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1. Percy Jackson (Yours by Conan Gray)
The first time Will had stumbled upon Nico singing in the Big House, it was an accident. Will was the newly minted Head Medic and the Head Counselor of the Apollo Cabin, thanks to the recent untimely deaths of so many of his siblings in the Titan War.
Will had been looking for Chiron, a supply ordering issue in the infirmary.
He had stumbled into a room he had never seen before, some kind of den? In the center of the room was a huge grand piano. It was beautiful.
Seated at the bench, facing away from Will, long fingers moving elegantly over the keys, was a scrawny kid wearing all black. Black hair hung loose around his shoulders. It was Nico Di Angelo, the son of Hades.
The music sounded sad. Will stopped to listen.
The boy started singing.
“I'm somebody you call when you're alone.
I'm somebody you use, but never own.
I'm somebody you touch, but never hold.
And you're somebody I'll never really know.
I know I'm not the one you really love.
I guess that's why I've never given up.
'Cause I could give you all you want, the stars and the sun.
But still, I'm not enough.” Nico’s voice cracked on the last word. Will began to feel like he was intruding, so he slowly backed out the way he came, careful not to disturb the boy as he kept playing.
His voice, combined with the piano, was painful and beautiful.
“But I'm not yours
I'm not yoooours, I'm not yoooooours
I want mooooore, I want mooooore
But I'm not yours
And I can't change your mind.”
As he raced away as silently as he could, Will wondered who Nico could be singing about. Who could have heard such a beautiful declaration and turned him away?
2. Other Campers (People Watching by Conan Gray)
After that first time, Will often caught Nico playing.
Sometimes, he sang; sometimes he just played. Sometimes, Will recognized the song, usually classical music. Sometimes, he heard Nico singing in Italian. Sometimes, like the first time he heard Nico play, Nico sang songs that Will had never heard before. He’d even gone as far as to write down the lyrics he’d remembered and used one of the Hephaestus cabin’s laptops to look them up. There had been no results. Nico had to have been singing an original song that day. No matter what Nico played or sang, it was always beautiful. Will fell more in love with him with every note.
****
Will entered the Big House and heard piano keys in the distance. Entranced, his feet carried him to that door, as they always did when he heard Nico playing.
The music grew louder as he grew closer. It sounded melancholy but sweet at the same time.
Will pressed his ear against the wall to listen.
Nico was singing in English, his voice rising as the music swelled.
“I wanna feel all that love and emotion,
Be that attached to the person I'm holding!
Someday, I'll be fallin' without caution,
But for now, I'm only people watching.
I cut people out, like tags on my clothing.
I end up all alone, but I still keep hoping.
I won't be scared to let someone know me.
Life feels so monotone, but I still keep hoping.”
Will smiled to himself. He didn't like that Nico described himself as “all alone,” but was happy to hear that Nico was still holding on to hope.
I could be that person for you, Will thought, then shook his head. He backed away from the door before he could do something stupid, like open it and declare his crush on the other boy.
3. Hades (Family Line by Conan Gray)
Nico had returned a few days ago from a mysterious underworld errand from his father. He had looked worse for wear when he arrived, skin pale, underweight. Will wondered if Hades and Persephone forgot that Nico needed to eat when he was staying down there.
Will had taken to accompanying him at meals, making sure he ate. Nico was not much for conversation, but he watched Will intently as he spoke, occasionally giving him a ghost of a smile when Will told him about some particularly idiotic thing the Aries campers had done to injure themselves.
****
Will entered the Big House to hear the piano in the distance. His feet carried him to the door. It was slightly ajar. Nico slammed his hands on the keys, his body shaking as he played.
“It's hard to put it into words,
How the holidays will always hurt.
I watch the fathers with their little girls,
And wonder what I did to deserve this.
How could you hurt a little kid?
I can't forget, I can't forgive you,
'Cause now I'm scared that everyone I love will leave me-” Nico’s voice was weak and broken at the end of the verse.
Will’s heart shattered.
His voice rose again as the music swelled.
“Scattered 'cross my family line,
I'm so good at telling lies.
That came from my mother's side,
Told a million to survive.
Scattered 'cross my family line
God, I have my father's eyes,
But my sister's when I cry.
I can run, but I can't hide,
From my family line,
From my family line,” Nico dragged out the “i” sound in the last line, picking up the pace again.
“Oooh, all that I did to try to undo it,
All of my pain, and all your excuses.
I was a kid, but I wasn't clueless.
Someone who loves you wouldn't do this.
All of my past, I tried to erase it.
But now I see, would I even change it?
Might share a face and share a last name, but we are not the same.”
