Hey guys- I'm so so sorry this chapter is so late. But hopefully the the crazy wordcount (10545 woah i outdid myself) makes up for it. Medical research, geographical research, music, and 3AM late night one-person slumber parties were all involved in this. I hope you like it. There's a lot of discussion of my various points at the end.

Enjoy all the Solangelo- this chappy is dedicated solely to that!

Thank you so much DeadlyHuggles for your continuous reviews. I love reading them!


And, finally, fourteen was the age of happy endings

Doctors weren't feared enough.

That was the conclusion Nico came to as he sat in the medical bed, staring at the countless herbs and needles Will Solace pulled out, seemingly out of nowhere.

Yes, it was definitely the needles Nico was scared of. The knot in his stomach was not happiness or excitement or nervousness at being in the same room as the son of Apollo.

It wasn't.

Finally, Nico couldn't take the silence any longer. He was never one to start conversation- in fact, he often shied away from it- but it was an agonizing wait. He had been here for at least an hour, and Will had only told him to take a seat.

"Why all the needles?"

Nico thought he saw a sudden grin break out on Will's face, though he wasn't sure why.

"Well, you do realize we did just fight a war against Mother Earth herself. We're going to have to treat quite a few demigods."

"Oh," Nico replied intelligently.

"Wait, you didn't think they were all for you, did you?" Will asked incredulously, turning around. Nico blushed fiercely and looked away. He could talk to Will's back, but that annoying (adorable) freckly face? Forget it.

"Of course not!" he said heatedly. Nico mentally scolded the small deflated part of him that said I wanted him to treat only me and no one else.

"Right," Will said, clearly holding back laughter. "I'm going to go with that."

"Good, because it's true."

"The needles are for the sores and painkillers, Nico. For you, I reserved a Satanic purification ritual."

"A what?!"

At that, Will did burst out laughing.

"Oh my gods, Nico, I was just kidding!" he panted through laughs. "You really don't know anything about medicine, do you?"

"Well, I was a kid in the 1930s, and they were all crazy back then. I don't really know what to expect," Nico retorted, his face deadpan. He imagined someone patting his back- yes, show him! - and continued. "But we're in a world where you can visit the dead. So why not summon Satan?"

Will's expression turned suddenly thoughtful. "Yeah, why not? Well, in any case, I should get started before all the worst injuries come in."

"Where are the other demigods?"

"Outside- normally the Apollo, and the Hunters and Athena guys, if they're here, try and help those on the battlefield right away. Basic first aid is really easy. That way I only get those who need serious attention."

"You're the one only who can heal?"

"Everyone in the Apollo cabin has some healing ability, but it's most potent in me. Now, lie down and try and stay still."

Nico started to panic all of a sudden. "What are you going to do?"

"Calm down, di Angelo. It's just a check up to see how much shadow you've got in there."

Nico lay down obediently, still wary. Did he really have to swear on the Styx to stay here? Nico hadn't had a medical check-up since he was nine years old. He didn't know what would happen.

Will stood next to him and lightly touched his forearm. For a second, Nico's heart was going into overdrive- He's touching me he's touching me oh my gods- but Will's fingers lingered for only a second before flinching away. Part of Nico was relieved, while the other was screaming for Will to stay. Okay, what? Calm yourself down, he's just a doctor. Nico sat up straight, however, when he heard Will groaning. Will was standing next to him, holding his right hand and cursing in Ancient Greek.

"Gods, Nico, what in Hades?! How do you manage with all of that in you?!"
"I don't really feel-"

"You don't feel that stuff inside you?! Nico, I'm really sorry about this, but I can't do it with you awake. I'll be able to help you, but I've got to put you to sleep first."

"What do you mean, put me to sleep?"

Instead of an answer, Nico felt the jab of a needle and heard Will mutter an embarrassed apology. Then he went under.

Nico was ready to kill Will Solace when he finally woke up.

Judging by the fact that the sun was exactly where Nico had last seen it, he'd been made to sleep for at least a full day. Nico groaned in frustration. He'd only been in this stupid infirmary for a single day, and he wanted out. As if all the silly medical examinations Will had claimed were needed weren't enough, those annoying butterflies made him want to puke.

Nico di Angelo did not like Will Solace. That was that. He'd rip out the throat of whoever said otherwise. He'd rip out the throat of whoever bothered him, really.

Nico smirked as the first victim strolled in the infirmary. Will probably was going to check on the dozen or so other demigods now dozing in beds all around him. Nico faked his sleep, ready for when Will would walk near him so he could jump him. Hopefully give that smug son of Apollo (Oh, that was where he got it from, Nico realized) the scare of a lifetime he deserved.

Nico waited for at least five minutes, squinting through his eyes to see what was going on. He expected that Will would probably look his patients over and walk right out.

Instead, he saw Will take a seat next to every one of them, and reach his arm into the curtains that hid away all the beds except his. Were their injuries that bad?

He watched Will's hand wrap around something before he closed his eyes and mumbled in Greek. Nico strained to hear- he caught the words Apollo and help. Will was praying to his dad for the demigods. Nico couldn't get how the kid could put so much trust in his godly dad, but he was still touched that Will seemed to care this much for his patients. He already knew that, often, the price of healing a demigod was often weakness for the healer, but he always assumed Will did it out of necessity rather than care. It just seemed so… strange to see a person caring for someone other than themselves. He hadn't known many campers like that since-

Since Bianca had left and he had run away and blamed them all.

Maybe Nico really had been misjudging the Greeks. He hadn't exactly given them many chances to prove themselves as friends. Maybe it was him all along who had been selfish and unforgiving.

Nico suddenly realized that Will was coming his way. He shut his eyes and steadied his breathing, and, sure enough, he felt Will rest his hand on Nico's head and mutter a prayer in Greek. Nico didn't know if it was working or it was just his imagination, but he felt weird- lighter somehow. Like there had been a barricade around his chest that stopped him from breathing, and now it was gone. Was this what normal people felt like?

Nico was shocked to say he liked the feeling.

It was only when Will walked out ten minutes later that Nico realized he had never scared him like he'd planned.

When Will returned, presumably after dinner, Nico stopped faking sleep. He, along with five other demigods, had woken. Nico couldn't help but notice the sudden grin that broke out on Will's face at seeing the cured demigods.

"Guys! You're up!"

A boy who seemed to be from the Hecate cabin grinned. "Some of us longer than others. Do we get to leave or not, then?"

"You, Hector, and Angelina do," Will replied, nodding at three other campers Nico didn't know. "Macy, you have to stay until the infection leaves, so that's about three more days."

