IX

WILL

Will couldn't take it anymore so he was in for some drastic action.

It had been three freaking weeks since his last encounter with Nico di Angelo. The last time was when he had accidentally blurted out his concern for the death angel. The death angel could be so infuriating most of the time that Will couldn't control what was coming out of his mouth when talking to that said death angel. And on top of that, it wasn't making any sense to Will that Nico had to vanish from the surface of the Earth just because he had found out that someone cared for him? How absurd was that?

Will hated it. Even though there was always a dark cloud hanging over Nico's head every single time, the blond admitted that he missed the latter's company. He was so used to seeing Nico for a while that his day would be a bit off without the death angel's presence. There was strangely something incomplete when Nico was not around. It's driving Will mad.

So this was where the drastic action was going to enter.

Will stood on the rooftop of his apartment building one afternoon. He was staring down on the road below. At first, it was dizzying to look down but when you were a desperate human being nothing seemed so terrifying. He was standing dangerously close to the edge that one flip-over the useless barrier he was plummeting down to his death. Since the incident with Silena Beauregard, Will had talked to the landlady of the apartment to put some grills to cover the rooftop to prevent the accident or intended falling from the rooftop. But the landlady had seemed to be deaf to his request since there had been no action made about it.

However, for the time being, Will was fine with it because the unsafe rooftop will be part of his drastic action. Then Will stared ahead.

"You idiot Nico di Angelo," Will said to an empty space. "I know you can hear me and if you don't show up in my face at this instant you are going to regret it."

Will knew it was a stupid idea but again, he was desperate. So he stepped on the cemented barrier. His knees wobbled a bit but he had managed to steady them. Will closed his eyes.

"You are going to save me right?" Will whispered. "You always have been…"

Then the wind suddenly blew that startled Will and of course, his foot had stepped on an empty space. He yelped in surprise. Before the gravity took over and before Will could fall from a hundred feet, someone grabbed hold of the back collar of his flannel shirt and yanked him back from the edge. He then, found his butt firmly planted on the ground of the rooftop. Will's eyes were wide and his heart hammering on his chest. That was close, like one centimeter close to the doors of the Underworld.

"You know, I badly wanted to punch you right now."

Will looked up and in front of him, Nico di Angelo was glaring down at him. Will squinted a bit. It was hard to look at Nico when the sunlight was directly behind him and a halo of some sort had formed around his head, making him looked like a celestial being sent to Earth. Then Will was hit with a realization that his stupid idea had actually worked.

"What in Hades are you thinking, Solace?" Nico glowered down at him.

Suddenly, Will threw his head back in laughter that startled Nico.

"Oh my gods!" Will said in between his laughter. "I knew it. You couldn't resist me!"

"Shut up. Do you think death is something you wanted to mess with?!" Nico shouted all of a sudden.

That made Will stopped abruptly in laughing. He was taken aback by the tone of Nico's voice. Okay, maybe Will had taken it far and someone was angry about it.

"I'm sorry," Will said earnestly. "It's just that... You just vanished out of nowhere and I don't know how to contact you or something, it's not like you have a phone number that I can call…"

"So naturally, you resolved it by jumping off the rooftop," Nico stated.

"I was desperate," Will mumbled. "I know you're avoiding me.."

"I was busy," Nico answered who apparently had heard him.

"Too much busy that I couldn't see a glimpse of you in the hospital for three weeks?!" This time Will glared at him accusingly.

Nico stared at him for a moment then spoke. "Why are you doing this, Solace?"

"I think you already know the answer to that," Will answered simply.

Nico looked away. "Stop caring about me."

"Too late for that," Will stood up, dusting off his cargo shorts. "Besides, you are my friend, that's why I care." Yes, Will was trying to rectify the situation by using the popular excuse of all time, friendship.

"Who wants a death angel to be someone's friend, we don't make friends." Nico scoffed still looking away.

"I am. I wanted you to be my friend. Whether you like it or not you are my friend, end of discussion." Will said cheerfully.

