Nico's lips are really soft. His skin is really soft. His eyes are soft.
Sometimes Nico is just, soft. Like when they kiss, and Nico melts just a little bit. Sometimes what Nico says is soft, like the italian songs he sings when he thinks no one is around. Will thinks Nico is a better singer than anyone on Earth. Also a better kisser. Gosh he was such a good kisser. Like now.
Nico was sitting outside the Hades cabin. Until Will showed up and promised to start singing if he didn't go on a walk with him. He was used to it by now, Will liked spending time in the woods, and Nico liked the quiet. He actually really liked spending this time with Will. When it got dark it also got cold, which gave him the perfect excuse to wrap his arms around Nico and "keep him warm". He would have done it anyway.
They ended up sitting against a tree and looking out at the swirling beach. They saw Piper down by herself looking into her blade. She still did after all this time. Still nothing. No one had any luck finding Leo.
It made Nico worried. What he really was dead? Where would he even go if he survived? He had no idea.
"Will?"
"Hmm?" Will was sprawled out on the forest floor looking up into the dense trees. A small glimmer the of moon shown through the pine needles.
"Do you think Leo is alive?"
Will stayed silent for several minutes. Nico was just beginning to suspect that he had fallen asleep when he answered. "I really don't know. It's hard to believe he wouldn't have something set up as a last message for you guys. Maybe he is alive and he's hiding somewhere pretending to be a mortal. Maybe he joined the mexican army. Maybe he lost his memories and became a mechanic in New Orleans. No one knows."
Nico smiled at the thought of one of his friends leading a normal life. He'd often wished it for himself, and for Will. To just be mortals and live normally and not save the world all the time. To be able to use a phone. He'd still be living in the 1940's with his mom and Bianca. They'd both be alive.
His smile slipped.
"Will do you ever wish you could have a normal life?"
"No."
"Why not though? If I had to choose just one reason it'd be that I've seen tons of dead people and lots of my friends are emotionally scarred for life." He rolled his eyes and layed down next to him.
"Well when you put it like that it sounds awful. If we'd had a normal life you'd be in the 1940's and never would have met any of your best friends. Or me. Personally I think Coach Hedge adores you." He laughed.
Nico didn't say anything else. He didn't bother thinking what it would have been like. He didn't bother thinking about what it was like when he was 10. He didn't think about any of it. He just laid there next to Will Solace and looked at the moon.
"Hey Neeks?"
"Yeah?" He looked over at Will.
"What's your favorite color?"
"What do you think?"
"Yellow."
"It's black, Will. Black." Nico smiled at the sky. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, and eventually Will fell asleep. He woke up the next day in his bed with a note stuck to face.
"Hey Will, you fell asleep last night in the woods so i carried you back to your cabin. Head to my place around 6.
p.s not six in the morning"
Will showed up at Nicos cabin at exactly six expecting what he usually saw. This was not that.
The room glowed with the lights Nico hung up. He had gotten rid of all the vampire furniture and replaced it with regular non themed items. There was now a light brown desk standing against one wall and a pullout dresser underneath the new bed. It wasn't very large, but as Will noticed it had more than enough room to fit two people. Nico was sitting in the desk and working on writing something or reading something or something.
"Do you ever knock?" Nico asked not looking up from his work. Will stepped fully inside closing the door behind him.
"You said be here at six and look I'm here at six." He plopped himself down on the bed and wrapped himself up in the blankets.
"When I said around six I meant around six. Not exactly six. You're early."
"Well I'll do my best to stay occupied until around six arrives. What are you working on?"
"The reason I said around six." He monotoned. He looked up from his work and Will could see a tiny corner of it just over Nicos shoulder. It was covered in thick graphite and very dark. Maybe Nico was drawing... "I see you've confiscated my linens."
"These aren't linens it's just a normal grey bed spread. Linen is something totally different. I think."
"Either way you became a bedding burrito. I'll let you know when I'm done." He said turning away again. Will nodded even though Nico couldn't see it. He buried his face the pillow and relaxed. He was startled away from a drowsy inhale of Nicos scent when the latter was finished. He unrolled himself from the bundle of blankets and stalked over to the desk.
"So lets see then! I wanna know what was so important."
"Well first of all I remodeled, and it looks awesome. Second I... drew a picture." He held up the piece of simple white paper and let Will look at it. It was a draw of Will standing in front of a graphite sun. It was extremely well done and you could almost feel the warmth radiating off of it.
"This is amazing. When did you learn to do this?" He was dumbfounded by the sheer ability.
"Uh... I don't remember. I woke up this morning and just got to work. It's only just now dawning on me that's unusual. Hm."
A few weeks later they would both find out that this gift was from aphrodite and was only temporary. Will was gifted with being not annoying for a few days and they got a lot of things done.