Author's Note: Hey, this is my first time writing fan fiction so don't judge, cause it's not perfect. This story starts off right where Nico's last point of view ends, so there are Blood of Olympus spoilers. Also for the sake of the story I made Apollo an active character, instead of MIA like he is in the books. When you're done it would be great if you could review. Hate is frowned upon but constructive criticism is welcomed. Oh yeah, I don't own any of the characters. Hope you enjoy!

"What was that about?" Will asked when Nico was done talking to Percy.

"I was just um, congratulating Percy and Annabeth on college in New Rome," Nico said hesitantly. He was not about to tell Will what he was really talking about. Will was nice and all, but did he really need to know all of his deepest secrets? Will raised his eyebrows dubiously,

"I hope they didn't encourage you to run away to New Rome with them, because people like me and Jason need you here at Camp Half Blood."

"No, they didn't. Of course I'm staying. I already told you that, and Percy is not going to change my mind," Nico said as Will pulled him into a hug. For once, he didn't try to squirm away.

"You're always welcome here, Nico," Will said softly. Nico rolled his eyes but decided not to argue.

"Let's get you to the infirmary. I need to make sure that you don't do any Underworld stuff until you're fully healed," Will said getting back to business. Nico nodded. He didn't think that he actually needed 3 days of sleep but he was looking forward to spending time with Will, even though he would never admit it.

Will brought Nico to the infirmary. Nico laid down on the hospital bed.

"Shirt off please!" Will ordered. Nico looked revolted. Will, of all people, wanted to see him shirtless, and he was in no condition to be seen.

"But why?! You said I needed rest and I can do that perfectly well with a shirt on!" Nico protested.

"Doctor's orders," Will smirked. "Reyna said that you had gotten some werewolf scratches. I need to see how they're healing." He did have a point, Nico thought. Reluctantly he took off his shirt and he noticed Will's eyes linger on his pale chest. He prayed no one he knew would walk into the room. That would just be too much, but as Will ran his fingers along his mostly healed scars, Nico couldn't help but want more.

For the rest of his time in the infirmary, Nico tried not to get caught to get caught staring at Will. He also noticed that Will spent a lot more time with him than the other patients. So much time that Nico couldn't help but develop a crush on him. Was it possible Will had a crush on him too? Nico shoved that thought back down. He already had his heart broken with Percy and he did not need it to happen with Will too. Besides he didn't even know if Will was gay or not. But he secretly hoped he was. Even though he was out to Percy, he still felt weird having crushes on other guys. Will then came over and ran his fingers through Nicos hair. Nico blushed.

"You're going to play capture the flag tonight, right?" Will asked casually. Nico nodded and blushed even more. "Good. I hope we're on the same team. Just be careful not to over exert yourself." Will ruffled his hair and left to go check on another patient. Nico smiled to himself. He wasn't big on capture the flag, but he looked forward to it tonight.

"Hey Nico. Let's team up!" Will called out right before the game begun. Nico ran over.

"Yeah, the Hades cabin needs some allies." Will laughed and slapped him on the back.

Chiron then blew the starting horn and, not wanting to get separated, they grabbed hands and ran into the forest. They ran aimlessly for a few minutes until they found a clearing. Will placed his hands on Nico's shoulders.

"So, offense or defense?" He asked.

"Capture the flag is not really my thing, to be honest," Nico mumbled, looking at the ground.

"Defense it is then!" Will declared and they walked over to guard the flag.

There weren't many pursuers of the flag until the end of the game. There was so little action that Nico found himself staring into space and slipping away into the shadows. It was Will's shouts that brought him back to reality.

"Nico! Flag!" Nico cursed himself for not paying attention and saw Clarisse jump out of the bushes and take the flag. He took off after her, but she was fast.

"Will, a little help please," he called, but got no response. Where was Will when he needed him? Nico figured that his best option was to chase Clarisse towards the river, which was the boundary, and tag her, but she was getting away. Nico just isn't fast enough.

"Will! I need help!" He yelled. Just when Clarisse is about to cross the line and win, Will jumped out of a tree and tagged her out.

At that same moment Jason and Piper run across the line waving the opponent's flag. They had won.

Nico was not used to all the attention he and Will got for winning. The camp crowded around them cheering their names.

"We did it, Nico!" Will shouted. He pulled Nico into a big hug and surprisingly Nico didn't want to let go. Will grabbed Nico's hand and raised it above their heads. This is what being a victor feels like, Nico thought. Will waved the flag and the crowd cheered again. As the crowd dissipated Will pulled Nico close.

"Celebration continues in the Apollo cabin. You should come!"

