "I…yeah. If you're up for it, I mean."

Will nodded and saluted him sleepily. "See you then, di Angelo. Don't stay up too late, it's bad for you! Doctor's orders."

Nico rolled his eyes and yelled after him, "You're not a doctor!"

Will kept walking, his hamper hanging from one hand and his thick book from the other. But he turned his head to throw a grin over at Nico and wave.

Nico would miss his solidarity in the laundry room. He would miss sitting alone and enjoying the sound of only his breathing and the beat of the dryer. He would miss absorbing the smell and sounds of his favorite chore into his heart. But, he notices months later when Will is unable to make it to their 2 am date in the dorm laundry room, without him it would be much too lonely.