Chapter Text
I
It was a beautiful gold and a rich orange colour, with hints of green that snaked down from his shoulder to the centre of his chest. His mark looked like a sun that was breaking off in the corner closest to his heart, little specks of gold scattering the rim.
"Whoever they are, they must be beautiful." Bianca had said to Nico, staring in awe at his mark.
Nico nodded his head slightly, tugging the sleeve of his shirt back up his shoulder to cover it back up. After all, he was only ten. What good would thinking about it do?
"And they say those without a name are blessed," Bianca smiled, the corner of her brown eyes crinkling. "You are my blessed little brother."
"I'm not blessed. And I'm not that little. We are two years apart." Nico mumbled, shuffling his mythomagic cards on Bianca's bed.
She adjusted her floppy green cap and let her brown hair fall over her eyes. She couldn't let Nico see her tears.
"You should be blessed you have a mark, Neeks." Bianca whispered into his ears.
And he didn't understand then, but he would in years to come. "I told you not to call me that."
II
The first time Nico saw him, he thought he was a superhero come to life, his favourite mythomagic figurine in flesh and blood and green eyes that were the colour of the sea and everything that lurked beyond the surface.
Bianca and Nico standing on the mountain cliff in Maine, with Percy Jackson protecting them from the manticore made Nico's toes curl. His sword gleamed viciously in the dark. This was ultimately cooler than any mythomagic game Nico had played.
He wanted to know everything about him.
"Are you really the son of Poseidon?"
"Well, yeah."
"Can you surf really well, then?"
Out of the corners of his eyes he could see Grover trying not to laugh.
He hadn't failed to see the Annabeth written in silver cursive letters on his wrist. She was beautiful and the way her blonde hair came down her back in tumbles of curls seemed to leave Percy breathless, but Nico couldn't stop his heart from beating a little faster every time Percy said a word.
It was just a crush, it would pass.
When Percy took Nico by the arm, promising to keep his sister safe, Nico believed him. Nico looked into his sea-green eyes and thought, how could he possibly fail? This was a real hero.
When Bianca had died, Nico had screamed every curse word at Percy's face. He cried and heaved until his throat was raw. After everything Percy had done that ruined his life, he still had these bullshit feelings. Bianca was dead and Percy Jackson still had the love of his life. His mark would still glow faintly while Bianca never even had one.
He stood in front of Percy, his shoulders hunched over in grief and pain. Tears were threatening to spill over his now gaunt face. "You promised me you would protect her..."
Percy stared into the snow covered ground. "She might be alive!" He had tried saying.
"She's dead." Nico closed his eyes. His whole body trembled with rage. "I should've known it earlier. She's in the Fields of Asphodel, standing before the judges right now, being evaluated. I can feel it."
Nico heard a hiss of skeletons from behind him. The first skeleton charged at Percy.
He couldn't let those things kill Percy. As much as he hated him, he didn't want cause any harm to Percy. Nico had called on the earth to swallow them up, and then he'd run away- terrified of his own powers, and his own emotions.
His Mark hurt to touch now.
III
"Bianca, please help. I don't want this and I don't want this Mark and I hate Percy so, so much."
The spiritual figure of Bianca stood in front of Nico. Her form wavered ghostly and her hair was flickering at the tips.
"Il mio fratellino," She murmured. "Nico, everything happens for a reason. Yes, your mark isn't for him, but it's for someone. I promise you, you'll find peace in this world. Just carry this burden on your shoulder for a little more."
Tears were beginning to sprout in Nico's heavy eyes. "Bianca, don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."
"I have to go, Neeks. This connection will only hold for so. Please, go find Percy. It wasn't his fault, I swear." Bianca's apparition began to tremble. She was disappearing.
"Bianca!" Nico cried out desperately. He couldn't be alone. He didn't want to be alone. He wanted his mother and Bianca and Percy but he couldn't have any of them.
"Nico, if you are ever feeling alone just look at the sun. Your Mark and the sun mean something!" Bianca said, her voice breaking. "They're out there. You just have to look with your eyes. Goodbye il mio amato. May we cross paths in the future. I love you, baby brother."
