There is your chapter, (don't worry more plot will come in the next one) Thank you to rhig122 and Book-shelfdivided for commenting
Nico P.O.V
"I feel terrible, am I an awful person?" Hazel's worried face rested in her hands.
"No Haze, of course not." I said to the computer monitor.
She had been going on for about an hour, I tried to comfort her at first but now I was just getting annoyed.
"I thought I was doing the right thing!" She practically whined.
You might call me a bad person, but I was fed up. "If you feel so bad why don't you stop feeling sorry for yourself and do something nice for her?" I rolled my eyes.
She looked at my annoyed face and had the decency to look sheepish. "Yeah I guess that would be a good idea, but what should I do?"
"Do I have to come up with all your ideas," I complained.
"Oh! Friendship necklaces!" she said excitedly.
"Are you twelve?" I raised an eyebrow.
"No, I just thought it would be nice." she huffed, pouting at me.
"You said she likes baking, right?" She nodded. "So maybe you should set her up with a job. Your friend Katie works at Olympia cafe right? Then she gets money and opportunities to meet friends." I'd given up on being stubborn, if I didn't suggest something I just knew she'd end up making the fucking friendship bracelet.
"That's brilliant, thanks! Oh, I gotta go." She smiled and hung up the Skype call.
I looked down at my phone; 8:30. Crap! I was late for meeting Will at the park.
I put on my hoodie and shuffled outside of my dorm. I closed the door only the find a note taped to it with my name on it. I stuck it in my pocket and hurried outside into the autumn air.
Solace was there waiting on a park bench, in a honey yellow sweater with a black scarf, he looked up when he heard me coming.
His face seemed to fill with an emotion that I couldn't quite pin down.
"Thought you weren't coming for a bit death boy." He smirked.
"Almost wasn't Solace." This was partly true, I had debated weather or not I was going last night, but Hazel made me promise to when I passed it by her an hour ago before she started whining about Drew.
He grinned but it faded as he saw my face, "Oh."
"So what's this whole 'big plan' thing about?" I asked as casually as I could. He wouldn't tell me where we were going and I really wanted to know. Which was the reason I came, not anything else.
"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise!" he sung.
"You never said it was a surprise before." I said bluntly, hoping he'd get flustered. He was pretty cute when he got flustered- no wait! Not cute, just fun to watch.
But he kept cool. "Details, details!" he scoffed smiling his Solace-y smile.
He held up a bright yellow bandana, (gods what is it with this guy and yellow) and before he could speak I jumped in wit a warning, "Don't you even think about putting that thing on my head."
"Oh I'm not just thinking about it," he taunted, "I'm doing it."
He lunged at me and managed to get it over my head.
"Come on Solace," I whined, pushing it off "It's yellow!"
"Fine you baby. Would this be better?" he held up his scarf.
I rolled my eyes, but agreed. "You better not wear that bandana around your neck though."
"I think it's cute!" Will protested as he wrapped the scarf over my eyes. Gods it smelled like Solace (who smells like honey, freshly mowed grass and a bit of Clorox disinfectant).
"This way." Will grabbed my hand and pulled me along with him.
"What if I trip?" I complained, focusing on anything but his warm hand.
"Would you rather I carry you?" Will sounded smug.
I blushed at the image of me in Will's arms, kind of hoping he would, but only groaning in response. I mean we were on campus for Hades sakes.
"No I think I'll walk." Solace will regret this one day.
I only think we walked a little ways, maybe five minuets or so, before Will grabbed both my shoulders and whispered in my ear, "Careful of your arms,"
Did he mean that there was something on the sides of us, I reached out my hand and felt concrete brush my knuckles.
Will sighed, "What did I just say to do?" "Be careful of my arms." I smiled.
"And what do you do?" Will tried to be stern.
"I touched the wall, but I was careful of my arms, I just wanted to know what was there," I protested.
"Well now there is no wall, so sit down right here," he pushed my shoulders down.
"Can I take off my blindfold?" I asked, it was annoying me that I couldn't see.
"Patience child." Will said in a calm voice.
"I think I'm actually older than you," I commented.
"Shush child," I could hear the laughter in his voice. "Now open," I'm pretty sure he did a dramatic flourish with his hands.
I tugged off his scarf to see a picnic blanket. And a picnic. And a Solace. With a guitar. In a small garden surrounded by brick walls, no windows. Lots of flowers.
"You like it?" He asked excitedly, strumming a few chords on his guitar almost nervously.
"Yeah it's pretty cool." for a garden that isn't my step mom's that is. And that's a garden that bright, and has, colors and stuff. Also it was nice, a little private picnic place.
"Yeah Katie, you know Gardener, has a brother that I'm friends with and it's his garden. Or well, it's an area behind the nurses ward and he asked my sisters permission and made it a garden." He babbled, cheeks tinted pink.
"Food?" I asked, staring pointedly at the picnic basket.
"Gods Di Angelo you have such a one track mind." He laughed, putting his guitar down by his side.
"You know me." I actually was really hungry, all I had for lunch was half a bagel.
"But I don't actually." Will said, looking me straight in the eyes.
