Raise your hands if you've put out before the first date!
*Will Solace raises hand*
Fair warning: NSFW
High Windows Cast Long Shadows
NICO DI ANGELO
"W-where are we going?" Will stammered, jumping over a small creek as Nico pulled him further and further away from the main clearing. In the distance behind them, torches had been lit as night descended and Nico could sense Will's hesitation at being carried away from the light and into the growing darkness of the forest.
"Remember I wanted to show you something?" Nico asked, gently squeezing Will's hand. "We're going there now."
"But, where?" Will asked a little panicky.
"The Oracle Cavern," Nico answered.
"What? Why are you taking me there, I've been there literally hundreds of times!"
"I meant, we are going in the direction of the Oracle Cavern, there's something I want to show you and it's not far from there. Just, humor me, okay?" Nico asked as he slowed down, needing to catch his breath, which was coming out a bit wheezy, a common occurrence each time he overexerted himself ever since returning from Tartarus, as if the poisonous air he'd breathed in there hadn't completely cleared out of his lungs.
"Are you okay?" Will asked, his eyes on Nico's heaving chest. "Here, smell this," he said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a small bundle of plants.
"What is it?"
"Mint, just picked it up a while ago," Will replied.
Nico took the green leafy bundle and took a whiff. The fresh scent of mint traveled through him like a shot of adrenaline, making him feel instantly better.
"What the hell," Nico said, staring at the mint. "How come I never knew about this?"
Will chuckled. "Just keep hanging out with me, you'll learn loads, son of Hades."
They kept on walking in such close proximity that their arms kept bumping into each other's, and Nico could feel a jolt of electricity each time they made contact.
He wanted to just stop and tackle Will to the ground, but then… then what? What was he supposed to do if he managed to find himself on top of the blonde? Kiss him? Gods, Nico thought, shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose. This is embarrassing. He'd never kissed anyone before. He'd barely even touched anyone before, let alone someone for whom he harbored special feelings.
He'd touched Percy once, when they held hands as Nico shadow traveled them out of the House of Hades – but he'd flinched away so quickly he'd almost fallen backwards.
Now, he'd touched Will, too.
He'd touched Will's crotch, and it had been hard.
Because you kept staring at him like a dog in heat, he chastised himself, but couldn't help the smirk that pulled at the corners of his mouth. Because he had been hard like a dog in heat, too.
Night fell as they walked by the edge of the forest in the direction of Rachel Elizabeth Dare's oracular cave. In the distance, Nico could spot the warm glow of the dining pavilion brazier, he imagined the campers beginning to take their places at their tables, talking about the race, sharing stories about what they'd encountered in the forest.
He hoped they wouldn't be missed, he knew he wouldn't be, but if there had indeed been more than a few injuries, then Will's disappearance might raise a certain amount of concern, and the last thing he wanted to do was cause enough panic to call for a search party.
"Wait," Nico said, pulling Will's arm. The blonde stopped and looked at him quizzically. "We better let them know we're fine, so they won't come looking for us."
"Oh?" Will asked, his eyebrow raised. "We don't want to be found?"
Nico smirked and raised his arms, making a few pebbles shake on the ground.
"Are you doing Underworld-y magic, di Angelo?" Will asked threateningly.
"Just a little," Nico admitted, and the ground before them split open, making Will jump as the dead head of Jules-Albert emerged from the earth.
"Shit," Will cursed, "I'm never going to get used to this guy."
Nico chuckled, amused at the way Will had taken a step behind Nico, his hands grasping Nico by the shoulders.
"Jules-Albert, find Chiron, tell him we're fine, just going for a walk. We'll be back before curfew."
The zombie made a gurgling noise which Nico took for an assent, then walked on wobbly legs towards the dining pavilion. A part of him would have loved to see the look on the other campers when a zombie walked amongst them.
"You're not going to kidnap me and murder me in the dark, are you?" Will asked as he let go of Nico's shoulders.
"Nah," Nico answered, motioning with his head towards the direction of the cave. "Not today."
"Phew?" said Will with amusement.
As they walked, Nico looked up at the clear night sky, the stars shining brightly like diamonds in a mine. Smiling to himself, he realized how appropriate it was for a night like this. He'd never shared this secret with anyone other than Hazel of course, who'd made the initial discovery all those months ago. Now, Will was going to be a part of it, and the idea that he'd be sharing a secret, another secret with him was simply exhilarating. He couldn't wait to see the look on Will's face.
They began walking uphill in comfortable silence, broken only by the sound of their breathing and the occasional owl in the distance.
"I feel like I've definitely gotten my steps in today," Will spoke after a while.
"Are you tired?" Nico asked, surprised.
"Well, I don't get as much exercise as I should. Usually it's just the odd hike, since I spend a lot of time in the infirmary, especially after they moved it out of the Big House."
"Could have fooled me."
"Are you implying I look like I get a lot of exercise?" Will asked playfully. "Do I look that good?"
"Shut up, Solace," Nico deadpanned.
They reached the small path that led to the Oracular Cave, but instead of following the dirt trail, Nico took a sharp turn left, making sure Will followed close behind.
"This place looks spooky," Will offered, looking around and squinting in the darkness. "We're going in the forest again?"
"Yeah but not really deep, just by those trees that look like an archway," Nico added, pointing ahead.
"What trees?" Will asked.
"You don't see them?"
"I don't see in the dark, di Angelo, I'm not Lord of Darkness like you."
"Hm," Nico agreed. "Well, you're gonna have to get used to the dark fast, because we're going underground for a bit."
"What?" Will suddenly stopped. "I don't do underground, Nico."
"Just a little. Don't worry, you're with me," said Nico, sounding extremely confident and loving the way his name sounded on Will's lips. He knew the place well, they weren't in a monster area, as they stood well within the protected boundaries of the camp, but even if they weren't, Nico knew his way around, he could have walked there with his eyes closed. He wasn't afraid of the dark, on the contrary, it made him feel safe, and it was perhaps that which prompted him to reach out a hand and offer it to Will. "Trust me?" he asked.
He didn't know what compelled him to be so bold. It's not like they were dating, not yet anyway, but he couldn't shake the feeling that if he offered, if he reached out to Will, he would very likely be reciprocated.
Because they were on the same boat.
Nico could see in the dark just fine, and so he had no problem discerning the look of excitement that flashed across Will's face when he took Nico's hand.
"We're holding hands now?" Will asked playfully, lacing his fingers through Nico's and squeezing gently.
Nico let out a single chuckle (hoping his sigh of relief had gone unnoticed) and squeezed back. "Just until we've made it there, since you can't see in the dark."
