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A character study on Will Solace's life. Also Solangelo babies and A LOT of Shakespeare references. Listened to All Too Well (10 minutes) (Taylor's Version) while writing this.
The first home Will Solace had ever known was the one he was born in. His mum tried to be the best version of herself. But she was a kid herself, only 19. But he was lucky. He grew up in a literal mansion that his grandparents owned. Acres and acres of land in which he ran every morning.
His grandfather didn’t really like him which was okay as he was his grandma’s favourite. Inez Solace would never turn her back on her 19-year-old daughter and her son. Well, she had blocked his mother out of her view as she wasn’t the perfect daughter she wished she had. For her, Will was her chance to make a decent heir to her inheritance. Naomi didn’t care. She just wanted a house for her son to grow up in. Even if that meant that she had to deal with her suffocating parents.
Will knew that he was different from an incredibly young age. He didn’t like doing things normal kids his age enjoyed or staying in one place. But he was willing to do everything to please his grandparents. In that way, he thought that he could make Naomi not go on tour again and stay with him. He needed her. There was also Will’s favourite topic of discussion. His father. The dreaded topic his entire family enjoyed avoiding more than anything. His mum only gave him vague answers. He was sure that his grandparents knew even less than him. He could see it in their eyes. But it was fine. It always was.
Be good for us.
Be kind for us.
Be obedient for us.
Be a good student for us.
Learn three languages for us.
Go to Medical School for us.
Make us proud.
Despite the few holes in his family relationships, everything was all right. He spent the first seven years of his life, laughing, running and getting treated like a prince. He had everything he ever wished for. His grandparents made sure of it.
But everything changed when he was seven. Naomi was afraid that someone or something, sooner or later would come after Will. She wanted to protect him with her life. Even if that meant sending him to a camp outside New York for children like him.
The second home he discovered was Cabin 7 and his rowdy older siblings. Especially Lee Fletcher. The outspoken Shakespeare-loving brother carved “The sun with one eye vieweth all the world” outside their cabin. His older brother who made sure to include him in everything. To let him know that even when everyone turns their back on him, there’s always Lee.
When the sun shines there is always Lee.
The cold dinners on marble dining tables turned into bustling warm and sunny meals. With people who liked hanging out with him not because his grandparents forced them to be with him. Not because they wanted to get some of his glory. They loved Will like their family. He was their family.
But he watched his second home set ablaze in the span of two summers. He managed to lose everyone he had loved. He managed to be on his own, losing a part of his self. Not knowing how to feel about being on his own for the very first time in his life.
Will’s third home was the one he built from the ground up. The one that took most of his energy but ended up being the one who stayed with him for the rest of his life. Nico di Angelo never made it easy for him. And he wouldn’t want it to be. If he could go back in time, he wouldn’t change a single thing.
They were both in pain and in need of each other’s company. Will knew that dating Nico would take a lot of effort and energy from him. He knew that their timing was terrible. Nico had severe PTSD and acute clinical depression. And Will? Well, let's say he had problems of his own. Watching people dying in front of you leaves you with the trauma you can just shove under the carpet.
They weren't the couple every high school sitcom was talking about. They were dysfunctional but in their own unique way. They could talk to each other and ease their pain, even a little bit. He knew that sometimes Nico would try to shut him out or push him away to 'save' him from the monster he thought he was. But Will never budged. He loved him too much to let him go.
But gaining Nico’s trust and love made everything different for Will. He would sneak into his cabin right before curfew and stay with him the whole night. In the same bed that was too small to fit them both. Legs intertwined, his head on Nico’s shoulder and their fingers brushing. He wouldn’t change that feeling for the world. Late night talks, stargazing, sleepless nights enjoying each other’s company.
Will only fell in love once in his life. He didn’t need anyone else. He never thought that he would be in a meaningful relationship with anyone. He knew how awful families could be and he didn’t want to force anyone into a toxic situation. He hated being on the sidelines during family dinners. He hated the tension that only grew between his mother and grandmother. And he hated knowing how it felt not being able to talk to anyone in your family.