The music stopped abruptly as Nico fell forward, his head falling into his hands against the keys. Will was torn between moving forward to comfort him, revealing his presence, and backing away. He felt horrible for invading his privacy. He felt horrible for thinking of leaving Nico alone when he was so obviously in crisis.
He decided to back up a few steps, out into the hall, and then loudly stomp into the room, so Nico would know he was coming.
“Hey, Chiron, I-, oh,” Will cut himself off, hoping he sounded genuine and not like he had just witnessed Nico’s breakdown. Nico had lifted his head off the keys, but his face was still in his hands, elbows on top of the piano. His back was tense, his spine a tight line as he held himself still, his breathing ragged.
“Nico? Are you okay?” Will tried, moving closer to the other boy slowly, making his movements loud and deliberate, so Nico would know where he was, even with his back turned. Nico hated when people snuck up behind him.
Wordlessly, Nico shook his head. A little self-deprecating laugh, a huff, slipped out of him. Will could hear the tears behind the breath.
“Can I touch you?” Will asked cautiously, moving to sit beside Nico on the wide piano bench.
Nico turned to look at Will, midnight eyes overflowing with tears. He gave a shaky nod.
Will wrapped his arms around Nico’s shoulders, and Nico collapsed, tucking his face into Will’s neck and sobbing.
Will rubbed his back and swayed them gently back and forth, whispering soothing nothings into his hair. “It’s okay, darling, I’m here, you’re okay, you’re not alone.”
Nico cried for a long time. After his sobs died down, Nico lifted his head but didn’t meet Will’s eyes. His face was red. Will tried not to think about how beautiful he looked with his cheeks flushed. Focus, William. Now is not the time for bisexual panic.
“I’m fine,” Nico tried, his voice hoarse from crying. Will just raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m fine,” Nico tried again, sounding tired. “I’m always fine. I don’t need you. I don’t need anybody.”
“Everybody needs someone,” Will said softly, shaking his head. “It doesn’t have to be me, but you should have someone to talk to when you’re feeling like this.”
“I’m fine,” Nico said again.
“You tried that lie already,” Will reminded him gently. “Really, Nico, it’s no big deal. We’re friends, right? Friends take care of each other. I’m sure you’d do the same for me.”
Nico shook his head. “I got your shirt all gross with my snot,” he nodded at Will’s shirt, which was indeed soaked through with tears and snot.
Will shrugged. “Maybe I like my shirt soggy,” he tried. Nico snorted.
“Idiota,” he said, but he was smiling slightly. Will beamed, pulling Nico against his chest again. Nico squirmed, scrunching his nose and trying to move away from the mess on Will’s shirt.
They were both laughing.
4. Will/Cabin 7 (Comfort Crowd by Conan Gray)
The next time Will wandered into the Big House and heard piano music, it sounded hopeful. Maybe even cheery. His feet carried him closer, and he found the door wide open.
Nico was singing softly, smiling,
“My breath's gettin' short and I'm unsteady,
Wellin' up in tears as I lay upon your belly.
Telling you, "I'm fine, I don't really need nobody."
But you say through a sigh,
That I said that lie already.
I just needed company now.
Yeah, I just needed someone around
Yeah, I don't care what song that we play,
Or mess that we make,
Just company now.
Comfort crowd
Comfort crowd
We rot, thinkin' lots about nothing.
Yeah, I could spend a lifetime,
Sitting here talkin'.
And even if I cry all over your body,
You don't really mind,
Say you like your shirt soggy.”
Will’s breath caught in his throat. Nico was singing about him? The lyrics were too specific to be about anyone else.
He thought of all the times he had forced his company on Nico in recent weeks. He’d dragged Nico to Cabin 7 for game nights, music nights, movie nights, anything to keep the other boy from being alone with his sadness. Nico always rolled his eyes and complained the whole way there, but he’d started talking more. Laughing more freely. Making fun of Will and his siblings like he belonged with them.
He’d even noticed Nico laughing more as he sparred with Jason and Percy. He was so beautiful when he laughed.
Will stood in the doorway and enjoyed the music for a few more seconds, then turned on his heel and left.
He didn’t notice Nico turn to the doorway and smile when he was gone.
5. Love? (This Song by Conan Gray)
Will had been spending more and more time with Nico lately. Nico had been stopping by the infirmary to help restock supplies, change sheets, and all other manner of menial tasks that Will and his healers never had enough hands for. Nico was talking more and more, joining the Apollo table during meals, and eating more and more each day. Nico was still himself, all deadpan humor and ferocious glares, but Will was able to see the smirk underneath now, the twitch of his mouth that let Will know he was actually enjoying himself. Will felt like he was flying. He never thought he’d see the day that Nico would voluntarily spend time with him (read: his cabin) and openly (if you knew what to look for) enjoy it.
