A/N: These are just little drabbles that I needed to get out of my head in order to close this AU. :3 Again, Happy (now late) Birthday to Qwerty Kirby!

At first their friends didn't know what to make of their relationship. When Will had formally introduced Nico to Lou Ellen and Cecil, the pair had stared at the punk like he had just burst into a church blaring ACDC. Nico tried not to let that affect him – people were always uncomfortable around him – but, after Will cheerfully whisked them into a conversation, they seemed to decide that Nico wasn't going to bite and relaxed.

Jason and Percy found it all very humorous.

"The kid from your art history class?"

"Mr. Khakis and Polos?"

"It's like Beauty and the Best!"

"Cinderella!"

"Oh, William, William, let down your golden hair!" Percy recited dramatically, a hand on his chest and the other waving wildly.

"That's Rapunzel, bro," Jason snorted.

After Will stuck around for more than a few dates, and their third-month anniversary approached, Jason and Percy's jokes died down dramatically. They were probably impressed that Nico was still sticking around. Long relationships weren't really his thing. Then again, he never had someone like Will.

It was Jason's girlfriend, Piper, that suggested a double date. Nico was reluctant. He hated those sorts of things, but somehow Will had overheard and he agreed immediately. They settled on a movie night as Will had been planning to subject Nico to the Harry Potter movies already. When he'd heard that Nico never watched them, Will had let out such a loud gasp that it left Nico's ears ringing.

Their double date ended up being in Jason and Nico's room. They ordered some pizza and rounded up some junk food before holing themselves up in the dorm room. Will was practically bouncing as he set up the movie. "Oh, man, I can't believe you've never seen this," he was singing. He jumped onto Nico's bed and scrambled to sit behind him, arms wrapping around his sides as he reached for the remote. "Your mind is about to be blown. You kind of remind me of Draco Malfoy. You'd so be in Slytherin."

Nico just took a bite of pizza. "And you'd be one of those stoner wizards."

"…Stoner wizards."

"Yeah. Snuff and huff or whatever."

Will guffawed. "Hufflepuff? No way!" He snorted. "I'm not a badger! Though, they're totally bad ass." he retorted, as if that made any sense. "Honey Badger don't care!"

Piper was laughing and Jason glanced over at Nico with raised eyebrows. Nico shrugged back at him. As long as there was food he would be able to tolerate whatever movie was on. Besides, Will was pretty comfortable to lean on. No bookworm he'd ever met had muscles like that.

Piper munched on some popcorn. "Hufflepuff isn't that bad! I think Gryffindor is overrated, anyways."

Will glanced at her as if she was a long-lost sister. "Me too! God, everyone wants to be sorted into Gryffindor!"

Piper lit up. "Right? I mean, the other houses are just as fine."

"I always wanted to be in Ravenclaw!"

Halfway through the movie, Will and Piper had relocated to floor, busy discussing things from the books that went far over Nico's head. Jason and Nico had been forgotten, and both of them were pretty sulky about it.

Will started to recite some sort of chant that apparently a hat sang – Nico had to try very hard not to judge him – and Piper nodded along, impressed. Jason glanced at Nico with a dull face. "Dude, your boyfriend turned my girlfriend into a dork."

"He has that effect." Nico leaned back and tried to focus on the confusing movie but his attention drifts to the bag of Cheetos at his feet.

Suddenly, Will and Piper let out simultaneous shouts of glee that made Nico jump and spill Cheetos all over himself. Eye twitching, he glared at the pair, who broke out into song. "Gotta get back to Hogwarts!"

Jason looked imploringly at Nico. "Look what he's done. He's like the gateway drug of nerdiness."

"Keep talking bad about my boyfriend, Grace, see what happens," Nico ground out just to be difficult. Even if Will was being annoying, only Nico could insult him.

Will shot him an appreciative smile and snatched a Cheeto off of Nico's leg. "Too bad we didn't buy any Red Vines."

Piper snorted on a laugh. Nico, not understanding a single thing, groaned, wondering how his life had come to sitting in his room covered in powdered cheese and listening to his boyfriend spurt out references he didn't understand.

Still, when Will kissed him goodnight a few hours later, he could only find himself wondering when they could do this all over again.

…

"What is this?"

