"You've got freckles on your thighs." Nico observed.
He watched as Will seemed to tense and smile awkwardly, cheeks flushing.
"Oh. Yeah, they're kinda everywhere." He stammered.
Nico's lips twitched.
He decided he liked making the son of Apollo blush, not like he had when Nico made him angry, but now, when his words caught in his throat. And when the sweet, pleased smile bloomed on his face right after. Nico studied the other boy's legs, crossed under his lap. There were freckles all over them, less on his knees and more on his inner thighs. Tiny brown dots of melted caramel.
Nico wished he could count them.
He wondered what they would taste like on his tongue.
He distracted himself from those thoughts by tapping on one, making the blonde fidget and glow.
Nico smiled. He knew Will loved the attention.
Entering the Apollo cabin while it was bright and early was sort of risky.
The demigods woke at the crack of dawn and they woke loudly, hustling around and yelling. Scrambling for clothes and shoving each other out of the bathroom and fighting for toothpaste. You always risked being smacked in the face with a shoe by an overenthusiastic son/daughter of Apollo. Nico couldn't help thinking that he would never be this active in the mornings, son of Apollo or not. He imagined himself blond, blue-eyed and happy. All that his imagination provided him was images of Will.
Despite the dangers, Nico strolled in, dodging sprays of deodorant and flying socks as he headed over to Will's bunk.
No one noticed until he sat on the corner of Will's then did people turn to look at him. Like he had just survived walking through the morning battlefield and that merited him some attention.
"Nico di Angelo?" He didn't recognize the girl that was brave enough to approach him.
He nodded.
Another girl with dream catcher's for earrings and straight brown hair pinched the girl's elbow. "Dude! That's Will's boyfriend!"
Nico kept a straight face.
He looked around at Will's little space in the cabin.
Surprisingly, Will didn't have a bigger spot than anyone else. He was cabin counselor so he should have a bigger space by default, but everything was evenly spaced out. He really shouldn't have been surprised, this was Will he was talking about.
His bed had soft cerulean sheets and a white fluffy pillow. It was tidy in a sort of disorganized way. A black little teddy bear adorned his headrest as well as a dozen other trinkets and boxes.
He resisted the urge to reach for them, to explore this part of Will he'd never seen before.
He turned his attention back to the girls when they said something that made his blood boil.
"Are you sure? I thought he was going out with that other kid, what's-her-face?"
"Oh, you mean Lou Ellen?"
Nico cleared his throat and the girls turned back to him. Scandalized. They'd forgotten he was there. He should have been used to it really. Jason still jumped when he spoke and then looked at him all chagrined. As if Nico cared.
"CALEB! Did you take my towel?!" Will came out of the bathroom, clad only in soft looking green underwear.
"I've told you! If you need one, just ask for one. But don't take mine!"A ten year old looking boy glanced up from his book, sitting on one of the top bunks, guilt written all over his face.
Will sighed, giving into a reassuring smile before going back in the bathroom.
He didn't notice Nico.
Will's siblings were looking at him.
Should he leave? Maybe Will would be annoyed that Nico was sitting on his bed and waiting for him.
But Nico knew he wouldn't be mad. He would be pleased. The realization startled him.
When had he gotten so close to the blue-eyed blond that he could predict how he would feel?
He thought about the past months.
His days at the infirmary.
He pictured Will whistling and humming and clicking his tongue while he worked, stitching and Re-stitching and applying a dozen different balms and solutions and reminding him to drink his,'Unicorn Juice!'. Always peppering him with multi-colored band-aids and drawing smileys with smelly markers on his bandages.
And when Nico got sick, Will was like a breath of fresh air. As vital to his recovery as actual medicine.
He always let him rest as much as he needed, but not a second more than that. He was always there, sitting next to him and being way too close even when Nico warned him about pathogens and shit. Will had just waved him away, giving him a one armed hug and saying,
"Who's the doctor here? Don't you worry your pretty little head, sweetheart. I'm immune." In a bad southern accent which had caused Nico to punch him. Not very impressive since he was sick, but Will gave a convincing flinch.
Then he would put on his crazy musicals, laughing and jostling Nico as they watched, and sometimes singing extremely loudly. Nico would always stare at him in amazement when he did. His voice cracked when reaching for the high notes but he didn't seem to care. It was deep and lively and Nico instantly loved it. Although it was sometimes annoying.
When Will came back from his shift at the infirmary, he would come looking for him. Always. Without fail.
Once, Nico had lost track of time practicing and he had looked up to see a gasping Will Solace, doubled over and looking at him wide-eyed, like a kicked toddler.
That had made Nico want to beat the shit out of whatever had caused him to look like that.
Until he realized it was him.
And then he'd still wanted to beat the shit out something.
