The Party

A/N: It's AU time! Sorry for not posting for a while. I've been having a bit of writer's block. But, let's just say that I suddenly have a lot of free time, thanks to coronavirus. Just a warning, there's some slightly suggestive scenes and one of the characters does get a little drunk, so be careful. Now, enjoy this prompt-inspired cutsey Solangelo College AU!

Nico POV

Gods, I hate parties. It's like a huge gift box of everything I hate. Big crowds of people, loud noises, and socialization, wrapped up with a big red bow sent from Satan. But, there I was, at a party. The only reason I was there and not back at my dorm watching my favorite anime and eating fast food was because Hazel, my half-sister, said that an important part of college is partying and making friends. So I told myself that it was her fault that I was there, but it was really because of my roommate, Percy. I'd loved him almost since I'd met him, and I thought that him inviting me to the party was a sign that he actually liked me. But almost as soon as we got there, he started making out with one of the architecture majors, the one with the curly blond hair. So I just stood there with an untouched cup of punch in my hand (which was probably spiked), wishing I could leave. But, unfortunately, Percy was my ride. So I was trapped in this gift box from Satan, standing in the corner of the room, not sipping punch, and waiting for Percy and the architecture major to finish eating each other's faces. I had just resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have a very boring and uncomfortable Friday night when a tall, lanky, freckled boy with blond hair and blue eyes bounced up to me. I thought that he wanted access to the chips, so I moved away from the snack table, but he came up to me instead.

"Hey! My name is Will. I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you new?" he spoke, cheerfully and lightly.

"No...my name is Nico, I'm a literature major. I'm a sophomore here." I explained.

"Ah, a sophomore. I knew you were too cute to be a freshman." Will teased. I couldn't help it, I felt my face grow warm.

"So, what are you then?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"A freshman." he said, and winked. I laughed too loudly and awkwardly took a sip of my punch, forgetting that it was spiked. I coughed, feeling the alcohol burn down my throat.

"So yeah, I'm a freshman here." Will said.

"What's your major?" I asked, knowing that he was trying to start a conversation.

"Oh, right now I'm majoring in law, but I might change it." he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Why?" I asked, surprised. If this kid is smart enough to be a law major, why would he change it?

"I don't know I just think-" Will tried to explain, but was cut off by a sudden wave of loud cheering coming from the other room. Neither of us moved to see what was happening. But both of us got quiet, as if remembering where we were. Stupidly, I took a huge gulp of the spiked drink still in my hand just to have something to do. It wasn't nice and made me feel a little dizzy and put it down on the table behind me.

"Man, college parties really aren't the best place to have a conversation." Will said. I nodded in agreement. He seemed to think for a bit.

"Want to get out of here?" he asked suddenly. I raised an eyebrow at him and he blushed.

"No! No, not like that! I meant...like...I didn't...Do you want ice cream? I know a really good place that might still be open." he stuttered nervously. He looked so flustered and kind of...cute. I mean, he's no Percy, but in that moment, he seemed just as attractive.

"I don't know, I came here with a friend and he might-" I started. My eyes wandered, looking for Percy. I found him sitting on the couch with the architecture major, still eating each other's faces. He had one hand resting on her hip and the other on her cheek. The architecture major's hand was in his scruffy black hair, and the other was resting on his thigh and slowly moving higher, and higher, and…

"You know what? I could actually go for some ice cream right now." I suddenly said to Will, who had begun to walk away after assuming that I'd rejected his ice cream offer. His face split into a bright smile which made me smile a little bit too.

"Come on." he said, making his way towards the front door. I still felt a little muddled from the alcohol, but I stumbled along after him. He led me out of the house and to an old, beat-up car down the street. He unlocked it and began to get into the driver's seat.

"What's wrong?" he asked, when he noticed me just standing on the sidewalk. I felt a sudden wave of fear and caution.

"I don't know you...you could be a...a psychopath….or a...or an ax murderer...or-" I stuttered. What's wrong with me? I thought. Why does my talking feel wrong?

But Will didn't seem to notice, he just grinned.

"I could be, Nico. But what's life without a couple of risks?" he said, and got into the car. I paused for a moment before smiling and getting into the passenger's seat.

Will POV

It was all I could do to keep from dancing and singing along to the radio as I drove, because Oh my gods, I have a pretty boy sitting in my car. A pretty sophomore boy. I smiled.

"Oh, turn up the volume! I love this song!" Nico said suddenly. I looked over in surprise as he turned up the volume himself and started singing along to "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas. Beautifully, I might add. I had never enjoyed Kansas that much, but suddenly, it sounded like the best music in the world. Nico was still singing for his wayward son to carry on when we pulled into the parking lot of the ice cream place. He got out, stumbling and giggling. I wasn't too concerned. Hey, maybe he really likes Kansas.

Thankfully, the ice cream place was still open, though they had no customers. I got my usual, which is a double fudge sundae with melted fudge and chocolate sprinkles. My friend, Michael, calls it "The Chocolate Death" (he's more of a cookies and cream person). Nico got vanilla soft serve in a cup with melted caramel over it. After we got out ice cream, we sat in a booth next to a window.

"So...that guy with the black hair. You like him, right?" I asked. It probably wasn't the smoothest way to go, but I needed to know. He seemed surprised, and he looked down at his ice cream.

