CHAPTER SUMMARY

Will convinces Nico to hang out with him.

BEGINNING NOTES

Word Count: 2801
Content Warning: None

And all the characters are owned by Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

Are we all sitting quietly? Bianca? Will?

We are, Mr. Death Boy. Storytime!

*Bianca laughs*

Will, you're so immature sometimes!

Now you sound like Nico.

Would you like me to get on with the story, or should I just go to bed, leave you two lovebirds alone?

Oh, don't start that up again.

God, I see it, I see it... I'm getting flashbacks!

You're pre-med, sunshine, you can't make those kinds of jokes anymore.

...

Okay, so, last thing, and then I am going to sleeeeeep.

I should've known something was up when Bianca started coughing.

You gotta understand, Bianca has the immune system of a god. She never, ever, ever gets sick. And when she does, it's so mild that we barely notice.

Or maybe she's just really good at faking how to be healthy to set a good example for you, since you suck at it.

Can everyone stop interrupting me?!

Now you see how it feels! So, maybe you won't do it to me next time.

I swear I'm going to scream and wake up the whole house. You, be a good kindergartener, and you, just... shut up.

So, when we get into the limo, Bianca starts coughing. By the time we get home, she's red in the face. Will does the whole "caring boyfriend" schtick, brings her to her room, blah, blah, blah. Percy's with his dad, Poseidon, so when Will gets back from Bianca's side, it's just the two of us. I offered to call Jules-Albert to take him home, but Will refused. I got ready to cuss him out; I was getting really sick of his whole "let's-be-friends" thing.

No you weren't.

But I wanted to be.

"I just need a favor," Will told me. "I'm leaving for North Carolina tomorrow morning, and I still have no idea what to get Bianca for Christmas. I can't show up at school in January without anything for my girlfriend! That's crap."

"It doesn't matter," I muttered. "We don't celebrate Christmas, anyway."

"You don't? Why not?!" he cried. He sounded, I dunno, like it was the biggest deal in the universe or something.

It is! Christmas is a beautiful holiday!

I'm going to kick you out if you don't shut the fuck up. Dick.

OMG Will please stop doing that with your eyebrows! I don't need to think about you and my brother fucking! Geez!

For the millionth time, I wanted to tell Will to get lost. But he was looking at me with those puppy dog eyes, so innocent, not an ounce of cynicism in them. Legitimately concerned... I never saw anyone look at me like that outside Bianca and, now, Hazel. My heart kinda melted. Yeah, yeah, make all the Grinch jokes you like, but something just changed. Call it the Christmas spirit.

"It's a long story," I said.

"I got time," Will insisted.

"When I was ten, and we still lived in Italy, Papà couldn't come home for one Christmas. So, my Mamma decided we'd fly to him." And I told him the story of the plane crash, everything I said way at the beginning of this recording, practically word-for-word. I even included the part about Papà putting me in the psych ward. I mean, he already knew, so I wanted to give him my side of the story. Will was-is-a really good listener.

Aw, thanks, death boy.

Shh! Or no more compliments!

...

"Even when Bianca finally did wake up, things were different," I finished. "My dad had thrown me out like trash. Mamma was dead. I was getting fitted for this brace on my knee because I couldn't walk without it. Bianca couldn't feed herself, or even speak English. It just... wasn't the same anymore."

"No kidding," Will said. "Okay, then. No Christmas." He met my eye. "But I still need to get her something. Not a Christmas present, just a gift to the person who saw me, who made sure the first face I saw was a friendly one, who gave me a place to go and person to talk to when I had none, who made sure I wasn't alone when I was terrified I was going to be."

"You didn't have friends back home?" I asked.

"No one I could count on," Will answered. His voice was a little heavy with... something. There was another story there, something he wasn't telling me. "Look, you love your sister," he said. "I love her, too. I need to do something for her when she's done so much for me, and I want it to be great. You know her better than anyone."

Aww, Will, that's so sweet! Thank you!

You're welcome. I would also like to take this time to point out that I meant platonically. Not romantically.

But I didn't know that. How could I? You guys told me you were going out. Percy hadn't even dropped the L-word about Annabeth, at least, not around me. Hearing it cut me like a knife. A lump formed in my throat. I pushed it down.

"I have an idea," I forced myself to say. "Bianca just got a new bow. Competition season's coming up, and she doesn't have a carrying case for it yet. Looked for one everywhere, but there's nothing she likes online, and she hasn't had time to run to the store. Grab it for her."

Will's face lit up. My heart went on overdrive. "That's perfect!" he said. "Where do we go? To the mall?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We?" The last thing I needed was to spend even more time with him when I was so close to cracking.

"Yeah," Will said. "I get it, you have bad memories. Let's make some new ones."

He looked at me with those puppy dog eyes again, and I couldn't say no to anything.

"Not the mall," I said. "I know a better place."

