A/N: Chapter 15, and it's a NICO POV! WHOOO! Once again, a huge thanks to everyone leaving reviews and generally supporting the story. You guys are amazing! Keep being awesome and showing your love for the story, and enjoy the chapter, lovelies! You deserve it ;)

Also, we're almost to 90 reviews! Thank you all so much. I never thought when I started this story that it would get such positive feedback and such a great following, so I'd just like to let you guys know that I appreciate each and every one of you for contributing to the progress of this story, because I honestly couldn't have done it without your support. You guys inspire me :3

Okay, enough sappy stuff XD Let's get started!

Texting guide;

Bold = Nico

Bold and underlined = Jason

Italics = Will

Underlined and italics = Hazel

15

Nico

Nico stared down at the text he'd typed out on his phone with a worried look, biting his lip nervously. Hey, Will. Sorry I didn't respond to your texts. Can we maybe meet up later? It was the sixth attempt, and yet Nico still wasn't happy with it. What was he missing? Sighing in frustration, he repeatedly pressed the backspace key until the spot was empty again, just waiting for him to try and formulate another text.

It was late Sunday morning, and he was attempting to apologize to Will for ignoring him for almost two full days, but thus far was having little luck in doing so. Seriously, though, how was he supposed to go about it? 'Hey Will, sorry I was a jerk and totally didn't talk to you or respond to your texts with no explanation as to why for two days, can we meet up and talk'? No matter what he came up with, he just couldn't seem to think of a good way to say he was sorry.

Sighing, he turned off his phone and stuck it in his sweatshirt pocket, flopping back across his bed with a defeated groan. He'd taken Reyna's advice and just thought about his feelings for twenty-four hours, and this is where it got him. He hadn't "figured anything out" or even cleared anything up. His mind had mostly been blank; empty.

Sure, he had thought about Will, but did that mean he liked him? Sure, he could admit that Will was attractive, but anyone with eyes in their head would say the same thing, so that didn't prove anything. And sure, he liked hanging out with him, but who's to say he wanted to be anything more than just friends? How was he supposed to draw the line between like and (although he hated to use the middle school term) like like?

Flipping onto his back, he rested his hands on his stomach and stared up at the glow-in-the-dark stars glued to the black ceiling. For as long as Nico could remember, everyone had fit into two solid categories; 'People I Like', and 'People I Don't Like'. But now, for the first time, there was someone who didn't fit into either, and he had blond hair and eyes as blue as the sky. Nico was about 1,000,000% done.

In his pocket, his phone dinged, and he pulled it out with a sigh, squinting as the bright screen lit up to reveal a text from Jason.

10:54 AM - Hey, Neeks. Reyna told me about that whole "thinking about your feelings" thing you did yesterday. As your best friend, I am duly obligated to ask; how'd it go?

Nico sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to formulate a response that didn't involve swear words.

10:55 AM - It went fine. Although you can report back to her that I didn't really do much soul-searching, and so had 0 dramatic revaluations about my innermost feelings. Sorry to disappoint.

10:55 AM - What, so you thought about nothing the whole day? I find that hard to believe. Follow-up; wasn't this about Will? And if so, follow-follow-up; did you think about him during your "day of feelings"?

10:56 AM - Well... I mean it's hard not to think about someone when you're trying NOT to think of them, so... of course I thought of him! But I mean it wasn't like romantic or anything. Platonic thinking. It was very dull, platonic thinking.

10:56 AM - Nico, the fact that you feel the need to add on "platonic" should clear up a few things for you right off the bat. I mean, every time I bring up hanging w/ Perce, I don't add "platonically", do I, Nico?

Nico had to think about that for a second. Maybe Jason was right. While he and Percy did (notably) have one of the strongest bromances in the western United States (debatably the entire United States), Jason never said anything with him was "platonic", even though all the girls at school had fangirl crack ship dreams of the two of them getting together some day.

