When Nico asks him out, there is vomit on his scrubs. His hair is disgusting. The bags under his eyes are actually the size of Texas, and he was born there so he says it in good confidence.
Also, it goes right over his head.
“Gods, yeah,” Will sighs, relieved. “Yeah, I could —” He laughs, a little hysterically, scrubbing his hand over his face and trying to blink the sudden onslaught of dizzy away. “I’m starving. I am — tired of this stupid room. I could use dinner out.”
“Great,” Nico says, rocking back on his heels. He twists his skull ring around his finger, like he does when he’s nervous, but there’s a tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth that Will has learned, in the past few weeks of his help in the infirmary, is a smile. “I’ll — um, I’ll pick you up at seven?”
Will glances down at the rapidly-drying splatter of vomit spreading from his right shoulder all the way down to his belly button. The nasty brown-yellow colour of it clashes so violently with the mint-green of his scrubs that it might be a felony, actually. The one whole spaghetti noodle smack in the middle of it does not help.
“Yeah, I’ll need at least that long in the shower.”
Nico’s face goes through a very complicated string of emotions. “I think you look nice,” he offers.
“You and I have very different definitions of ‘nice’, di Angelo,” Will snorts. He gestures behind him. “Bye, Nico. I’ll see you in a few hours?”
“Right. Bye, Will.”
“Hey, first name status!”
“Shut up, Solace. Go change your shirt.”
Will snickers, jogging down the Big House stairs with a backwards wave. He hustles past campers jogging towards their daily activities, ducking into the Apollo cabin before someone can ask him for something.
It’s been a busy few weeks.
The Giant War was…well. It’s over, now, is the point, but it was not without casualties, and it was not without injury, and injury, and injury. Plus the flu that just had to hit right before the Romans were about to head back to California. Will has spent more nights in the infirmary in the last few weeks than he ever has, including after the Titan War. Understaffed does not begin to cover it. He had to beg Cecil for his secret Redbull stash after his third straight day on his feet, praying to his father, his aunt, and any other god who was listening to keep his hands from shaking. Without Nico’s help — well, he doesn’t want to think about how things would have gone without Nico’s help.
He’d slept through his promised three days in the infirmary. Will had restitched his werewolf scratching (—his werewolf scratches his fucking werewolf scratches his fucking shitting goddamn werewolf scratches that he stitched with sewing thread and left for gods know how many days and Will is going to quit his job, he is, he is going to live in a hut in the Florida Everglades and chase questers away with a fucking broom—) as he slept on the first day, then spent the next days glaring at him in seething jealousy.
He had wanted to sleep. He had wanted to sleep so godsdamn badly. And yet. He was plastering salve on the translucent fingers of a dumbass who pushed himself too hard.
“You can’t tell me what to do,” Will had mocked, ignoring the yelled you’re losing it, Willy! from Kayla as she passed by. “Nyeh nyeh nyeh. I can shadow travel wherever I want. Nyeh nyeh nyeh. Catch me I’m about to pass out. Nyeh nyeh nyeh.”
“I never asked you to catch me,” muttered Nico, groggily, and Will had screamed.
Not his best moment.
Luckily, his string of colourful cursing had killed any idea that Will was scared of him, or something, and the list of chores he’d doled out the second he made sure Nico could walk had put the idea in the grave.
He still can’t quite believe that Nico actually, like…listened. But he’s a good bandage cutter (very accurate) and, as a super fun bonus, the Romans were all scared of him, so when they tried to get out of their cots while their limbs were literally hanging onto them by a thread, Will just had Nico stand behind him and glare at them until they sat their asses back down.
(“You are without a doubt the best nurse I’ve ever had,” Will had grumbled, sticking his tongue out at Austin, who lazily tried to trip him. Nico had rolled his eyes, huffing as if he thought Will was joking.)
“Wow,” says Cecil, sitting in Will’s bed for some reason. He rakes his eyes up and down his body, whistling appreciatively at the towel around his waist. Will rolls his eyes and starts digging through his dresser drawers. “Look at you! So human-like! No zombie eyebags to be seen!”