I shifted my gaze, looking anywhere but Solace.
"Since your not going to just start your life story, I'll start mine." Will decided.
"We're doing life stories?" I laughed, but in reality if he shared his I would have to share mine which is something I really don't want to do.
Will took a deep breath, "I was born in L.A, with an older sister and brother. My dad Apollo and my mom May moved to Boston when I was three and we stayed there until I was ten. That's where I learned how to play guitar and other stuff. We moved to New York State when my aunt died in a car crash near our old house in Boston. I was the only one there when it happened and I didn't know what to do and it was my fault she died because I thought I could help her. So I decided I wanted to be a doctor. When we moved to New York I went to the library as often as I could to take out medical books to learn everything. I begged to be enrolled in high school courses once I was in sixth grade, and by the time I was a softmore I was taking collage courses, so after this year I only have one year left before I get my masters degree." He sucked in a deep breath.
I just sat there, a little shocked. It was a lot of information to absorb.
"Food?" I asked. Will laughed, opening the basket.
"I'm not a very good cook so don't expect much," he pulled out a dish wrapped in tin foil.
He uncovered it, it was spaghetti.
"I'd like to see you mess up spaghetti Solace, it's just boiling." I cracked a smile.
"Well you're in luck, you're seeing it right now." He pulled out two bowls, forks, cheese and some red sauce. "It's time for your story now."
I just ate my spaghetti, my backstory wasn't motivating and it wasn't happy.
"Oh come on Death Boy," He assumed the pleading puppy dog eyes, "Don't you trust me?"
His pouty lip was too much for me and I caved,
"Fine," I sighed. "But it's hardly what you'd call 'a happy tale,' so don't say I didn't warn you.
"I was born in Venice, Italy, I had an older sister named Bianca, and we moved to D.C. When I was six. Four years later my mom, Maria, died in a building collapse. A few months later my sister and I found out that my dad, Hades, had cheated on my mom and I had a half sister only a few months younger than me, Hazel. Her mom died up in Alaska the following year in a archaeology dig. When I was fourteen my dad got remarried to his current wife, Persephone. When I was fifteen, Bianca saved my life by pushing me out of the way of a car and got hit instead. She didn't even make it to the hospital."
I only realized Will had moved to sit beside me when his strong muscled arms pulled me into a hug. My head rested on his shoulder and I wrapped my skinny arms around his shoulders in return. Before long tears began dropping from my eyes onto his shirt. I hadn't felt this safe in a while.
Will brushed my hair back, whispering comfortingly, "It'll be ok."
"And . . . Well . . . now I'm here . . ." I couldn't bring myself to pull away from him, so we stayed there for a few more minutes.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know it would stir up so many bad memories." Now he was tracing little patterns on my back.
I snapped back to reality. No way did I need his pity. I pushed him off and looked down at my food.
Will got up and moved back to his original seat. We ate the rest of our dinner in tense silence.
That is until he brought out some brownies.
"Ooh gimme!" I ordered reaching out for them, no one came between me and brownies.
"What's the magic word?" Will tutted.
"Now, before I decapitate you." I deadpanned.
"Not even close." He chuckled, but handed me a brownie anyway.
I lay down on the picnic blanket, looking up at the stars. Will sat next to me and started to play on his guitar.
(Be wherever you are, from Steven Universe (abbreviated ).)
"Isn't this such a beautiful night,
Whoa, we're underneath a thousand shining stars.
Isn't it nice to find yourself somewhere different, Whoa, why don't you let yourself just be wherever you are.
Look at this place, look at your faces.
I've never seen you look like this before.
Isn't it nice to find yourself somewhere different,
Whoa, why don't you let yourself just be wherever you are.
Look at this place, look at your faces.
They're shining like a thousand shining stars
Isn't it nice to find yourself somewhere different,
Whoa, why don't you let yourself just be whoever you are.."
I snuggled farther into my hoodie and a little closer to Will. Among being a doctor and able to play a ton of musical instruments, Will Solace was also an amazing singer.
Goddamit.
Hazels POV
"Hey Katie!" I called across the cafe. She turned and smiled at me, dusting off her apron.
"Hello Hazel. Would you like anything?"
"A mocha with extra cream would be fantastic thanks!" I said a little breathlessly. I'd run straight here from class, excited to get on with my- er, Nico's - plan to make up with Drew.
"Sure thing." Katie turned to the kitchen to get my drink, but I grabbed her sleeve to stop her. "Wait! I - uh, sorry to bother you - but my friend is looking for a job and she's a fantastic baker, so I was thinking maybe, if you guys were hiring?"
Katie looked thoughtful. "Yes actually, one of our pastry chefs just retired, so we have room for a junior one now. I can give you an application form, but I can't promise anything. She'd have to look good enough on paper to get an interview and if she passed that she'd have to do a demonstration."
"Really? All for a little cafe job?"
"I think it's a bit much too, but it's pretty well-paying - and plus, we are on a collage campus, lots of students want jobs."
"Good point. But I think she can do it! She's really good."
Katie smiled. "Alright! I'll be back with a mocha and an application."