hadriel_logs | (no subject)

If the gods' goal was to make them feel rage during the paintball event, well, it had definitely worked on Nico. He was furious when he showed up at a party.

A party. They were throwing a party after what they'd just put them through. Maybe it hadn't been as big of a deal for other people, but for Nico, with his ability to feel people dying, it had been rough. His ears had been constantly buzzing and that was annoying in and of itself but no one had actually died so the buzzing hadn't stopped for a long time. He wasn't happy that other people were coming so close to death, even if it was magically induced somehow, but seeing Will like that, then watching him disappear, had only made him more upset.

He was sorely tempted to march to one of the temples and give the ones that had been responsible for this event a good talking to, but first, he was looking around for a mop of blonde hair, hoping that Will was here somewhere. He was still inwardly terrified that Will wasn't in the cave any longer and had been either sent back home or had something else awful happen to him.

Will was looking for a slightly too thin fourteen year old with a mop of black hair, probably a scowl and potentially frost creeping up on the ground. He wasn't entirely sure what happened still. He knew the basics. People were getting shot with paintballs that were decreasing their vitals to near death. And then? Had he gotten hit? He remembered leaning over someone, trying to make sure they were okay or at least move them somewhere they'd be safe and....well damn. He had trouble believing he'd made it through two wars only to be taken out by a rogue paintball.

He caught a glimpse of that black hair and barrelled toward the other boy, knowing this was probably much harder on Nico that it was on him. Assuming Nico had made it through the entire ....session, unscathed.

"Miss me? Nico, I'm sorry."

The moment that Nico saw Will making his way towards him, he stopped and stood there frozen for a moment, almost stunned with relief at seeing him still here. Then he was surging forward to meet him and, in a move that was uncharacteristic of him, someone who didn't really like being touched or partaking in public displays of affection, threw his arms around Will in a tight hug with no intention of making it a quick one.

To say Will was a little shocked at Nico's rather public display of affection was an understatement. True, it was just a hug, but it was a big hug, a long hug--one that lasted more than 5 seconds. And it was in public. All that was such a huge leap forward for Nico. He must have been so worried about him.

So Will didn't pull away, holding Nico as close as he'd let him, making sure he knew that he was cared for and Will was safe, until Nico wanted to pull away. The ball's in your court.

If you thought that was shocking, Will... Nico pulled away only to bunch his hands up in Will's shirt and yank him forwards for a kiss. Unlike the hug, it only lasted for a few seconds before he pulled away, even though he still gripped onto Will tightly. "I thought..." he said, needing to stop and clear his throat because it came out cracked and unsteady. "I thought... you might be gone..."

Woah. That was a kiss. That was a public kiss, even if it only lasted a few seconds. That was...mind blowing. Nico. Will stared at Nico when he was finished, trying to put his brain back together. Will grabbed Nico's hands so he could hold them, and keep an eye on the boy's pulse rate and blood pressure.

"I'm not. I'm right here. It's alright."

Nico took in a steadying breath and squeezed Will's hands back as he nodded, the movement a little jerky. "Do you remember anything after you got hit? Do you feel okay?" he asked insistently. At least Will no longer gave of the feeling he was on death's doorstep, his life aura bright and strong.

"Not really? I feel fine, I am fine. Don't worry. Listen to the doctor. I think I'd know if I wasn't okay. Are you okay?" Call him crazy, Nico, but you were really, really anxious. Of course, you'd just thought your boyfriend was dead, so that was to be expected. Will wasn't entirely understanding that just yet however.

"What happened?"

"The same thing that was happening to everyone else who got shot. Your vital signs dropped to right above dying and just stayed there... but then after a while, all the people who were unconscious just... disappeared. Everyone says that when people die here, they just come back, but I didn't feel you die, you were just... gone. And then you didn't come back... so I thought either... either you were dead and gone or you'd been sent back home somehow but still gone." Nico took in another deep breath and moved closer so he could rest his forehead on Will's shoulder, closing his eyes for a moment to try and collect himself better. His hands that were still holding tightly onto Will's were shaking slightly now. "I know it's not your fault but... try not to do that again, okay? Promise?"

"I promise." Will wasn't letting go of your hands Nico, despite his almost overwhelming want to pull you into another hug. He need more hands. "And I'm sorry. That couldn't have been easy for you." At the very least all the constant ringing must have gotten to him, not to think about the emotional complications. Nico was powerful,but those powers sometimes sucked. All too often people didn't realize the emotional toll those powers had.

"Are you alright? Are you going to be alright? What can I do?"

"Just... just listen before I lose my nerve," Nico asked, not moving his face away from Will's shoulder and voice growing more quiet because he only wanted to Will to hear this. "When you were just lying there... and after you disappeared... I had a lot of time to think. And I thought about a lot of things. All the things you do for me even just... just being near me... and I realized... that I... Will, I..." Why was one little word so hard to say?! And this was important too so he shouldn't just say it mumbled into Will's shoulders. Taking another deep breath, he pulled away and even though he could feel his cheeks burning, he made himself look up and into Will's eyes. "I... I love... you..."