A girl with coppery hair and green eyes (Maybe the Demeter cabin? The flower pot on her bedside table seemed to be flourishing) who looked to be about eight years old deflated.

"What about me?" asked a boy with sticky blond hair. Upon closer inspection, Nico realized motor oil was making it sticky. Probably Jake Mason, the former counselor of Hephaestus. Leo had mentioned him before, back on the Argo II. He'd also been heavily involved in strategizing in the Battle of Manhattan, though he'd been a lot shorter then.

"I just need to check on you and you're good to go. As I recall, you were rushed in here moaning because your arm had been sawed off. That's pretty serious considering your entire body was broken just a few weeks back."

Nico wondered how serious it would be if he hadn't had a broken body in the past. He watched in silence as everyone but the Demeter girl, called Nelly Travers, left the infirmary. He didn't speak for another twenty minutes as he watched Will soothe the little girl into sleep, stroking her hair and quietly whispering some story in Greek until her eyes fluttered shut.

Nico would be lying if he said he wasn't thinking of Bianca, how she had lulled him to sleep his first night at Westover. She had snuck into the boy's dorms and stayed there until he had gotten over his fear of sleeping alone. He hadn't been comforted that way since he was eleven- his birthday had come just a few weeks after her death. Nico remembered Bianca holding him and gently rocking him after he had come out, and his eyes misted over. He'd come to appreciate her a thousand more times than he used to after he'd met Hazel- when he had figured out just how frustrating and scary it could be to be the elder sibling. The fear that nearly killed him every time Hazel was in danger, frustration every time she didn't heed a warning or hurt herself, fierce pride every time she mastered a new skill during her Roman training. Had Bianca felt all that for him, too?

He was roused from the thought, strangely enough, by silence. Will's soft voice in the background disappeared, and Nico returned to his sense just in time to see him walking in his direction. Will had an amused expression on his face, and his blue eyes were slightly wide with… curiosity?

"Hey."

"Hello."

"You know, I expected you to jump right out of bed and strangle me after last night."

"Rest assured, I held it in consideration for a long time."

"What happened to those considerations, then?"

Oh, nothing, you just reminded me of my dead sister.

"Couldn't let those demigods get traumatized," Nico said nonchalantly. "Besides, you should be thankful. I could send you to Hades right now if I wanted to."

"Yeah, right. You keep dreaming, Death Boy. One more bout of that dark magic and you'll be the one joining Hades."

"At least I'd be welcome there. And we already discussed this: I am not going to be killed by my own powers. You're just overreacting. I'm perfectly fine."

"That's because I spent a good three hours with incantations and herbs and Lou Ellen making sure you got your bloody darkness out."

Nico desperately fought to deconstruct the image building in his mind- Will stroking and singing to him the same way he'd been doing it to the other sick people, except he wasn't doing it because it was his job, he was doing it because he liked Nico back-

No. Nico had gone over this. He had not just gotten over his crush on Percy only to fall head over heels for another boy who was probably into girls.

Besides, even if (by a very slim chance) Will was gay, he'd probably go for anyone but Nico. Will was healer, a son of Apollo who most likely believed in life and risks and fighting against disease and not letting anything hold you back from your dreams. The stupid, sappy stuff Nico hated. Nico had killed a boy in front of Will Solace. Will was being nice out of necessity. There was probably some medical procedure that said you healed faster if someone was being nice to you.

Yeah, that was it. Will Solace wanted Nico di Angelo to leave the infirmary as soon as possible. Nothing more.

He made you come over for three days, though. Surely he wouldn't do that if he didn't at least think you were an okay person-

Shut up, Nico told himself. Focus on this conversation and talk about your stupid feelings later.

"No wonder you were so grumpy when we were going around changing up those cannons," Will continued, unaware of the internal fight his patient was having. There was a lilt of humor in his voice. "With all that in you it's probably impossible to feel decent."

And that was all it took for Nico to rule out Will as an interest.

Up until now, it had been hard to hate him because he was so pleasant. He had helped Nico and joked with him and taken care of him.

But no, of course he had to assume Nico was the way he was simply because he wanted to be. Not because he was scared of trusting and making friends, or because he'd been stabbed in the back countless times, or because every time he'd believed in someone they had failed him.

No, Nico acted miserable and uncaring because he thought it was cool. Not because he actually felt like that almost all the time. The only good Nico could see in himself came from his sisters. If not for them, he would have left this world to rot.

"Thanks a lot," he growled.

Will had the audacity to laugh. "You're absolutely welcome."

A few seconds went by without Nico's reply, before Will seemed to notice his mistake.

"Nico? What's wrong?"

Nico regarded him with fury and looked away.

"Oh, gods, is it what I said? Nico? You know that was just a joke, right? I didn't mean to make you mad, I swear. I was trying to make you feel a little better."

Those words were the hole in the dam. Suddenly a torrent of anger wrestled its way out of Nico's mouth.

"Right, because making a joke about how moody and annoying I am will make me feel better!"

"I never said you were-"

"Everyone in this stupid camp always assumes that being miserable and angry is something I'm proud of! Something I like, as if depressed emotions make up some amazing badge I like to parade around in! Like grumpiness is all I am and nothing more!"

"Nico, I'm sorry, truly-"

"And you know what's even stupider? They assume I like being this- this person- and actively try to avoid me! I can count on my hands the number of people who actually like me as a person, and one of those people is dead!"

"Please, please listen to me, Nico, you'll wake up the other patients, please-"

"And you know why she's dead? BECAUSE THE SAME STUPID CAMPERS THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO SEND HER ON A QUEST WHEN SHE HADN'T BEEN THERE FOR A DAY!"

"I did not kill your sister!" Will shouted.

Finally, Nico heard himself and the words he was saying. He stopped, panting, and stared at Will. Strangely enough, the healer didn't seem angry or even annoyed. His eyebrows were furrowed- in concern. Nico heard a couple of the sleeping demigods turn sharply, as though they were about to wake. One even opened his eyes, before sleepily closing them and snoring. The distracted part of Nico belatedly wondered how heavy their sleeping drugs were. The rest of him sat staring in surprise at Will. He had just taken out all of his anger on a person that really didn't warrant it. Sure, Nico had wanted to punch Will more than a few times for his joke, but he hadn't meant to yell at him so much. He didn't regret a word- it was true, all of it, even the bit about Bianca (She was right about him being mad at her, but he still harbored a hatred to Camp Half-Blood for the very reason he had thrown in Will's face), but he wished he could have said it to someone else.

"Nico, I know all about Bianca. You weren't there, but I'm the one who provides the Hunters with herbs and medicine whenever they come here. It's customary for the sisters of Artemis to get help from the children of Apollo if they need it."

