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Will doesn’t know how he ends up in a weird, old people smelling store at nearly 10 at night when he should be studying for his midterm tomorrow. Midterms. He has multiple midterms, ugh. Anyway—
Will doesn’t know how he got here, miles from his cramped, shared apartment and stack of useless notes, with only a few bucks to his name and the desperate need to relax which forced him to run at full speed off campus in the first place. He really should be studying but, but—
He just wants a bath bomb. A simple, nice smelling bath bomb that will let him have a breather for, like, two seconds before he pulls an all-nighter, takes his midterm— midterms —and dies. Hopefully (or maybe not) in that specific order.
He hates college.
Someone greeted him when he initially entered the small shop, but he’d ignored it and now it’s too late. Another social interaction ruined. It still isn’t anything compared to that time he pushed over an entire rack full of snacks because the CVS he went to ran out of bath bombs. And by ‘that time’ he means exactly fifteen minutes ago.
“Uh,” Will says to no one in particular. Maybe he shouldn’t trust such a dusty smelling place to have bath bombs at all…
“Do you need help?”
Oh god, Will thinks, starting to sweat nervously. I have to actually talk to someone.
“Yeah—” he starts, voice high-pitched. His eyes roam over to the counter, stopping just short of the cash register. “Do you, um, have any bath bombs?”
There’s a pause. Will makes the mistake of raising his eyes those last few inches and is promptly punched in the face by how gorgeous the guy who works there is. His face flushes.
“We have some over here.” Hot Guy gestures to a basket on the other end of the counter. “They're 100% organic and have 50 grams of CBD.”
Will only understands about three words in that last sentence, too distracted with how stupidly attractive Hot Guy’s flop of emo hair is across his forehead. Will doesn’t even have time to process how dumb even thinking that is before Hot Guy notices his confusion and nods to the white board over his shoulder. “These are a few things they help with.”
CBD bath bombs help with:
-Migraines
-Stress
-Body relaxation
-Better sleep
Huh. That’s convenient. Will shuffles forward, picking up a dark blue bath bomb and sniffing it curiously. It smells earthy, like grapefruit, and citrusy. He sets it down and grabs another.
“Our newest addition is the lavender one,” Hot Guy says, nearing Will. “It’s my personal favorite.”
Will definitely does not feel inclined to buy the lavender one immediately after Hot Guy recommends it. It’s just the next one he happens to pick up. If anyone noticed he dropped the green bath bomb he’d been holding for the light purple one, then that’s their problem. Will’s on a mission.
“Oh,” Will says, eyelids fluttering at the easy, sweet lavender scent. “Oh wow, that’s pretty awesome.”
Hot Guy smiles at him; Will goes weak at the knees.
“Is that a yes, then?”
Will suddenly feels like they’re talking about something else, feels heat pool low in his belly and his cheeks warm in response. He meets Hot Guy’s eyes—dark even under the bright fluorescent lights—and tries to look cool and collected.
“Yeah, it’s a yes.” Will knows he probably sounds stupid but hands the bath bomb over with a confidence he doesn’t really have, fingers shaking slightly.
Hot Guy blinks in response. He doesn’t move for a moment, expression blank. Then, after what feels like forever to Will, Hot Guy finally shifts, taking the bath bomb from him a certain way so their fingers don’t touch at all. Will swallows down his disappointment and fumbles with his wallet.
“It’ll be $20. Cash only,” Hot Guy adds when he catches sight of Will’s debit card. “Sorry about that.”
Will chews on his bottom lip, rifling through receipt after receipt and loose change before stumbling on two 10’s and a 5. He can’t remember the last time he had so much cash on him. This was meant to be, he thinks before promptly slapping himself in the face mentally and giving Hot Guy the money.
“Here you go.” The bath bomb is in a small, hand knit bag already. Will can’t help the smile that spreads across his face.
“It’s cute,” he comments, cradling his purchase like he would a baby animal. He feels ridiculous but after the hell that has been these past few weeks, Will can’t really seem to care. “Thanks.”
Will’s sneakers squeak against the floor as he turns. Someone clears their throat, and then—
“I hope you enjoy it.”
Will feels something bubble up his throat. He thinks it’s the impulse to laugh in embarrassment, because he’s liking what Hot Guy said more than he probably should, considering he might say it to just about every customer who leaves with a purchase. But Will has never been known for being smart. He kinda just rolls with the punches. And this punch, in particular, he rolls with by saying, “You too.”
Will doesn’t look over his shoulder because he’s too busy cringing at what he just said. He thinks, as the bell attached to the door rattles on his way out, that he hears Hot Guy laugh at him.
Nice one. Will rubs the blush from his cheeks, mortified, and takes another whiff from the bath bomb. It really does smell nice. He hopes it actually works so he can study for his midterms with less of that pressing weight on his shoulders. Shoving his purchase in his jacket pocket, he takes off, imaginary dust swirls kicking at his heels.
Inside, Nico sighs and closes the register, sensing his friend before he actually sees him.
“Who was that?” Jason asks, scrambling over the counter to press his face against the window, hands cupped around his eyes. Way to be subtle.
“A customer,” Nico replies, trying to sound as indifferent as possible. “I feel like you forget we work in a store where you know, customers come in. To buy things. Because we work in a store.”
“Nico,” Jason whips around, his glasses nearly flying off, “I saw him, he was totally your type. He had surfer dude written all over him.”
“What the hell are you even doing back there if you’re watching me interact with every single person who steps inside this place?”
“You’re avoiding my evidence!” Jason practically yells, pointing an accusing finger at him. Nico pinches the bridge of his nose, exhausted. “That dude had like, freckles. And did you see his eyes? Freaking dreamy. A whole dreamboat of a guy. Admit it, you absolute coward!”
“Boys?” Nico and Jason both turn to face the source of the voice; Nico sags in relief while Jason’s back straightens. Sally, who had been figuring out finance stuff for the store in the back room (though Nico knows she’d most likely been writing her novel), emerges from the shadows. “Is everything alright? Jason honey, are you bothering Nico about cute customers again?”
And just like that, Jason’s back to his former stance, accusatory glare being thrown at Nico. “This guy wasn’t just any cute customer, he was hot.”
“Jason—” Nico starts, already having gone through the five stages of grief within the span of two seconds. He rolls his eyes, hair getting in the way. “Hot or not, you really need to stop doing that. At this rate, you and your last two brain cells won’t be able to handle another customer coming in.”
“Oh gosh,” Sally says just as Jason charges at Nico with now two fingers pointing angrily at Nico’s chest.
“I’m trying to protect you,” Jason states matter-of-factly, not a sliver of self-awareness in his eyes. Nico sighs, not sure what he was expecting. “I won’t let there be a repeat of last time. Not on my or Reyna’s watch.”
“It’s getting late, boys.” Sally smooths down the front of her shirt, the blue cookie held between her fingers almost going unnoticed. Nico ignores the brief flare of nostalgia and nods. “We should close up shop. Come on, now.”
Jason eases back, eyes still on Nico. “I made a promise, and I’m not going to break it anytime soon.”
“You say that practically every time I see you.” Nico starts counting the money in the register, Sally locking the store entrance as he does so. “It lost its touch a while ago.”
Jason watches him for a second, his last two brain cells probably working overtime. “Well. It didn’t lose its touch to me.”
Nico frowns down at the money in his hand, choosing not to respond. He just wants to go home and sleep.
*
Will, with his hair sticking up in random directions and completely naked, stares at his tub full of hot water silently. He had to all but fight his roommate (while he still had clothes on, of course) for some time—unbothered—in the bathroom. If Will listens closely, he can still hear his roommate muttering to himself just outside the door.
The weight of the bath bomb is nice in his hand. He almost doesn’t want to use it, just because it’s so pretty to look at and hold (Will may have become emotionally attached to said bath bomb. It isn’t the first time and definitely won’t be the last). But there are midterms to be studied for, and a long night ahead of him.
So, Will unties the bag (he folds it neatly and places it on the counter), takes the longest whiff of the bath bomb his lungs can handle, and then gently sets it down in the water.
The explosion of purple is unexpected, but the soft hissing sound calms his nerves immediately. Will knows he made the right choice when the scent hits his nose and he’s a goner. There’s something therapeutic about stepping inside the tub and seeing his body slowly covered by the prettiest of purples. Will, already sinking low into the tub (his knees pop out awkwardly, but he doesn’t mind), smiles at nothing and closes his eyes.
*
Jason, much to Nico’s surprise, doesn’t mention the guy from the store to anyone when they get home. Piper half stumbles out from wherever she’d been hiding and immediately, with so much grace that Nico rolls his eyes in disbelief, snatches the McDonald’s bag right out of his hand.
He’d anticipated this, of course, and had ordered an extra apple pie for her with a side of fries (Piper absolutely loved the sweet and salty combo, something Nico had yet to try).
“Thank you,” Piper says, and in one fluid motion sits right there, in the middle of the front hallway, with her food.
Jason doesn’t even seem to notice, walking around her like he’d already known she’d claim that spot. He hands her a water bottle from the kitchen counter and disappears after that.
Nico stands there for a moment, silent. Piper is happily eating her food, humming to herself and swaying from side to side probably to the beat of whatever song is stuck in her head this week. He doesn’t hear anything from Jason’s room, but there’s Spanish music playing from Leo and Calypso’s. He figures Leo’s working late on some project, Calypso maybe doing a late-night run of Uber Eats for some extra cash. Leo usually waited up for her, especially if she came home in the early hours of the morning.
The house is still besides that, almost peaceful. Nico walks by Piper, patting the top of her head as he goes (she hums in response and tosses him his apple pie). His room, smaller when compared to the others but cozy enough for him, has never looked better. He thinks his bones literally melt when he lays down, and he sighs into the mattress. Tomorrow will be a better day.
*
It's 5 in the afternoon of the next day and Will is making a smoothie in his kitchen. There’s so much fruit crammed in the blender that he should be worried about it overflowing, yet there’s this weird sense of giddiness which has him shoving ungodly amounts of ice and water in after the fruit. He flicks the button and the blender rattles so violently on the counter that Will has to hold it down.
He did it. He finished his midterms.
Will thinks this should be the part where he and some friends go out to drink to celebrate or stay in with some greasy food and watch bad movies. But Will isn’t old enough to drink, for one, and he doesn’t have any real friends (that would be a depressing enough thought but Will is on cloud nine and nothing can knock him down). He also hates junk food with a passion.
So he’s left with the option of bad movies, but no money to rent or watch them. He sighs, the sound swallowed up by the whirring of the blender. He really needs to get a steady job.
His roommate enters the kitchen when the smoothie is just about done. He ignores how it’s overflowing and pours it into his obscenely large (and completely necessary) aluminum bottle. He washes it, wipes down the counter, and goes on his merry way.
Will can manage with little to no money, he can manage with no friends and a roommate who sometimes kicks him out of their apartment when he has people over. He manages just fine, thank you very much. Especially with a freshly made smoothie and the rest of the afternoon ahead of him—what’s not to love?
*
It’s been a few weeks, and FAFSA sent out another disbursement. Which means Will now has money—which means Will now has money to spend—which means Will doesn’t have to stare at his very low bank balance and pray that his school is going to keep having those speaker events just so he can go for the free food (he’s had far too many mini sandwiches and has accumulated an entire trash bag full of small water bottles he has to recycle).
It also means that he can finally indulge himself. And by indulge, he means buy a lot of unnecessary (but necessary) stuff and spoil himself rotten for one night. Nothing exceeding $50 though. He needs to hold out on what he has now until his next—and final—disbursement. After that, it’s summer. And summer means no FAFSA (unless he takes classes—which he already did his first semester of college and Will was not going through that again). So, he has to get a summer job to one not die of starvation, and two, have enough to be able to pay for his apartment during the break.
Will’s starting to doubt if he should ever spend money again in his life, at this rate.
But, true to character, Will shoves aside all of his past, current, and future problems in favor of some reckless spending. And hot guys.
Or, rather, one very specific hot guy. Just the one.
He stumbles up the steps of the shop (he hadn’t even recognized the place, the small window and almost secluded entryway blending in with the businesses on either side) with absolutely no preamble (google maps had aggressively stopped working when he’d been half a mile away, the useless app). He all but trips at the entrance, sneakers screeching against the smooth, clean tile.
“Uh,” says Hot Guy, who is. Well. Hot.
“Uh,” replies Will. He’s gripping the door frame with one hand and the knob in the other. Somehow, both of his shoelaces are untied.
“Sorry,” Will apologizes, just as Hot Guy asks, “Are you okay?”
Will goes red in the face, heat flushing his throat and the top of his chest. He wonders why the universe hates him as he stares at his shoelaces. He wonders why his shoelaces hate him. It must’ve been because of that one time he used them for an art project and stained them a variety of colors, none of them pretty.
You weren’t my favorite, anyway , he thinks to them. Just wait until I get home.
“Um…is this your first-time wearing shoes or something?”
Will’s head snaps up, affronted. “What— no! I wear shoes all the time.”
Hot Guy looks at his still untied shoelaces and then back to him. “Yeah, it sure seems like it.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Will asks, already fully aware of what Hot Guy meant but already multiple types of offended.
“The joke is pretty self-explanatory. Or is this your first time hearing one too?”
There’s silence. Hot Guy has his eyebrows raised challengingly; Will can’t figure out how to make his tongue work.
“Ah, sorry.” Hot guy breaks eye contact, messing with something behind the counter. “Didn’t mean to overload you with…my sass.”
Your sass? Actually, I'd like to be overloaded with your—
“Erm, it’s fine! I’m—just. Me.” Will realizes that doesn’t explain anything, but he can’t be bothered to rephrase it better.
Hoy Guy’s stance shifts, his back straightening and tone switching into that classic 'customer service' voice. “Are you looking for anything specific?”
Will’s mind blanks. Now that he’s here, he can’t remember why. He gives the shop a frantic once over. Oils, oils, more oils. There are a few pill bottles in a cabinet in the far corner. And inside the glass counters are a lot of things he can’t identify. Dragging his eyes back to Hot Guy, he spies a familiar basket near the register.
“A bath bomb!” Will says, a little too enthusiastically. He points at the basket unnecessarily and watches Hot Guy stand in front of it.
“Do you have a particular scent in mind?”
Will (rather reluctantly) shuffles closer. He peers at the basket, immediately enamored by the array of colors. “I…liked the one I got last time. It was lavender, but uh, I want to try something else. Do you—do you have any other recommendations?”
Hot Guy leans on the counter, contemplative; Will’s struck by how soft his hair looks. It’s almost ridiculous how dark it is, too. It really stands out against his skin tone.
“Well, since I usually only use these when I’m stressed, I tend to buy the floral scented ones. There’s rose—” he hands Will a pretty pastel pink bath bomb, “—and chamomile. I’ve heard good things about our woodsy-smelling bath bombs.” Will remembers the dark blue one Hot Guy gestures too, but not the green or light beige one. “And the sweeter ones, like vanilla or honey, are a bit overwhelming. So, if you want something strong, those do the job pretty well.”
