Nico was waiting just as he promised. Will stepped out of the building and followed the others to the parking spaces, and there Nico was. His red motorcycle was like a beacon to Will. He associated everything red with it now.

"Percy Jackson," Annabeth greeted. "Skip again and you'll be sorry."

Percy hopped off the motorcycle and only then did Nico stop blushing. "Come on, once in awhile isn't bad, Nico here…"

Will tuned Percy out and looked to Nico. "You said you were picking me up. Where are you taking me?"

Nico tore his eyes away from Percy. "Away. Come on, I already took Hazel home."

Will didn't hesitate. He didn't think about the homework he forgot in his locker or the paper due Monday. He got on that red motorcycle and wrapped his arms around Nico's waist, felt his hip bones, thought about how he had kissed them the day before. In the lake. The dead plants getting in the way.

"See you assholes tomorrow!" Nico called, waving goodbye and driving off. The rocks kicked up around them and the wind beat their faces. Will wondered how hard it had to be to make the bruises Nico was covered with.

"You need to invest in a helmet," he whispered in his ear. A faint blush covered Nico's neck.

"Or what?" he asked. "If I bash my brains against the road, then I bash my brains against the road. No biggie."

Will held him closer and took in the wind. His fingertips started to leave bruises against that pale skin.

"I'm going to show you something," Nico said. "Not many people know about it."

Will was as close as he could get but kept wanting to get even closer. He wanted to melt into him. "What is it?"

Nico didn't answer but made the motorcycle go faster. The wheels made dirt roads as they raced through the forest. Nobody followed and nobody was around.

Will spent the ride with his head on Nico's shoulder, taking in the smell of his hair, listening to his quiet breaths. He didn't dare loosen his grip on him in fear of losing him. He has never been so emotionally attached to another human before.

(His first boyfriend was a runner up, however. Mark had been the forbidden fruit he was too tempted to let go. There were no kisses or touches or anything that made him think the relationship was meant to be, but harsh words and secret meetings and everything to prove his father's homophobia right. Being with Nico had been the first time being gay felt right)

The motorcycle slowed to a stop too soon for his liking. Will finally pulled away from Nico and got up with him, his shoes snapping the twigs and leaves at his feet.

"Where are we?"

Nico held his hand out. Some of his blood got on Will when he took it.

"Follow me," Nico ordered. "Trust me, you won't regret it."

And he trusted him. He trusted him more than he had ever trusted anyone. They weren't connected by blood or time, or the waters of the womb or anything else that deemed it right. They were just connected by that lake. Their bones and skin against each other.

Nico led him through the trees and non-existent path until stopping at the edge of the tree line. He looked to Will, smiled- actually smiled, and gestured for him to step forward.

"When I die, it'll be here. This is my favorite place."

Will looked over at him before stepping through the trees, his breath hitching in his throat when he saw what Nico meant. They were standing at a cliff, no fence or human-made device keeping them from going over, all nature spread out before them. The drop was over a hundred feet down, and at the bottom the forest was there again, continuing on for what felt like eternity. The horizon greeted the trees in a red hug as it did every day.

"Holy shit…" Will breathed. "It's beautiful."

Nico sat down and grinned up at him. Will had a feeling no one had ever seen him as happy as this.

"I go here when I need a break from all of them," Nico explained. "It's relaxing. It helps me work things out."

Will sat beside him. "Is this place what gives you hope?"

Nico nodded.

Will looked out at the sky and breathed in the fresh air he never would have experienced back in the city. "Never lose that hope, Nico. Do what your dreams are. Follow that hope."

Nico looked over at him. "You don't even know what it is."

"Hope is hope."

Nico hummed and looked at the view. "You know, maybe you were right."

"About?"

"Seeing God. You told me to follow that hope. I was looking for a sign that I was right. And last night, in the lake…"

Will elbowed him. "You look good happy. So, what's that hope? Getting out of Frostford?"

"Nobody gets out of Frostford alive."

Will sighed. He reached out and held onto Nico's hand, holding it close to himself. He felt the invisible red strings of love tying his heart to Nico's.

They stayed there, silent except for their breaths, silent except for the nature around them, silent except for their still beating hearts. The sky darkened and the sun set, leaving them in the lights of the stars.

Will fell asleep a few times, napped here and there, woke up with his head in Nico's lap and a blanket of stars above him. During the times he woke and looked around, Nico was either staring off the cliff or doing something on his phone.

He dreamt of warm blankets and soft skin and Nico's smell. His summer heart lulled him back to peaceful dreams each time he woke from the slight discomfort of sleeping on the forest floor.

