Chapter Text
Will woke to the sound of knuckles rapping on the cabin door. He opened his eyes, finding the small Nico Di Angelo curled up in his arms. The knocking got louder, sending a surge of panic into Will. What if whoever was knocking walked through the door? It was an off day, but that didn't mean someone wasn’t going to barge in on their cuddling session. Will attempted to disengage himself from Nico's grasp without waking him up, to no avail. Nico looked at him with a bleary half smile, clearly confused. Will put a finger to his lips and Nico nodded. Will ran into the bathroom just as the cabin door was opened. Will listened from behind the bathroom door.
“Oh, uh, hi Jason. When did you get here?” Nico’s voice shook nervously.
“Just got into camp, actually. We met a few baddies on the way but nothing too serious.”
“That’s good. You guys actually woke me up, I’m still half asleep, so sorry if I’m a little out of it.”
“It’s cool, we were just heading out anyway. Well, Hazel and I were just stopping by before our meeting with Chiron. See you later!”
“Yeah, I hope we can catch up soon!” Hazel’s squeal flew above the rest of the voices outside of the bathroom door. That is, until Nico tried to say goodbye.
“Oh, um, yeah. Bye.” The sound of the cabin door shutting let Will know he could come out of hiding.
“That was a lovely voice you used there.”
“Shut up, you know I’m not good at talking to people.”
“Aw, someone’s a little sleepy.”
“Yeah, for once I was enjoying my rest.”
An awkward silence ensued as nobody knew what to say.
“So, uh-” Will began, only to be cut off.
“Yeah um-” Nico realised his mistake, looking at the ground. “Oh, you go first.”
“No that’s okay. You can go first.”
“No it’s fine, it didn’t matter.”
“Okay, so do you know what we’re doing today?”
“No, I don’t really have anything planned.”
“Hey, do you wanna go for a walk?”
“Yeah, sounds great. But don’t you think there’s something you’re forgetting?”
“No, wha- Ooooh. Good thinking. I can’t very well leave your cabin with you, can I?”
“No, I don’t think that would be advisable. There’s a back door, then you can head to the showers from behind the cabins.”
“Okay. Meet you there?” Nico’s expression changed from worried to puzzled, as if trying to figure out what Will meant by “meet you there.” Will smiled at him, shaking his head. “You’re so cute when you’re blushing, did you know that?” Will bent down, kissing him softly.
“I’m- wait, what?” Nico’s face reddened even more, going from a faint pink to a tomato red.
“Later.” He gave Nico a grin and dashed out the door, heading around to his cabin to grab showering supplies. He was almost to the showers when he ran into none other than Piper McLean.
“Oh, hey there Piper. Having a good morning?”
“Not as good as yours.” She smirked.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“I saw you leaving cabin thirteen. Is something going on between you and Nico?” She wiggled her eyebrows at him. Will’s smile went into a thin line. Despite how annoying she was being, she was his friend. Or a friend of Nico’s anyway.
“What are you implying?”
“Oh, come on. Don’t play dumb with me. I know love when I see it.”
“You really think it’s love?”
“You really think it’s not?”
“Listen, I really have to get to the showers.”
“Right, to meet your boyfriend.” He tried to be as unrevealing as possible, as he wasn’t sure about Nico’s feelings on the matter, but something in his expression must have given him away. “Called it!”
“Fine, whatever. But don’t tell anyone yet, okay? I’m not sure how he feels about… all of this.”
“Give me some credit, I may be a daughter of Aphrodite but I’m no gossip. Now I would love to stay and chat, but I have to find my boyfriend. I’ll see you around lover-of-Nico’s.”
Will sighed, thinking how she seemed more annoying than usual, from what he had seen anyway. He tramped over to the showers, wondering what he himself meant by “meet you there”. He decided it meant that he would meet Nico after he got clean, which was probably the best idea.
Will left the showers to find a wet-haired Nico leaning against a tree, looking directly at him. Nico blinked, eyes focusing on Will momentarily before glancing away hurriedly. Will smiled, walking over to him. Will opened his mouth to speak, but Nico cut him off before he managed to get a word out.
“Look, I know I should probably wait to say this until we’re away from everybody else, but you’re really cute, okay? That’s not a thing I’d normally say, I know, but this is a pressing matter. I know you’re two years older than me and that we’re practically polar opposites, and that-” Will put his hands on Nico’s shoulders. Nico barely flinched, but he still saw it.