"Yeah. His name is Percy and we're roommates." Nico admitted softly. The way he said his name sounded so sad and hopeless, it kind of broke my heart a little bit. I was kind of disappointed, but I could tell he wanted to talk about it.

"Anything else?" I asked, as gently and as non-prying as I could. And he just told me everything. He told me about how much he loves his sea-green eyes, how cute he looks when he's focusing on his schoolwork, how he likes his coffee with sugar, how he's on the swim team, and he has no siblings, but Nico thinks he would be the best big brother, how Nico's loved him almost since he laid eyes on him, and how he's been seeing that blonde architecture major for almost a month now. He didn't say it, but I could almost feel the pain radiating off of him. After he seemed to tire himself out talking about Percy, he put his head in his hands. I reached across the table and placed a comforting hand on his arm. He raised his head to look at me and I was suddenly frozen in the intense stare of his dark brown eyes. He looked sleep-deprived and heartbroken, his hair was messy, the bags under his eyes could have carried all of my student debt, and under the fluorescent lighting, his already pale skin looked even paler. But I have never seen anyone more beautiful. And broken. Beautifully broken.

"Hey, look. It's not so bad. Maybe one day, he'll wake up and see what a cool guy you are. But until then, enjoy the single lifestyle, my friend! There is nothing better than being single and not being tethered to one person." I raised up my sundae for a toast. And Nico, smiling, raised his too.

"To the single life." I said. Nico nodded in agreement and drank his ice cream, which was all melted at that point. To help take his mind off of Percy, I told him this honestly hilarious story of the time I may or may not have managed to destroy mine and everyone else's essays in an accident involving a law book, a tuna sandwich, and one of the chemistry majors and his cat. Nico smiled and asked questions at all the right moments. Once, he even laughed. It was a clear, warm, ringing laugh that I wished I could have heard over and over again.

After a while, one of the waitresses came over and told us that they were closing, so we had to leave. On our way to the car, Nico tripped over the curb and I caught him just in time. He groaned and rubbed his forehead as if fending off a headache.

"Nico? You okay?" I asked, nervous.

"The punch made me feel...fuzzy." he admitted.

"The punch…? You mean the punch from the party? The one with the alcohol in it?" I realized. Nico giggled and nodded. I may or may not have freaked out a little. This entire time I'd been hanging out and flirting with a pretty boy and he's drunk? I was a little disappointed to realize that he may not even remember me the next day. But my main priority was getting him home before anything bad happened.

"Nico, I need you to focus. Do you have a cell phone? Can you call your roommate, Percy? You need to go home before-" I was cut off by Nico grabbing me by the collar of my shirt and pulling me in for a kiss. The kiss was rushed, passionate, sloppy, desperate, and unlike any I'd ever had before. He pulled away, too soon, and started to apologize.

"I take back what I said." I said softly. Nico was staring at my lips and didn't seem to notice.

"I take back what I said about there being nothing better than being single." I explained. He looked at me for a while. I couldn't help but pull him in for another kiss. He hesitated for a moment before pushing in, harder. I could taste the sugar from his ice cream. I stumbled backwards until I was pressed up against the car, letting his tongue explore my mouth. And we continued like that, tongues exploring each other's mouths as if we were searching for something, my hands in his messy black hair, his hands gripping the front of my shirt, until we both had to come up for air. His lips were slightly swollen and his face was flushed. Whether it was from our heated make-our session, or from the alcohol, I couldn't tell. And suddenly I remembered. He's drunk! He probably doesn't know what he's doing! And I took advantage of that! I quickly stepped away from him.

"Will?" Nico asked, confused. I shook my head, trying to clear it.

"Nico, I really need to get you home. It's late. I can drive you back to the dorm, okay?" I offered. Nico hesitated a bit before nodding.

We didn't speak or sing for the entire ride home. Nico was probably drowsy from the alcohol, but I was trying to stay silent, praying that he wouldn't hear my heart breaking. I had realized that he probably wouldn't remember any of this tomorrow and would go back to pining over Percy, who hadn't the decency to realize he had such an amazing, unique boy right in front of him. The thought made me want to punch a wall, and scream, and then cry. But I couldn't do any of that.

When I pulled up in front of Nico's dorm, he got out without a word. I waited for him to turn around and say something, anything, but he just walked inside. I idled in front of the dorm for a bit, just breathing and trying not to think too much, before driving back to my dorm.

Nico POV

I was woken up by my alarm clock at around 6:30. When I woke up, I wished I hadn't. My head hurt so badly. What did I do last night? I thought. Whatever I did, I swore to myself that I wouldn't attend another party. I stumbled into the kitchen to make some coffee and noticed that Percy was already awake. He was leaning against the kitchen counter holding a mug of coffee, reading something on his phone. He smirked when I walked in. I pretended not to notice the small, circular bruises on his neck.

"How'd you like the party? You left early. What did you do?" he asked. Suddenly, memories of a blond, freckled boy that took me out for ice cream and let me kiss him in the parking lot all came back to me. I must have looked crazy to Percy, because an idiotic grin suddenly split my face.

"I met a boy."

A/N: Wow, that was a long chapter! Thanks for reading! Until next time, and stay healthy everyone! Toodles!