Nico sighed. "You are making a grave mistake on this friendship. Of all people you wanted to befriend with, it has to be a death angel."

Will stared at Nico

At that moment, he realized that he was truly flirting with death. It was an epiphany that didn't come in the speed of a freight train. There was a steady thrum in his chest and a sense of calmness and serenity washing over him. A gentle breeze blew over as if the wind was whispering in his ears the thing that his heart had been telling him the whole time.

Of all people he would fall in love with, it had to be a death angel.

And somehow, it felt right.

"No, I am not making a mistake about this," Will said firmly and he moved closer to Nico. The blond held both of his shoulders. Nico peered up at him. Will hesitantly spoke. "But... You wanted to be my friend, right?" The blond held his breath.

All of the coldness in Nico's face had vanished.

"I.." Nico hesitated. "Okay, I-I supposed that's all right..."

"Yes!" Will released a breath of relief as he cheered.

He suddenly hugged Nico.

Nico froze.

So was Will.

Will also realized that there were a lot of things that he couldn't control when he was around the death angel. First, was his mouth and now was his arm. He briefly wondered what's next.

Will cleared his throat and pulled away. He patted the death angel's shoulder awkwardly. "Now that the friendship was officially established, I am inviting my dear friend to my apartment. Do you want to eat?"

"Why it felt like you're always bribing me with food?" Nico mumbled.

"It's because my dear friend, eating is happiness." Will laughed and this time, he put his arms around Nico's shoulder stirring him towards his apartment. Nico followed almost stiffly.

"But promised me you won't avoid me again okay?" Will said softly, regarding him.

"I am not avoiding you. I was just busy." Nico was looking ahead.

"And if you do it again, I won't hesitate to pull another stunt in this rooftop."

Nico glared at him. "You wouldn't do that."

"Yes, I will." Will smiled sweetly at him and together they descended the stairs.

"You are really frustrating!"

"I know," Will said in a sing-song voice. "And that's my charm."

They reached the apartment. Nico sat on the stool behind the bar counter of the kitchen, while Will made his way to his bedroom. He took off the flannel shirt he was wearing so the white shirt underneath remained. He was going to put it back to the closet when his phone vibrated on the bedside table.

Will picked up the phone and saw that his mom, Naomi Solace, was calling. He immediately answered it.

"Hey, mom? Is everything all right?" Will asked worriedly.

Her mom just laughed over the line. "Goodness William your doctor's side is acting up. I am all right. I was just missing my son, was that bad?"

Will smiled, worry dissipated in the air. "I missed you too, mom, by the way, I'm coming over this weekend okay?"

"Really?" Naomi's voice lifted a notch "Good because I was already thinking of dragging you back here myself."

Will laughed. "Sorry, you know how a doctor's job can be so busy."

"I understand. But be sure to bring your boyfriend here too huh?"

Will stiffened. He certainly didn't have any boyfriend at this moment because he was so busy pining for some death angel. He was open to his sexuality even to his mom who had supported him wholeheartedly. "Boyfriend?"

"Yes, dear. Lou sent me a picture of both of you the other day. I want to know him. His name was Nico right?"

At this point, Will was thinking of different ways to murder Lou in the most painful way possible.

Will took a deep breath and spoke in a hushed voice. "Mom, he's not a boyfriend."

"Oh but Lou said-"

"Hey, Will?"

Will looked up to see Nico standing at the door. Nico was oblivious to the fact that Will was speaking to someone on the phone by the way his eyes widened a bit and as he mouthed sorry to Will. Nico backed away from the room.

"Now, I was sure that I heard a male's voice and I have a feeling that he's the Nico we are talking about just now. Am I right?"

Will took a deep breath biting his lip. "Yes, mom."

"And since it was afternoon, I am also assuming that you're back at your apartment… or was it his apartment?

"Oh gods, Mom I am in my apartment okay?" He felt like he was being grilled in the charcoals like a barbecue. He felt hot all of a sudden.

"So you are in your apartment with Nico," Naomi said slowly as if trying to solve a riddle. "And it happened that the picture Lou sent me was the one you were both holding hands. Are you sure nothing's going on?"

