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From his seat beside Will, Nico watches the ride back unfold in muted fragments: Percy’s curious glances in the rearview mirror, the way Will’s head keeps drooping before he jerks awake. Every time it happens, Nico feels a twitch of frustration—he kind of wants to tell Will that yes, he can let himself rest. But he knows the other boy wouldn’t appreciate it.
By the time they pull into the lot, the apartment complex is dead quiet, the only sound the distant hum of streetlights buzzing in the night. They climb the stairs without a word, Percy easing the front door open slowly, careful not to wake Sally and Paul. It’s not that they’d mind, but Nico figures neither he nor Percy would rather not have to explain why they’re bringing in a random teen to stay the night so late.
As Percy makes a beeline for the fridge, Nico gestures silently for Will to follow him, leading him down the hall to his room. The overhead light remains off—he doesn’t want to blind them with sudden brightness—and instead, he flicks on the fairy lights, casting the room in a soft amber glow that feels cozy.
Unfortunately, the glow is just enough to illuminate the chaos of his room. He winces, glancing around the room at the damage—clothes sprawled across the floor, books and papers in disarray on the desk, a few half-finished snacks and dirty dishes that he kept insisting I’ll clean up later. He kicks a pile of clothes out of the way with a sigh, praying Will isn’t instantly regretting taking up Nico’s offer.
“Sorry, I’m terrible at keeping this craphole clean,” he mutters, more to himself than anything.
When Will doesn’t immediately respond, he glances back to the other boy hovering by the doorway. For a moment, the dim lighting casts a soft haze that almost washes away some of his exhaustion. His previously paled face seems to have regained some warmth, the harsh lines and dark circles under his eyes softened, and Nico watches as his gaze sweeps across the room with a quiet curiosity. His gaze linger on the poster wall, scanning the eclectic mix in silence before quirking an eyebrow in Nico’s direction.
“You like musicals?”
Nico’s scowling before he even realizes it, arms crossing over his chest. “Shut up, Solace.”
Will squints at him curiously, a small smile tugging across his lips. “I didn’t even say anything. It’s just a question.”
Rolling his eyes, Nico turns his back on him, grabbing a pile of something off the floor and tossing it toward his closet with a dull thud. “Well, I just think some of them are neat. I’m not some weird theater kid or whatever.”
He hears a soft chuckle at the defense, and when Nico glances back, Will is now leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking much more at ease. “Aw, damn. And here I was thinking you were gonna sing me a little serenade for the night.”
Nico shoots him a look but says nothing this time, choosing his peace of mind as he focuses on doing last-minute damage control. Absently, he notes that Will’s newfound relaxation doesn’t do much to hide the slight sway in his stance and small yawns. As he fixes up the sheets, Nico gestures to the bed with a small flick of his wrist.
“You can sleep here. Just no shoes on the bed. Piper may have not been picky about it, but I have standards.” His attempted joke falls flat when he catches the anxiety creeping back into Will’s expression.
Will hesitates, his weight shifting from foot to foot. “I can take the floor. Really. I’d just need to borrow a pillow, and even then, I don’t want to—”
“I told you it’s fine,” Nico interrupts. It comes off sharper than intended, and Will flinches hard, stilling. Nico mentally roundhouse kicks himself, quickly softening his tone. “You’re not being a bother.”
He finishes making the bed quickly, sighing when he sees Will still lingering at the door. “We have a spare room, but I need to get some of the bedding for it, so it’ll be easier if you just stay here.” The spare room thing is not technically true, but there’s no point in explaining it further. Besides—Percy will be happy to share his room if it means an impromptu sleepover.
Will’s hesitation lingers, but eventually, his exhaustion seems to win out. He gives a slow nod, slipping off his worn sneakers by the door before sinking into the bed. His head barely touches the pillow before his eyes begin to flutter shut. With a soft, almost whispered “thank you” tumbling out, sleep quickly overtakes him.
The soft snores that follow fill the quiet space, and Nico lets out a quiet breath once he’s certain Will is asleep. He turns away quietly, doing his best to finish cleaning up without disturbing the other boy, before dimming the lights as low as they’ll go.
After he pulls the door shut behind him, he heads back to the kitchen. Predictably, he finds Percy already seated at the kitchen table, sipping from a small glass of orange juice. The older boy looks up, offering a broad smile and a gesture to sit. “Got some food and water out for you both.” He nods toward two plates of jelly sandwiches triangles and a couple of water bottles placed beside them. “Figured you guys might need something. I wasn’t sure if you were drinking, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt.”
