Chapter Text
The flower shop was dead as far as Nico was concerned.
Not literally dead. All of the flowers perched in rows down the storefront, fresh as- well, as daisies. No, the flower shop was empty and had been for hours. It made Nico wonder how his stepmom made a profit.
He’d only been working there for a week now, maybe even less. It was a temporary solution for now while he tried to figure out what he was doing next. Working at a big-name department store hadn’t been his cup of tea. After a particularly rude customer chewed him out, he quit. His stepmom and father had lightly suggested he work at the flower shop for the time being, so he begrudgingly accepted.
Persephone made the job look easy. Even Hazel had no trouble keeping up with which plants needed water when and what soil went with each pot. Nico, on the other hand, struggled to write all the information down on a loose piece of paper in messy scrawl.
He had just finished watering the hydrangeas (at least, what he thought were hydrangeas) when the bell at the front jingled, alerting him to a new customer. Nico fixed the black apron with the ‘Persephone’s Garden’ logo on it, then went behind the counter in case the customer needed anything.
Nico wasn’t sure what sounded worse: having the store be empty all day or having to deal with customers. Most people came in for bouquets for their significant others and often asked Nico for his opinion which made him freeze up immediately. He had no clue what constituted as ‘nice’ when it came to flowers. His go-to was to recommend whatever flowers his eyes landed on first, making up some sort of meaning behind it if the person asked.
Why the hell did flowers need to have their own language? It was exhausting to figure out.
Nico tucked away the watering can in a cupboard behind the counter, then turned back to the storefront. He caught a better glimpse of the guy who’d just walked in.
The guy seemed to be Nico’s age, tall enough that his blond hair nearly brushed some of the hanging plants. Between the height, blond hair, and blue eyes, Nico was tempted to say that the boy reminded him of Jason. That would be a lie, though. This boy had a sunnier energy, a bounce in his step and a soft smile on his face. Besides, his hair was longer and curlier than Jason’s.
He was objectively attractive, Nico decided, but that was as far as it went. For some reason, Nico felt a bit self conscious while sitting in the stool. Did the apron make him look stupid?
Before he had a chance to fix anything about his appearance, the boy walked up to the counter. “How can I help you?” Nico managed to say.
“I was wondering if you sold any ready-made bouquets or if I had to put an order in,” he said in a silvery voice.
Nico nodded. “Right, uh, we don’t have ready-made bouquets. But if you know what you want, I can put one together very quickly- it’ll take five minutes!”
The guy tapped his fingers on the counter. “I don’t really know what I’m looking for. Just a nice assortment,” he said. He managed to keep his upbeat attitude despite the uncertainty in his words. “What would you want if you were receiving flowers?”
His cheek heated to the temperature of the sun. “I’m not- I don’t really like flowers like that.”
The guy stared at him bug-eyed. “You work in a flower shop,” he said dumbly.
“My stepmom’s flower shop,” Nico explained quickly. “It’s a temporary arrangement.”
“Oh.” The guy nodded slowly. “Still, you have to have some preference.”
It took a long moment for Nico to respond. He followed the rows of flowers down the store until he landed on one in particular. “I think that dahlias are pretty. They come in all colors and they’re very geometric. Mesmerizing for someone to look at.”
He thought, briefly, about how dahlias were Bianca’s favorite flower. She liked to draw them in her school notebooks, and when Nico caught on she taught him how to draw them too. Dahlias, the flower that lined her coffin years ago, provided so generously by Persephone.
The guy gave a bright smile which shook Nico out of his thoughts. “I’ll take those then.”
“Great.” Nico came around the counter and went over to the area with the dahlias. He picked out a batch of them, swirling colors of orange, red, and pink. It didn’t take him long to get out the plastic wrap and ribbon to tie it up with. This was perhaps the easiest part of the job.
As he reached out to fix a drooping dahlia, the guy stopped him. “You don’t have to arrange it fancy or anything. Just the way it is, that’ll be fine.”
Nico followed his direction and stopped adjusting the bouquet. He focused on tying the ribbon in a neat bow and then handed it over to the guy. He rang up the order and the guy handed over the money.
Before he turned to walk away, the guy spoke up. “My name’s Will, by the way. You’re probably going to see a lot more of me if all goes well, Nico.”
Nico’s throat went dry. A brief moment passed where he panicked, thinking How does he know my name? It took a second to remember he was wearing his nametag across the apron. “Yeah. Good luck,” he said. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was saying good luck to, but whatever force was bringing Will in more often was a force Nico was grateful for.
Will put change in the tip jar, gave a disarming smile, then walked out of the shop.
It was then that Persephone walked in from her office. By the vein in her forehead, she’d just got done ordering a new shipment of flowers and seeds. She walked the aisles, tending to each flower. Persephone stiffened, paused, by a bundle of hydrangeas. “Nico, dear, did you water these?”
“Yes,” he replied. No use in lying; Persephone knew every single move and change made in this flower shop.
She clicked her tongue in response. “Now they’re overwatered. Just look at the chart for the hydrangeas, okay?”