"I don't know..." Nico replied. "I'm kind of tired." Nico also didn't want people to see them together and get the wrong idea, but he didn't say that.

"Aww, come on. You can sleep afterwards. You're coming. No ifs, ands, or buts. It's final," Will said. He would do anything to make Nico spend time with him. Even though he didn't want to admit it, he really did like Nico, he just wasn't sure if was as friends or something more.

Nico followed Will back to the Apollo cabin.

"You know, this party seems like an Apollo thing. Maybe I'll just head back to the Hades cabin..." Nico trailed off, but Will wouldn't hear any of it.

"No. You're the guest of honor, you earned it by winning. Don't leave," Will snapped. He was slightly hurt by Nico's comment, but he didn't let it show. Reluctantly Nico followed Will inside.

Nico had fun at the party, even though he awkwardly followed Will around for most of it. He did get to meet some of the other campers and Lou Ellen and Cecil were snuck in as well.

Will however did not want Nico to leave his side. He wanted to make sure that he wouldn't leave and he wanted to introduce him to the right people. He also didn't want other people to check him out, but he wasn't going to tell Nico that.

After the party, Will walked Nico back to the Hades cabin.

"Hey, I'm glad you came. We should hang out again sometime." Will said, stroking Nico's arm.

"Uh, y-yeah th-that would be n-nice," Nico stuttered. He cursed himself. Why couldn't he be smooth around guys he liked?

"Just the two of us though. Consider it bonding time," Will winked. Nico recoiled at this. Going to the party was fine, but bonding time?

"Why do you want to bond with me? Why would anyone want to bond with me?" He snapped. He knew he was being mean, but he didn't care.

"Gods, you're so dense. Maybe people just want to be your friend. Or something more," Will responded, immediately regretting adding the last part, but Nico didn't seem to notice.

Nico took a step back.

You want to be my friend?" He asked, skeptical. "I'm a son of Hades, most people don't like that."

"Yeah, I do. You just got to give people a chance. I know you had bad experiences in the past, but things are different now. You can trust people," Will ranted. Nico looked appalled. Was is possible that Will figured out his secret?

Will gave up.

"Let's just talk things over later. Lunch on the beach tomorrow?" Will said. Nico nodded. They both needed time to calm down. After a quick hug, where Nico blushed furiously, they both went back to their cabins and went to bed.

Nico was nervous. He didn't know what to expect. I wasn't a date, really, he wasn't sure that Will even liked guys. At 10 o'clock Will knocked on the door of the Hades cabin. When he answered it he was surprised to see Will blushing. Maybe he did like Nico in that way.

"Sorry, couldn't wait until lunch. Just wanted to see you sooner," Will said. It made Nico feel better that he wasn't the only nervous one.

"Yeah, me too. Let's go to the beach now," Nico said awkwardly. He still couldn't believe that Will actually wanted to be friends with him.

They walked down to the lake and found an open bench away from the crowds. They sat down and Will draped an arm over Nico's shoulder. He pretended not to notice, but in the inside he was thrilled.

They talked about camp life for a while, but things eventually became more personal.

"How was the quest?" Will asked.

"It was okay. The hardest part was facing Cupid," Nico hesitated. He immediately regretted brining Cupid up, Will was going to ask questions. And he was right.

"What happened with Cupid?" He asked. Nico couldn't think of a good excuse not to answer.

"He made me confess my secret love interest to Jason." He whispered, he had no intention of being overhead.

Will raised his eyebrows, "Well who was it?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm over him now."

"Him?" Will asked surprised, but without any hatred.

Nico reluctantly nodded. Will leaned in and stroked his cheek.

"Now I know I have a chance with you." Nico didn't know what Will's reaction was going to be, but he wasn't expecting this.

"So, you mean you're gay too?" He asked.

"Yeah. I am," Will confirmed. Nico rested his head on Will's shoulder.

"I'm glad to know that I'm not alone."

"Me too," Will whispered, running his fingers through Nico's long hair. They sat in comfortable silence until the lunch bell rang.

As Will made his daily food sacrifices he asked for Apollo to come talk to him personally. He needed advice.

Apollo appeared almost immediately in Will's dreams that night. He was slightly delusional, like all the gods were, but Will was desperate.

"I have guy problems," Will finally said when he had his father's full attention.

"Is it Nico?" He sighed. Will nodded. "You know I'm not good with mortal dudes. You saw what happened with Hyacinthus."

"Yeah, I like him and I think he likes me. I just don't know if I should make a move or not," Will said. This was awkward. He was starting to second guess his idea to ask his dad for dating advice.

