Chapter Text
Nico stood above the sign with his sleeves rolled up, paint all over his hands.
"Is it good?" he asked.
"Yeah, it's great!" said Jason. "It's super low-key, I think."
Baby, you're a firework! said the sign in neon lettering. Then more neon. And some stars. And some more stars.
"Low-key," Nico mused.
"Yeah," Jason agreed. Nico couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.
"We should've kept the portrait," said Jason, shaking his head.
"You painted Piper to look like Medusa."
"Did not!"
"Well, that's what it looked like."
"You're no fun. You can't talk, you didn't even want to make a sign for Will."
"Well, no," said Nico. He hoped he wasn't blushing. "It's embarrassing enough as it is."
"Then it won't matter if it's even more embarrassing!"
"It doesn't work that way."
"I still think you should paint your face rainbow."
"No."
"Fine, Will likes guitar, you can serenade him."
"No."
"You guys can kiss in front of everyone!"
"No."
"Damn, Nico, lighten up."
Jason started to clean up the art supplies. Nico watched him, and felt bad. Look how hard he was working for Piper. For Nico. And Nico had only contributed a dozen poorly painted stars, and succeeded in spilling paint on the Zeus cabin floor. The cleaning harpies were going to throw a fit.
But he couldn't help it. He didn't believe he had ever felt more nervous in his life. Jason didn't need to worry, Piper would say yes no matter what. But Will… their final exchange still haunted Nico. He could still see it in clarity, and to remember the look in Will's eyes was to remember the sadness and the reproachfulness in his words, and to remember that made Nico sure that Will would never want to be with him again. He had not left himself, in tears, Nico had pushed him…
So why the hell would Will suddenly want to reconcile? What difference would a cheesy sign and teddy bear make? And yet it made all the difference. For what was to come would take place in front of everyone, in front of them and the sky and the gods to judge. And Nico would put himself out there, more than he had ever before.
He remembered the humiliation he had suffered at the hands of Cupid. If he had thought that was bad, it was only in front of Jason. Now it was in front of hundreds of others. He had to remind himself that the connotation was different. This time, he had support. There was no one out looking to ruin him.
Or was there? Nico could never be sure, and to be honest he didn't know, or even like most of the people at camp-
Shut up!
How many times had Nico doubted himself? How many times had he torn himself down, bitten his tongue, stayed dissolved half-hidden in the shadows? He hated that feeling more than anything. And yet he was forced into that position, again and again. Almost as if by his own doing.
But this time, he had a choice.
So maybe he should take it.
And it was because of Will that he would.
He didn't think he had ever known until he had met Will. He didn't think he had laughed, he didn't think he had cried. He didn't think he had loved until he had loved Will.
And he still did.
And maybe Will still loved him back. He had to. That was the only thing keeping Nico from turning on his heel and running away for good.
In the corner of his mind, he could see him. Turning around, his face slightly surprised, mouth slightly open, his lips barely parted. And then a smile, breaking out bright like the sun, projecting out a beam, like a spotlight. Would it happen like that? If it would, than Nico would do anything to see Will like that. Again, maybe, but it seemed like so long ago that he didn't really know.
He swallowed hard.
"Sorry, Jason. It's just... "
"Just what?" said Jason, moving closer. He was interested now, Nico could tell. He wanted to know what Nico would say, and Nico was reluctant to say it. Out loud, it sounded so stupid. Nothing like Nico DiAngelo, Ghost King, monster slayer, et cetera, et cetera. He didn't want to admit what he was feeling, not even now. It had always been hard, almost excruciatingly so.
"It's just that I'm scared, that's all."
There. He had said it. Out loud.
He saw Jason's face soften somewhat.
"Wow, I never thought I'd hear you say that."
"Shut up."
"No, it's kind of… I don't know. Good, I guess?"
Nico didn't say anything. Jason smiled and draped an arm around Nico's shoulders.
"Don't be scared, dude! This is all going to go great, trust me."
"When has it ever been a good idea to trust you?"
"That doesn't matter. Trust yourself. You can do this! It's going to be great, and Will will love it. LIke really. You're quite a catch, Nico."
Nico pulled away. "Are you hitting on me?"
"No way, man! I mean, I guess if I had to pick a guy, then you… well, actually maybe Percy…"
"Jason, just stop!"
"But then again, we're bros, so it might be weird-"
"Jason, just stop talking. Please."
Jason laughed. "I'm just teasing. But seriously…"
"No."
"Okay. Sorry. Point is, is that you have nothing to be afraid of. You're great!
"Really?"
"Yeah! And so is Will. And with me in the mix, you can't go wrong!"
"That sounds wrong."
"How so?"
"...Never mind. Thanks."
"No problem."
Nico sighed. "Well, I'm going to go..get ready." He turned to leave.
As he was walking away, Jason called to him one last time.
"Hey Nico!"
"Yeah?"
"This is all going to turn out okay!"
