So I’m sorry but I found a bunch of drafts, and I just wanted to publish them cuz why not. If you are a solangelo writer, PLEASEEEE finish these and publish them and tag me. Also if you finish one comment on that area so others can read it. This will be very long but separated into the different drafts by a 💅 emoji.
This is officially my last post. Love y’all and read/vote for my skz stuff too.
💅
Nico was washing dishes from dinner as Will and Bianca played with Michael in the living room. Will stood up and snuck up behind Nico at the sink. He snaked his arms around his waist and kissed his neck.
“Will, remember I have work tomorrow.” Will laughed.
“You work at a club, Nico. I think you’ll be okay if you have a little mark.” Nico laughed. He turned in Will’s arms and gave a smug smile. Will kissed him, until he pushed him off and said, “We’re parents now, or did you forget?”
“Just for a little, I’d love some alone time. We could go on a date,” Will proposed while he pushed his hands under Nico’s t-shirt and ran his hands up and down his back.
“I’d love it too, but I don’t want to leave the kids with some random babysitter.”
“So, we call one of our many friends. How bout Percy?”
Nico shuddered. “How about Annabeth?”
“Yeah, I like that idea.” They laughed.
“So we call. When?”
“Well today’s Friday, so we can call if she can come over Sunday night.”
“Ok. So you can go call her.” Will frowned at the comment, but Nico laughed.
“I gotta finish the dishes! Go call her!” Nico said, giving Will a peck on the lips and turning around to finish washing the plates. Will called Annabeth, who quickly agreed to babysit. Nico and Will babysat for her and Percy before when they needed alone time, and Annabeth had been waiting to return the favor.
After Nico finished dishes, the two sat on the couch. They watched the children play around and conversed in Italian. They decided to call and make a reservation at this fancy restaurant, since they weren’t gonna waste this time together. Nico laced their fingers together and snuggled into Will’s side.
———————————————————————————————————————
Annabeth arrived on Sunday at 5 o’clock on the dot. She pressed the Ring doorbell, and smiled and waved at the camera. Bianca opened the door, saw Annabeth, and slammed it shut. She ran away screaming. Nico came down the stairs buttoning a black shirt, and opened the door. He smiled when he saw Annabeth, receiving a grin in return.
“Annabeth! Thank you for coming!” Nico said, ushering her inside.
“No prob! I love Bee and Mike, and I’ve been waiting for you to need a sitter.” Just then, Bianca ran into the foyer. She tapped Nico on the leg.
“Yes honey?” he asked, bending down next to her. Bianca whispered something in his ear. Nico scooped her up in his arms, and held her upside down.
“Bianca doesn’t really like babysitter put-downs,” Nico said.
“I don’t want you to leave!!” Bianca shouted.
“See what I have to deal with? These crazy kids.” Nico set Bianca down and crouched next to her. “What’s your problem with Aunt Annie putting you to sleep? You never had a problem with a babysitter until Travis and Connor came over.”
“They were loud. The TV was something scary, and I could hear it in my room.” Nico brushed Bianca’s hair behind her ear.
“Well how about this. Annabeth, do you swear on the River Styx to watch something not scary and not inappropriate after Bianca goes to bed, in case she needs you?”
Annabeth stood up straight and saluted. “I swear it on the Styx, sir.”
“Well, I think that’s settled now, right?” Bianca smiled and ran off. Nico sighed as he stood.
“Yeah, have fun Annabeth. Michael’s in the playroom, help yourself to anything in the fridge, but no alcohol. You have a habit of being a very naughty girl, so we have to set down these rules,” Nico said, wagging his finger at her in a joking manner. They laughed and Nico went back upstairs to grab his tie and jacket.
Nico and Will came down the stars a couple minutes later in suits. Nico’s was all black: shirt, tie, pants, and jacket. His black hair was brushed and slicked back. Will had a black jacket and pants with a white shirt unbuttoned at the collar. He didn’t have a tie, but he still looked fabulous. They both kissed the kiddos goodnight, wished Annabeth luck, and were on their way.
———————————————————————————————————————
Annabeth had a slight problem. Michael missed his dads. She tried everything she knew to get him to stop fussing. The only time he was a little quiet was when he was eating. Otherwise, he was screaming and crying. Getting desperate, because it was nearing Bianca’s bedtime, she Iris messaged her husband.
“Sing to him,” Percy said simply.
“But I don’t….I’m not a good singer, if anything he’ll cry harder.” Percy frowned.
“You’re an amazing singer. You used to sing me and the kids to sleep all the time. Remember? We would be exhausted with the twins and-“
“And we’d fall asleep on the couch to my singing. Yeah, but-“
“Annabeth, just sing to him. And keep me on the line, I wanna listen too.”
Annabeth laughed and shook her head. She began to sing “Ocean Eyes”. It was a favorite of hers, forever reminding her of Percy.
“I’ve been watching you
For some time
Can’t stop staring at those
Ocean eyes
Burning cities and
Napalm skies
Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes
Your ocean eyes…”
As she sang, a very tired Bianca made her way over to Annabeth on the couch, curling up like a cat beside her.
“…No fair
You really know how to make me cry
When you give me those ocean eyes
I’m scared
I’ve never fallen from quite this high
Falling into your ocean eyes
Those ocean eyes…”
Annabeth finished the song with a sleeping Michael, Bianca, and Percy.