Will asked me where Jules-Albert was taking us about once every five seconds. "I'll tell you when we fucking get there, Solace, stop with the 'are we there yet?'" I snapped.

Will pouted. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. There was a knot in the bottom of my chest. How easy would it be to reach over and kiss him? He was so close, and yet so far. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that I was gay when I didn't want to be, that I had a crush on two different straight guys, that I felt this way about my sister's boyfriend. And it wasn't fair that I was already having fun.

We got to the Field of Mars. From the outside, it's just a wooden lodge with a tacky neon sign. I told Will we were here. He looked at me skeptically. "Why's a store named a field?

"The fields are behind the building," I said. "And it's more than just a store." I pushed the front door open for him. We walked inside. I led him to the balcony a few yards in front of us. "Welcome to the best place on Earth."

Will took it all in. Below us, in the basement, was a massive arena decked out so it looked like a playground, obstacle course, and fortress combined. On one side of it was an indoor shooting range with soundproof walls and moving targets on conveyor belts. On the back wall, stone stairs led to the archery range outside.

All Will could say was, "Whoa."

"Store's on the other side," I said with smirk.

We walked into the store. It takes up the entire first floor; it's even bigger than the obstacle course. It's filled to the brim with hunting and hunting-related sporting goods. Think a Macy's department store, but for weapons instead of clothes and jewelry.

Ares, the owner, stood behind the cash register. He's a huge, decked-out thirty-something with a crew cut and savage scars on his cheeks, like he'd gotten slashed with knives. I'm guessing either an army dude, or mafia ties. It's a toss up. He's usually in black jeans, combat boots, and a leather jacket. He wears red-tinted sunglasses, even in the winter. I've never seen his eyes.

"Ares," I greeted him.

More like acknowledged him. You didn't sound happy or anything.

'Cause it's Ares. You can't look weak in front of Ares.

Happiness is weakness?

It is for Ares.

Exactly.

Ares slapped me on the back; it knocked the wind out of me. "Hey, squirt! Long time no see."

I said something super smart, like, "Urgh," as I coughed. "I mean, I've been busy," I managed. "We're grabbing something for B. Back soon."

I pulled Will away from the register. "Did you see the size of that guy's knife?" Will whispered.

"He owns a weapon's shop," I pointed out.

"But... it's, like, the size of my face," Will told me.

"I know," I said, "Ares doesn't go anywhere without his toys. C'mon."

We weaved through the aisles pretty quick. I know that place like the back of my hand. Will was gawking at everything, in shock and also terrified. "This is your happy place?" Will asked me incredulously.

Ooo, fancy word.

I had English class too, B.

"It's weapons and violence and no one gets hurt," I said. "You've never wanted to play a real-life video game?"

"We've got enough violence without making a game out of it," Will muttered. I didn't say anything; I got the sense I wasn't supposed to hear that.

We picked out a brown, leather quiver with a hard bottom with a carrying case attached. Then, Will looked at the price. "Geez," he said, "$500 for a quiver?"

"Good quality quivers usually run at 300," I said. "So with the bow case attached, $500 is not that bad."

"It's perfect, but I can't afford this. I spent all my money on the plane home."

"Didn't your mom buy you that?" I asked.

Will shook his head. "She barely breaks even. I saved up everything I didn't have to send home; I've been putting it aside since school started."

"I thought the school store didn't pay you," I said. "It's just part of your scholarship, so you don't have to pay tuition."

"It doesn't," Will said. "I have a second one."

"Oh," I said. "What is it?"

Will looked at his feet. I decided not to pry. He started to put the quiver back, but I stopped him.

"I'll pay the difference. It'll be a gift from both of us."

"I can't ask you to do that," Will said.

"I'm offering, dipshit." I pulled my wallet out of my pocket. "Let's get going."

"Find what you're looking for?" Ares asked. I nodded. "You're gonna go on the range, right?"

"I- I have things I need to do," I mumbled.

Ares laughed. His laugh booms so much it's more like an explosion.

That was a painful simile. Go back, try again.

I think it was cute.

Thank you, Will.

You're too nice to him.

Ares continued, "I insist. Show pretty boy your stuff. Some college kids took control of the fortress yesterday, and I'm sick of them clearing out potential recruits- I mean, customers. Get rid of 'em for me." Ares tossed me a key. "Locker 10A. I cleaned it for ya."

"All right," I said. No one says no to Ares.

"I'll be watching," Ares told me. "My offer still stands. You ever need a job, that hack of an instructor can kiss my ass."

"Not today," I said. "But I will give you a show."

"You do archery too?" Will asked when we left the store. He's always dead quiet in front of Ares.

Guy's intimidating.

He's not gonna skewer you in his own store. Probably.