"They're too proud to do that."

"They're resourceful. I didn't like that a new camper had to go on a quest with zero training to help her. I don't like quests, period. All they do is get innocent kids hurt because their parents send them to fight their own battles. I hate that. My job is to heal, and I love helping the sick and injured, but it's despicable when you have an eight year old like Nelly who got poisoned by inhaling acid fumes from the monsters we were fighting just before yesterday."

Will paused and took a deep breath, as though he was trying hard not to rant.

"Seeing demigods freak out and have panic attacks because of a quest they had to or have to undertake sucks. Half the campers here- and all of the gods- don't realize your mental health is just as important as physical. "

"Right. You making that joke like it's no big deal was caring about my mental health."

"Nico, I already said that was completely unintentional. I swear on the Styx I was just trying to make you feel better."

Nico huffed in annoyance.

"Look, Nico, you want to know something? I could let you leave the infirmary right now. I'm sure you've noticed that you feel different. The whole procedure is complete. You'd be fine to go right now."

"Then why shouldn't I?" Nico asked skeptically,

"Well, you made a promise on the Styx, first off, which was kind of a stupid move. I would have been perfectly okay with a normal promise," Will began, his tone deadpan. "Also because when I touched you that time, when we were disabling cannons, I didn't just see darkness. I saw the worst case of depression in my life."

Nico rolled his eyes as he said, "I think we've established that I'm depressed most of the time, Will-"

"Not the emotion," Will insisted. "The illness. Depression with a capital D. The more potent an illness is in someone, the easier it is for me to identify it. I diagnosed depression in you just by brushing my hand against yours."

"No, you didn't. I'm not sick, Will. Don't take what I said out of proportion."

"I'm not. You've barely felt happy for the last few years, from what I can tell. There're bags under your eyes, meaning you don't get enough sleep. You're pale and scarily thin, so you aren't eating enough. You've avoided camp ever since what happened to your sister, and from what I've heard from Percy, Annabeth, and Hazel, you spend more time with the dead than the living." Will counted out the symptoms on his fingers.

"They told you-"Nico interrupted, scandalized.

"I asked them and told them it was for your health. They refused to share personal information until I said it would help you," Will said heatedly. "You've got some really good friends, Nico."

"Oh."

"My point is, you're not here just because of the shadowy stuff in you. I asked you to stay here longer so I could maybe keep you company. Make sure you actually ate, talk to you, try and make you feel better."

"So you made me stay here because you wanted to become friends." Nico summed up, shocked.

"I didn't make you stay," Will said, crossing his arms. He looked down so Nico couldn't see his face, but he thought he caught the hint of a blush on Will's cheeks. "But yeah, I wanted to be friends. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Um, no. Not really." Nico managed, still dumbfounded.

"Good. I'm sorry about what I said earlier, okay?"

"It's alright," Nico said automatically, surprising even himself. Never in his life had he forgiven anyone so quickly. He swallowed up his pride and spoke. Will deserved to hear something from Nico. "And, um, I'm also sorry for snapping at you like that. I wasn't that mad at you. I was mad at other people."

"I know," Will said, like it was no big deal. "That's why I let you yell. It's therapeutic. If even half of that was really aimed at me I would have decked you then and there."

Nico felt a slight tug on his lips, and allowed himself a small smile. Gods, how great was this guy?

"Then, uh, thanks for that. It did help."

Will looked up at him again, smiling. The butterflies woke up again as Nico looked at his grin, but this time he didn't shy away. He held Will's gaze steadily.

"You should talk about your feelings more often, you know. I was thinking about it last night, how you've been afflicted by this for so long and somehow it went unnoticed."

"What's the reason, then?"

"They all mistook it as grief and bitterness. At first everyone, even me, thought you were mourning Bianca. And I won't ask but you've obviously been through a lot. So much has happened even you mistook it as grief. You thought it was normal, just like the rest of us."

"I thought grief and depression were the same thing," Nico said, confused.

"Nope, they're not. Grief is something you can share. It ends. You let go of it and move on, just like any other emotion. But with depression, it has to let go of you. It doesn't have a definite reason or timeframe. And it feels the same as grief but it's really a lot worse."

Nico sank into a thoughtful silence, taking in Will's words. For all the time he had spent with Annabeth, this had been one of the wisest things Nico had heard.

And then he realized- Will was thinking about me last night.

He was worried about me.

Oh my gods.

Nico thought of Will's advice- talk about your feelings. He was about to ask, but then he heard a gasp. Will was staring at the clock. It was past midnight.

"Ugh, Styx. I've got to get up early tomorrow to show around this Hephaestus kid who got claimed last night- Harley, I think. I have to get going. We'll talk more about your treatment tomorrow, okay?"

Before Nico could say a word, Will got up and headed toward the door. Just before he opened it, he turned around.

"Add me to that list on your fingers, okay? I think you're a cool person, Nico."

Nico's heart thumped harder than it had in a long time. His cheeks flamed up.

"'Night, Will," he managed to say.

"Goodnight."

Nico lay back in bed and stared at the ceiling. He was awake long after Will had shut the door.

As he stared at the white concrete and thought of the entire night all over again, Nico did something he hadn't done in a long time.

He smiled.

Depressed, huh, Solace? Not for long.

When Nico had finally managed to fall asleep, the sky had been pink.

When Will woke him up, it was a light shade of blue.

"Nico, you really should try and be an early riser," Will admonished, lightly shaking Nico.

"Shut up," he groaned, stuffing his head into the marshmallow-like pillow. "What time is it, anyways?"

"Stop being a drama queen. It's ten in the morning. That should have been more than enough time for you to rest!"

Nico simply groaned and shook Will's hand off.

"Let me guess," Will said, sounding exasperated. "You slept late?"

"Let's just say it was sunrise."

"Nico! You need sleep to function properly!" Will paused to let out a tired sigh. "You know what, I'll give you some nectar. Get up, please. You should feel okay after it."

Nico thought about ignoring that request and returning to his beloved sleep, but the idea didn't sit well with him- not after the conversation he and Will had shared last night. He forced the blankets off and sat up, trying to ignore the cold shiver of the morning. Will, of course, just had to look radiant- longish hair that curled at the end, the blond in it shining like the sun his father drove; soft blue eyes that were great at calming you down, an amused smile that Nico would gladly endeavor to keep on Will's face. Will, unlike Percy and Jason, didn't have much of an athletic build- although Nico could see he wasn't out of shape either- but more of a tall, lanky shape, all thin limbs that had probably saved hundreds of lives.