“Goodnight, my love,” she said, and disconnected the IM. She switched off the TV, and gently rose, leaving Bee asleep on the couch. She swaddled Michael carefully, as to not wake him, and laid him in the crib. She made her way back downstairs and gingerly picked up Bianca. She covered her with the duvet and was about to leave when she heard a small voice.
“Aunt Annie?”
Annabeth turned to look at Bianca. She brushed the hair out of her eyes. “Yes, sweetheart?”
“You promise you won’t watch something scary?”
“I swear,” Annabeth said, holding out her pinky. Bianca locked hers into it and they shook on the deal.
“And can you sing that song again? I like it.” Annabeth smiled and nodded. She started the song again.
When she finished, Bianca was back asleep. She closed the door quietly and laid down on the couch, falling asleep almost immediately.
——————————————————————————————————————
Will held the door for Nico as they stepped into the restaurant. They were seated immediately and ordered a bottle of champagne. Nico laughed as Will poured the champagne. It was so different than their new normal life. He wasn’t used to being so fancy. Will wiggled his eyebrows as he poured the glasses.
“I feel underdressed,” Will said, looking around. “I knew I should’ve worn a tie!”
Nico rested his hand on Will’s. “You look wonderful.”
Will smiled. “Thanks. You do, too.”
“Thanks,” Nico said, kissing the back of Will’s hand.
“You know…10 years ago today, we started dating,” Will said.
Nico’s jaw dropped. “Seriously? Only ten years? Feels like ten thousand. We’ve been through so much in so little time.”
Will laughed. “I know. I’m so glad I met you, Nico. You’ve turned my world upside down, and I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”
Nico smiled. “The same here. I couldn’t imagine what I’d be like without you. I’d probably be dead, to be honest. You saved me, pulled me out of a really bad place, and I can never thank you enough for that.”
💅
Nico stumbled in, trying the cover his face with his hood. A couple guys from school had jumped him in the alley by his and Will’s apartment, leaving him with a black eye, split lip, bloody knuckles and various bruises around his body. He walked down the hall to their bathroom, hurrying past Will’s door.
“Hey! Hey, you’re home!” Will said, getting up to greet Nico. Nico quickly shut the bathroom door, clicking the lock. Will furrowed his eyebrows.
“Nico? Open up! What’s wrong?” Will jiggled the handle. “Open the door, please baby!”
“I’m fine, go away.” Nico winced as he attempted to clean the blood off his knuckles.
“Please, honey. Let me in.” Will’s voice was low and soft. It was hard to resist. Nico gave in and unlocked the door. Will practically fell in and smiled.
“Hey- what?” Will had noticed the bruises and blood. He tilted Nico’s chin up and examined the injuries. He clenched his jaw and his eyes turned hard.
“Who…” The anger in his voice was just barely held back. “..did this..to you?” A fire was lit behind his eyes.
“Just some…guys. F-From school. I-It’s nothing Will-“
💅
Nico was panting. He could barely breathe. It hurt to move. He saw his phone, though it was just out of arms length. He stretched, reaching for it. He yelped in pain and his body was slowly dragged across a piece of broken glass. He touched the phone with his fingertips, trying to bring it closer to him. He prayed he wouldn’t pass out. The pain was so intense, and he wasn’t sure he was getting enough oxygen out of his labored, painful breaths.
Finally, he grabbed hold of the phone. He dialed the emergency contact number.
Will.
The call rung a couple of times, before he heard, “Hey Neeks! What’s up?”
“Will…please help me. I’m in…the alley by the…by the Wawa on 42nd. I can’t…move…I can’t…breath,” Nico managed, pausing to take ragged breaths.
“Nico, stay on the phone. I’m coming. I’ll be there in 10 minutes, tops. Stay with me, please.”
“I think…I think I’ll just sleep for now,” Nico said. His vision grew black. He was vaguely aware of his name being called, but he was just so tired. “Goodnight.”
—
Nico woke up screaming. He realized he was being picked up by Will, and it was so freaking PAINFUL. Even knowing that he safe now that Will was here couldn’t come close to soothing his screams.
“I’m so sorry baby. I have to take you to the hospital. I’m so sorry. You can…you can sleep. I’m sorry.” Will’s voice broke as he spoke and tears were rolling down his face. He paused and kissed Nico’s head, pulling his head to his chest.
Nico lost consciousness again.
—
Nico woke up in a hospital with an IV drip and a heart monitor. He tried to swing his legs over the side of the bed, but when even just tensing the muscles, he was met with exploding pain. He cried out, tears coming to his eyes.
Will startled awake at the sound. “Nico!”
💅
Nico and Will were in class together. They were in a “SPED” class, as everyone called it. Really, they couldn’t be in a classroom. Nico had Tourette’s syndrome, and severe anxiety, so he hated being in a classroom setting. He thought his tics were too disruptive and he had severe panic attacks when he was in a classroom.
Will was deaf, ADHD, and slightly dyslexic. He had a lot of trouble reading and writing, and occasionally forgot how to speak entirely. Will had cochlear implants, but he didn’t wear them much in class. They often gave him a sensory overload, especially when Nico was having bad tic days. He typically communicated through sign language, and he was trying to learn to lipread. It was difficult, though, with the ADHD. He had pretty bad anxiety aswell, so he was put in an assisted learning class.