Will gave himself a limit of three bath bombs but wants all of them. Every single last one. In his pockets. Right now.
“Okay,” Will starts, cupping his chin like he’s about to decide if he only wants to run, eat healthy food, or always have a med-kit on him for the rest of his life. He feels incredibly stressed out already. “If you had to pick only three, which would they be?”
Hot Guy starts to smile, eyes dropping to the basket in front of him. “You’re not even going to smell them first to see which you like?”
“I…didn't think of that.” Will’s blushing again, but he ignores the burning of his skin in favor of shoving his entire hand into the basket and grabbing blindly. He pulls out a pure white bath bomb. It smells obscenely like vanilla and Will frowns at it.
“Not a fan of the strong ones, got it.” Hot Guy replaces it swiftly, a grey one now resting in his palm. “This has a subtle scent to it.”
It smells of fresh dirt and leaves—like if you spent a day spent hiking in the woods, this is what you’d smell like after, once you get home.
Will hums, thoughtful, and Hot Guy sets it aside. “This is chamomile.”
It’s heady, but not overwhelmingly so. Will can feel the muscles in his back loosen in response.
“Definitely that one.” It’s an off-white color with small pinpricks of what looks like yellow. Will’s curious to see how that one would look when it hits the water. With that thought, he grabs the pink one he wishes would stop being so pretty and with one sniff he’s a goner. “These two for sure. They smell like heaven.”
Will already wants to use the pink one, wants to see his small, kind of uncomfortable tub transformed into paradise. He needs to buy some candles asap. And flower petals.
“The blue one is the perfect balance between being calm and being awake. It’s invigorating.”
Will’s smelled it before—he remembers the cleanliness of it and how crisp it seemed. “Okay, I’ll take these three.”
When he sees his total—a whopping $65 dollars—he wonders if buying candles on the way home really is a good and reasonable idea. He hands his card over like it’s an ancient relic, feels himself ascend higher into his own reckless abandon.
Hot Guy is quick during the transaction, and packages the bath bombs with a care that reminds Will of how people handle newborn babies.
“Here’s a sample of our aromatherapy peppermint oil. It helps with headaches, relieves overall body pains, and de-stresses you. These don’t have CBD in them like the bath bombs or our other products, but they work just as well. I hope you like it.”
There’s a fleeting smile there; Will sees stars when he smiles back. He’s so hyper aware of what he’s going to reply with (hopefully not another “you too” or else he’d just immediately drop dead from embarrassment) that it takes three or four beats of his heart to get his legs moving under him, a soft, “Thank you,” what he manages to get out.
It feels incomplete, insufficient. Will pauses, shoelaces rubbing along the tile (he really needs to tie them) and he bites his lip. It’s quick and mostly on the inside of it—a nervous tick. He can already feel himself turning back, glancing over his shoulder against his will. “Ah, I’ll be back sometime soon. I’ll—let you know how I like these.”
He nods to himself and scrambles away to hide his shame at his lame, cliché response in peace. The bag is a welcome weight in his hand, and he walks carefully to avoid tripping. Why he’s been single his entire life is not lost on him.
“I…look forward to seeing you. And uh, hearing about what you think of your purchase.”
The door closes behind Will, and he lets out a giddy, smitten laugh to himself.
*
Nico has never been more grateful for Jason having to do a supply run to restock the shop before in his life. There wasn’t that awkward, leering presence on his back. He didn’t have to watch his words, or actions, or feel like if he had a hint of emotion in his voice Jason would burst through the door he usually listened through (there’s also the cameras—one in the corner of the shop toward the entrance and another with a full view of the register and counters) and maul the customer with his bare hands.
He’d actually come close, once (the customer was wearing a cowboy hat and on instinct, Jason knew he had to interfere immediately).
Nico just—Nico just wants to be chill. What happened when he was younger was a distant memory now, and he’d moved on. Jason (and Reyna) hadn’t. They held grudges which meant they’d claimed Nico, four years younger and a toddler in their eyes, as a pure cinnamon roll who had to be protected.
Kicking the fan in his room back to life, he shifts the lollipop in his mouth and turns up his speakers. No one is home and that is a rare, blissful thing (he’d never admit just how lonely he felt when he had the apartment to himself, the only decent thing about it being how loud he could blare his music).
A part of Nico feels bad because Jason and Reyna were (are) just trying to protect him. Nico had been an absolute wreck last time he had feelings for someone, and they were left traumatized. But Nico is almost 20 and it had gotten annoying a few years ago. Especially when Jason asked Sally if he could hire him for the shop.
Which, in hindsight, should’ve been a red flag. Not because it wasn’t like Jason to be genuine or kind, but because it meant spending more time with Jason. And strangers. Most of them being male.
He already lived with him—like how much more time could you spend with the person who wanted to sabotage every possible romantic interest within a 50-mile radius?
On cue, Ramble On by Led Zeppelin starts up, and Nico shoves his face into his pillow.
*
Will’s roommate kicked him out of their apartment again, but this time felt enough remorse that he gave Will a ten-dollar bill and pat on the back. It probably had something to do with the girl that was coming over, but Will doesn’t want to think about that. He's on a mission.
Bottle of water in one hand and an apple in the other, Will makes his way down the street. It’s bright, warm enough that he opted for a tank top and shorts rather than a t-shirt. His skin gleams in the light, shiny from the totally acceptable amount of sunscreen he put on before leaving the house.
The sidewalk is crowded, cars packed on the street. The occasional cool waft from an open store door teases his skin, but Will isn’t here to buy things. Steeling himself, he pushes forward, messenger bag pushed against his lower back to avoid hitting others (his fast walking has a few people scattering from his path, but regardless, he doesn’t want to accidentally bump into someone).
He reaches an intersection, light turning red just as he’s about to step into the crosswalk. He hadn’t even seen the yellow light.
The library Will is heading to is just a few blocks away; a shiver runs through Will in anticipation of the fresh, free, air-conditioned building almost at his fingertips. He takes a bite of his apple, nudging his sunglasses up with an index finger.
A bright flash of light just off to the side practically blinds him, forcing Will to squint to see past it. It’s a billboard on the street opposite, high in the sky and huge, but it’s not the size or the awful way it reflects light that grabs his attention. It’s the picture on it. Which is of his dad. Who is shirtless and lying (and soaking wet— gross) beside what looks like a bottle of cologne. He’s surrounded by pillows, dressed in white jeans with his bare feet covered in flower petals.
Will nearly gags, scowling at the billboard and mentally giving it the finger. He always has to ruin my day. Great.
Sweat trickles down Will’s neck and his nostrils flare in annoyance just as the light flicks green. He gets to the library in record time.
*
“—and it will look good on my resume!” Annabeth gushes, blonde curls bouncing excitedly. “He said if I accept this job, I’ll have an opportunity to impress all the right people in the right places.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” Hazel exclaims. She clasps her hands together and smiles brightly. “You deserve nothing less. I’m really proud of you.”
Reyna lifts her beer bottle in Annabeth’s direction. “We’re all proud of you.”
Nico lifts his glass of coke just as the others also raise their drinks, the echoing clinks of glass mingling with Annabeth’s laughter. Percy leans to the side and kisses Annabeth, a quick and soft kiss which still somehow earns a death glare from Reyna.
Nico fully ignores Reyna and her intimidation techniques (as well as Jason, who is on the other side of the table with a knife held tightly in his hand) and reaches for another slice of pizza, swiping the last one before Leo can.
“Sucks for you,” Nico says smugly, already shoving the pizza in his mouth.
Leo slowly raises his fork, pointing it at Nico seriously. “I won’t hesitate, bitch.”
“Leo, we can just order another pizza.” Calypso furiously tries to wave down a waiter before Leo makes a scene. “Murder isn’t always the answer.”
“But when will he learn,” Leo jabs the fork threateningly at Nico, his hand shaking from the raw emotion in his voice, “when will he learn that his actions have consequences.”
Calypso starts using a white napkin to flag someone down, sweat beading on her forehead from the effort. “Okay, alright, okay Leo please don’t cry in the middle of this three star restaurant right now. I’ll order an entire pizza just for you.”
“And I’ll order a milkshake for you,” Piper adds when Leo doesn’t seem convinced. She snatches the knife out of Jason’s hand and none too subtly points it at everyone else at the table. “We’ll all order milkshakes for you.”
Leo relaxes at that, dropping the fork and letting Calypso catch a breather. Nico doesn’t feel bad at all for what he did, knowing the farthest Leo would’ve gone is quoting the ‘what the FUCK is up KYLE’ vine and putting annoying stickers of salt shakers and lemons on his bedroom door again.
"Moving on from that," Piper twirls the knife between her fingers, eyeing Annabeth the whole time, "when do you start your new job?"
"I still haven't said yes, actually." Annabeth shrugs one shoulder, sipping her drink. "I...kind of wanted to hear what you all thought first."
Piper rolls her eyes, freshly cut uneven hair flipping dramatically. "You're literally the smartest person I know. Literally. Like, you're beyond genius. And you know what I think?" She grins lopsidedly, leaning forward. "You are more than qualified for this job, and you'll do amazing, as always."
"Thank you," Annabeth replies, smiling softly.
Piper winks at her, smirking when Annabeth's cheeks flush pink. Percy is oblivious to all of this, his close reading skills (as always) failing him terribly. Nico actually kinda feels bad for him, but then he sees Jason attempt something similar with Percy, his wink not subtle at all, and watches as Percy (the dumb bitch) points finger guns back in response. Piper has to console a stricken Jason the rest of the night.
*
Will has used all of his bath bombs (he had to restrain himself from throwing all three in the tub at the same time) in a reasonable manner. And he, with his finals approaching and death surely lurking somewhere in the background with a cool scythe, has taken it upon himself to take the money he got from recycling four bags of plastic bottles and selling his roommate his old IPhone charger, and treat himself.
Treat himself to both luxurious bath bombs and the Hot Guy who happens to sell said bath bombs. Will convinces himself that he doesn’t wear his good jeans and least scuffed shoes because of that, though. And if he happens to wear a shirt that brings out his eyes, well then that’s just a happy accident.
And this is exactly how Will, with his hair combed for once and his shoes tied, strides into the little shop.
And this is also exactly how Will, hands in his pockets and a shy smile on his lips, embarrasses himself by stopping dead mid-stride, in the middle of the store, while gaping like a fish out of water at the cashier—who very much so isn’t Hot Guy.
“Hi?” Will says, the word sounding more like a question. The person behind the register—a blonde haired guy whose eyes narrowed the moment Will walked in—angrily readjusts his glasses. “Do you—do you happen to sell...bath bombs?”
Will isn’t entirely sure why he asks, only that he does and now that the question is up in the air he can’t take it back and here he is, ready to bolt from the store any second now.
The guy doesn’t say anything for a few moments, the very obvious and colorful basket of bath bombs literally right next to the register starting to physically hurt Will.
“Yes,” the dude says, rather reluctantly. He pointedly looks at the basket, then back at Will. “They have CBD in them, though—”
“Oh, I know.” Will smiles, as if he actually knows what CBD is (he keeps forgetting to look it up). It hasn’t killed him yet so that's a good sign. “I’ve...bought some before.”
Will realizes that his earlier question sounds even more stupid now, and he avoids all eye contact as his face heats. He starts digging through the basket clumsily, palms sweaty.
"Careful," the guy says, tone unkind.
Will mumbles an apology and grabs two bath bombs blindly—he thinks he sees a flash of blue and yellow—and quickly pulls his wallet out. "Just this, please."
The guy rings him up fast, shoving his purchase and receipt into a bag and handing it to Will.
"Uh...thanks." Will nods, shrugs, does a whole weird combination of involuntary movements.
"Yeah," he says, glancing at the door, almost as if he were herding Will out.
Will takes the hint and leaves, bag hanging limply from his hand. Once he's outside, he takes a big breath, the hostility from the worker having sucked all the air out of the small shop.
I'm never going back there again , Will thinks, burrowing deep into his thin jacket, as if it would ebb away at the weird prickling sensation on his skin. Hot Guy probably doesn't even work there anymore, or this new guy just —
Will huffs, trying to clear his mind. He doesn't have to try and figure out what happened to Hot Guy. He didn't have a good experience, he was uncomfortable, and he is justified in walking away and not coming back. He can buy bath bombs somewhere else, somewhere closer to home, too.
Inside the store, Jason feels satisfied with himself. He dusts his hands, happy to have driven away the customer who was most definitely Nico's type. Especially before Nico came back from his lunch break.
Speaking of Nico and his break, a few minutes pass and Jason, who'd been playing a game on his phone, looks up and there Nico is, ten minutes early from his break and slightly out of breath.
"Sup," Nico says, McDonald's bag in one hand and drink in the other. Jason squints, suspicious. "I brought you some—"
"You're back early." Jason crosses his arms over his chest, frowning. "You never come back early—wait hold up actually," Jason knocks his elbow into the register, snapping his fingers when something starts to dawn on him, "you've been coming back from your breaks early these past few weeks!"
"Okay," Nico drawls, confused. "Is that...not allowed?"
"It's suspicious, that's what it is!" Jason slams a fist onto the counter, basket of bath bombs rattling. "What are you up to?"
"Hey, chill man, I just realized I like eating my food in the back room rather than staying out for the whole half hour."
"Lies! You love being out."
Nico sighs, lowering the fast food bag and rubbing at his forehead. "Whatever man, I'm keeping the extra fries."
"Where are you going? Wait! Wait I'm actually really hungry come back—"
*
"Will! Can you please clean kennels 1-4? We have new friends coming today and I still have to give Louis his shots."
"Yeah, you got it!" Will closes the door to the kennel of the orange tabby he'd been giving a treat to, lifting the basket by his feet. "I'll let Linda know to check rows C and D to see how the little guys are doing on food."
"Thank you, I appreciate it!" Marcy calls, waving her free arm over her head briefly before focusing her attention back on the greyhound before her. "Oh, and can you ask Anthony if he can make sure the trash was taken out?"
Anthony, emerging from one of the back rooms with a box full of dog food, answers before Will can. "Reuben took care of it this morning, Marcy. But I'll check out the front office and waiting room, just in case."
Will got to cleaning the four kennels, knowing that new arrivals usually came around 2 in the afternoon. He has an hour to do what he can so the animals get settled in comfortably.
Although working at an animal rescue center required a bit more manual labor than Will was expecting, it had still been an amazing learning experience. And he's lucky to have even been hired, especially with his short resume. And to top it all off, it pays well. He, miraculously, will actually manage to survive this summer.
The kennels are clean on time, sweat coating Will's forehead and neck, the veins on his hands and forearms prominent.
It isn't always just cleaning kennels. He's also being trained on animal handling and how to prep animals for shots or for their examinations.
Will has always loved helping others, animals or people, it's just all he ever wanted to do with his life. Yet, even as he helps Linda with grooming a small Pomeranian, his mind wanders. It'd been a few weeks since the incident at the stupid bath bomb store, and Will really really shouldn't be as sad about it, but here he is. Asking questions about Hot Guy and the mean cashier and if Will had done something wrong, said the wrong thing, maybe?