Will looked at Nico and cringed- cringed- a little. Nico found himself looking away, suddenly self-conscious. He was wearing the same, holey skull shirt he had found for himself years ago, and ripped black jeans that were frayed and worn almost everywhere. He needed a haircut terribly- Nico could feel his filthy dark strands brush his shoulders- and he hadn't had the chance to properly shower in the last three days.

"Sorry again about waking you up when you're like this," Will said, and he seemed truly ashamed. "You look terrible- no offense. Hopefully the nectar will make you feel better."

He held a canteen out to Nico, which the son of Hades grabbed and drank. It did help- Nico didn't feel tired anymore. More like he was ready to take on another army of monsters.

"May I ask what it tastes like for you?" Will inquired timidly.

Nico shot him a look of confusion.

The son of Apollo looked away, a blush flowering in his cheeks. "It tastes different for everyone. To me it's like cider from back home in Texas. The non-alcoholic kind, obviously."

"Oh, the nectar?" Nico thought for a second. "Chocolate ice-cream. Bianca loved it when we lived in Italy, since it was this treat we only got once a month. Everything was rationed, since the Second World War was about to start."

"What was it like?" Will asked suddenly. "Living back then?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, old times and all that. Besides, my mom used to sing country, for the gods' sakes. I'd like to hear about something more ancient than her."

Nico raised his eyebrows in amusement, but obliged.

And just like that, the next few hours were bubbling with the sounds of their voices. At first, Nico talked about his childhood in Italy, but he could only remember so much. After that, Will started talking about himself and the conversation kept going. Or rather, Will said things and Nico reacted to them- that was the more accurate description. For the most part, Nico kept quiet while listening.

For once though, it wasn't silence out of boredom or sadness or even annoyance. It was the silence of curiosity. In a few short hours, Nico learned that Will's mother was Naomi Solace and that she had been a successful country singer in their hometown, and still held concerts every few years. He learned that even though Will loved his mother and they had a great relationship, Will was a year-rounder because he was afraid he would be gone when a camper would need serious attention and he couldn't let it happen. He learned Will's dream was to be a successful doctor and master all the fields of medicine so he could help everyone, and that Will almost never fought on the front lines of battle unless he had to, because he hated causing pain instead of relieving it. When Will was younger and not yet head counselor, he would only stay the summers and spend the rest of the year at mental institutions to try and help those there.

Through it all, one thing stuck in Nico's mind: here was a boy who was his opposite. A boy that could not bear to hurt anything unless he had to. Who reveled in healing and second chances at living.

He was the sentimental type who believed in dreams and second chances and risks and peace and a thousand other things Nico repulsed. Almost everything about him was different from Nico.

So why was Nico's heart practically begging to win his affection?

At three in the afternoon, Will excused himself to go get them both lunch.

"I'll get you a plate so you can have what you want, too," he promised, grinning. "Provided it's healthy, of course. And of course I'll have to get them all something, too," he added, gesturing to the sleeping demigods.

Nico noticed there were only two, left, when there had been six yesterday.

"Where did the rest of them go?" he asked disinterestedly.

"Well, Jessica, Ariba, and Kareem left before you woke up because I woke them first. They were good to go."

"And number four?"

Will looked away, his cheeks pink. "Um, Drew Tanaka."

Nico furrowed his eyebrows, sure he'd heard Piper mention her before. He brushed it off and shrugged. Will said goodbye and left. For some reason, he still seemed extremely nervous. Nico thought nothing of it and sat back, waiting. He was a little excited- after three days of mostly nectar and little human food, he was ready to finally taste something good.

When thirty minutes had passed and there was still no sign of Will, Nico began to get worried. Will didn't seem like the type of person to be late to anything, even a silly lunch, Nico wanted desperately to go out and look, except he had been bedridden for three days and wasn't sure if he could walk straight, and the Styx oath to stay in the infirmary for three full days rang clearly in his mind.

Nico was only distracted from his worry when he heard someone walk in. He looked up brightly, expecting Will and about to demand what the Hades he'd been doing, but it wasn't Will. It was some Asian-looking girl. Nico supposed she was pretty, with straight black hair and clear olive skin. Her makeup was perfect and her eyes piercing- even though she wore a bright smile Nico was sure she was fuming.

"Expecting someone else?" she asked with a giggle.

"Where's Will?" Nico asked, suddenly on guard.

"Oh, relax, hon," she said, waving her hand in the air dismissively. "Will is having a talk with Chiron about new herbs and resources they need for the infirmary. I guess someone's been using all of it up."

Nico felt a pang of guilt- that person was probably him.

"And what are you doing here, then?" he said, trying to sound as unimpressed as possible.

"I'm Drew Tanaka, the daughter of Aphrodite. I was head counselor before your dear friend Piper took my place."

"Don't talk about her like that," Nico said, a little pissed now. "And she's not my 'dear friend'."

"Of course not, darling, I was being sarcastic," Drew snapped suddenly. Just as quickly, her face melted back into a pretty smile. "I'm guessing that position is reserved for Will Solace?"

Nico's cheeks reddened so fast he was sure it was unhealthy.

"Yay!" she exclaimed, clapping. "As usual, I was right! You like that boy, don't you, Nico?"

"I do not-"

"Please don't lie, hon," Drew said disappointedly. Suddenly Nico wanted to yell out the truth he'd been hiding for the last four days. "It's clear as day- you're asking about him like a little lost puppy, which is so cute!"

Nico couldn't muster a reply. His face was a ripe tomato.

"The problem is, though, you can't be asking about him like that," she amended, her smile suddenly vicious.

Nico recognized a threat when he saw one. Suddenly his shyness was forgotten and he asked in a hard voice, "Why not?"

"Because, darling, Will's with me."

Nico stared at her for a few seconds, before stammering, "W-what?"

"Will Solace is my boyfriend. He's seen you make those stupid puppy dog eyes at him and that's why he sent me. He's too nice to ask you to stop."

Nico felt absolutely crushed. "B-but, he never mentioned-"

"Me?" Drew laughed, her voice like a crow's. "He didn't wanna disappoint you. You really think he'd even consider being with you? I'm not sure if Will even likes boys. And even if he did- look at you! Your outfit and hair and attitude is enough to make me-"

Drew cut herself off and pretended to vomit. She walked up front to Nico- her heels producing a clack-clack sound that gave Nico a headache- and said quietly, "If I were you, I wouldn't take my chances."

Drew Tanaka then proceeded to sashay right out of the infirmary.

Nico couldn't even describe how horrible he felt. He didn't want to. It made the whole thing all the more real.

He thought back to how Will had blushed earlier when he had mentioned Drew. That was why. He's dating her. The thought was like a red-hot rod shoved in Nico's gut.