"Oh...there you are." Will suddenly looked embarrassed. He straightened, hands on his hips in what was probably supposed to look like a manly, confident pose, but came of looking sort of girly and ridiculous.
"I uh, I thought I heard someone call my name."
There was no one around.
Nico raised an eyebrow.
Will wasn't very good at lying. Probably because he rarely ever had a need to.
Nico sheathed his sword and walked towards him, faltering a little when he remembered that he had shed his shirt earlier. But he kept going, Will's lost expression driving him forward.
"Will, I'm not going anywhere." He didn't know he would say those words until they fell from his lips. But when he did, he knew it was the right thing to say.
Will's mouth fell open, and then closed.
Like a fish. Adorable.
The son of Apollo nodded slowly, his hands were stuffed in his pockets and he smiled sheepishly at Nico.
Nico's heart beat faster.
The son of Hades was torn out of his memories when Will froze as he exited the bathroom. There was a pink towel with purple hearts wrapped around his waist.
Nico supposed it was not only Nico's presence that rendered him speechless, but the fact that all his siblings had cleared the cabin.
Nico had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed.
Wait... He had missed a rowdy bunch exiting one cabin for no reason whatsoever. He made a mental note not to take a trip down memory lane while fighting, or else he would take a very painful trip down to his father's place.
"Did you scare them all away?" Will joked, uneasily rummaging through his clothes.
Nico had the feeling Will knew exactly why his siblings had left, and he was flabbergasted.
Nico smiled, unabashedly watching the muscles on his back work.
"No. But that hideous towel probably did."
Will stilled. The tip of his ears turned pink.
He turned to look at him over his shoulder, smirking despite the blush on his cheeks.
"Would you like me to take it off?"
It was Nico's turn to blush.
Damn. He was good.
"Cheeky." Nico huffed under his breath, stretching out on Will's bed.
He flipped onto his stomach and studied the things on the wooden headrest.
A glass heart. Pebbles. A daisy. Band Aids. Two Epi-pens. A picture album. Heaps of notebooks.
He turned on his back as he heard Will changing, face red.
Nope. He wouldn't look. Not even peek. It was disrespectful.
(but tempting)
Pieces of poetry were tacked to the bottom of the top bunk.
Nico traced the edge of a scrap of paper. Focusing on the multicolored writing.
"My Siblings gave me that." Will said, answering his unspoken question.
To Nico's surprise and joy, Will lied down next to him, staring up at the poetry.
It was a tight fit. Will was bigger than he was, but that was normal. Even Leo could've been bigger than Nico after a stop at Lupe's Tortillas.
His arms were a little more muscled than Nico's, and they pressed against his own arms.
The little blond hairs on his arm tickled Nico, seeming to make him hyperaware of everything.
Will's fingers were splayed out on Nico's side, almost imperceptibly. Like it was a simple accident. But Nico could feel them, warm and reassuring.
Will gestured at the slips of paper. "That's from Joey, oh and, Gerard wrote this one. Allison drew this, and Dereck wrote that one. Michael, Zoey, Joshua, and Katy. Heh, Caleb drew this. It's supposed to be me atop a rainbow, but he smudged it a bit."
Nico stared. It looked nothing like a person. Or a rainbow. But Will looked at it like it was a Van Gogh pinned up there.
Nico could feel Will's curls tickling his ear.
He pointed at one. "I like that."
It was a full sheet of creamy, fancy paper. Tucked away behind lots of other one's in a corner. But Nico still managed to read it successfully.
It was, quite simply, a love poem.
Will glanced at it and smiled sadly. "Oh. Sabrina. She didn't make it in the war."
Nico didn't press for details. Instead, he turned on his side, turning to look at Will.
Everything smelled of him.
Like honeysuckle and mint and spice.
Will felt him turn and he looked at him, blinking slightly when their noses touched.
Nico drew back, embarrassed.
Will grinned.
"Your eyes...they're beautiful." He sounded awed.
Nico's gut twisted and his heart lurched. "T-They're just brown."
Will's freckles seemed to twinkle as he grinned again. "No. They're gorgeous."
Will was so close. If he just leaned in for a second...No!
He struggled to sit up and this prompted Will to make room for him. Nico felt guilty about that, but a bit relieved too.
He didn't want to lose Will by acting on his foolish urges.
"Will." His mouth seemed to move faster than his brain. "IactuallycameoverheretoseeifyouwantedtogotoLeo'splace."
Nico took a poisonous breath.
"HejustopenedthatworkshopthingwithhisgirlfriendandIwaswonderingifyouwouldliketocomewithme."
Nico crawled out of the bunk, just incase he had to make a hasty escape. He forced himself to calm down.
"After Christmas. You said that I should...um, socialize and stuff. And since, well, you don't get out of Camp much...but the infirmary..."