He told himself he wouldn't go back, had managed to avoid using his purchased bath bombs and avoid the entire city the stupid shop was in. He thought there had been something there the last time he saw Hot Guy, who Will felt like was more than just a Hot Guy. And like people say, third time's the charm. In this case though, it'd been the end.
"You're going to be adopted today! The nice woman from a few days ago just couldn't resist you, huh Pepper?" Linda scratches the Pomeranian behind her ears, receiving a soft coo in response. "I think Will over here convinced her to adopt rather than buy a dog from a breeder."
Linda winks at him playfully, laughing brightly. Will smiles back, a little embarrassed to receive praise but happy nonetheless. "It was love at first sight with Pepper. I just had to give her that push."
"Oh, don't be so humble. You're doing wonderfully here, Will. We're all happy to have you."
Will flushes, proud. When the woman arrives a little later, Will is the one who hands Pepper, with a pastel yellow bow in her fur, off.
*
"I'm serious here, he's hiding something!"
Reyna, who had been lounging with her legs over the armrests of the sofa, immediately sits up. "Like what? The surfer dude who came in to the store?"
"Maybe. He's just...been acting different. And ever since I brought it up, he's been like, grumpy. More than usual. He even painted his nails black, again! Which he—"
"Hasn't done since his last bout of angsting. Which was four months ago, after his dad called."
"Yeah! And he only paints them black when he isn't upset when—"
"He starts gambling again."
"Yeah, cause it makes him, you know, look like he's incapable of kicking your ass."
Reyna slumps back, hands clasping atop her stomach. "Interesting. So something is bothering him, something he hasn't told us about yet."
"I think we should figure out who like, that blonde dude is! Like I said before, totally Nico's type. I think I've seen him there before at the store, like months ago. He's even prettier in person."
"Keep your voice down. What if Percy hears you?" Reyna says sarcastically.
Jason runs a hand through his hair, staring at the ceiling. "Percy is still as oblivious now as he was when the four of us all started seeing each other like two years ago. He thinks we're just— ugh —really good friends."
"Piper and Annabeth don't seem to be having that problem."
"That's because Piper and Annabeth can actually close read. Percy is like one brain cell away from getting on Leo's level."
Reyna shakes her head, momentarily mourning the future loss of Percy and his ability to function like a normal human being. "At least Leo will have someone to relate to. If Calypso has to keep watching vine complications with him she just might burn this whole apartment building down."
"Now that you mention it, I've overheard her muttering about fire and how long the prison time is for arson."
Jason and Reyna stare at each other. They both shrug.
"I wouldn't blame her. He's apparently saving up to get an entire sleeve of meme tattoos. He's beyond saving."
Jason purses his lips. "Anyway, we can still save Nico. What should we do about him?"
"You live with him. Notice any long phone calls, frequent message alerts, see extra nice outfits?"
"No, which is why I'm stumped on what to do! I need your help."
"Anything for Nico." Reyna cracks her knuckles, leaning close to Jason. "Let's figure out what he's hiding."
*
Will doesn't exactly want to say that he caves, per say, but. Well. He caves. He caves really, really badly.
To be fair though, he does try. He tries his hardest. And he lasts exactly a month and a half since his last visit to the bath bomb store. And, he thinks, this wouldn't have happened if other stores sold some decent bath bombs.
There's just...something about this place in particular. Something that no other store that advertised bath bombs had, apparently. Which is inconvenient, especially since Will isn't supposed to ever come near this store again.
And after today, he doesn't plan to. He's saved up a lot of money from work, cutting back on all unnecessary purchases and somehow scraping together $100. And he plans on buying as many bath bombs as he can and never coming back.
And once those run out? He'll find a way to replicate the formula or something. He's resourceful.
A bell rings when Will nudges the door open, startling him so much he almost loses his nerve. It's bright inside and quiet, smelling faintly of something smokey and clean.
It takes his eyes a moment to adjust, white walls almost blinding, but when they do he has to catch his breath.
"I thought I'd never see you again," Hot Guy says over his shoulder, a brown box balanced on his knee. "Thought maybe you didn't like your last purchase."
Will has to physically restrain himself from sighing in relief and smiling like an idiot, a deep warmth curling at his insides. "No I—" he relaxes his shoulders and averts his eyes, "I actually like your bath bombs way better than any others I've used. Something about them just...hits different, you know?"
Hot Guy laughs, a smirk tugging at his lips. "It's probably the CBD. 50 grams, remember?"
Will watches Hot Guy stretch to reach the top shelf of the cabinet against the wall, a muscle somewhere on his arm becoming defined under the strain. He swallows.
"Uh, yeah." Will nods, distracted. "Probably."
"I'm sure that's it. We're one of the few shops around here that sell these types of things. Sally—my boss—makes the bath bombs herself. Really unique mixture, we get a lot of repeat customers and...ah, sorry. Not important."
Hot Guy ducks his head, empty box swinging by his side. He fast walks behind the counter, momentarily disappearing as he sets it down somewhere.
Will, not willing to lose the easy conversation, scrambles for something to say. "It is important. I...it's interesting. I'm not very, you know, well-versed in this type of stuff. I just. Buy bath bombs."
That makes Hot Guy grin in amusement. "Nothing wrong with that, either."
They stare at each other for a bit, Will suddenly hyper aware of the awkward distance between him and the counter. He shuffles forward, hands clenched in his jacket pockets.
"I actually...came here, a few weeks back." Will hadn't been planning on telling Hot Guy about the Mean Guy, but the words slip out involuntarily. "The dude working here was, uh. Really something."
Immediately, Hot Guy's expression changes. He actually, honest to God, facepalms.
"Was he blonde? Blue eyed with glasses? A massive asshole?"
"Uh...yes, actually."
"I am going to kill Jason, I swear. I really will."
Will reaches the counter, tapping the glass nervously. "Does he not like... customers?"
Hot Guy rolls his eyes so smoothly Will is actually impressed. "You can say that, yeah."
"Oh. Well then this is an...interesting job choice for him."
Hot Guy sighs, black hair falling across his eyes. "I am so very sorry for whatever he did. I've told him to stop scaring the customers away like hundreds of times. He doesn't listen."
"Why does he…?" Will looks around, confused. "Why does he work here, then? If he doesn't like people."
"He likes people, he just doesn't like some people." Hot Guy frowns at his own words. "Wait, you didn't do anything wrong it's just—he's just really weird, alright? And I'm sorry he was a dick to you."
Will smiles, probably way too softly for the conversation topic. "It's not your fault, don't worry. I'll admit, I was put off though. Mostly because I thought—"
I thought you stopped working here.
Hot Guy raises his eyebrows, curious. Will panics, and nothing good ever comes out of Will Solace panicking.
"I thought I wouldn't see you again," Will blurts, breathless. Hot Guy's eyes widen. Painfully, Will adds, "Or the bath bombs. I...would've...missed them...too."
There's silence. Distantly, Will thinks he's been stabbed (or, rather, that he somehow managed to stab himself).
And then Hot Guy starts giggling. Just full on unrestrained giggling.
Will stares, knowing his face is red and he stopped breathing at some point from embarrassment.
"Oh wow, you are much cuter than I thought you'd be. Brownie points for making my stomach hurt."
Will's brain, starting again after having short circuited at the word cute from Hot Guy's mouth, manages to rattle him enough to speak. "Well, uh. If it's any consolation, I would've missed you more than the erm—bath bombs."
Another laugh, this one shaking Hot Guy's shoulders. Only part of Will's brain is working, but the part that is feels like the laughing is a good sign. He wants to make Hot Guy laugh. A lot.
"I don't. I don't think I've introduced myself." Will, with a trembling hand and terrified confidence, reaches a hand out to Hot Guy. "My name's Will and I'm sorry if anything about the past five minutes made me come across as creepy. Or stalkerish. I just—"
"My name's Nico," he says, saving Will from further embarrassment, "and it's chill. It was kind of flattering."
Nico's hand, still in his and warm against his skin, is soft. When he pulls away, Will notices the black nail polish and dark skull ring on his middle finger.
Why is that so attractive???
"Nico," Will repeats, just for something to do and also because he's sure he's been staring a little bit too much. "That's a nice name."
Nico smirks. "You can say it as much as you'd like."
Will blushes furiously, his heart literally pounding against his ribcage. I'm going to die, right here, right now oh my God—
"Only if you give me your number." Will doesn't know what prompted him to say that, but it's worth it for Nico's reaction—a flash of teeth and an uneven grin. Will swears he sees some pink on Nico's cheeks.
"Smooth, I'll give you that." Nico leans an elbow on the counter, hand outstretched expectantly. "Your phone?"
"Oh. Right." Will almost drops his phone twice trying to give it over, entire body buzzing with an unexpected high. This doesn't feel real.
Nico slips the phone back into Will's hand, winking when his own phone vibrates in his pocket. "It was nice finally meeting you, Will."
Will hides his smile, busying himself with grabbing a couple of bath bombs. "Same here, Nico."
Nico (this time Will knows he's blushing a bit) ducks his head, eyeing his choices. "You've got taste, I'll give you that."
"I learned it from someone." Will fumbles with his wallet, fingers still shaking. He wants to keep talking with Nico, but the threat of Nico's coworker tearing him a new one isn't appealing. "Is your coworker here?"
Nico frowns at that. "He's out on a supply run. It's just me and Sally in the shop."
As he says this, the bell rings and both Nico and Will freeze.
Voices pour inside—two boys and three girls, all slightly confused but curious.
Nico sighs in what sounds like relief. The group of teenagers start to migrate closer to the counter. "I'll be right with you!" He says to them, starting to ring up Will's purchases. "I hate to cut this short, but I'll text you later, alright? After my shift's over."
Will's heart nearly claws its way up his throat. He stutters out a, "yeah sure yeah, that's. That sounds good, perfect. Awesome," and gives Nico a smile and a wave as he walks backward, slightly unwilling to break eye contact for fear of all of this being a dream.
The darker skinned girl in the group is holding a light purple bath bomb in one hand and her girlfriend's in the other. She gives Will a knowing smile, the one that all queer people are aware of and use to communicate with silently in public. Will smiles back, nods at both her and Nico, and turns on his heel.
It's warm outside, the sun setting gorgeously on the horizon. Will pats his pockets, feeling the bump of his phone. He allows himself to squeal (only a little) in delight before walking away.
*
[Nico]: black is literally the best color. this is fact. you cannot argue
[Will]: You know what. You know w h a t. I need to introduce you to pastels. And color theory!
[Will]: Did you know that if two colors are opposite of each other on the color spectrum, they look really well together?
[Nico]: does that mean we'd look good together?
[Nico]: since we're opposites on the color spectrum
[Will]: What does that even mean?
[Nico]: i can't believe i'm flirting with you and it's just going over your head
[Nico]: you're lucky you're cute
[Will]: That's not fair. I was confused.
[Nico]: you're ALWAYS confused. hence why you're cute. but if you keep this up i'll fight you
[Will]: Why do you always resort to violence? Why are you like this?
[Nico]: because i'm gay
[Will]: You know what that's fair.
[Nico]: (;
*
[Jason]: Something's up. He's been too happy lately.
[Reyna]: Define "too happy"
[Jason]: Like, he was singing in the shower yesterday. And he started wearing eyeliner again.
[Reyna]: EYELINER
[Reyna]: Oh my god he hasn't done that since -
[Reyna]: This is bad. Red alert. We gotta find out who the guy is
[Jason]: Already on it. I'm pretty sure it's the blonde guy that came into the shop.
[Jason]: I should've known the moment I saw he had freckles. And his eyes??? Like a deep blue?? If I wasn't already in love with Percy AND Piper AND Annabeth then this dude would've had me swooning in two seconds flat.
[Reyna]: No one cares
[Reyna]: And Percy is an idiot
[Jason]: That has nothing to do with this ??
[Reyna]: I don't see you denying it
[Jason]: Okay WHATEVER. Lets focus on Nico.
[Jason]: I think I might know what to do. You game?
[Reyna]: Anything for Nico.
*
"This place is nice."
Will smooths his shirt down, messing with a loose thread on his jacket. He wore his best clothes, not knowing what to expect (and made sure his eyes would stand out), but he still feels a bit shabby.
Nico, dressed in literally all black—God, it really is his color—shrugs. "Nice, but not nice enough for you to feel self-conscious. You look good."
Will huffs, messing with the silverware. "Easy for you to say. You look—" he stops, searching for the right word. "You just look like you fit in."
Nico snorts, brushing the hair from his eyes. "I look like I'm a waiter. And my pants? There's a hole in the crotch. And my back pocket. And—"
"Okay okay, I get it." Will leans forward, eyeing everyone else in the restaurant. "We look good."
"We look even better together. Color theory, and all that."
Will knows that's not how color theory actually works, with Nico in all black and Will in light cream colors and soft grays, but he smiles and nods. "Yeah, you're right "
Nico smirks, smug. He keeps that same expression even when the waiter comes by and takes their order, Nico ordering pizza and pasta and a coke (all of which make Will's chest physically hurt). He opts for something healthier, but promises Nico to be a little more open with dessert later on.
While they eat, Nico flirts and flirts and Will wonders where he had kept all of that inside of him. It's almost like he'd been bottling it up, and now that he's comfortable, he's letting it all spill forth. Will doesn't mind; he's actually pleased. Even if he's not as good at it like Nico is.
"I'm on summer break right now. I ah, I rent an apartment near campus with a guy I had in my first semester English class. He's…alright. And the rent is manageable."
“Doesn’t sound like you really like it.”
“It’s...doable. Frustrating at times, but doable. He does have this habit of kicking me out of the apartment when he has people over, though.”
With half a pizza slice in his mouth, Nico scowls. “Don’t you have separate rooms?”
“Yeah but,” Will blushes, eyes shifting to the side. “He tends to have a lot of girls over. And he doesn’t like me, ah. Well. Being there. During that time. Even if we’re in separate rooms.”
Nico wipes some sauce from the corner of his mouth, expression oddly calm. “He’s a loud guy, I assume?”
“GOD,” Will blurts, burying his face in his hands from embarrassment. “I really don’t want to think about it.”
There’s a pause, and then, “You’ve walked in on him, haven’t you?”
Will groans and Nico stifles a laugh. He smothers his amusement down. “If it makes you feel any better, it’s happened to me lots of times. I live in an apartment with four other people and they’re both couples.”
Will grimaces. “That sounds awful.”
“Oh trust me, it does. That’s why I have very loud speakers and noise cancelling earphones. I really doubt they’re as loud as your roommate, though.”
“You know, I don’t really mind being kicked out half the time. I just wish he’d like, keep to some sort of schedule because last week he kicked me out at 9 p.m. and I had just gotten out of the shower. I was in my pajamas and I had to ‘go find something to do.’ I literally walked around the block until he gave me the go ahead to come back.”
“I already don’t like him.”
Will laughs, and Nico’s phone buzzes at that exact moment.