"Nah, archery's not my style," I said. We went down the stairs to the locker room. It's a pretty quick walk, minute at most. I unlocked locker 10A. "I'd like to introduce you to my baby." Out of the locker came a freshly polished, wicked-long black sword. "This is Erebos." Will kept his eyes on the sword, a little freaked out.

A lot freaked out.

"Let me show you what that arena is for," I said.

Will sat on the bench just outside the glass walls of the arena. I climbed inside. I never wear protective armor. It slows me down. Not that it matters; no one ever lands a hit on me. I may not be the biggest or the strongest in a fistfight, but put a sword in my hand and I'm unstoppable.

I hadn't practiced since the summer, before the Announcement™, but swordplay is like riding a bike. It's instinct. Your body remembers even when your mind forgets.

The college kids had made a base out of the top of the fortress. I scaled the rock wall in seconds flat, then pushed myself onto the upper platform. I had to cross a bridge to get to the stairs that led to their base, but doing so would put me out in the open. So, I dangled myself on the outer edge of the bridge, hanging by the tips of my fingers, thirty-foot drop below me. I dragged myself across, hand over hand, until I reached the other side. I pulled myself up, dashed up the stairs, and, in a flash, I was outside their base.

The two guards held their swords up. Two against one. Perfect. I liked a challenge.

One, two, three. One quick jab and twist, and guard #1's sword flew over the side and onto the floor yards below us. She jumped over the side to get it. Four, five, six. Feint, parry, jab, kick, and #2 fell over the edge onto a mat on a lower platform. Their buddies finally noticed me. Seven, eight, nine. I ducked to avoid #3's swipe. Iron met steel. Adrenaline pumped through my body. I was on my home turf.

Ten, eleven, twelve. I jumped up the wall, then kicked off, and grabbed onto the bar above me. Chin up. I was on the roof now.

Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. I took the mesh guard off the skylight. I dropped in, hanging by my fingertips again, and kicked their leader in the face to knock him out. Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen. #3 finally caught up to me. I smiled. "Not today," I said to myself.

Nineteen, twenty. I grabbed #3 by the strap of his protective vest and threw him into the wall. The tip of my sword was at her chest.

"I surrender!" she yelled. I heard people cheering below me. I'd attracted a crowd.

"Twenty seconds!" Ares shouted from his spot behind the register. "You're getting slow, kid!" I flipped him the bird. He laughed.

I climbed back to the ground. I sparred with a couple of middle school fans; obviously I went much easier on them. Still, I was hot and sweaty when I got back to Will.

"That was amazing," Will said.

"Thanks," I replied. "I guess everyone has something they're good at. I got this, since I'm shit at everything else."

"Why's your sword called 'Erebos?'" Will asked.

"I was obsessed with that card game, Mythomagic, when I lived in Italy," I explained. "Bianca gave me this sword for my twelfth birthday, after we discovered this place. Erebos is another name for the Greek place of the dead. This was my little tribute to my kid self. I'd live out my childhood fantasy; be a Greek hero, complete with a sword to wield."

"Will you teach me one day?" Will asked.

That caught me off-guard. He wanted to spend more time with me? That was such a bad idea it wasn't even funny. Will, hot and sweaty, seeing him on the regular, alone, intimate. I had to get him out of my life, get over this crush, get on with things. But, sitting there with him, I felt so... at peace.

"There's no getting rid of you, is there?" I asked him.

"Nope," Will said, popping the 'P'.

I wanted so badly to close the distance between us and put my lips on his. It would've been so easy...

But that wasn't going to happen. It couldn't. If I had to feel this way, I'd let myself. It would hurt, but what in my life didn't? I couldn't bring myself to say I loved him the way I loved Percy, I honestly didn't know what this was. All I knew was that I couldn't let it go. He'd wormed his way into my heart, even though I'd done everything in my power to keep him out. The only thing that would hurt worse than loving him... was losing him.

"Friends?" I said. I held my hand out to him.

Will took it. "Friends."

*Recording ends*

END NOTES

This week's beta commentary:

STORY: Happiness is weakness? It is for Ares.
JOJO: poor sunshine, that must be so confusing to him
MELODY: Will's so positive and then there's this.

Credits:
Author: Melody Rose (Tumblr melody0rose)
Beta Readers: Jojo (Archive of Our Own bannedfrompencils), Luna Rain (Tumblr peppermintlove1)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next week!

COMMENTS

Fenikkusu94

I think I said it before and I will say it again best Solangelo story I've seen in a long time. I can't wait for more! Eeeeeeeeeee!

More is here!

The Goode Ravenclaw

I literally screamed in joy when I saw this updated! it's be soooo long but I'm glad you're back! I love the chapter. the love letters part was hilarious; I started cracking up. I loved that presant(future?)!Will made an appearance, the soleAngelo is so cute, I love it. I can't wait for the next chapter!

I'm glad you're happy I'm back, and I'm sorry it took so long. I hope the chapter made up for it!