"Promise you won't leave me," he whispered out during the night. "Don't leave me, Nico."

"I'm here," Nico confirmed. "And I won't move until you wake up."

There were no thoughts on bugs, on animals, on the sweat dripping down his back or the school day in the morning. There was nothing but peace.

In the morning he woke to a bird crying at another. It wasn't too bright yet, just a lighter darkness above them and fewer stars. Nico was sitting where he had been all night, Will's head in his lap, frowning at a paper and book that looked familiar. Will couldn't quite place it yet, still fuzzy from sleep and peace, and he let out a soft yawn before trying again.

"Is that...my homework?" he asked.

Nico glanced down at him before scowling. "No."

"I think it is."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Maybe it is. Whatever."

Will sat up with a groan and a hand on his back. "What time is it?"

Nico grabbed his phone from his pocket and sighed. "My phone died somewhere around midnight. That's why I have an actual flashlight out. But the sun usually rises around 5:50, 6:00."

Will grabbed his homework from Nico's lap and couldn't help his surprise when he saw how much Nico had done, and how well he had done it at that.

"You're good at math," Will commented. "Why don't you ask to be moved up?"

"I hate work. I hate responsibilities." Nico started to pack their bags. "I only did it because you want to go to college. I didn't want you to fuck that up because you decided to follow me out here."

Will blinked before letting out a tired laugh. "Well...thanks, Nico. I just wish you cared about yourself as much as you care about me."

Nico zipped his bag and stood up, his eyes taking in that vast expanse of nothing over the cliff. The remaining stars were mirrored in his eyes.

"We should get going," Nico said. "I have to get Hazel up and make her breakfast. If I don't then she won't eat."

Will grabbed his bag and stood up. His legs didn't feel completely right, but the minor aches he had weren't surprising after sleeping out there all night. If anything, he was surprised they hadn't been bothered by any wild animals.

"I'm going to need coffee," Will commented. "Lots of it. And since you didn't get any sleep again, I'll bet you need some, too."

Nico smiled. "Yeah, I do. We'll make a pot when we get there. But I need you to promise me something before we take off."

"Yeah, anything."

Nico took a breath of that fresh air before speaking, his fingers picking at his stubbed nails or hanging skin around them, drawing more blood to the surface. "You can't tell anyone about this place. No one. This...this is my place. My… Just don't tell anyone."

"It's a secret," Will concluded.

Nico nodded. "Yes."

"Just like our relationship."

Nico winced as if he had been hit before turning to glare at him. "Am I not enough? Are we not enough? Do you need to flaunt a relationship around like every other guy-"

Will took Nico's face in his hands. "You're more than enough. We're more than enough. If it's what makes you comfortable, makes you happy, I can live with it."

Nico leaned into his hand. "Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay…" Nico kissed Will's hand before pulling away. "Let's start heading back. Early morning rides are the best. And don't worry, we'll be back here before you know it."

Will looked off the cliff one last time before following him to the motorcycle. The only ounce of sadness in him was the fact no one had come looking for him when he never came home.

By the time they pulled up to Nico's house, the sun was ripping its way into existence, leaving behind red streaks of paint in its wake. The wind hitting his face had woken him up completely, but every time he took in Nico's smell he wanted to fall asleep all over again.

But the ride was over soon enough. He looked up and expected a house like Percy's, maybe more rundown or newer depending on how close it was to town. What he didn't expect was a near mansion sitting before him.

"This is your house?" Will asked.

Nico nodded. "My great great whatever grandpa built it, kept handing it down. My dad got it when he was 18. His dad killed himself."

"Oh…"

Nico parked the motorcycle and jumped off, sorting through the keys on his keychain. "Come on, let's get some coffee and something to eat before we head back to school."

Will stared at the intimidating door and its bronze knockers. "You're sure this is your house? You're not playing a joke on me?"

Nico unlocked the door and swung it open. "Not playing a joke on you. Now get inside."

Will did as he was told and entered the foyer, his eyes wide as he took in the old wood and ancient decorations. "Your house is awesome."

"It's a house, not a home."

Nico led him past the double staircases and down the long hallway, old portraits lining the walls. Under each it said the name, most not di Angelo's like Nico was, along with their cause of death. Suicides, at least six, cancers, murders. Nothing natural and nothing peaceful.

"When is your picture going to go up?" Will asked.

"When I die." Nico hesitated beside the last picture, his hand resting against it for a split second before he continued on and entered the kitchen. Will stayed behind and looked at it, frowned when he saw some of the same features he saw on Nico's face.