He also didn’t consider himself worthy of love. Being the ‘different’ one in his family was never easy. Especially when a person in your family doesn’t accept the people you love. Will never thought that his family would have a problem with his sexuality. Naomi didn’t even bat an eye before hugging him and his grandmother would never admit how much she hated it. She would just bite her tongue and move on. But his grandfather voiced his opinion on his ‘sins’ on several occasions. It didn’t matter to him. He loved Nico and nobody could change that. Or take it away from him. And his family knew that.
Go to Harvard for us.
Finish first in your class.
Do your residency in a top hospital.
Will kept doing things his family wanted. At least he was lucky enough that the path he wanted to make for himself was the one his grandparents wanted. But he hated being the golden child. He wished he could retaliate and do something completely different. But Nico knew that if he threw Medicine out of his life, he would lose a piece of himself. And his grandparents didn’t deserve the risk.
Will came home from his 30 hours shift. He hated being away from Nico for so long. He wanted to wake up next to him every morning and be with him all day. He loved his company and the way he felt around him. It was this numbing sensation of being next to the person you love. Like a complete bliss.
He unlocked the door to their apartment and entered inside. He left his shoes in the entrance and scanned the room. Books scattered around every surface of the living room, deem lighting, and everything in its place. He made his way to their room where he found his boyfriend reading a book. Will climbed in bed next to him and rested his head on his chest. Nico pretty much unbothered by his boyfriend’s presence resumes reading the book he was holding. “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged cupid painted blind.”
“Romeo and Juliet?” Will asked not moving from his spot.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream. You’re losing your touch, Solace.” Nico replied looking softly at his side.
“Maybe you should read Shakespeare more often then.” He suggested.
“Maybe I should.” He smirked in return. Nico closed the book and placed it on his nightstand. He turned to Will and kissed him. “I missed you. A lot.”
“I missed you too.”
“How much longer will it be like this?” He asked him.
“I finish residency next year.”
“I didn’t mean residency.” Nico clears his throat. “I meant you and me. Like this.”
“This is for life,” Will whispered.
“Good. Because you can’t get rid of me.” He declared smiling. He kissed Will once again, starved for his touch. I kiss thee with a most constant heart.
Home is not a place or a building. For Will home is the people he surrounds himself with. The people who loved him and took care of him. Home it’s the people you let in and the memories you never forget. The ones that become so familiar that are a part of yourself.
Will wouldn’t change his life. Despite the exhaustion and the pain. There is always the sun. The warmth and the catharsis.
“Who could refrain, That had a heart to love and in that heart, courage to make love known?”
Will heard Nico saying in a hushed voice. He had just managed to put their 6-month-old daughter and 3-year-old son to sleep for the night. He made his way across the hall. He tried to open the door as quietly as he could. Despite his best efforts, his 5-year-old turned to his side with her big blue eyes staring at him. Nico was sitting on the floor next to her bed with a book in hand.
“You’re reading Shakespeare?” He asked Bianca as he kneeled on the floor next to his husband. He also noticed Albus, Bianca’s beagle was under her bed as usual. The small dog ran to him, wanting his attention.
6 months after she was born, Will and Nico decided that they were sick of the traditional fairy tales. That lead them to read Bianca stories like The Iliad, Lord of the rings, Shakespeare and other Classics. Did they regret it? Never.
“No, I’m reading King Lear.” She replied like it was common sense. Like she was proud of outsmarting her dad. God, this was his home.
“Let me play the lion too: I will roar that I will do any man's heart good to hear me. I will roar that I will make the duke say 'Let him roar again, let him roar again.” Will said.
It was by far his favourite Shakespeare quote. The first time he heard it, Lee was delivering a dramatic monologue in their cabin. It was his first night as a claimed camper. With those lines, Lee wanted to make Will welcome to their family. That was what it was. A family motto. One that stayed with him for the rest of his life. He just remembered the memory all too well. Michael laughing next to him and whistling as Lee finished reciting holding a toothbrush. How it reminded him of innocence! Beckendorf, Silena, Castor, and Pollux overhearing them from outside. Everything was so fragile and glistening. Nothing could change the way he felt that day. Listening to that phrase for the first time. And everyone repeating it as soon as Lee was finished.