She disappeared and Nico was left standing in the snow, his pale and bony fingers clutching the small Hades mythomagic figurine. He slid his sleeve down his shoulder and took a glimpse at his Mark, glowing faintly in the dark. With a heavy heart he threw the figurine into the snow and shadow traveled away, trying to forget Bianca had even existed.
IV
Nico had stood up to both Kronos and Hades, fought so many monsters he had lost count, and yet he was terrified by the god of love.
"You were jealous of Annabeth." Jason said. "That's why you didn't want to be around her, especially why you didn't want to be around... him. It makes total sense."
The Mark seemed to sear into his skin, piercing into his heart like it might actually burn a hole through him.
All the fight and denial seemed to leave Nico all at once.
"I had a crush on Percy." Nico had spat out. "That's the big secret."
Jason looked at him with sorrow. Or was it the fact that Jason was the only one to share his burden with Nico. Maybe it was acceptance.
When they had retrieved the scepter of Diocletian and were heading back to the group, Jason had asked Nico, "Can I see it? Your mark, I mean. I get that it's private but does it have a name?"
Nico regarded Jason like he was going to burst into laughter. Why would Jason want to see? "It- it's not a name, but a picture. Does yours say Piper?"
Jason looked down, studying the floor. "I haven't told anyone this. Before Juno took my memories, a laurel wreath was etched on my stomach. When I awoke on that school bus it had changed. It was now a flock of doves carrying a leaf in its beak. I think Reyna realised that it was no longer her. The laurel wreath was Reyna. And the dove is Piper. But the leaf is both."
"Bianca told me that people with symbols are blessed. But I don't feel very blessed. Do you?"
Jason laughed, but it wasn't the sound of happiness. More like understanding.
"So I take it it's not a name."
He shook his head and, with a red face, slipped his black shirt over his head. He let Jason look at his Mark and he stared at it curiously.
"It's beautiful..." Jason said with envy.
When he stretched out his fingers to touch the Mark, the feeling of someone else touching Nico bare skin let out a shock of electricity ripple through his body. He blushed and turned away, putting the shirt back on.
"Sorry... but it's a sun right? Breaking away in the corner... I've never seen anything like it."
"Well now you have. Let's just get back to the others. They are probably waiting." Nico didn't meet Jason's eyes and he walked a little bit faster than Jason. He could feel his stare burning through the back of his head.
Will was insufferable, annoying, heavenly gorgeous with that blond hair, and the way his smile made butterflies eat each other in Nico's stomach left him wanting to tear every bit of Will's golden locks out. Was he blushing? He was blushing.
"I ... what? Why would you want a son of Hades in the same room with people you're trying to heal? Why would anyone want that?"
"You can't help out a friend? Maybe cut bandages? Bring me a soda or a snack? Or just a simple, "How's it going, Will?" You don't think I could stand to see a friendly face?"
"What ... my face?"
The words simply didn't make sense together: Friendly face. Nico di Angelo.
He was so totally blushing.
V
It had been three days, seven hours, twenty four minutes and 34 seconds since Nico had come out of the hospital. It wasn’t even a hospital but doctor Will had insisted that Nico call it that. Now twenty five minutes and Nico was pretty sure Will was following him.
“Will, I can see you from behind that tree.” Nico called out, rolling his eyes a little. It was just sparring in the sword arena. He even had a chest plate on, in case the dummy gained magical powers and fought back.
A sheepish Will poked his head out from the tree, grinning. He rubbed the back of his neck out of habit. “You can see me? I thought for sure my disguise would work." Will raised a hand to show Nico he was holding a tree branch to ‘blend in’.
“No, no I’m sorry but it did not work.” He laughed, a sound that he still wasn’t sure he was doing right.
“Well so-ree, your highness.” Will smiled, stepping into the arena.
He picked up one of Nico’s swords, giving it a test swing. Of course, his technique sucked ass and Nico rolled his eyes, stepping over to Will.
“You’re doing it all wrong.” Nico bit his lips to keep from bursting into laughter. Will almighty Solace was actually pouting. “And you look ridiculous as well. That's two strikes.”
