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Will had a good book open; something or another about elves and wolves and vampires at war.
His hot chocolate—it was too late in the evening for coffee—was steaming slightly at his side, and the faux fire crackling on the TV was grounding and felt warm.
He chuckled as he read a line: “The vampire’s eyes glowed red in hunger, unable to control themselves at their ravenous spirit.”
He knew that was not true—at least not in reality. Just as he flipped to the next page, a PANG! rang against the glass. Then, another smaller scuttle sounded, tiny claws gripping to window panes and brick.
Will groaned theatrically.
“I’m warm!” He yelled, burrowing deeper into his ‘May the Force be With You!’ Christmas blanket.
Chitter chitter chitter
“Just walk in through the front door! You know where the key is!”
Thump!
Will sighed, pausing the TV and throwing the blanket off himself. He dog eared the book quickly before throwing it somewhere in the couch. “I’m coming, I’m com-“
Thunk, thunk, thunk
“Chill!” Will hissed, making faster pace. “I thought we were over all this self harm shi–“
He threw the window open with little regard to the frigid air, and a fuzzy ball of black hit him square in the chest, and little talons gripped onto his bright orange hoodie.
“Oof–“ Will cradled the tiny being with one tender hand, large and strong but gentle nonetheless, and used the other to shut the window firmly and lock it.
He slid two fingers across its head gently as it nuzzled deeper. “You are so insistent.” He mused, gathering its small body and tucking it in the space between his neck and shoulder. It nuzzled deeper still, as if soaking in body heat like a blanket.
Will smiled softly and went to the kitchen to grab another cup of hot cocoa. When he went to pour in a vial of red liquid, the fruit bat chittered incessantly.
“Oh, hush.” Will spoke, tapping the glass against the side of the mug a few times to get every last drop out. He laid it in the sink and swished the liquid before making way back to the couch.
When he sat back down, he patted the fruit bat’s little wings tenderly. “Want to cuddle like this or human-style?”
The bat—if bats could harrumph—harrumphed before crawling down. Into his lap he went, and his form expanded quickly. No more than three seconds did it take for him to transform, bone and flesh melting back into hands and feet.
Will grabbed the dark green robe hanging near the couch and draped it around the boy, carefully and thoughtfully pulling the longer locks of soft black hair out to frame his face.
The newly human boy—Nico—nuzzled into Will again contentedly, genuinely looking for body heat this time.
“Ah-ah-ah.” Will teased. “Drink first, love.” He held the hot chocolate mug up to him.
Nico sneered and flicked Will’s forehead lightly before taking it in both hands, sniffing the surface before taking a few hasty gulps. Nico always said he was lying, but Will swore he could see a minor change in Nico’s pallor immediately.
Despite his initial show of resistance, he shuddered pleasantly and went back for another hardy gulp. Talk about anemia.
Nico leaned his head against Will’s shoulder and closed his eyes, groaning in a theatrical way. “I swear, I don’t know what you do but your hot chocolate is always the best. I can hardly even taste the blood.”
Will grinned at the little(average size, but Will was just huge comparatively) boy in his arms. “My pleasure, baby bat.”
A blush rose to Nico’s cheeks at that. “Enough of that.” He rose up, tucking the green silk robe around himself more thoroughly. He plucked a pair of random boxers off the floor(ones he left there) and put them on(they’re three sizes too large), tying them with a hairband(they’re Will’s boxers) found on the coffee table(Nico cannot keep a house clean).
He took the mug and wandered into the kitchen again, pulling out some pre-sliced apples and grapes before coming back.
As if he didn’t just throw a fit coming in the window, he plopped back down next to Will and snuggled close under the blanket. Will had gone back to his book and Nico nipped at his shoulder when seeing that Will had it dog eared. “Psycho.”
“You spent seven consecutive hours playing Myth-o-Magic and didn’t eat or drink once during it.”
“You read cheesy vampire werewolf romance novels because you can’t get over the fact you can’t be a werewolf.”
“Hey, I don’t really know my dad’s side of the family, I could be-“
“You cried when a husky tried to snap at me on a walk.”
“That was a scary husk-“
He was cut off with lips on lips.
Nico smirked into it, his descended fangs brushing against Will’s lower lip before leaving.
“Read to me, Tesoro.”
***
Hey Emo Boy
Hey, hey Emo Boy
Hey Emo Boy
Hey, hey Emo Boy
“Oh my god Nico TURN DOWN THE MUSIC-“
Come on, fu-
Will reached over to Nico’s phone and powered it down. Nico glared indignantly at him, but couldn’t move since he was actively doing his eyeliner.