Will laughed, standing.
His hair was still wet and stray water droplets trailed down his neck. "I would love to! Let me go tell Chiron?"
"Okay."
Nico...wake up!
Please.
"Yeah, you're right. I don't really leave Camp all that much. Well, except when I go visit my mom. By the way, my mom really liked you last time you came, and at Christmas, even though you didn't talk that much, but that is totally okay because-"
"-because you make up for it with your incessant chatter?"
Will interlocked their fingers, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, do not call our conversation chatter. You could contribute, you know. Rant like you do when you're angry. Except do it happy."
Will swung their hands between them as they headed down to Leo's workshop.
Leo and Calypso's workshop was sort of a big deal in the demigod world. Random questing demigods stopped to get repairs and buy weapons and supplies.
But that wasn't the only reason why it was important.
Their workshop was a sign that demigods could create a future for themselves without the aid of one of the camps. That they could make their own lives despite monsters and gods. And it was usually packed chock-full of people, but now it was closed. Just for the seven and Nico and Will.
"I do not rant." The son of Hades said.
Will nodded slowly. "Yeah you do. It's kinda cute. You start all scary and growly and then your voice gradually becomes higher and then you just stop and glare."
Nico stiffened. "What?!"
His boyfriend's eyes widened. "Oh, no."
Nico rolled his eyes, tugging Will forward as he mumbled and snickered his apologies.
He threw the door open.
They were greeted by a sound like a screeching chicken.
"Leo! Didn't I tell you to replace that thing?"
Nico heard laughter from far off into the store.
A smile twitched at the corner of his lips. Will was still mumbling.
"...Well, this should be nice. Coming to watch TV with Nico's friends. And eat pie with Calypso. The seven! The heroes of Olympus, watching Glee. With me. Little Will Solace. You're totally tuning me out Nico, don't think I don't know. You always do that when I say something about you. But I'm just really nervous right now and I don't think-
Nico turned and stood on his toes, shutting up those red lips with his own.
Catching them in a kiss.
Will blinked at him, flushed.
Nico smiled, looking at him fondly. "Don't be nervous. You've met these guys."
Will grinned, relieved, and kissed Nico's knuckles.
Nico reddened, softening like clay.
Will loved it.
"Not as your boyfriend." He muttered as Calypso approached.
"Welcome to Leo and Calypso's workshop and-
"Baby! That's Solangelo!"
She blinked.
She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans splattered in paint. Her white blouse was spotless though, and her honey-colored hair was in a messy bun.
"Oh, right. Will Solace. I've had the pleasure of meeting you. And Nico di Angelo, a name even the gods utter with fear." She nodded solemnly.
Nico was suddenly reminded that she was actually ancient. And her life had sucked. But she wasn't bitter anymore.
Nico instantly respected her.
He knew a thing or two about unrequited love.
He ignored the foul taste in his mouth and clasped Calypso's outstretched hand.
He was over that, and he was cool with Percy, but it was never pleasant reliving some of his memories.
"Heh. I don't need to worry about you holding on too long, do you?" Leo smirked at him, coming up behind Calypso, and Nico snatched his hand back so fast you would've thought it had caught on fire. And with Leo, you never really knew.
Nico scowled as Leo laughed at him.
Calypso smacked his arm, scolding. "Forgive him. He's an idiot."
"Trust me," Nico muttered. "I know."
Will shook Calypso's hand, both of them smiling warmly.
Leo led them deeper into the store, past flowers and ferns on the windowsills and hanging from the ceiling. The place smelled of baked goods and flowers.
"No, but seriously Di Angelo," Leo said, nudging him gently. "I'm glad you two found each other. You deserve it."
Nico looked at him thoughtfully.
Jason had been right.
His friends hadn't even batted an eye.
Well, except for Hazel, who had looked confused for a second before breaking out into a smile and squealing like girls do...or how Percy did when Jason poked him somewhere under the ribs.
"Oh, hey guys! Leo didn't think you'd come." Piper said, smiling.
The scene before Nico was
- #$%&*/()-\/? #$%?/-^[]}€_+-£= #$%&*&$%#"?)(-\-WAKE UP#$% €~_]^¥-
heartwarming.
Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Percy, Annabeth, and even Reyna all sitting on a seemingly random assortment of furniture and talking to each other while facing the TV.
Jason looked at him. "Hey, Nico, would you-WAKE THE FUCK UP!"
#$%&*)(-?'x&$#€£]]_73_+[€8{_w#&$($)a&#($8k#&%_=e**&$$)8u{€6}7{{€p!
Fear.
Death.
Smell of oblivion.
Taste of pain.
Screaming and screaming and screaming and screaming and screaming and screaming and screaming and-
Will!