Will stood quietly for a minute, as if he was about to make the biggest decision of his life. Looking back on it, he kinda was.
“How about three strikes and we go out?”
“What-“ Nico began to say but he was cut off.
“If you beat me in a sword fight, I get to take you to a real cafe so we can drink real coffee and laugh at real people who smoke real cigarettes.” Will smiled and Nico felt a weird flip flop in his stomach.
“That sounds an awful lot like a date. And I don’t do dates. I don’t do anything at all to be honest.” Nico said, his voice an octave higher than usual.
Was it just him or did Will’s face actually look disappointed. “Then you’ll have to fake losing right?”
“...okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay. You’re on. Except I’m probably going to win anyway. I can’t ‘fake’ my skills. Therefore I can’t fake lose.”
“Starbucks it is then.” Will smiled, flashing his teeth. Nico’s knees shook.
So it was a date.
VI
"Do you think Marks actually work?" Nico asked Hazel one day after sparring at Camp Jupiter.
She studied his face. "You seriously aren't thinking yours is broken? Faulty?"
He looked at the floor, feeling a bit sick. That's exactly what he thought. "It's just that, mine doesn't make sense. At least yours has a name."
She rolled her eyes, going over to Nico and patting him on the back, in a kind of sisterly affection. "It doesn't have to happen right away. Think of Reyna. She doesn't even have one... She doesn't need a romance to tie her down. And neither do you. Just try and forget about it."
"I heard my name?" They both looked up and saw Reyna stride into the arena, her purple cape dragging across the ground. She frowned and hoisted it up more on her shoulders. "I swear to god I am going to stick a pilus in whoever made these awful capes. I want to feel like a superhero and I can't when it keeps dragging everywhere!"
Nico snickered causing Reyna to look at him with a fond expression.
"Anyway - what were you guys talking about before?"
"Marks," Hazel answered, looking at Reyna's face to see her expression. She knew this was a touchy subject for Reyna.
"You know that Marks are harder for demigods. Your Mark can change and shift anytime it pleases and you have nothing to do with it. Stupid Cupid and Aphrodite's fault. I swear it's shipping wars." Reyna muttered bitterly.
"Shipping wars?" Hazel and Nico both asked.
"Ah sorry, I forgot none of you were born in this century. It would take forever to explain," Reyna smiled.
Reyna was one of the wisest demigods Nico knew. Surely she would have the answer to his question. "Hey Reyna, can Marks ever... break? Like the symbol they have doesn't actually mean anything."
"I've never heard of one to happen like that. Why? Are you questioning yours?"
Nico shook his head, a bit flustered. "Let me show you." For what seemed like the tenth time, he slipped his shirt over his shoulder and let Reyna and Hazel look at his Mark. He might've been somewhat used to people and interactions but he still felt exposed. Marks should be kept private. At least that's what he thought.
"Oh dear..." Reyna said once she saw it. Hazel made a side glance at her as if they knew exactly who or what his symbol referred to.
"Do we tell him?" Hazel murmured to Reyna, who shook her head.
"Let the boy figure it out."
"What?" Nico demanded. "What are you talking about? Don't just give me the cold shoulder."
"We can't tell you. You have to figure it out for yourself." Reyna said, smiling sympathetically.
"This might take a while..." Hazel laughed. "But he will get it eventually."
VII
“The coffee is nice.” Nico took small sips, trying not to let the scalding hot liquid burn his tongue, which he had already done, twice.
They sat in the corner of a Starbucks, trying not to draw too much attention to them. The air smelled of espressos and chocolate and Will’s cologne. People bustled in and out, carrying laptops or phones in their hands, sidestepping out of the way of others. This wasn’t how he had imagined a cafe but it was nice being alone with Will.
The last time they were alone together it had ended up with Lou Ellen and Cecil spying on them through a telescope which he was 99.9% sure Leo Valdez had made since they could take pictures from it as well. “Their iced chocolates are way better.” Will said taking a bite from a blueberry muffin.
