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Nico could feel eyes on him from the moment he started singing a cover of “Cough Syrup” to what was supposed to be an empty auditorium.
Blinking through the sharp glow of the spotlight staring him down, Nico peered through the rows of dark chairs to see a dark figure shuffling through one of the rows, sneaking up the far aisle towards the doors.
“Hello?” Nico called out.
The figure didn’t even turn around.
Nico frowned. He couldn’t catch any identifying features, but he knew it had to be someone from Dalton Academy, probably trying to scope out the New Direction’s talent now that they’d be going against each other in glee club competitions.
Nico jumped off the stage, suddenly anticipating the prospect of getting to confront one of those pompous stuck-up Dalton students.
Without the spotlight in his eyes, he caught a glimpse of blonde curls and a bright orange hoodie.
Solace.
So he did still realize Nico existed, apparently. Nico’s hands curled into fists, and he quickly intercepted the other boy before he could leave the auditorium, pushing him up against the black brick wall.
“Hey, Death Boy,” Will Solace said, a nervous smile on his face. “Fancy meeting you here.”
Nico wanted to punch Will in that stupid bright smile of his. “You’re trespassing, Warbler .”
Will’s smile drooped. “Don’t tell me you really believe in that school rivalry stuff.”
Of course Will would try to take the high road, as if he wasn’t perfectly content going to school, surrounded by bullies, cheaters, and thieves.
“Why shouldn’t I? Obviously, you do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Nico could tell he was starting to get on Will’s nerves. He was always good at that, especially when Will was trying to maintain his peppy, happy-go-lucky facade when he was first showing Nico around the school, before Nico officially applied.
Dalton Academy had seemed so nice at first, especially with Will showing him around. His father had insisted that Nico needed a change after Bianca, and Nico hadn’t complained. And maybe Nico had been projecting and seeing things that weren’t there, but Will had seemed excited when he saw that Nico had been accepted into the school.
It had been Will– who tried very hard not to smile at Nico’s constant barrage of muttered sarcastic commentary whenever they were together– who convinced Nico to join the Glee Club at Dalton Academy, the Warblers. It was Will who convinced Nico that he had talent and helped him with the basics of singing, Will who Nico steadily fell for over weeks of spending every minute together, Will who didn’t do a thing when Octavian and his goons made Nico’s life hell after he won the solo spot in the competition, instead of Octavian.
Will, who didn’t even say goodbye after Nico left Dalton Academy. It wasn’t like Nico was expecting a serenade in the courtyard with a piano, but something other than dead silence would’ve been nice.
“I thought you were my friend, ” Nico hissed. “Turns out you’re just like the rest of them. You only ever liked me because I could help your precious glee club win.”
“I don’t care about winning– you’re the one who shut me out!” Will snapped. “You just left , what was I supposed to do?”
“I don’t need your excuses. I like it here, better than I ever did there. And I definitely don’t need you .”
“If that’s how you really feel, then maybe it’s a good thing you left!”
Nico stepped back from Will, his hands curling into fists. It wasn’t like he’d never heard it before, but it was different coming from Will. Once upon a time, Nico thought he belonged at Dalton Academy, and then he thought he belonged with Will– maybe it shouldn’t have been this surprising that neither was true.
Will seemed to soften immediately, taking a step towards Nico. “Wait, I didn’t–”
“Shut it, Solace,” Nico hissed. His eyes stung.
Will reached out for him, but Nico pushed him away, making a break for the exit. He ran through the auditorium doors, only to come face to face with Octavian’s sneering face and the red slushie he was holding in his hand.
Time seemed to stop. The cup jerked towards Nico, red chunks of frozen sugar spraying towards him. Nico flinched, eyes squeezing shut, throwing his hands up to brace himself for the cold sludgy mess to hit him–
But instead, Nico found himself getting knocked out of the way. Distantly, he could hear the laughs and footsteps of Octavian and his goons getting further away. He got to his feet, trying to piece together what happened.
Will was laying next to Nico, staring at the ceiling, his orange hoodie marred with red.
“Will!”
Nico stumbled to his side, cradling one of Will’s warm, calloused hands in his own. Will coughed, spraying even more violent red chunks all over the front of his hoodie.
“Hey, Nico,” Will said, with a weak smile.
“You saved me. Why?”
“What can I say? You have a nice voice.” With another cough, Will tried to sit up, looking down at the mess on his hoodie. “I saved you because I care about you. I've always cared about you. If I had known what Octavian was doing, if you'd just asked for help–”
“You always seemed so put together there. Like you fit in perfectly– I didn't,” Nico admitted quietly. He smoothed a blonde curl of Will's forehead, taking out a chunk of red slushie. “I didn't want you to think that I couldn't handle it.”
“I wouldn't have. I'd never think that about you.” Will's eyes sparkled with affection, and Nico couldn't help but believe every word he said. Will forced a smile. “I thought you hated me after you left.”
“Then why did you come here?”
“I missed you, Nico. Not just your singing, but you.”
Nico shook his head, still gripping tightly onto Will’s hand as if it was a lifeline. “I missed you, too. I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye.”
“I’m sorry for just letting you go. I should’ve tried harder to get you to stay.”
“It’s okay, Will. You were the best thing about that place.”
“Aw, are you getting sappy on me, di Angelo?”
“Says the guy who took a slushie for me.”
Will cupped Nico’s face and Nico’s breathing hitched, his gaze shifting to Will’s lips. Will leaned in, and Nico melted into the kiss. Will always smelled like summertime– it was one of the things Nico had first noticed about him– but somehow, he tasted like it, too. Well, summertime and cherry-flavored slushie.
Will pulled away, frowning down at Nico’s chest.
“I ruined your shirt,” he said, running his finger through the smear of slushie that had ended up on Nico’s shirt.
Nico had never cared less about a shirt, he thought, dragging Will down into another kiss.