Because- yesterday night? That had been when Nico first admitted his blooming crush on Will. When he had made a conscious decision to be a little nicer so Will wouldn't write him off as the freak son of Hades the way everyone else did. And yes, Nico was no child of Aphrodite, but he couldn't deny noticing a spark between them. The way Will smiled at him and tried to make him laugh (And nearly succeeded, too). Nico had begun to hope that maybe, just maybe, Will could feel a little something for him too. Even if it was just a tiny bud of friendship that could bloom into affection.

Drew's last words still echoed in his head, a painful reminder of why it wouldn't have worked out anyways. Your clothes and hair and attitude- if I were you, I wouldn't take my chances. It wasn't like Nico was blinded by the Mist. He knew he looked sickly and threatening and horrible, that his clothes and personal hygiene were below average because he couldn't bring himself to care about them, and that he wasn't the most inviting person. But he hoped Will was someone with the intellect to look beyond that. To see something beyond first impressions.

Clearly that wasn't the case. Clearly, Nico had just met another Percy and forgotten the hard lesson he'd learned the first time- don't fall in love if they might not love you back.

But Will hadn't been like Percy- that was why Nico thought this could be okay. Whereas Percy had seemed to be a celebrity- incredible and handsome and fun to be with, yeah, but also mighty and unapproachable, from another world altogether- Will was that friend you had for a long time and had just began to like. In the last few hours, Nico had learned more about Will than he had about Percy in the last few years. It was nothing like best friends, of course- that had been their fourth day of interaction since they'd met- but Nico could at least be certain he liked people of Will's type. He wasn't godly and powerful, a marvel you couldn't touch; Will was friendly and inviting, a welcoming soul.

If he's such a welcoming soul, the tiny hope in him said, do you really think he'd do this to you?

He doesn't know I like him! Nico replied heatedly. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of that stupid hope that sounded an awful lot like Hazel. This wasn't the time to start talking to himself.

Of course, as with everything that Nico wanted, his desire wasn't fulfilled. He and the Hazel-voice ended up having a silent fight that lasted for half an hour: Nico trying to convince himself that Will didn't care for him and that he should leave, the opposing team telling him to give it another chance. But Nico refused- he was done with stupid chances. Chances that allowed others to exploit you and hurt you while you gave them out like raffle tickets. And everyone knew only one out of every hundred or so raffle tickets ever won.

The voice, however, persisted, until Nico came to a compromise that finally shut it up. He would wait until nighttime. If Will didn't come and sort things out, Nico would leave Camp Half-Blood. For good this time.

Nico cringed internally at the guilt he felt. He remembered how happy Jason had been to find out he would stay, and how kind Hazel and Frank had always been to him. Percy and Annabeth, who had constantly tried to make up for all the ways they had hurt him. Piper, whom he hadn't spoken much with but was a wild, free presence that just inspired and filled you with admiration. And of course he could never forget Reyna, who had been the closest thing to friend he'd had in the last few weeks, almost as close as Hazel and Bianca themselves.

Nico hated to leave them all behind, especially when he'd just met some of them and just mended his relationship with others. But surely they would understand. Eventually, they would forget about him and go live their lives, just like everyone else had. He'd become that quiet, weird Hades kid that had helped them on a quest once. The only thing Nico knew how to do right was run away and live alone, and he was counting on the fact that they didn't care enough to chase him as he did.

It was decided. He would wait, and waiting proved a mistake, he'd leave before there was a chance for him to be hurt again.

When the clock struck 11PM, Nico gave up.

He'd been quietly hoping for Will, even news or a glimpse of him. But the infirmary and the area outside it stayed depressingly empty.

So when eleven o'clock came, Nico wiped away his tears and got out of bed. He stumbled around a bit, unused to feeling so light, but soon got the hang of walking again. Nico grabbed his jacket and put it on, and walked up towards the door. If he was thinking right, nothing would happen if he walked out now. Technically speaking, he had spent three days- three daytimes- in the infirmary. He'd make a quick trip to the pavilion because Drew hadn't brought him dinner and he was starving, and then run out through Half-Blood Hill. Nico wanted to shadow travel, but he could see what Wi- his doctor had meant when he had warned him not to. The light feeling in him was so sweet and blissful that Nico didn't want to do anything to disturb it.

(No, it wasn't because shadow travelling felt like a betrayal to Will. Why would anyone think that?)

He made it to the pavilion just fine, blending in the shadows so that not even the sharpest night-owl could see him. Nico grabbed a goblet and one of the golden plates and stuffed them in his shirt- no point in getting caught because he reflected moonlight- and kept heading toward the hill, which wasn't far now. So far so good.

Until Nico was blinded by the glare of a flashlight and heard a quiet voice call softly into the night, "Nico?"

Will's voice.

What the Hades was he doing looking for Nico at this time of the night? He'd sent that horrible Drew hours ago- he'd had more than enough time to come looking to for Nico earlier.

"Nico di Angelo, if you hear me, please say something! I don't know what's going on here, but we have to talk!"

He didn't know what was going on? Nico found himself fuming at the sheer audacity of this boy. He stayed in the shadows, trying his best to give no indication of his presence. If Will thought Nico had already left, he would hopefully just go back to bed. He still hadn't seen Nico or heard him, which was a good thing.

"Nico, please, if you're here, come out!"

Nico loathed that fake worried tone he heard in Will's voice. It sounded real enough, but it was probably just good acting. If only Will could have taken the action to tell Nico in the flesh earlier. Nico imagined what it would feel like to kick him in the groin, which made him feel a little better.

However, that was his fatal mistake.

Nico stumbled over a helmet someone had probably dropped earlier, and fell to the ground, groaning. The goblet he had been holding dug into him like a kick to the chest.

So much for being discreet.

"Nico!" Will dropped the flashlight- Nico knew because the glare disappeared- and ran toward him, before resting a hand on his shoulder. "Woah, are you alright? What are you doing out here this late?!"

He doesn't care for you. He doesn't care for you.

"Get off me," Nico growled, pushing him away and standing up on his own. He then proceeded to run to Half-Blood Hill as fast as he could. If he couldn't be discreet, at least he would make sure he wasn't stopped.

A few seconds passed before anything happened. Nico glanced back and saw Will frozen where he stood, a look of mingled shock and confusion etched upon his face. Nico vaguely thought about how it made no sense- why would Will keep pretending after all this?- but kept pouring on the speed. His body began to hurt from the last few bedridden days with no real exercise.

"Wha- Nico, where are you going?" Will sounded genuinely scared now.