“Shit,” Nico mutters, giving a Look™ to Will as he swipes a finger along the screen. Sorry, he mouths, before saying, “Dad. What do you want?”
Will freezes with his glass to his lips, brows almost touching his hairline. Nico rolls his eyes and runs a hand down his face.
“Look—I’m busy right now, alright? I’ll call you back later.”
Nico sets his phone down with an annoyed sigh, looking up in a way that Will notices Nico’s wearing smudged eyeliner, but only on the bottom of his eyes, near his lashes.
“Is...everything okay?” Will asks, unsure. Nico nods, giving him a half-hearted smile. “Do you have daddy issues too?”
At that, Nico nearly chokes on his pasta, his fist banging the table as he wheezes out a laugh. “Christ.”
“Sorry! Sorry, are you alright? Do you need water? Oh my god—waiter, waiter!”
Will starts yelling before Nico can tell him he’s perfectly okay, drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
“I’m fine,” Nico hisses, slouching in his seat as a bunch of waiters scramble toward their table. “I was just laughing.”
“Oh,” Will says, slowly putting away the first aid kit that had somehow materialized in his hands. He also lowers his phone, 911 already dialed and ready to go. “I...knew that.”
“I bet you my daddy issues are worse than yours.”
Will frowns and crosses his arms over his chest. “Do you wanna bet on that?”
“Loser has to pay for dessert?”
Will grins, shaking Nico’s outstretched hand. “Deal. You go first.”
“My dad loves my sister Bianca more than he loves me. He’s told me, on multiple occasions, that he wishes I’d never been born. And while that, you know, sucks and all, he kind of got over it when I got older. But here’s the part that really sucks—he’s just been ignoring me for the past few years, ever since my sister left for college. Like, without her living with me and my mom anymore, there’s no reason to even acknowledge me.” Will has an expression on his face that only someone who’s had a shitty dad and survived it can have, and Nico recognizes it immediately. “What’s your story?”
Will rolls his shoulders, hands folded neatly in his lap. “My dad was never around when I was a kid, but I still knew who he was. He’s...a famous male model. You’ve probably seen him, he’s always coming out on billboards and magazine covers. His name is Apollo. And like, if him not being around wasn’t bad enough with my mom having to support us herself, he’s the largest thot. And he would flaunt it in front of us. That, and always show off his money. I don’t think he even remembers I exist.”
It’s Nico’s turn to make a sympathetic expression. “We both have terrible dad’s.”
“This bet was somehow even more depressing that I’d thought it’d be.”
Nico sighs, placing his napkin on the table. “Let’s go somewhere else for dessert. We can split it, maybe talk about how my sister ran off to college for some hot girl she’s in love with. Maybe kiss at some point because our combined daddy issues are like, not cool.”
Nico winks at Will, and when their bill is paid for they head outside. Nico tells Will all about Bianca and her girlfriend Artemis and how angry his dad was when she left, smiling so widely it's obvious how much he cares for his sister. He also mentions his half-sister Hazel, how he only recently, a few years ago, got to know her. Will, during this, reaches for Nico’s hand.
They stumble onto a street fair a few blocks in the random direction they chose to walk in, the warm smell of popcorn and caramel drawing them in.
Nearby, with their jackets drawn close and large sunglasses on their faces (despite it being nighttime), Jason and Reyna watch the pair wander to the ferris wheel, their faces lit up by neon lights.
“We have to stop this before Nico gets more attached,” Jason says while peering around a tree. “How’s murder sound?”
“Jason, you’re an idiot.” Reyna cracks her knuckles, smirking. “Threats usually work best.”
“Well, whatever we do, we have to do it quick. I won’t let this be a repeat of what happened with Percy.”
“You’re right about that. Come on, they’re moving.”
*
[Will]: Now that we had the whole ‘our dads suck’ conversation, when will we talk about our moms?
[Nico]: i can already tell that both our moms are angels
[Nico]: who deserve better
[Will]: You are absolutely correct.
[Nico]: i am a l w a y s correct
[Will]: We should do something for our moms. Surprise them, you know?
[Nico]: can this involve baking
[Nico]: actually can this involve food
[Will]: It can involve both!
[Nico]: god you're so smart
[Nico]: i will not eat salad
[Nico]: i will legitimately cry
[Nico]: this is emotional abuse
[Will]: This relationship is emotional abuse.
[Nico]: YOU TAKE THAT BACK
[Nico]: or i am calling the police
[Will]: Go ahead. They'll take one look at your cholesterol level and know I'm in the right.
[Nico]: how dare you use my cholesterol level in this very serious argument
[Nico]: you're blocked
[Will]: Nico.
[Will]: Nico answer the phone.
[Will]: Nico oh my God why are you like this.
[Will]: I've called you three times already. Three times. If you don't answer the next one I won't bake you cookies next Saturday.
[Nico]: keep talking. i'm willing to negotiate
*
[Nico]: there's this song that reminds me of you
[Nico]: you've probably never heard it bc your music taste is trash but
[Nico]: i'll take pity on you and share. it's demolition lovers by mcr
[Nico]: which stands for my chemical romance you uncultured swine
[Will]: Nico, we've been over this. It was one time. I said I was sorry.
[Nico]: i will never forgive you for that
[Nico]: you should be honored i'm even dedicating a song to you rn
[Will]: Fine, I'll listen to it.
[Will]: You know what song reminds me of you, though? Paint It, Black by The Rolling Stones.
[Will]: <3
[Nico]: this is getting too sentimental for me
[Nico]: i'm gonna block you now
[Will]: Nico you pROMISED YOU'D STOP DOING THAT
[Will]: NICO
*
It's 9 in the morning when Nico pulls up outside of Will's apartment. The two don't have any real plans for the day other than taking Nico's car (which is actually Leo's) to the car wash. Will clambers in, hands Nico his speaker (Leo's car didn't even know the definition of a working radio or speaker system), and helps him set up his phone to play his music.
Will is excited since he's never been to a car wash where you can sit inside and watch before, and Nico is far too amused (aka, endeared) to tease him about it. Will all but presses his face against the glass, watching as the sprinklers whir to life and from somewhere up above, pink suds splattering on the front windshield and roof.
He gets scared when the large, carpet-look alike machine slaps against the car, though. He's so worried about the glass breaking that Nico has to pause his music and hold Will's hand, whispering reassurances and trying not to laugh at how wide Will's eyes are.
Once the car is clean and shiny, Nico drives back to Will's, brainstorming what to do along the way.
Will's roommate isn't home, so Nico raids the kitchen (he serves himself cereal, much to Will's chagrin) and they talk about what to do.
There's a moment where Nico stares at Will, Wii music playing somewhere in his head. Slowly, a grin spreads across his face, obscene enough to make Will embarrassed without even knowing why.
"Let's go to the beach," Nico says, already grabbing the car keys and quickly washing his dishes.
Will sits there, confused. "I only have a few things for the beach, we'd need to go to the store—"
"Great idea! First stop, a store. Next stop, gas. Final stop, the beach. C'mon, let's try to beat the afternoon heat!"
The don't actually manage to beat the heat, but Will makes sure both of them have enough sunscreen to bounce UV rays off of them like armor.
Nico goes absolutely batshit crazy in the middle of the 99¢ store, piling so many things into a cart and making Will push it. Will only intervenes when Nico starts putting too many (unhealthy) snacks in.
They head to the closest beach they can find, windows rolled down and music blaring. Will loves the feel of the wind in his hair, loves the feel of the sun on his skin and he loves Nico's off-key singing even more.
It's not long before they smell the salt in the air, Will invigorated by the feel of it in his lungs. It's past noon by the time they find parking, Led Zeppelin's Going to California making them both nostalgic (despite Will never having heard the song before).
Nico sets up where they'll be laying, leaving Will to wander toward the shore. He dips his toes into the water, watching the white sea foam lap at his skin.
He doesn't want to completely submerge himself, but he wore swim trunks just in case. The part of the beach they're at isn't crowded, a few scattered people and two kids building a sandcastle ten feet away are all Will can see.
"Do you want to swim?" Nico asks, half-jumping against Will's back in excitement. "How's the water?"
"Not too cold." Will smiles to himself, wiggling his toes in the sand. "Are you a swimmer?"
Nico blushes furiously at that, much to Will's surprise. "Not...really."
Will laughs, stripping off his shirt and tossing it somewhere behind him. He nudges Nico's shoulder, giving him a wide grin. "Race you!"
He makes it waist deep before turning around and spotting Nico, still by the shore, mouth agape and stars in his eyes. He only moves once Will calls to him, stumbling into the water and soaking the hem of his shirt.
They fall asleep under the sun for a little while, the two dollar umbrella Nico bought covering their faces and necks from the heat.
Nico wakes up complaining of sand in his mouth and being sticky and they shower off before shambling back to the car, hungry and newly energized.
"Burgers," Nico groans, resting his head against the steering wheel. "And fries. God, I want a milkshake so bad right now."
Will purses his lips, tapping at his phone screen. "There's a place not too far from here. It has a good rating."
"Lead the way."
They eat, they talk, Nico complains about sand in his hair and pretends to be annoyed when Will brushes some from the back of his neck.
Nico forces Will to share a milkshake with him (that Will secretly enjoys), and Nico scowls furiously when Will tries to take a picture of the two of them, rolling his eyes but leaning into Will’s side anyway.
The sidewalk is lined with pretty Christmas lights, the dark yellow tint mixing with the bright neon signs from stores. Will can tell from the way Nico shoves his hands in the pockets of his jacket that he wants to hold hands, but doesn’t feel comfortable doing it in public, outside where other couples and friend groups also line the streets. Will thinks it over, thinks about the risks and possible hostile judgement and stops himself from reaching out.
He does close the gap between them though, their shoulders nearly touching as they walk.
“I feel like we’re being watched,” Nico says suddenly as they’re waiting for the light to turn green. “It...felt like this last time we went out, too.”
Will leans slightly into Nico, playing it off as not being able to hear him speaking. “I kinda felt that too.”
“Do you want to leave?”
“No. I want some tea, actually. My treat?”
Nico ducks his head shyly, wetting his lips. “S’long as you get me hot chocolate.”
“Deal. C’mon.”
They go to Starbucks, but leave once they get their respective drinks because of the lack of privacy. Outside once again, they make their way to the quieter part of the city, all warm lights and soft chatter. The sun, setting gently and painting the sky in streaks of oranges and pinks, is apparently sentimental enough to make Nico start rambling.
“There was this guy I liked, a few years back. He’s still a friend of mine, but he—you could say he was my first guy crush. Made me realize I was attracted to guys and all that.” Nico’s eyes sweep over their general vicinity, jaw tight. “I thought I was in love with him. He was just so—special, you know? He was so nice to me, kind of took me under his wing growing up.”
Will, not expecting the sudden topic, chokes on his tea. He coughs as discreetly as possible, nodding for Nico to continue.
“I thought—I don’t know, I thought we had something. But then he started dating a girl named Annabeth and everything fell apart and I couldn’t cope with it. Like, I just. Stopped functioning, you know? Hated everything that reminded me of him but at the same time I loved it so much it hurt. Like the color blue for example, I couldn’t even look at it for months because it reminded me of his mom and how she would bake him blue cookies, or how he would carry around blue food coloring since he liked adding it to whatever he ate and—”
Nico angrily kicks a rock out of their way, shoulders hunched and dark eyes looking anywhere but at Will. He stays quiet, letting Nico collect his thoughts.
“Like I was messed up for a while, really messed up. But it’s been years since that happened and there’s something so—god, I hate to be cheesy but—something so beautiful about knowing I’ve grown since then. Like when I first saw you, and you got close enough for me to get a good look at you, all I saw were your eyes. And not because they reminded me of him, but because they were such a deep shade of blue that I got lost in them. I never thought I would get to this point, but I did and that’s a big fucking accomplishment if you ask me.”
The street, for a brief moment, is devoid of other people. They’re in their own little bubble, tucked away into a safe nook. Will stops walking and curls his hand around Nico’s arm, tugging him so that they’re face to face.
“Hey, hey ” he lays his hands atop Nico’s shoulders, trying his best to be gentle. “You don’t have to look at me if you don’t want to, but can you listen?”
Nico nods reluctantly, the sharp curve of his cheekbone casting a lovely shadow on his face.
“I’m proud of you. Like, really proud of you. I’m sure there’s more to the story that you’re not telling me—and you don’t have to tell me, by the way—but what you shared is admirable and you deserve praise for it. I...don’t think either of us get enough of it, honestly speaking. And it’s long overdue.”
Nico smiles, eyes shining in the half-light. His head is still cast down, to the side, and Will quickly looks around before dipping his head low to meet Nico’s, their foreheads touching tenderly.
“I—I’m not crying, I swear. I just. Ugh.” Nico shoves his face into Will’s chest, finding his way to the curve of Will’s neck. “God, I’d never let myself live it down if I cried over Percy. Again.”
“Percy’s his name?” Will asks, mostly just to keep Nico talking. He wraps his arms around Nico’s shoulders and squishes his cheek against the top of Nico’s head.
“Yeah. Percy Jackson is the name of the boy who broke my heart and scarred me for life and blah blah blah.”
Will snorts. “Percy Jackson? More like Percy Jack ass.”
Nico splutters, pulling away quickly as a fit of laughter bursts from his chest. “You— oh my god.”
“We should get that printed on t-shirts or something. Or if you’re feeling wild, get it as matching lower back tattoos.” Will grins, enjoying Nico’s incoherent wheezing in response.
Nico, who is now squatting and wiping the tears from his eyes, reaches out to Will’s leg for support. “I’m getting that engraved on my tombstone.”
Will huffs in amusement, helping Nico to his feet. “Funny, I had the same idea.”
They lean into one another, smiles still on their faces and their spot still isolated enough for them to feel bold.
Yet, as isolated as it is, it is not completely hidden.
Twenty feet away, Jason and Reyna stand, listening to the pair’s conversation while blocked behind a brick wall.
“We’re running out of time!” Jason hisses, the fake mustache on his face crooked and beginning to peel off. “They’re getting too close! This is exactly what we were trying to avoid.”
“I’m sorry, but who made us spend the last few weeks buying disguises so we can hide in plain sight? We could’ve been planning something to get them to break up.”
“Ugh, I’m gonna be sick,” Jason groans, sliding down the wall and to the pavement below. “We had one job and we ruined it. Now they’re kissing in the goddamn moonlight and it’s so romantic and gross and I completely forgot to bring my air horn.”
Reyna sighs, pulling the blonde wig off her head and the fake glasses off her face. “Look, we just have to focus. The disguises aren’t useful for anything other than spying. We need a game plan. Do you think you can pull yourself together enough to use your brain and help me out here?”
Jason, who is crying and wiping his eyes with his mustache, starts pulling off his fake eyelashes with an air of sadness that reminds Reyna of someone who has just heard the news of a close relative passing. “This is his first kiss. I can’t believe I let this happen.”
Reyna pinches the bridge of her nose, muttering something rude under her breath before sighing loudly and saying, “I need a drink.”
*
"I want my money back!"