“I will have to hold you on that.” Nico grins, his cheeks starting to ache. He had been smiling a lot lately, whenever he was near Will.
He took another sip but it slid down his throat too fast and he was left with a burnt tongue. “Ah oh my gods that is hot, holy shit.” Nico swears carelessly. “Merda, oh miei dèi. Oh me scopare.”
Will looked at Nico with wide, very blue eyes. Did he mention how blue his eyes were?
“Did you just swear in Italian?” Will said incredulously.
Nico blushed. “Hazel would kill me if she found out I swore. So I made it a habit to swear in Italian. She can't hear what I say," Nico shrugged.
“No you keep doing that. It’s cute.” Will said, right as Nico took another sip.
He choked, spraying a mist of coffee on to the table. “Seriously, Nico? I’m beginning to think you don’t like coffee.” Will said, oblivious.
“You called me cute!”
“But you are?”
Nico was never going out with Will for coffee ever again.
VIII
"Mmhmm yes, Ares is worth 1500 points. No, no that's not Ares. I'm sorry but on what planet does Ares wear a toga?" Nico said, looking exasperated. Teaching Will to play Mythomagic was a hard feat.
"So then I just put him down here?" Will said, holding the card in his outstretched hand.
Nico guided Will's hand to the pile he was supposed to place it on and shivered at the contact.
As much as Nico hated to admit it, he really liked Will. Maybe to the point where he felt sick every time they were in the same room together.
"You aren't catching a cold are you?" Will asked, with a sincere expression. He genuinely did not want Nico to get sick and for some reason that sent butterflies into his stomach that made him feel like what was about to be sick.
"Here let me feel you." Will lent forward and - oh my god - pressed the back of his palm to Nico's forehead.
He was leaning in so close he could see every shade of blue in his eyes and the freckle just above his nose that he hadn't seemed to of noticed before.
"Hmm, you do feel kind of hot." Will frowned and it took all of Nico's strength to not blurt out no you're kind of hot.
Something is seriously wrong with him. His pulse quickened, the back of his throat beginning to dry up. He felt sick to the stomach.
Will pulled back and frowned at him, completely oblivious to the way Nico probably stopped breathing the second he leaned in. "Are you okay? You're turning really red."
No, he was not okay. All he could think about was how attractive Will was and every time they spoke to each other made Nico want to grab his face and kiss him, even if he didn't know how to and he wanted Will to whisper sweet nothings in his hear and all these wants he couldn't fucking have.
It made him feel sick.
He really, really liked Will.
The Mark on his skin felt heavy as if each line drawn with gold weighed him down like an anchor, like it was painted with real gold.
"I've got to go," Nico said and he'd already started backing away by the time the words are halfway out of his mouth.
"What do you mean 'go?' Your cards are still here?" Will said, blinking at him.
Forget about the freaking cards Nico wants to snap but he doesn't. He just tosses a useless hand signal over his shoulder that probably translated to nothing and flees, ignoring Will's calls.
He's more than a little head over heels for Will and he's not quite sure why he's only noticing this now.
IX
Nico doesn't come out of his cabin the next day. He even ignores Percy's words through the door. "Will is worried about you!" Yeah right, if he was that worried he'd come see Nico personally and if that happened he'd shadow travel away.
Eventually his stomach rumbled and even though he doesn't want to admit it, he's starving.
Begrudgingly he wanders down to the amphitheatre and sits at his table, willing for a Happy Meal and coke to show up on his plate.
When he sees a mop of blond hair come to sit down next to him his brain thinks "this was a bad idea, abort mission, abort mission." It's Will, unfortunately.
"Nico, what's up I didn't see you at all today?"
That's because I didn't want you to, idiot.
"You better not be ignoring me." Will said after a moment of silence. "If so, I'm really sorry at whatever I did wrong. Even though I don't know what I did wrong... Although I'd like to? Help me out here, Neeks."
"Don't call me that." Nico says coldly and Will flinched.
"I'm sorry..."
He feels really bad for snapping at Will. He wanted to say "no go ahead call me whatever you want." But he didn't.
"I'm sick. You should probably go now before you catch it." Nico says, adding a fake cough into it.