10:58 AM - I only add it because I know you'll insinuate... THINGS if I don't!

10:58 AM - Oh, c'mon, Neeks, you know I wouldn't. You know what, if Reyna's idea didn't work, I have one of my own. Instead of avoiding Will, spend time with him, instead. And if you find yourself feeling drawn to him in, you know, WAYS, then that's that, right?

10:59 AM - Fine, if you'll stop bugging me about this, fine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to construct an apology text to Will...

11:00 AM - Okay, but just... just TALK to him, Neeks. Seriously. Talk to him.

Rolling his eyes and turning back to Will's texts, Nico sighed and closed his eyes for a second, trying to collect himself. Now not only Reyna but Jason as well was bothering him. Did they not see that he wanted to clear everything with Will up just as much as they did, if not more so? He didn't want to be wallowing in confusion like this. It wasn't his choice.

Puffing out his cheeks in annoyance, Nico turned his thoughts to the much safer subject of how he was going to apologize to Will. He had to include the actual words 'I'm sorry', and preferably not involve his actual reason for giving the boy the silent treatment in the first place, so what could he say that fit those criteria? He started simple.

Hey, Will. I'm sorry for ignoring you these past couple of days.

Okay, good, good. This was a good start. Now to add to it.

I was just thinking about some stuff, but I've sorted it out now.

Almost, but not quite...

How about I buy you lunch to make up for it? I'd love to see you.

He grimaced and changed 'love' to 'like', reading the text over a couple times to see if he was truly satisfied with it. Hey, Will. I'm sorry for ignoring you these past couple of days. I was just thinking about some stuff, but I've sorted it out now. How about I buy you lunch to make up for it? I'd like to see you. It looked good to him. Before he could chicken out, Nico held his breath and pressed send, releasing it all in one big gasp and falling back across his mattress.

"I did it..." he whispered to himself, clenching his fist in victory. "See, Nico, that wasn't so hard. But..." He grimaced. "Now I can only hope he's not too angry to respond..."

Nico waited. And waited. And waited.

He probably deserved this.

He'd been horrible to Will. He should've explained himself, or given him some sort of reason.

Ugh, Will probably hated him now. Gods, he had been so—

The cheerful ding of his phone broke Nico out of his depressed stupor, and he jumped, fumbling around with the phone, his fingers feeling numb until he managed to get a secure hold on it, and looked down at the screen. It was Will. (It was Will, finally!)

11:23 AM - ... I guess I can't turn down free food. Where should I meet you?

Nico let out a relieved sigh, feeling a smile cross his face. However, he ran into a problem. Where could he take Will? He didn't really know any places to eat (besides McDonald's, and he couldn't take Will there.) Biting his lip, he flipped over to Hazel's texts. She was a major connoisseur of good restaurants, because she and her boyfriend Frank had started a list of the best places to eat in their town for fun the previous summer, and it had kind of continued on from there.

11:25 AM - Hey, Hazel, I need a restaurant recommendation. Got anything?

She texted back less than a second later.

11:25 AM - Of course! What were you thinking? Italian? Chinese, Indian, French? Greek?

11:26 AM - Um... I don't really know what he likes, so... I guess whatever you think would be best.

11:26 AM - Ooh, it's a him, huh? ;) I see.

Flushing slightly, Nico rolled his eyes as he texted her back.

11:27 AM - Yes, Hazel. Now please just tell me a restaurant name. It's kind of important.

11:27 AM - Okay, okay! Hmmm... I'd have to go with either Painted Deer (BBQ), The Mountain Clam (seafood), or Pavilion (Italian). Depends on what you're in the mood for. What do you think?

11:28 AM - Um... I know it's pretty cheesy to take him to an Italian place, but... I hate seafood, and BBQ... ew.

11:28 AM - Okay, well Pavilion it is, then. I'll text you the address!

11:29 AM - Thanks, Hazel. I owe you one.