In normal circumstances, neither of them would have been in an assisted learning class. Nico’s Tourette’s didn’t affect his learning, so it wouldn’t have mattered, and Will would’ve had an interpreter. But Mr. Blofis, Percy’s stepdad, thought it best to help cater to the boys’ needs, because he understood that those needs made it difficult to learn.
In total, there were 5 of them in the class. Will, Nico, Annabeth, Leo and Percy. Percy had severe ADHD and dyslexia, making it practically impossible for him to read, write, or sit still. He also had pretty bad sensory issues, so Mr. Blofis brought him to the class. Paul couldn’t stand how much trouble Percy had in a normal class.
Leo was crazy ADHD, and autistic. He didn’t understand people or social settings very much, and was often pretty blunt, but it made him funny. He didn’t like to stay still, and he preferred engineering over normal class. Leo didn’t like it when plans changed, and neither did Annabeth, so they kept a pretty strict routine. It was nice.
Annabeth had severe anxiety, and sensory issues. She didn’t like change, like Leo, so they had a specific schedule and routine each day. Annabeth could hide her neurodivergence, but she preferred to be in a catered classroom.
Currently, the class was discussing social settings, and the anxiety that comes with them.
“I hate *head jerk, pop pop* social areas because I always *’fuck off!’* I always feel like such a disturbance. My *middle finger, ‘fuck you bitch!’, head jerk* tics are loud and say *hand jerk, whistle, click click* say rude things. I don’t *’fuck you bitch!’, middle finger, head jerk* I don’t want kids to replicate *head jerk, pop pop* replicate my behavior or words,” Nico said, watching their teacher sign as he spoke. He knew Will had his cochlear on, but it was kind of confusing for him with Nico’s tics. Most of the time, the whole class signed as they spoke, just to help Will’s understanding a bit more. It was also fun to learn, and added an interesting challenge for them. Nico struggled the most because he used to his hands to fidget as his anxiety rose, and his tics also affected his hands. But even though he struggled with signing his words, he understood most signs.
Their teacher, Max, nodded. Max was awesome. They were so kind, and really understood neurodivergence. Max was also like a counselor or therapist, offering help in whatever the kids needed. “I can see why you think that, Nico. Do you think maybe indicating that you have Tourette’s could help?”
“Like *pop* like what? How *head jerk, ‘fuck you bitch!’* How would I do that?” Max smiled mischievously. They grabbed their rainbow bag and rummaged through it.
“Use this.” They pulled a button out of their bag and handed it to Nico. The button was around two inches in diameter and teal with the words “I have Tourette’s” in big white letters. Nico began to tic furiously, his head kept jerking forward and he popped and clicked. But he was also smiling. All of this pointed signs to: excitement. His tics calmed down and he pinned the button to his jacket. Will smiled at his bright and excited face. He put his fingers together in the sign for ‘H’, and moved it around face in a circular motion, creating the sign for ‘handsome’. Paired with the sarcastic smirk and nod, Nico saw him and laughed. He shoved him playfully.
“Shut *pop* Shut up!” he said with a laugh. Max smiled.
“Anyone else have something about social situations? Anything you want to say or ask? We’re here to help each other.” Max turned their head and looked at Leo. “Leo?”
Leo looked up from the little helicopter he was creating out of pipe cleaners. He scratched his neck uncomfortably. “I don’t like people,” he said frankly. The others giggled and shook their heads. Leo shrugged. “I don’t understand them. I only sort of understand you guys, and I’ve known you all for more than 5 years.”
“Anything you would like to ask to better understand people?” Max asked, signing for the kids to stop laughing.
“Why do people get so mad at me?” Max’s face was a mix of shock and hurt, but they quickly shook it off.
“What do you mean Leo?”
“Yeah, who’s giving you crap? I’ll take care of it if you want,” Percy said, cracking his knuckles. He was pretty popular, unlike the others. Annabeth put a hand on his and signed calm with her other hand. He swallowed and took a breath.
“People get mad when I talk about building things. I’m not sure why.” Max nodded.
“Not everyone likes engineering, Leo. Maybe they don’t understand what you’re saying, or why you’re saying it. Or maybe they get mad because they don’t know you are different, and they don’t understand you.” Leo shrugged.
“I don’t know. I don’t really care. I have friends, so, that’s all I really need.” He sat back and continued fiddling with his pipe cleaners.
“People often don’t realize that I’m deaf,” Will said, doing his best to speak, but signing at the same time to get his point across better. “I’ve had a girl tell me I didn’t look deaf. How do you look deaf?”
💅
Gender fluid/Demi boy!Nico
“Hey babe!”
“Hey! How was your ‘girl’s day’?” Will asked, slightly teasing. Nico had been out all day with Hazel, Piper, and Annabeth, and they had a full spa day.
“It was great!” Nico said. He had his hands behind his back. Will quirked an eyebrow.
“What’s wrong with your hands?” Will asked.
“Well, I don’t know what you’ll think. I tried something new.” Will patted the sofa next to him, and Nico sat.
“Is it a tattoo?” Will asked nervously. Nico shook his head. “Whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll love it.” Nico brought his hands out, revealing a set of acrylic nails. They were gorgeous white French tips with black stars.
Nico studied Will’s face nervously. “Do you like them?”
“I love them! They’re so you.” Nico smiled.
“I wanted to tap into my femme side. The girls helped me pick the design out, and I wanted it to be a surprise. They were pretty cheap too, at least for nails.”