On one such afternoon, Nico was helping Will in the infirmary, organizing the new supplies (Will had just been on a supply run) when he asked Will about the little blue, pink, and purple patch on Will’s scrubs.
“What does that mean, those colors?” Nico asked, pointing to the patch.
Will found himself blushing. It was no secret at camp, and yet, saying it out loud felt like confirming something far bigger than just his sexuality. He hoped Nico wouldn’t find Will’s feelings for him too obvious or, gods forbid, overbearing once he knew.
“It’s, uh,” Will stuttered. “It’s the colors of the bisexual flag. Because I’m bisexual.”
Nico gave him a quizzical look, tilting his head. Gods, he was adorable. “I,” he paused, “I don’t know that one. What does that mean?” Nico ducked his head and blushed, clearly embarrassed about being behind on so much 21st-century lingo.
Will swallowed. “It means I, uh, like boys and girls. Bi means two, so I like both. But, there’s also more than two genders, so some people use it to mean I like people who are the same gender as me and different genders from me.”
“So which one do you mean?” Nico asked, meeting Will’s eyes now. His face was curious, his mouth parted just a little. Will wanted to kiss him. Focus, Solace.
“I uh, prefer the second definition. I like boys, like me, and girls or nonbinary people, who are not like me.” Will said, choosing his words carefully.
Nico nodded. “Piper and Annabeth taught me what nonbinary means. I guess they thought I already knew what bisexuality was, they were more worried about me being accidentally… transphobic. That’s the word, right?”
Will nodded, a smile forming on his lips. His face still felt like it was burning. “I mean, I’m sure there were bisexual people and all kinds of trans people back in the 1930s, they probably just used different words for it.”
Nico nodded. “They also didn’t exactly go around announcing it to people. I mean, I only knew the word ‘gay’ from a very… negative context.” He said slowly. He frowned. “I’m glad it’s so different now.”
“Yeah,” Will said. “Me too.”
Nico looked at him, dark brown eyes boring into blue, and opened his mouth like he was going to say more, but Austin walked in just then, dancing the mop around as he cleaned, singing as he went.
The spell was broken. Nico shook his head and went back to his job. Will went back to his.
****
Two days later, Will found himself wandering into the Big House, as was his habit, and following the sound of piano music to Nico’s little den. Will had never seen anyone else even touch the piano. He wasn’t sure anyone else even knew it was there. They had a few electric keyboards in the Apollo cabin, but no one had ever mentioned the grand piano Nico favored.
Like before, the door was wide open.
The music he played today sounded nothing like Will had ever heard him play. If the last song he’d heard had been happy, this one was exuberant, joyous, unrestrained, the way Nico’s laugh sounded when he threw his head back, his eyes squeezed shut.
Once again, Will leaned against the doorjamb to listen.
“You know that I love you,
And I have a feeling that you love me back.
We're sat in my bedroom,
And I hear your heart like a train on the tracks,” Nico sang, and Will could hear the smile in his voice.
He thought of the nights he’d spent recently, staying past curfew in the Hades cabin to play Mythomagic with Nico, just the two of them. There had been more than a few times where the son of Hades had looked at him, and Will had felt his heart jump at their proximity, at how desperately he wanted to kiss him.
“Your eyes are like Heaven, your voice is like rain.
11:11s, they all hear your name.
I'm too shy to tell you the words on my mind,
I hope you can see if you read through these lines.”
Will and his siblings had taught Nico about 11:11 recently. Nico had told them they’d wished on stars and broken wishbones back in Italy, but the concept of 11:11 wishes had been foreign to him, as 1930s Italy obviously didn’t have digital clocks. Will was happy to see Nico incorporate the practice into his life and his songwriting so quickly.
“That I wrote this song about you!
Something I wish you knew!
Something I've tried to say,
But now I'll say it straight,
I wrote this song about you!” Nico was louder now, joyful, unapologetic. In love.
Will smiled, even though he wasn’t sure who Nico was singing about. Could the other boy have been getting close to another camper, with Will monopolizing all his time? Will thought about the first time he had caught Nico. He had sung a sad melody about being used by someone who didn’t want him back. He hoped whoever Nico was singing about did love Nico back, as jealous as the thought made Will. He wouldn’t push Nico into something Nico didn’t want.
Nico got through a few more verses while Will was lost in his head. It couldn’t be Will that Nico was singing about, could it?
No way. Dial it back, Solace. He barely started tolerating you as a friend. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Besides, he’s a Big Three kid. He’s probably in love with one of the warriors at camp, not some medic who could barely hold his own with a bow and arrow.
Lost in his thoughts, Will tuned back in as the song came to a triumphant close, just as joyful as it had begun.