"Jason, we have bigger problems to focus on."
"Yeah but I spent like at least $100 on these disguises and they didn't even work."
"It was a stupid idea to begin with."
Jason slams his fist against the table. "You take that back!"
"It's the truth."
They stare at each other, both scowling deeply. Jason breaks first when Reyna starts advancing on him.
"Okay okay, let's get back on track." He scurries off behind the safety of the couch, hands help up placatingly. "So this thing with Nico has gone too far. There's no chance of saving him from experiencing pain anymore. But, we can limit it."
"I don't understand why we haven't just roughened the guy up yet. He's an easy target."
Jason crosses his arms over his chest. "Because we have to do more than just threaten! Nico knows where he lives. He can go searching for answers and we can't have that. We need the guy to leave on his own terms."
"And how are we supposed to do that?"
"We have to get him to be the one to end things with Nico."
Reyna groans loudly in irritation. "Yes, I get that, but how? Give me an actual plan here, Jason."
"We—and hear me out on this—scare him off. The good old fashioned way, with lots of threats and questions and possibly some bloodshed. We make it seem like Nico's apart of the mafia or something and we want to know his intentions with him. We can also dress up for the part. To make use of the uh, the mafia disguises we bought."
"Did you—did you have this planned from the beginning?"
"No," Jason deadpans. "What... gave you that idea?"
Reyna frowns, briefly contemplating why her life is the way it is. "Okay...so. When should we do this?"
"That," Jason says, plopping himself down on the sofa, "is something I haven't thought about yet."
*
"Why do you listen to fuckboy music?" Nico asks around his third slice of pizza. Will grimaces and puts his hands on his hips defensively, abandoning his salad in favor of giving Nico the stink eye. “Why are you looking at me like that? You know I’m right.”
Will lowers his eyes to the food in Nico’s hand, lips twisting into something feral. “When is the last time you drank water?”
Nico tenses up, a dead giveaway. “Uh...yesterday?”
Will has somehow miracled a water canister into existence and is advancing on Nico before he can even blink. “If you don’t finish this in the next three minutes I will waterboard you.”
Nico starts drinking immediately and Will scowls at the remaining pizza. But his scowl deepens when he catches a glimpse of a few fries tucked under one particular slice.
“Are these,” Will says threateningly, eyes narrowed, “fries from McDonald’s?”
Nico splutters, water spraying dramatically from his mouth. “How... how did you even know that?”
“That’s it!” Will starts shoving the remaining pizza into the trash. “That’s it! I can’t do this anymore. I’m making you a damn salad.”
“A what ” Nico cries, remaining water in the canister forgotten. “You can’t make me eat anything I don’t want to! If it’s green it’s bad.”
“What do you mean if it’s green it’s bad. Nico. Nico. Answer me right now .”
Nico screams when Will grabs an entire head of lettuce from the fridge without taking his eyes off of him, sprinting to the living room and planting himself behind the safety of the couch.
“Will,” Nico begs as Will gets closer and closer. “Please.”
Nico doesn’t account for how in shape Will is because when Nico moves to run, dead set on the front door, Will vaults over the couch and tackles him with ease.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’ll stop eating McDonald’s all the time I swear I—I’ll even give up pizza and drink more water if you want oh my god someone help —”
Nico sobs around a chunk of lettuce, chewing only when Will threatens to shove more of it in his mouth. He stops crying when he realizes the lettuce doesn’t even taste that bad, the crispy texture reminding him of chips.
“How dare you,” Nico says, trying to look annoyed despite Will still pinning him to the carpet with his thighs. His very strong thighs. “You’re lucky I eat like trash because if not then this entire scenario would’ve turned out differently.”
Will rolls his eyes, taking a bite out of the lettuce himself. “This only happened because you eat like trash.”
“Oh yeah? Do you wanna see what eating like trash for 19 years has done?” Nico uses all the strength in his body (and the fact that he is agile as all hell despite the only exercise he gets being sword fighting with Leo on the weekends) to knock Will onto his back and pin his wrists. “Aha! Gotcha.”
Will is surprised, but accepts the challenge quickly. The two of them roll around, knocking into various objects and fighting for the upper hand. Nico manages to get a hand on Will’s stomach and tickles with all his might, not wanting to fight dirty but knowing this is a matter of life and death. Will crumples, writhing so much he loses all control of his limbs.
“I—I ah, I quit! I surrender!”
“I am victorious!” Nico raises both arms above his head, getting an eyeful of the lettuce head, now torn into shreds, scattered on the carpet. “And that means I don’t have to clean any of this up.”
Will glances around and groans, probably mourning the loss of his beloved vegetable. “I guess that’s my fault, anyway.”
“Actually, I would be willing to help in cleaning this unholy wreckage if the loser gives me a kiss.”
Will laughs at that, breathless. His hair is a mess and his eyes are shining brightly. Nico thinks he looks gorgeous.
“How can I turn down an offer like that?” Will says, and with a piece of lettuce in his hair, leans forward and kisses Nico.
The don’t get to cleaning until much later.
*
“Did you choose a horror movie because you want to make out in the back of the theater?”
Will grins, a blush heating his cheeks. “Not exactly what I had in mind, but it’s not an unwelcome idea.”
“That’s enough of a yes for me.” Nico feels daring enough to interlock fingers with Will, knowing the long coat of his jacket and close proximity of those in line hide it from view. “I, for one, love bad horror movies. And making out. So this, this is gonna be fun.”
Will snorts, rolling his eyes. “Even if it’s after Halloween?”
“Doesn’t have to be Halloween to watch scary movies. Besides, it’s always Halloween in my heart.”
Will traces a finger along Nico’s wrist, keeping his expression neutral as he eyes the concession stand. “Your cold, dead, black heart?”
“The same one.” Nico winks at Will, rocking forward on his feet and trying to see the menu around the person in front of him. “And this cold, dead, black heart is craving nachos. And ice cream. You think they have those sandwiches with the three flavors in them?”
“They should,” Will says, noticing Nico frown at the long line ahead of them, and how slow it was moving. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I just have to use the restroom. And this line is awful.”
“You’re such a dork. Just go on ahead. I’ll be here when you get back.”
The theater is full, the small entrance space brimming with chatter and food and small hordes of people. Nico squeezes Will’s hand, the brief moment of intimacy ending as quickly as it started. Nico lets go, shoving his hands in his pockets and scowling at the crowd of people currently navigating their way to the right side of the theater.
“If you get to the front before I’m back, you know what I want. Text me and I’ll meet you at our seats.”
“You got it.”
Nico is blocked from Will’s view seconds after he walks off, black head of hair disappearing completely. Will shifts his weight from one leg to the other, the warmth from Nico’s hand still lingering on his fingers.
As the minutes pass, people continue to pour into the theater. They came on a night where the tickets were sold at a discounted price and had hugely underestimated just how many people would be there. The lines on either side of Will start to close in on him and the line he’s in as people make room for those who aren’t buying anything to get to their theater.
Will isn’t usually bothered by crowds, but for some reason he feels his nerves skyrocket and fingers itch. He wishes he’d brought his first aid kit, but his bag sits at home, abandoned in his rush to get ready in time to make it to the movie.
It’s a small comfort, but the gauze he always makes sure to keep stocked up on holds his nerves down enough to allow him to get somewhere less nerve-wracking. Except for the one time he wrapped his entire body in gauze (his first round of college finals had not gone well and he may or may not have been arrested for rolling into oncoming traffic and causing a pile up).
The thought alone of Nico and his return eases some of the tension from Will’s shoulders. The line has moved enough that he can hear the beeping of the register and see another section of the menu. Movie theaters aren’t on his list of favorite places to eat at, but he usually makes do with a kids sized popcorn and water.
They’re planning on eating after, anyway. Maybe go for a late night drive or something. They had finished their midterms for the fall semester a few weeks ago and wanted to let loose a little. Try something new, be spontaneous. And they had Nico’s roommate’s car for the whole night.
“Okay, so we’re going to do this quietly and without making a scene. Don’t look at me, don’t call for help. If you do, I will hurt you. Now move.”
Will hears the voice, doesn’t make sense of the words until something jabs into his side with enough force to get his feet moving under him. He almost glances over his shoulder, but the sharp “ don’t ” from the person behind him prevents him.
He doesn’t know where he’s going, doesn’t understand what’s happening until he’s forced to turn a corner and sees an isolated spot near the theater exit. He thinks, suddenly, that he’s about to get mugged and he stupidly, stupidly left the area with witnesses.
Will’s shoved into the wall roughly once he’s near the exit, his shoulder stinging from the impact.
“Alright listen up.” The person—woman—pushes his back flat against the wall. Will feels his eyebrows threaten to touch his hairline when he gets an eyeful of the ridiculous outfit his possible mugger is wearing. “I’m not here to play games, you understand?” It’s only then that Will realizes she’s speaking in a very, very bad Italian accent. He blinks, tempted to pinch himself to see if any of this is real. “I said,” the mugger hisses, jabbing him again in the side. “Do you understand?”
In a drooping fedora and slightly oversized suit, the woman has a deep scowl on her face and what looks like a walking cane in her left hand. Above her upper lip is a small black rectangle (probably drawn on by a sharpie). Will thinks it’s supposed to be a mustache.
“Uh,” Will says, unsure. “Yes?”
“You better, or you’ll be swimming with the fishes sooner rather than later.” She adjusts her suit jacket, her fedora low enough to cover one eye completely and half of the other one. Will wonders if he’s having a stroke. “The family has noticed you’ve been spending time with our nephew, Nico. And we can’t have that.”
With those words, a figure emerges from the shadows to Will’s right. It’s a man, wearing tight striped pants, an even tighter white button up, and rainbow suspenders. His hair is slicked back and there’s an actual fake mustache above his mouth. His hat is in his hands, exposing his entire face to Will.
“Oh my god,” Will breathes, the last of his brain cells catching on fire. “I know you.”
The woman throws an angry look over her shoulder, the man going through the five stages of grief all at once. He quickly puts the hat on. “Not anymore you don’t.”
“That’s...not how that works.”
“Hey, you don’t get to make the rules here, wiseguy. Unless you want to get whacked.”
They both box Will in, the man cracking his knuckles and the woman smacking the cane to her palm threateningly. “If you listen carefully to what we tell you, then this won’t be nothing more than just a shakedown, no whacking involved.”
“I literally have no idea what either of you are saying.”
The woman sighs loudly, shooting daggers at the man. She grumbles under her breath, annoyed, and sneers. “We’re gonna tell you what’s up with our nephew, roughen you up a bit, and then never see you again. Understand?”
The man crosses his arms over his chest, only his mouth and mustache visible under his hat. “Our godfather don’t like you getting close to our nephew. He’s important, you see. The heir. Soon to be taking on the responsibilities of the family name. You’re just a commoner with nothing to offer him.”
“Wait what?” Will squints furiously in confusion. “What do you mean he’s the heir? Of what family? He’s never mentioned any of this to me.”
“Because you’re just a fling.”
“And probably a rat,” the man adds, leaning uncomfortably close to Will. “We don’t trust you. But we’ve decided to get you off light. On a warning of sorts. If we ever see you near Nico again, the boss’ll make sure you never see the light of day again.”
“Am I…? This has got to be a prank, right? This feels like a prank.”
Will tries to move out from between them, but the man grabs the front of Will’s shirt and holds him in place. “We’re packing heavy, kid. If you keep playing around we’re gonna have to take the hit.”
The woman’s brows pinch. “That’s not how you use the word hit.”
“Do you see me making a big deal about your terrible accent? Huh? No? Okay then be quiet. ”
They both turn back to Will, who is busy trying to flag someone down from the other end of the hall with just his eyes.
“I don’t think he’s taking this seriously,” the man says to the woman. She nods, and Will, for the first time during the strange encounter, feels an acute pooling of dread low in his stomach when the man jerks his head toward the exit. “Let’s take this outside. Get the gag and hood.”
“What—no!” There’s a scuffle as Will ducks under the man’s arm but is held back by the woman. He sucks in a sharp breath at the sight of the black bag, the woman trying her hardest to get it on his head. Panic sets in, the possibility of being hurt fast becoming his reality. “Help!”
He’s immediately gagged by the man, whose mustache is falling off his face and first two buttons of his shirt have popped off. Will manages to knock the woman’s hat off with an elbow, her long black hair falling loose and revealing a beautiful (but terrifying) face. Will does the only thing he can think of and smacks the man’s glasses off his face, hoping his vision is terrible enough that he wouldn’t be able to see anything.
“What are you—hey, hey ! What the hell are you guys doing?”
The woman is no longer holding him off the ground (her arms are so toned jesus christ) and Will sags, falling atop two hats and the cane and judging by the loud cracking sound, the man’s glasses.
“Jason? Reyna? What—oh my god, you have got to be kidding me.”
Nico is there, blessedly there, in the flesh and everything. He hauls Will up, and once Nico’s given him a once over to make sure he’s okay, Nico tucks Will protectively behind him.
“You two better tell me what in the absolute hell you were doing, right now.”
Will is clutching onto Nico’s back, the piece of cloth they were going to use as a gag still around Will’s neck. He peeks over Nico’s shoulder, curious.
“Why did your coworker try to kill me?” Will whispers, but Jason and Reyna (Will remembers the name, she’s a good friend of Nico’s) still overhear.
“We made a promise to protect you, Nico. And we let this go on for too long.” Jason waved in Will and Nico’s direction with vague disgust, and Will feels his hackles rise.
“Is that what this was all about? You’re both homophobic?” Will moves to stand beside Nico, his back straight and eyes narrowed. “How can you two even call yourself Nico's friends?”
Both Jason and Reyna’s eyes widen, and in their rush manage to talk over one another.
“N-no, what? No! We’re not homophobic at all.”
“Oh my godddd no. We love Nico and who he is.”
Reyna puts her hands over her heart, earnestly. “We’re sorry that you thought this had anything to do with sexuality.”
“Uh…” Will’s mind blanks. “Apology...accepted?”
“But that doesn’t mean we like you!” Jason yells, pointing somewhere in Will’s direction. “Especially since you broke my glasses.”
“You tried to kill me.”
“For a good reason! I’d do it all over again if I could.”
“I don’t understand.” Will glances at Nico, his previous anger dissipating quickly. “What did I do to make them want to hurt me?”
“Nico’s been hurt in the past. Something he never deserved to have happened to him. And you were only going to do the same!”
“That’s enough!” Nico hisses, hands fisted in his hair in exasperation. “That’s it, that’s it. I have lived with you two being overprotective for years and I’m sick of it. You’ve been scaring off people I’ve liked and taking it to literal extremes to where I can’t even interact with guys without one of you breathing over my shoulder. And you know what? I let it happen for too long without putting my foot down. I thought you two would eventually change. But this is it. You had no right to lay a hand on Will. You tried to hurt someone I care about because of what? Percy? the past? These are things I’ve healed from but you two seem keen on clinging to.”