Apollo thought for a moment, "If you want something to happen, you're going to have to initiate it. Nico just doesn't have the confidence to ask you himself."

"But should I?" He asked. Will was not getting the straight answer he was hoping for.

"Should you? That is up to you, but he'll probably say yes if you do," Apollo said. He gave all the advice he had. He figured Will would be fine.

Will barely had time to say thanks before his father left.

Will cornered Nico after breakfast the next morning. He decided to follow his father's advice and just go for it.

"Hey," Will said. This was going to be harder than he thought it would be. "Do you want to, you know, leave camp, like, tomorrow evening, go to the city, like, on a um, date with me?" He flashed a blinding smile, hoping it would make up for how nervous and unprepared he sounded.

Nico blushed and looked away, the smile was too much. He was elated, but he didn't want to sound desperate, and tried to play it cool.

"Um, yeah I do," he said, for the first time ever his voice sounded cheerful.

Will was instantly relieved, and he hugged Nico.

"I'll pick you up at 5:30," he whispered. Will grabbed Nico's fingertips and held them between his palms. He was glad the breakfast hall was empty, though it would have been romantic, he wouldn't have had the courage to ask him out of he had an audience.

Nico was surprised at Will's little stunt, but he couldn't have been happier. Coming from the 1940s, it wasn't exactly common practice for guys to ask other guys out. Maybe it was a good thing that times were changing, he thought.

Nico leaned in close, "Can't wait," he whispered.

"Me neither." Will glanced at his watch, "I have to get to archery now. See you later!" He gave Nico a quick peck on the cheek before running off.

Nico knocked on the door of the Zeus cabin.

"Come in," Jason called. Nico pushed the door open and stepped inside. When Jason saw Nico he got up off his bed and gave Nico a platonic hug.

"Hey man, what's up?" He asked, giving off the vibe that Nico longed to have.

"I need advice," Nico responded, "I uh, have a date tomorrow."

Jason's face lit up.

"Let me guess! Will Solace?"

Nico nodded, "How did you know?"

"Come on, you guys hang out constantly. Anyone could have guessed."

Nico jerked to attention.

"Really? How obvious is it? Does anyone else know that we're um, gay?"

Jason hesitated. He would have thought that Nico would have come to terms with his sexuality by now. Apparently not.

"Well, Piper has probably figured it out, but I would suggest you talk to her yourself," Jason said, leaning back in his chair.

"Well if it's that obvious, maybe I should reconsider our date then. It's not like I want the whole camp to know," Nico huffed.

Jason's voice softened, "No, don't do that. Times are changing. People will accept you. Will knows this, and he's not afraid to like to like you," Nico looked at him skeptically, the but he kept talking. "Homosexuality is not a crime, Nico. It's part of who you are. You need to learn to embrace it. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to Will not to." Jason rested a hand on Nico's shoulder.

"Thanks for the advice," Nico said before leaving. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to up his flirting game and show Will that he really did like him.

Will decided to skip his archery lesson that day, as a son of Apollo he didn't really need them anyway. Instead he had a date to plan. He called Piper over from her cabin, of all the Aphrodite children she was the most likely to understand what Will wanted to do for Nico.

"I have a date tomorrow night in New York City. Except I don't really know what to do," Will said. "I don't think my date would want it to be too romantic though," He added knowing what a daughter of Aphrodite could pull off. Piper though for a moment.

"I know a good French restaurant, it's formal but not too fancy. And then maybe some ice skating?" She suggested.

Will shook his head. There was no way Nico would be okay with ice skating with him in public.

"The dinner sounds good but I think we'll just walk around Central Park afterwards," Will said. They discussed the logistics some more until Piper asked,

"Who is your date anyway?"

Will froze. He knew this was coming. While he personally didn't have a problem with Piper knowing, he knew Nico probably would.

"Is it Nico?" She asked. Will hesitantly nodded.

"Aww, you two are perfect together and that's coming from a child of Aphrodite. I totally support you," she said. Will was relieved, he was glad the first time he came out to someone he got a positive reaction. It felt good knowing he had support.

2 days of causal flirting later, Will showed up 15 minutes early to pick up Nico.

"Oh, hey. You're early. Sorry I'm not ready yet. Let me change," Nico said when he answered the door, gesturing to his jeans and t-shirt.

"Well okay then. Mind if I stay?" Will smirked. He sat down on Nico's bed and made himself at home. Nico awkwardly took off his shirt and grabbed the dress shirt Jason lent him.

"Hey, come here," Will winked. When Nico pretended not to hear him, he got up, walked over to him, and put his hands on Nico's bare chest.

