Work Text:
Will Solace and Nico di Angelo didn’t set out to become infamous. They were a pair of strangers in the city’s underbelly, disconnected from anything resembling a moral compass. Or perhaps, they were simply each other’s compass—Nico being the north to Will’s strange south, pulling each other into an orbit where love blurred with madness and violence with affection.
It started when Will stumbled into one of Nico’s nights.
Nico di Angelo was in the middle of a job. He was finishing up with a gang member who had seen too much, and Nico—knife in hand, blood splattered on his cheek—was about to leave, his task done.
He turned around to see a stranger standing before him in the alley. Cerulean eyes wide with something that wasn’t quite fear. Curiosity, perhaps? Amusement?
For a split second, Nico contemplated killing him. He wasn’t one to leave witnesses alive. He tightened his grip on the knife, already taking a step forward. But then the stranger met his eyes, and Nico hesitated. It wasn’t a look of terror that the stranger gave him, nor was it shock or disgust.
It was fascination.
“Wow,” the stranger said softly, his voice light and unshaken. “That was… intense.”
Nico blinked, feeling something stir within him—something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. It wasn’t anger, or the rush of adrenaline that came from silencing loose ends. It was curiosity.
“Who are you?” Nico demanded, voice low and threatening, though the effect seemed lost on this stranger.
“Will,” he replied simply, taking a cautious step forward. He wasn’t looking at him; he was looking at the body, head tilted as if he were observing something remarkable. “Will Solace.”
Nico’s eyes narrowed. “And why shouldn’t I kill you, Will Solace?”
Will's gaze locked onto him in an instant. He smiled—a bright, unnerving expression that seemed out of place in the dim, blood-stained room. “Well, you could try,” he said, voice lilting. “But I don’t think you really want to.”
Nico wasn’t sure if it was audacity or stupidity, but something about Will’s calm demeanor unsettled him in a way he couldn’t explain. He took another step forward, his knife catching the flickering light. Will didn’t flinch, didn’t show the slightest sign of fear. He just watched, eyes reflecting that strange, unbroken fascination.
“Why?” Nico asked, almost to himself.
“Why what?” Will replied, as if they were having a casual conversation over coffee instead of standing in a room with a cooling corpse between them.
“Why aren’t you scared?”
Will chuckled softly, and the sound was oddly warm. “Because I don’t think you’re going to hurt me,” he said, his voice disarmingly cheerful.
Nico didn’t like that answer, but he didn’t argue. He couldn’t quite bring himself to kill Will, even though every instinct told him it would be the logical choice. Something about Will’s presence—his steady eyes, his unnervingly serene smile—kept Nico’s knife at bay.
Instead, Nico turned the blade in his hand, lowering it slightly. “You should be running,” he muttered, more to himself than to Will.
Will didn’t run. Instead, he took a step closer, his smile never faltering. “And miss out on getting to know the guy behind those eyes? No thanks.”
That’s what stopped Nico. Those words—those damn words—coupled with Will’s unwavering gaze. It wasn’t the look of a victim. It was the look of someone who saw him, really saw him, in a way no one else ever had.
“Who the hell are you?” Nico murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Will tilted his head, his grin softening into something almost gentle. “Just a guy who’s curious,” he said. “And who’s really impressed by your work, by the way.”
From then on, they became inseparable, drawn together by a mutual curiosity that quickly spiraled into something far darker. Will wasn’t like anyone Nico had ever met. He wasn’t afraid of Nico’s darkness; he embraced it, even seemed to revel in it.
-------------------------------------------------------------
They started their killing spree not out of necessity, but because they were both searching for something—something they found only in each other.
“Do you ever think about stopping?” Nico asked one night, lying in bed with Will. He traced his fingers over Will’s scars absentmindedly, his expression unreadable in the darkness.
“Stopping?” Will echoed, as if the concept hadn’t occurred to him before. He tilted his head to look down at Nico, eyes bright even in the low light. “Why would I want to do that?”
Nico didn’t have an answer. Or maybe he did, but it wasn’t one he wanted to admit out loud. He didn’t want to stop. Not when Will made the darkness feel almost… warm.
Instead, he sighed and closed his eyes, resting his head against Will’s chest. “You’re going to get us killed one day, you know.”
“Probably,” Will agreed, wrapping an arm around Nico’s waist. “But at least we’ll go together.”
Nico let out a quiet laugh, the sound almost bitter. “You’re such an idiot.”
“And yet, here you are,” Will countered, pressing a kiss to the top of Nico’s head.
“I must be an idiot too,” Nico muttered, but there was a softness in his tone that betrayed him.
They stayed like that for a while, wrapped in silence and each other. It was the only time Nico ever felt truly at ease, away from the world and its expectations. Will understood him in ways no one else ever could, saw him for who he really was, and still chose to stay.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The moon hung low in the sky, casting a cold light over the alley as Nico and Will approached their target. Tonight’s mission felt different, charged with a sense of purpose that both excited and unnerved Nico. They weren’t just hunting for sport; they were hunting for retribution.
“Are you ready?” Will asked, his voice low but steady. His blue eyes sparkled with a mix of anticipation and adrenaline.
Nico nodded, tightening his grip around the handle of his knife. This was no ordinary mark; it was a man who had caused too much suffering, a dealer who exploited the vulnerable and turned lives into shattered remnants. This time, it was personal.
“Let’s do this,” Nico said, steeling himself as they slipped into the dimly lit bar where their target was known to lurk. The air was thick with smoke and the scent of stale beer, but it was a familiar atmosphere that felt oddly comforting amidst the chaos.
