Nico didn't like to cry, but sometimes he did.

Sometimes every single thing that had happened to him in the last years popped up in his head like a bubble, so his brain was like a box full of bubbles and every time one exploded, and eventually all did, he was left with a fresh memory. Or several. And now, on top of all that… he felt alone.

Maybe because it was Valentine's Day… yes, probably that was it. And he had no one to share it with. It didn't mean he wanted exclusively a boyfriend, just someone to talk to. He wanted Bianca, but he knew that wasn't possible, so he thought of Hazel, but that was also not going to happen because his half-sister was at Camp Jupiter. And even if she had not been so far away, she was supposed to spend that day with Frank and the last thing he wanted was to spoil her day, too. Percy and Annabeth, Piper and Jason, Tyson and Ella, all of them were in their silly little world, full of happiness and fluffy words and puppies and hearts. They didn't have time for him and today he didn't have anyone. Everybody was busy making out and even though they had all offered him to spend the evening with them, he had refused, not wanting to be the third wheel.

So there he was, hidden in the woods. He had stumbled across this huge tree with branches so long they hid him from the rest of the world, and he just laid there on the floor with his arms hugging his legs, crying like a baby.

He hated to cry, it made him feel weak. The thought of someone finding him crying made him panic. It was so embarrassing! That was why, in order to avoid people watching him cry, he had escaped to the woods. No one would find him there. Nodoby knew where he was. Well... there was someone. The only person who knew him enough to know exactly where he could be. Nico felt a comfortable warm feeling spreading through his body. It was inevitable.

Will, he thought. His best friend. The only person that really knew him and could figure him out immediately. He had needed eight months. Eight months to become his best friend and read him like no one ever could. Eight months to be able to take a look at him and know what he was thinking. The only thing Will didn't seem to notice -and thank the Gods, Nico thought- was that every time Will made something, well, Willish, Nico smiled. It was his I-love-you-so-much-stop-it-I-hate-you smile. Because after eight months he had finally allowed himself to think about it. He had a little crush on his best friend.

Would he ever admit that to anyone? Oh no! Over his dead body, and not even then. Will was this special person for whom he had a special spot in his mind, where he could think about his best friend all he wanted and feel really guilty after. He wasn't what Percy had been. He did look up to him but Will wasn't an obsession. He made him healthy. Will was this little demigod cupcake who helped everyone and was nice to everyone all the time. Everyone at Camp Half-Blood adored him, just like they didn't like Nico, and that was why he felt alone. Will was the first person that had been able to make him truly happy again. And not being with him right now... was part of the reason he was crying. Not that he would ever admit that. Nico di Angelo was stubborn.

Now, concerning his friend: Was Will gay? Oh yes. Did Will like Nico? Of course not. He did flirt with him but Nico was pretty sure he did it with everyone. Apollo's son. He cared about Nico as a friend, but that was it. He wished Bianca was there, so he could talk to her. It was times like this where he felt he was going crazy. Nico had way too many secrets and he kept them to himself, so every now and then he felt he was going to explode if he didn't share them with someone. He had told Will a couple but he certainly couldn't tell him this one. How would he even start?

"So, I'm in love with you, what should I do?" He tried to speak but his voice cracked from all the crying. He felt so pathetic.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He felt a soft voice saying the words and he froze. How long had he been there? He quickly dried the traces of his tears and tried to put himself together, but it wasn't so easy. He had been crying for an hour.

"What are you doing here?!" He spat angrily, winning a grin from Will.

"I came looking for you. I figured you'd be here. I've been walking around for fifty minutes". Of course he had been. Nico felt the urge to hug him, but he managed to look upset instead.

"I want to be alone" he spoke the words but it was exactly what he didn't want.

"Yeah, sure" Will said sarcastically. He didn't buy it, obviously.

They were quiet for a few minutes. Nico knew Will was giving him his space. He would either tell him what was happening, or he would keep acting like a stubborn child for another twenty minutes. He was tired from all the crying, so he started:

"There is this guy I sort of... like" he could feel his cheeks getting red. Nico realized he would be obligated to tell him who it was sooner or later so he backed down. "I don't really want to talk about it".

