Archive of Our Own ^beta

Will had an obsession.  

It was a mild obsession, okay? It wasn’t some huge problem, or a stalker problem, or anything that turned him into a conspiracy theorist with a corkboard covered in red string hidden in his room.  

It was a fascination—one that took over his every waking thought and left him wondering, daydreaming, thinking.  

Will Solace attended a school called Manhattan Bridges High School. He got exceptionally good grades and had a social circle of two close friends and several friendly acquaintances, and he liked going to parties and hanging out outside on occasion. He was on the basketball team even though he was a STEM student, and he knew everyone.  

And everyone at school knew the children of the Big Three.  

The “Big Three” were company conglomerates who all sent their kids to the same school and formed a massive network of economic support in Manhattan’s system (Will truthfully had no idea how it all worked, except that they made up about ninety percent of the school’s funding), and they got along pretty well with one another.  

Percy Jackson was the most popular—he was handsome, athletic and the best on the swim team, and smart, with a passion for marine biology and dyslexia that made him almost totally reliant on his girlfriend, Annabeth, for help with English. He loved her so innocently and completely that most of the school had become pretty certain the two would get married at some point; they balanced each other out well and the way they looked at each other was on a whole different level from most high school couples.  

He had started referring to himself as a prince in first year, and when people started calling him a typical rich douche, he stood up on the cafeteria tables and yelled to the whole school, “NOT BECAUSE MY DAD IS RICH, DUDES! I’M A PRINCE ‘CAUSE MY MOM IS A QUEEN!”  

It was true; Sally Jackson was kind, gentle, fun, supportive, and beautiful, and pretty much the entire student body loved her. She wandered through the halls fairly regularly, looking for her ADHD son who always forgot that she liked to pick him up with Estelle, his little sister, and if anyone needed a shoulder to cry on, she was always quick to lend an ear.  

She also headed the PAC and made the best brownies in the whole world, and she had a bright laugh, and she always baked dozens and dozens of treats when Percy threw parties.  

Since that day, Percy Jackson had been referred to as the school’s prince and was arguably the most well-liked of all of them.  

Then there were the Grace siblings, punk icon Thalia and her preppy brother Jason, Percy’s best friend. He was on the football team, with cropped blond hair and glasses, and he was dating the most gorgeous girl in the school. Jason was a math student and Piper McLean, his girlfriend, was an art kid. Her best friend Hazel hung around her as often as he did, so it wasn’t rare to see the three of them—or four, if Hazel’s boyfriend was around, but he went to a different school—wandering the city together.  

Jason was popular for all the typical reasons, even if he could be a bit mean at times. Percy was a good balance for him. As far as Will knew, his mom mostly stayed out of PAC stuff and only really got along with Sally. She never dropped by to pick him up, since Jason and Thalia both had cars. Percy did too, but he had admitted on numerous occasions that his favorite part of the day was seeing Estelle running towards him for a hug.  

Thalia liked the music scene and was usually in the band room on her electric guitar. She had a killer voice and a killer style, and hung out so much with Reyna from the phys-ed department that most of the school was convinced they were lesbians. Fortunately, no one really cared. She threw the best parties, and Jason brought the best people, so the two of them together were a popular duo, if a bit more stuck up than the others.  

The person Will was fixated on, however, belonged to the last family: the di Angelos. They were of Italian descent and had come from Venice when their kids were ten and twelve, and they had a quieter, more refined presence as opposed to the Jacksons’ and Graces’ involved ones.  

Will knew everything about the di Angelo siblings, which probably made him a creep but definitely made him reliable when it came to information.  

The older sibling was a girl; Bianca di Angelo. Bianca was friendly and fun. She hung out with Thalia, Reyna and another girl named Zoe in the band room, and practiced archery on the weekends. She liked painting and dancing and horses, and she loved her younger brother to bits. She was a few months older than Will and would graduate next year, and she always had a soft, secretive smile on her face.  

Still, she wasn’t the one who’d caught the blond boy’s attention.  

Nico di Angelo was the youngest of the Big Three children besides five-year-old Estelle. He was fifteen—a year and a half younger than Will—and he didn’t seem to like much of anything or anyone, at first.  

He was very, very quiet and while Bianca swore he spoke English just as fluently as her, he seemed to regard the language with disdain. Will had heard his voice precisely twice—once at a party he’d been dragged to, when he had told Percy to ‘kindly fuck off, Jackson, I’m reading,’ and once with his sister between classes.  

That had been his first and only fuck-up when it came to Nico di Angelo. The siblings had been speaking their native language and Will had been so drawn in by the lilting, musical tones and the soft, purred r’s and the movement of Nico’s soft pink lips around the words that he didn’t even realize he was staring at them until Bianca frowned at him and asked, “Hey, what’s your problem?”  

Without thinking, Will blurted out the first thing in his head. “I have no idea what you guys are saying, but that was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”  

Nico’s pale, pale cheeks stained the faintest shade of rose pink and he glared viciously at the older boy, stepping back into the shadow of his locker. Bianca’s expression had softened and she smiled at him, amused, and thanked him for the compliment, but Will was already scurrying towards class, away from those haunting, narrowed eyes.  

They were by far the most beautiful of the Big Three, with their raven-black hair and soulful dark eyes and the freckles on Bianca’s cheeks and Nico’s high, curved cheekbones and fair skin. He wondered how on earth someone Mediterranean could be so very fair.  

Most of the school saw Bianca as the nice one and Nico as the stuck-up, spoiled one. Will was fairly sure that wasn’t the case, but he didn’t have much evidence to the contrary. Once, he had asked Percy about Nico.  

“Why do you want to know?” asked the raven, eyeing him. Will shrugged.   

“I’m interested,” he answered. “He’s interesting.”  

Percy relaxed pretty quickly once he realized Will wasn’t trying to dig up dirt and happily patted the bench next to him. Will took a seat, and over the next hour he had learned everything Percy knew about Nico di Angelo.  

He was a cat person, and had a little black cat named Cerberus that was registered as an emotional support animal. He missed his home in Italy and didn’t really talk at all because he simply didn’t like talking. He kept to himself and hated parties, but his father forced him out of the house once in a while for ‘his mental health.’  

He had lost his mother shortly before the move.  

She had died when their old house collapsed, struck by lightning in a thunderstorm. He was scared of thunderstorms, and usually hid by himself, disappearing until it was over with Cerberus into some unknown corner. He burned easily and spent most of his time indoors, though he went outside at night. He was studying mortuary sciences on the side in a college level course along with his regular studies, even though he was only in the tenth grade, and he was fluent in Italian, English and, surprisingly, Greek.  

