The Coming of Nico di Angelo

Will Becomes Obsessed with Angry Men

"I... um..." Nico's mind screeched to a halt as he searched for something, anything to say. "I can explain?"

"No need." The smirk on Blaise's face got a little more pronounced. "At least, now I understand why you haven't been checking me out."

Nico scoffed, throwing in a little shade. He was good at that. "You're not my type, Zabini."

"You don't have to fancy me to know I'm a looker. You just have to have eyes. Eyes that aren't already staring at that blond surfer boy, anyway."

Nico rolled his eyes good-naturedly. There was still a bit of awkward energy in the air, but it was fading fast. He felt grateful to Blaise, for turning the uncomfortable moment into a more teasing one. And, now that his head was out of the clouds, he knew just what to say to shut his friend up.

"You use that line on Hestia lately? Maybe if she realized you were such a catch, you could stop mooning over her when you think no one's looking. Who knows? You might, I don't know, be able to, like, take her out."

The look on Blaise's face was priceless. "I told you that in confidence!" he cried, mortified. It took a total of three seconds for him to realize how ridiculous he sounded, and start cracking up alongside Nico. Once they got themselves under control, Blaise's expression grew a bit more genuine. Brotherly, even. "I've never seen you like this," he admitted, his voice softer now. "You look... happy."

"That's 'cause I am," Nico replied, in spite of himself. He even allowed himself a small smile. "You get ready for breakfast, Blaise. I'll meet you in the common room with Hestia in ten?"

"Sure." Blaise started to walk away, then stopped, glancing back at Nico. "Am I telling her about this?"

"If you want your head to end up decorating my bed post."

Blaise put on a face of mock contemplation. "Noted." His footsteps echoed around the bathroom as he exited, leaving a gaping silence behind. Now completely alone, Nico gave himself some time to think.

What had just happened? Never, ever, had Nico so easily spouted secrets to anyone. He prided himself with his ability to conceal, to keep his cards close to his chest and his poker face intact. Even with people like Percy, Jason, or Hazel, he didn't tend to volunteer information; yet, there it was. A friend Blaise may be, but they'd only known each other a week, tops. Whether he, Blaise, and Hestia were on the fast track to friendship or not, Nico was a private person; he didn't just spew his life story to help save an awkward situation... but, that's exactly what he'd just done.

He was far from being ready to make his relationship with Will public. And yet, it felt nice for someone else to know, besides the boy in question, of course. With Will, Nico constantly second-guessed himself. He replayed every moment over in his head, agonized over the littlest things... but, that was how it should be. It felt nice to obsess a little, knowing Will did the same over him. It made him feel loved, cared for, special, even. He hadn't felt like that in a long time, not since Westover Hall. Not since Bianca.

Still, it felt liberating to tell someone something. It was hardly one of Nico's darker secrets, but even so, now he had a confidant, someone to bounce ideas off of, to pull his head out of his ass when he got too obsessive about Will. If things went wrong, he'd have someone to talk to, someone who might understand. The mere fact that Blaise didn't know Will, or Nico's life as a half-blood, made him a perfect candidate. Without all that history and baggage, Nico didn't have to worry about judgment or pity.

That was the main reason he wanted to keep his new relationship off the radar. Ever since he'd come out, everyone had gone overboard with accepting him. And, yeah, a party waiting for him outside the closet was much better than the alternative. He loved that his friends and half-sister supported him as much as they did. But, Nico wasn't a party person. He liked the acceptance, but the constant confetti in his hair and slaps on the back tired him out. He didn't need Percy or Jason going overboard with his new boyfriend, nor scare Will off, nor get invested in something that might not last. He wouldn't keep himself in an unhappy relationship for any reason; even for the sake of his friends. The last thing he wanted was them glorifying this thing to the point where the illusion became upkeep. Until Nico was certain this thing--whatever it was--was worth it, he needed to keep his friends' noses out of it.