“How much? I heard they get pretty expensive.” Nico nodded.
“Yeah, sets can get expensive, but these are pretty simple compared to others, and Hazel’s good friends with the nail techs there. These were only $50. Anywhere else, they’d be like $80.” Will nodded.
“That’s great. I’m happy you’re happy.” Nico smiled. He tucked Will’s hair behind his ear and Will shivered. “That tickles!”
Nico smiled. “Here, lay down.” Will laid his head down on Nico’s lap, and Nico scratched his head carefully with his new nails. Will shivered and giggled.
“Oh, it’s weird!” he said with a laugh.
“Good weird or bad weird?”
“I like it, it just gives me the shivers!” Both laughed.
💅
Nico wanted to go in and get out of that Starbucks. He loved their coffee, but he was known as the dark and mysterious guy at school, and if someone from Midtown High saw him in a Starbucks, he was ruined. He got his delicious coffee (a salted caramel latte with chocolate sauce around the cup), and was leaving when a wall of green fabric ran into him. The lid of his cup popped off and the coffee spilled all over him and the floor. The stranger’s eyes widened and his face turned red.
“I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to! I’ll buy you another one! And a new shirt, if you like! I’m sorry!” The stranger continued to apologize profusely, but Nico just grumbled and ran towards the men’s room. He patted down his shirt with paper towels. As he did so, he mumbled in Italian to himself about the stranger.
“Stupid idiot, god dammit. Why is his hair so blonde and fluffy what the hell and his jawline is so dam sharp.”
Nico stopped. He realized what his was doing: he was hitting on the stranger! He sighed and shook his head. Suddenly the door to the men’s room busted open revealing the stranger who bumped into him. He was holding a Starbucks t-shirt and a salted caramel latte with chocolate sauce around the cup. Nico was going to make a snappy comment but then noticed the drink and t-shirt. His eyebrows knit together in a puzzled look.
💅
This one is pretty much finished, but if you wanna add go ahead
The multi award-winning band, SE7EN, was having their first concert since the release of their new album, “Forever Isn’t Always”. The members were so excited for the show, and nervously chatted before preparing to make their entrance.
Percy the band leader, adjusted his in-ear as it counted down. He stood on the platform under the stage, ready to jump up and land onstage. He turned on his microphone.
“Make some noise,” he said, before he was shot into the air. The crowd screamed and he grinned ear to ear. “Alright, now get ready. You know me, I’m your favorite leader, I’m…” He leaned his ear to the audience
“Percy!” they screamed.
“Sounds about right. Now to welcome my lovely girlfriend!”
Annabeth shot of the stage, somewhere farther downstage to his left. She waved.
“Everyone’s favorite lesbian is up next!”
Piper shot up, her hand in an “I love you” sign, stars drawn in rainbow makeup around her eyes.
“And where my boys at?”
The rest of the guys ran out from underneath the stage. They all ran around the edge of the stage, waving to fans and saying hi.
Percy smiled as he watched his members get increasingly more excited. He brought the microphone up to his lips and began the first song of the night.
“I wish I knew you-“
The rest of the band joined in. “-wanted me, I wish I knew. I wish I knew you want me, I wish I knew. I wish I knew you wanted me.”
“What you, ooh, uh, what you do?
Made a move, coulda made a move,” Nico sang.
“If I knew I’d be with you
Is it too late to pursue?” Will continued. The couple laced their fingers together as they sang. This had been their dream since forever, and they were happy to have begun it.
—
Nico looked out at the crowd. He scanned faces, searching for her. She had said she’d be here. She wouldn’t lie…would she?
Then, he found her. His eyes filled with tears and he fell to his knees. He bowed, his knees and feet tucked under him and his hands pressed to the stage. His head was tucked between his arms, so no one could see his tears, though he shook with sobs. He couldn’t believe she was actually here.
Will walked over and knelt next to his boyfriend, rubbing his back. He knew that Nico’s father had never supported him. He wanted his love so bad, and he never gave it to him. Nico wanted to pursue music. He said it was a stupid idea. Nico presented a little more femininely, and came out as gay. He kicked him out.
But Nico was so desperate to have his mother back, he would do anything.
And then, she came.
She finally came.
She showed that she wasn’t a bitch, as Will imagined her to be.
Nico sobbed. He couldn’t believe it. She even got floor seats. Hades, his father, hadn’t come. He left his mother, after she told him to take Nico back. Nico could see the joy and sadness in Maria’s eyes. She had never wanted to leave him, but she was forced to choose. She tried and tried to get Hades to reconsider, to love his son. But he refused. She didn’t care who he liked, how he dressed. She cared that she could see her son.
People parted, letting Maria get closer to the stage. A security guard stopped her until Nico jumped down from the stage and ordered him to move the gate. His mother was here, and nothing else mattered.
The gate opened and he fell into her arms. He remembered her embrace, warm and smelling of cinnamon and sugar. Maria cried with her son, stuttering whispered apologies and “I love you”s. He didn’t care. She had shown him her love. She had left her husband, despite his threats, paid for floor seats, and fought her way back to him, her son. No matter what, that’s what he was. And she showed him that.
💅
(Homophobic slurs)
Nico had been dating Will freaking Solace for the past two months. They had decided to be out with their relationship the past couple weeks, but that made certain “friends” of Nico’s a little mad.