“Showers don’t erase eyebags, dick for brains.”
“True, but you’re so hot when you’re not covered in blood and vomit that I can overlook them.”
“Kiss my ass, Cecil.”
“Really? Is that permission?”
Will laughs, admitting defeat. He tugs on a pair of boxers, then tosses a few clothing options on his bed.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s good to be out, Zeus’ beard. Nico’s taking me to dinner; d’you know if it’s cold in the city? And I should probably wear real shoes, right, Annabeth mentioned something about New York bacteria —”
“Woah, woah, hold on, William, pause there for a second.”
Will looks up, frowning. “What?”
“Nico’s taking you to dinner?”
Cecil’s eyes are wide. Reflexively, Will pats his chin, paranoid he’s got something on his face.
“…Yes? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing! Nothing, nothing.” Quickly, Cecil schools his face back to its usual smirk, leaning casually against the bedpost. (He misses. Mercifully, Will decides to let it slide and wait for him to straighten himself. He’s a good friend, like that.)
“Well, obviously something.”
“Nope! I’m just —” He softens. “I’m glad you’re taking a break, Willy. We’ve been worried about you. Remind me to send him a lock pick set.”
“Most people send fruit,” Will suggests gently. He cuffs Cecil playfully on the jaw, rolling his eyes when Cecil catches his hand and presses a loudly exaggerated kiss to it. “Or flowers. Also, don’t call me Willy.”
“Sorry, Willy.”
“Gods, you’re infuriating.”
“Mhm. And yet you adore me. Oou, wear the grey plaid shirt, it makes your eyes look bluer. And for the love of Hermes, do not wear shorts.”
———
At seven o’clock sharp, there’s a knock on the doorframe.
“Uh, hi?”
“Nico!” Will says brightly. “Hi! You don’t have to wait by the door, dorkus. Come in.”
With a second of hesitation, Nico steps in. The usually creaky floorboards are silent under his black Chucks. Will chooses to believe that’s on purpose, because it’s cooler.
“You can sit if you want! Unless we gotta leave right away. I wasn’t actually sure, are we just going to McDonald’s or something? Also, I told Cecil he couldn’t come, I figured three would make it a party or something but lemme know if we’re bringing friends along and —”
“We’re not,” Nico interrupts.
“—tell them.” Will blinks at him, then smiles. “Just you and me, then.”
Nico clears his throat. “Yeah.” He glances up at Will, and away again, like he can’t hold his gaze for too long. He looks a little flushed. “You, uh. You braided your hair.”
“What? Oh!” Will touches the French braids on either side of his head, smiling. “Yeah, I finally had the time. Keeps my hair back better than much else. Hey, Nico, you good? You looked flushed, maybe you should —”
Nico catches his hand. He smiles.
“I’m fine, Solace. You just look nice, is all.”
Will snorts. “No kidding. Anything’s better than the vomit shirt.”
———
Nico refuses to answer any of his questions about where they’re going.
Or, well. Will asks him and endless string of questions and receives only hums or nods in response, except for the odd huff of laughter when Will pouts.
“C’mon! Can’t I just know where we’re going?”
“You’re about to.”
“I mean now, Death Breath.”
“Well, now I’m definitely not telling you.”
“Ugh.”
Nico places a fleeting hand on his elbow as they reach the base of Half-Blood Hill, stalling him.
“Wait.”
Will pauses, listening. His heartbeat picks up. Monster? Monsters?
He glances over at Nico, noticing the tension in his face, the twist to his mouth, the —
Oh, no he doesn’t.
“Hold it, Gerard Way!”
Nico startles.
“What?”
“I know that face! You are not shadow-travelling us to the city, no way, no how, do you want to dissolve —”
“Will,” Nico interrupts, laughing softly, “Will, trust me for a second. Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
Nico blinks. Will flushes.
“That was fast.”
“Well! Well.”
“I’m not shadow-travelling,” Nico promises, changing the subject when it’s clear Will has nothing to say. “I’m just summoning our ride. I promise it won’t drain me.”
“…Fine.”
