Chapter Text
Nico hated waking up so early, but he supposed he had to get through it if he wanted to be a functioning adult. He sipped on some very sweet, too sweet, Starbucks iced coffee as he walked down the road where his new tattoo shop was located. He felt a bit proud. It's not like he has particularly interested in what his father thought, but he couldn't help but feel very content that, instead of working for his dad's business, he was able to open his own shop at just 23, doing what he truly loved.
He had gone back to Italy, where he was born and raised, when he turned 18, to study art and design, and then to take an apprenticeship on tattoos and piergings.
He came back to America, and now he was back in New york city, where he spent his high school years in, hoping that everyone forgot him in the 5 years that had passed.
As he finally reached the store, he quickly glanced around, finding himself lost once again looking at the flower shop that stood in front of where he was going to be working from now on.
"Solace" simply read the sign on it, it was written in an elegant cursive font and, of course, the text was circled by flowers.
Nico felt something move in his stomach. He didn't quite remember when, but he hard that word before, and it somehow was able to bring a tint of red over his cheeks, even though the rest memories attached to it seemed to be missing from his brain.
He simply shrugged it off and entered, looking around at the still very messy room around him.
He raised his eyes to the ceiling. The old owners didn't even bother throwing out their old shit before renting out the place, and so the raven had to take it upon himself to clean up.
"Che razza di maleducati..." he mumbled to himself, letting is inner dialogue take over and speaking in his native language.
He prepared trash bags and boxes, starting to pick up the garbage that was laying around.
As he filled them, each box and black bag were taken outside as they started to pile over the sidewalk, waiting to be brought to the nearest dumpster.
Nico didn't quite care, and he thought nobody else did, until he heard a polite, but strong, knock on the door.
He quickly walked over, defensive as he always was.
"Who is it?" he asked, his italian accent strong since he has spent so much time in Venice. He heard a slight pause, before the person behind the door spoke.
"Well...i work for the flower shop, you know, the one near your...tattoo parlour." He started. his voice was soft and he had a slight lisp, not being able to pronounce his "s" well. That awaken some memories in Nico's brain, but he shrugged it off quickly, more scared as to what his neighbor might have asked of him. Quickly, the man behind the door began talking again.
"I am not trying to be rude, but...umh...it's not really that aesthetically pleasing to have all this trash in front of my store...it's a flower store, after all"
Nico brought a hand through his hair, moving his bangs off his face.
"Cazzo.." He whispered under his breath, realising just know how unpolite he had been. Without thinking he quickly opened the door.
"You're right, i am very so-"
He started speaking before actually focusing on who was standing in front of him, and to this days he still thanks god that his legs were able to keep him standing still.
Solace. Will Solace. It all made sense now.
That was his high school crush, one of the few people in school who considered Nico's existence.
It's not like they were sweethearts. They barely spoke, but when they did Nico felt butterfly making a mess in his stomach. Nico was the weird kid, he could stand for himself so there wasn't any bullying. He just wanted to keep his distance, and no one would really mind trying to take that from him.
Except Will. He wasn't persistent with it, but he would sometimes try and start a conversation. It's not like he needed to have Nico as a friend, he wasn't crazy popular but he had a strong friend group, but he still did look for him sometimes, and tried to entratain an even small conversation with Nico who, not even knowing why, somehow decided to comply, something completely new stirring in his stomach.
He didn't know why Will did that. But he, honestly, loved that he did.
Wether to ask to exchange notes, or just to start some small talk, sometimes Will would pop up in front of him with a sweet smile and a random topic to chit chat about.
Nico, weirdly, never thought of pushing him away like he would have with anybody else, sometimes he would even go as far as giving a nod when he saw him in the hallways, but he never even tried to get any closer. He was way too scared. That was just his nature.
Except maybe one time.
It was during prom, to which he decided to go only because it was going to be his first and his last. He was leaning on a wall in the empty bathroom, cigarette in hand and booze in his system, when Will entered.
He gave him one of his signature sunshine smiles, and tried to start some conversation about how bad the music choices where, when suddendly something took over Nico, he felt like he had nothing to lose at this point, and so he raised himself on his toes to be able to cut the distance between him and Will, making their lip meet.
To his surprise, Will complied immediately, and so they kissed for a few minutes, soft and chastly, their tongues just casually brushing against one another.
Then Nico pulled out slowly, and whispered, in italian: "Grazie per essere stato così gentile con me."
He then left with no fear or regret, his plane ticket to italy firmly placed in his wallet. They were probably never going to meet again.
But oh God. Here he was.
Will took a second, observing the shorter guy standing before him. He was quite thin, and his pale skin had flushed a slight pink tone. His black hair was cut messily into a shoulder lenght wolfcut, and his nose was small, slighty tilted up. He didn't remember the pierced lip, or the neck tattoo, but he did remember the sight of those dark brown eyes. To Will, they could have been hiding every secret the world held, and that attracted him like a magnet.
He too remembered that prom night, but he quickly brushed it off, to eager to find out what made them meet again, finally.
He still couldn't control the blood flowing up his ears as he spoke.
"Oh Nico! Nico Di Angelo! is this really you?"
He asked, smiling. Nico was still shamelessly staring and was barely able to find an answer, but Will spoke again before him anyway.
"Oh man! what a coincidence...even though you did look like the tattoo type, you were the last person i expected to meet when i heard about this kind of shop opening. you practically disappeared!"
Will looked almost the same as he did back then, his skin was tan, his blonde curls still made nico want to run his hair through them, as they framed his beautiful face. The smile lines under his eyes where slighty more prominent, and that made the corners of Nico's mouth curl, slightly.
"Well...Long time no see, Will...i was back in Italy for a while. Studying."
He started, not sure of what to say.
"I am...umh...sorry about all of this, i was planning on finding the nearest dumpster later, but i guess i'll get to it now."
He came out, closing the door behind him, and he quickly went to grab a bag and a box.
Will didn't even ask, he picked up some stuff and walked a few steps ahead.
"Come. I'll lead the way."
Nico didn't complain, since there were seriosuly so many bags around, and they found a dumpster within a few minutes walk.
They both tried to shrug it off, Nico in particular, but as he kept his gaze forward, he couldn't really see that instead Will kept throwing glances at him.
Nico looked more...confident. The combat boots, the ripped jeans, the piercings and tattoos, the long hair...
Nico looked like he finally found his element, his balance.
He looked hot.
Will found himself blushing as they brought the last boxes.
Nico might have seemed calm and collected, but inside he felt those butterflies from many years ago, still very much alive.
Will hadn't changed much... but maybe that was what really mattered to him the most.
He never met someone else like him, and after letting him go, young and insecure, he felt a string of hope knowing that this time, maybe, he could let him into his life.
As he was lost in his thoughts, he didn't realise Will had stopped walking and stood in front of him, with his piercing blue eyes looking over him.
"Can i uh...ask you something?"
The blonde said, slightly embarassed.
Nico swallowed a lump on his throat before putting on the most confident tone he found in himself.
"Hit me."
He simply said.
"That night...at the prom, what even did you say?" He asked, now more confident.
"Was it italian?"
Nico frooze.