11:29 AM - It's no problem at all, Nico. Ask me for help whenever! And you totally have to call me and tell me everything after your date!

Nico grimaced, but he wasn't about to argue with her about it being a date.

11:30 AM - Okay, I will. Talk to you soon.

Taking a deep breath, he went back to Will's texts and typed out a simple sentence.

11:31 AM - Pavilion, 12:30. I can text you the address.

11:31 AM - Okay. See you then.

Nico felt himself grinning, and buried his face in his pillow, yelling at the top of his lungs and kicking his legs back and forth, unable to contain his excitement. He hadn't ruined things with Will, after all.

At 12:30, Nico sat on a bench outside Pavilion, his hands resting in his lap, strangling his phone with a white-knuckled grip. His breath felt weak, his hands were shaking, and he could feel himself sweating in the summer sun. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous. Maybe because he was scared that Will would be angry at him. Yeah, that was probably it.

But there was nothing to worry about. Nico was sure Will wasn't mad. Why would he have agreed to meet for lunch if he was? Nico froze, gulping. Maybe he just wanted to tell him how much he loathed him in person... Maybe even get a few kicks or punches in... Oh, Gods, Nico was going to dieeee...

"Nico?"

Nico whipped his head up so fast he felt his neck crack. Will was standing in front of him, wearing ripped, faded jeans and a loose Fairy Tail t-shirt. His blond hair was messy, but almost in an intentional way, as if he had combed through it but then decided it looked too neat and messed it up again. It worked for him.

"Oh, um, W-Will." Nico stood up quickly, his cheeks reddening at how nervous he sounded. "Thank you for coming."

Will took a step closer to him, and Nico thought he might smack him, but instead he simply smiled. "Sure. Thanks for inviting me."

"N-no problem." For a few seconds Nico stood there awkwardly while Will smiled at him, until he snapped himself out of his daze and cleared his throat. "Um, w-why don't we go inside?"

Nodding, Will followed him inside, where the waiter at the front seated them at a small table in a secluded front corner. The restaurant was simple but nice, with walls the color of fine wine, plain wooden tables, and a very open layout, with plain decor. On the far wall, there was a phrase written in a curling black script; Cibo, Amore, Famiglia.

"So," Will said, and Nico's gaze was drawn back to him, "why were you giving me the silent treatment?"

Grimacing, Nico played with the edge of one of the dark blue cloth napkins. "Well, I was— I was... thinking. I apologize for not saying something to you. I should have... I mean, I wasn't mad at you— I'm not mad at you." He looked down. "I would completely understand if you were mad at me, though..."

Will did something then that utterly surprised Nico, which was hard to do. He laughed.

"Nico, I'm not mad at you." He calmed his laughing and instead smiled, his blue eyes shining. "I was a little, at first. I actually thought you were mad at me because I ran out like that, but when I texted you why, and you didn't say anything... I was worried. And then I was mad."

"But..." Nico looked up at him cautiously. "You're not mad anymore?"

The boy shook his head. "Nope. And you owe that to Lou, because she calmed me down. If she hadn't, I probably would still want to bash your skull in with a violin."

Nico's eyes widened. "Um... I should probably thank her then, huh?"

Will laughed again. (Gods, that sound never got old.) "Yeah, probably so." His gaze turned more serious and he opened his menu. "We should probably order. Then we can talk, because believe you me, I have a lot to say."

A/N: Hope you guys liked the chapter. Nico and Will have started talking again, and will hopefully become friends again XD I wanted to focus on some more of Nico's relationships this chapter like I did with Will in chap. 13, so I brought in Hazel and Jason this time around. I'll probably do that some more next time, and yes, I know you guys are probably thinking Will and Nico will get together next chapter, but nope :p Sadly not yet, but we're gettin' there, guys. Anyway, please remember to follow and favorite to show your support, and leave suggestions/comments/corrections down in the review section :)

Translations;

- Cibo, Amore, Famiglia. = Food, Love, Family.