"Don't bullshit. My dad is literally the god of healing. I think I would know if you were sick or not." Will quipped. "You have been avoiding me and you are not sick."
Nico's heart felt like any minute now it's going to burst out of his chest and is that why they say someone is the key to your heart? Because it's locked inside a chest?
He's rambling inside his own mind and his intuition says to use the fight or flee tactic. But Will has him cornered in his own goddamn chair and he can't take this any longer, his palms are sweating and his breaths are short and ragged.
"Yes. Yes I am avoiding you now can you please just go?" Nico buried his head in his hands in utter mortification.
"Hey," Will said, and his voice is several degrees higher in alarm. Nico feels him shuffle in closer and wrap slender fingers around his wrists like he's trying to ground Nico and the words you be the anchor that keeps my feet to the ground flit though his head. "Would you just tell me what's going on? I can't fix it if I don't know."
Nico shook his head. "You can't fix it. No one is able to. I just need to go..."
"Was it something I did wrong? I'm sorry if I said the wrong thing or hurt you, just please let me know!" Will sounded desperate and he knew it and there's a wild look in his blue eyes that makes Nico want to hug him until it's all over.
"No! Nothing of the sort." Nico feels like throwing up all over again but he probably can't just go on as he is now. Pretending nothing's wrong hadn't worked and there was no way he was ever going to be able to be alone with Will without wanting to kiss him until his lips are sore and wow Nico should not be thinking these kinds of thoughts.
"I... I need to show you something." The words are harder than he'd like to admit to get out.
Will blinked at him and then narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "And you promise you're not going to bolt if I let you go?"
Nico tried for a laugh. "I wouldn’t make it ten feet without you tackling me to the ground."
Will hesitated for a moment longer, but whether it's Nico's words or his dead serious expression he eventually stepped back, reluctantly released his wrists like he's still a little afraid Nico might make a dash for the next continent over without a leash on him.
You can do this , Nico encouraged himself as he took in several deep breathes and made Will follow him into his cabin, with the creepy green torches making eerie shadows on the wall. He really needed to renovate this place.
X
"You can have a seat on the bed," he suggested a little awkwardly, because there's nowhere really else for it.
Will doesn't look half as nervous though and shuffles to his bed, sitting on it like he did this every day.
"Well?" Will asked as Nico hovered by the door. "Are you going to tell me what's going on or what?"
Nico took in a deep breath and shut his eyes for a moment as he steeled himself before straightening his back and turning around, walking with small, uneven steps so he can plop down besides Will on the bed.
Will should not be so calm about this.
"Well, you know about Marks and everything?" Nico began and it's probably just his imagination but he feels Will stiffen up beside him.
"Yeah... but what has this got to do with you?" Will asked, almost breathlessly.
"Have you ever seen mine?" Nico asked and Will will probably answer even though that was a rhetorical question.
Will definitely started at that. "Of course not," he said. "Why would I - that would be beyond rude to snoop on someone's Mark like that without asking." He's flustered. More than flustered.
And Nico began to take off his shirt. If Will had been red before it was nothing compared to now. He jerks back like Nico had summoned a skeleton right next to him, which he probably would do since he was this nervous, putting space between them in an instance. "What are you doing?"
He tossed the shirt to the side and watches as Will's curious gaze turns to his Mark. It was still as bright as ever in the shape of the sun and before it had clicked that sun and Will and how he was the son of Apollo probably meant something he just hoped he wasn't wrong about this because then Nico would probably move to Antarctica.
"It's the sun-" Will began but closes his mouth.
"Please don't run away now that you've seen this." Nico pleaded, shivering since its cold without his shirt, why did he think this was a good idea. "I just sort of guessed that you and the sun have a kind of obvious connection and I really, seriously like you and I think I might've died if I hadn't of told you now, so, there I guess. You've seen it. Can I go now? I'd understand if you hated me-mmph!"
Will didn't call for help, or run away. He didn't collapse or faint either. What he did next was probably worse.
Will lent over, ignoring the fact that Nico was shirtless and they were alone in their cabin and Mr. D would probably skin them alive if he ever found out, and kissed Nico.