“Hey, bitch!” came a shrieking voice from down the hall. Nico groaned. Drew and two of her step sisters were thundering down the hallway in their white Converse and Lululemon workout sets. Drew stopped in front of Nico and smiled.
“How’s your little boy toy, fag?” Drew’s makeup was thick, and it didn’t match her skin, her face was three shades lighter than her neck. Her fake eyelashes batted dramatically, and her huge hoops dangled from her ears. A Kendra Scott necklace was fastened around her neck, and her Vera Wang backpack hung off one shoulder. Drew never stopped making fun of Nico, especially since he started dating Will, and she always flirted with Will in front of him.
“I’m not a fag, Drew. And he’s not my ‘boy toy’, he’s just my boyfriend. Leave me alone!” Nico said, his cheeks and ears red. Drew frowned.
“If you are a guy, and you have a boyfriend, that means that you are a faggot! Yeah, that checks out, right?” Drew asked her sisters behind her. They didn’t answer. Drew turned around and snapped in both of their faces. “Hello?!”
“Oh, um, yeah! That’s right!” they said quickly. Drew shut her eyes and huffed in an annoyed fashion.
💅
“Stay away!” Nico screamed, swinging his sword in an arc around them. He stood over Will, who was groaning on the ground. A couple dracaena had attacked them, and one stabbed Will with a poisoned knife. Will’s shirt was soaked red, and tears were clouding Nico’s vision. There was one dracaena left, and she wasn’t too happy that Nico and Will had killed her friends.
Nico’s rage and sadness pent up inside him. Was Will going to live? He had been stabbed in the abdomen, and was bleeding out on the ground. He was angry. They couldn’t enjoy one date without being cornered and attacked. Nico fell to the ground and screamed, holding his head. Skeletons crawled their way out of the ground and grabbed the dracaena, dragging her back under the ground with them as they returned to their rightful place in the underworld.
“Nico?” Will croaked.
“Will? Will! Just hold on, I’m gonna save us!” Nico thought frantically. He couldn’t exactly carry Will to the train and get back to camp that way. He screamed again in frustration. He looked up at the sky in despair. Wait…wait a minute!
“Will, I’m sorry, but we have to shadow travel, just really quick. I’m sorry baby, hold my hand.” Will’s grip was dangerously loose. His hands were cold and his face was pale. His breathing was ragged and slow, and his shirt had turned from orange to deep red. Nico said a silent prayer to both Hades and Apollo, and wrapped his arm around Will, melting into the darkness.
💅
Nico coughed. His throat hurt like hell, and he knew what hell felt like. Every cough felt like sandpaper rubbing against his windpipe. His insides were hot, but his skin was cold, so he shivered nonetheless. He had a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit (about 39 degrees Celsius), and he just felt like shit overall. His head pounded and the lights were too bright.
Will glanced at Nico underneath the little mountain of blankets. Poor him, he was so sick.
“Hey! You alive over there?”
“Is that some kind of joke?” Will walked over and placed a hand on his forehead.
“Nooo, don’t touch me I’m all sick. I don’t want you sick too,” Nico whined. Will knelt down next to him and brushed the hair out of his eyes.
“It’s okay.” He smiled. “You know, I could just heal you.”
“No! It literally is so bad for you, it completely drains you!”
“Nico, you are such a hypocrite.”
“Shut up. And go away, I wanna sleep.” Will snorted.
“So grouchy.” He went back to the dishes, humming as he worked. Soon enough, Nico was asleep, peacefully snoring and twitching every now and then. Will snuck over and took his hand carefully. He began glowing, producing a low light around him.
💅
Will’s eyelids fluttered open. Sunlight flooded the room, bathing it in a warm golden light. The sun was his alarm clock. It was just lovely. He woke up early every day. Sometimes, he wished his dad was worse at his job.
He looked over at the alarm clock. 12 PM. Wow, he slept late. He and Nico had been up late watching Hamilton. They had just randomly picked it to watch, because who doesn’t love watching Alexander Hamilton’s life fall apart? He looked over at Nico who was facing away from him. He scooted over and wrapped his arms around his waist. He leaned his head on Nico’s shoulder, and sighed. He wasn’t upset or tired, just content. Nothing was there to bother him, he was off work, and he was laying in bed with the love of his life. He couldn’t believe his luck. He smiled at the thought. Suddenly he felt Nico turn his head.
“Will?”
Will kissed his neck. “Mornin’ sunshine.” Nico smiled at his morning drawl.
“What time is it?” he asked, turning in Will’s arms.
“12. We slept in.” Nico laughed.
“That we did. We missed breakfast,” he pouted.
“Well, how about…pancakes and coffee? I can go start some if you want,” Will offered.
“Sure, why not. I’ll be in in a sec. My eyes need to adjust.” Will kissed his nose and got up out of bed. He went to the bathroom and quickly brushed his teeth, then headed to the kitchen to make the coffee and pancakes. Nico sat up and rubbed his eyes. He tied the black pajama pants a little tighter and got up, heading to the bathroom. He ran his hands through his unruly black hair, trying to make it look a little less unruly. Nonetheless, the slight mullet that was his hair still looked messy, but he knew Will liked his bed head. He brushed his teeth and went to the kitchen to help Will, yawning as he walked.