“There.” Will grinned cheekily, finishing refilling his cargo pants (Yes, pants. They have so much more storage!) to leave. “Frankly, Nico, I should be the one listening to that song. I hope you’re not cheating on me with another emo boy.” Will pinched Nico’s cheek now that he was done with his bottom liner.
Nico scoffed. He bit the web of Will’s fingers deftly, but taking great care to make sure that his extended fangs didn’t pierce any skin. Nonetheless Will jumped back in a yelp, cradling his offended hand.
“Psycho-“
Nico chomped multiple times, making the ‘cling cling cling’ sound as his teeth mashed.
Will knew Nico would live up to his threat. He may not bite him with his fangs, but his mortal-style teeth will give him a run for his money.
Will booted up the phone to play the music.
***
After they got back from the hangout—it was their highschool friend group known as ‘The Seven’, but adapted with a -plus Reyna plus Nico plus Will plus Grover—Nico was kicked.
His sock got wet halfway through and everyone knows that is a valid reason to lose not just that sock, but that shoe, and the other shoe and sock. No one cared he was shoeless for the remaining two hours.
Thus, Will was carrying Nico inside contentedly—Nico was on his back and carrying the bags so Will could open the door. Win-win.
Once they slipped inside, Nico hopped off and skipped to the kitchen—not before leaving the bags on the dining room table. Tipped over and chapstick spilling out, of course.
“Mmmm.” Nico hummed, immediately gravitating to the oranges. “I’m hungry.”
Will chuckled. “Of course you are. They had basically no fruit. Heathens.”
Nico crunched into it, hovering over the sink so the few and far between dribbles didn’t get on him or the counter. Will can handle many messes, but post-fruit-devouring messes are Nico’s to clean.
Will toed his own shoes off and took Nico’s out of the bag, throwing his socks in the hamper by the washing machine… yet to be washed. He needed to teach Nico how to run the machine again. A tic of frustration bubbled at the mess, but quickly dissipated seeing the beautiful love of his named Nico di Angelo. They worked together, always.
After Will completed his coming home routine he helped Nico with his, now finished with his fruit, which was unpacking what was needed in his bag and getting some blood into him somehow.
“I’m not a baby, Solace.” Nico groaned.
He was sitting on the counter, legs kicking the cabinets as he waited for the blender to finish. The white cabinets were dented by this point. Will claimed he couldn’t care less, even though the constant shadow pushed his buttons from time to time.
“What? Lalala. I cant hear you. Too loud.” Will plugged his ears and spun in a few circles. He could see through glimpses Nico’s furious signing, but then Will shut his eyes.
Ha.
Well, ha, until a little ball of fuzz clung to his shirt collar and climbed its way up to chitter in his face. The little talons of the beast clung to his hair and nose as Will screeched, very manly-ly.
Squeeeack!! Chit chit. Squawk scrEECH!
Will flicked the little fuzz off his face and tossed it across the kitchen into the open living room, watching it flit to the wall and cling there. Will, rushed to the blender to stop it and pour it in a cup before the little bat could gather his bearings.
Too slow, though. Nico was back and crawling up his shirt. Will giggled at the feeling of the talons on his skin, before he peeked up the collar and up at Will.
Bite
“Ow! You f-“
Bite
“Ow!”
Will scruffed the poor thing, and Nico transformed back quickly. He pulled back on his oversized shirt hastily, going back to chomp at Will’s now exposed shoulder.
“Nico!” Will laughed loudly, gripping at Nico’s hair and pulling him back. “You menace.”
Nico bared fangs, a meaningless hiss escaping his throat. “Okay, sleepyhead. To the couch we go.”
Nico tried to nip at Will’s hand again, but Will was faster this time. He put the bag of frozen strawberries in his path, making Nico full face plant into the cold fruit.
Nico huffed and crossed his arms. He put the strawberries away—his job, Will made the smoothie and Nico put the stuff away.
Will guided Nico by the shirt sleeve to the couch when he was done, smoothie in hand. How he’d love to share drinks with Nico but… blood, sadly, did not taste all that good to him.
“Down, buster.” Will made an exaggerated gesture of pointing to the couch. The same spot Nico always sat.
Nico huffed, again, and plopped. Not before grabbing his dyslexia-friendly crossword and Will’s sudoku. He had the pencils ready for both of them.
Will gave Nico the drink in exchange for the book, sitting right next to him under the Star Wars blanket. The younger boy shifted so he’d be laying against Will’s side. Not in a clingy way just like it was a simple fact; Will was there, Will would be there, so he could be with him as he found comfortable.
Will was okay with that deal.