"Aw," Will whined with exaggerated disappointment, making Nico smile.
When they walked past the trees shaped like an archway, Will shimmied in closer to Nico, their elbows touching.
Under any other circumstances, Nico would have let go as quickly as possible, had he been holding hands with anyone else. Now, as he trekked along Will, fingers laced together, he couldn't believe he'd been missing out on this intimate feeling for so long. Admittedly, he probably wouldn't have felt this comfortable holding hands with anyone else – just Will. Because he was attracted to him. Because he had seen him naked. Because he had fantasized about just what it would feel like to be held in Will's grasp. He concentrated on committing the feeling to memory for later use. For he planned on using it later.
"There aren't any wild animals in here, are there?" Will asked quietly.
"Maybe a few rodents, an occasional frog."
"DON'T even joke about that, you hear me?" Will said, his voice a smudge higher.
Nico snorted. "I am actually kidding. Not about the rodents, there are hundreds of them, but you don't mind, do you?"
"Mammals, I can take."
"Good. We're here," Nico said, stopping in front of a pair of giant boulders that leaned against each other, perched against a small hill, a tiny opening between them large enough for a person to squeeze in.
"We're really going underground?"
"Yep," Nico answered.
"Are there any lights in there? A torch we can light or something?" he asked, squinting at the boulders.
"It'll be pitch black for a few yards."
"Just a few yards?" Will asked.
"The place opens up later, with the way the moon is shining, it'll be fine."
Will took a few seconds to retort. Nico could see indecision stamped all across his face, which he found way too cute to be genuine. The son of Apollo must be playing games with him. No one could look this cute in the dark.
"Lead the way," Will said suddenly, taking a deep breath and looking determined.
Nico grabbed him by the hand and walked in between the boulders, pulling Will to follow behind. As he had promised, it was pitch black once they were inside. Nico could see well enough, the tunnel stretched inland for a few yards, until he could discern the faintest speck of light in the distance. He turned to look at Will, who had his eyes wide shut, a grimace on his handsome features as if he'd been blindfolded and asked to stick his hand in a box with unknown contents.
"Why are your eyes closed?" Nico chuckled, unable to restrain himself. "It's pitch black in here."
Will squeezed Nico's hand. "At least this way, it feels intentional."
"Just try to keep up, mind your feet, there are a few animal bones scattered around."
"Mammals?"
"Yes, mammals," Nico affirmed, ignoring the snake skeleton to his right.
"This is ridiculous," Will said as he opened his eyes, looking around desperately for a source of light. "I can't believe you can see in the dark and I can't."
"It's a talent," said Nico with a shrug.
"I don't wanna sound like I'm afraid of the dark or anything, but I think I know a way to get us some light," said Will, letting go of Nico's hand and unzipping his hoodie. "That way we'll both be on equal footing."
"What do you mean?" Nico asked, following the movement of Will's hands.
"It's embarrassing," Will admitted.
"You're embarrassing," Nico said and Will smacked him on the arm.
"I'm serious, not that I don't like holding hands with you, because I do, but I also don't wanna trip over a dead body."
"Fine, what do you have in mind?" Nico asked, running his hand through the tunnel wall, the way Hazel often did when trying to find her way underground. He turned around when Will didn't say anything for a few seconds.
"Promise you won't laugh?" Will asked.
"No," Nico replied, but rolled his eyes at the smoldering look Will directed at him. "Fine, what's your idea?"
Nico almost yelped when Will took off his hoodie and shirt. "Whoah, w-wait, what –"
"Shh," Will hissed at him, folding his clothes and stashing them into his fabric bag, "I need to concentrate."
Nico was glad Will couldn't see well in the dark, because he shamelessly ran his eyes across his body with such hunger he might as well have been looking at food. Up close, Will was even more ripped than Nico remembered, and he said he never worked out? I was right, I hate him, Nico thought, scowling at his abs, while at the same time, wanting to run his hands all over them.
Then Will began to glow and Nico's jaw hit the ground.
"What the actual Hades," Nico gasped, taking a step back.
Will's entire body looked like a giant lightbulb, the glow was gentle enough, but Nico had to shield his eyes for a second – he could sense his pupils shrinking at the sudden burst of light. It took him a few seconds until he could focus on Will, who, Nico was even more surprised to see, looked utterly mortified. His eyes were downcast, and he ran a hand up and down his arm.
"Wow," Nico breathed, taking a step closer to Will who was pointedly looking at his feet.
"Stop," Will replied, the glow around his face turning slightly red. "Just don't laugh, okay?"
"I'm not, I –" Nico said, walking around Will as if he'd been inspecting a Christmas tree for purchasing. "Is this – is this an Apollo thing?" he asked, completely dumbfounded.
Will shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe? It certainly doesn't come from my mother's side of the family."
"Can Austin and Kayla… you know, glow?"
"Dunno," Will admitted. "Never asked."
"Wow," Nico breathed in, carefully inspecting Will's clavicle and shoulders from up close. "Sorry, I – I don't mean to stare, it's just…"
Will looked at Nico with sad eyes. "It's fine, this is a completely different kind of staring you're doing at the moment. Like you're looking at a circus freak or something."
"Hey," Nico scowled. "Don't talk about yourself like that. You are not a circus freak."
Will shrugged, as if no matter what Nico said, he'd already made up his mind about what he really was. The thought made Nico angry all of a sudden.
Because it was perfectly okay for Nico to feel like a creep, but it was not okay for Will to think of himself as a freak? Nico shook his head, painfully aware of the double standard. Will Solace glowed before him in all his golden glory, like a beacon in the dark, literally, and the fact that he couldn't see it – that he failed to acknowledge the miracle that was his own existence…
No, we can't have that.
Will sighed and dropped his arms to his sides. "Can we go on? I can see just fine now," he said, taking a few steps further into the tunnel.
"Wait," Nico stopped him, "Will."
"Hm?" Will replied without looking at him.
"If I'm not allowed to call myself a creep, then you're not allowed to call yourself a freak, understand?" he said forcefully, phrasing the words carefully to emphasize his irritation.
Will chuckled humorlessly. "Okay, son of Hades," he said in a mocking voice, like he didn't plan on taking him seriously at all.
"Stop that," Nico insisted, grabbing Will by the arm and whipping him around to face him. Why did Will look so abashed by his power? Nico found it honestly incredible and so, so appropriate for him. Will was a walking metaphor for light and sunshine and everything that creates life and gives out warmth. Why couldn't he see it?
"I know I look stupid okay, you don't have to pretend," said Will, trying to pull away from Nico.