Nico glanced up from his phone to find a particular blonde holding up a lighter and frowning at him. Nico raised an eyebrow. "A lighter?"

"Whose lighter?" Will Solace huffed.

Nico swiped it off of him. "It's my lighter."

"And what exactly are you doing with a lighter?"

He couldn't help but sigh in exasperation at Will's authoritative tone. "I'm not smoking again, Solace. You can stop with the concerned mother act."

Will gritted his teeth. "It's not just an act, Nico! Why do you still have that thing?" Nico shrugged absently, but Will didn't let it drop. He just sat down on Nico's bed and crossed his arms. "Well?"

Nico sighed again. He tossed the lighter back at Will. "Flick it."

"What?"

"Flick it. Go on. Try."

Raising a suspicious eyebrow, Will obeyed, blinking when the thing failed to spark. "It's dead?"

"It's always been that way," Nico said, plucking the object back out of Will's hand.

"Then why do you keep it?"

Nico stared at the ground. "My father always smoked," he said, all too aware of Will's stare. "I used to hate it but… when my mother and sister passed away… I stole a cigarette from him just out of spite. It got easier, you know, to deal with… what happened."

"A distraction," Will supplied and Nico nodded.

"I suppose. It was right after my sister's funeral when I bought this thing. It was defective, broken." Like me. "I couldn't bear to throw it away."

Will watched him for a long time before pulling Nico into a tight hug. "I understand," he whispered. "I lost two of my brothers. Lee and Michael. They were… everything, you know? After we lost them… I just buried myself with my work. And I guess that's one of the reasons I push myself so hard. They never got to experience college so…"

"I get it." And Nico really did. He paused. "Hey… Will?"

"Yeah?"

Nico rested his head on Will's shoulder. "I…" He sighed. "Don't you dare tell anyone."

Will chuckled and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close. "Our secret," he promised.

…

Will stared at the can of spray-paint in his hands. "I… I don't know about this."

Nico snorted. "C'mon, it's not like we're gonna paint dicks all over the place. We're doing the whole campus a justice."

"Justice," Will repeated, weighing the can in his hand.

His boyfriend always had a very strong opinion on justice. Will wondered if he was a prosecutor in another life. He could almost see Nico – with all his piercings and tats – standing in court with his definitive sneer, point furiously, and shout, "OBJECTION!" in response to a faulty testimony. Not that he would ever admit that to Nico, of course. He got called a nerd quite enough on a daily basis.

Nico was grinning that creepy grin at him again. Will had learned pretty quickly that it usually meant he was about to get a really bad headache. "Have I told you you look really good in black?"

Despite himself, Will felt himself flush. "That's not gonna work," he bluffed.

Nico just shrugged and tugged him along. "C'mon. Campus police make their rounds every fifteen minutes. Hurry up."

Will sighed, head lolling back as Nico pulled him across to the front of the football stadium, where a new billboard of the university's quarterback had recently been built. Beside it, was a banner for Frosted Flakes, which was apparently their sponsor, and it's slogan, "They're Grrreat!" The larger one showed the quarterback in his uniform, arms crossed confidently as he cradled his helmet in one arm. Red and gold letters were emblazoned along the top. "NO. 45 ROCKS!" And, at the bottom, it red, "A WINNER!"

"The Rock" was his nickname, but Will didn't really understand football well enough to know why. He just knew that all the girls went nuts over his looks and his knack for dancing provocatively whenever his team scored a touchdown. Will looked up at the pale blonde hair and smug brown eyes. It really didn't do anything for him. He much preferred the man that was currently shaking the can of paint with a maniacal smile on his face.

Their quarterback was also a well-known Jerk – with a capital J. He hosted wild, annoying parties, which the majority of his father's loaned money had funded, despite being a loudly-voiced by-the-book Catholic. Most recently, he'd publically shamed a girl and her girlfriend for holding hands. Once Nico heard of that, it was all game over for the football player.

He started to expertly spray red paint at the top of Jerk's head. Will watched, nervously glancing over his shoulder for any witnesses and hoping his outfit would help him blend into the night. When Nico had told him to dress darkly, he'd taken it to heart. Will was donned in a black turtleneck and jeans with a black beanie covering his bright mop of hair. He kept watch, flinching at every leaf that skittered across the pavement and nearly dropping to the ground when an owl hooted above them.