Nico's mind went blank. Was this actually happening? Was Will seriously kissing Nico? No, nope, Nico couldn't process it.
Will Solace was actually kissing Nico.
It was short and sweet and even after Will stopped, his taste lingered in Nico's mouth, like jellybeans that he knew Will liked to eat whenever he was stressed.
“What was that?" Nico demanded.
“Thank you.” Will mumbled. “I probably would never have the guts to do that. You made my life a whole lot easier.”
“What are you talking about?” Nico said helplessly, his fingers subconsciously reaching up and touching his tingling lips. looking around as if the real Will was going to burst from under the bed shouting FOOLED YOU! It wouldn’t be that surprising.
“Stop freaking out for a moment. And when I begin to do this don’t shadow travel to the underworld so I never see you again.”
“Can you please stop talking in an encrypted language?” Nico said with wide eyes.
If he was nervous before it’s nothing compared to now. His Mark feels electric like sparks literally flew. His mind can’t concentrate on anything else other than- oh my god he’s taking his shirt off.
“Look at this...” Will said and turned around a little bit to let Nico look at the Mark on his back.
“It’s-“
“Yeah.” Will finished for him, more awkwardly than nervous.
It’s beautiful. Black wings are spread out in the corner of the back of his shoulder. It’s a crow in midflight, each wing tip with a feather in excruciating detail. It's so painfully obviously Nico.
“When-“
“Last week.” Will cut him off again.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Nico said angrily, although it’s hard to maintain being angry because he feels like there’s an electric current pulsing through his body in an endless loop.
“I know how you feel about this all. And you weren't doing anything! You still looked scary! Besides I gave you so many clues how could you not get it?! I called you cute for gods sake.” Will said, his voice trailing off at the end.
Anyone could walk in now and when they saw Will and Nico shirtless, sitting a little bit closer than they should have, Zeus would send down lightning bolts. What would thy father say? Nico thinks to himself amusingly.
“I thought you were just saying that. I'm not exactly the definition of 'cute'."
"What are you talking about? You are unbelievably cute, especially when you are asleep. You seem more innocent and less 'I will stab you if you burst my personal bubble." Will laughed, flicking Nico's nose.
"Don't do that." Nico frowned. "Well, i guess you can now, since we are...-" He stopped himself because it sounds too cheesy to say it. Soul mates. That’s what they are.
“I guess we are... Who would've thought we were perfect for each other, let alone you liked me back... So it is totally and definitely okay to kiss you right now?” Will asks with a wide smile.
“I guess that could be arranged... But can I put my shirt back on before that happens? It's seriously cold.” Nico says, reaching for his shirt.
A couple minutes later they were both fully dressed, much to Will’s annoyance. “You look so cute sitting on your bed shirtless and flustered.” Will had teased. There was now a light slap mark on Will’s arm.
“This is so awkward.” Nico mutters and slips his cold fingers around Will’s neck, pressing his lips to Will’s. He never wanted this moment to end.
XI
“I think they finally realised.” Reyna said to Hazel as they sat together on the grass next to the lake. They watch Will and Nico sitting on the edge of the pier, their hands enclosed in one another. It’s cute, really, and Percy owes Reyna ten bucks, enough to get hot chocolates with Annabeth, which she still has to cash in that rain check.
“You think?” Hazel laughs, popping a grape in her mouth from the food basket next to them.
“No, I definitely know.” Reyna joins in with laughter as Will ducks his head to kiss Nico.
Hazel hums to herself. “Now we just need Dakota and Gwen to realise they are perfect for each other.”
“That’s definitely never going to happen.”
"You never know." Hazel said, giving Reyna a side smile.
XII
“What does he mean I’m not his type?” Percy yells, stabbing the dummy in the chest. “I’m everybody’s type?!”
Annabeth rolls her eyes from besides him and places a kiss on Percy’s cheek. “Don’t tell me you like Nico now.”
The blood rises on Percy’s face. “I- what? No! It’s just- He can’t-“
She kisses Percy again which effectively shuts him up.