VI

WILL

Will needed sleep.

As he trudged his way towards his home, his thoughts were fully occupied with how comfy his bed would be back at his apartment. His shift had already ended. It was eight in the morning and Will needed his good night's sleep.

He was walking along 3rd Avenue and passed several stores and commercial buildings when he stopped dead in his track in front of a glass window of McDonald's.

Suddenly, his heart suddenly started to pump harder and blood pulsated through his veins as if he was rebooted back to life. It all happened as he stared through the window of McDonald's and saw Nico di Angelo inside sitting on one of the tables across, and near enough to notice a blond staring at him.

Nico was alone with his fries and burger and large size glass of coke. Nico hadn't yet noticed the blond since the death angel was so busy making a tower out of his fries like a Jenga Blocks McDonald's Fries Edition.

Bu then, Will refused to believe what he was seeing. It wasn't making any sense to him. How was it possible that a death angel was in a fast-food restaurant and toying with fries? How did he even get those foods? Did he order it? If that was so, could people see him now? Nico wore a black Ramones t-shirt and black jeans with his usual black leather boots. His attire was far more different from his usual attire that consisted of a black suit or aviator jacket. His current attire made him looked like more of a random guy. Will stared hard and even rubbed his eyes just to make sure that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him.

Then Nico looked up and saw Will rooted to his spot. His eyes widened a little bit in recognition but immediately frowned at the blond. That was Will's cue that he was really Nico di Angelo. Will went inside.

"What are you doing here?" Will whispered when he sat across Nico. The latter's eyebrows were still drawn together. He did not even know why he was whispering as if they were in some sort of secret conversation.

"Why? Am I not allowed to eat at McDonald's now?" Nico countered. "And why are you whispering, we are not in a library."

But Will continued to whisper leaning forward a bit. "Can people see you now?"

"Yes, Solace," Nico whispered back and he leaned forward too, their faces only inches apart. "How do you think I get this food? Do I look like someone who stole it and eat it right here?"

Will should have been saying something but he was left staring again, this time mesmerized by the death angel's face, especially by his eyes. He felt like he got lost and caught in a spell that was Nico's eyes.

"S-so I was right.," Will whispered again.

"About what?"

"You've got brown eyes."

Nico just rolled his eyes and sat straighter. Will leaned back in his seat.

"Well, I have my theory," Will explained. "But every time that I'd try to look at your eyes, they seemed to be darker more black. After all these years of theory, Now, I have proven myself right."

"Congratulations on your latest discovery," Nico said sarcastically and clapped his hands. This made Will direct his attention on Nico's pale arms towards his biceps visible after the sleeves of the shirt. He stifled a gasp.

"What happened to that?" Will pointed at Nico's scarred biceps as if the guy was mauled by something so sharp. This was the first time Will had seen those scars since Nico always wear long sleeves.

Nico looked down at his biceps and frowned. "Oh.. This.. is nothing."

"Nothing?!" Will looked scandalized. "That nothing looked like you've been clawed by a very bad wolf!"

Nico gazed up at him nonchalantly. "I was."

"Seriously?" Will gaped.

Nico just nodded mutely sipping on his coke.

"What happened?" Will asked softly. The scar looked painful.

"I got attacked by a wolf. End of a story." Nico answered as he stared admiringly at the tower of fries he had built.

"I don't understand. Why was there a wolf? Why did you get attack by a wolf?" Will persisted on the topic.

This made Nico scowled at him. "You are not really going to drop the subject, aren't you?"

"I was just…." Will wanted to say that he was concerned and he was worried and that he cared but the words were caught in his throat unable to be uttered out loud.

"What Solace? It's none of your business!"

"Of course it's not. It always has been, right." Will muttered sullenly.

"Fine!" Nico spat. "You wanted to know? This was my punishment, my punishment for not reaching my quota of souls because of your special ability. Happy?"

Will froze on his seat as he stared wide-eyed at Nico.

Nico groaned, slumping on his seat as if he regretted what he had just said. "Look. Just forget about it or get over with it. It's all in the past now by the way."