From all that, Will had come to the conclusion that Nico di Angelo was probably suffering from PTSD—losing his mother in such a violent way, and then the culture shock of moving to another country across the world, in a cold, wet city.  

He observed the boy even more after that. On rainy days, Nico’s hands jumped down from his desk to pet at empty air, as though looking for his cat. He stuck to the shadows to avoid being seen and he spoke to no one, not even teachers.  

And he was beautiful. Ten times as beautiful as his sister, in Will’s eyes, though admittedly he preferred boys to girls anyway.  

He had fluffy hair that looked feather-soft, so black that in the light it looked almost blue at times. His hands were small and delicate, with slender wrists and just enough muscle on his arms that he didn’t look malnourished. He had dark circles under his eyes, evidence that he rarely slept. They gave him a haunting aspect, especially with the shine that glanced off his beautiful cheekbones when he looked up.  

The thing that got him the most, though, was something so rare and so beautiful that he had only had the pleasure of seeing it once, by accident, in the biggest fluke and miracle of his entire seventeen years of life.  

He’d been out on a jog around eleven in the morning—several hours later than usual, because he’d been drinking last night and hadn’t wanted to get up early. His mom let him drink at parties under the condition that he always called her when he needed to come home, no matter whether he’d had two or ten. She said it was safer that way, and he had no problem with it. It was nice to know she cared.  

The sun had been shining, and Will was in a good mood despite having forgotten his headphones—a mood that improved a billion times over when he saw, out of the blue as he rounded a corner, Nico and Bianca di Angelo eating ice cream cones at a cart next to the stone path.   

Bianca had what looked like vanilla and Nico, to Will’s great surprise, was mouthing enthusiastically at a bright rainbow sherbet. Bianca said something in Italian as the siblings started to walk towards him and then Will’s heart stopped dead in his chest.  

In response to whatever Bianca said, Nico threw back his head and laughed, carefree and soft and joyful and beautiful. Will caught sight of his eyes when they un-scrunched from the gorgeous, adorable smile that covered his precious face. They caught the sunlight, the warmest deep earth brown he’d ever seen.  

Will had always found that the general consensus around brown eyes was ‘boring,’ at least to most of the school. He’d never really thought of it that much, but looking at Nico’s surprisingly open doe eyes in the warmth of the sunlight; their soulful, deep reflection, the rich coffee and the sun’s reflection of autumn-sunshine-on-earth that radiated from the ring of black around the edge, the depth of the ebony near their centers...  

Suddenly, the phrase drowning in those eyes made a lot more sense than it had in English. In fact, Will was certain he must have been the only one to understand it, because no one else in the history of ever in the world could possibly have eyes like Nico fucking di Angelo.  

All at once, he realized the siblings had stopped their conversation and that Nico’s eyes were locked on his in return. He swallowed, red erupting over his cheeks.  

“Weirdo,” Bianca muttered. Then she paused. “Wait, you were the one who stared at us before, weren’t you? Solace, right? Why do you keep doing that?”  

“Sorry,” Will croaked, reluctantly tearing his eyes from the angel that was Nico di Angelo to meet her concerned and slightly disturbed gaze. He could only hold it for a second before he was looking back at her brother, transfixed. “I’ve... I’ve never heard you laugh.”  

Nico inhaled sharply, seeming frozen in place, and suddenly Will realized that he was probably coming off as a total creep.   

He stepped back and held up his hands. “Sorry! Sorry, it’s... I’m sorry. I just... I didn’t think you were capable of coming out of your shell that much, and it... it surprised me. I’m being so weird right now, oh my gods. I’m so sorry. I’ll just...” He pointed down the walkway and when Bianca nodded absently, he jogged off down the path.  

“Penso lui piaci,” he heard her say to Nico. “E carino.”  

“Zitto, Bianca,” muttered the younger boy in reply.  

Will wished he knew Italian.  

That was the moment he had become truly transfixed, he thought. It had gotten so bad that he had made a private Twitter account where he had exactly one follower—his best friend, Lou Ellen, who loved to hear him pining—and posted all the thoughts he had about Nico on the daily when they became too much to keep inside.  

So far, it was nothing too creepy (he was going to ignore the fact that having a secret account to worship one’s crush was pretty damn creepy on its own), and he kept it tame. He hadn’t really had dirty thoughts past ten a.m. for the past couple of years. Sometimes at night. Usually, it was brown eyes and soft pink lips that helped him get off.  

No one had to know that, though, not even Lou Ellen.  

He leaned against the wall, cross-legged in the grass outside, and watched as Nico ate his lunch in his usual secluded corner of the courtyard. He smiled, just a tiny bit, at something on his phone, and Will had to click open his own and jump to his secret account. He scrolled through it, smiling.  

So, there’s a boy at my school named Nico di Angelo, and everyone knows him but no one talks to him, and today I saw him for the first time and I... I don’t think I can ever go back to not caring. I just bumped into him coming out of the classroom and until today I never even realized we had a class together, but. But. When he looked up at me, I swear the whole world stopped moving. It was barely a glance, but he was so inhumanly BEAUTIFUL. The most radiant thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life, and I think this is going to become a problem, so I have started this page solely to rant about Nico motherfucking di Angelo.  

I have seen the most gorgeous boy in the entire world twice in one day and I am not convinced he’s even human. People say he’s stuck-up and snobby when I ask and he didn’t say anything when he bumped me last week so maybe they’re right. I hope not. I bet he’s nicer than they think.  

Jesus Christ; he’s got dimples. He got his test back in class and I guess he did well because he smiled just for a second and he has dimples and they’re so cute.  

Heard him speaking Italian today and he has the loveliest voice. So smooth and gentle. Maybe that’s why he’s so quiet—English doesn’t seem to be his first language. Why do people think he’s stuck up? I don’t think he’s stuck up.  

The guy came to school with his sister and she put a pink flower in his hair and he just rolled his eyes and bit his lip! I think he was trying not to smile. He just looked so pretty, so soft. He seems like such a sweet person. Flowers really suit him—I think that pink one is called a carnation. Maybe I’ll get him flowers one day!!  

I found out he has an emotional support cat named Cerberus and that might be the most adorable thing ever. I think that’s what he’s looking for when he reaches down during storms in class. Trying to pet the cat.  

Saw his hair in sunlight as he left today. It looks blue in sunlight. Still looks very fluffy. I kind of want to touch it, but that’s a good way to get a restraining order filed against me.  

Fuck Nico di Angelo, oh my gods. He LAUGHED today, outside school, and I got LOST looking at his eyes. He’s so damn BEAUTIFUL. I’ve never seen anyone a tenth as pretty as him. He’s like an angel, for real. A real angel.  