Which honestly felt like the last straw.
"Do you want to know 'why you'?" Nico said suddenly, getting Will's attention. The blonde looked sideways at Nico, suspiciously.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Just a while ago, in the forest, you asked me 'why you?'," he said, dropping Will's hand and crossing his arms over his chest. Will squinted, as if trying to remember what exactly Nico was talking about.
"You said, I probably just shadow traveled to a random bathroom and just settled there, and then you wanted to know why you, remember?"
Will's eyes widened in recognition.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like you -"
"And then I said I can't stop staring at you. Do you remember that?"
"I remember, I remember just –"
"I didn't know at first. All those weeks ago, I honestly didn't know why I kept coming back. I thought I hated you," Nico said, running a hand through his hair, then throwing it into his pocket. "I thought maybe I was jealous of you? You're everything I'm not. You're popular and outdoorsy and –" he held up a hand when Will opened his mouth. "Don't argue with me, you are all those things."
Will harrumphed and crossed his arms over his chest.
He had hated him, or at least, he thought that's what that was. Hate mingled with lust and a covetous ferocity which kept incentivizing his visits to the Apollo cabin bathroom. And he'd also hated himself for it, and he probably would have gone on hating and hating until he couldn't take it any longer and finally exploded – had it not been for Will. Had it not been for the way Will Solace shifted his misconceptions with regards to himself – and sexual reciprocity. Just the thought of Will reciprocating his desire send sparks flying all over Nico's brain. He'd been in the metaphorical cave of his own despair until Will Solace brought him out of the darkness.
"You are the sun, Will," said Nico in a quiet voice. He'd been focusing on Will's shoes for a moment, then he glanced up at Will's face, where he saw pure shock.
"W-what do you mean?" Will whispered, dropping his arms to his sides, his face glowing red.
Nico shrugged. "I don't mean anything other than that. And this," he motioned at Will with a wave of his hand, "this just proves my point. You glow... Like the sun. You know? And then, you're also hot... Like the sun." Nico stopped talking abruptly, realizing how stupid he must sound. He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. "What am I even saying!?" he mumbled, dragging a hand across his face. "Just, don't call yourself a freak anymore okay?"
Will looked like a gaping fish out of the water, opening and closing his mouth as if unable to make up his mind if he wanted to speak or remain quiet, utterly at loss for words. Nico kicked a pebble and followed it with his eyes as it ricocheted off the wall behind Will.
"I'm hot?" Will asked quietly, his eyes unfocused, the ghost of a smile appearing on his face. "Like the sun?" he added, his voice growing louder, lighter. Then he burst into laughter.
As much as Nico liked the sound of Will's laughter, he couldn't help but frown at being the butt of the joke.
"Let's just go," he said, wishing they were back in darkness and Will couldn't see the blush that Nico knew had begun to spread across his face.
"Nico!" managed Will between gasps for breath, throwing his arm around Nico's shoulders, almost making Nico's knees buckle over. "What are you doing to me?!" he cackled, bracing himself on Nico for support.
"Solace," said Nico through gritted teeth, very aware of the way Will's naked torso stuck to his own shirt. "You're being ridiculous again." He wanted to elbow him in the ribs if only to stop the tingling sensation that began creeping down his own abdomen at their proximity. He'd never really considered the possibility of coming in direct contact with Will's naked skin. And now… and now…
Now, Will did something very unexpected.
He cupped Nico's face with his free hand and pulled him into a quick kiss.
Nico's eyes widened, his heart almost coming to a stop.
Will kissed him and smiled against Nico's lips, closing his eyes and resting his forehead directly against Nico's.
Nico's eyes had a hard time focusing on Will, who stood so close to him, glued as they were at the forehead, that for a second, all he could see was the tip of Will's nose.
Then he braced himself, took a deep breath and pulled Will in for another kiss.
And Will kissed him back.
And for someone who'd never done this before, Nico felt like kissing was the easiest thing in the world, like, who would have thought it would be as simple as pressing your mouth against someone else's? It also didn't feel anything like he thought it would. It wasn't something animalistic and barbaric and wet. It was definitely new and exhilarating and had very much the potential of becoming addictive, but it was also very innocent and quick and dry. His lips pressed against Will's bottom lip a little awkwardly, but his mind felt like exploding. He could have just stood like that for at least another hour, until Will's mouth broke into a smile once again.
"I'm hot," he whispered against Nico's mouth.
Nico would have rolled his eyes but his eyelids felt heavy. His hand was firmly hooked around the back of Will's neck and his fingers itched to touched below, to run the pads of his fingertips down the length of Will's back.
And he knew with the upmost certainty, that he would never get tired of kissing Will Solace. He had tasted forbidden fruit, and there was no going back.
"You're an idiot," Nico whispered, but smiled when Will pressed his lips against Nico's cheek in a chaste kiss. Then, they broke apart.
Will was glowing red across his chest and neck, which Nico found only fair, seeing as he was probably blushing too.
For a pair of perverts, we are a real couple of dorks, thought Nico, running a hand through his hair, wondering when he could kiss him again but eager to take him deeper into the cave.
"Shall uh, shall we go on? I still want to show you something, before you make me forget my own name," said Nico taking a step forward.
"Because I'm hot?" asked Will playfully, walking alongside him.
With Will glowing merrily as they walked, the tunnel seemed like a completely different place to Nico. Perhaps due to the fact that he was able to discern the color of the rocks on the walls, perhaps due to the present company – most likely the latter. He turned to look at Will every so often, and he was reminded of their walk in the forest just earlier that afternoon. A certain feral feeling had returned to him, and now that they had kissed, he couldn't wait to do it again.
"We're here," said Nico, as they stepped into a large chamber with a massive opening to the right from which moonlight poured in like liquid silver. The opening gaped like a mouth yawning into Long Island Sound, directly above the water glittering under the light of the moon. Will's eyes focused on the opening and he practically ran towards it, careful not to step over the place where the ground ended.
"What in the name of all that is sacred –" he gasped, looking down. It was as if the chamber in which they currently stood had been carved on the side of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Will looked down and took a step back. "I thought we were underground! How far up are we?" he asked.
Nico walked closer to him, looking down at the water. "About fifty yards?" Nico ventured a guess. "But that's not what I wanted to show you," he said, grabbing onto Will's arm and pulling him away from the cliff, "look behind you."
Will peeled his eyes off the long drop underneath and turned to look at the cave itself, and his mouth fell open.
"Nico," he gasped, walking towards the center of the cave and looking around, his eyes wide. "Are these diamonds?"
