Nico made his way to the Amphitheatre. He had the urgent desire to kill some dummies with his Stygian Iron sword.

"You stupid…" he cursed under his breath.

"Nico, wait!" Will called out behind him, but Nico just increased his pace.

Unfortunately, since Will was way taller than him. he eventually caught up. Nico was close to the amphitheatre's outer wall when Will placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Nico, hey!"

Nico whirled around and slapped Will's hand off. He was angry, hurt and annoyed all at the same time. Those were familiar feelings, but he hadn't felt them all in a while and so they'd come back so much stronger than before.

"Don't touch me!" he hissed.

"Please, just let me –"

"What? Explain?"

"Yes, I –"

"Explain how in the world you thought my coming out to you wouldn't call for you telling me the same? It didn't come up?" Hot anger bubbled under his skin and the grass at his feet wilted, but Nico didn't care.

"No, listen, it's not what you think!" Will sounded desperate, but Nico wasn't inclined to listened.

"I don't want to hear it, Will!" he told him. "Oh, I get it, make friends with the dark underworld kid, get him to tell him your secret so that you can laugh away and have fun with it. But open up to me? Who thinks what I might do, right? I'm just the sad little –"

He didn't get any further in his rant because Will had grabbed his shoulders and slammed him against the wall. Before Nico could say anything Will sealed his lips with an angry kiss. Nico's eyes widened, him arms turning limb and falling uselessly to his side. If Will hadn't pinned him to the wall, he feared his legs would have given way underneath him. His brain ceased to function completely.

When Will drew back, his face was bright red. He studied Nico for a second, then turned away hastily.

"I – I have to go now!" He said and sprinted off.

As soon as he was out of sight, Nico slumped to the ground touching his lips where Will had just kissed him. What in Hades' name had just happened?

Will sprinted to his cabin, fell on his bed and decided to just go and die in embarrassment. How could he have done it? But, by the gods, he had to do something to make Nico understand. Just these few seconds of being hated by him had been enough to tear Will's heart apart.

"It's okay," he grumbled into his pillow. "I don't actually have to meet him."

The next days Will kept himself so busy that he didn't have to face Nico. Whenever the son of Hades was close, he looked for another excuse and escaped the scene. He managed that for about a week, when his cabin mate Thea approached him.

"Will," she said, looking insecure. "Nico di Angelo wants to speak to you."

Will jumped.

"What?!"

"He's waiting outside."

"Tell him I'm not here." Will's voice was alarmingly shrill.

"He's kind of threatening to attack us…" Thea said weakly.

"What?"

Then he heard it; Nico was throwing a big ruckus outside.

"I swear to you, Solace, if you don't move your butt outside this seconds I will summon an army of the undead and tear your cabin to pieces!"

Will hurried to the entrance.

"Nico!" he scolded.

"Oh, good, you're free," Nico just said. "Come with me."

"Actually, I'm –" Will began, but Nico only shot him an evil look and Will obliged.

His heart raced in his chest as he followed Nico to the edge of the woods.

The other boy turned to face him, glowering at him.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Nico demanded.

"I'm not avoiding you…" Will said evasively. "I'm just busy."

"Please!" Nico cried. "I talked to your cabin mates. You've had a nice relaxing week."

"I just, I don't…" Will stared at the ground.

"Why did you kiss me?" Nico asked, suddenly in a quiet tone.

Will looked up and saw that Nico had blushed.

"I, uh… do you really have to ask?"

Nico kept staring stubbornly.

"I just, I… you're really cute!" Will tried explaining, fumbling with the words.

"Cute?" Nico looked disgusted.

"Holy Apollo, Nico, I kissed you because I didn't want you to hate me. I like you!"

Will stared daringly at Nico, watching his reaction. At first, nothing happened, then Nico reached towards Will, lacing his longs fingers around his neck. Will's chest tightened when he realised what was going to happed. He leaned down and let Nico kiss him timidly. Then he pulled him closer, embracing the son of Hades in a more passionate kiss. When he let go they both stood very close, leaning their foreheads against each other. Then, Nico muttered the four words that brought Will over the moon with happiness.

"I like you, too."