"Hey, stop!" There were breaks in his voice, as though he was panting. Will was chasing Nico now.

And, apparently, he was a hundred times faster than Nico could have imagined, because the son of Apollo caught up with him in minutes. Will blindly grabbed at his right and managed to come up with Nico's forearm. His grip suddenly turned into iron- though maybe the more likely explanation was that Nico was weak and malnourished anyways, and he'd had no lunch today- and Nico was forced, much to his dismay, to stop.

Nico tried to pull away, and to his surprise, Will let him go instantly, so that it was just the two of them looking at each other.

"Nico, what's going on? You're supposed to be in the infirmary! It's almost midnight and past curfew- what are you doing out here?!"

"Gee, Will, that's an awful lot of questions. I wonder what I should answer with first." Nico's tone was bitter. Will seemed to feel that way too- his eyes hardened a little.

"Well, if you insist, what are you doing out here where the cleaning harpies could get you?"

"You know, they could eat you just as easily too."

"I'm a healer. If my patients are threatened at any time, I have permission to find them at night."

"Well, this patient is absolutely fine. He didn't even need your help in the first place. So I'm leaving."

"Leaving what? Camp?" When Nico didn't deny it, Will's eyes widened in shock. "Okay, are you actually insane? You wouldn't last a day out there in your condition!"

Nico narrowed his eyes, glaring so hard Will backed away a little. "Oh, so now my condition matters again? Can you just cut the crap and tell me whether or not my feelings mean anything to you?"

"Excuse me?" Will seemed confused just as suddenly as before.

"Don't pretend, Solace. Just because Drew isn't standing here doesn't mean you can pretend you suddenly don't know her."

"Drew? As in, Tanaka?" Will stared bemusedly at Nico for a second, before his shoulders slumped and he face-palmed. "Oh gods, it makes sense. Nico, we need to talk somewhere private in case someone is listening. Rachel's cave is nearby. Let's go."

And without another word, he headed in the direction of Half-Blood Hill. Nico contemplated leaving while he had the chance, but the curiosity in him reigned victorious. Besides, Will could easily stop him if he even tried.

When they reached Rachel's cave, five minutes later, Will turned around and sighed. He looked defeated and sad, and a tiny part of Nico actually felt sorry for him until Nico gave himself a good pinch in the cheek.

"Look, Nico," Will began, his voice wavering and unsure, "I don't know how to say this-"

"With words," Nico interjected, eyebrows raised.

Will shot him an unimpressed look. "Look, I don't know what you heard from Drew, but I swear on the Styx I had nothing to do with it. That's why I found you when it was so late. When I went to get lunch earlier, she stopped me and started talking. And, uh, she managed to convince me that I was really sleepy, and I went to the Apollo cabin for a nap. I went to the infirmary as soon as I woke up."

"How the Hades did she convince you that you were sleepy?" Nico asked, not believing the story for a minute.

"She's a daughter of Aphrodite, right? She has this talent, like Piper's, where she can make you do anything that-"

"Charmspeak," Nico said suddenly. "Drew knows charmspeak?"

It would explain quite a bit, but Nico wasn't sure he wanted to believe it just yet.

"Back before Piper was counselor, she'd get people to do all kinds of things for her that way."

"She told me you two were dating."

Will actually flinched. "What?! Me and Drew?! Not in a million years, thank you very much. I absolutely despise that girl."

"You blushed earlier when you talked about her, though," Nico tried. "You stopped talking and acted really nervous."

"That, um, had nothing to do with dating. She and I just had a little spat earlier. I guess she tried to make you angry to get back at me for it."

As he said it, Will sounded strangely timid, even defensive. Nico was actually a little concerned. Maybe there was a small truth in all the lying?

"What was the spat about?" Nico asked casually, his tone no longer furious. He wanted to judge Will's reaction carefully.

Will seemed taken aback, both by the question and Nico's sudden complacency. "It was, um," Will began but didn't finish. His face was really red now.

"Yeah?" Nico said to spur him on, still calm. "If I don't get a solid answer I'm assuming you lied and I'm leaving."

Will's eyes widened. "What?! No!"

He stayed nervous and silent for a few moments, and Nico was about to take off, before Will took a deep breath.

"I blushed about Drew, because- because, this morning, when I was waking up the people in the infirmary, she took one look at me and asked me to come outside. And, you know, charmspeak and stuff, so it worked."

Nico could see Will's hands begin to shake a little. There were flecks of sweat on his head. Nico was suddenly relieved he had stayed when Will asked him to.

"And, um. She began making out with me. Just like that."

The next few minutes were punctuated by a deadly silence. Nico stared at Will in shock, unable to say anything. Will looked shyly back, red still evident on his cheeks.

Finally, Nico ground out, "She. Did. What?"

"It wasn't like I wanted do it. I only realized a few seconds in and then I pushed her off and told her I didn't even like girls and that she was just doing something wrong."

So many thoughts swam in Nico's head at once. Drew was lying. I've been rude and stupid and horrible. Will is gay. Drew assaulted him this morning. Will is gay.

But when he spoke, he did so in a wave of anger. Except this time, it wasn't directed at Will. "Why the hell didn't you report that?"

"She got this angry look on her face and told me I would want her next time. I told her to back off and that I liked guys, and she just stalked off. I guess she's used to getting her way with guys. Then it's like I told you. She walked up to me at lunch and acted really sweet and made me decide to take a nap. Except it lasted seven hours. I'm so sorry if she convinced you to leave camp. I should have warned you but it embarrassed me, and I didn't think-"

"Will, please shut up," Nico said, his voice quiet, "and let me say something. I'm sorry for forcing you to talk about that, okay?"

"It's not a big thing." Will mumbled, interrupting.

"It is. It's a really big thing, William," Nico replied, thinking of how much it used to hurt when Percy or Annabeth brought Bianca up. He hadn't been ready, and talking about it had hurt like Hades. "I should never have forced you to talk about something you weren't ready to discuss."

Will opened his mouth to talk, but Nico beat him to it again.

"But it's already happened and we can't change that. Right now, you need to tell Piper or Chiron or whatever. Make sure she gets punished."

Will actually took a step back.

"I can't do that! She'll twist it and make it look like my fault, and everyone will believe her!"

Nico wanted to punch something- mainly himself. Seeing Will so panicked with like a blow to the head. And he'd caused it by asking an unwelcome question.

"Piper can help," he tried. "She charmspeaks too; I'm sure she can convince them."

"No, Nico," Wil said, shaking his head firmly. "If I will fix this, I want to do it on my own. It wasn't a big deal, honestly; it was just embarrassing and strange for me and I didn't like it. I don't want people to look at me like this scared attacked person because I'm not. I need you to swear not to tell anyone until I want it."