Hazel had been the one to find the cave first, she'd followed a strange trail starting from the Oracular Cavern which had a distinctive metallic call, metallic and something else, like a hyper concentrated diamond or something, at least, that's how she'd explained it to Nico.
"Diamonds, crystals, gems, gold, silver, you name it," replied Nico, looking around the cave with his hands in his pockets, a satisfied glint in his eyes.
"My gods, it's like a pirate treasure cave!" said Will, his mouth open.
Nico smiled, he had once loved pirates, he wondered why he hadn't made the connection before.
The back area was entirely covered in purple crystals – amethyst, quartz, tanzanite and other precious stones were encrusted so thickly on the walls the entire place glinted bright purple, shimmering like the stars on a cloudless night. The floor was covered in what Will now saw were golden nuggets and silver pebbles, completely formed, with polished shapes and tantalizingly bright. Scattered by the walls were other sorts of precious stones, which Will seemed to recognize, as he mouthed their names as his eyes scanned the area.
"Nico!" he gasped, looking at him as if he'd only noticed he was there. "There must be like a billion dollars' worth of precious stones in here!"
Nico snorted, kicking a gold nugget to the nearest corner, where it settled between a bed of sapphires. "Maybe in that corner alone, it's hard to calculate the actual value of the entire cave, most of these rocks are uncut, but you can't recognize them 'cause they look like regular rocks," he pointed around the floor of the cave, "that's them right there, the diamonds. But it's fair to say this is probably the most valuable piece of land in the entire country, if not the world." Will's jaw should have dislocated, by Nico's calculations, what with the way it kept dropping further and further down.
"And nobody knows about this?" he asked.
"Well, there's me, Hazel, and now you."
Will looked at Nico, his eyes glinting like sapphires.
"At the risk of sounding repetitive," Will began. "Why me?"
Nico shrugged. "As a thank you, for all you've done for me these last few days. I can't let you take any of them, we're still not sure if they are cursed, but you can come here anytime you want. I come here sometimes on my own to think."
"It's beautiful," Will whispered. And Nico wanted to argue that it was nothing compared to Will, standing before him shirtless and perfect and glowing faintly. More beautiful than any diamond-encrusted cave in the world.
"Yep," he said, his eyes on Will. "I'm glad you like it," Nico added, his gaze slipping down Will's body.
It could have been the flirting they'd been doing for the past few days, of the fact that he didn´t fear not being reciprocated anymore, but Nico did not flinch back when Will took two, three, four quick steps in his direction and pulled him by the shirt, smashing their mouths together.
Nico reacted on instinct, opening his mouth and running his fingers through Will's hair.
This, he thought. This is kissing.
Will's tongue licked a circle inside Nico's mouth.
This is what kissing should feel like.
Will's hands snaked around Nico's waist.
This is exactly what kissing should be.
Sloppy and desperate. Animalistic. Barbaric. Wet.
Nico felt himself taking a few steps back as Will pressed against him, until his back hit the wall. He placed his hands over Will's chest, and just as Will tilted his head to deepen the kiss, Nico flipped them around, pushing Will against the wall and leaning into his body.
"Ah," Will gasped in surprise, but quickly recovered, looking at Nico with such intensity his eyes turned an entire shade darker.
When Nico kissed him again, he ran his hands down Will's torso, then pulled him closer by the hem of his jeans.
Despite never having had any kind of sexual experience before, Nico had known all along that when he did, if he ever did, he'd be the one calling the shots – because he knew enough, he'd seen enough to know what he wanted, what he'd like to do and have done to him.
And what he wanted was, and had always been, a cock in his mouth – more specifically, Will's cock in his mouth.
He could feel Will's strong hands running down his back, his head tilted to the side as he invaded Nico's mouth, as if he'd had an agenda of his own, but when Nico stuck out his knee to press his thigh against Will's crotch, the blonde hissed and broke the kiss, not in pleasure but in clear pain. He turned around and saw a large pointy crystal sticking out the wall, into which Nico had been about to stab him.
Their eyes met and they smiled at each other awkwardly.
Will stepped away from the wall and placed his hands over Nico's face, bringing him close one more time, kissing him gently and pressing their foreheads together – Nico began to take notice of Will's intimate idiosyncrasies.
(The way he likes to touch foreheads when making out.)
"Gods, Nico," he whispered, their lips so close Nico could feel Will's breath on his mouth. "I've thought about this for so long now, like, I've been dreaming about this," he said and kissed him again. "You're all I think about," he kissed him again. "I can barely get a grip on myself when you're around me." Kiss. "When you look at me." Kiss.
"Uh-huh," Nico agreed, as his hand slid down the front of Will's pants and closed it around his cock. It was just the way Nico had imagined, long and hard and heavy in his hand. Will moaned quietly and bit Nico's lower lip.
"I'm so glad you were sent to my infirmary," Will said and smiled before closing his lips around Nico's, his hands firmly clasped over Nico's ears, controlling their proximity.
"Uh-huh," Nico repeated, focusing on moving his lips and his hand at the same time, which he found harder than he'd anticipated.
"I'm so glad you went into my bathroom," Will said as he deepened the kiss. "I'm so glad you're a raging stalking pervert."
"Uh-huh," Nico assented. The fabric of these pants is deceitfully thick, he thought to himself, scratching at it with his fingernails.
"Are you listening to me?" Will asked, closing his eyes and letting out a little moan through his smile, sounding only a little annoyed and a lot amused.
"Uh-huh," Nico replied, tightening his hold on Will's cock.
"I feel like you're blatantly ignoring me," said Will playfully.
"Nope," Nico denied the accusation weakly, stroking him up and down.
"Nico!" Will whined, pulling him by the shirt.
"I –" stammered Nico, clasping his free hand around Will's neck, then running it down his chest. "I've obviously wanted you, for ages," he admitted quietly, biting down on his lower lip, both hands roaming across Will's front – his crotch, his abs, his chest, his shoulders. He felt Will's fingers close in around his elbows.
"Nico…" Will complained, but obviously enjoying the feeling of Nico's hands on his chest.
"Why, William Andrew Solace," said Nico, leaning in and whispering into Will's ear, who shivered at the use of his full name. "I've wanted you for longer, way longer than you've wanted me. I've wanted to do things to you that you wouldn't believe. So shut the fuck up and let me finally do my thing."
Will raised his eyebrows. "What's your thing?"
Nico smiled, a full underworld smirk that had Will gulping.
"Do you still trust me?" he asked, his eyes fixed on Will's, his hands running down his abs towards the front button of his pants.