He’s got a little tiny spot of acne on his chin and he keeps rubbing at it like it bothers him. Sometimes I wish he talked to people so I would feel less nervous about telling him how gorgeous he is. He has nothing to be insecure about—nothing could make him look less perfect.  

Today I got to look at his side profile in class and I know, okay, I know how creepy that sounds, but he’s just so beautiful and I can’t take my eyes off of him. I drew him, but it didn’t look anything like him. I mean, objectively, you can tell that it’s him, but he always has that faraway, soft, sad look in his eyes and I can never really capture it.  

Di Angelo is just so fucking pretty, oh my gods. I can’t stop looking at him. He’s got such small hands, but such long fingers—I wonder if he plays piano. They look like pianist’s fingers. He’s so pale, like marble. So much softer than marble, though; than any kind of stone. Nothing on earth comes even close to comparing with him.  

I brushed by him in the hallway today and I never realized how small he is. I towered over him and I’m still only six feet. He must be less than 5’5”, probably. He’s so tiny. I want to see him in my clothes. I want to hug him. I didn’t think I had a thing for size difference, but he’s just so damn cute. He’s so damn cute.  

He’s adorable. He’s adorable. He’s adorable. I saw his sister pick him up from school today and she brought Cerberus. I saw Cerberus. Nico literally picked him up out of the seat and stood there hugging his cat and the cat hugged him back for like a minute and please God it was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.  

Doe eyes. Nico fucking di Angelo has DOE EYES, THAT’S the word for it. Oh, he’s so sweet. He looks so gentle; why is everyone so nervous around him? Sure, he likes his shadows and doesn’t really talk, but just LOOK at his EYES. They’re like endless puddles of shadow and they have every shade of brown and blue in history and they’re so dark they look like liquid and they look so big and innocent—he's so CUTE. How could anyone be afraid of someone so precious?  

His fingers flew across his little keyboard as he typed, darting furtive glances at the corner; at Nico’s downcast eyes and the way his cheeks puffed out around his food.  

It feels like it should be weird watching him eat, but he goes pink when the food is good and when he’s looking down, I can see his eyelashes against his cheek and they’re so long and dark. He’s beautiful. So, so beautiful. He’s an angel.  

The bell rang and, with a sigh, Will packed up his untouched food and headed to class.  

“Still pining over the di Angelo kid?” asked Lou Ellen, plopping down beside him with a grin. Will groaned and leaned into his hands.  

“This can’t be healthy, Lou,” he mourned. “I can’t think of anything else anymore.”  

She snorted and flopped over against his shoulder. “Just ask him out!” she encouraged. “The worst that happens is he says no.”  

“Yeah, and then in one simple word shatters all my dreams and then won’t ever look at me again except when he’s hyperaware of me because it’s so uncomfortable now that he knows I like him and I still won’t be able to stop staring forever and ever.”  

“Drama queen,” Lou Ellen deadpanned. “Saw the addition to the Nico fan page you’ve got going on there.” She giggled. “He’s an angel!” she taunted in a high-pitched, poor imitation of a fangirl voice, batting her eyelashes. “So beautiful!”  

“Would you shut up?” Will hissed, flushing as he smacked her off him lightly. “Someone will hear you!”  

She laughed as she wandered away.  

The day Will had his first conversation with Nico di Angelo was over seven months into the start of his crush, and it happened completely by accident.  

He was putting away the basketball equipment after the last practice game, having drawn the short straw. It was storming outside, and as usual, Will was thinking about Nico. Was he doing okay? Bianca hadn’t come to school today. Usually Nico walked home, when that happened; he didn’t have his license yet.  

Thunder rumbled outside as he put the balls in their bin, and then Will heard rustling from out in the gym. He paused and frowned. It was nearly five—everyone should have gone home by now. Who was that, the janitor?  

“Hello?” He exited the equipment room, locking the door behind him. No one answered. Thunder boomed again, louder than before, and the rain on the aluminum roof picked up to deafening. Something moved in the corner of Will’s eye and he turned his head to see a ball of black curled up under the bleachers, mostly unmoving but for a slight tremble.  

Slowly, he made his way over, careful to make noise as he approached. “Hey, there,” he said gently. “Are you okay? Do you need a ride home?”  

The person raised their head just enough to peer up at him through a fringe of dark hair, and Will’s heart stopped and melted all at once.  

It was Nico di Angelo, sitting curled up with his arms around his knees and watery, red-rimmed doe eyes that were wet and shiny and soft and vulnerable, and oh, gods, he wasn’t ready to be this close to his crush! ...But also, he looked so scared and so sweet, and Will wanted nothing more than to be the one he reached for.  

“Nico?” he asked, tilting his head. “How come you’re still here? Don’t you usually leave right away?”  

Nico shook his head. Thunder boomed again and he buried his face in his knees, flinching. Will pressed his lips together and shifted to sit beside him, letting their arms just barely brush. Nico was wearing a sweater today, but he swore he could still feel the chill of his skin underneath it.  

“Scared of thunderstorms?” he coaxed gently, hoping to draw the boy out a bit. Nico just curled up tighter and Will sighed. “Look, it’s okay,” he said quietly. “Everybody’s scared of something. Percy told me about your past, a little. You’ve got every reason to be scared. I’ve got a car out front—do you want me to take you home? Or call somebody to come get you?”  

“Why are you trying to comfort me?” Nico asked suddenly. “You’re always glaring at me. I thought you hated me. Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?”  

Will gaped. He hadn’t even considered that. “Gla--Nico, I’ve never glared at you!” he said, startled. When Nico gave him a look, he shook his head. “Really! I just think you look... well, kind of lonely. I... I don’t know. You’re neat.”  

“Neat?” Nico raised an eyebrow before ducking back into his knees as thunder crashed above their heads yet again. Will shrugged; it wasn’t like he could say pretty, or cute, or angelic. That would probably creep the fuck out of the guy.  

“You really thought I hated you?” he asked, reaching out to tug playfully at Nico’s sleeve. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. I don’t hate you.”  

He could have sworn he saw part of a smile before Nico hid again. “Okay,” he said. Then, after a pause, “That’s good.”  

They sat still for a few seconds, Nico hiding and Will watching, and then the blond gathered his courage and shifted closer, pressing their shoulders together. Nico started.  

“What are you doing?” he mumbled. Will shrugged again.  

“It sucks to be alone when you’re scared,” he said quietly. “I can stay with you for a while. And I don’t mind if you cry. It’s okay.”  

