DISCLAIMER: All the characters and the whole universe (of Percy Jackson) belong to Rick Riordan. I am not the correct age or gender to be Rick Riordan.

The night was utter black, which Nico could appreciate. Something he decidedly did not appreciate was the blaring "Alternative" music and the flashing lights that spewed their ugly brightness from the center of the camp's pavilion.

The son of Hades sighed. Why - why - was the camp having this ridiculous New Year's Eve party? It was basically torture for the introverts and the singles who had to watch all the happy couples making out at midnight. Mr. D and Chiron weren't attending, so one could only dream of the shenanigans that would be cooked up (most likely by the Stoll brothers).

Nico di Angelo stood in a shadowy corner of the pavilion, where no one would see him, find him, pester him to come and dance. He felt at home in the darkness, one with the shadows, almost becoming a shadow himself.

But he couldn't shadow-travel out, no way, he would be lost into the realm of the sad, whispery souls. And he couldn't leave without someone bothering him. He was stuck.

The flashing lights made him sick, the music about finding true happiness made him sigh. True happiness. Such a thing could never exist for a son of Hades.

Oh no. The ridiculous "countdown" was coming. Big, orange, holographic letters were being projected onto the wall across from Nico. Sixty seconds until the year 2015, C.E., officially began.

How different it had been, Nico thought, when he was born, in 1924. And yet . . . how the same.

Remembering his childhood brought a pang to his heart, thinking of Bianca. How fitting to think of her on New Year's. The thought of her still made him nearly cry - even though it had been eight years since her death. He was a "man" now - at least, according to society. He didn't feel any different, still felt like the little boy whose dreams had been smashed when his idol broke a promise to keep Nico's sister safe.

The only difference was that now he had gotten over his infatuation with Percy Jackson.

Nico blinked. He would not tear up. No. Thirty seconds until midnight.

The ghost king rolled his eyes in preparation for the extreme PDA that would roll around in half a minute. He had never had anyone to kiss on the eve of the new year. Or to kiss much at all - the closest he had ever come to a real relationship was kissing Max, daughter of Hecate, four years ago behind the stables - before he had come to terms with his sexuality.

Now there was no one, and he was standing at a mandatory party, waiting for a hundred people to French.

He took a brief moment to question his life choices.

Ten seconds.

Nico tapped into the life forces around him. All he felt was life, life, life, excitement, and boundless energy. He tapped back out, realizing that the buzz of everyone around him clashed with his dark mood.

Five seconds to go.

Nico sensed a presence near him. Uncomfortably near him, in fact. And suddenly there he was.

A well-tanned, icy-eyed, yellow-blonde-haired son of Apollo stood before him. Not just any son of Apollo: Will Solace, who had been the subject of Nico's attention for quite a few months.

"You looked lonely, Skully."

"G-get away from me, Sun boy."

"Aw, shut up."

"Make me."

"I will."

And that night, in the shadow of a painfully bright, mandatory New Year's Eve party, Will Solace certainly did.

A/N: Hello! I hope you liked my weird, hardly-edited one-shot. Please tell me your likes and dislikes in the form of reviews. I might write an epilogue, PLEASE tell me if anyone wants an epilogue. Thank you! Expect more shabby one-shots in the future.