"Thanks, Jason."
Nico couldn't help but smile.
Nico had never really cared what he wore. Honestly, black matched black and that was pretty much the only color that he owned. As he looked through his wardrobe now, it seemed stupid. Why were there so many skulls? Like, seriously. Way too many skulls. He thought of Will, who thought it was cool, and it almost made him laugh.
So should he wear the shirt that had lots of little skulls on it? Or one big skull?
Oh my gods does it really even matter?
But it did. He wanted everything to be perfect. As perfect as it could be, at least. And this was a small thing, but at least it was something that he had control over. So maybe that's why he was so stressed about every minute detail. More probably, he was just trying to buy time.
Forty-five minutes. That was all that was left before the campfire started, and Nico would face his inevitable doom. Ugh. He had to stop thinking like that! What about forty five minutes until happiness, or forty five minutes until the best moment of his life? Something optimistic. Nico felt as if his mind was folding in on itself, not working properly. His thoughts came disjointed, hurriedly; rapid fire against his head. It was giving him a headache.
He looked at himself in the mirror. After maybe half an hour he had finally decided on what to wear. And surprise surprise, it was pretty much what he wore everyday. Black jeans, black shirt… even his hair was pretty much black. Oh well. At least it wouldn't look like he was trying too hard, right?
He was overwhelmingly nervous. The cabin seem strangely empty, and he remembered all the times that Will had been in there with him. And in those times the cabin had seemed to be full, even though there were only two people inside. Funny. Maybe it had been Will's laugh that had filled it, or maybe his presence. Or maybe it had been the force of the two of them together, something larger than both of them. Something intangible but real, certainly real, Nico missed it more than he could say. But yet he could never put a finger on the feeling, much less identify it. It was just there, when Will was with him, and gone when he was not. Nico wanted that feeling back. He really did.
Looking at his reflection now, he really did look like a child. Not just his features (fucking Jason had once called them 'delicate' ) but his expression. He looked lost, almost, he moved closer and saw himself staring back at him, dark eyes that Will had always said were hard to read. And yet underneath they were older, from everything that had happened before. It bothered Nico that they were always with him, those things, when they should remain in the past. But maybe sometimes it was better to let them out? It didn't seem like such a good idea now. But maybe if tonight went well, he would reconsider.
He ran his hands through his hair, wishing he had a comb. Oh well. He didn't have any cologne either. He remembered that Will always smelled like Axe. Nico had always associated that smell with annoying middle school boys, but on Will it was almost...endearing. Like Will thought it was cool, or something. Nico splashed water on his face. Maybe that would help? Maybe?
Eight minutes to go. Seven, six… ah, he was going to be late if he didn't hurry. He threw on his shoes and forced himself out the door.
He saw the rest of the campers heading to the fire pit, laughing with each other, talking. He bet that none of them knew what he was about to do. Or would even guess.
Won't they be surprised.
It gave him a grim sort of satisfaction to know that, for whatever reason.
When he reached the campfire it was just turning dark. He was a little late, the seats were almost filled; but Jason had saved him a seat up front. He sat down, greeted everyone, and looked around to see if he could find Will.
Will was in the front too, but way off to the side. Nico didn't want to make accidental eye contact, but he still looked. He saw him there, in the middle of his siblings, smiling and laughing. Nico loved the way that Will smiled with his eyes. He really was like the sun, as stupid as that sounded. He was wearing cargo shorts and flip flops, even though it was getting cold. His hair was messy but seemed to catch the light of the fire, and Nico thought that it looked sort of like a halo. His face… Nico could look at it all day.
And then Will glanced in his direction and Nico quickly pretended that he was talking Annabeth. Very awkwardly. Gods, when was he not awkward?
When the campfire started, he was barely listening. His heart pounded in his ears, and he could feel dread start to snake into stomach, and settle heavily. The people around him seemed to be a blur of color and light. He felt disconnected from them, alone in clarity, and he sat with his shoulders hunched forward, wondering what the hell he thought he was doing.
Oh my gods, is this really happening right now? Am I actually doing this?
But he was. He knew he had to. And he only had to look at Will to remind himself that he must go through with it.
A while later Jason nudged him too hard and Nico looked up, only to see Will on stage. He had his guitar and he was with some of his other siblings, but he was in the middle and he seemed to be glowing; Nico could practically feel his energy, coming off of him, infecting everyone around him. Will always had that effect. Especially on Nico.
The group started singing some stupid song about the Minotaur but Nico could not take his eyes off Will, just everything he was, his fingers fretting chords, the way he tossed his hair out of his face, his giant smile; just the sheer gold that radiated out of him.
He loved Will. He was in love with him. A million times over, a thousand reasons why; he was in love with Will Solace and suddenly he didn't care if everyone knew it.
In that moment, he felt like that. He heard Will's voice, sweetly but slightly off key, and he knew that it was true.
Oh, how could something feel so right but be so nerve wracking at the same time?