Nico’s brows crumpled inwards and for a second, Will thought he really was going to cry. But he took a deep breath, swallowed, and then said, “did you mean it when you offered to take me home?”  

“Course,” Will said immediately, pushing himself up and offering a hand to the younger boy. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”  

He walked Nico to the door and then grabbed his jacket and held it over the both of their heads as they made a run for the car. When they got inside, Nico had the smallest smile on his face and a light pink flush on his pale, high cheeks.  

Will forced himself to keep his eyes on the road, asking for directions every now and then. He pulled into Nico’s driveway as a flash of lightning lit the world, but Nico didn’t flinch when the thunder rolled after it.  

Instead, he smiled at Will—the tiniest, sweetest smile he’d sported so far, with gentle eyes and those dimples Will was so hung up on. Will reached out without thinking and brushed one of them, and Nico’s face erupted in a beautiful deep rose pink color that had the blond near a heart attack.  

“Sorry!” he blurted, snatching his hand back. “You had a—a little thing on... on your...” He gestured to his own cheek and Nico nodded, still blushing, a smile creeping up over his features again. All at once, he laughed—so quiet and delighted that Will almost died watching.   

“Thank you,” he said, and in his amused voice his accent thickened a tiny bit. “For the ride. And for not hating me, I guess.”  

“Yeah,” Will managed, strangled. “Yeah, sure. Anytime.”  

Nico gave him another shy smile and waved goodbye as he exited the car. Will watched until he made it in the door, pausing to throw a tiny wave over his shoulder before closing it behind him, and then he backed out and drove home, mentally cheering the whole time.  

I touched his arm and held my jacket over his head to shelter him from the rain and drove him home and he smiled at me and I touched that dimple on his cheek and I almost freaked out but he didn’t get creeped out, he just laughed! He laughed! It was so quiet but he looked so damn happy and he blushed SO PRETTY, the darkest I’ve ever seen, and he smiled at me and waved and I think I’m having a heart attack, someone help!  

Lou Ellen called him approximately five minutes after his post, holding the phone at arm’s length so he could rant as loud as he wanted about the details of their chance meeting that afternoon.  

Nico sought him out at lunch the next day, sitting down next to him instead of in his usual corner. Will froze, swallowing. Why was his crush sitting with him?  

“You’re right,” Nico said after a long minute of awkward silence. “I was lonely. Can I sit here?” He seemed nervous, eyes locked on the blades of grass he was fiddling with and teeth sunk into his lower lip, and suddenly Will was gaping at him, realization hitting him like a truck.  

“You’re not at all what people think,” he said, incredulous. “You don’t have a stuck-up bone in your body—you're just shy!”  

Nico blushed, but nodded, frowning at the ground. Will’s heart swelled and he bumped his shoulder against the younger boy’s. “Of course you can sit here,” he all but cooed. “Sit with me whenever you want, okay?”  

Nico let out one of those soft, pleased, private smiles and Will melted.   

By the end of lunch, he knew more; that Nico liked flowers and stuffed animals and a game called Mythomagic, that Cerberus was five and they’d gotten him immediately after moving here and the two were inseparable, that he hadn’t known how to make any friends because his social anxiety was so terrible, that he liked to read even though he was dyslexic and his favorite books were fantasy stories about dragons or fairies, and that he could cook and liked to make pasta from scratch when he was stressed.  

Will treasured the new information, and two days later at lunch, he made Nico close his eyes. Nico obliged, confused, and Will pressed something into his hands, beaming.  

The Italian opened his eyes, glancing down to see a stuffed black cat in his hands. He blinked. “It’s cute,” he said after a minute, confused. “Did you just get it?”  

Will snorted and flopped down beside him. “It’s a present, silly,” he said, watching as Nico’s eyes lit up anew. “For stormy days. You can put it under your sweater and pet it when you’re scared. Like a portable Cerberus, only not as good at the job.”  

That was the first time Nico laid his head on Will’s shoulder, breathing slow as he petted and played with the stuffy for the remainder of their lunch break.  

His hair is as soft as I always thought it would be, Will wrote later. He’s so gorgeous and soft. I always thought he’d be cold, but he’s so sweet. He’s just shy, not stuck-up. The more I get to know him, the sweeter he gets! He loved the stuffy I gave him. He named it Mrs. O’Leary. Come on, that’s too cute.  

He brought candy to share and found out Nico had a sweet tooth. Nico brought pasta and he learned the boy was a phenomenal cook, just like he’d said. Nico taught him a few words of Italian and he researched some on his own.  

“Tu sei cosi carino,” he said one day, watching as Nico’s face erupted in pink again.  

“What?” the boy all but squeaked, and Will cocked his head with his best confused face.   

“You’re so cool,” he said. “What did I say?”  

Nico swallowed and cleared his throat. “That’s sei cosi fico,” he corrected. He didn’t tell Will what he’d said, so Will didn’t call him cute again.  

He fucked up the day of the party. It was his own fault.  

Will didn’t usually go to the parties held by the Big Three, but it was different this time. Nico approached him after classes, hands in his pockets, and said, “My father is making me go to Jason’s party next week and I don’t want to hang out alone in the corner again. Do you want to come keep me company?”  

Will had never agreed to anything so fast in his entire life.  

The theme of the party was ‘summer fun,” and Jason had a pool, so Will donned a swimsuit as underwear just in case and pulled on his usual cargo shorts and tank top over it. Then he switched the cargo shorts for jeans, because he felt like less of a surfer dude that way, and tied his hair back in a small bun.  

“Have fun!” called his mother as he left. “Call me if you drink!”  

“Sure, ma! Thanks!” He shut the door and hopped in the car, driving off to pick up Nico just a little early. Bianca was helping with setup, so she had agreed—upon finally meeting Will and giving him a sly wink and a nudge—that he should bring Nico later himself.  

Nico looked gorgeous, dressed in tight black jeans with stylish rips down his thighs and knees, revealing tantalizingly pale strips of smooth, unmarred skin. He had a black t-shirt (Megadeth, of course) and a bracelet around his wrist, and there was a hint of eyeliner marking his striking, pretty doe eyes. Will was glad he’d only done the top, even if Nico would be sexy with a fox-eye style.  

“Hey,” he greeted as he opened the car door for his crush. “I thought the theme was summer.”  

“That’s why I wore short sleeves,” Nico agreed, and Will laughed.  

He drove Nico to the party and they talked the whole way there; Nico didn’t look away from him the entire time. From the minute they left the driveway to the minute they pulled into a parking spot on the street a few blocks from Jason’s house, liquid dark eyes stayed locked on Will’s profile like he was the most fascinating thing in the world.  