"Uh…" Will swallowed. "Yeah?" he retorted. His eyes followed Nico's hands and his eyes widened at the realization of what Nico wanted to do.
"Then do me a favor and be quiet," said Nico, getting to his knees and mouthing the area over Will's crotch, biting at the fabric of his pants.
"Oh," Will gasped, his hands gripping Nico by the shoulders. "Oh."
For a split second, Nico regretted wearing jeans that were torn at the knees, he could feel the tiny little uncut diamonds digging painfully into his skin, but the discomfort disappeared into the back of his mind the moment he felt the mound in the front of Will's pants with his mouth.
He began running his hands up and down Will's legs, mouthing wolfishly at the area, digging his teeth into the thick fabric hard enough to make Will hiss but not hard enough to hurt him. At least he hoped so. Even though he was doing this more for himself than anything else, he also didn't want Will to experience anything but full pleasure.
Will's hands found Nico's neck. He ran a finger across Nico's jawline, pulling his long black hair behind his ears tenderly.
"I can't believe this is happening," Will whispered excitedly.
Nico popped open the button of Will's pants and pulled down the zipper, releasing Will's erection still covered by his briefs. He could smell a scent that was purely Will – husky and slightly sweaty, a hint of coconut. He could discern the tip of Will's cock from under his underwear and without hesitation, Nico took it in his mouth, fabric and all. Will's knees buckled slightly, forcing Nico to strengthen his grasp on the back of Will's thighs.
"Ah," Will moaned prompting Nico to continue.
Nico closed his eyes and relished in the feeling – he'd dreamed about this, he'd fantasized so many times about what this would feel like. All those times he'd seen Will go at his own dick from afar had provided Nico a perfect map of Will's naked body, he thought he knew every curve, every sharp corner, but it was a completely different thing to experience it through his mouth. For a second, he thought about exploring the entirety of his body with his eyes closed, mapping it just with his lips and his tongue.
When his mouth descended over Will's clothed erection, his chin bumped against a bulky object and Nico opened his eyes to see Will had slid a hand into his briefs, and how held his cock in his hand, pumping it at the base. Nico looked up at Will who glared at down at him with an almost unrecognizable ferocity, nostrils flaring, mouth slightly open.
Without breaking eye contact, Nico pulled on the elastic of Will's briefs and released his cock into the balmy night.
Up close, his cock was even more magnificent than he'd imagined. It stretched a considerable length, perfectly straight and pink at the top. Will's fingers were tightly wrapped around the base of his cock, providing a more swollen – more enhanced appearance, Nico ran his tongue from base to tip making Will shiver.
When Nico slid the head into his mouth, Will moaned so loudly his voice echoed throughout the cave. He popped it out and gazed up at Will, who'd closed his eyes and tilted his head back. He took it in once again and went deeper. His cheeks hollowed as he pulled out, then took it back into his mouth as far as he could go.
It was all Nico had ever dreamed of and more.
It was exhilarating and Will tasted so good. His dick weighed Nico's tongue down with just the right pressure, the shape of the shaft and the roundness of the head seemed to have been personally customized for Nico's mouth, sitting in an almost perfect fit, and making Nico feel extremely aware of his own cock straining against the fabric of his skinny jeans. But he couldn't care less about himself, not when he had Will turning into putty in his mouth, not when he had Will's balls cupped in his hands, not when Will gently pushed deeper into him, his fingers digging into Nico's scalp. And his moans. Will's moans.
(The way he moans.)
It was music to Nico's ears. What did he care if he got a little excited as well – when Will's pleasure was all that mattered in the world.
Pleasure that seemed to mount with each suck, each lick, each popping sound when he pulled it out of his mouth. Each time Nico peeked up at him, Will had his eyes tight shut, his mouth open and his chest heaving as if he'd been running, making a grimace that made him look like he was in pain.
(The way he looks like he's in pain when he is having his dick sucked.)
Then, Nico began quickening his rhythm, sucking faster, deeper and harder than before. He'd been so used to Will's faint glow that the sudden burst of light that erupted from his body blinded him for a second.
"Ah!" Will moaned as he exploded into a brighter shimmer, then died down again but kept lighting up at random intervals like lights on a Christmas Tree, which Nico found to be an extremely useful guide, sticking to what made him light up until Will reached a stable bright glow. He smiled inwardly, wondering if anyone from the outside could glimpse a faint light coming from a random crevice on the cliff.
(The way he glowed brighter as he approached his climax.)
Nico had long wondered what caused those porn actors in pornos to look so excited when giving head. He'd assumed it was just part of the act. So, he'd done his research and found this particular bit of information. It had sounded so cold and medical at the time.
The vagus nerve (the pneumogastric nerve) is the longest nerve of the nervous system. It runs from the brain through the face, thorax, stomach and ends in the colon. It lights up different nerves as it goes, causing dread to explode in one's stomachs when facing unpleasant situations and a rush up one's spine that feels like adrenaline when excited.
As well as some other pleasant sensations when properly stimulated.
Nico knew all this because.
Well, because he was a pervert.
And now he knew exactly how it felt, when he relaxed his mouth around Will's cock and the head hit the back of his throat, an exceedingly pleasurable feeling extended down his spine, directly into his own cock. The longer he sucked, the more the excited he became.
"N-Nico," Will moaned, his hands on Nico's ears, fingers touching the back of his neck, pulling him closer, thrusting deeper into his mouth.
Nico wrapped his fingers around Will's cock and pulled it out of his mouth.
"Yes, Will?" Nico tried to sound calm, but his voice quivered with excitement. Will looked down and gave Nico a look that spoke millions.
I'm going to come if you keep this up.
Nico smirked and licked a long strip from the base to the tip, his eyes on Will, who moaned and shivered. As he began pumping him faster, he placed the head of Will's cock on his tongue, excitement rippling through him like a lightning bolt.
He could vaguely feel the pain on his knees or the pressure of Will's fingers digging into his shoulders, as in the palm of his hand, he could also feel Will's cock engorging as he approached his climax. He looked up and saw Will's dark eyes on him, his mouth open in something akin to shock.
Nico wanted to say something, anything.
Come for me, Will. I want you. I've wanted you all this time.
Let me taste you.
Come in my mouth.
But he either wouldn't or couldn't say a word.
Instead, it was Will who spoke. "Shit, shit, I'm – Nico. Nico. Nico," whimpering Nico's name like a mantra, it frankly made Nico want to come as well. "Nico look at me," Will finally whimpered, a direct order that Nico couldn't refuse.
(The way he likes to talk when he's excited.)