"Okay" Will said sweetly. They locked eyes. "Nobody should be alone on Valentine's Day."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I am not flirting with you, Sunshine. I meant that friends spend Valentine's Day with friends" he explained "so I came looking for you because you don't deserve to be alone. Nobody does." Will was smiling and Nico was dying because of the smile.

"Don't call me Sunshine" he whispered sharply.

Will stood up and offered his hand to Nico. He stared at it. Will rolled his eyes and pulled his friend up, smiling widely. They began to walk.

"Give me a smile" he asked.

Nico grunted and Will laughed.

"C'mon. Wanna play Mythomagic? I bet I can kick your ass."

"You wish. The only ass getting kicked around here will be yours, Solace." Nico responded as they walked out of the forest. He was trying not to smile but it was hard.

Four hours later, they were done with lunch and heading back to the Hades cabin to continue their Mythomagic war. So far, the score was easy to remember: Nico 96 attacks - Will 1 (and only because Nico got distracted when Will yawned and lifted his arms, making his camp t-shirt follow and showing off part of his belly).

"Oh my Gods, you are the worst player ever!" Nico teased while they entered the cabin and seated on Nico's bed, where they had been playing before.

"It's not my fault! I'm an average player and you are like the best I've ever seen!" Will said in response.

"Well, I am" Nico shrugged, smiling.

Just a few hours earlier he had been crying his eyes out, feeling like the pain was going to swallow him or something. And now he was happy. He was playing his favorite game with his best friend and couldn't stop laughing.

"Ok, ok, I need a break. Loosing so many times in a row cannot be good for my self-esteem" Will announced.

He threw the game cards to the floor and changed his sitting position so now he was lying on the bed. Nico did the same thing and they stayed silent for a while.

After a few minutes Will started humming softly. And then he sang. The lyrics told the story of a boy that was drawn to another boy in a way he couldn't explain. They were friends, and the first boy wanted to make the other his boyfriend.

"What are you doing...?" Nico interrupted with a voice that was calmed but cautious.

"Singing...?"

"Yeah, but why are you singing that?"

"Singing what? What is wrong with what I'm singing? I'm just singing!"

"Okay..."

Will kept singing the song, which seemed to be called something like 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend', which made Nico very nervous and uncomfortable. He finally exploded.

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?! I am not doing anything!"

"You are indirectly flirting with me!"

"No, I am not! I'm just singing a song that I like!"

"N-o! You are singing something about boyfriends and love and being drawn to someone and all that shit! Why did you pick that song?"

"I did not pick the song, you poptart! It's just a song that's stuck in my head!"

They looked at each other.

"Do you want me to flirt with you?" Will asked out of the blue.

"Why would you even ask that?!" Nico was going crazy. He was fighting a lot of emotions. He wanted to scream 'YES PLEASE FLIRT THE SHIT OUT OF ME' but he also wanted to run away so they wouldn't have this conversation.

"Because it looks like it" Will stated.

"Well, I don't."

They continued to look at each other. Nico was speechless. Will was great. He made him very happy, he was always there to cheer him up and always cared about his well-being. He was the best friend he could ask for, but sometimes he couldn't even look at him. His face, those blue eyes and the freckles that made him look so adorable. His smile and his tanned skin, all those things made Nico crazy. Every time he checked him out his brain would get all loopy and he wouldn't be able to concentrate. And the fact that someone could make him lose control of himself freaked him out.

Nico stood up and ran out of the cabin.

Again, he thought, Will had done it again. He was confused and unable to think straight.

He ran towards the lake, not sure what he planned to do, but before he could even reach the shore a hand grabbed hold of his arm. Will pulled both of them into the cabin, Nico's attempts to get away failing miserably.

"You are not getting away again. I want to have a serious conversation with you that does not involve you shadow-traveling away every time things get tense or emotional". Will stated firmly. He looked serious. He was never so serious.

They looked at each other but Will didn't say a word.

"Didn't you want to have a conversation? Well, talk, Solac..!"

He was stopped by the contact of Will's lips on his. It didn't last more that three seconds. He pulled away from Nico and simply walked out of the cabin, leaving Nico stunned, confused and shivering.

He didn't remember his name, where he was or what day it was. He only knew one thing: he didn't feel so alone anymore.