It was intoxicating and Will almost didn’t want to get out of the car. But they had arrived, so he parked, got out, and circled the car to open the door for Nico.  

“Thank you,” said the Italian in his sweet, lilting accent. He gave a little smile and knocked his hip against Will’s on his way past and Will swore he just about died.  

They walked slowly towards the party, neither in a hurry, and when Nico tipped his head back to inhale the night air Will couldn’t help but stare. He was beautiful, the long lines of his elegant throat pale and slender, tempting. His closed eyes were serene, eyelashes fanned across his high, shadowed cheekbones.  

“I get why so many people think you two are the most beautiful out of the Big Three kids,” he blurted, then immediately cursed himself for the slip of the tongue. But Nico didn’t clam up or shy away—he just flushed a little, that stunning pale pink highlighting his cheeks and the tips of his ears, and then slanted his eyes open to glance sideways at his friend with a soft smile.  

“Thanks,” he said quietly. “I’ve always thought you were a pretty handsome guy yourself.”  

Before Will could possibly find the words to react to that incredible statement, they were at the front door and Nico was dragging him inside by the hand, leading him into the thick of the party to find his sister.  

By the time nine rolled around, Will had lost Nico. He was leaning against the wall, a Mike’s hard iced tea in his hand because he didn’t like the strong stuff, arms crossed and eyes scanning the living room passively. There were far too many people here, he couldn’t help but think. And where was Nico?  

Lou Ellen sidled up to him and grabbed his arm, dragging him into the circle he hadn’t noticed was forming. “What? Lou!” he protested, but she just yelled over him and shoved him down. He spotted Nico across the circle, looking uncomfortable next to his sister.  

“Will’s playing!” she announced. “Now we’re even!” Will almost got up to leave, but when Nico caught his eye, he saw the younger boy offer him a tiny smile.  

He gulped, but settled. Truth or dare wasn’t too bad.  

Ten minutes in, Will wanted to take that thought back. He’d done the chicken dance and taken three shots of some unidentified alcohol, one before each truth, and more than a few people had clocked out upon getting too bored or drunk.  

“Solace, truth or dare?” Bianca asked.  

Will was not brave enough to pick Bianca’s dares. So far one person had already done eight shots and passed out. “Um, truth,” he said. She rolled her eyes.  

“You’re boring.”  

Will raised an eyebrow. “Since when is having a self-preservation instinct boring?” he challenged, and she laughed.  

“Take a shot,” she instructed, and as per the rules, he did, grimacing. “Nice, no coughing,” she said, nodding. “Your truth is: who in this circle is your favorite person and why?”  

Will didn’t even need to think about it, and he had enough alcohol in his system by now to override his usual filter.  

“Nico,” he said immediately. Lou snorted and Bianca smiled, and Nico’s pretty eyes widened in surprise. “I don’t really have one reason. He’s really sweet, I guess. And he’s fun. He listens when you talk and he’s got a lot of fun or cute interests that make him pretty interesting to learn about. I love hanging out with him. Nico’s the best.” He smiled and took another sip of his iced tea, and Bianca laughed as he dared Percy to stand on his head.  

The game wound down sometime in the next hour and Will found himself thoroughly drunk by the end of it. He was about to make his way over to Nico, but then Jason grabbed him by the shoulder and hauled him out the back door into the yard, where several people were playing in the pool already.  

“Got swim shorts, Solace?” he asked cheerfully. Will grinned and dropped his pants as the other blond whooped in delight. They both stripped to swimsuits and Jason dared him to cannonball, so of course he did.  

“Fuck, that’s cold!” he complained upon resurfacing, only to be splashed by Jason’s own cannonball next to him. He laughed and turned to splashing Percy Jackson as the guy ducked and dove like a damn fish.  

Half an hour later, only five or six people were left in the pool, and Will caught sight of Nico wandering towards them. He paused a good distance away and pulled off his ripped jeans, revealing that he did in fact have swim shorts on under them—really short ones, probably so they didn’t show through the rips, but shorts all the same.   

They were tight and black and came to mid-thigh and Will was way too drunk to be allowed to see so much of Nico’s pale bare skin, soft and smooth like a marble statue. The raven sat down on the edge and dipped his feet into the water next to his friend, sighing.  

“You ditched me,” he said, pretending to frown. “I brought you here to hang out with you. Have you been out here the whole time?”  

“Jason dragged me,” Will managed, still eyeing Nico’s soft white thighs. Fucking hell, he wanted to bite them. “I like your shorts.”  

Nico hummed, kicking lazily underwater. “Bianca made me wear them,” he said distastefully. “They’re from, like, six years ago. I’m shocked I got them on.” He wrinkled his nose. “You smell like chlorine.”  

“Everything smells like chlor—cholorine, it’s a pool,” Will grumbled, and in a moment of boldness he pressed his cheek to his friend’s leg and sighed. Nico chuckled and, after a moment, long, slim fingers wove themselves through Will’s soaked curls. He groaned into Nico’s thigh and heard his friend snort. “If I was a cat, I’d purr,” he muttered.  

Nico laughed, bright and clear and beautiful. “You’re drunk,” he said, amused. “Four shots did do something, huh?”  

“Plus two hard iced teas and a bottle of beer Lou forced on me,” Will moaned. “My head’s gonna hurt tomorrow, baby.”  

Nico inhaled sharply and Will almost realized his slip-up, like it was right at the edge of his brain. He hummed instead and nuzzled deeper into Nico’s touch, content enough to stay there forever. Nico rolled his eyes fondly.  

“We should really get you out of here before you drown,” he chuckled, and Will whined.  

“You have to come swim with me first,” he demanded. Nico rolled his eyes again, a little less fondly. “Come on, shirt off or I’m soaking it,” Will demanded. Nico gave a long-suffering sigh, but obligingly stripped off his shirt. “Damn,” Will mumbled. Nico raised an eyebrow, but before he could say anything, Will was yanking him forward and scooping him up.  

Nico shrieked, but Will had a firm grip. He laughed at the outrage in the raven’s beautiful eyes and then dunked them both underwater. When they came back up, Nico was spluttering, and his hair was plastered down across his face, and his eyeliner was smudged a little on both sides. Not the waterproof stuff, apparently.  

Will grinned when his crush whacked him over the head. “You jerk!” Nico yelped. “Ugh! I’m soaked! Gross!”  

Will laughed and splashed him again, and Nico swiped water back with a very catlike hiss of anger. For a while, they went back and forth, and then Nico abandoned him to find a clean towel and Will shook himself off like a dog before pulling his clothes back on, hoping they wouldn’t get too soaked.   