"Mom," Will sighed. "It's complicated."

"I hate it when you're saying that word. Anyway see you this weekend, okay and I hope you can bring Nico too."

"Yes mom, see you and I don't know about the last part…"

"All right. Take care, son." Naomi said then she hung up.

After Will put his sleeves back into the closet he went out of the room and saw Nico standing in the living room. Nico turned to him.

"I am sorry. I did not realize that you were talking to someone on the phone." Nico said.

"It's fine." Will smiled. "My mom just called…" Now, Will wasn't sure on how to invite a death angel over his mom's house.

Nico nodded. "Anyway, I have to go. You know… job."

"Oh," Will couldn't hide his disappointment that Nico was leaving suddenly.

"I can come back after," Nico said immediately

Will face brightened up. "Really?"

Nico nodded again.

"Okay, I'll make some grilled cheese while waiting for you."

"Sounds great," With that, Nico dissolved in a cloud of black smoke.

Yep. It's complicated when your friend could just disappear in black smoke and you are falling for a death angel.

"Why on earth did you send that picture to my mother!" Will exclaimed, pointing the canned black coffee he was holding to Lou. They were both standing in front of a vending machine at JHH.

Lou flinched. "I was actually hoping that Naomi knows him so I ask her about him. Sorry."

"But why did she mistake Nico for being my boyfriend?"

Lou flinched again. "Guilty. Kind of told her that you were both dating -but hey! I genuinely thought you were since you're holding hands and all..."

"I was so tempted to give you a shot of formaldehyde while you are asleep," Will said.

"Now that's pretty harsh to say to a friend." Lou countered.

"Because of that, Mom wants to meet Nico!"

Lou frowned. "What's wrong with that? Just invite Nico."

Will sighed. "It's complicated."

"Does he know that you're a homo?" Lou asked, hugging the medical chart she was holding.

"No."

"Then why he's holding your hand?!"

"I don't know!"

"That was really complicated," Lou patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Anyways, I have to go. Need to bring this to Dr. Grey." She pointed to the chart. "But you should still try to invite him you know..."

"I'll try."

Lou just nodded and walked away just in time Nico appeared who looked invisible to everyone except for Will. Lou didn't even flinch when Nico had materialized out of thin air in front of her. She walked passed him.

"Hey." Will smiled at him opening the can of coffee. He tipped his head back as he drank the coffee.

"So I was wondering," Nico said casually. "What's Solangelo?"

Will had the decency to turn around and spat the coffee he was drinking straight to the fake plants next to the vending machine. Nico stared at the plants.

"What?" Will coughed looking back at Nico. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand

"I said what Solangelo is. I frequently heard it lately from some nurses and doctors talking." Nico said.

Will couldn't believe that they were becoming the new gossip topic in the hospital.

"Why are you curious about it?" Will inquired.

"In Italian Solangelo means sun angel," Nico answered. "So I was curious about what they were talking about."

Will couldn't help but smile. He liked it. He did not realize that a ship name could mean something so beautiful. "So you can speak Italian?"

"Of course. I was an Italian in my mortal life before."

Will just nodded in awe. "Of course you were…"

"So what is Solangelo?" Nico insisted.

"I don't know, it was just some trend on social media, I think.."

Nico didn't look convinced but thankfully he bought Will's lie.

Before Will could chicken out. "Are you free this weekend?"

"Why?" Nico frowned.

"I wanted to invite you to my mom's house but if you're not available that's okay," Will said hastily.

Nico continued to frown and Will was growing nervous. He did not realize that he was gripping the coffee can so hard that coffee started to spill on his hand.

"When exactly this weekend?" Nico asked.

"Sunday," Will answered immediately ignoring his coffee-stained hand.

"Okay," Nico said.

"Okay?" Will repeated.

"I'm coming with you."

Will wanted to do the chicken dance in delight but of course, he resisted and did his best to stay calm and neutral.

"All right see you this weekend." But Will couldn't help but grin widely.

Nico just nodded.

Will was excited about the weekend.