Nico quietly padded over to Will and hugged his waist, leaning his head on Will’s shoulder. Will smiled continued making Nico’s coffee. Nico like Italian cappuccinos, because they reminded him of his heritage and his mother. Will turned and handed the cup to Nico. Nico sipped it and sighed, leaving a little milk mustache on his upper lip. Will laughed and turned around to pour his own mug.
Will liked to say he liked coffee how he liked his men. Dark and bitter. Since being with Nico, his humor changed, and he could finally appreciate dark humor. Anyway, he always drank a black cup of coffee in the morning. Will doesn’t like to drink too much caffeine because of the negative effects on your body and heart, but he does like the taste of coffee.
Nico set his mug down and opened the cabinet to get a bowl for the pancake batter. He jumped up onto the counter and grabbed a bowl and the chocolate chips. He carefully got down again and turned to Will.
“Ok, so before we got married, you told me you would tell me why you put everything on the top shelf. We’ve been married for almost two months, and you haven’t told me. Spill,” Nico ordered. Will chuckled.
“The real answer is…it was cute to watch you try to reach for it and have to ask for my help. Now you just jump up.” Nico crossed his arms.
“That’s the reason? This whole time, that was the reason?”
“Yeah,” Will said, laughing. Nico rolled his eyes.
“That’s a stupid reason.”
Will kissed his forehead and hugged him. “Yeah. But you looked cute.”
“Just make the pancake batter, please!” Nico said, pushing Will away. Will laughed and combined all the ingredients together. He poured the batter and cooked the pancakes, Nico coming up behind him. Will flipped them over and cooked them, eventually scooping them all up and putting them on a plate. Nico had set the table, and they sat down with the pancakes and syrup.
💅
Little red lights blinked and overhead fluorescent bulbs glared down on the people.
There was the beep of the heart monitors.
Doctors ordered nurses and everything was bright and loud.
Nico blinked.
He shouldn’t be here. He didn’t want to be here. Everything was too much, too loud, too busy, too bright.
He
couldn’t
take it.
He’d always hated hospitals. He was never sure why. But since he was young, he had dread doctors visits, infirmary trips, or even hearing an ambulance. Hospitals smelled too clean, too sterile, like hand sanitizer, but they also smelled like blood. The smelled like death, like injury, like sadness.
Like anger.
Like fear. Anxiety.
Now as he laid on the stretcher, being rolled through the hallway, he couldn’t stop the building panic.
————
Will loved the busy hospital. He loved fast paced settings, and he loved helping people. He looked over Mr Johnson’s chart, and stepped inside.
“Hi Mr Johnson! I’m Dr. Solace, I’m gonna be taking some vitals and tests for you today!” Will greeted the man. He was almost 65, and one of the happiest people in the hospital, so he’d heard.
“Hello doctor. What kind of tests? I don’t like needles. I tolerate them enough, but I don’t much like them,” the old man answered. Will frowned.
“I’m sorry about that, Mr Johnson. I’ve got to take some blood, and then give you an IV drip. It says here you are dehydrated. And we’ve got to get your white blood cell count.” Will arranged the vials and prepared Mr Johnson for his blood draw.
“Alright Mr Johnson-“
“Please, call me Dave.”
Will smiled. “Alright, Dave. I’m gonna try something I do with the younger ones, but it keeps you distracted while I do this. Can you tap your first finger to your thumb?” Will had Dave tap his fingers, he had him play I Spy with him, and they also played a game called “guess that tune”, which is pretty self explanatory. He was done quickly.Â
“Alright Dave, you are done with the blood draw! I’ll just set up the IV while you tell me the Jackson 5’s greatest hit.”
“Eh, that Christmas one? Momma kissing Santy Claus?”
“Ooh, close! Actually it was ‘I Want You Back’, but good guess! Both great songs.” Will laughed and smiled. “And, you are officially done.”
“Well, thank you Dr uhm, uh…I’m sorry, I forgot your name,” Dave said sheepishly.
“Will Solace,” he answered with a grin. “See you later Dave!”
Will stepped out and closed the door. A nurse met him with an emergency.
“Dr Solace! ER, they need your help. Ambulance just pulled in with two crash victims. One’s in critical condition.” The nurse hand him a clip board. Will stopped in his tracks when he read the names.
“The crash victims were Reyna Ramirez and Nico di Angelo?” he asked.
“Yes doctor, is there a problem? They need us in the ER, ASAP,” the nurse urged.
“That’s my fiancé!” Will said, and he half walked half ran to the elevator. He quickly read over the files. Nico didn’t seem too injured, but Reyna was in bad shape. He got down to the ground floor and to the emergency section of the hospital. He saw Nico sitting on a stretcher, being helped by one of the nurses, Jennie. Will sighed in relief. Nico had what appeared to be a broken arm in a sling, some minor stitching above his eyebrow, and some large bruises. Nico jumped off the stretcher and ran to him, crying. Will hugged him briefly, then pulled away to study him.
“Are you okay? What happened? Where’s Reyna? Jennie, who’s with Ramirez?”
“Dr Wilson, sir,” Jennie answered. Will nodded.
“Tell him I’ll be in shortly, should he need my help. Jennie, I’ll need you to brief me on their injuries. But first, Nico. What happened, honey? Shh, your safe, alright?” Will hugged him gingerly, so as not to hurt the arm in the sling.
“T-T-The car! Ran into R-Reyna’s! I wasn’t hurt so bad because I was on the passenger side, but Reyna! Will, please help her!” Nico sobbed. Will nodded and wiped his tears.