“That’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ right?” She turned to Nico.
“Yes, darling,” Nico said too proud for her. He turned to him. “I see you finally read your material.”
“Just caught up with it. Let’s not forget that I was the one who introduced you to Shakespeare.” He declared.
“Can you say it again? Please?” Bianca asked him.
“Let me play the lion too: I will roar that I will do any man's heart good to hear me. I will roar that I will make the duke say 'Let him roar again, let him roar again.’ Do you know what it means?”
“No.” She replied waiting for an answer.
“It’s an act of bravery. It’s the promise of a family. If you roar and make yourself loud, you’ll continue to grow. It’s the same with a family. When you call us, we’re a pack. Nobody gets left behind.” Will told her with Nico looking at his side. He tucked Bianca into her bed and kissed her on the forehead. “Now sleep, or there won’t be any more Shakespeare.”
“No!” She giggled. “I don’t want to sleep.”
Will and Nico got up. “I’ll sell your toys,” Nico warned her as he closed the lights. “Goodnight, princess.”
That was his home.
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When Nico and Will announced their quest to the camp, their reaction wasn’t all that surprising: everybody had thought they’d gone mad. People didn’t just go to Tartarus and come back with all of themselves intact. In fact, most didn’t come back at all. So for them to willingly go there? Nobody took it well.
Despite that, the campers still bid them goodbye with encouragement and “good luck”’s. As per tradition, the Apollo cabin prepared a shroud for Will. Since Nico didn’t have any siblings at camp, they made one for him, too. As days go by, the campers all wait in silent anticipation and worry for the return of their head medic and the child of hades they’ve grown fond of.
It was on the two week mark when they returned. The campers had a capture the flag game that night, when suddenly, Nico slipped out of the shadows, drenched in blood. Will wasn’t faring any better. They were rushed to the infirmary, where they were taken care of.
The next morning, Nico disappeared into his cabin and didn’t come back. Will brushed everyone off with a reassuring smile, explaining that Nico needed some alone time after what happened at Tartarus. Nobody thought much about it– the son of hades had a lot of demons to deal with after all.
Whatever progress Nico did before their quest was ruined. He reverted back to his previous self, to the Nico who refused to stay with others, to the Nico who hid in his cabin. He barely talked to the few friends he made at camp, either. With every passing day, his eye bags got darker, and his skin more pale looking. Nowadays, he was either in his cabin or reluctantly talking to Dionysus.
It was clear to everyone that Will tried his best to help Nico. He reminded him to eat, to sleep, he was there when he had night terrors, he often urged him to the infirmary if he got a little bit sick. Although Nico wasn’t in the best place mentally, he still managed weak smiles and tight hugs to convey his gratitude to his boyfriend.
Everyone tried their best to make Nico feel comfortable at camp, and not to cross any boundaries. They made sure to pay attention to his mood and what not. So much so, they didn’t notice that Nico wasn’t the only one who changed.
One moment nobody knew, and the next, the entire camp was whispering about it. It started when Austin received a camera from his mother for his birthday. He urged his siblings to pose for a family photo together, under the sun. When the photo was printed, he stared at it with a smile, admiring their happy faces and their shining eyes. That is until he noticed Will.
Will, just like everyone else, was smiling. His grin was wide and almost split his face in half, his left dimple popping out. It would have looked endearing, if it wasn’t for the fact that his blue eyes were dull, devoid of light. If Austin were to cover the bottom half of his brother’s face, his eyes looked even more… unsettling.
During dinner, he noticed it too. His brother talked and laughed just as usual, however, his eyes looked dull and almost… dead. They didn’t hold any emotion whatsoever, as if his laughs and teases were only for show… was it?
Austin talked about it to Kayla. Then Kayla mentioned it to her buddies at the archery range.
Next thing they know, the entire camp would subtly glance at the head medic’s eyes, and their worries were confirmed once they saw the dark and lightless blue staring into the horizon, as if he simply wasn’t there.
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