Nico stared at him in stupefaction. How could Will let this slide? If someone had done that to Nico, he would have physically ended that person. Sent them to Hades to rot.

You aren't like Will, though, the Hazel voice/his conscience said calmly. Nico thought and found it to be true: unlike him, Will had a lot of friends and people to look after. And it was perfectly his decision whether or not to keep the thing with Drew private.

"I swear on the Styx I won't tell anyone," Nico began evenly. "Just a question, though."

Will seemed to be relieved that Nico had taken the oath, and told him to go on.

"You say Drew told me all that to get back at you. Why me? Why not another guy?"

And just like that, Will was flustered again. Nico's heartbeat was soaring and spiking, a comet that fired up his soul. I made him nervous I made Will Solace nervous oh my gods I made him nervous.

But the hesitant air around Will disappeared as fast as it came, and a smirk replaced it instead.

"Why did the news that Drew and I could be dating bother you in the first place, Nico?"

Nico crossed his arms and glared murderously at Will, but the son of Apollo didn't appear the slightest bit scared. In fact, if Nico was seeing things right, Will Solace, for all his sudden smirking and cockiness, was absolutely delighted.

Nico's mind supplied him with a dozen different excuses and reasons to avoid Will's question. He could walk out of this and keep his crush a secret, as he had done to so many things.

But Nico decided he was done with unnecessary secrets. He had told Percy of his longtime crush some mere days ago. All it had taken was the conviction that Percy was just as human (Well, demigod, but whatever) as he was. While Nico's crush on Percy had been something forbidden and shameful, his affection for Will was full of care and happiness and interest. Percy made him want to pummel something and scream every now and then, but Will was lovely, peaceful, and quiet- but somehow with even more inner force than the son of Poseidon. Will, above all, was someone Nico stood a chance with. Someone Nico could try with.

He was not letting this get away from him. He thought, This guy is just as much god and human as you. This talk is nothing.

"If I give the reason, do you answer my question?"

"It's a deal," Will replied, grinning.

"The thought of you dating Drew hurt because I, Nico di Angelo, like you, Will. Like like you," Nico said it evenly, ignoring the boy's dumbstruck expression and the rapid flutter in his chest accompanied by clawing anxiety. "I've had one for the last three days and it's been one of the best and worst feelings I've ever experienced."

Will gawked at him with wide blue eyes, even prettier now that Nico could see them glimmer in the moonlight. His cheeks flamed and his mouth opened and closed with barely audible pops. Nico did his best to look natural and poised, but his inner self screaming- whether with relief of anxiety or happiness or fear, Nico didn't know. All he thought was that he wanted to experience it forever but never come near it again.

"Well, Will? The deal we made- what's your answer?" Nico's voice betrayed him and shook, just a little, so that the last syllable of answer came out high and squeaky.

Will seemed to realize what he was doing, and suddenly his eyes became a thousand times sharper. Nico realized he had been in a trance for the last few minutes. The son of Apollo, everything Nico thought he was supposed hate but now wrapped in a person he came close to loving, spoke.

"Uh, ditto."

Nico had never heard that word before. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"Oh!" Will breathed, his cheeks even redder. "What I mean is, um. Oh, gods, screw it. Nico, I like you too. I thought you seemed cool ever since the Titan War last year but I never said a word because I wasn't out yet and you seemed quiet and out of my league. But I thought you could be something beyond the way you looked, and you were, and I liked you even more because of it- hold on, I'm rambling. Long story short, I like you too."

Nico stood still, his face painful, fingers trembling and mind buzzing. He didn't care if Will was rambling- he wanted Will to ramble on forever if this was what he would say. Nico thought his frayed nerves would straighten up if he found out what he hoped was true, but really, his nervousness just doubled. What now? Were they boyfriends? As in, dating? Would Nico have to come out to the campers? Would they be okay? Would he be okay? What was he supposed to do with this information?!

First thing tomorrow, Nico would march up to Piper and demand how she had done this with Jason. Meanwhile, Will had a face of lava that grinned wildly at him, and that face needed an answer.

"So I guess Drew at least knows how matchmake," Nico said, feeling happiest he had in his entire life.

Will looked at him with just as much glee. "Yeah. She did that right."

"Speaking of that loser, we need to do something about her."

"Ugh, Nico, there's more important things to discuss!" Will groaned. "You swore an oath!"

"I know," Nico said, the grin on his face turning a little more malicious. "But-"

"No loopholes!"

"Will, you can't let her win!"

"She won't be the winner when she finds out we're dating!"

Nico stared at him, his grin somehow wider and his face beginning to sweat with the heat. "You want us to become a couple?"

He expected Will to blush and shy away. Blush he did, but then Will crossed his arms and stared back amusedly, if a little unsure. "Well, that's what should happen, right? Of course if it's not what you want then it's no biggie-"

"Are you actually insane?!" Nico all but yelled, so that it echoed around the cave. "It's exactly what I want, Will. But just not right now."

Will looked a little hurt. "Why not?"

"Because I still need to come out," Nico said, trying to be as nice as possible. "And I don't know how the dating thing works. It's all new to me, and-"

"You know it's new to me too, right?" Will asked Nico.

"That's a lie," he replied incredulously. "Have you even seen you?"

"I was only out last December," Will explained, shrugging. "And I was still riding out for you. I didn't like the idea of other guys at camp. Besides, very few were out as well."

The thought made Nico giddier than ever, but he tried to continue. "Whatever. But the last one, and you said it yourself- I've got a lot of issues to work through, and I don't want it to bother you. There's that."

Without warning, Will gripped Nico's hand. The son of Hades felt a sudden surge of light inside him. Then Will spoke, still linking hands with Nico.

"What do you know? It's gotten better."

"I'm… not ill anymore?"

Will chuckled. "No, you're still sick. But it's a lot better right now. A lot easier to overcome. You're going to wake up tomorrow and probably feel like death again, but it's going to be a lot more manageable."

"That's- that's nice," Nico said. Honestly speaking, Will wasn't lying either. Nico hadn't noticed, preoccupied by the multiple shocks and all the crazy events of the day, but he was feeling so much better than usual. The smile on his face wasn't that big of a shock anymore, because it felt easier on his lips.

"Also, Nico, let me be honest with you- I honestly don't give a fig about any problems that might bother me. If there's something you need help with, I want to be your guy."

"Will-"

"It's medical, too. Being in a healthy relationship can boost your happiness and provide you with support, and overall strengthen your immune system. Think of it as a medical procedure. Does that make it easier?"

"That makes it bloody weird, you strange idiot."