The song was over too soon and Will was back in his seat, holding his guitar between his legs.
And before Nico knew it, the campfire was almost over, and Jason stood up. Nico's stomach seized up much too fast.
Jason walked to the middle of the stage, and someone handed him a mike. The crowd grew quiet, and Annabeth whispered with Piper, who hid her face in her hands.
Jason spoke. "So, as all of you know, the fireworks are coming up." He flashed a smile.
How can he be so confident?
A couple of people whooped. Girls began to whisper. Piper turned an even deeper shade of red. Or at least that's what Nico thought, her face was in her hands.
"So… Piper, if you would join me up here…"
The noise swelled, and Annabeth pushed Piper off the bench and she made her way to Jason, who took her hand.
"You already know what I'm going to ask, but-"
He unrolled the poster.
"Will you go to the fireworks with me?"
Piper laughed, and they looked at each other for a moment, and Nico could tell that they were really really into each other. They didn't look at anyone else like that but each other, and their gaze seemed to melt into each other and they kissed. The crowd went crazy.
Nico swallowed, hard. His hands were shaking. He could barely hear the cheers, they seemed to fade in and out of focus, like a bad radio connection. He saw Piper and Jason pull apart and Jason bring the mike up to his mouth again…
"And before I forget… I need to invite one more person up on stage tonight."
The crowd continued to cheer. They probably thought Percy was going to ask Annabeth.
"So, Nico, come on up."
A hush rippled through the crowd.
Nico moved mechanically to his feet. This was like a dream. He wasn't sure what kept him moving, but something did, and he forced himself to think of Will. The crowd began to whisper behind him, he could imagine what they were saying…
No! He was going to do this. He had to.
You can do this, you can do this…
He repeated it over and over in his head. Where had that feeling gone that he had felt not so long ago, watching Will perform? That he didn't care who knew? Why couldn't he get that feeling back? He knew it was still there, but it was hidden by fear, and right now that was eclipsing everything.
But somehow he made it on stage, and took the mike with shaky hands from Jason's grip.
It was silent.
It was so silent.
In the crowd he saw Will's face. He was shocked, his mouth hanging open, before he quickly closed it, trying to regain his composure. Nico saw him cling onto the guitar, saw his face harden. Maybe he thought Nico was going to ask someone else? A girl? He had to do this quickly.
Say something already!
He looked one last time at Will, even at a distance he could see his eyes, how blue they were, and how maybe they were a little hopeful. Just a little. But also confused, very confused. He saw his face, his freckles all but gone in the semi darkness, and Nico knew that he wanted to make Will smile again. He knew he would give anything for it. And this was his chance.
He cleared his throat. The sound echoed around the arena. Nico cringed. Jason patted him hard on the back, and there was laughter.
"So, um… hi. I'm Nico."
He almost groaned.
They already know that, dumbass!
He saw Will smile a little, just a tad, before his face was wiped clear again.
"I guess you guys already know that."
Silence. Nico had never hated it so much, nor had it ever felt so stifling.
"I never thought I'd be doing this, but, um, I've liked someone for a long time."
A little less silent now.
"It was going well, and then I kind of fucked it up."
"Watch your language!" he heard Chiron yell from somewhere behind him.
More people laughed. But Nico couldn't stop now. He was on a roll. Well, apart from how bad he was delivering this. Man, he would never live this down. He forced himself to smile, somewhat, he was sure that if he was in the crowd, it would be funny. But he wasn't in the crowd, that was the thing; he was in the middle of the stage, alone, and he had something he had to do.
"Sorry. But, the point is, I want to make things right. So, Will-"
Will stood straight up, like a rocket, before Nico had time to finish his sentence. He seemed embarrassed, momentarily, but it quickly passed. His eyes met Nico's and he looked at him as if to say, really? is this really real?
Nico nodded slightly, and motioned for him to come on stage.
Will's face broke out into the biggest smile Nico had ever seen.
He could barely hear the crowd, going crazy by now, because he could only focus on Will, Will who was smiling so perfectly and who looked so perfect and walked so perfect Nico thought he would die, and he would be okay with it. All his nerves seemed to vanish at once. And Will ran to the stage, and the cheers behind him were there, but Nico didn't even care. He just wanted Will, to hold him in his arms again, to have him for his own. Once again, and a million times over.
"So, Will, will you go to the fireworks with-"
And Will crashed into him and hugged him so hard that Nico almost fell over.
Nico could hardly believe it was real, how could it be, when everything was so perfect?
They pulled apart and Will was still smiling and Nico was too, and Nico could see nothing else but Will's face, beautiful in the fire's light, and hear their breathing, together, as if they were the same.
Maybe they were.
"I take it that's a yes, then," said Nico.
"Yes. Yes. A million times yes!" shouted Will.
And when they kissed, Nico didn't even care that Will swept him off his feet.
The crowd cheered behind them, and this time Nico could hear it.