A/N: First of all, Happy New Years, lovelies! I hope you guys are all having a great time and are excited for the new year! Chapter 16 is here, and I hope you guys like it :D

Texting guide;

Bold = Nico

Bold and underlined = Jason

Italics = Will

16

Nico

Nico and Will stayed at Pavilion for several hours. It seemed they could never run out of things to talk about. But, inevitably, the did, and now they were standing outside. Nico didn't really want Will to leave, though he did feel like a weight had been lifted from his chest after the blond had forgiven him.

The silence was too awkward for Nico to handle, so he decided to say something, but Will beat him to the punch. "Thanks for lunch and for, ya know, clearing up the whole "not talking to me" thing."

Nico winced. "Yeah, once again, I'm very sorry about that. It won't happen again."

Will laughed and waved a hand dismissively. "I was just kidding. Everything is forgiven. Besides," he said, blue eyes sparkling with amusement, "you're too cute to stay mad at, death boy."

"Not funny," Nico warned, silently cursing himself as his cheeks reddened.

The blond simply laughed again, flashing his familiar thousand-watt smile. "I think it's pretty funny."

"You're insufferable," Nico complained, but he felt a small smile tug at the corners of his lips. Will waggled his eyebrows goofily, holding his arms out as if he wanted a hug. "Aw, cmon, you know I'm charming. It's one of my many gifts. Boyishly charming,"—he started ticking them off on his fingers—"handsome, great sense of humor, totally irresis— Oof!" He let out a breathless laugh as Nico punched him in the shoulder and he danced to the side to avoid him.

Scowling, Nico pointed at him accusingly. "You are a dork," he announced, placing his hands on his hips. Feeling a buzz in the back pocket of his jeans, he pulled out his phone to see a text from his dad. "And I have to get home." He sent a quick response and stuck the phone back in his pocket, looking up at Will apologetically. "Sorry to duck out on you."

"Nah, don't worry about it," the blond said with an understanding smile. "Last time it was me, after all." He grinned. "I think you're owed some payback."

Nico laughed at that. Will really was one of a kind. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He turned, shaking his head with an amused smile. "See you around, Solace."

There was a pause. "Hey, Nico, I was wondering..." The boy paused and turned to look back at Will, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah? Wondering what?"

Will scratched the back of his neck and shifted slightly on his feet. "My friend Cecil is having a party this weekend. I was wondering if you... wanted to come? It'll just be a small thing. Not super crowded or anything. A few of Cecil's other friends. Nothing too major." He paused, seeming to realize he was rambling and blushed slightly. "So, will you come?"

Of course he wanted to go to a party with Will fucking Solace. But he couldn't seem too enthusiastic when accepting his offer. He didn't want to seem desperate or anything like that. But at the same time, he was absolutely bursting at the seems. Will, Will was asking him to a party. And sure it wasn't like a date or anything, but still. Nico had never been to a party before.

"Yeah," he finally said, trying not to smile too widely. "Sure, I'd love to."

Will seemed relieved. "Great!" He coughed. "Um, I mean good. Good. I'll text you the details?"

"Sounds great," Nico agreed. He couldn't help but smile at how dorky the boy was being. "I've really got to go now, but I'll text you later." He waved and started walking again, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans, letting himself grin now that his back was turned.

"Okay," Will called out, no doubt with a smile. "See you soon!"

"See you soon," Nico repeated, feeling a sudden wave of warmth. That went better than expected.

Later that night, after he'd eaten dinner, Nico lay down on his bed and pulled out his phone to check his texts, like he did every night. As expected, there were several from Jason, one from Hazel asking about the "date" and its happenings, and one from Will. Nico clicked on that one first.

8:34 PM - The party's at nine tomorrow night. Should I give you the address so we can meet up, or do you want me to pick you up?

Nico thought for a second before responding.

8:35 PM - Pick me up?

8:35 PM - Sure thing. I'll be there around... eight?

8:36 PM- Sounds good. Thanks

8:37 PM - No problem ;) See you tomorrow. Goodnight

8:38 PM - Sleep already ill mio raggio di sole? It's a little early

5:38 PM - what can I say? Gotta get my ten hours ghost boy~ You should sleep too

Nico rolled his eyes with a smile.

8:39 PM - Sure thing Solace. Buonanotte

8:40 PM - Sleep well, Nico :)

Unable to stop himself from grinning, Nico switched over to look at his texts from Jason.

12:40 PM - So I hear you took my advice Neeks? Call me when you get home! (Btw next time you better tell me if you're planning on going out on a date Nico!)

Rolling his eyes, he typed out a quick response to his best friend, trying to fight back his irritation.

8:43 PM - I guess I sort of took your advice, but it wasn't really a date, okay? I was just apologizing to him for the whole "ignoring" thing. And do I have to call? I know you're going to talk my ear off...

8:44 PM - It was still a date in my opinion. Like an apology date. And it's good that you apologized. Did he understand? Did he forgive you? (Yes, you still have to call. And I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that "talk your ear off" bit, Nico.)

Deciding to kill two birds with one stone, Nico opted for calling Jason instead of texting him back. The phone rang all of three seconds before his best friend answered, and, of course, immediately shouted a greeting at the top of his lungs. "NICCCOOO HEEEEEYYYYY BUDDDDYYYY!"

Wincing, he held the phone away from his ear, waiting for Jason's enthusiasm to die down to tolerable, non-deafening levels. "Hello, Jason. To answer your questions, yes, he was very understanding, and completely forgave me." Nico pushed himself to a sitting position against his headboard and crossed his legs. "He actually invited me to a party tomorrow."

"WHAT?!"