Will rolled his eyes. "I tried. But, in all seriousness, Nico, I really don't mind. If you feel uncomfortable, I'll wait for as long as it takes. But if you're worried about bothering me, then I'll gladly kick you in the face until you understand that I don't care."

"Kicking me doesn't sound very healthy," Nico said, raising his eyebrows.

"Does it sound romantic?" Will said, a hopeful smile on his face.

"No, it sounds like a horrible idea, Will."

"Okay, whatever you say. But I still need an answer to the question. I'm fine with it as long as it makes you happy."

Nico sighed and thought for a few seconds, before saying, "Give me a week to come out. So far it's only the Seven that know. And then we can talk about our relationship."

"Talk about-?" Will's eyes widened. "As in, we're dating right now?"

"Yes, dummy." Nico said, chuckling a little (Gods, he was chuckling now) at Will's adorably shocked face.

Without further warning, Will leaned in and locked lips with him.

And Nico di Angelo experienced his first kiss.

Nico couldn't describe it I any way other than that he was hyperaware of everything around him. He could feel Will gently hooking his arms into Nico's tangled, unwashed hair. He tasted like mint- probably from his toothpaste- and even though his lips barely hung onto Nico's, Nico could feel electricity surging through him until his very fingers. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a small nervous bit in his mind was worrying whether or not he was doing it right. The rest of him just enjoyed the fire and passion and surprise. The rest of him was in the fingers that stroked Will's much softer hair, in the heart that he seemed to explode and throw stardust all over his insides, in the feet that were about to forget how to walk out of happiness but somehow stayed upright so that he could make this as perfect as possible. The rest of him was in the sensations and movements and emotions, and it was moving into Will, too, the same way parts of Will seemed to move into him. Suddenly Nico understood how people found the energy to whoop and jump for joy and dance in delight. Forget happy. Compared to the euphoria in him right now, happy was basic and a little overrated. Nico was so giddy with the energy of it all; and he knew that he would get no sleep for maybe days to come.

The kiss stopped and the feeling continued, and the two of them stared at each other, and Nico saw in Will the giddy joy he had never known was real. Not even as a child had he felt this unbelievably happy. If humans could really feel this much emotion, then Nico wanted to feel it all: the daggers of anger and the tears of misery and the choking wrap of anxiety. He didn't mind, because if they came with things like this, Nico didn't mind at all. Shutting things out for all these years was a mistake- right now, Nico only regretted not seeking this out sooner.

Will breathed out a bubbly laugh, and soon Nico joined in, before they were both still staring at each other and giggling hysterically.

They talked until three in the morning, and Nico wasn't even sure what it was about- he only remembered the giddy happiness and the giggles and feeling like his life was finally worth more than a background noise.

As Nico walked Will to his cabin, he tried one last time, "So, how about we ruin Drew's life for a while?"

"My gods, you're still bringing that up? I honestly owe her a thank you for making this possible."

"Come on!"

Will smiled tiredly.

"Goodnight, Nico."

"Goodnight."

Nico came out the next day.

It was surprisingly easy. Everyone congratulated him and Will hugged him, and he accepted it with grudging thank yous and a single smile.

As usual, Will was right. He woke up feeling like death, but it was better than before. Much, much better.

Because he had a boyfriend with whom to fall in love and friends who accepted him and a camp to be his home.

And also because, much to Will's disapproval, Drew Tanaka had woken up screaming because there had been a skeleton in her bed.

Nico regretted nothing.


Well, there you have it. The next chapter is our final one, a small epilogue of what Nico's life is like now. It'll be out sometime next week.

So, some of the strange things that happened. I know that both in canon and headcanons, Solangelo is portrayed as a very dorky, silly couple with mad Nico and lovely Will. And I see them like that too. But I also feel like them coming together would be very hard. Nico was ashamed of his feelings and wasn't even out except to his closest friends and that was only because he was forced to. And the fact that no one knew about Will suggests that he came out after the Titan War but before the Giant War. I also feel like Will would have noticed Nico pretty early on because of how famous he became for his skeleton stunt. Nico, however, wouldn't have really noticed him but only greeted him in passing, and thus we have Will who has liked Nico forever and Nico who began to really like Will only when he was forced to notice him.

I believe Nico WAS depressed since BotL, and it went unnoticed because people either assumed it was his personality or that he had something to be sad about, and that was why it went untreated. There's a clear distinction between BoO Nico and ToA Nico- one was miserable and angry and the other was just sarcastic and a bit of a joker.

The thing with Drew was there for three reasons- one, I shamelessly love drama and I thought it could be interesting to see, two, I've felt very feministy lately and wanted to write something to show that boys can be assaulted too, and because it fits with the characters and canon. Think about it- Will is attractive, sweet, and well-known, and it's likely that after being rejected by Jason and shown up by Piper, Drew would want to break any cute boy's heart. Being a charmspeaker and daughter of Aphrodite, she can sense romance and manipulate it. Will isn't weak, not by any means, but I feel like anyone would want to keep this to themselves until they figure out what else they want to do. That's what I would do, I think, and if anyone feels I got it wrong feel free to correct me. I've endeavored to make it clear that it was wrong but that Will didn't really care enough to do anything, since Drew doesn't mean much to him and he could feel that she was emotionally unstable. Of course, Nico gets her back to show that it had to be punished.

Finally, there are five songs I listened to quite a few times to five particular songs to try and write out Solangelo. I'll list them and my feelings, and you're free to search them up and enjoy them as much as I do:

1) A Thousand Years by Christina Perri- this song describes much of how Nico's viewpoint of romance changes throughout the chapter; from being afraid of his feelings to deciding to be brave and not let his chance get away.

2) Symphony by Zara Larson ft. Clean Bandit- other than the fact that the music video for this LITERALLY features a gay couple, it's a very sweet song that is, again, from Nico's point of view since he started crushing on Will.

3) Cold Water by Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber- it's not a very big influence, but a few lyrics feel like Will talking to Nico and comforting him.

4) Fix You by Coldplay- the verses are Nico struggling while the chorus and the ends are Will reassuring him and I just HAVE SO MANY FEELS ABOUT THIS SONG LISTEN TO IT RIGHT NOWWW

5) Battle Scars by Paradise Fears- this is a beautiful song, my favorite on this list, and all of it is Will reassuring Nico and helping him and telling him he isn't alone.

I'm sorry this A/N is so long, but it had to be. What did you think of the chapter? OOC? Well-written? Good or bad? Favorite bits? Tell me in a review- the longer, the better! Remember, I stayed up until 4AM more than once to finish this!

Love y'all and see you later, Mariam 3