Will rubbed his eyes, taking a tired step out of his apartment. He needed to take a walk, as he /knew/ good bedside manner was encouraged, but doubted that snogging your patient senseless fell under that 'good' category.
Which, Will realized, is exactly what he wanted to do to a certain Death Boy that was snoozing in his apartment. He cursed his brain for starting to burrow deep into the vast, black void that is a crush while knowing so little about this kid.
Hell, he was a sucker when it came to pretty boys. And, despite all the tattoos and gruff exterior, Nico di Angelo was definitely the most attractive "pretty boy" Will had seen. Curses to everything for his logic melting away as he thought about Nico's long hair, an length that was infuriating because Will could /just/ picture running his hands through the long strands…
No. He couldn't let himself make senseless, uniformed plummets into caring for somebody. He simply didn't have the time for emotional duress if he ever wanted to become a good doctor, and be like his dad.
He leaned against a brick storefront, dialing his old highschool friend Leo Valdez. He needed some humor right about now
"Solace!" Leo quickly answered, excited to hear from his friend. "What are you up to, blondie?"
"Hnnnngg," Will groaned, "I think I made a mistake."
Leo's usually joking air sobered up for his friend. "What's wrong?" He quickly asked.
"That cute boy that I texted you about from the subway? He's in my bedroom right now I can't go back there." Will quickly mumbled.
"Ay! Mami!" Leo catcalled over the phone, sniggering, " somebody's a hotshot! I thought this was a serious emergency, not a 'kiss and tell.'"
"That's the thing, there IS no kissing, just a budding and quickly blooming deep desire to do so. Like, the start of a garden of feelings for somebody I don't know. Who punches people for part of his living. And might've been in prison. And who obviously would never be into me."
"Look, Will." Leo sighed. "Anybody who's attracted to guys would have to be blind to not find your cute little cardigan-body adorable. And they'd probably have to be deaf, because you're charming too. I mean, they could smell though because you always reek of antiseptics and latex hospital gloves" He shivered, "healthcare waiting rooms don't really smell like a turn on, sorry bud."
Will laughed a little, and Leo surged on. "My point is, you're a perfectly healthy and attractive guy. You have just as great of a chance as any other person does. Life is so crazy short, Will. Do you want to think about all of those potential "maybes" that you cut off for yourself to haunt you in the final moments of a perfectly safe and bland life?... The answer I was looking for there, Solace, was HELL NO!" He emphasized. "Get that hot mop of blond hair on the market! Grab life by the steering wheel, and shift into gear!"
"I can't do this though, Leo! I have so much going on already, and med school is taking up so much time…" Will weakly protested.
"Just, don't put yourself in the backseat of your own life. You need to pursue happiness, that's what being young is all about. Gods, Solace, I swear you forget sometimes that you can be a med student AND be young. Don't pretend to make this Death Boys answer up without even giving him the option, okay?"
Will slowly took it all in. "That was... surprisingly deep for you, Valdez. Like, I think you could almost become the "Flaming Valdez" for fire public speaking."
The boys chuckled. "Yeah? I think the public would be too distracted by my smoking good looks to listen to my inspirational words."
"I think your 'inspirational words' would just be a long description of having strength, like the strength your hair gel has to hold all your curls in place on your massive head" Will countered.
"Well, I think that we're both thinking too much. Go with your gut, pre-Doc. I have to go, but I'm always a text away."
"Thanks, Leo." Will genuinely smiled.
Will turned the key to his apartment, thoughts swirling over what to do. He opened the door, to first see Piper sitting by the counter animatedly talking. She must've stopped over recently to check on Nico, as she hadn't seen him since helping bring him to Will's apartment for treatment after the match.
Then, his eyes caught on Nico. Nico, with loose sweats… (his sweats? Slightly rolled at the bottom as they're normally on a 6'4" boy) that hung loose and low on his hips. Hips, that had a deep muscled "v" (ironically called Apollo's belt) trailing down his hipbones. Which, Will could see. As, Nico was currently shirtless. With all his pectoralis major, abdominus rectus, transversus, and obliques out in their defined glory, highlighted by a light morning sweat and the soft natural light shining through his apartment windows.
He faintly heard Piper saying Hi, and that Nico was temporarily borrowing some pants and underwear since his clothes were, you know, bloody.
Hell no. Watching Nico, shirtlessly swigging some milk from his kitchen was not under his list of things he could handle right now.
Furiously blushing, Will simply pivoted on his heel and walked right back out of the apartment.
Not today, Leo. Not today.
Will officially, irrevocably, obviously, had taken the final steps into having a deep crush for Nico di Angelo.
A/N: I cannot thank the reviewers enough. Honestly. I will try my best, just for you guys. Enjoy :) Fun fact, title of the story comes from the song "Shiver" by walk the moon.