He stumbled his way out onto the balcony for a breath of fresh air when inside proved still too hot and crowded. The stars provided a welcome break from the indoor lights and Will watched through the door as Nico’s sister pulled him in and whispered something that make him beam, and those adorable dimples popped into view for Will to enjoy. He sighed, pulling out his phone and clumsily opening Twitter. He clicked the buttons until he was pretty sure he was on the right account and opened a new posting thread.  

Fuck fucking Nico di Angelo and his pretty fucking doe eyes and his adorable smile and his precious little laugh and cute fucking dimples and his fucking pretty accent. Fuck him. Like what the fuck??? Look at him over there with his hair all wet and his eyeliner smudged why does he look like a princess fucking fuck I shouldn’t be here !!!  

He grumbled as he hit post, and watched as Bianca reached for her phone. Her face lit up with a huge smile and she nudged her brother, turning the screen around to show him.  

Nico’s eyes shot to the size of dinner plates and his cheeks lit up with the brightest pink Nico had ever seen, and he whipped his head from side to side until his gaze locked with Will’s outside. He stared, and Will cocked his head, confused.  

Then Lou Ellen slammed through the glass door and grabbed Will by the shoulders, shaking him. “That was your public account, you fucking idiot!” she exclaimed shrilly. “He’s fucking seen it! Half the people in there have, you moron! God damn it, you just confessed your love for him on fucking Twitter!”  

“…I did?” Will tilted his head in confusion, glancing down at his phone. That wasn’t his private page. He gulped, heart falling to the vicinity of his shoes.  

And then Nico di Angelo stepped onto the balcony, looking like a prince from a fairytale with his beautiful melted dark chocolate eyes half-narrowed and his silky dark hair falling wet and inky across his face. With his long lashes brushing high, rose-pink cheekbones, and his lips slightly parted as if he wanted to speak.  

Lou Ellen sucked in a breath, glancing between them. “I’ll… give you two a minute,” she squeaked, and darted off.  

Will gazed at Nico for a minute, drunk brain jumping between panicking and swooning. Eventually, the younger boy spoke.  

“Did you mean all that?” he asked softly. Will hummed a dazed question and the Italian waved a hand in front of his face. “Will? I have to know. Did you mean it?”  

Will gulped. “Would you hate me if I did?” he croaked. Nico shook his head, so he forced himself to nod. “I meant it,” he mumbled. “Every word. I think you’re beautiful.” He cleared his throat and blushed. “I was trying to put it on my private account,” he admitted. “Only Lou Ellen sees that one. I didn’t mean to broadcast it.”  

Nico nodded slowly, humming. “…Can I see that one?” he asked quietly. Will shook his head quickly, alarm bells going off in his drunk brain.  

“It’s embarrassing,” he whined. “What if you think it’s creepy?”  

Nico’s lips twitched at the corner. “I don’t think this one is creepy,” he said softly, pulling out his phone and showing Will the post he’d made. “I think it’s sweet. Not many people think of me like this. Precious or cute or pretty. Those aren’t words I get to hear often.” He looked at the words again and smiled warmly. “I’d like to hear them out loud, sometime, if it’s okay.”  

“You’re so pretty,” Will choked. “I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you since I met you. You’re—you’re so sweet, and I love how you snuggle with the stuffy I got you, and how you lean on me and that you like flowers and how you hold onto me when it storms and I love your cooking and when you talk about things that excite you, your eyes light up, and when you laugh, too, and it’s the only time I’ve ever felt like I was drowning and I feel like I’m addicted to you.” He paused for breath, taking stock of Nico’s wide eyes and parted lips.  

Nico swallowed. “If you can say all this again when you’re sober,” he whispered, “I’m going to kiss you so hard.”  

“I would literally do anything to feel you kissing me,” Will told him, too drunk to feel a hint of shame. Nico beamed.   

“Let’s call your mom,” he giggled. Giggled, delighted and bubbly and cute! Will gaped, watching his face like an absolute weirdo. Nico reached for his hand and squeezed it. “You are so drunk.”  

“Yeah,” Will agreed, gulping. “I really am.” He chuckled and squeezed the hand in his, and Nico smiled at him as he returned it. Then he plucked up Will’s phone and called his mom, and then he led his friend by the hand through the party, ignoring all the wolf whistles and cat calls that followed them out.  

When Naomi pulled up, Nico dragged him to the car and turned to face him. Will frowned.  

“I… don’t want to leave you,” he mumbled. Nico beamed and wrapped his arms around the blond’s waist, resting his head briefly on a broad shoulder.  

“Me neither,” he admitted, a little out of breath. “But you have to sleep this off. Bianca will drive me home. I’ll come and see you tomorrow, okay? You have to tell me all that again when you’re sober.”  

Will nodded and gulped as he rested his cheek on Nico’s soft hair, and then the raven broke away and stretched up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek, and he sighed happily.  

“Goodnight,” Nico whispered, red-faced.  

“Goodnight,” Will mumbled back, and then he clumsily climbed into the car and relaxed against the seat with a sigh. Naomi snorted at him, leaning on the wheel.  

“You boys are cute together,” she said fondly.  

“I know,” Will said proudly.  

“You’re drunk.”  

“I know,” Will said sadly. Naomi laughed as she drove him home.  

Nico, bless his sweet little heart, didn’t knock on the front door until two in the afternoon. Will had forced his way through a shower after throwing up twice and gulping down a hangover breakfast his mom had made. She also took videos (for his wedding) and laughed at him a lot and turned the lights on and opened all the windows to let the sun in, which was basically torture, but she did make him breakfast.  

The hangover died down around eleven, as usual, and Will got himself clean and presentable. He opened his social media and saw that Lou Ellen had hacked into his account and deleted the post from last night, leaving a message in his inbox crisply informing him that he owed her dinner. She would be getting her dinner. Major best friend points.  

The rest of the day was spent pacing, recalling the buzzed, blurry conversation he’d had with Nico and freaking out until his mom finally rolled her eyes and told him to ‘man up and shut up.’   

“He kissed you goodbye last night,” she said dryly. “I know you’re crushing harder on him than you’ve ever crushed on literally anyone ever, so take your chance, be honest and no fucking in my house. You’ll be fine, Will.” She ruffled his springy blond curls. “You’re a great kid, honey,” she told him with her signature warm smile. “Any boy would be lucky to have you dotin’ on him. He knows that.”  

It calmed Will down significantly and he relaxed, and when the knock came, he got up to answer it himself. Nico was standing at the front door in an oversized black sweater with a skull on it, hands in the pockets and backpack on his shoulders. He looked Will up and down and smiled.  

