Heart Beat (Willco/Solangelo & Caleo)

Chickflick Moment

"Nico." Will said, his warm breath stirred his hair, "Please."

The Italian stopped struggling, taking deep breathes, trying to stop crying. Will loosened his grip and turned Nico to face him, wiping away his tears, his clear blue eyes spoke everything he didn't say, telling Nico that everything would be okay, that he'd make sure it was. Nico pulled away, shaking his head. "Just leave me alone."

"Nico. . . I didn't know. Please." He begged.

Nico looked down, "I don't. . ." His voice shook, "I don't want to go out with you anymore." He looked up at Will, taking another step back.

"No." Will whispered, "Neeks, why?"

A lump formed in Nico's throat. "I just. . ." He squeezed his eyes shut, "I can't, okay?"

"You can't what? You can't love me? You can't. . ." Tears brimmed in Will's eyes and he took an angry step back, "Just go, Nico." He spat.

And then he turned, storming towards the Apollo cabin, leaving Nico in the dark. People always left, because he always pushed them away.

"I love you." Nico whispered, but the wind was the only one there to witness his words, blowing through his hair and tossing it into his face, hiding the fresh tears that slid from his tightly shut eyes.

Another knock pulled him out of his thoughts, Nico pulled the sheets around him, trying to block it out. It wasn't anyone's fault but his that they were broken up and no one could help.

I could just go over there. . . He thought, imagining Will's huge grin and welcoming arms, and smiling a little himself. The smile faded, as he remembered Will again, his kind blue eyes filled with hurt and anger, 'Just go, Nico.' There was no way he wanted him back now, not when he had told Will he didn't want to see him anymore, he'd pushed him away. just like everyone else.

No one Nico ever cared about stayed for long, his mother, Bianca, even Percy, although he was over him now, it had still left a pretty big scar on his heart. It wasn't really any of their faults, Bianca and Maria had been ripped from him by the Fates, and Nico had been stupid to develop a crush on the son of Poseidon in the first place. But now he'd lost Will, and that was entirely his fault, despite what Leo thought, all he had done was make Nico realize how afraid of himself he really was. He didn't want anyone to know his sexuality because he didn't want to admit it himself. And it was stupid, so stupid, but that didn't make it any less true. 

After all of this, after telling Percy and Annabeth, after Jason being the first to find out and supporting him through it all, after Reyna and Coach Hedge supporting him as well, after the whole camp knowing and seeming to accept him anyway, and even after Will loving him and knowing that he really did love him too. . . he still didn't want to be different. All Nico had ever been was different, and he was grasping at anything that could make him seem just a little bit more normal. But Nico wasn't normal, and there was only one person he could think of that he hadn't pushed away, or that hadn't left. So he stood up, and stepped into the shadows that blanketed his entire cabin. 

As the familiar rush of Shadow Travel came over him, Will Solace's voice penetrated his thoughts, making him smile despite himself, 'No Underworld-y stuff, doctor's orders.' 

"Sorry, Will." Nico muttered, stepping out of a patch of shadow at camp Jupiter, "But I have to see my sister."

He stepped into the sunlight, blinking against the sudden brightness. It was lunch time for the Twelfth Legion, and the delicious aroma of food wafted over the camp, making Nico's stomach rumble. He hadn't eaten for days and it was finally catching up to him.