And he must have given a serious look, because it was all it took for Will to come undone. His cock began to pulsate and Nico sucked it quickly, licking circles around the tip and pumping him, careful to keep his eyes on Will's, until he felt the hot liquid burst inside his mouth.
"That's – fuck yes," Will groaned, thrusting into Nico's hand and mouth, releasing his essence in short, quick spasms.
And Nico swallowed.
He swallowed like he swallowed pain and death and misery. He swallowed like he couldn't swallow shame. He swallowed every last drop of Will's semen and realized he wanted more. He would always want more. More Will. More Will. More Will.
(More Will).
He would have kept on sucking his dick until the damn thing came off and he swallowed it whole, had Will not tipped up Nico's chin and began pouring over him. He dropped to his knees and thrust his tongue into Nico's mouth, kissing him passionately, almost violently. Grabbing Nico by the scruff of his shirt, he pulled him closer and tilted his head, lapping at his tongue, and Nico had never felt more blissfully filled – not even when only a few seconds ago, he'd had Will's entire manhood crammed into his mouth.
And his dick throbbed in his pants at the utter wetness of it all.
They broke apart to gasp for breath as if they'd been underwater. Will was panting, his eyes glinting, his glow so bright Nico had to narrow his eyes. He kissed Nico's eyelids, his cheeks, licked Nico's lips and sucked on his chin.
(How he gets emotional after ejaculating.)
And Nico wanted to talk, but Will wouldn't let him phrase words.
He tried a few times, until he finally gave up and let Hurricane Will take its toll.
It took a few seconds, but Will finally put his arms around Nico's shoulders and all but collapsed on top of him.
"Uh, Will?" Nico asked awkwardly, trying not to wince at the pain on his knees that now, with the added weight, had become short of unbearable.
"I'm sorry, I'm just so… so… something," he mumbled, his voice muffled by Nico's shoulder.
"It's… it's fine, but, do you mind –" he began, then shifted his weight to accommodate them onto his heels instead.
"That was amazing."
"Will?" Nico grunted.
"You were unbelievable! I mean, that was totally different!"
"Will," he hissed a little desperately, his own erection a thing of the past.
"What?" Will complained, pulling back and glancing down. He gasped and jumped up like a spring, his limp dick hanging out of his pants. "Nico, your knees!" he wailed. He pulled Nico up by the arm and began fussing over his legs. Nico wanted to roll his eyes, but when he glanced at his knees and saw blood trickling down into his pants, he realized there was probably not going to be a way to stop Will from acting up.
"I'm fine, really," he tried, but Will shut him up with a glare.
"Nico di Angelo, honestly, I love it that you brought me here, loving the diamonds and all, and yes, you give great head, but. Infirmary NOW!" he ordered as he quickly thrust his shirt back on and began pulling Nico by the wrist, stomping angrily, his dick hanging out of his pants.
"Will, I'm fine, it's just a little bit of blood," Nico said sounding amused, but Will cut him short.
"If you don't start walking, I swear to all the gods I will piggyback you right back into the infirmary!" he threatened, leading the way, Nico smiling as he was hauled into the tunnel.
To Nico's chagrin, Will did manage to stuff himself back into his briefs before they walked out of the tunnel on the other side, his glow turned off. They walked hand in hand, mostly due to Will relentlessly pulling Nico along the way, and no matter how much Nico quickened his pace, Will always managed to walk faster, as if there was nothing more important than getting back to the infirmary as fast as possible.
"You look mad," Nico said with a hint of amusement, not even wincing as they trekked downhill.
"I'm not mad. Okay, yeah, I'm a little mad," Will admitted without slowing down.
"You usually look way happier after you've jerked off," said Nico nonchalantly, egging for a reaction.
Will glanced darkly back at him and arched his eyebrow.
"Pervert," he said with a smirk, turning his back to him. "Sneaking, stalking, dirty little son of Hades."
"You didn't seem to mind just a few minutes ago," Nico teased.
"And I'm about to take it all back, unless you pick up the pace."
"Well, it's a little hard to walk when you're sporting wood…" he said, and let the words sink in. Will slowed down as if someone had hit slo-mo.
He turned to look at Nico as if he'd only just spotted a T-Rex up ahead and wanted to avoid any sharp movements.
"Oh," he said stupidly, his mouth hanging open, his eyes scanning Nico up and down. "I'm… I'm so sorry, I didn't realize – come!" he exclaimed, pulling Nico into a nearby bush.
Nico broke into a solid, loud fit of laughter.
"And just where do you think you're taking me now?" he asked loudly.
"Just, trust me, okay? I'll take care of you," Will said in all seriousness that had Nico snorting so loud his throat hurt.
"I'm kidding, Will! I'm not hard, it was a joke!" he cried gasping for breath.
Will pulled him up against a tree looking aghast. He put his hand on Nico's crotch as if to check for himself, then gave him a murderous look.
"You, you –" he stammered, pointing an accusatory finger at Nico's face. "You tricked me!"
"You're being ridiculous!" said Nico.
"You're being ridiculous!" Will retorted.
"Hey, hey," Nico said, raising up both hands in defeat. "You win, okay? I'm wrong, you're right, let's just go, I was only teasing you."
Will harrumphed and crossed his arms, but looked at Nico uncertainly.
"I swear I'm not hard, you can feel again if you don't believe me," Nico offered.
"Why aren't you hard?" Will asked, now sounding a little offended.
Nico opened his mouth but no sound came out.
"Well?" Will added impatiently.
"I – I was, like, in there," he motioned to the way they'd come from with a nod. "But now, the moment's kind of passed, I guess."
Will nodded slowly, a frown on his face.
"Uh," Nico began. "Can we go? My knees do kind of hurt now –"
"Let's go back to my cabin," Will deadpanned.
There was silence for a few seconds.
"Why?" asked Nico, and it was Will's turn to roll his eyes at him.
"We have all the supplies we need there."
"Yeah but, so does the infirmary…"
"It's Kayla's shift now, I – I want to be alone with you," Will whispered, his hands in his pockets.
Nico narrowed his eyes, then smirked. "And I thought I was the pervert."
"Shut up, di Angelo. Let's go," he said, and stomped off without waiting for Nico.
They walked past the dining pavilion in a hurry, trying their best not to be spotted, but there really was a very slim chance they would be, as Miranda Gardiner's birthday party seemed to be in full bloom – she'd been perched up on a makeshift throne made of sturdy looking weeds, wearing a crown of roses. Chiron stood by, giving out birthday hats and even Dionysus sat on the sideline, digging into birthday cake with gusto. Nico averted his eyes, somehow sure the god would spot him instantly if he so much as glanced up from his plate.