Maria Ginevra di Angelo- Hargreaves
Murdered

So Nico had taken his mother's maiden name. It did make sense after everything he had said about his father. But the idea that Maria had been murdered wasn't as expected.

"Will, what are you doing?"

Will tore his gaze away from the picture and followed where Nico had gone. The kitchen was fairly large, bright compared to the rest of the house, warm like the kitchen back at Sally's. It seemed to be the only room in the house that had held good feelings.

Nico was standing at the island, cracking eggs into a bowl while coffee brewed. Sunlight streamed through the vast amount of windows and gave them no need for artificial light despite them being so deep in the forest.

Will sat on one of the barstools and watched Nico cook. This side of Nico was another that was rare, invisible if you only knew him at school or around town. This was big brother Nico, a father-like Nico, a loving Nico. This along with the hope at that cliff were Will's favorite sides of Nico.

Nico started to cook eggs. All Will did was watch.

The clock on the microwave struck 7 before he heard movement in the house. Nico looked up momentarily at the sound of footsteps on the floor above them before looking back at the stove, his gaze softening. "Here comes Hazel."

Will stood when the coffee had finished brewing and poured them both a cup. When he sat down with his own and took his first sip, who he guessed was Hazel sprinted into the room.

Her skin was darker than Nico's but her eyes were the same melted chocolate. Her outfit could have fit in with the style of the 50's and 60's, her long skirt going passed her knees and her shoes looking suspiciously like they were designed for tap dancing. She laid eyes on Will before looking to her brother, her large smile showing a few missing teeth.

"Is this your boyfriend?"

Nico turned as red as the barstool's faded fabric. "Hazel Marie-"

"What?" she asked. "Dad's not home!"

Nico looked down at the pan as if he wanted to be the one burning, not the eggs. "Yes, he's my boyfriend. But don't you dare tell anybody-"

Hazel squealed and jumped onto the barstool beside Will. "Hi! I'm Hazel. What's your name?"

"Will Solace, it's nice to meet you," he greeted.

"You too!" Hazel smiled at him before looking to her older brother. "Nico, can I go to Frank's after school today?"

"I told you this before. I literally don't give a fuck." Nico turned the oven off and set her plate in front of her. "Now eat."

Will gave Nico a look. "You shouldn't curse around her. She's so young."

Hazel swallowed a bite and wiped her mouth as if she had been waiting days to reply to that. "Nico can say whatever he wants because I can say whatever I want. He lets me say bastard!"

Nico dug his head into the table as Will tried to keep his laughs in. She was definitely Nico's sister, alright. And she really was a joy to have around.

But what Nico had said ruined his mood. She'd never get out of Frostford. She'd never make a life for herself. She'd never be anything more than that town.

"Hazel," Will started. "What do you want to be when you get older?"

Hazel shrugged. "I like horses."

She was just a kid that liked horses. She didn't have a mom to do her hair or sing her to sleep. She didn't have a family to grow up around. All she had was a brother who was more unstable than her.

"Who's Frank?" Will asked. "You're friend?"

She nodded. "Frank's in my class. He likes horses, too. He doesn't have a mom, either. And his dad is scary, too."

Nico finished his coffee and poured himself another cup. Blood from his fingers stained the mug.

"Hurry up, Hazel," Nico whispered. "We don't know when father's getting back."

Hazel's cheerful demeanor disappeared at the sound of her brother's words. "I'm done eating. I was just talking to Will."

Nico grabbed her plate and started to shovel the remaining food into his mouth. "Go get your bag. You'll have to ride on Will's lap. He's coming with us."

Hazel jumped from the barstool and ran from the room. Ever since their father had been mentioned, an icy air had settled over the once warm kitchen.

Will thought about Nico's bruises, how the wind could never have made them. How cold the house was, even colder than his had been in Texas. The familiar chill of an unwelcoming house. Not a home.

"Nico, want to sleep over tonight?" Will asked. "I have room in my bed."

He didn't, not really, but he wasn't going to tell Nico that. Not when he could have finally found the reason why Nico never slept.

Nico washed the plate and mugs and put them away before answering. His voice was guarded, stepping around eggshells. "Percy's house."

Will nodded. "Well...my house, too…or...or I hope it is."

"Percy will be there," Nico repeated.

Will frowned. "Well...yeah, he lives there. But he'll be in his own room."

Nico grabbed his bag and threw it on. A bruise that looked too red stood out on his cheekbone.

"If I don't have to see him," he accepted in a whisper.

Will smiled. "It'll be just the two of us. Like at the cliff. Safe under a roof where no one will hurt us."

Nico's dark eyes looked so tired. "We'll get to sleep."