Chapter 15:

The Final Romeo

The boys of Nico's English class would have the whole Friday off for their oral presentations, so they would get through everyone. Personally, Nico didn't like it.

When he exited the Hades cabin, Nico took a deep breath. After today, he wouldn't have a proper excuse to hang out with Will, or disappear for hours on end into the woods with him and subtly romance him with a Shakespeare play. He was going to the city with the blond dork tomorrow – maybe that'll change something.

Nico didn't expect the change to come that day.

At eight-thirty, on the dot, Ms Dare's class trudged into the forest. "For immersion," Ms Dare insisted as he hoicked the tripod and camera higher on her shoulder. Nico and Will shared a look before bursting into silent giggles. The group came to a stand-still.

Nico's heart sped up as he realised the class had stopped in the middle of his and Will's practice clearing. The Apollo camper had a small, fond smile on his face, and wasted no time in heading towards the lowest hanging branch and hooking the strap holding their costumes to it, so they wouldn't wrinkle over his arms. Nico followed him as the rest of the boys dispersed. Ms Dare took a seat on a stump right in the middle of the glade before setting up her filming equipment.

"Now, guys," she started as she attached the camera to the tripod and set it on the ground. "You can take a seat anywhere around here – climb a tree for all I care – but make sure you pay attention to the ones performing, yeah? You've all worked hard on this, so don't ruin it for everyone else. And keep quiet during performances, as I'm filming them."

The agreements were swift and gleeful. Half the class ran to the nearest tree, scrambling up it. Percy and Jason, surprisingly, did not. Nico was about to ask if they were sick before Ms Dare said, "And our first pair has already volunteered. Percy and Jason, you're up!" She began filming.

Somehow, Percy and Jason's performance was exactly as Nico expected it to be. They'd gone with the most obnoxious scene in the whole play – Mercutio and Tybalt's argument in the square, and their fight. They executed it the exact same metrosexual style they always interact. Nico swore that, if it wasn't common knowledge they were one half of a power-couple with their girlfriends at Lupa, they'd be pegged as gayer than a basket of fruit for each other.

As Percy stabbed his sword at Jason – his real one, mind – they both froze. It took a moment for everyone to realise that this was their coup de grâce – the culmination of the tension their characters had. Dramatic and very Jason-and-Percy-esque. The class began clapping, and Leo, in his precarious perch hanging by his knees from a high branch, cat-called. Jason and Percy took their bows, grinning widely.

"Whoo!" Ms Dare called, cupping her hands around her mouth after turning off the camera. "A-grade worthy performance, you two." She winked at them, which might be weird if she wasn't twenty-four and a jokester. "I'd give you high marks for those costumes alone."

Percy smirked and stretched his legs in their maroon tights.

"Hottie!" he sang.

Jason pushed him off the make-shift stage.

And so it continued, everyone going one after the other. Ms Dare seemed to be choosing pairs at random on who would go next. Leo and his partner, Frank Zhang, were hilarious, as an over-dramatic Juliet (Leo) and her comforting Nurse (Frank). Nico didn't expect to enjoy the day as much as he did, and didn't notice when the sun crept across the sky and began sinking down towards the horizon.

He did notice Will slide over to him and tap his shoulder. Turning around, Nico glanced up, a smile lifting his lips. Will leant down so his mouth was right beside Nico's ear.

"We're up next," he whispered. "We have to go get changed."

Stones dropped in Nico's stomach and he swallowed, suddenly nervous and feeling like he'd eaten paper. He ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth before nodding and getting up. His legs felt jelly-ish. Will turned to look at him over his shoulder, an edgy grin on his face.

"I added something to my part. Just… don't freak out okay?"

As if Nico's gut could get any more apprehensively tensed.

Will grabbed their costumes off the branch, Nico stared straight ahead, psyching himself up. He could do this. Easily. He knew his lines, and he had his eyes closed for most of the time. It was just a performance. Just a performance. No one was going to judge him differently.

Nico look the covered dress Will handed him. Leo had worn a dress – a super frilly thing that didn't belong in Shakespearean times – and no one had reacted any differently to him. But Leo's the class clown, Nico reminded himself. That's normal. He's predictably unpredictable. I'm just…

Will touched his shoulder, and Nico couldn't not look up into his eyes.

"It'll be okay," the Apollo camper murmured.

Easy for you to say, Nico thought, staring at the dark blue tights in Will's hands and mentally projecting them onto his play partner. Unfairly attractive little –

"Get dressed, Neeks!" Will urged, steering Nico to behind a tree. "We're on soon."

Nico sighed and shimmied out of his shirt, leaving it in a crumpled heap on the floor at his feet. Stubbornly leaving his pants on though, the Hades camper stepped into his fitting garment, hoisting it up to his chest before bending his arms to zip up the back. Nico looked down at himself.

It wasn't quite the lilly-white colour he'd been expecting from the photo. It was actually pale blue, like early morning grey mixed with the sky, with pleats at the front and back. The shoulders were tight-knit mesh and puffy, but not obnoxiously so, so he at least didn't look like a cross-dressed nightmare Cinderella. The waist was narrow, making him realise just exactly how thin he was – he would not be telling Will – and there were intricate gold lace patterns weaving in waves from the hips down. Cloudy white trim hedged the base and when he walked, Nico could feel the softness of it brushing his ankles. Cross-stitching on the bodice in black leather and a Peter Pan collar made of slightly darker blue than the dress complied with the similar design on the sleeves. Half the back of Nico's hand was covered by a triangle of darker fabric.