“You look good for a man who drank himself stupid last night,” he teased. Will groaned and held the door open, inviting him in.   

“Don’t even start,” he moaned. “It’s bad enough without having to remember. I was basically dead until noon.”  

“And then bemoaning your fate of losing a friend,” Naomi exposed him helpfully as she picked up her purse. “Nico darlin’, I don’t think we’ve actually met before. You seem like a very sweet kid; thank you for making sure my dumbass son got home alright last night. That was very kind of you.” She smiled and reached out. “May I touch your hair, hun?”  

“Um... sure.” Nico flushed as she tousled his curls, and then she sighed.   

“I’ll be back in two hours,” she said. “Have fun, behave. Bye, boys!”  

“Bye, Ms. Solace,” Nico mumbled.  

“Bye, ma!” Will called after her. He shut the door and rocked back on his heels in awkward silence. Nico cleared his throat.  

“You have an accent when she’s around,” he murmured. “It sounds nice.”  

“Right,” Will said chuckling sheepishly. “Yeah, I’m from Texas. Just moved here like, two years ago.” He paused. “I’m really sorry for putting you on the spot last night,” he managed eventually. “I really didn’t mean to post that publicly.”  

“I know,” Nico said with a wry smile. “I tried to look at it again when I got home, but you’d already deleted it.”  

“Nah,” Will said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Lou Ellen moved it to my private account. I owe her dinner for that one.”  

Nico swallowed and took a hesitant step closer. “...Can I see?” he asked softly. Will gulped.  

“You… you really sure you want to?” he asked nervously. “It’s… a lot. And. Um. I know this is a bit late to say, but I really don’t want to lose you.”  

Nico smiled and reached out, and when Will didn’t back away, he wrapped his arms around the blond’s neck. “You couldn’t scare me off if you tried,” he said affectionately. “I’m very excited to read what you think of me.” His smile widened and Will dropped his head to a sweater-cushioned shoulder.  

“Alright,” he whispered. “Okay. Alright. C’mon, Nico.”  

He took the smaller boy by the hand and led him up the stairs to his room, wishing he’d actually dealt with last night’s clothes instead of just hanging them over his desk chair.  

“Sorry for the mess,” he said, and Nico squeezed his hand sweetly.   

“Stop being so nervous,” he chided. “It’s a lot cleaner than mine. I like your Star Wars posters.”  

Will perked up. “Really?” Nico grinned and nodded.  

“I tried to watch it with the others, but we only got through the first two before Jason conked out and Bianca and Percy started fighting and we had to turn it off. Maybe… you could show me the rest, sometime?”  

Will beamed. “I would love to,” he said. He grabbed his phone off the charger and sat down on his bed as he opened his Twitter.  

“Can I see?” Nico asked. Will patted the bed, gulping. The raven smiled and ignored the mattress, climbing directly into Will’s lap. The older boy choked, eyes wide as Nico settled against him, back to chest.  

“I thought you were shy,” he wheezed. Nico chuckled, snuggling back against him and turning his eyes to the phone.  

“I’m very shy,” he admitted. “But it’s easy to be open with you.” He smiled as Will handed him the phone and then settled there to read through everything Will had hidden from him from the start.  

He cooed at the very first entry, resting his head against the curve of his friend’s throat. “You’ve liked me this whole time?” he asked, sounding touched. “Since we met?”  

He snuggled up so close Will felt like he was dying, and he couldn’t help wondering if Nico could hear his racing heartbeat. Nico was beaming that beautiful smile, squeezing the phone in both hands. His eyes were shiny.  

“So—So you knew I didn’t speak at all and everybody thought I was stuck up, and you went out of your way to learn about me anyway?” he asked, voice trembling. “And you bought me Mrs. O’Leary to help me with my anxiety. You really like me, don’t you,  Will?” He sniffled.  

“Nico?” Will gulped, panic clawing at his chest, but when Nico caught his eye he was smiling so wide it looked like it hurt.   

“Will,” he cooed. “You really think of me like this, don’t you? You said I’m an angel—you really think that?”  

Will relaxed. Nico liked this—it wasn’t creepy to him, it was sweet. “Yeah,” he murmured, smiling. “Yeah. The more I get to know you, the more breathtaking you get. I really like everything about you, Nico.”  

Nico tossed the phone aside and settled his knees on either side of Will’s thighs, throwing his arms around the blond’s neck.   

“Tell me,” he whispered. “Tell me, Will.”  

Will gulped and reached up to brush his eyelashes, making them flutter like butterfly wings. “I haven’t stopped looking at you since the first time I saw you,” he murmured. “You’re the most beautiful boy I’ve ever met. You’re the sweetest boy I’ve ever spoken to. You’re so fun to talk to and gentle and it breaks my heart to think how misunderstood you are in this school. I adore you. I would do anything to make you smile and laugh. I would literally kill to feel you touch me—when you played with my hair last night, I felt like I was in heaven. I love your interests, that you like stuffed animals and Star Wars and Mythomagic and flowers and cooking, how none of it matches up but you love all of it. You’re amazing and I adore you. I can’t even imagine what school would be like without you, because I literally don’t remember what it was like before I met you. It feels like everything was gray until you looked up at me that day.”  

Nico petted his hair, working his long fingers through soft blond curls and running them from root to tip. Will sighed, melting under his hands.  

“You’re obsessed with me,” he breathed, and Will nodded. There was no point in denying it. Nico moved his hands, wrapping them around his shoulders and holding on. “That’s okay. I’m obsessed with you, too.”  

Will glanced up. “Really?” he asked breathlessly. Nico chuckled.  

“You looked at me and Bianca like we were some exotic animal, and I was so uncomfortable, and then you called our language the most beautiful thing you’d ever heard,” he recalled. “You watched me all the time but that day, you knelt down and helped me stay calm, and you sheltered me from the rain and took me home, and it was the first time in years that I’d laughed in a storm. You got to know me, you reached out. You looked at me like I was… I don’t know. Enough. Like I was all you needed in every moment you were with me. It’s addictive, being looked at like that. Bianca figured out that you liked me when we ran into you while getting ice cream.” He smiled, soft and warm and lovely. “No one has ever looked at me like that—like you were in awe of me.”  

“The day I saw you laugh?” Will beamed. “You were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.”  

Nico pressed a hand over his mouth. “That!” he exclaimed. “I believe you immediately, because when you look at me, it’s like I’m all you can see. You go out of your way to find out my interests and encourage my hobbies. You get me presents and spend time with me, make time for me. You make me excited to go to school just because I’ll see you. You make me feel beautiful, for real.”  