Nico looks around them, an expression of disbelief on his face. “Can’t you see how ridiculous you’re being? You bought disguises, for god’s sake. You ambushed my boyfriend while we were out on a date and threatened to kill him. You were actually going to hurt him, someone who has done absolutely nothing to you—or me, for that matter—and you think that’s right? Or even legal, like at all? I’m not a little kid anymore, and you two have a twisted sense of what parents are supposed to be like.”
“Nico—” Reyna starts, reaching a hand forward. “Nico please, we were doing this for you. ”
“You’re doing this for yourselves!” Nico shouts, his body vibrating with barely restrained anger. “Stay away from us. I don’t want to talk to either of you.”
Will, who is speechless, is then dragged off by a fuming Nico. He stumbles to keep up, the events of the past 10 minutes swimming in his head.
“And don’t you dare think about following us!” Nico yells before they turn the corner, his grip on Will’s wrist firm but gentle.
“Crap,” Jason whispers when they’re out of sight. “Aw, Crap.”
*
“Alright, alright, everyone quiet down.” Calypso takes a deep breath, simultaneously making everyone in the room take a deep breath with her. “Jason just texted Percy that he’ll be here in 10 minutes. Reyna is with him, and so far no red flags have gone off. We need to make sure we get them past the sofa before they notice anything off so we can block off access to the front door, okay?”
Hazel, who is standing nervously by the window, does a jittery sort of dance. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Annabeth walks over, her gray eyes soft and earnest. “Hey, hey, it’s going to be okay. You just have to act normal, that’s all. If you’re on edge, they’ll sense it.”
“We all die—you either kill yourself or get killed,” Leo declares as he stands, ready to dance, but Calypso drags him back down with a scowl.
Percy mock whispers to Hazel, “Don’t listen to him, I think he’s just in a bad mood because he burnt his breakfast this morning.”
“Yeah, well you know what? I don’t need friends, they disappoint me!”
Calypso sighs, shielding her eyes. “I thought you said you wouldn’t provoke Leo today.”
Piper rolls her eyes. “He’s provoking himself.”
“I think we’re getting a little off track here, guys,” Nico comments, peeking his head out of Annabeth and Percy’s bedroom. “The living room reeks of suspicious activity. They’re not gonna fall for it.”
“Hey, we’re trying our best! You, on the other hand, need to hide. Don’t come out of the room.”
Nico frowns, eyeing the food platters on the coffee table. “Can I at least get some cookies? Or, like, anything to eat. I’m starving.”
“No.” Calypso starts to shoo Nico back into the bedroom.
“Was it really necessary to put us in here the whole time? We haven’t eaten in hours—” She closes the door on Nico's face, cutting off the probably good point Will was about to make from behind Nico’s shoulder.
Calypso dusts her hands and sets them on her hips. “It’s show time.”
As if on cue, Sally pops out of the kitchen with yet another platter of cookies, her smile so sweet and blinding that everyone immediately relaxes. “They’re still hot, so be careful!”
Everyone clambers toward her, multiple hands reaching over each other to grab at the incredibly soft and chewy cookies. A few feet away, behind the wooden bedroom door, Nico could be heard exclaiming loudly about how sharing is caring.
As everyone disperses, there’s a knocking from the front door. Sally, with a dreamy look in her eyes, floats over to it before anyone has any time to prepare themselves.
“Oh, hello dears. How are you?”
Jason beams instantly, his eyes zeroing on the tray in her hand. “Great! Please tell me you have more sweets.”
Sally gestures to the table full of food, somehow managing to block almost everyone in the room with her body as she does so. “Of course! There’s plenty of food to go around.”
Reyna, who at the mention of food perked up, is now shoving past Jason to get into the room first.
“Hey Ms. Jackson. As always, you’re an absolute blessing.”
Reyna stumbles in, elbowing Jason hard enough in the ribs to have him wheezing, and makes a beeline for the coffee table. Jason sprints after her, distracting Reyna enough to keep her from noticing the wall of stock still people on the right side of the living room.
Sally closes the door quietly, sliding the deadbolt into place subtly. She sits down in front of the door, setting the tray down beside her.
“Whoa, hey guys. What’s up?” Jason startles at the sight of everyone crammed into one corner of the room. Reyna, on the other hand, smells the trap the second she lays eyes on Leo, who is wide-eyed and hiding behind Calypso.
“Run!” She hisses, grabbing for Jason’s arm.
“Oh god,” Jason says when he notices Sally’s position. She’s nibbling on a blue cookie she’d been keeping in her apron. She doesn’t look fazed by their panic.
“Reyna, Jason—” Piper starts, but cuts off as Jason bolts for the window. “Hey, hey. We’re three stories up what are you doing?”
Everyone has to help in wrangling Reyna onto the sofa. Jason, on the other hand, sits the second Percy asks him to.
“Okay, so this is an intervention.” Calypso claps her hands together, slightly out of breath. “A very overdue, much needed intervention.”
“If anyone needs an intervention, it’s Percy,” Reyna mutters, arms crossed angrily over her chest.
Hazel leans toward Reyna, hand shielding her mouth. “That’s next month, I think,” she whispers.
“What?” Percy asks, but everyone ignores him.
“Your obsession with protecting Nico has gotten out of hand. So, we’re going to talk it out. We’re going to find what’s the problem and create a solution. Capiche?”
Both of them refuse to acknowledge Annabeth, so she gestures for Piper to open the bedroom door.
“Is there any food left?” Nico asks. “We’re still hungry.”
At Nico’s voice, Jason straightens and narrows his eyes. “We’re? Who else is there?”
Nico steps out, firmly tugging a timid Will after him. Reyna springs to her feet—already in defensive mode—but snarls defensively when Leo sprays water at her from a plant mister. “Welcome to Bible study. We’re all children of—”
“Leo,” Calypso sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Please.”
“I can’t believe this is happening.” Jason slumps further onto the sofa and frowns. “I really don’t see what we did wrong, other than let ourselves get caught.”
Nico splutters, incredulous. “I told you what you did wrong already. Are you serious right now?”
“Your safety and well-being are important to us. We did this for you.” Reyna juts her chin out stubbornly. “And we are not apologizing for what we did. We’re only sorry that you had to find out like this.”
Will has to lay a hand on Nico’s shoulder to keep him from raising his voice. The touch has Reyna scowling deeply.
“I’m about to throw hands.”
“Jason,” Percy soothes, unable to hide his surprise when Jason actually relaxes. Piper and Annabeth roll their eyes at Percy. “Calm down.”
“Nico is not a light subject for us.” Jason tenses again, looking slightly regretful as he pulls away from Percy. “You know why.”
“Okaaaaay,” Hazel says, eyes flitting between them. “Let's talk about that. Tell me about why you two are so overprotective of Nico.”
Jason avoids eye contact. “Everyone already knows. Why do we have to go over it again?”
Hazel takes a seat, palms flat on her thighs. She looks nervous, but steadies her voice the best she can. “Because it’s something which clearly still bothers the both of you to this day. It’s been around six or seven years. If it’s important to you, then we should talk about it.”
There’s a brief pause, a moment where everyone in the room collectively holds their breath. And then—
“Percy broke Nico. Literally broke him. Is that what you want to hear?” Reyna glares at the coffee table before turning her hostile gaze towards Percy, teeth bared. “You didn’t just hurt his feelings when you started dating Annabeth, you ruined him. He wasn’t himself at all for months and you didn’t even notice what he was going through enough to ask if he was alright.
“I love Nico like a brother. I love him more than I love myself. And those months—that entire year—I thought I lost him. He was a shell of himself. He was in love with you and you didn’t even know. You never really even understood. You brushed him aside once Annabeth came into the picture. And all of us saw this and no one said anything. Everyone ignored it. Like it was more than just—just first love or whatever. Nico was struggling with his sexuality and all the memories and the fact that he felt alone. You were his best friend. You were his best friend.”
Hazel, mouth agape, slowly turns her head to Calypso, speechless. The silence is broken only by Nico’s shuddering intake of breath, the rise of his chest and shoulders shaky. His eyes are watery but his jaw is tight, tense. Will, in an attempt to offer comfort, stands beside him, their hands holding onto one another for dear life.
When Nico speaks, his voice is gruff but controlled. He doesn’t waver, doesn’t hesitate. Instead he holds his head high, stare unnervingly calm.
“Yes, I was in love with Percy. Yes, when he started seeing Annabeth it really hurt me. And yes, I worried about being gay. Everything you said is true, but none of it justifies what you’ve done. I understand why you acted the way you did in the beginning. The both of you. And a part of me really appreciated how protected I felt. But time passed, and neither of you grew out of it.”
Nico glances down to where his fingers press into Will’s skin, where Will’s fingers press right back, to where their palms mold together and their wrists almost touch.
“I was hurt, but I didn’t stay hurt. I was devastated, broken, ruined, but I didn’t stay any of those things. I moved on years ago. I forgave Percy, forgave myself, forgave everyone because life is so hard and we’re all so young and it was unfair to expect everyone to drop everything to take care of me.” Nico turns to Percy, Will shifting his eyes over to him as well. “But you’re wrong about one thing. Percy knows, has known for years now because I told him. And you know what? He apologized. We talked it out. I got closure. But obviously, you two didn’t.”
At this point, Leo has inched his way over to Sally, taking a plate of food with him. Piper now holds the plant mister, her eyes large and round and unsure. Hazel somehow materialized next to Annabeth, her leg tapping nervously. Calypso stands behind Jason and Reyna, ready to intercept if need be.
Jason slowly turns to Percy, something indescribable in his gaze. “You’ve known this whole time?”
“I know I can be very oblivious at times, but I could tell something wasn’t right.” Percy fidgets in his seat, green eyes nervously flickering from side to side. “When Nico told me...I don’t know. I felt all kinds of things, but what matters is that I had the missing puzzle piece. I could understand why Nico had been so distant. And Annabeth and I—we had a really long talk about it, too. I planned all these things for Nico, different ways to tell him I was sorry. But he’d already forgiven me. All he wanted was to let me know, like. Can you imagine that? I still feel awful about everything, and I always will, but Nico is just…” Percy trails off, raising his head a few inches to look both Jason and Reyna in the eye. “He’s grown so much, grown into himself, you know? He’s moved on from the past. He’s almost 20 years old, guys. He’s not a little kid anymore. And he has a pretty cool boyfriend.”
Reyna makes a strangled sound, although it sounds more distressed than it does angry.
“They’ve been together for like six months. You need to calm down,” Annabeth says, exasperated.
“Six months?” Jason mutters. “Oh god.”
Nico huffs in annoyance, scowling severely. “How long we’ve been together is literally at the bottom of things we should be focusing on. Like have you heard nothing of what we’ve been saying to you? Huh? Is it all just registering as white noise or something? Jesus, it’s like I have to tell you that Will and I had sex to get you guys to actually pay attention to us.”
Hazel screams as Jason faints without warning and falls right off the sofa. Reyna bursts into tears, crying hysterically.
Leo, still from his place on the floor next to Sally, whispers loudly, “And they were roommates.”
Calypso covers her face with her hands. “I really can’t believe this is happening.”
*
From the back room stumbles in Sally, squinting so severely she nearly walks into the counter.
“Have a good night,” Nico says as he hands the customer he’d been attending their bag filled with essential oils. He smiles at Sally, huffing a laugh when he spots the blue cookie in her hand. “Getting an early start to the night?”
Sally leans on the counter, peering down at the array of products kept displayed behind clean glass. She takes another bite of her cookie as the front door jingles closed. “It’s Friday, dear. Of course I am.”
Nico smirks, already knowing Sally ate a few cookies in the office and the one in her hand was her last one. He forces back a yawn, biting on the inside of his cheek. The clock shows that there are only a few minutes left of his shift, and his hands are already reaching for the keys on his belt.
“Sweetheart, do you have a minute?”
Nico, already moving toward the shop entrance, nods. “What’s up?” He flips the sign and locks the door in one smooth motion, reaching up to lower the curtain. “Everything alright?”
“Oh—yes, yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to speak to you.”
Nico freezes for a moment before turning around. The cookie in Sally’s hand is almost finished. “Ah. Right. Yeah, yeah that’s—what do you want to talk about?
“A lot of things,” she trails off, squinting again. He can tell her brain is a foggy mess already. “All important, too. But Nico, honey, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
He lowers the last curtain, pausing to consider whether he feels ready to discuss whatever it is Sally wants to discuss right at that moment. It’s been so long, he thought, back straightening. It’s time.
“I’m fine.”
Sally purses her lips seriously, hands clasped in front of her. “I thought the edibles would make this conversation easier on both of us since I would be more relaxed, but everything I rehearsed earlier disappeared the second the THC kicked in.”
Nico laughs brightly, lightening the mood of the room. “I think you did that on purpose. You’ve been eating edibles for long enough to know how much it takes to get you completely stoned.”
A blush blooms across her cheeks, her eyes faraway despite focusing directly on him. “Ah, you know me too well.”
Nico sobers up, leaning his hip against the counter. “You’re nervous, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Sally admits. She fiddles with a loose thread from her apron for a few seconds, expression thoughtful. “I’m ashamed of myself, but I know it’s an unnecessary thing to feel. No one is to blame, but I do owe you an apology.”
“Except you don’t. You feel bad about how it hurt me, right? And that’s normal. But you didn’t do anything wrong. The point of that stupid intervention last month wasn’t to make anyone blame themselves, but to move on from whatever obsession Jason and Reyna had about the situation. Like, yeah it sucks, but a lot of things suck. That doesn’t mean you have to eat like four edibles and apologize to me because you think you did something to cause me pain or whatever.”
Sally starts to giggle, but her face crumbles in that same instant and she buries it in her hands. “Oh sweetheart, you’re such an incredible person. You’ve grown up so well and I’m so proud of you.”
Despite Nico’s alarm, Sally waves away his fussing. “Everything’s extremely heightened right now. I’m sorry if I overreact to, well, everything.”
“You’re okay, it’s okay to cry.”
At that, laughter bubbles up in Sally’s chest, her body vibrating from the force of it. She tries to cover her mouth but it pours out in a flood, her tear-filled eyes wrinkling at the corners. “I’m happy that you’ve found someone who makes you feel so many wonderful things.” She wipes her cheeks and smiles giddily at him. “I know that for a long time you wanted that person to be Percy, and the fact that it wasn’t broke your heart. But dear, I have never seen you happier than when you’re with Bill.”
“Wha— Bill??” Nico wheezes, keeling over. He nearly knocks over a basket filled with lotions.
Sally frowns, confused. “Is that not his name?”
Nico, collapsed and sobbing, shakes his head furiously. “His name is Will oh my god.”
“Well, Will is a more handsome name.”
“William Billiam Solace,” Nico mutters, hysterical. “Can you imagine? Iconic.” He grins widely, then ducks his head at Sally. “You know…” he coughs, still forcing back laughter but trying to be serious. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Especially getting my boyfriend’s name wrong. I’m gonna get that tattooed on my lower back.”
“Oh, stop that! I feel terrible enough as it is.”
“You’re smiling like a goofball.”
Sally scowls. “It’s the THC. Don’t flatter yourself.”