"Will you stop making such a fuss?" Nico hissed as he finished up. "You'll draw attention."

"Sorry," Will stage-whispered and looked up at the billboard. He had to cover his mouth with his gloved hands to muffle his laughter. "Oh my GOD! It's perfect!"

Nico stepped back, looking a bit smug himself, and nodded at his work. "That looks much better."

"The Rock's" face now resembled a pig's with a large nose and floppy ears. He even had a matching tail. The words now read, "NO. 45 SUCKS A WEINER!"

"I can't wait for everyone to see this!" Will blinked. "Holy crap, he's ruined."

"Serves him right," Nico huffed, flipping the can in his hand. "Anyone that thinks so highly of themselves that they think they can demean others is a narcissistic pig."

"Wait, I've got an idea!" Will snatched the can of spray paint from Nico's surprised hands and started to shake it. "Cover me! I'm going in!"

Nico rolled his eyes again. "All clear, Killer."

Will never spray-painted anything before – never vandalized before either – but he was pretty proud of his addition. He stepped back, smiling. "Well?"

Will made a little speech bubble reaching from the quarterback's mouth to the cereal slogan above. "They're Grrreat!"

Nico stared at Will in amazement. "You have no idea how attractive that just made you, do you?"

Will burst into laughter but was quick to cover his mouth, glancing from side to side fearfully. "Let's just get out of here?"

"Yeah," Nico kissed him swiftly, "before you start robbing convenient stores or get an eyebrow piercing."

Will blew out a humored puff of air. "In your dreams, di Angelo."

Nico gave a one-shouldered shrug and opened his mouth to say something, but just then a pair of headlights shined down the road. Will's stomach churned when he saw the familiar police crest on the slowly cruising car.

"ABORT! RUN!" Will let out a high scream, pushed aside Nico roughly, and began sprinting down the path as fast as his legs could carry him. "Every man for himself!"

Nico chased after him, laughing the entire way home.

…

Nico glared at his reflection. He barely recognized himself without his multiple piercings and his hair styled neatly. Even more startling was his clothing. He was dressed in tan trousers and a too-tight button up, collared shirt underneath a scratchy, stiff sweater. It took him two Youtube videos and twenty extra minutes to tie the accursed tie tucked in between the two shirts, and he was currently daydreaming tearing it off and flinging it out the window.

Meeting Will's parents shouldn't be stressing him out as much as it was. According to Will, they were rather proper people that, though even though they had immediately accepted Will when he came out, were notoriously overprotective and might react badly when they learnt of Nico's many tattoos and piercings.

"It might just be a bit of a shock to them," Will had said, "but they'll grow to love you. How can they not?"

Nico couldn't mess this dinner up. He'd never gotten so far in a relationship that his partner wanted to bring him home with him over a weekend. He was determined to make a good impression, for Will's sake. Even if that meant pushing aside his pride long enough to beg Piper to buy him some dressy clothing.

There was a knock at his door. "Nico? You ready? They're almost home."

Nico felt a swarm of nerves hit him. It had been intimidating enough driving up to Will's house. It was huge. He supposed that was to be expected since both of his parents held high-position medical jobs, but Nico was pretty certain he would get lost before the weekend was over. "Yeah."

"Can I come in?"

"Don't laugh."

He could hear Will's snort through the door. "Why would I laugh?" Will walked in, still smiling, but froze as soon as he saw Nico standing in front of the guestroom mirror cautiously. Will's eyes bugged out of his head and he blinked several times, made a show of rubbing his eyes, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "NICO?"

Nico gritted his teeth. "I look dumb, don't I?"

"W-well, I – wow. I wasn't expecting this."

"You said to dress up for dinner."

"Yeah, but wow. You look… wow!"

Nico felt a rush of anger. Did Will prefer this look to his normal black, ripped jeans and t-shirts? If he even attempted to get him to wear a tie on a regular basis Nico would kick his ass.

Will walked forward and placed a hand on his cheek, thumb grazing the corner of Nico's mouth. "You took out all your piercings and everything. Are you really that nervous about meeting my folks?"

Nico's cheek grew hot under his hand. "They're your parents. Usually, I would care less but—"

"But you love me!" Will taunted cheekily, shimmying his shoulders from side to side.