With the tiniest bit of hesitation, he conjured up a small shadow around him and Will as they walked past, just to be sure, and vowed never to tell Will unless he directly asked about it.
When they reached the Apollo cabin, the distant sound of singing in the background, Will suddenly stopped and Nico walked into him.
"Ow, what –" he started, but was instantly silenced by Will's lips on his own.
"Mm," Will moaned into Nico's mouth, taking a deep breath through his nose.
Nico kissed him back and was surprised to see how easily he could simply melt into Will's embrace, Will's lips, Will's breath.
When they broke apart, Will smiled and laced their fingers together, pulling Nico into the dark cabin.
"I don't know what your plan is, but I have a feeling you're about to get us both expelled," Nico said with a smile, loving every second of their situation.
The place was dark when they opened the door, but as Will took a step inside, about ten braziers that hung on the walls lit up magically, forcing Nico to shield his eyes.
"Does everything Apollo just burst into light like that?" Nico winced, but Will didn't reply, instead, he pulled Nico further inside and pushed him onto an empty bunk at the end of the room.
"Shut up," said Will, kissing him quickly before striding off to a cabinet on the side and shuffling through medical equipment.
While Will busied himself on the sideline, Nico glanced around the cabin. He'd never been inside the cabin itself – only the bathroom, and he was surprised to see how much it differed from his own.
The walls were lined with the aforementioned braziers, which illuminated the entire room with a gentle, cozy glow, but now he realized there were also several bedside lamps on each side of the beds that gave the room an extra layer of warmth.
Too damn bright, Nico thought, aware of how dark his own cabin was, but not exactly hating the golden glow. It reminded him of Will.
Then he looked at the bunks – three of them were evidently occupied, one of them – he guessed Kayla's bunk, was separated by a modesty curtain, most likely to give the girl a tiny bit of privacy.
He spotted Will's bunk instantly.
Because it was the ridiculous one with a dark blue quilt with silly ghost-like faces and the words STAR WARS stamped every other inch. Nico smiled and rolled his eyes endearingly.
Maybe they could go to the movies for their date. Nico was sure he could find a weird geeky cinema that had weekly screenings of Star Wars. At the thought, Nico raised his eyebrows and sighed – he hadn't even had time to plan accordingly for their date.
And yet, he had sucked Will's dick already.
I think I love him, he thought without registering his choice of words, as a sudden rush of affection washed over him, seriously considering that him and Will were both carved out of the same stone.
Perverted, sneaking, stalking, dirty little sons of gods, we are.
On the windowsill, directly above Will's bed sat a few figurines (he tried not to think about his own collection of Olympian figurines well-hidden but in perfect order under his own bunk bed), and a vase with yellow flowers Nico didn't recognize.
"Stay still, this might burn a little," said Will from his side. He didn't wait for Nico to retort when he started dabbing at the cuts on his knees with soaked cotton balls. The pain was a little sharp at first, but Nico had endured worse, way worse, so he didn't even wince. "Shit, Nico," Will sighed, reaching for a pair of pincers and a dish and shaking his head disapprovingly. "You shouldn't have knelt there so long, there's like a hundred little rocks here."
Nico glanced down to his knees and smirked. "Watch out there, those little rocks are probably worth a million bucks," he said, making Will tense. "Those are uncut diamonds, right there."
Will removed his hands from Nico's knees, his eyes like saucers.
"Are they safe to touch?" he asked.
Nico shrugged, "use the pincers," he suggested, tucking Will's long curls behind his ear.
Will worked with surgical precision, and after all those days trying to stitch back together a few massive grapes, Nico simply couldn't help but be deeply impressed at Will's skills. He definitely was the best healer he'd ever met. His hands were nimble and gentle, his eyelashes fluttering every now and again each time he picked out a particularly small rock and threw it unceremoniously into the dish. Will's very disregard for diamonds and material richness made Nico want to swoon. How very few people would have tossed such a valuable piece of rock as if it were nothing but grime, simply because it stood in the way of someone's health.
When he was done, Will busied himself with dapping his knees with what Nico now recognized was a mixture of antiseptic and nectar, Will's preferred additive on every healing concoction. The added nectar made his knees tingle with warmth. Or at least he thought it was the nectar, for all he knew, it might as well have been Will's own healing presence kneeling between his legs.
The warm breath of the Mediterranean Sea seemed to caress his face.
Whoah.
That was an entirely new feeling.
Then Will pressed his lips against Nico's knees, one at a time, careful to avoid the cuts.
"There you go," he said playfully, his hands on Nico's calves. "Good as new. Ten minutes on and then rinse, we can't leave the mixture on too long, there's still too much dirt inside the cut."
"Thank you," Nico replied, leaning over and placing his hands on Will's cheeks, lifting up his face and capturing his lips in his.
Will kissed him back and suddenly sprung up, slithering between Nico's legs, he pushed him back on the bed and pressed down on him, his hands perched on either side of his head.
Nico smirked into the kiss, letting Will push him flat against the bunk. "Will?" he asked uncertainly.
"Hm?" Will replied, trailing kisses down Nico's neck.
"You do know this will get us expelled, don't you?" Nico asked, a hint of excitement in his voice, as if he'd love nothing more than to be cast out of camp for indecent behavior.
"I'm not doing anything," he replied, sucking on Nico's neck and smiling at the way Nico hissed.
"I – I'm serious here," Nico said, his voice slightly panicky, "Will… Will!"
"What?" the blonde asked, breaking away from Nico's neck looking utterly annoyed.
"Austin and Kayla could walk in any moment… I mean, I can't believe I'm being the voice of reason here," he added in an undertone. "And as much as I'd love to see their faces when they see us in basically a missionary position, don't ask, just," Nico stopped and kissed Will at the questioning look he gave him. "I don't want you to be expelled. I mean, I don't care about me, but you… you belong here." With an enormous amount of self-control, Nico pushed Will off and struggled back onto a sitting position.
Will looked as if he'd been denied a fantastic treat. He sat on the bed next to Nico, deep in thought.
"Okay," Will spoke, holding up his index finger. "What if…" but he didn't finish his sentence. He jumped to his feet and pulled Nico off the bed in one swift and very strong pull, then dragged him towards a door in the end of the cabin.
"Where –" Nico stammered, but he didn't need a response as Will practically kicked the door in and pushed Nico into the bathroom.
Oh, gods. Oh, Lord Hades. Oh, Lord Apollo. Oh, Lords ZeusHeraPoseidonDemeterAresAthenaHephaestusArtemisHermesAphroditeDionysus. Oh, the irony. Oh, Lords of Olympus. Oh, gods.