“Dr Wilson is with her, he’s one of the best emergency room doctors I’ve ever met. I might go suit up and help him, I’m not sure yet. Um…hey, Alice? Could you help him out, clean him up? Thank you. Stay here with Alice. I promise we’ll save her!” Will squeezed his hands and walked back to Jennie.
“Ramirez has a broken femur and major concussion, among other things. The car ran into the driver’s side, hitting hard enough to injure the driver, Ramirez, but sparing di Angelo mostly. I see you know them?” Will nodded grimly.
“Nico’s my fiancé. Reyna is his best friend.” Will paused. “What else is wrong with Ramirez? Just the femur and the concussion? That’s not great but not horrible.”
“Her arm is to be X-rayed, but currently she has a couple broken fingers, and her radius appears to be fractured. The shoulder had been dislocated, but it was set in the ambulance. And doctor,” Jennie looked Will in the eyes. “She might have severe nerve damage. Her spine…we’d need an MRI to be sure, but she could have a shut down of her entire left side.”
Will pressed his lips together. “Does Wilson need any help?”
“It’s not appearing so, but we should be on standby. Let’s go to the window.” Together they walked and watched the surgery.
“Set the bone…stitching seems clean…her head is supported,” Will muttered to himself. He had no doubts in Dr Wilson, but this was Reyna. It was a whole different story when you knew the patient. Nico couldn’t lose her too…
————
Nico sat on a bed while Alice cleaned some of his cuts and scrapes. Tears stained his cheeks and he trembled with anxiety. He looked up at the kind old nurse while she dabbed alcohol on a gash on his left arm.
“Will she be okay?” he asked, his voice wavering. The old lady smiled.
“Dr Solace and Dr Wilson save lives everyday. They are the best doctors I know.”
“That’s good news.” Nico took a deep breath.
“Is Ms Ramirez you girlfriend?” Alice asked. Nico couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing. “What is it dear?”
“I’m, uh, actually with Dr Solace.” Alice knit her eyebrows together.
Then she did something surprising.
She laughed.
“Oh, dear, my mistake, darling!” she said through her laughter. Nico laughed with her. “How long have you two been together?”
“Since we were 16, so 13 years. We got engaged last year, on my birthday.” Alice lit up.
“Should we be expecting a wedding soon?”
“Well, sort of soon. We’re getting married September 10th, that way it’s not too hot or cold. We plan to be outside, but we have an emergency plan if the weather’s bad. Still, there’s lots to be done in little time. We only have a couple months.”
Alice clapped her hands. “So exciting. Have you picked out what you’re wearing?”
Nico nodded. “I had wanted to be in all black suit, but Will wanted it to be brighter. We settled on black jackets and pants with white shirts and blue ties. Sort of a dark blue for the ties and they have different patterns on them.”
“That’s lovely! Pictures will be wonderful!” Alice sighed. “I remember my wedding. This might be outrageous to you, but I was married at 16.”
Nico shrugged. “My grandmother married my grandfather at 15.”
Alice nodded. “Yes. It was practical then. I’m very old, Nico. I should be retired, but I just…love helping people. Anyway, I remember that day, marrying my husband. We were very in love. He was so charming. And seventy years later, he still is charming.”
Nico’s jaw dropped. “Seventy years of marriage? That’s incredible!” he said incredulously.
Alice smiled and nodded. “Yes. We had eight children together as well. And now there’s 14 grandchildren. And one great grandchild.”
“Wow. What are their names?”
“Oh, are you sure you want to hear all this?” Nico nodded vigorously. “Oh, well then. My oldest is Mary and she….”
Nico listened attentively as Alice talked about her eight children. She had many crazy stories to tell. She had her first child, Mary, when she was 18. She had a set of identical twins and a set of triplets. Her youngest two were Irish twins, and she had her last child at 30, making Nico feel like he hadn’t done much with his life. She assured him that she went through life quickly, and that he should take his time like he is now.
Soon, it was an hour or two later and Will came over to the chatting pair with news.
“Alright. She’s in stable condition, and you can see her. She’s unconscious, Neeks, but they said you could come with me since she doesn’t have family, and we’re the closest thing. I told them about Hylla, but I’m not sure how we’ll contact her. Come with me.” Will held out his hand which Nico took with his right hand. He waved weakly in the sling.
“Bye Alice. I hope Jackie has a good birthday.” Alice smiled and waved back.
“Who’s Jackie?” Will asked, his eyebrows knit together.
“Her great grandchild. He’s almost 1! His birthday is next week.” Will tilted his head.
“I didn’t know she had a great grandchild.”
Nico shrugged. “You didn’t ask.”
💅
Nico was alone. He was sitting in the strawberry fields, watching the satyrs and campers pick strawberries and play songs on pan flutes and dance. They looked truly happy.
Nico envied them.
He looked at the fat red strawberries in the vines around him. Dainty white flowers with yellow centers adorned the green vines, and the strawberries hung low. Nico reached out and picked one. He’d never had a strawberry before. He wondered what it tasted like. He blew off some of the little bits of dust and bit into it.
It was the tastiest fruit ever. His eyes went wide and he smiled. He ate more, and soon his hands and face were covered in the sticky juice. He laughed at himself and ran to rinse his hands off. He saw Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Piper and Will playing a game of volleyball, but they weren’t on land.
They were in the lake.