It wasn't exactly Shakespearean fashion. It wasn't exactly Disney either. But it was exactly right. If he ever had to wear a dress, this was what Nico di Angelo would choose.

He hoped this was a one-time thing, though.

Pulling off his combat boots, Nico stuffed his socks inside them before slipping into midnight-blue flats. Oh man. Deep inside – no one will ever find out – Nico felt pretty. The last part was the head piece: a simple band of blue and black with a short veil that sat over his bangs, but not quite his eyes. Picking up the posse of fake black flowers, Nico gathered his previous clothes in a clump and ducked out from behind the tree.

…-…

Will stayed slightly hidden from the clearings occupants, watching without seeing the performing group. He was thinking about Nico.

He'd finished changing, the pair of dark blue tights and boots so light he kept forgetting he was wearing pants. The grey tunic was a different story though – that thing was so heavy thanks to the belt strapped to it he felt the ground might open up under him. Around his head, tied just under his fringe, was a black headband. A thin rapier borrowed from the weapons shed sat in a loop at his waist, and the vial filled with water that was his 'poison' was hanging there as well. He felt like a bloody pirate. As he waited for Nico to come out, Will played with the untied strings hanging from the cuffs of his shirt.

The image of lily-white dresses, black flowers and crowns swam into his thoughts again. The Apollo camper shook his head. Come on, dude. Knock it off.

The performing pair finished, and everyone clapped. Will's stomach clenched – they were up next. He and Nico were the last group to go. Ms Dare swivelled around on her stump. She and Will locked eyes.

"Our final pair is Will Solace and Nico di Angelo!" she grinned beginning the filming before motioning for Will to come out from behind the tree and take his place. Breathing deeply he complied, stepping out and trying to walk like he wasn't going to trip over his own feet. From the gathering of Leo, Percy, Jason, Will's friend Cecil and Frank Zhang, there was a wolf whistle. He shot them a look as he stood in the same place he'd practiced yesterday, facing away from the log Nico would lie on.

"Will?" Ms Dare inquired. "Where's Nico?"

"Just getting changed-" Will started, before there was a movement at the edge of the clearing nearest him and someone who belonged in the Aphrodite cabin stepped out.

Will's jaw hit the ground. Mildly, he thought they should have done a run-through with the costumes, so he didn't gape like a love-sick moron at their assessment. But that was past and this was now, and Nico di Angelo was wearing a gown that seemed to have been made for him.

It wasn't Will's fantasy white-dove one – it was even better. He looked like he was wearing a slim wedding dress strategically dipped in blue dye. The veil over his brow and the way everything swished when he walked made Will's heart do the ba-dump ba-dump thing so hard someone in the Big House was probably using it as an erratic metronome.

Nico met his eye for the briefest second, and his face seemed to be deciding on whether to look flustered or wicked.

"Dang dude," Leo called out from his branch. He was still in his frilly pink monstrosity. "If I wasn't straight and you weren't taken, I'd tap that."

Nico growled as he made his way towards the log, his steps edgy. He shot a poisonous look at Leo, who shrugged. Will was too busy staring to even hear. His Juliet was beautiful. Utterly, mind-blowingly gorgeous. He was honest-to-gods surprised his legs were still holding him up.

"Whenever you're ready, boys," Ms Dare said, checking the camera, and Will snapped out of it enough to turn away. She was watching Nico eagerly, and Will tried not to blush as he thought of the cute little hop the Hades camper did to get onto the log. In that dress, too…

"Solace," Nico hissed from behind him. "Go."

Will barely nodded, focusing on his lines in his head. It's just another practice with Nico. We're alone. Just act like you always do, Will. And… go!

Will moved forward fluidly, pulling out his sword. He walked around for a bit, searching for something, before he finally allowed himself to turn towards Nico lying on the log.

Breathe, Will.

Dropping his rapier, Will rushed towards the other boy.

"Ah, dear Juliet, why art thou yet so fair?" he cried, the picture if despair and longing. "Shall I believe that unsubstantial death is amorous, and that the lean abhorrèd monster keeps thee here in dark to be his paramour?"

Will moved himself so the audience could still see Nico as he leaned over the top of the log to stare down at the Hades camper. He tucked a stray piece of hair behind Nico's ear. The other boy didn't move.

"For fear of that, I will stay with thee, and never from this place of dim night depart again," Will said decisively, glancing down obviously at the vial at his hip. He felt the audiences eyes follow. Ms Dare wrote something down in her grade book.

"Here," Will proclaimed, his voice turning determined, "here I will remain with worms that are thy chamber maids. Oh, here will I set up my everlasting rest, and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world-wearied flesh."

Will put his hands on either side of Nico's neck, the cold skin making them tingle.

"Eyes," he said softly, "look your last. Arms, take your last embrace.

"And, lips, Oh you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss a dateless bargain to engrossing death."

The moment Will had been too scared to take before appeared again. He remembered saying the exact same thing not last week, kneeling over Nico as he lay on the ground.

Never taking his eyes off Nico, Will moved to take the vial of water – sorry, poison – from his belt. He leant in closer.

"Righteous kiss," he murmured again, this time not loud enough for anyone but the black haired boy to hear. Nico's eyes opened the smallest bit, and he watched as Will gently, slowly, in front of everyone, pressed his lips to Nico's.