Nico rolls his eyes, amused. Sally’s expression melts into a smile, warm and affectionate. She reaches into her apron and pulls out a clear plastic bag. Nico glimpses the color orange before it’s hidden from his sight.
“I made something for you and Will,” Sally says, the plastic crinkling as she no doubt fidgets with it. “I hope you like it.”
She hands the bag over, and Nico sees that it’s filled with four orange cookies. They have little skulls drawn into the center of them, framed by sunflowers.
“They are THC free, so don’t worry. And I chose the color because it’s on the opposite side of the color wheel to blue… and I felt this was a new beginning for you. Do you like it?”
Nico can’t help the sound that escapes his throat, a soft whine that he’ll never admit to making. He shuffles forward into Sally’s arms and rests his head on her shoulder. “Thank you. I love it.”
She holds him close, patting his shoulder. “I’m glad, dear.”
*
“Is the Krusty Krab trap remix on there??” Piper yells, pushing herself toward the front of the group. “Can someone please check if it’s on the list?!”
Percy makes a face as he holds the karaoke book close to his chest. “That song doesn’t even have lyrics. Why would they have it on the list?”
“That’s a blatant lie and you know it! Spongebob says ‘it’s da dream’! He says ‘ It’s da dream’ goddamn it.”
Annabeth has to console Piper in the corner of the room as she has a mental breakdown, Calypso and Leo taking their spots immediately. Percy loses his grasp on the karaoke book when Leo kamikaze screams at the top of his lungs and starts flinging his arms wildly. Hazel manages to catch it before it falls, but is instantly tackled by Leo.
“Wait! I just wanted “Money” by Cardi B,” Hazel wheezes under his weight. “Leo please— ”
Leo pounds his chest victoriously, holding up the book proudly; the strobe lights bathe him in red momentarily. Calypso sweeps Nico’s legs out from under him when he starts to advance on Leo. Will, uncertain of what to do, throws one of the pillows from the sofa at Calypso. Percy uses the distraction to throw an entire sofa cushion at Leo and knock him to the floor. Jason joins in, both of them trying to pry the book from Leo’s hands.
“Leo come on! You can win this!” Calypso stands, but doesn’t get far before Reyna—who had been hiding by the television—puts her in a headlock.
“Reyna you have to—you have to understand—! I just... wanted… “Boys” by… Lizzo…”
“I’m sorry,” Reyna grimaces, “but “Truth Hurts” is gonna win.”
Percy raises the book high over his head, rolling to the side and out of Jason’s reach. “Think you’re wrong about that. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is the true—”
Jason smacks the book into the far corner in the room, pulling Percy in closer before he can try and scramble for it. “My choice was “Good Vibrations” but honestly, I’m willing to lose this because one, everyone knows “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a closing song, and two, I’m going to kiss you.”
Annabeth, from where she’s still holding a devastated Piper, whistles loudly. Piper manages a thumbs up in response.
Will uses everyone’s momentary surprise to duck around Leo, who is taking a photo of Jason and Percy, and claim the book. Nico reaches his side and high fives him, following it with a “Oh my god it’s been years. Literal years. If I had to watch Percy and his one struggling brain cell try to figure out Jason’s love for him one more time I was going to leave the country.”
“I like to think Percy always knew, deep down inside.” Will glances over at the still-kissing pair, laughing at Percy’s wide eyes. “What song do you want? You hate my music taste.”
Nico scowls. “Your music taste hates itself.”
“Hey, I’m letting you choose first. I almost died for this.” Will shields the book from Nico. “Be nice.”
“Okay okay,” Nico relents, laying his hands on Will’s arms. “What song were you thinking?”
“Uhh...well. How’s “Na Na Na” by MCR?”
Nico’s jaw drops, eyes bright. “You’re learning! Oh my god, oh my god, I’ve been a good influence.”
A blush burns Will’s face, his smile shy. They start to draw attention to themselves, the others no longer staring at Percy and Jason.
Annabeth laughs, expression warm. “Guess we’re not going to listen to “God is a Woman,” huh?”
Leo, from where he’s sitting and pouting severely by the door, crosses his arms over his chest. “Gas Pedal” is all he says, looking whimsical.
Nico is oblivious to everyone else, still staring at Will in awe. “Were you always this hot?”
Will buries his face against Nico’s shoulder, embarrassed. “Stop talking and play the damn song.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice. “Na Na Na” is first up, everybody.” Nico takes his jacket off, revealing his ‘I sell crack for the CIA’ shirt. Leo somehow looks even more upset just at the sight of it. “Let’s get ready to party.”
The next few hours consist of copious amounts of drinking (excluding Nico, Will, and Hazel) and off-key singing from everyone. Nico, at one point, has to hold Leo’s head in his lap and stroke his hair to keep him from throwing a tantrum.
“Can you believe I have a girlfriend and a boyfriend?” Percy yells directly into Nico’s ear, almost sitting on Leo’s face as he stumbles over. “I’d say girlfriends but I don’t think Piper would agree.”
Piper, easily hearing Percy’s loud voice, throws a wadded up napkin at him. “We share Jason and Annabeth only.”
“Jason and Annabeth only,” Percy agrees seriously.
Will leans over to get a better look at Percy despite being able to hear him perfectly fine. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Not enough! Tonight is a celebration!” And with that Percy zeros in on Jason and then proceeds to make out with him in front of everyone.
Everyone then proceeds to boo and throw whatever they have in their general vicinity at them in retaliation.
“Hey, not during “Bitch Better Have My Money.” Take that shit outside,” Reyna hollers, punctuating her words by making it rain with five measly one dollar bills.
“I thought Piper was into Percy, too, though?” Will asks Nico in confusion. “Thought all four of them were a thing.”
Nico shrugs, covering Leo’s ear with his hand. “She’s probably just being salty.”
It’s then that Annabeth, also drunk and bright-eyed, kisses Jason. Everyone goes slack-jawed and somewhere to their left someone screams.
“So much for decency,” Nico laughs. “I think we might have to call it a night early if they keep this up.”
Leo, who is sitting up and gaping at the still kissing Jason and Annabeth, says, “Can I get a waffle? Can I PLEASE get a—”
“Okay ,” Nico interrupts, holding on tightly to Leo’s arm (Leo almost falls over trying to reach for his phone to take a picture). “I think everyone’s had a bit too much to drink.”
Piper storms over to Annabeth, but once she locks eyes with her Piper only stands there, making frantic movements with her hands. Annabeth gives her a soft kiss on the lips (Nico is seriously regretting having Will hang out with all his friends—he’s going to think they do this all the time) and then there’s a pause where no one moves.
“This is like a soap opera,” Will whispers in awe. He wraps an arm around Nico’s and rests his weight against him. “They don’t even seem like real people.”
“Oh, they’re real, alright. And very drunk.”
Will snorts, but tries at the last second to smother it with his hand. The action of it is so adorable that Nico forgets what’s happening for a second, his eyes lowering to linger on Will’s lips. “They’re gonna regret this in the morning, aren’t they?”
Nico, who is close to sighing at this point (partly at the reminder of what’s going on), slumps back onto his seat. “I hope so, because if they don’t that means we’ll have to put up with this on a regular basis.”
“You don’t sound too happy about that.”
“I’m glad you noticed, because I’m not ”
“I hate to break it to you, but—”
Will doesn’t get to finish talking before Piper and Percy are making out and Nico nearly bursts into tears. Will has to hold Nico in his arms as he cries in despair, while also clinging on to Leo, who is just screaming nonsense at this point. He only calms down when Calypso, who is holding what looks like a glass full of vodka, shushes at him and shields his view of Piper and Percy. Will can see the shock swimming in her eyes but doesn’t say anything. They share a silent nod of acknowledgement and hold their respective partners.
“Wow is it just me or is there a lot of kissing going on.” Reyna squints at the group of four suspiciously. She gets an eyeful of someone's tongue going down another person’s throat and nearly gags. “Wow okay I think this is my cue to leave.”
Nico sniffles and wipes at his eyes, cheeks flush with embarrassment. Will pats his back comfortingly.
“I can’t believe they decided today of all days would be when they all get together.” Nico waves his hand dismissively, cringing at the obnoxious kissing noises that even “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X couldn’t drown out. “This was supposed to be where everyone gets to bond with you. Not like, do that.”
“I think it’s funny,” Will says, but notices the tension lining Nico’s shoulders. “But,” he continues, softening his tone. “I understand how important this was for you. And I did get to bond with everyone. Especially Hazel.”
Speaking of, Will hadn’t seen her for a while. He looks around the room, straining his eyes in the half dark and strobe lights. Will spots two feet sticking out from under a pile of pillows at the end of the sofa.
“That’s such a mood,” Will says and Nico laughs despite himself. “You don’t have to worry about me. I had a good time and I like your friends a lot.”
“Good. That’s—that’s good. Makes me happy.”
Nico ducks his head, but curls his fingers around Will’s and smiles. Will is about to say something ridiculously cheesy when a new song starts playing.
They both break eye contact and grimace in unison as Jason and Reyna—in a very sloppily coordinated move—turn around and rip their hoodies off, showing off their matching shirts which say “I’m sorry Nico and Will” in block letters across the front. Nico screams when they both swivel on their feet and point to the back of their shirts, displaying a photo of the couple (which was taken on Nico’s phone, how did they even get a hold of it???). Will laughs so hard he nearly pees himself and he has to use his sleeve to wipe his tears away.
“We...want to say sorry,” Reyna shouts over the music, her head bowed. The tip of her shoe digs into the hardwood floor. “We’re still—like, we’re still working on the whole ‘acceptance’ thing and it will take time, but...but—”
“—but we’re trying,” Jason cuts in, hands clasped in front of him. “And we both admit Will is kinda hot so. That helps.”
“Very hot,” Reyna agrees.
Will smiles a beautiful kind of smile, eyes still watery from laughing and his body the most relaxed Nico has ever seen around his friends. Their friends.
“Thank you.” Will ducks his head a little, leaning into Nico’s space.
Leo collapses onto the floor then, limbs sprawled and face pressed against Piper’s shoe, and the sweet moment is over.
“Alright,” Nico huffs, leaning over Leo’s body. “Time to go home. Pretty sure we should have left the room like 30 minutes ago anyway.”
“Wait—can we do a group hug? Before we leave?”
Percy trips over his own two feet as he asks, but holds his arms out endearingly. As if on cue, Annabeth, Piper, and Jason do the same.
“Uh,” is all Nico says, staggering under the weight of Leo’s body.
Will manages to wiggle under Leo’s other arm to help out and he beams so brightly that if all the lights were off, he could light up the room by himself. “Sure!”
Calypso and Hazel bridge the gaps between the two groups, and they all groan in unison when they embrace and all they can smell is the heady scent of alcohol and sweat.
Nico is the first to break away. “Okay, that’s enough affection for now. We can do another group hug when we’re all sober. And we’ve all showered.”
“Maybe it can be tomorrow,” Hazel whispers to Will, her lips quirked in a barely suppressed smile. “When everyone is hungover and could use a little pick-me-up.”
“That would be nice,” Will replies as Nico glances over at him, brows pinched in annoyance but eyes alight with amusement. “That would be really nice.”
*
Will is dozing off on Nico’s lap when there’s a knock on the front door. They’re both at Nico’s place, which is eerily empty for the first time since Nico could ever remember, probably for the first time since they all moved in. Will doesn’t stir, and Nico half-contemplates just ignoring it for the sake of not waking him up.
But there’s another knock, and Nico figures if it’s that urgent he should at least see who’s on the other side. Will doesn’t startle when Nico shifts him off his lap and onto the sofa, making sure to gently set his head down. Will only hums and curls closer into himself.
Nico had been about to fall asleep himself. They had eaten a big lunch and the sleepiness had sunk in. Nico had only managed to stay awake so long because he had to finish reading a book for class and he only had about 20 pages left. Rubbing the slight grogginess from his eyes, he peers through the peephole only to freeze.
Knock knock knock. Nico took an involuntary step back, blinking in surprise. Out of all the people he’d briefly, on his way over to the front door, guessed would show up to his place unannounced—the last person on the list would’ve been his dad.
In the silence of the apartment, Nico holds his breath. He considers ignoring the knocking and pretending he’s not home. He hadn’t made any noise to indicate otherwise. It would be so easy to just creep into his room and hide there. Will and him would even be able to take a proper nap together.
Just as Nico is backtracking into his living room, the silence is shattered by the shrill ringing of his phone.
“Aw, fuck,” he hisses, sprinting across the room and vaulting over the sofa (where a very awake, very disoriented Will is squinting) and to the kitchen table. He lifts his phone, mutes the ringing, and sighs wearily.
His dad had called him (the bastard) to make sure he was actually home. And it had worked. Now he knew.
Knock knock knock knock knock. Nico turned slowly, still afraid of making noise. Will’s head pops over the sofa and he squints in Nico’s general direction.
“What’s going on?” he asks, but it’s said quietly enough that Nico doesn’t shush him.
“Someone’s here.” Nico pockets his phone (after making sure it’s silenced) and sighs. “My dad, to be exact.”
That startles Will up into motion. He stands, nearly falls over the coffee table, and then crawls behind the sofa back.
“What—what is he doing here??” Will looks around frantically, his blonde curls whipping all over the place. “Am I about to die?”
“Will— no.” Nico pulls Will toward him by the shoulders, forcing him to stand. “I don’t know why he’s here, but he knows I’m inside and he’s not going to leave until I open the door.”
Knock knock knock knock.
Will turns to Nico. “This feels like a horror movie.”
He grimaces. “That’s what growing up felt like.”
“Nico, I know you’re inside.” Both of them stare at the door, unmoving. Will ducks back down behind the sofa. “Open the door. We need to speak.”
“Let’s climb down the fire escape,” Will suggests, already putting his shoes on.
“We don’t have a fire escape.”
Will erratically waves his arms. “What do you mean you don’t have a fire escape? What are you supposed to do if there’s a fire?”
Nico shrugs. “We burn, I guess.”
Will calms down a bit at Nico’s nonchalance. “You’re not freaking out. Why aren’t you freaking out? I thought—I thought you didn’t like talking to your dad or seeing him.”
“He’s not going to leave, and we obviously can’t leave. He’s being stubborn and he’s only stubborn when he thinks something is important.”
Will scowls in the direction of the front door. “What if what he thinks is important is actually just. Like a load of bullshit?”
Nico nearly laughs at that, but manages to catch himself before he does. “It wouldn’t be the first time, then.”
“Nico, Bianca sent me.”
The smile disappears immediately off of Nico’s face. Will’s breath catches audibly in his throat.
Nico is moving toward the door before he registers the movement. He stops before he can open it and looks over his shoulder at Will. They don’t say anything, but the intention is clear: do you want to be in the room for this or do you want to hide?
Will doesn’t move. He only nods his head at Nico to go ahead, and stands near the center of the room with his arms crossed.
The door swings open smoothly before Nico can second guess himself, and his eyes reflexively shift upward to find those of his dad. “Why did Bianca send you?”