“Hey. Look at me.” Nico tilted his head to look Will in the eye, his expression one of puzzlement. “It’s all going to be alright, okay? Don’t be so worried. Why don’t we just take a walk, talk things out.”
“Yeah, okay.” Nico seemed less tense, but he still had the look of a lost puppy going on. They started towards the cabins to drop off their things.
“You can even hold my hand if you want.” Will wiggled his eyebrows mockingly. The sides of Nico’s mouth twitched as he rolled his eyes.
“You’re just saying that.”
“Nuh-uh. I am a prime specimen for hand-holding. Healers hands are the softest around, who wouldn’t want to get in on the hand-holding action with me?”
“Um, anyone who’s seen your face, obviously.”
“Wow, rude. You don’t get to hold my hand anymore. And I thought you were going to be a nice boyfriend. I guess I was wrong.” Will turned away, clutching his chest with over-dramaticized hurt on his face.
“Will, we need to choose which way to go.” Nico was smiling at his antics, undoubtedly at the part about calling him his boyfriend, but that wasn’t good enough for Will.
“No, you’ve hurt me for the last time. You’re not coming anywhere with me.” Nico sighed with exasperation.
“If I hold your hand can we just go already?”
“Hm. You don’t deserve it, after all the heartache you just caused, but I suppose I’ll accept your offer.” Nico rolled his eyes yet again, intertwining his fingers with Will’s. “Okay, how about we just circle the camp? Or maybe walk to the strawberry fields?”
“But the strawberry fields are so sunny. Why must you do this to me?”
“So I know you won’t shadow travel away from me.”
“Come on, you know I wouldn’t do that.”
“You better not, then I’d have to hunt you down and trap you in the infirmary again for a few days. But I suppose if you really want we can go somewhere that’s less bright, you ridiculous creature of the night. Hey, that rhymed!”
“I noticed. Maybe you acquired your dad’s knack for poetry after all.”
“Not likely. So where were you thinking?”
“We could go to the river? Then nobody would see us through the trees.” He raised an eyebrow at Nico. “Not like that. I mean, I guess if you wanted-”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, alright? I’m cool with whatever you want to do, don’t worry about it.
“Oh, um, thanks. I just didn’t want to seem to forward, really.” Will noticed Nico’s face turning a light shade of pink and realised that he was beginning to blush as well.
“...Oh. Well then. So, uh, what did you want to talk about?”
“Well, I was, um. I was saying that even though we’re kind of opposites and there are a lot of challenges because we’re not straight and stuff, and even though you’re sixteen, and maybe I’m rushing into things,” Nico took his hand from Will’s and twisted it in his other hand awkwardly. “I, uh… Will, do you want to go out with me? I mean, you just called me your boyfriend so this shouldn’t be a question but I don’t know if that was an act oh nevermind I’m just going to g-” Nico started to run away but Will pulled him into a kiss, this one deeper than any of the others. Nico slipped back a bit, seemingly surprised by the force, before kissing him back. Will smiled on Nico’s lips, pushing him against a nearby tree. Nico’s hand slid under his shirt and up his back, pressing him closer. Between gasps of breath and the connecting of lips, Nico spoke.
“So… I’ll take that… as a yes.”
Will replied with two words: “You… better.” Nico laughed through the kiss before pulling him closer. After quite a lot of this, they broke apart, smiles plastered onto both of their faces. “Nico. Your face is perfection.”
“No, Will, I’m pretty sure your face is perfection. You must have gotten me confused with yourself.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I believe it is.” They continued arguing in this fashion for several minutes until Will had an idea.
“You know, I think we’ll have to settle this with a competition.”
“Oh? What kind of competition?”
“A kissing competition, of course. Whoever kisses better wins.”
“How would we know who kisses better if we’re both doing the kissing?"
“How about we find out?” Will planted his lips on Nico's, pouring as much feeling as possible into kissing him. He pushed Nico into a nearby tree, their movements slow at first then fast and hard. Nico's hand pressed Will's body closer to his, fingertips gliding over the small of his back. For a moment neither boy knew what was who's, just that they were only in that moment and nowhere else. That is, until they heard laughter. They couldn't pull away before coming face to face with Piper and Jason, standing at the edge of the clearing they'd stumbled into. They were staring at Nico and Will, still disentangling themselves from their embrace. Nico glanced up at Will.
"You win."