Nico smacked him. "I don't want to piss them off! I've got enough to deal with. I don't need your parents on my ass, too."

"Right, right. It's all for your benefit, naturally." Will was smiling, an understanding charm in his eyes, and Nico was surprised at how much he was willing to do, how much he was willing to change, to make that smile grow. Will spotted the long line of piercings on the top of the dresser and quickly walked over to it. "Here," he said as he handed Nico his lip ring.

Nico frowned. "You want me to wear this?"

"Yeah." Will wrapped his arms around Nico's waist. "I want them to meet you, dummy, not some dressed-up Ken-doll. Like I said before, they'll love you if I do."

Nico eyed him carefully. "And… do you?"

Will winked at him. "You betcha." Then his tone turned gentle. "I love you, Nico."

Nico had never had another guy tell him that before. It made something in his chest burst, like a dam collapsing, and he almost wanted to jump and fist-pump the air. However, he'd already ruined his image enough for one day. He didn't need Will to start any embarrassing rumors.

Will expression turned sheepish. "Uh… do you, er… do you…?"

Nico's shoulders relaxed. He leaned their foreheads together. "Yeah."

"Oh, good." Will exhaled heavily. "That's… that's really good."

Nico's lips twitched. His boyfriend was awkward and dorky and spent way too much time picking out his outfits but, to Nico, he was perfect just the way he was. It was a massive relief to learn that Will thought the same of him; that he liked him for him, even through his faults. "Can I take this tie off?" he muttered and Will chuckled, kissing his nose.

"Sure thing."

Nico immediately started trying to tear the thing off of him but ended up nearly choking himself. Will chuckled and came to his rescue. "No need to murder it," he muttered and slid off the undone tie. "There. Much better."

The sound of a garage door opening alerted them to Mr. and Mrs. Solace's arrival. Will lit up. "They're here!" he cried. "Okay, just... try not to curse too much. Smile. Don't hit my dad if he starts making awful puns."

"Is that where you get that from?" Nico muttered under his breath.

"I heard that!" Will pointed accusingly at him. "Now, put that ring in your lip and get your inky butt downstairs!"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Yes, dear."

…

"Oh my God. I can't believe we're doing this."

"Mmhm. Stop fidgeting around so much. It'll hurt worse if you do that, you know."

"I can't help it! It's my first time, yanno!"

Nico di Angelo sniggered and turned the page of his magazine. "Getting a tattoo isn't that scary."

Beside him, Will pouted. "Aren't boyfriends supposed to be comforting?"

Without looking, Nico raised his hand and patted his boyfriend's leg stiffly. "There, there."

Will huffed in frustration and sank into the leather sofa with his arms crossed. "I don't know why I expected anything different. HIV and hepatitis can be spread through unsterile needles, you know!"

"They're perfectly sanitary," Nico muttered.

"And do you know how much of a pain in the ass it was to make sure I wasn't allergic to the ink?" Will continued. "A severe allergic reaction could lead to—are you even listening to me?"

Nico lowered his magazine with a sigh, letting his head tip back. "It's all right to be nervous," he told Will. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Will mulled that over. "I want to."

"Are you sure?" Nico asked for what must have been the twentieth time that morning. "Because once it's on there it's on there. Forever."

Will gulped but nodded. "Yeah. I get it."

"And matching tattoos at that? You know those things never look good when a couple splits, right?"

Will huffed and scooted closer to Nico in order to wrap an arm around him and pull him in close. "Sorry to break it to you, but you're stuck with me. I'll never let go!"

"God. It's too early for this much sap."

Will stuck his tongue out just as a man wearing thick black leather and heavy metal chains around his hip walked out of the back room. "You guys ready?"

"About time," Nico muttered and stood up. He turned back to Will, who was staring at the door fearfully. Nico sighed. "Hey," he said softly and Will flinched before meeting his gaze. "It… it doesn't hurt that bad. It's more annoying than anything. And… and I'll be there the whole time. Okay?"

Will blew out an exhale. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. Let's do this."

The man led them into the back room. Another woman was getting a tattoo on her shoulder. It looked like a grotesque zombie coming out of a bloody grave. Will quickly huddled close to his boyfriend, hand clinging to the back of his shirt like a nervous child, and Nico rolled his eyes at him.

