I wrote this when I was 12 and getting emails made me feel bad so I'm editing and completing this – five years after the last update. It's obviously set right after Blood of Olympus.

Hi guys,

I've been reading a lot of fanfiction lately so I decided to write on my OTP. SOLANGELO FOREVER! This is my first fanfic so creative criticism is welcome!

EchoStory out.

Nico had been avoiding Will in the infirmary. Every time he caught a glimpse of the blond he turned around and pretended to be asleep, which he wasn't sure even worked.

Nico so often found himself flustered at the sight of the blonde. They were polar opposites, which might have meant they would be a perfect match, but Nico had trouble believing that. Everything that made Will good would be dulled by Nico's presence – Will's glow and goodness, tampered by the darkness and death that lingered around him.

Nico had convinced himself by this point that any attempt to interact with Will would just leave himself embarrassed beyond measure. He would just have to push down the feelings and plunge on like he had been doing for a very long time.

Fortunately, the three days required bed rest went by quickly and without interruption. Will was run off his feet by patients and Nico got very good at pretending to be asleep at any moment Will found to check on him.

Now, Nico gathered his things and started walking toward the door. He saw Will coming toward him, with what could only be described as a blinding grin plastered across his face. Nico felt the beginnings of panic and just when he thought he would have to make a break for it, Kayla came up behind Will and gestured over to where a camper was cradling their arm with tears in their eyes.

Seizing his chance, Nico sped up and was stepping through the doorframe when he was interrupted.

"Leaving so soon?" Will was behind him. Nico felt it was a shame that he looked so disappointed when it made him seem less sunny.

"Uh, Jason was going to meet up with me. Don't want to keep him waiting," Nico mumbled quickly and left – not giving Will a chance to respond. He felt like such an idiot for bailing like that, even more so when he looked back and found Will standing there looking a little lost.

The first thing he did when he arrived lock the door and collapse onto the bed. He felt himself relax for the first time in three days – maybe even longer considering everything it took just to get him here. He was no longer at risk of his eyes burning out from the bright lights of the infirmary or the golden boys that seem to constantly exist there.

Every time Nico tried to work up the courage to step foot out of his cabin, he chickened out. He found some food outside his cabin at lunch times, so it wasn't as if he was wasting away – clearly someone out there was looking after him. All he could do was peak out from behind the black out curtains, trying to pretend he wasn't looking for someone in particular.

Eventually his luck ran out.

"Nico di Angelo! I know you're in there! It's been five days and you've not once come out! You have one minute to let me in before I let myself in!" Jason banged on the door to emphasise his point, but Nico just groaned and shoved his head under his pillow.

Enough time passed where he though he was safe, until Jason kicked Nico's door in. "I wasn't kidding."

He didn't move or say anything. Letting silence sit until Jason wanted to speak again.

"What's going on Nico?" Jason said softly. "You can tell me anything."

Nico just sat there. "I think I have a crush on someone."

"Oh," Jason sounded confused. "I'll be right back."

It wasn't long before he returned, at which point Nico had sat up and was trying not to look like he was moping too much. Trailing in behind him was Piper. Of course.

"This is bad," Nico heard her whisper to Jason. She shooed Jason out of the cabin, despite his affronted look, and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"So, what's his name?' she asked. Nico tried to suppress the blush he could feel rising in his cheeks.

"Will," he said as quietly as possible.

"Nice, I see you have good taste," she looked thoughtful. "But what has that got to do with you sequestering yourself in your cabin and isolating yourself from all your friends."

"It's embarrassing. I don't know how to act around him, and I feel like such an idiot."

"You know he might like you too," she said in a sing-song voice. "I mean I've seen how he looks at you – or rather looks at your back as you always seem to be turning away from him. You have a real chance here, don't let it go."

They sat in silence for a bit.

"Well," Nico said giving in. "What do you suggest?"

Piper looked surprised he replied, "Flowers, especially someone like Will. We can make you look nice and dressed up, and you can prepare something to say so you don't freak out."

Nico fiddled with his fingers. "What kind of flowers though? There's so many options."

"Something sweet and romantic, generally. In my opinion, though, you should do something a little more personal."

"Okay. In that case, I think sunflowers."

"You're so sweet. How about I go arrange sunflowers with the Demeter cabin and you clean yourself up and think of something to tell Will?"

She didn't leave much room to argue – instead she left the cabin through the door that was barely swinging on its hinges after Jason's kick.

Nico cleaned his cabin and took a shower, all the while trying to come up with something to say to Will without ending up with a broken heart.

After all that, he began the walk to Aphrodite's cabin.

"There you are! I haven't seen you in a while," Will's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Was beginning to think you were avoiding me."

Will ruffled his hair and Nico playfully batted it away and laughed. "No, I was just getting some rest that didn't involve being in the infirmary."

Too soon, they were at the cabin where Piper was just exiting.

"Hey Nico, there's-" she broke off as she noticed his company. "Oh, okay. I'll come back."

"No don't worry, I'm headed to the infirmary!" Will said before smiling at Nico and walking away.

"Did you notice how he was walking with you in the opposite direction of the infirmary?" Piper pointed out with a grin. "Anyway, the flowers are ready to be picked up after dinner. Kayla told me he would be doing a final check of the infirmary after dinner before walking back to his cabin. I think you should meet him there – just outside the entrance behind that laurel tree. You'll be secluded enough that nobody will see you unless they're walking into the infirmary."

Nico broke into a grin. "Great! I thought I'd be more nervous. I thought I'd just speak about how much I've liked getting to know him and would like to know if he'd like to go into the city with me one day on a date. Or something like that."

"You are so cute! This has been so much fun. It's great not seeing you sad and alone all the time. I hope you'll feel better hanging out with me more."

Nico blushed and waved goodbye. "I'll see you at dinner. Thanks, Piper."

After dinner, the nerves really start setting in for Nico. Piper walked with him to Demeter's cabin, chatting all the while about the fun things Nico could do with Will in the city.

The sunflowers were in a pretty bouquet of warm coloured filler flowers. Nico smiled when he took them, they were perfect for Will. Sunny flowers for a sunshine boy.

He breathed deeply. Piper fiddled with his hair, trying to style it as best as she could. Nico giggled and ducked under her ministrations. "Okay, okay. Please, stop. I'm ready. I'm ready."

He smiled at her and started walking toward the infirmary. He built up as much courage as he could on the way. As he came into view of the tree he was going to wait at, he felt his heart get wrenched out of his chest.

Will was there. He wasn't alone.

Drew was there as well.

They were sharing a kiss.

Nico felt the flowers drop from his hands and tears well up in his eyes. The shadows inside of him grow, they were aching to get free.

He gave up on keeping them at bay.

Will pulled back from Drew as shadows exploded. Nico turned and disappeared into the shadows. Reappearing in his cabin.

The earth around the cabin broke and left deep scars, skeletons rose, and the sky went dark.

All of his closest friends, Jason, Percy, and all of the people on the Argo II, even the ones in Rome, felt it.

The pain of my heart cracking into a million pieces. All he felt was pain and anger. Every light in camp went off. Apollo's light was no match for my pain.

With the last of his energy, he pulled bones to surround his cabin in a cage – impenetrable. He passed out and hoped that he would wake in a world where he had not fallen for the sunshine boy.