At first Will honestly wasn't sure he heard Nico right.He paused for a moment, replaying the scene in his head to make sure he got it right. Nico had just told him he loved him. He'd expressed his feelings. And said them out loud. In public. That was amazing. He knew how hard that must have been for Nico, even without the blushing. And he knew how hard Will's own simulated almost death must have been for him, if he was confessing this now.

The last thing Nico wanted was probably more embarrassment, but Will couldn't help himself. He probably should have been grateful he wasn't leaping for joy or proclaiming it to the world. But he had his own processing to do. Instead, Will let go of one of Nico's hands, and pulled him closer, kissing him. This time, he wasn't pulling away.

Nico allowed it, even returning the kiss and keeping it up for a bit longer than he normally would have. Eventually though, he pulled back but stayed close enough they could easily touch foreheads, clearing his throat as the beginning of a smile tugged at his mouth. "I'm going to take that as a good sign and not a I-just-scared-you-off sign..."

"Take it as a very good sign. It's going to take a lot more than that to scare me off, di Angelo. You're not going to get rid of me that easily."

Will kept their foreheads together, amazed at how far Nico was coming every day and how small things were becoming easier for him. And not so small things.

"Does... that mean you...?" Nico asked hesitantly, trailing off mid-sentence and wondering if Will felt as strongly about him as he did about Will.

Will wasn't sure he was ready to verbalize his feelings for Nico. He felt so strongly about him, but was that love? He wished Mitchell or someone else from Cabin 10 was around for him to ask. He thought about it for a few seconds, trying to imagine how he'd feel if Nico had been the one lying there, close to death, just hovering.

"Yeah, I think I do." There was a little wonder in his voice, as if he was experiencing it, playing with the emotion for the first time, a realization.

Nico would have been content with just an 'I like you very much' because even that in itself was amazing and mindboggling to him if he thought about it for awhile. Of course he knew Will liked him at least somewhat because why else would he want to kiss him? Unless he was crazy, which Nico wouldn't put past someone who actually liked him like that. After having grown used to people shunning him just for existing, anyone actually liking him in a romantic sense was just... It was still hard to really believe it sometimes.

In a move uncharacteristic of Nico di Angelo, he actually grinned so much his face hurt from doing so. "Good. Great. That's great. Because otherwise I'd really feel like an idiot for just blurting that out if you didn't even like me like that."

If Will had just been shown this snapshot of Nico grinning from ear to ear he would have thought his boyfriend lost his mind, or that some god was behind this. Nico just didn't smile like that. As it was, it was a welcome sight. Strange, but welcome.

"You know, I didn't think your face could do that." Will quipped. "I'm glad you blurted it out. I am sorry I scared you though." It was no coincidence that Nico chose that moment to find his feelings. He knew what Nico must have gone through, and while in some cases their powers might work very well together, he knew the weight Nico carried with him.

Nico gave a little eyeroll in response to that first comment. "I just don't have very many reasons to do it," he said back. "It's fine. Not all your fault. Just be more careful next time."

"Well I'll just have to give you some more reasons then, don't I?" Everyone should have reasons to smile. Will did it all the time. As much as he knew and accepted Nico's typical demeanor, he wanted him to be happy. Really, really, really happy. Even if it weirded him out.

"I will. I didn't mean to scare you. Do you want to.....go someplace more private?" Yes Nico, he wanted to make out with you and the party was not the best atmosphere to do it. Nor did he think Nico would tolerate it.

"Yeah." Nico nodded resolutely. "Yeah, definitely. I was never really the party type anyway."

"Great. Come on."

Will stretched out a hand to hold Nico's and head him away, toward one of the groves. Hopefully no one wanted to pick some fruit, Will had other plans. And after, if they wanted to pick some fruit, well, it was the best place for it? Besides, it wasn't strawberries, but it was the best they got here.

Nico took Will's hand and willingly went along, staying silent for a little bit before he asked a question. "Did it... did it hurt at all? When you got hit?"

Will enjoyed the feeling of Nico's hand, skin to skin. He liked touching Nico, even if he knew his boyfriend wasn't exactly the touchy feely type, or that comfortable with touch all the time. He took what he could get.

"A little? Not really?" Will pulled Nico closer, because, damn, that question, Nico.

Trusting that Will was being honest with him, Nico visibly relaxed a bit more at that. "Good." It would only have made him more angry at the gods if it had actually hurt.

Will headed to the grove, holding Nico's hand in his. It was a nice feeling. Skin against skin. He was ever so glad you didn't completely overreact Nico. He'd been a little worried for a moment. Although, maybe, realizing that he loved him was enough of an overreaction.

"Don't worry. I'm fine."