"It's my fault." Will choked. He felt like he had been doused by cold water.

Now it dawned on Will why the death angels hated him so much. He learned that their hate had its roots. He initially thought that their anger and annoyance was just simply because of not reaching their quotas but how wrong he was when it was way, way more than that.

"Are there more of your kind that got punished because of me?" Will asked faintly.

Nico did not answer which also answered Will's question.

"Oh, my gods. I-I am so sorry.." The blond couldn't breathe because his lungs were suddenly filled with guilt. He covered his face with his hands.

"H-hey Will…"

It was his entire fault. He should have known that every soul he had been pulling out from the dead had a big price to pay.

"Look. Will…"

How many years he had been using his glowing trick? And how many death angels had suffered all those years at his hand? It felt like a simple sorry wouldn't even measure up to those years of torture. He thought that he was using his power for the greater good but behind his advocacy of preserving life, someone had to.. suffer. Tears started to sting his eyes.

"Damn it, Will!" All of a sudden, Nico was next to Will as he yanked the blond's hands out of his face. "Look at me-" Nico paused when he saw the look on Will's face and as he held Will's wrists. "Why… Are you crying?"

This time, Will pulled out his hands away from Nico's hold. He wiped the side of his eyes as he stared down at his lap. "I-I am really sorry. I know my sorry is not-"

"Stop."

"Can't you see that I was trying to apologize-" Will gazed up at him frustratingly.

"And you're forgiven."

"What?" Will was startled.

"How is it hard to understand that you have been forgiven? You are really frustrating! I told you it's all in the past now okay? So let's stop talking about it because no matter how much remorse or guilt you've felt, nothing will change." Nico stood up and went back to the other side of the table.

"B-but how about the others? I know they have not yet forgiven me-"

"Who cares about that?!" Nico threw his hands in the air.

"I care!"

At this point, they were catching the attention of the other customers sitting nearby. They both noticed it. Nico gritted his teeth and stood up.

"Get up," Nico commanded.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere we could talk privately," Nico said.

Will stood up. He was beyond surprised when Nico held his hand and the death angel dragged him out of the McDonalds.

"Where are we going to talk?" Will asked. He was trying so hard to ignore the electric current running down on his hand that Nico was holding. This was not the time to feel that way.

"In your apartment," Nico said who was ahead of Will.

They navigated their way through the sidewalk when Will spoke."It's a little bit of a walk-"

"We'll be there in a few seconds." Nico held Will's hand tighter.

"What are you talking about…" Will never finished his sentence because the moment they turned in a corner they both dissolved in the shadow of a building.

For a moment, all Will could see was nothing but darkness, and the darkness felt so suffocating. It left him dizzy and breathless. Then he found himself gasping as he collapsed at the foot of the couch of his apartment.

"How did we end up here?" Will looked wide-eyed at Nico who was standing next to him

"That's what you called disappearing in black smoke remember?" Nico answered.

"O-of course," Will said weakly as he pulled himself up and sat on the couch. Nico sat beside him. They sat at both ends of the sofa.

Silence.

When Will had finally recovered from Nico's vanishing trick, he started to fidget the hem of his shirt while Nico was drumming his fingers on his lap.

"Why didn't you at least tell me about it before?" Will asked quietly.

Nico snorted. "We don't go telling people that we got punished. How embarrassing is that? Besides, what happened in Underworld stays in the Underworld."

"But at least you should have told me." Will was staring at his lap.

Nico faced him. "Would it make a difference if I told you about it?"

Will didn't answer. He couldn't answer.

"See? You and I have separate jobs and we couldn't blame you for that because you are just doing your job, which is to save people."

"But still..."

"Stop minding the death angel's business and mind your own job instead. It was easier that way. Even if you feel so much guilt, believe me, most of the death angels will not care. Even if you kneel in front of them for forgiveness they will not bat an eye on you. You cannot please everyone, so you have to stop overthinking."

This time Will glanced up at him. "But you've forgiven me."