Nico nods, “Will’s sleeping now, but I could eat. Thanks.” He takes a a seat and grabs one of the sandwiches, biting into it without much thought. It’s grape jelly—not his favorite, but compared to the crappy drinks he had earlier, it tastes like heaven. The kitchen falls into silence, save for the quiet buzz of the refrigerator.
As Nico polishes off the first half of his sandwich, he looks up to find Percy very obviously watching him over the rim of his orange juice. Nico raises an eyebrow, silently questioning the look.
“I know I said I’d save my questions,” Percy begins carefully, setting his glass down, “but if you do want to talk about anything now, I’m listening.”
Nico hesitates, staring down at the sandwich crust on his plate as if it’s going to magically spell out the right words. “I mean… I don’t know what Will would want me to share.”
He glances up. As expected, Percy’s expression is still soft. “That’s alright. It’s just an offer, if there’s anything you feel you can share.”
A silence follows, broken only by the faint clink of Percy’s glass as he takes another sip of juice. Nico leans back in his chair, fingers absentmindedly tracing the outline of his water bottle. He knows Will is already uncomfortable after confiding in him earlier, and the fact that he hadn’t told even his closest friends speaks volumes.
He feels a sting of helplessness. Sure, he can keep telling Will, night after night, that he’s welcome here—that it’s okay to stay—but that doesn’t solve the larger problem. He can’t just sit and watch as the other boy tiptoes around, practically homeless, with no real solution in sight.
He frowns, brow furrowing deeper as he rolls the bottle between his hands. What Will needs is real help, not just a couch to crash on. But Nico doesn’t know how far he can push, or if Will would even accept that kind of intervention. Technically, they weren’t even friends before tonight—and really, Nico doesn’t know if they are there just yet.
He wavers on his thoughts for a few seconds longer before speaking again, voice low. “He… he just can’t go home.”
Percy’s brow furrows. Nico isn’t surprised—he’s seen and heard enough of the damage Percy’s former stepfather caused to know that he can fill in the blanks.
“If Will’s in some kind of trouble…” Percy speaks slow, but his fingers begin to drum against the table. “I’d want to help. Maybe… convince him to talk to mom or Paul?”
Nico sighs, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. “I’ve thought about it. But he’s already so cagey. I don’t want him to feel cornered, like we’re trying to force something out of him.”
Percy nods, taking another thoughtful sip of juice. The room is silent except for the gentle rhythm of Percy’s fingers drumming against the table. Both he and Nico wear matching frowns, lost in thought.
“Makes sense,” Percy finally says, setting his empty glass down and folding his hands on the table. “How about until he’s ready, just… make sure he knows he’s welcome here? Mom and Paul really wouldn’t mind.”
Nico meets his gaze. It doesn’t feel like enough, but then Percy gives him an assuring smile that unravels some of the tension in his chest. “Okay. I’ll try.”
There’s a moment of silence, and then Nico shifts, a bit awkwardly, before adding, “Um, speaking of Will being welcome here, I’ve kind of put him up in my room, so…”
Percy’s eyes widen, and a wide grin spreads across his face. “Sleepover?”
Nico groans, resisting the urge to slam his face into the table as he nods in defeat.
Percy’s grin grows even wider as he lets out an enthusiastic whoop—only to wince and glance toward the hallway. “My bad,” he says, clearing his throat and lowering his voice. “Sounds good. Just give me a few to clean up here and get the mattress set up for you.”
As Percy busies himself with the plates, Nico grabs a few oranges from the fruit bowl and the unopened water bottle Percy left on the table. He slips back down the hallway to his room, the dim lights still casting a warm, inviting glow.
He places the items on the nightstand beside Will, who remains curled up under the covers. The exhaustion etched into Will’s face is softened in sleep, but the weight of everything still seems to cling to him. Nico lingers for a moment, hand resting lightly on the water bottle. The quiet rise and fall of Will’s breathing fills the space, and Nico finds himself hoping—no, wishing—that this small bit of peace lasts for Will, even just a little while longer.
His hovering is interrupted when Will shivers slightly, pulling the blankets closer around himself. With a soft sigh, Nico grabs an extra blanket from the closet and gently drapes it over Will before heading out. He closes the door with a quiet click, the hallway bathed in the warm glow from Percy’s open door. From the other side, he hears the muffled thud of something falling and Percy’s soft, colorful curses.
Nico snorts as he heads down the hall. Who knows—If he’s lucky, Percy might just be actively trapped under the air mattress right now.