Will smiled and tilted his head into Nico’s hands when they raised to cup his face.  

“You are beautiful,” he whispered. “So stunning.”  

Without another word, Nico kissed him. Will tilted his head as his heart pounded hard enough to hurt. Nico’s lips were warm and soft and when he swiped his tongue through the blond’s mouth, he tasted sweet, like pomegranates.   

He sighed blissfully against those lips and wound his arms around the boy’s slim waist, and Nico hummed in delight against his mouth. That felt like heaven, so Will pressed him closer and rested their foreheads together, and he did it again.  

When they finally broke apart, Will barely managed to speak before Nico was pouncing on him again, holding him close.  

“Will you go out with m—”  

“Gods, yes,” breathed the raven. Will let out a breath of relief, and then they were kissing again and the fireworks were taking over his brain so fast that he couldn’t have come up with a coherent thought if he wanted to.  

When Monday rolled around, Will pulled up to Nico’ house at 7:00am on the dot and parked at the bottom of the driveway.  

He opened the door and got out, but before he could make it more than two steps, the younger boy was running down the driveway. Nico crashed into his arms with a giddy laugh, nuzzling happily into the base of his neck. Will kissed his hair.  

“I was going to come get you!” he laughed. Nico grinned and pulled away, circling the car.  

“You did!” he chirped. “I was too impatient to wait for you to get to the door. Let’s go, we’ll be late.”  

“School doesn’t start for an hour,” Will snorted. “I thought we could go out for coffee, if you wanted.” Nico gave him a lazy smile as he leaned back in the seat.  

“Sure,” he agreed. “Coffee sounds nice. I’m paying, though, since you’re driving.”  

“That’s fair,” Will chuckled. “Thanks, then.” He side-eyed his boyfriend and snorted. “Angel,” he said. Nico smiled faintly and glanced over. “You forgot to brush your hair,” Will said, and the raven squawked as he raked his fingers through it, trying to tame the unruly curls.  

“Oh, come on,” he muttered. Will laughed.  

“If it helps at all,” he said, “I still think you’re gorgeous. Pretty boy.”  

Nico grinned, lopsided and real and happy. “It helps,” he said warmly. “It really helps.” He leaned over the middle and laid his head on Will’s shoulder while the blond drove. Will turned his head at a red light and kissed the crown of his head sweetly.  

“I can’t believe we’re dating,” he mumbled. Nico snorted and nuzzled his shoulder.  

“I can’t believe it took so long,” he scoffed. Then he sighed and kissed the base of his boyfriend’s neck. “But I’m glad we’re here,” he murmured. “What’s going to happen when you graduate next year, Will?”  

Will hummed. “Let’s cross that bridge when we get there,” he decided, pulling into the parking lot. “But honey, don’t you worry—I'm dating you with marriage in mind. I’m not leaving you behind just for university. We’ll figure something out.” He kissed Nico’s forehead and climbed out of the car, circling around to open his door for him.  

“My future husband is a gentleman,” Nico teased as he stepped out, and Will wondered if you could choke without breathing. He swallowed hard, wide eyes locked on Nico’s back, and then rushed after him to wrap his arms around the younger boy’s waist.  

“You cannot say things like that,” he whined pitifully. “You could have made me choke to death!”  

Nico laughed and pulled out his wallet. “Pick your drink, mi amore,” he purred, and when he went up to the register, Will ordered for both of them. Nico cuddled up to his side, avoiding eye contact with the barista as he tapped his card, and Will wrapped an arm around his shoulders.  

“Nico, it’s okay,” he cooed. “Don’t be scared. I’m here, aren’t I? Yeah.”  

They sat down on a couch and Will tucked Nico against his side, resting his cheek on soft dark hair. “Sometimes I forget you have social anxiety,” he murmured. “You’re so cute. I love how open you are with me.”  

“Hmm,” Nico said softly. His eyes were closed and his cheek was squished against Will’s shoulder. His whole body was angled towards his boyfriend and he looked half-asleep. Will smiled and kissed his hair lovingly, dragging his hand soothingly up and down Nico’s sweater-clad forearm.  

“I really like you,” Will whispered, and Nico smiled into his shoulder.  

“I like you too,” he whispered back without opening his eyes. Will kissed his hair again with another soft smile.  

“Order for Will!” called the barista, and Nico groaned in protest as Will hauled him to his feet. Will laughed.  

“Come on, sunshine,” he said warmly. “We have classes to get to.”  

“Ugh,” Nico said, but followed.  

School was quiet when the boys arrived. Of course, school was always quiet on Monday mornings, but as soon as they stepped inside with their drinks, it was like a hush fell over the whole hallway. At least two dozen pairs of eyes turned to them and Will felt Nico stiffen at his side. Right; social anxiety.  

He sighed, leaned over, and kissed his boyfriend’s cheek. Someone whooped, and then a few people laughed and someone cheered, “ Get it, Solace!” and then slowly, people started turning back to their friends with an excited buzz unusual for this time of day.  

Will wrapped an arm around Nico and guided him down the hallway to his locker, where he leaned against the metal row and waited for his boyfriend to grab his textbook. He yawned.  

“Fuck Mondays,” he mumbled. Nico shut the locker.  

“Fuck Mondays,” he agreed, then paused, looking at his drink. “...But, if you’re the first thing I see, mornings aren’t so bad,” he admitted. “I like hanging out with you.” Will smiled and leaned down to peck him lightly on the lips, and Nico smiled.  

“Holy shit,” came a surprised voice from behind them. “Holy shit, hell yeah!” Will turned to see Percy and Jason sharing a high five. “Wow, man,” Jason said, chuckling. “I knew you were either going to get cut off entirely or start dating, but I honestly didn’t think Nico would actually get over himself! Shit, congratulations!” He winked as he pulled Will into a hug.  

“Oh... uh, thanks.” Will chuckled sheepishly. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”  

“William Andrew Solace, if you hadn’t been dead drunk, I would have kissed you in front of everyone,” Nico said firmly. “That was the single sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me, and I love that you’re obsessed with me.”  

He shook his head and grabbed his boyfriend’s hand, dragging him down the hallway towards their English class. Will smiled and curled his fingers around smaller white ones, and Percy snickered behind him.  

“He’s got it bad,” he chuckled to Jason, and the other blond snorted.  

“Nico’s got it worse,” he said, and Will’s smile widened.  

Maybe being obsessive was okay—as long as Nico was looking at him, too, this whole ‘falling in love’ thing... well, it kind of felt like flying.