Rolling his eyes fondly, Nico screws up his face again. The tiny freckles on the bridge of his nose are more obvious when he wrinkles it. Will has to shove his hands in his pockets to keep from touching them.
One moment, there’s nothing but empty road in front of them. The next, there’s a massive fucking limo, driven by what Will can only describe as a ghoul.
“There,” Nico says happily. “Our ride!”
He jogs over to the sleek black limo, leaving Will gaping. With a quick hand to keep the driver from getting up, he opens the back door, gesturing broadly.
“C’mon, Sunshine.”
Will recovers quickly. He’s never been in a limo before — hell, he’s hardly ever been in cars. He slides into the black leather seats, gaping, barely noticing Nico ducking in and closing the door behind him.
“Cleveland and Merrick, please, Jules-Albert.”
Limos are crazy.
If hotel mini bars were, like, physical places rather than tiny bottles in mini fridges, they would look like limos. The windows are tinted, so the interior is dark, illuminated a softly glowing red by strips of LEDs. There is an actual TV screen, although it’s not on. Will feels like James Bond.
“Gift from my dad,” Nico explains. “He knows he can’t always be there to drive me around, so he got Jules-Albert to take me places. He’s cool. He even answers to me, technically, and not my dad, so if anything happens back here he won’t snitch.” Nico gets so violently red he damn near goes invisible under the LEDs. “Not that — I mean, it’s more like —”
“That is so cool,” Will breathes. “Oh my gods, Nico, you are literally the coolest demigod in the world.”
“Hah,” says Nico weakly. The limo (!!) slows to a stop. “We are — here, let’s go!”
Nico practically throws himself out of the limo. Will takes one last look, thanks Jules-Albert, and hurries out after him.
———
“You gotta be kidding me.”
“What?” Nico looks at him defensively. The corner of his mouth twitches. “I thought it was pretty funny.”
Apollo Restaurant Diner, reads the garish, flashing yellow sign. Seniors half-off!
Will nudges Nico’s side as they walk in. “You should ask for the discount.”
“Keep it up and you’re paying for yourself, Solace.”
Nico guides them into a booth by the window before he can say anything. In seconds, a server is strolling up to them, popping their bubblegum and grinning.
“Welcome to Apollo’s, where if we don’t predict your order, it’s free! I’ll get you guys some sodas, and…hm. Fries to share, I think.”
They’re off, ponytail bouncing, before either of them can say anything.
“Well,” says Nico after a moment. “I guess we’re having fries.”
Will snorts. “You love fries. You love anything fried and battered, because there is nothing you love more than poor decision making.”
“Caught me, Solace.”
“Aw. I thought —”
Their server pops back in with their sodas, nodding as they thank them.
“— I thought I was bumped up to first name status! You called me Will earlier.”
Nico slurps obnoxiously at his cherry coke.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Did too!”
“Not a jury in the world will believe you, Solace.”
Will blows his straw wrapper at him. Nico barely dodges, laughing — a real, open laugh, where some of the guard drops from his shoulders, where his smile is wide enough to show his teeth, where his dark eyes cringe near shut.
“You’re so lame. Get your stupid straw wrapper away from me.”
Will feels like he doesn’t respond for ages, mesmerized by the crooked curve of Nico’s smile. There’s mischief in that smile, and oddly it makes shyness bloom in Will’s chest, it makes the tips of his ears red, makes him duck his head.
Will’s saved from trying to come up with a comment by the massive — truly gigantic — platter of fries set between them.
“Holy shit,” breathes Will, alarmed.
“Holy shit,” breathes Nico, eyes wide. The smile grows wider. “Holy shit!”
Will’s stomach growls. He’s reminded how truly hungry he is, and without another word, the two of them dig in.
They end up ordering another platter. Will theorizes that, in total, they eat at least seven whole potatoes.
“How many fries do you think is in one potato?”
“A yukon?” says Will. “Like, twenty-five, at least. Wait, hold on, pass me your napkin, lemme do the math.”
“Gods, you are such a nerd.”