He responded with a yes, of course. Persephone was keeping a lot of patience with him, especially considering how protective she got of her flowers.
“Anyone stop by?” she asked as she began repotting a fern.
“Just some guy with some dahlias,” said Nico.
And the conversation died there.
---
Hazel leaned over the display, taking it in with a big smile. “It looks so good!” she said, excitement dripping from every word.
Nico leaned across the counter, taking in the glass encasement on the table. The case was filled with bejeweled rings and necklaces. A few bracelets made their way in the selection. “They look good, Hazel. I’ll make sure to sell some today.”
“If anyone comes in,” they added simultaneously. They both snorted.
Hazel picked at her nails. “Do you think they’ll actually sell? Because I’ve been thinking, and I know I’m only a freshman, but it would be really cool to start my own jewelry business once I’m out of college. This is just my trial run.”
His sister’s nerves pinged around the room. If there was one thing Nico was sure of, it was that Hazel had a talent when it came to art and making jewelry. Every time the two were home at the same time, he’d catch her with her tongue sticking out, focused intently on setting a gemstone in its exact place.
He answered her honestly. “I think it has a lot of potential. The designs are beautiful, and I know how hard you work on them.”
Hazel’s face went soft. “You’re the best, you know that?”
“Remember that next time I ask you for a ride from Jason’s.”
She let out a small curse at him. Then, she inhaled sharply. “I totally forgot. I need to go to Lavinia’s for a biology project. Just give me a second, alright?”
As she began to back out of the store, Nico called out, “You will be here for your shift at three, right?”
“We’ll see!” she called back and quickly closed the front door behind her.
It was Nico’s turn to let out a curse. “She is so lucky I actually like her,” he muttered under his breath.
He returned to his task of unpackaging some daffodil seeds, dumping them into pots of soil and then covering them gently with the dirt. This was a task he was more comfortable with. Planting the seeds was easy; the hard part was maintaining them afterward.
Though the task was repetitive, he kept at it for hours with seeds of all different types. The bell dinged at the end of the shop. He was kneeling behind the counter to grab another pot, so Nico called out, “Hazel, if that’s you, you better be prepared to take over at three!”
“Not Hazel!” a familiar voice shouted back. Oh crap. Will.
The shock made him whip his head up, bumping it on the counter. He let out a wince, then got up from behind the counter while holding his forehead. Fucking great. Double the embarrassment.
Will rushed forward, leaving a few petals behind in his wake. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you, I just-”
“You didn’t scare me,” said Nico. His lips turned into a scowl. “I don’t get scared. I was just shocked, that's all.”
His confused look morphed into a stupid grin. Like, Nico could not emphasize enough how stupid it was. “Sure thing, sunshine. Are you okay, though? That’s gonna leave a bump.”
Nico removed the hand from his forehead, which was a bad move considering how his whole face was likely flushed. “I’m fine.” Will made a face like he was going to protest, but Nico spoke up before he could. “If it makes you happy, I’ll ice it when I go home, okay?”
The grin faded away. Will straightened up, looking more professional. No, not professional; perhaps more serious. (Though that word didn’t seem to fit right either.) “Yeah, you should really do that. Maybe consider getting a first aid kit. You seem isolated here, and it would be terrible if something happened while you were alone.”
Nico raised his eyebrow. “Is that a threat?”
A pink spread over Will’s face. “No! That’s not- I just- you seem lonely here.”
A strange feeling bubbled over in his chest. Someone cared about him. Not just his family, or Jason and Reyna. It took a second for him to process that. Then, Nico said, “Persephone’s out in the garden out back and Hazel’s got a project right now. So I’m not as lonely as you think.” The words came out sour, even though he didn’t mean for them to.
The entire situation was making him sweat and grow a little pale, which Will unfortunately picked up on. “Are you sure that bump isn’t more serious? You’re really pale. You should go outside and get some fresh air.”
After a few controlled breaths, the panic abated. Thank goodness, too. If he had a panic attack in front of a stranger, he’d crawl up under the counter and never come back out. His therapist had been helping him manage symptoms for three years now, and he sent a silent thank you to her for that. Nico plucked up the courage to say, “I’d argue that the air here is as fresh as can be with all the plants. It’s the same as being outside.”
Will’s face went slack jawed. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Nico folded his arms. “Are you going to make an order or not?”
Will cleared his throat. “Right.” He seemed to struggle for words which made Nico equally flustered. Fuck, he hated this. At last, he spoke up again. “I’ve got an allowance of $40. As many dahlias as I can buy with that?”
It took all of Nico’s willpower not to bite out a sarcastic remark about Will’s apparent allowance. Besides, a part of him filled with warmth at the fact that Will seemed to take to his recommendation of dahlias. “Sure thing.”
Nico got right to work picking out the best dahlias in the collection and wrapping them precisely. He tried to balance making it look neat with doing it quickly; he recalled that last time Will seemed to be in a rush and cared more about getting the arrangement rather than it looking nice.
“That’s $40 worth,” he said, setting the bouquet down. Will pulled out the two twenties and a ten, which Nico deposited into the register.