“You know that I love you.
Is it dumb believing you might love me, too?
Yeah.
Now you know that I love you,” Nico finished, closing the piano when he was done.
Shit. Will thought. I need to make my escape.
A shadow curled at the door, and the door closed behind Will with a soft click, closing him in the room with Nico. Fuck.
“I know you’re there,” Nico said quietly. His tone sounded so different from when he had been singing. Not sad, but nervous, maybe?
“I’m sorry,” Will immediately started rambling. “I shouldn’t have spied on you, this was a complete invasion of your privacy, I’m so-”
“Will,” Nico turned, silencing Will with a look. There was a blush high on his cheeks. “I always knew you were there. That’s why I started leaving the door open.”
“Oh,” Will said, dumbly. His mind was reeling. When had the door started being ajar or open? He’d only opened himself the first few times. So that meant… “The whole time, you knew?”
Nico nodded. “I wanted to play for you,” he said softly. He looked at the ground, his face still red.
“Nico,” Will cooed. “That’s incredibly sweet. Thank you for trusting me with your songs. I love hearing you play, and your voice is gorgeous. Your lyrics are also incredible. I- I couldn’t resist coming back here, after the first time I heard you play. Any time I heard the piano, I had to come listen.”
“Thank you,” Nico said softly. “Your opinion means a lot to me. I know I’m not great with words, but with music it’s… easier. To say what I mean. That’s why I started leaving the door open for you. I wanted to talk to you about… everything, honestly, but I didn’t know how. Words don’t come easy for me, especially not in English, but songs…songs are easier. Music makes sense to me in a way conversation never has.”
Will wanted to swoon. He was the son of the god of music, after all.
“You can always talk to me,” he reminded Nico. “In song or in whispers or poems or whatever you need. I will always be here to listen. I promise.”
Nico met his eyes at that, his face looking determined, his lip trembling. “Well… sometimes I need you to talk, too. To answer. Like, today.”
Will tilted his head. “Of course. I didn’t hear a question, though? I mean, I do have ADHD, so I’m sorry if I missed it-”
“Will,” Nico huffed fondly, cutting him off. Will shut up, miming zipping his mouth up and throwing the key away. Nico giggled, a sound Will could never get enough of. “The song. The one I sang today.” Will nodded to show that he was following, mouth still shut firmly. “I wrote that song about you.” Nico clarified. “So, I kind of would like an answer… even if it’s a no, I’d rather know now so I can move on.”
Will’s mouth fell open. The song. The love song. Nico had written that about him?
Will was in shock, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He’d had feelings for Nico for ages, a silly crush when he was younger, but since the war on Gaia ended and he’d started spending more time with the son of Hades, Will’s feelings had deepened into a very real and very terrifying love for him. Will had never even thought about Nico reciprocating his feelings. He had been far too happy just to be in the boy’s presence, enjoying his company.
Will must have been frozen for too long, because Nico’s face started to fall, his eyebrows scrunching in hurt. He thinks I’m rejecting him.
“Right,” Nico sighed, looking at the floor again. “That’s… an answer in itself. I hope I didn’t make it weird between us. You’re my best friend.” Nico moved to get up from the bench.
Will was still frozen, gobsmacked. Pull yourself together, asshole, you’re fucking it up!
Nico shrugged again and moved to shuffle past Will to the door. Will, finally able to get his body to do something, grabbed his wrist before Nico could open the door. Nico froze.
“Will?” He asked. He was trembling. Fuck, I love you.
Unfortunately, Will’s vocal chords still seemed to be offline, so he did the only thing he could think of.
He used his hand on Nico’s wrist to pull the smaller boy into his chest. Nico looked up at him with wide, searching eyes. Beautiful. Will smiled, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Nico’s softly. Gently.
Nico gasped, and Will licked the seam of his mouth. Nico opened his mouth, allowing Will’s tongue entrance, Nico’s hands flying up to grab Will’s waist, his hair. Will moaned. Nico whined as Will explored his mouth, his own tongue tentatively coming out to explore Will’s mouth in turn. Will groaned, both his hands holding tight in Nico’s hair.
They broke apart, both gasping, both still holding hard to each other, like they were afraid the other would fly away if they let go.
“I love you,” Will’s vocal chords seemed to finally get with the program as he panted, his forehead resting against Nico’s. Nico’s answering smile was dazzling. “I’ve been in love with you for so long, I didn’t think-”
Nico cut him off with another kiss, this one much sweeter and much less tongue. “Idiota,” he said. “Ti amo,” he added, just in case Will forgot.
Will grinned, pressing another kiss to Nico’s lips. “Ti amo,” Will repeated, just to earn that hitch in Nico’s breath.
Gods, he’s going to ruin me.