"Okay, so where do you want these bad boys?" the man asked.

Nico pointed to his chest. "There."

"Over the heart?"

"Right."

The man nodded. "No prob. Take off your shirts, sit down, and I'll be back with some sanitizer." The man strode off and Nico immediately began unbuttoning his shirt, looking almost bored with the whole thing. Will's eyes immediately drank in the sight of his shirtless boyfriend.

His back, arms, and chest were nearly covered with beautiful illustrations and ancient Greek symbols. Over the last year or so, Will had gotten acquainted with each of those tattoos, had heard all of their stories. Will's fingers itched with the desire to trace the outlines of Nico's black wings on his back for the millionth time. "You're staring again," Nico muttered before lying down on the reclined chair.

"Can't help it," Will chuckled before shyly taking off his t-shirt. "You're just so distracting."

Nico hummed as Will sat down on the chair beside him. He was too nervous to lie down. "Just relax," Nico told him. "It's not like you're getting a whole back-piece, right?"

Will blew out a sigh. "Yeah, I know. It's just… man, I hope my mom never finds out." He chuckled. "I can't even imagine her reaction if she found out I ever even walked into a tattoo parlor."

Nico smirked at that. "Good to know I've had an influence on you."

"Yeah, a bad one," Will teased. "I mean, before I met you I was a straight-A student, who went to bed before ten and woke up at seven, went jogging every morning, was the epitome of health and class!"

"You're still all of that," Nico pointed out. "It's just now you're not a complete loser."

"Hey!"

Just then, the tattoo artist came back. "You guys ready?" he asked with a grin. Nico nodded while Will gave a sort of whimper.

Will held onto Nico's hand the entire time, squeezing until he could feel his boyfriend's joints pop. Nico cursed but never let go, even when Will pulled on his arm sharply as the needle hit a particularly sensitive part of skin. It had hurt – felt a bit like a long, burning bee-sting. As soon as he spotted a bit of blood beading against his skin, Will broke into a loud, overreacting, provocative rant. "You guys use sterile needles, right? What the hell are you doing? I'm supposed to be getting a tattoo not getting BUTCHERED!"

Nico barely even batted an eye but he had laughed through Will's outbursts. Still, their hands stayed clasped, suspended in the air between their chairs amongst the profanities and the steady buzz of the machines.

"Well?" Nico asked once they'd finished.

Will was busy observing himself in the mirror. He had to admit it. He looked pretty cool. He struck a few poses and grinned back at Nico. "I like it. You?"

Nico grinned and rested his chin on Will's shoulder. "I like it very much."

Will turned so that he could look at Nico's. Right above his heart, emblazoned with beautiful reds and yellows, was an ornate, detailed sun. It popped out against the rest of his dark tattoos, drew Will's eyes right to it. Likewise, he could feel Nico's gaze lingering on Will's tattoo, in the same place. It was a decorative crescent moon, lavished with tranquil blues and purples, a stark contrast to Nico's. It fit them perfectly.

"If we stand like this," Will said suddenly, shifting so that their tattoos aligned, "it's like the sun and moon are meeting. Like an eclipse."

Nico stared up at him, thoughtful.

"Together," he said, cupping Nico's cheek, "we can take it to the end of the line."

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"And I need you now tonight!" Will broke into song suddenly, pulling Nico into a dance. "And I need you more than ever!"

"OH MY GOD. NO."

"Forever's gonna start tonight!"

"William Solace, I swear to God—!"

"FOREVER'S GONNA START TONIGHT!"

Nico slapped a hand over Will's mouth, blushing bright red and looking at the door in embarrassment. "Jeez! I can't take you anywhere without you making a fool of yourself, can I?"

Will chuckled, removing Nico's hand in order to push a kiss to it. He winked at Nico's half-embarrassed, half-amused expression and held him close so that their tattoos nearly lined up again. He opened his mouth to finish off his song, but Nico swooped in to stop him with a very demanding kiss. Will laughed into the kiss before returning it, deciding that he could wait a few minutes to embarrass his boyfriend further.

A total eclipse of the heart.

A/N: If you get all the references then you get a virtual high-five. :3