It looked fun, so Nico ran over, rinsing his hands in the lake water. He watched them play a little, then decided.
“Fuck it,” he said, removing his jacket. He waded in the water in his skinny jeans and custom black Camp Half Blood shirt. One of the Iris kids made it for him, a seven year old girl named Brynn. He liked Brynn. She was nice, and she like the braid his hair and make it change color. Sometimes, she braided flowers into and turned it all sorts of rainbow colors. He smiled at the memories with Brynn.
“Oh, yes! Nico, you’re on our team!” Percy called. “We need all the help we can get. We’re not very good at volleyball.” Leo shook his head in agreement.
“We’re horrible,” he said, and grinned.
💅
Hazel walked down the blue hallway to Nico’s room. She brought fresh clothes for Will in a bag, some flowers to freshen up the place, and coffee for herself and Will. Right before she entered the hospital room, she heard crying. Her eyebrows knit together and she opened the door silently. Will was holding Nico’s hand, pressing it to his forehead. He was crying as he spoke.
“Why can’t I fix you? Why can’t I heal you? I need you, Nico, please don’t leave me. I love you Nico.” Nico, of course, couldn’t hear any of this. He was in a coma, like he had been for the past three days. Will kept repeating the mantra of “Why can’t I fix you?” to himself as he sobbed. Hazel set down all the things she brought and set her hand on his shoulder. She rubbed his back and whispered to him.
“It’s not your fault.” Will scoffed. “Will c’mon. He’ll be okay.”
“Why can’t…” Will took a rattling breath. “Why can’t I fix him, Hazel? Why won’t it work? I’ve tried to heal him, I really have. I just…can’t. It’s like he won’t let me.”
Hazel didn’t want to admit it, but she had been feeling a strong aura of death around him. “Will…maybe he’s…ready. To die. He’s never exactly been afraid of it.”
“No.” Will was insistent. “He can’t. Not when I need him. He can’t, Hazel, he can’t, he can’t, he can’t.” He broke down into sobs again. Hazel hugged him.
“Let me see if I can talk to him. You go change, you smell.” Will left begrudgingly. Hazel raised her hand over Nico’s chest, willing his soul to come speak to her. It wasn’t the prettiest work, what with the glowing red eyes and swirling black smoke.
Nico’s soul rose out of his body. He looked around, stunned. He studied his arms and legs. As he examined his surroundings, he saw Hazel.
“Hazel! Am…am I…dead?”
“No. But you’re close. Will says you won’t let him heal you. Nico, I knew you had problems but please, talk to me before you try to go and kill yourself!” Nico looked down, embarrassed.
“Nico. Will’s a mess. You can’t just leave him here. He’ll kill himself, I mean, he thinks he can’t save you. Let yourself be healed. Go to therapy. Talk to us. Nico, we are trying to help you, and you won’t let us! We’ve been-“
“Ok.”
“-trying to…w-what?”
“Ok. I’ll let him heal me. But you have to make it believable for the sake of the mortals, unless you plan on using Mist.” Hazel felt the corners of her mouth turn up.
“It’s just…” Nico sighed. “Ever since…since Jason, I-” His voice broke. “I miss him, Haze. And I know that’s not a good reason to want to die, but I really miss him. It’s this…this cloud over me, and I can’t shake it.”
Hazel nodded. “Grief will do that to you. And there’s not much anyone can do. But you have to talk. Talk to Will. Talk to me. Talk to someone.”
“I talk to Jason.”
“Nico. You used to talk to Jason. He’s gone. And I know you’re not talking to his ghost because he was reborn. Just…” Hazel took a deep breath. “So many people love you. Please live. For Will. For me.”
Nico nodded. His soul laid back down into his body. The light in the room returned to normal, and it looked like nothing happened. Just then, the door opened, and Will walked in. He was in fresh clothes and was holding two muffins. He handed one to Hazel, and sat down next to her with a sigh. He blinked hard.
“Did you…were you…did he..talk? To you?” Hazel nodded.
“What’d he say?” Will asked eagerly.
“Will, how about you try to heal him again? Just enough to wake him up, so the mortals don’t go crazy.” Will sighed.
“It’s not working, I told you.” Hazel laid a hand in his shoulder.
“Try again.”
Will sighed. He grabbed Nico’s hand and began to glow. Nico regained some of his color. The heart monitor beeped steadily faster. Nico’s eyelids fluttered. His eyes slowly opened. Will gasped.
“Nico…Nico!” He smiled and tears sprung to his eyes. It took Nico a little to get his eyes to adjust to the bright lights. He smiled at the sound of Will’s voice.
“Will…” His voice was coarse and scratchy. “Hey, Sunshine.” Will broke down in tears. He smiled.
“Hey death boy.” Nico squeezed his hand. He cleared his throat and coughed.
“Will, I…I’m so sorry, I-“
“Nico you have nothing to be sorry about.”
“But I do. And I am sorry. I shouldn’t have…I should’ve talked to you, I just left you. I wanted to die. I don’t anymore. I love you, Will. I just want to be with you, that’s a life worth living.” Will was crying harder now, but these were happy tears. He was so happy he got to keep his Nico.
💅
Alr that’s it fr this time. I love y’all, thanks for almost 60 thousand, and so many votes, keep reading and voting and read my other shit.
Goodbye for real,
Kian
They/he/she/whatever the fuck you want but preferably they
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