Nico winced again. "Ah, okay, tone it down three levels. He asked me to go to a party his friend is having. He said it was going to be a small thing. Not many people. I think I can handle it. And besides, it's not like I could say no, is it? I mean it's Will fucking Solace, of course I'm going to go."

"See, this is good!" Jason exclaimed. "You guys are back on speaking terms, and he invited you to a party! You know what kinds of things happen at parties Nico? Spin the bottle, seven minutes in heaven, any number of relationship starter-uppers. This is definitely progress."

"Jason," Nico sighed out, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. "I'm not looking to start a relationship. I told you I would hang around him and see how I felt, and I did, but I'm still undecided. I need more time to sort out my feelings. This is just a friend thing, anyway. He said so himself."

Jason sighed, and Nico could practically see him shaking his head. "Okay, finnneeee. Think about it all your little heart desires, but I'm telling you, you're in love with Will. Trust me. I know these things. Relationship master at your service. I mean, how do you think I scored someone as awesome as Piper? Obviously I'm a romance machine."

Nico snorted. "Yeah, sure thing, Jason. Whatever you say."

"Really, Neeks. You'll see. I'll be proved right in no time. Though I do wish Perce and I could accompany you, I don't want to be a cock-block or anything..."

"Oh my Goooodddd," Nico groaned, covering his flushed face with his hands. "Jason whyyyy do you say things like that? You're my embarrassing friend, you know that, right?"

"Me?" He could picture Jason's grin. "What does that make Percy, then?"

"The goofy, always-seems-like-they're-drunk friend," Nico said immediately. He'd plotted this out a while ago. "And Hazel is the 1930s friend, Frank is the teddy-bear, Reyna is the mom, Piper is the beauty queen, Annabeth is—"

"Wow, you've really thought about this, haven't you?" Jason cleared his throat. "Anyway, back on track. As soon as you get home—if you're not too drunk, that is—call me. Immediately. Whatever the circumstances. Even if it's, like, three AM. Call me. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Get it?"

"Got it...?" Nico said, brows furrowed in amusement.

"Good. Now, I've got to go. But I'm coming over tomorrow morning with Piper to help you pick what to wear for the party. And don't even try to complain! I know if I let you do it on your own, you'd end up wearing the same emo clothes you wear every day, and I can't accept that because I love you."

"Okay," Nico agreed reluctantly, knowing he couldn't sway Jason when he got like this. "Fine. But I'm not wearing anything too fancy. It's a casual party. And don't you dare let Piper start rearranging and sorting through my closet like last time! I couldn't find anything for weeks."

"I'll try to hold her back," Jason promised with a chuckle. "She's just trying to help. I mean, you only own black. It's kinda like her worst nightmare."

"Why?" Nico puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "Black goes with everything."

"Not a valid argument," Jason protested. They went on to bicker over the subject for another twenty minutes before Jason eventually got them back on track. "Anyway, I'm gonna go to bed, but I'll see you tomorrow around eleven, and I'll even bring lunch."

"Okay," Nico agreed weakly, tired out from Jason's whirlwind conversation. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night, Nico. Sleep tight!"

"Goodnight," he mumbled. Jason hung up and Nico dropped his phone on his side-table, collapsing across his bed with a long, tired sigh. It was only 9, and he never went to bed before 10, but he felt drop-dead tired. Crawling under his covers, he plugged in his phone and clicked off the light, closing his eyes with a yawn. It wasn't long before sleep overtook him, and he drifted off into a dreamless daze.

In the morning, Nico was awoken by the sun through the window. He groaned and rolled back over, but the brightness has roughly drug his brain from sleep's gentle clutches, preventing him from returning to it. Yawning, he sat up and rubbed his eyes to get the sleep out of them before checking the time on his phone. 10:15.

"I've got time." He pulled himself out of bed and threw on a fresh set of clothes so Jason wouldn't mother hen over him. Next on the agenda was breakfast, which was fulfilled with a bowl of instant oatmeal and a cup of black coffee, which of course woke him right up. By the time he'd cleared everything up, it was nearing eleven, and he felt awake enough to deal with Jason.

The doorbell rang at around eleven fifteen, and Nico opened it to find Jason and Piper standing there, holding bags of Chinese takeout. He let them in, and his friends immediately started setting out the food on the kitchen table. The smell of Kung Pao Chicken inevitably woke up Hades, who stumbled down the hall and groggily poked his head in the kitchen.

Jason, being the gentlemen he was, invited Nico's father to join them. The offer was gruffly accepted and Hades fell into a chair, where Nico handed him a cup of coffee in his favorite mug. They proceeded to eat the Chinese, which was gone quickly between the four of them (though Piper really only ate the vegetable eggrolls and fried rice).

As soon as the dishes were cleared, Jason, Piper, and Nico headed upstairs for what Nico had been dreading all morning: Picking out an outfit. He was one for dressing simply, which is why he owned clothes in only one, simple color. Black went with everything, as he had said before, so no matter what he wore it always looked passably good, which was A-Okay with him.

But unfortunately, Piper and Jason didn't see it that way. As soon as they were in his room, Nico's friends whirled around on him with large and (what looked like to him) sadistic smiles. Piper grabbed him by the shoulders. "Let's get started, shall we?"

A/N: Yay, I finally got this out. I've got a plot figured out, so this'll kinda put it in motion. I also decided to try and bring in Piper a bit more, because I totally adore her :3 Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter, and sorry for any typos, because it's like 12 AM and I'm almost dead.

P.S: Once again, Happy New Year everyone!

Translations;

- Ill mio raggio di sole = My ray of sunshine.

- Buonanotte - Goodnight.