Will loses count of how many times they refill their sodas. Too many. Camp food is usually very healthy — as head medic, Will has to set an example, but it’s just Nico, here. Will eats himself into a minor food coma and relishes in it. When Nico asks if he wants to order one of the giant milkshakes, he doesn’t hesitate.
“Duh. Strawberry.”
“Gross, Solace. Vanilla or nothing.”
“Basic ass bitch.”
“At least I’m not vying for strawberry!”
By the time Nico gets up to go get their bill, the sun has long since set. Will realises he forgot to put his watch back on after his shower, and has no idea what time it actually is.
“Nine-thirty ish,” Nico says, opening the limo door for him. “We’ll be back at camp at ten.”
Will grimaces. “Fuck. Will Jules-Albert chill overnight? If we try to go back to our cabins, the curfew harpies are gonna eat us.”
“Scared, Solace?”
Nico’s eyes are bright and teasing. Will wonders how the hell other campers find him so frightening — the little twitches of his mouth are so obvious. Some people are just oblivious.
“Of course I’m scared, you dickhead. What am I gonna do, sing a hymn until they go away?”
Nico snorts. “You worry too much. They’re afraid of me, you know. They’ll steer clear.”
“You have a lot of confidence in how much you scare people, which is crazy for someone who’s five eight.”
“Oh, piss off.”
Will grins. “Never.”
The drive back to camp feels shorter than it is. The limo’s seats are stupid comfortable, and Nico is a warm presence beside him, and more than anything, Will is exhausted. Last time he slept was — Thursday? He’s pretty sure? He definitely slept on Wednesday, and he’s pretty sure Kayla locked him in the back office with a pillow on Thursday. But maybe that was this morning.
“Will, hey.” A cool, calloused hand brushes over his forehead, and he leans into it, humming. “Get up, you loser. We’re here.”
Will groans. “Five more minutes.”
The soft, gravelly chuckles are the most musical things he’s ever heard. “Up you get, Sunshine, or I’ll let the harpies eat you.”
That gets Will up fast. He shoves Nico away, who’s still snickering at him, grumbling as he crawls out of the limo.
“It’s like you want me to die of stress.”
“Nah.”
They wave goodbye to Jules-Albert, who disappears in a blink. Halfway up the hill, a hand closes around his. Will glances over to Nico in surprise, but he looks resolutely ahead.
“I can feel you freaking out.” He clears his throat. “I told you, Solace. I’ll protect you.”
“That’s not what you said,” Will grumbles, but it’s hard to get his attitude across when his cheeks ache from smiling.
Nico ends up being right — the harpies steer clear of them. He looks very smug about being right, smirking all the way up to the Apollo Cabin door. He walks him up the creaking steps, pausing at the door. He lets go of Will’s hand, which is kind of a bummer. Will had liked holding his hand — physical proof that Nico was becoming more comfortable with him.
“So,” Nico says, rocking back and forth on his heels.
“So,” Will parrots, grinning. He grins wider at Nico’s scowl, gently illuminated by the soft glow of the Apollo cabin. “I had fun tonight, Nico. I needed that.”
Nico’s whole face softens. “Yeah?”
“Yes.” Will smiles at him again. “Thank you.”
For a second, Nico’s slight smile melts into a more serious expression. Will finds himself lingering, searching Nico’s face. Waiting.
Quick as a dart, Nico leans up and presses a kiss to Will’s cheek.
“Oh,” Will breathes, eyes wide. His fingers come up and brush the spot Nico kissed, skin tingling.
Nico looks at him nervously. “Was that okay?”
It takes Will a solid few seconds to answer. Even then, it’s not any recognizable words — more of an embarrassing hnnnnngh wha.
Nico grins. “Goodnight, Sunshine.”
“Nico — wait.”
“Harpies, Sunshine.”
Will could swear he sees Nico’s shoulders shaking with laughter as he walks away. Which — huh! Pardon! Excuse.
“Nico! Was! Was this a date!”
“I’ll see you in the morning, Will.”
“Nico!”
Nico disappears down the bend without answering. Will manages to catch the curve of his smile before he goes.
He doesn’t sleep a wink.
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