Nico nearly forgot, and he stood there frozen like a deer in headlights. “Uh, my sister’s selling some jewelry she made, if you’re interested?” he blurted out.
Will looked over at the display case on the counter. Unlike the other two customers Nico had that day, he didn’t immediately say “no, thanks” with a scoff. He tilted his head and considered the jewelry. His eyes swept over every ring, necklace, and bracelet. “Maybe next time. I’ll bring in my friend. She’s into stuff like this.”
Nico nodded, a bit discouraged. He assumed that was a light let-down. If only people saw the value in Hazel’s things like he did.
The two stood there in an awkward silence until Will said, “I should really go.” He took the bouquet in his hand. “Make sure to take care of that bump. And go outside, if you can. It’s pretty nice outside for October.”
“Yeah, I will,” Nico said quietly to Will’s retreating back, unsure if he ever heard.
Not long after Will left, Hazel came in, frazzled. The clock struck three a while ago. “Sorry for making you take my shift.” She came around the counter and tied one of the aprons around her neck. “I got so caught up with making new pieces that I totally forgot about the project. Next time, I’ll-” Hazel stopped in her tracks. “How’d you get that bump on your head?”
Nico groaned and covered his face with his arms on the counter.
----
By the fifth time Will came in, Nico noticed the pattern. Always on a Tuesday, always around 2 p.m. He only noticed after Will left; before that, he and Hazel were watering flowers down the aisles. Persephone had begun a new system of leaving stickers on plants that said how much water they needed and when. It was Nico’s godsend.
They’d been chatting about the newest crime documentary they wanted to watch when Will walked in.
Hazel perked up when he entered the store in all his blond-haired glory. “Hey, Solace!” she exclaimed.
Will (Solace?) greeted her with an equal excitement. “What’s up, Hazel? Looking for some flowers, too?”
Hazel shook her head. “No, this is my mom’s shop. I work here when I’m not at school or studying.”
This seemed to pique Will’s interest. “Oh, you and Nico are-”
Nico, who had been watching the exchange with equal parts amazement and confusion, stepped in. “Step-siblings, yeah, but she’s basically my mini-me.”
Hazel wrinkled her nose. “We are not alike,” she said as she headed toward the back room to presumably fill up the watering can. Nico knew she was teasing, putting up that sibling I hate you type of shtick. That was just how they worked; they could read each other scarily well for two people who weren’t blood related.
“Keep telling yourself that!” Nico called after her. Her scoff was so loud, they could hear it all the way from the front. He turned back to Will- Will Solace, she’d called him. “Do you want the usual dahlias?”
Will nodded. “$40 worth.”
As Nico bustled around to gather the flowers, he gathered the courage to ask, “So I’m assuming you and Hazel go to school together?”
Will perked up. “Yeah, we both go to Olympus University. I’m a junior, though.”
He eyed Will, taking in his green flannel and jeans, almost sizing him up. “How do you know each other?”
The question took Will a moment to answer. “I think we met through Lavinia? Or, actually, we know each other through Lou Ellen. Hazel goes to her parties.” As he kept speaking, Nico’s expression grew more and more sour, which Will picked up on. “Oh, this is a big brother type of thing? Don’t worry. I’m not- plus, she’s dating Frank. And we’re just not close like that.”
Nico nodded. He picked up the flowers and brought them over to the counter to be wrapped. “It wasn’t really a big brother thing, I was just curious.” He was just glad that he had to duck his head to wrap the flowers with the plastic.
When he finally looked up, Will had one of his signature disarming grins on. “Cool. Do you go to Olympus too? Or New Rome Uni?”
That did get Nico even more embarrassed than before. Somehow. The end of high school had been when Bia passed away; college was the furthest thing from his mind. When he said he was going to take some time off for his mental health, no one questioned it. He’d gotten his therapist, worked at a variety of stores in a low-pressure environment, and surrounded himself with Hazel, Reyna, and Jason- the best medicine he could get. Since then, his mental state had improved considerably.
Still, he got a bit of guilt in his chest when people asked him about higher education. He settled on a bit of truth. “I took some time off of college for mental stuff. But I’ve been thinking lately about going back.”
To his surprise, Will didn’t scrunch his eyebrows together or make a weird face. In fact, he kept up the same smile. “Good for you. You should think about going to Olympus. Deadline for applications is January 15th.”
Nico snipped the last bit of ribbon. “I’ll certainly think about it. You might have to come back and convince me, though.” Holy? Crap? Since when did he become so forward?
Will didn’t wince away at it. He forked over the $40 and took the bouquet. “Thanks.” He spun on his heel and out the door before Nico could say anything.
He irrevocably fucked up, right?
Of course Hazel decided to return at that moment, after taking her sweet time filling up the pails. She barely got out a breath before Nico said, “What do you know about Will?”
She seemed taken aback for a second, then replied, “His full name is Will Solace. He’s really good friends with Austin, Kayla, Lou Ellen, and Cecil. Oh, and he’s pre-med. He volunteers at the hospital a lot.” Hazel tilted her head. “Why?”
Nico let out a breath. “No reason.”
Luckily, she didn’t say anything about it for the rest of the shift.