"Don't think for a second that I don't like you in that way. I have had feelings for you since our hands touched on the battlefield. I hope you feel the same way," Will whispered, leaning in close.

"I feel that way about you too," Nico stammered, flushing.

Will held Nico's hand as they left camp and waited for the taxi. The gesture was unfamiliar to Nico, but he liked it.

"You okay?" Will whispered.

"I'm fine," Nico replied and he gave Will's hand a squeeze. He liked how stable Will was; he wasn't about to fade away at a moments notice.

"Piper recommend a French restaurant and I was thinking of a walk in Central Park afterwards," Will said.

"Thanks for arranging this," Nico said just as the taxi arrived.

They got into the back of the car and held hands. They told the driver where they were going, but they rode in comfortable silence. They didn't want the driver to know every detail of their private lives.

When Nico stepped out of the cab he was in awe. He had been to New York City before, but he never realized how huge it was. He saw the Empire State Building, where he once visited Mt. Olympus, and the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance. All the attractions and activity around him made him feel small and insignificant.

He grabbed Will's arm for emotional support and they walked into the restaurant. Even though the big city overwhelmed him, he couldn't wait to see Central Park later.

"We have a reservation for 2 under the name Will Solace at 6:00," Will told the hostess.

"Of course, right this way," she said, leading them away from the entrance. "Is it a date? We do have some quieter, more secluded tables in the back, if you want some more privacy."

Nico was surprised by this, the hostess seemed okay with the fact that they were together, but Will didn't bat an eyelash.

"Yeah, we're on a date and a table in the back would be great," Will said awkwardly. The hostess sat them down.

"Ok, great! Have a good one," she winked and walked off.

"That was strange," Nico said to himself.

"What was?" Will asked staring right into his eyes. Nico was startled. He didn't expect Will to hear him.

"Nothing. It wasn't you. It was just that the waitress didn't seem to be prejudiced against us, because we're two guys on a date. It even seemed like she supported us..." Nico trailed off. Will laughed.

"Nico, It's okay that we're dating. New York is a progressive place. Most people here will support us. Stop worrying, it's not good for you," Will said smiling. For good measure he added, "Doctor's orders." Which caused Nico to bury his face in his hands.

"You mean a lot to me. Just wanted to tell you that," Nico said and for the first time ever, he initiated physical contact. He placed his hand on top of Will's and he smiled in response.

They had a good dinner. It wasn't particularly romantic, but they both enjoyed it.

"Are you ready to go to Central Park?" Will asked. Nico nodded, he was looking forward to some quality time with Will. They left the restaurant and walked through the archway welcoming them to the park.

Instead of holding hands, Will wrapped his arm around Nico's waist. In response, Nico did something he would think was a dream later. He kissed Will on the cheek, not caring who saw. Will was surprised by this, but he liked having Nico show affection for once.

"I like it here," Nico said after a while, gesturing to the park and city in general. "I don't feel like I have to be so...closeted."

"I'm telling you people will accept us," Will said, smiling. Nico rolled his eyes, even though he knew Will was right.

Will brought Nico to his favorite place in the park. It was a secluded area where children would sometimes feed the ducks during the day. The sun was setting an Nico noticed Will was getting tired.

"Let's go rest on that bench over there" he suggested. Will, who was strictly a morning person, obliged.

"This is a beautiful spot," Nico commented, referring to the sunset. Will nodded in agreement.

They sat in silence for a while, looking into each other's eyes. Suddenly Will couldn't take it anymore. He needed to satisfy his longing for Nico. He checked that no one was watching and pressed their lips together. The best part was that Nico was kissing him back.

Nico's first kiss was soft, short, and sweet. It wasn't over-the-top mushy, but it was more than just a peck. He was slightly startled when Will kissed him, but he found the experience enjoyable.

"That was nice," Nico said, pulling away. He then went in for another, this one a little deeper than the first.

"Was that your first kiss with a guy?" Nico asked.

"It was my first kiss with anyone. I wanted it to be with the right person. You know, you're really special to me," Will said as he kissed Nico again.

After their date, Will walked Nico back to the Hades cabin. When they were in front of the door, he grabbed both of Nico's hands, pulled him close and kissed him.

"It's official, we're boyfriends now!" Will squealed.

"Good. Maybe another date soon?" Nico said. He had never felt more comfortable with his sexuality. This statement earned him another kiss. He could hardly believe it. His first kiss was barely an hour ago, and now he couldn't stop.

"Goodnight Will. See you tomorrow," Nico yawned. He went inside and fell asleep thinking about Will. He couldn't wait to see him again.

Author's Note: I hoped you liked it! I'll be uploading another chapter soon.