Having survived Tartarus, Nico was familiar with PTSD.
But not at this scale.
The braziers on the walls burst into flames with such blatant force Nico could have sworn they knew, they just knew. The massive stone basin in the middle of the room began spurting streams of hot water as if it knew, it just knew. The golden glow of the flames settled into a comfortable – almost erotic gleam, creating dancing shadows on the walls that practically wiggled their hips as if they knew, and of course they knew. Nico knew so much, he hadn't known so much of anything his whole life. And Will turned to look at him with such a knowing, shit-eating grin he practically oozed knowingNESS.
"Do we have a safe word yet?" Nico uttered wheezily, his eyes seeing sparks. "No?"
Will pulled him into his arms, kicking the door closed behind them and attacking Nico's neck like a wild dog.
"Ah," Nico moaned against his will, surprised he was even capable of conjuring up such a sound.
And then he felt things he had never felt before. For a second, he even wondered if he hadn't been kidnapped by aliens. Where aliens even a possibility in a world still ruled by the gods of Olympus?
Will's hands roaming up and down his back.
Will's tongue lapping at his clavicle, his Adam's apple, his chin.
Will's teeth nipping at his earlobes.
Will's crotch smack against his own, grinding up and down.
"Fuck," Nico exclaimed, perching his hands on Will's shoulders and bracing himself for a rush of emotions he'd never, ever imagined were possible.
Because if he hadn't been sure before, he now sure was.
Will wanted him.
Will wanted him.
WillwantedhimWillwantedhimWillwantedhim.
He felt the tips of Will's warm fingers slip underneath his shirt, his thumbs pressing down and tracing a path up his ribcage, palms firmly flattened against his waist.
He would have said something smart, verging on the point of insolence, but his mouth was busy accommodating Will's tongue, and Nico simply melted into it, wrapping his arms around Will's shoulders.
And just like that – life had meaning again.
Lights blew up in his mind the way the Apollo cabin bathroom's braziers had burst into flames.
A flourish of smells attacked his nostrils – coconut, yes, but also salt and sunshine and flowers and honeysuckle and chlorine? As if his nose had been blocked all his life and he was suddenly, finally aware of the endless assortment of fragrances around him.
And his cracked, worthless, tainted skin had acquired new levels of sensitiveness. He felt like a newly varnished china vase, slick and untouched and so, so very delicate, he wondered, he wished the trail of Will's fingertips would bruise him forever, every press, every trace of his fingertips tattooed onto his overwhelmed, uncharted skin.
He didn't quite register when exactly Will had peeled off Nico's shirt, he didn't know at what point he had stood half-bare in front of him, or when Will had pressed onto Nico so far as to have him practically bent over backwards – until he felt a sharp, powerful nip on his nipple that had him reeling and thinking foggily of his vagus nerve.
"Are you hard now?" Will whispered huskily, dragging his index fingers around Nico's waist, making a beeline for the button of his pants. "We need to get those knees rinsed right about now. And just so you know, there's nothing better than a nice, hot shower for such occasions."
Nico wanted to laugh, but the ridiculous sound that came out of his mouth sounded a lot more like a whimper.
"Will you let me watch you shower, Nico di Angelo?" asked Will, emphasizing every word, dragging his tongue around Nico's nipple.
"Ah!" Nico moaned, biting his lip hard, trying to stop himself from making such embarrassing sounds, but there was no use, because Will had him just where he wanted him, and Nico found himself losing his mind.
I'M MAD.
I'm mad. Will. I'm mad. I'm mad.
I'mgoinginsane.
And then there was a knock on the door, and the world came crashing down on them.
"Will? You gonna be long in there?"
It was Austin's voice, Nico recognized him almost as fast as Will, who froze instantly, Nico's pert nipple trapped between his teeth. He abruptly dropped Nico onto the floor and began dusting off his clothes frantically.
"Ow?" Nico stammered, but was quickly silenced by Will's hand held firmly over his face.
"H-Hey, Austin, you're uh, you're back from the party?" Will spoke towards the door, somehow realizing he'd dropped Nico onto the floor, and began fussing over him, trying to pull him up while looking at the door every other second.
"Damn party's still going," Austin said sound exhausted, "Whatever Stoll had the brilliant idea of starting a food fight, and I got the cake, man. I got cake all over. Hey, you're not taking a load or anything, right? Can I just pop in? I just need to wash this off real quick – you don't know what raspberry buttercream feels like in the ear, and trust me, you don't wanna find out!"
Will threw Nico a panicked look, which had Nico on his feet in no time.
"Get out of here!" Will hissed at him.
"How. The. Fuck?!" Nico mouthed back.
Will pointed at the windows, all the way up on the walls, and Nico glared at him with such ferocity he could feel his Underworld-y powers coming into being. He quickly shook his head and punched Will on the chest.
"Will?" Austin asked impatiently. "Dude, I'm seriously coming in."
"Wait!" Will practically yelled. "I'm – I'm not wearing anything!" he looked desperately around, digging into his pockets as if he expected to fish out a time-out card. He looked so utterly disappointed when all that came out was a packet of chewing gum that Nico almost burst out laughing.
"I believe, Will Solace, you ain't got nothing I've never seen before," Austin retorted sounding exasperated.
Nico and Will looked at each other in both shock and disbelief.
"Shadows," Nico mouthed, kissing Will through an amused smile.
"NO!" Will threatened, pulling Nico by the wrists, but his grasp didn't hold Nico in place. "No shadow traveling!" he hissed.
"Dude, this shit stings! Can I come in or what?"
"W-Wait!" Will whimpered, glaring at Nico as he inched closer and closer to one of the shadows cast by the flaming brazier.
"Pick you up at five tomorrow," Nico whispered, pulling at his wrist, dragging Will alongside as he stepped onto a shadow.
"DON'T YOU DARE –" Will yelled, but quickly cleared his throat.
"The hell, man. I've seen you naked like a billion times, just don't be jerking of in there and we'll be good," said Austin from the other side of the door.
Will looked at Nico with as much of a death glare as he could muster.
Nico smiled and pulled him in for a final kiss.
You can't pull it off, Will Solace.
You are the sun.
I am death.
You simply do not know what a death glare is.
And with that thought in mind, he let go of Will's hand and began melting into the shadows.
"Don't you dare!" Will screamed.
"Bye," Nico saluted, just as he felt himself turn into smoke and vanish.
"Remember to rinse!" he vaguely heard Will's scream echo in the tunnel of shadows that whipped him back into his own cabin.