Nico raised an eyebrow at him. "And?"

"You do care." Will pointed out.

Nico stared at him for a moment. "Let's just say that I don't want to hold grudge against you. It's fatal and unnecessary and might hinder our job."

Will stared back. "Thank you."

Deep inside, the blond doctor felt a little better knowing that Nico had forgiven him. He couldn't afford that Nico would be also one of the death angels who would blame him for their punishments. He was really thankful that Nico was there to lift up some burden in him, knowing that he had someone who was on his side.

"But still, you are an enemy," Nico said.

Will smiled a little bit. "I know."

Nico sighed and leaned back on the sofa. He propped up his feet on the center table "I was supposed to be celebrating but of course, you ruined it."

"Celebrating?" Will frowned confusedly.

"I got promoted to a higher rank of death angels. I now became a Senior death angel, and that means I do now have a privilege of a day-off."

"Hence, the McDonald's," Will's mouth twitched.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Nico gave an innocent side-glance.

"Nothing di Angelo and congratulations on your promotion," Will said still trying not to smile on the fact that the death angel could be childish at times. It was cute.

"Hey, I like McDonald's I've been a regular customer since…."

"Since?" Will prompted.

"1960's…"

Will's mouth hang open. "You do realize that we are now in the 21st first century right? Honestly, how old are you?"

Nico shrugged. "I've been a death angel since the 1950s but as far as I can remember I've born in the late 1930s as a mortal then I died and Lord Hades plucked me and my sister out of Elysium so we could be death angels."

"Whoa, whoa," Will said raising his hand. "Hold it right there, you became mortal just like me before?"

"Yes, Solace. What? Do you think death angels popped out of nowhere and just start picking souls? All of us were mortals before we became death angels."

Will was still processing what he had just learned. To think that they had been humans before and they all had a life just like him, it was kind of mind-blowing to think of.

"But still the 1930's or 1950's... You don't look like an elderly to me." Will looked up and down at Nico.

"Oh please. As I have said, we are immortals and we could look whatever we like." Nico rolled his eyes

"And now, you are on what age…?"

"I don't know, maybe late twenties or something? I haven't given it a much of a thought."

Will grinned "Not bad. We're just the same age."

"And that means?" Nico raised an eyebrow not sure where the conversation was going.

"That means we can hang out sometimes and since you have day-offs now and all. How's that?"

"Not a chance, Solace."

"Well, why not." Will pouted. "But hey, you, being visible to the mortals, is that also a privilege on your new rank?"

"No. All death angels can be visible in the mortal eyes if they wanted to."

"And why haven't I seen you doing that before?"

"I don't have time."

"But now, you have. Will you be able to do that now often?"

"I don't intend to."

"Oh come on! You should!"

Nico scowled. "And why should I?"

"I told you! So we can hang out more!"

"I am now going." Nico stood up.

"Hey!" Will held his wrist. "Just stay for a bit. Since I ruined your celebration why don't we celebrate here instead? But I actually don't have much food to prepare since I still hadn't hit off the supermarket, so how about sandwiches?"

Nico yanked his hand away from Will and sat down again. He huffed. "I supposed that would be fine but I don't like peanut butter just so you know if you're going to put it…"

Will tilted his head at him bewilderedly. "Why not?"

"In our death angel's life, we retained some characteristics from our former lives. In my mortal life, as far as I can remember, I have allergies with nuts so I didn't eat it. Although now, allergies wouldn't affect me, I still have my dislikes for nuts."

"Do you remember much of your former life?"

Nico crossed his arms leaning back on the sofa once again. "Not really. And I don't dwell much on my past life. It's not important anymore."

"Okay." Will took a deep breath standing up. "Sandwiches minus peanut butter. And honestly, this is healthier than fast food meals!"

Nico just gave him a flat look. "Do I look like I care? Death angels can't die of sickness."

"But still, healthy foods will make you fit!" Will defended as he made his way to the kitchen.

"We are all fit."

And of course, Will's need for sleep was already forgotten.