Battle Wounds: Solangelo Soulmate AU

EIGHT

WILL POV:
I keep feeling Nico staring at me, but I try not to look back. Every time I look up he has somehow managed to look like he was just doing his homework and hadn't been just staring at me.

I was scared he was going to try and push me away after what had happened a couple of weeks ago, but he hasn't. He also hasn't opened up to me any, but that's okay. I know it won't happen overnight.

I look up and lock eyes with Nico, who seems to be lost in thought while staring at me. I can't help the smirk on my face at the way I finally caught him staring at me.

His cheeks turn pink and he quickly rips his gaze away and back to his homework when he finally notices I'm staring back.

"I think I've had enough school for today," I sigh throwing my books aside and stretching.

"Me too," he answers closing his notebook with his barely started Algebra 2 homework.

"I'm hungry," I add blandly.

"Well that's perfect cause I was about to say dinners ready," Hazel says barging into the room and making us both jump out of our skins.

"Holy fuck Hazel, don't sneak up on us like that," Nico scoffs still clutching his heart dramatically.

"Not my fault you're both deaf, now come on dinner is ready," she teases.

"Fine," Nico grumbles not looking at either of us. I've come to learn that this was a daily occurrence for these two, though I did stand up for Nico enough so that he wasn't getting sick after eating again.

We follow Hazel down the stairs and she slides a large bowl of spaghetti over to Nico. His eyes widen at the amount of food so I grab the bowl and slide it over to myself.

"Just get him a smaller bowl," I tell Hazel.

She sighs and glares at both of us, "Come on Nico you need to eat."

"No I don't," he rebuttles, narrowing his eyes at her.

"He is gonna eat, but he doesn't have to eat this much if he doesn't want to," I argue in the nicest way possible. Hazel grunts disapprovingly as she turns to get another bowl.

"Baby steps," I say quietly to Nico.

Nico won't meet my eyes but he gives me a half-hearted smile as Hazel reluctantly sets a small bowl in front of him.

"Come on, it's your mom's recipe! Are you sure you won't have more," Hazel pleads.

"No," he snaps irritably.

I take a bite and she's right, it is delicious. "This is good, thank you, Hazel," I say, hoping to distract her so she'll stop belittling Nico. I know she just wants what's best for him and is trying to help, but it doesn't seem she's doing it in the best way.

Nico takes a bite and chews it slowly while pushing the pasta around in his dish. Suddenly we hear the sound of the garage door slamming open against the wall. I look over and see Nico frozen with fear, and Hazel looking like a deer in the headlights.

"Is that Dad," Hazel murmurs nervously, "I thought he said he wouldn't be home till 10 tonight?"

Nico gulps and looks like he's about to throw up, even though he has eaten maybe two bites.

Although I have seen Nico's dad one other time, he isn't any less scary. He is a big burly man, probably about my height if not taller, with dark black hair and a clean-cut beard. His skin was ghostly pale like Nicos but his eyes were somehow even darker than Nicos, looking almost completely black.

"Hey Dad," Hazel smiles though she looks a bit shaken too. "You're home early?"

He grunts and walks over to the fridge taking out an expensive-looking beer and pulling the cap off with his ring. He took a long swig before finally acknowledging his children. "Yeah, clients canceled so I thought I'd just bring the paperwork home," he said. "Is that spaghetti?"

"Yeah, do you want a bowl?" Hazel asks.

"Sure, what recipe is it?" He asks as we all watch Hazel get up to grab a bowl for him. He pulls at his tie to loosen it as he sits in the seat next to Nico.

"It's Maria's," Hazel says now looking nervous. His dad's expression goes completely blank as he stares at the bowl Nico is picking at. I make a mental note to maybe ask Nico about his mom later if it seems relevant.

"She did make good pasta, probably because she was Italian," he grumbles as Hazel passes him the bowl.

He takes a bite and as he swallows he looks at me as if he just noticed I'm there. "Who are you?"

"I'm Will Solace sir, it's nice to finally meet you," I say putting on as much confidence as I can muster while locked in his stare.

He grunts, "So this is the kid you keep asking to come over?"

"Yes, s-sir," Nico stutters, then looks like he wants to slap himself.

"Sit up straight and spit your words out," his father snaps, I try to ignore the fact that I saw him begin to raise his hand but then glance at me and put it back on the table. I want to grab Nico's hand, I can tell he is terrified of this man.

"Yes sir," Nico says quickly so that he has no time to stutter. His dad takes another drink of beer and I notice it's already practically empty.

"Why aren't you eating your dinner?" he snarls, suddenly slamming his fist down on the counter making all of our bowls rattle against the marble countertop.

"Nico already had eaten something and I didn't know that when I made the spaghetti," Hazel says quickly. "He still wanted a bowl since it was his mom's recipe though."

I got the feeling Hazel has had to lie to try and protect Nico a lot judging by the fact that she had answered that so quickly. She probably had that planned out as soon as he walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Nico adds while forcing another bite in his mouth.

"Bull shit," His father snaps, "Will, please leave the room for a moment while I speak to my son about manners."

I glance at Nico who nods to the door subtly, telling me that no matter how bad I want to tell this guy I wasn't leaving him alone I need to. I left the room, but after a couple of minutes, I realized how pointless that was because his dad started yelling anyway.

"Your sister has gone out of her way for you, making your mother's recipe just for your ungrateful ass!" I hear the sound of glass shattering and run back into the kitchen to see Nico on the ground with broken shards of beer bottle all around him.

"I'm eating in my study," his father barks, giving Nico a sharp kick in the ribs just for good measure.