He doesn’t let him in, doesn’t want to unless his dad gives a good reason. Nico stands there with his feet spread shoulder width apart and his back ramrod straight. His hand still grips the doorknob as if his life depends on it.
“We had a talk, a very long talk. One I would like to have with you. May I come in?”
Nico hesitates, and it’s apparently a long enough pause to worry Will because he’s suddenly behind him, close enough that Nico can feel his body heat.
“You can come in once you’ve made it clear why you’re here. Unannounced. While being very persistent to speak with Nico despite never having ever been persistent before when it comes to speaking to your own son.”
Nico blanches, caught off guard by Will’s words. Hades lowers his pitch black eyes and settles them on Will. It’s dead quiet as they both stare at one another, Nico completely still the entire time.
“It seems you know me, but I do not know you. Introduce yourself, and I will tell you the reason I am here.”
Will doesn't reply. Nico assumes he doesn't like having the roles reversed onto him. He also assumes it's because Will doesn't know how honest he should be.
“Dad,” Nico cuts in, voice sharp. “You’re at my apartment. You don’t get to have us play by your rules. You either spill or get out.”
Hades’ eyes darken, and now they trail down to Nico’s, piercing in their intensity. Nico has never spoken to his father this way. Will’s bluntness is causing him to feel brave. He lets some of that bravery show in the tilt of his shoulders and the defiant crease of his brows.
“I came here to ask you…” Hades trails off, eyes briefly flickering to Will. He continues anyway, saying, “I would like to mend our relationship.”
Nico blacks out at the words. He feels Will’s chest against his back—he must’ve taken an involuntary step backwards. “What ?”
“I know this seems sudden, but after a long talk with Bianca I came to realize—”
“Wait wait wait,” Nico interrupts, a delirious heat crawling up his neck. “You just came to the realization? Just barely? What, after 19 years of you treating me like a burden and waste of a son, convinced you that maybe you royally fucked up with your role as dad, huh? ‘Cause I’m really really curious to hear what the answer is to that.”
Will has a hand pressed against his lower back—a sign of support. Nico leans into it, but grits his teeth, grinding his molars as anger rolls off him in waves. Hades at least has the decency to look somewhat ashamed (although Nico would call it disturbed more than anything).
“I...had been thinking this over for a while now, but have never summoned the courage to tell you. Bianca righted me in that sense. And I have finally made it onto your doorstep.”
For a few seconds, no one speaks (Nico has stopped breathing altogether). His mouth is dry, tongue incredibly heavy with the weight of so many words left unspoken for so many years. He manages to swallow, but the act is as painful as the conversation, the lump impossibly large and suffocating.
“What do you have to be afraid of? Is apologizing really that difficult a concept for you?”
Hades bows his head a little, something Nico has never seen him do before. He stills, the frantic pounding of his heart drowning out all sound. Will’s hand presses harder into his back, snapping Nico out of his trance.
“May we discuss this inside?”
There’s a tightness gripping his chest, the feeling reminding him of when he’d had that nightmare about being trapped inside a jar. All Nico wants to do is get out. He can’t breathe, he can’t think. His thoughts have turned to mush and he feels that familiar crawling ant sensation.
A shiver runs up his spine, sweaty palm slipping on the doorknob. Will notices, raises his hand to press between his shoulder blades and steady his stance. Nico winces as the trauma he kept so carefully hidden floods to the surface. It’s all he can do to even stand up at this point.
“I don’t believe that’s best,” Will says, and his tone has lost some of its curtness. He moves to stand beside Nico, and the warmth of his shoulder soothes some of the ache along Nico’s ribs. “My name is Will and I’m Nico’s boyfriend. And this isn’t me being controlling, it’s me being able to understand that, while your intentions are good and this is hard for you to do, that is nothing compared to what Nico has experienced in his life because of you.”
Hades drops his gaze momentarily, and when he locks eyes with Will again something’s shifted behind those black, depthless orbs. “Am I...unwelcome?”
Nico answers this quick, lightning running through his veins. “You’ve made me feel unwelcome my entire life. I am not being purposely difficult or rude. I am being honest. I have a lot of trauma and baggage because of you. And this isn’t something that can be fixed in a single day.”
“No, it’s not.” Hades clasps his hands in front of him, the gesture the only hint of nervousness Nico has witnessed during the entire conversation. “And, I suppose, it is a first step in the right direction. Coming here, I mean. We do not have to discuss anything at length now. I have told you what my intentions are, and I will give you time to think it over.”
“That’s…” Nico pauses, and finally decides to play nice. It wouldn’t kill him to at least try. Just once. “That’s good. And appreciated. I appreciate it.”
Will nods in agreement.
“I will say, before I leave, that I will not give up. I have made many mistakes in the past, but this will not be another.” Hades smooths the front of his long, black coat. He straightens the collar, dipping his head once more. “I hope to see you soon.”
With that, Hades’ back is facing them and he is gliding down the hallway and out of sight. Nico stands there, dumbfounded.
Will gently pries Nico’s fingers from the knob. He closes the door, and the second it clicks shut and the lock is turned, Nico is half crying and half laughing. He collapses into Will’s arms, his entire body shaking. Will lets the two of them sink to the ground, whispering something over and over again. Nico can’t make it out over how hysterical he’s gotten but it relaxes him all the same.
“Am I dreaming?” Nico chokes out, tear stained cheeks gleaming under the living room lights.
Will rubs in circles on his back, rhythmic and calm. “No, this is real.”
“Is it—is it weird that I’m feeling like a million different things at the same time? My brain is racing.”
“I think it would be weird if you weren’t.”
Nico sniffles, an involuntary giggle escaping him. “19 years. Nearly two decades. I feel like this is a prank.”
That earns him a snicker, soft and muffled into the crown of his head. “If a camera crew comes out I swear I’ll start throwing furniture.”
“I feel like throwing furniture even without the camera crew.”
Will hums, amused. His fingers run through the hair on the back of his neck. They sit there, and gradually Nico stops trembling. He wipes his cheeks and nose and tilts his head back to get a good look at Will.
“Thank you,” Nico says quietly, his eyes are bright but rimmed red. “It means a lot that you were— are —so supportive.”
Will leans down and places one kiss over each eyelid, his nose sliding against Nico’s until their faces are level. The heat of his breath brushes against Nico’s lips. “You deserve nothing less.”
Nico smiles. “If I weren’t so emotional right now I’d complain about you being sappy.”
“Oh, shush.” Will cups Nico’s face, the grin on his face incredibly smug. “You love it when I say sappy things. You’re a romantic at heart.”
Nico scowls, but it morphs into another smile instead. “Shut up and kiss me.”
Will obeys, lips lingering. Nico sighs and melts, the strain of having to talk to his dad having exhausted him. But Will pulls away too soon.
“How’s your head?” he asks, and it’s said in his ‘no bullshit’ tone.
Nico thinks for a moment. “Better. The best I think it’s going to be for now.”
“Trauma?”
“It’s still there but it's not as bad. I just...wasn’t expecting it to all rush forward at once like that. I thought I had it under control.”
“It isn’t called trauma for nothing, right? You did the best you could. It’s over now, and you can rest. How’s a nap sound?”
Nico buries his face in the crook of Will’s neck. He feels only warmth and safety, and an excessive amount of gratefulness. “It sounds perfect.”
*
It’s nearly eight in the afternoon when they arrive at their hotel. Nico and Will are tired after a day spent walking around the more touristy parts of San Diego with the sun beating against their backs. The room they’re staying in is all soft cream walls and dark wood interior. The curtains framing the far window-wall near a sofa are open, the view made up of street and building lights, a bright neon blue pool swirling down below.
Nico stops in the front hall, his eyes wide. “You sure you don’t want to tell me how much this cost?”
Will smiles over his shoulder, leaving their luggage by the front door. “All I’ll say is that it wasn’t too expensive and I managed to get a discount. So shut up and tell me if you like it.”
Nico snorts, wandering further into their room. There’s a living room, small and in the corner with a television mounted on the wall in front of a grey sofa, a semi-large bathroom with what looks like both a shower and a tub, and the bedroom on the other side, separated from everything else by double doors. He eyes the mini fridge and loosens his grip on the bag of water bottles he’s holding.
“It’s better than what I expected. This is a little more than just a simple one bed hotel room. It’s...kinda fancy.”
Will looks pleased, cheeks pink. “Well, I think ‘kinda fancy’ is valid since it’s our one year anniversary.”
“I feel like I aged 20 years. I thought love was supposed to keep you feeling young.”
Will, who had begun rummaging through his luggage, stops abruptly and raises his eyebrows, arms crossing over his chest. “Oh, really?I stress you out? Me?”
“You stress me out all the time,” Nico huffs, tucking his hands into his jeans’ pockets. “You’re literally stressing me out right now.”
Will makes an affronted noise, pulling a plastic bag out of his luggage and swinging it near Nico’s face. “Since I stress you out so much, I guess you’ll have to use all of these by yourself.”
Nico barely catches the bag, his body curling into it to keep its contents from falling out. Inside, there is a sea of lavender; the scent wafts up and immediately makes his toes curl.
“You...got me bath bombs?”
“Your favorite. Enough for the tub in the bathroom,” Will pauses, tongue wetting his lips. “Enough for you and me to use. At the same time. Before you upset me, of course.”
“You know what,” Nico starts, meeting Will’s gaze slowly. “You stress me out because you’re stressed out. Perfect solution to that is if we’re both not stressed out, which means you have to join me. For the integrity of our relationship.”
Will scoffs, but his lips curve into a smile. “You’re an idiot.”
“Yeah, an idiot you love.” Nico rummages through the bag, examining a bath bomb. “Why did you never tell me you didn’t know what CBD was?”
Will pales, dropping his entire suitcase on the floor. “What—what are you talking about? Uh, I know what it means.”
In a panic, he starts to remove his shirt, hoping to distract Nico enough to get him to forget what they were talking about.
“Will,” Nico says, amused. He watches Will kick off his shoes in a haste and tug his socks off. “Why are you embarrassed? It’s just a question.”
“Because I’m insulted!” Will reaches for his belt, nearly tripping over his own feet in the direction of the bathroom. “I’m very offended right now.”
“Okay, okay. I know you know what CBD is. I’m just kidding. Hey,” Nico coos, steadying Will with his hands. “But just to be safe that I know what it is, I’m gonna google it. Is that alright?”
Will slumps slightly in Nico’s arms, the blush of his face spreading to the top of his chest. “If you...wanna make sure. That you know what it means. Then yeah.”
Nico pretends to look it up on his phone, the definition already memorized in his head from having recited it to customers over and over almost every day he worked at the shop. “CBD is cannabidiol. It’s found in marijuana. But it’s taken from the hemp plant, which is in the same family as marijuana. Since it’s taken from hemp, it means that CDB doesn’t get you high, it only relaxes your muscles and is safe to use. It helps with—”
“Migraines, stress, better sleep,” Will finishes. “It’s from the white board behind the register. I’ve memorized it already.”
“Good. Thank you for reminding me.” Nico pats Will’s arms, suddenly feeling extremely overdressed. “Now...how about we get into the Jacuzzi?”
Will laughs, skin still stained pink; Nico ducks his head, chest tight. He kisses Will’s forehead, dragging his nose down to fit against his. Will cups Nico’s neck, thumb rubbing circles into the bolt of his jaw.
Eventually they make it to the bathroom, a cliche trail of clothes in their wake. Nico gets the jets going, making sure the temperature is perfect. Will takes the bath bombs out of their hand knit bags and starts tossing them in, marveling at how the water becomes a lavender ocean. Soon the smell, boxed in due to the closed bathroom door, fills their every breath.
Nico sets his speakers up and starts playing music, rolling his eyes at Will as he starts to rinse himself off in the shower, impatient and ready to get into the Jacuzzi.
“This is heaven, oh my god,” Will groans, sinking into the purple depths bonelessly. “Nico, come on. You gotta get in and feel this.”
Nico’s already under the shower head, running his fingers through his wet hair. “This is what happens when you don’t wait for me.”
“You were taking too long!”
Turning the knob, Nico walks along the path of towels carefully laid out by Will to keep them both from slipping to their deaths. All Nico can see of Will is the very tops of his shoulders, neck, and head, and the occasional glimpse of his knees. He dips one leg in, sighing automatically at the delicious heat that surrounds it.
Finally, once he’s seated, he mirrors Will’s position and is surprised to find that there is enough room for them both to stretch their legs out and not have to deal with their feet in each other’s faces.
“Do you like it?” Will asks, his eyes fluttering open lazily.
Nico nods, feeling like the smell has already gone to his head from how light he feels. “I feel drunk.”
“Not to be cheesy,” Will says, and Nico already knows that what he’s going to say next will be the cheesiest thing Nico’s ever heard in his life, “but I don’t need bath bombs for you to make me feel like this.”
“Oh, why are you so gross,” Nico complains, flicking some water at him. “Get your sentimental ass over here, Prince Charming.”
Will laughs loudly, gliding through the gap between them with an amused smile on his lips. Without Nico having to say anything, Will knows to turn around and settle himself between his legs, tucking his head back onto the crook of Nico’s shoulder.
“‘Prince Charming.’ That’s a new one.”
Nico rolls his eyes dramatically despite Will not being able to see him. “Keep it up and I'll find less flattering names to call you.”
Will’s body vibrates with his laughter, and he tips his head further back to make eye contact with him. “As long as it isn’t Bill, then it’s acceptable.”
“How about ‘Daddy’?” Nico suggests, and then— “Wait! Oh my god, what about ‘Daddy Bill’??”
Will nearly strangles him despite not even being able to properly see him and they most definitely spill some water over the Jacuzzi rim from how much they’re thrashing. Will manages to get his hands around Nico’s throat and Nico is trying to find Will’s ticklish spot along his ribs to get him to let go.
Eventually, both of them realize that they’re making a mess and stop. Nico is about ready to bolt to avoid having to clean up any of the water that spilled over and Will wraps his arms around his shoulders, holding him tight.
“Happy Anniversary,” Will says, in hopes of distracting Nico from making a run for it.
Nico refocuses his attention back to Will and smiles crookedly. His blonde hair is a sopping wet mess and the curls stick to the sides of his face in a way that frames his blue eyes beautifully. Nico rests his hands on Will’s hips, letting himself become lost in everything that is Will for a moment. He shudders in a breath before whispering, “Happy Anniversary.”
Will smiles lovingly at him, all warm skin and bright eyes and soft lips. He kisses Nico, just tender enough to make his chest tighten.
Nico doesn’t know how he ended up with such a wonderful, otherworldly person. He doesn’t know how he got here, miles away from his home in the arms of the boy he loves and a tub full of bath bombs. The lavender water laps at their intertwined limbs, gentle foam caressing them as they deepen their kiss—and Nico smiles. He smiles and relaxes and thinks, I’m gonna be okay.
“I love you,” Will murmurs against his neck, hair brushing along Nico’s collarbones. “So, so much.”
Nico tips his head back, a content sigh on his lips and bliss written all over his face. “I love you, too, carissimo.”
They were both going to be okay.