They spotted him at the end of the bar, a smug grin plastered on his face as he laughed boisterously with a group of equally unsavory companions. Will shared a quick glance with Nico, and the unspoken understanding passed between them: this was their moment.
“Keep it quiet,” Will murmured, his tone steady as they approached. Nico could feel the adrenaline racing through him, a mixture of excitement and apprehension swirling in his gut.
“Got it,” Nico replied, forcing himself to focus. He wasn’t just here to end a life; he was here to bring justice, to ensure that this man could no longer harm anyone.
As they reached the bar, the dealer caught sight of them. “What do you want?” he sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance.
Will leaned in slightly, a playful smile on his lips. “Just wanted to have a little chat,” he said, the charm in his voice contrasting with the danger lurking beneath.
The man groaned, shooting a parting glance at his companions before pushing himself off the bar and trailing after Will.
The man glanced up, his lips twisting into a sneer as they entered the alley. They stopped at the center and Will leaned in, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Nico said it was my turn to watch him play, and I don’t plan on missing the show."
Before the man could register the threat, Nico moved in closer, knife glinting under the dim lights. The man’s eyes widened in shock, and he stumbled back, but it was too late. With swift precision, Nico lunged forward, plunging the knife deep into the dealer’s side. The impact sent a jolt of adrenaline through him, and he felt an electric thrill wash over him as the man gasped in disbelief.
Will stood beside him, fierce determination radiating from his presence. “You’re never going to hurt anyone again,” he said, his voice cold as he watched the man crumble to the floor.
As the dealer gasped for breath, the chaos of the bar faded into the background. Nico felt a strange mix of satisfaction and horror, knowing they had just taken a life—but in this case, it felt justified. The world would be a better place without him.
With a final glance, Nico stepped back, panting slightly as the adrenaline coursed through him. Will met his gaze, a look of exhilaration lighting up his features. They had done it together—another mark on their unconventional journey.
“Let’s get out of here,” Will urged, breaking the silence as the remaining patrons began to notice the commotion. “Before anyone shows up.”
They slipped out into the night, the cold air hitting their faces like a splash of ice water. As they moved, Nico felt a rush of exhilaration—this was what it meant to be alive, to fight for something that mattered, even if it meant crossing lines that others wouldn’t dare.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The lights twinkled in the distance, a stark contrast to the darkness of their shared escapades. Nico and Will found themselves on a rooftop, the city sprawling beneath them like a living, breathing entity. The adrenaline still coursing through their veins.
Nico leaned against the cold metal railing, the wind tousling his dark hair. He glanced sideways at Will, who was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the roof, a blissful smile playing on his lips as he took in the view.
“You know,” Will began, his voice light and full of mischief, “I never thought I’d enjoy this as much as I do. Who knew killing people could lead to such pretty views?”
Nico rolled his eyes, unable to suppress a smile. “You really are an idiot,” he replied, but there was warmth in his tone.
“Your idiot,” Will shot back, leaning back on his hands and looking up at the stars. “It’s kind of nice up here. No one to bother us, no one to judge.”
Nico’s heart twisted at the thought. Up here, they were free from everything—the past, the shadows, the weight of their decisions. It was just them, surrounded by the night sky. “Yeah, but we can’t stay here forever.”
Will turned his head, fixing Nico with that infuriatingly endearing gaze. “Maybe we don’t have to go back right away. What if we just… stayed here for a while? Just you and me?”
Nico raised an eyebrow. “You want to just sit on a roof and stare at the stars?”
“Why not? It sounds peaceful,” Will said, his grin widening. “Besides, it’s not like we have to go back to the chaos right this second. We can take a breather.”
Nico hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty in his chest. The weight of their actions hung heavily in the air, but in Will’s presence, it felt lighter. “Okay, fine. A breather. But only for a little while.”
“Deal!” Will exclaimed, clearly pleased. He settled into a comfortable silence, and Nico joined him, both of them enveloped in the stillness of the night.
As they sat there, something shifted between them, a bond forged in the chaos of their lives but anchored by this quiet moment. Nico could feel the tension ebbing away, replaced by a sense of connection that was both exhilarating and terrifying.
“Do you ever think about what comes next?” Nico asked after a while, his voice barely above a whisper.
Will turned to him, brow furrowing. “You mean, after all this? After… everything we’ve done?”
Nico nodded, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer. “Yeah. Do you ever think about a life where we don’t have to run from anything?”
Will looked thoughtful for a moment. “Sometimes. But I don’t think it has to be about running from our past. We could run towards something instead. Together.”
Nico met Will’s gaze, something igniting in his chest. “Together,” he echoed, feeling the weight of those words.
“Exactly.” Will grinned, eyes sparkling with that relentless hope that always drew Nico in. “We could find a place—anywhere. A cabin in the woods, a little beach house. Somewhere quiet where we can just be ourselves. Away from all this.”
Nico considered the idea, a flicker of excitement racing through him. The thought of escaping to a place where they could truly be free filled him with a strange warmth. “You think we could actually do that?”
“Why not?” Will said, shrugging as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “We can make our own rules. We’ve already defied everything else.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Nico’s mouth. “Okay, I’ll entertain the idea. A cabin in the woods, huh?”
“Or a beach house! Somewhere with sun and no memories,” Will added enthusiastically.
Nico laughed, feeling a lightness in his heart that he hadn’t felt in years. Maybe it was the idea of escape, or maybe it was the thought of facing the future with Will by his side. Either way, it felt right.
As the stars twinkled overhead, Nico knew one thing for certain: no matter what chaos awaited them, they would face it together. And perhaps, just perhaps, they could carve out a place of their own, away from the shadows.