Summer Nights (Solangelo AU)

nico vii • wanting something you can't have

   Percy digs his feet in the sand, yawning. His arms stretch out above him. "So, how has things with Will been going?"

   I hug my knees. Percy and I just got finished studying, and now sat as the water crashed against the sand, leaving mud behind. I didn't really feel the need to lie. "He was over Friday night. We were supposed to work, but we really didn't get anywhere. We just mainly talked. And then I called him last night, and we talked until 3 AM."

"Talked? Will hardly ever talks. At least, for that long," Percy leans into me. "Maybe that means you're getting somewhere."

"I'd say we are," I shrug. "We don't argue every time we speak. We now just calmly disagree."

I have an urge to keep talking about Will, but I hold back.

"Any progress is better than none," Percy winks.

I look at Percy. Will said to be calm around him. Percy's a chill guy. He leans his head back and presses a water bottle to his lips.

"Do you like guys?" I blurt.

Nice. Real chill, Nico. You absolute idiot.

Percy nearly spits out his water, but forces it down, holding his chest. "Sorry—I, uh, wasn't expecting that."

"Oh, don't be sorry! I shouldn't have sprung it on you like that," I hold my breath and look away.

Percy runs his fingers through his hair. "Um...to be honest, I've never really thought about it. It's crossed my mind a couple times, I guess, but I kinda just dismissed it."

"You don't know?"

"I haven't liked a guy yet," Percy shrugs. "But you never know, I guess. Someone could come along and change that. You're the only gay guy I've met."

He doesn't know about Will or Luke. But that's not my business.

"Possibilities are endless," I shrug.

"Is it weird to question?" Percy asks, slight drawn in.

I look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Like, I don't know. If a straight guy questions his sexuality, is he actually straight?"

"I'm not too familiar with being straight," I snort. "But I've questioned being gay. Like, I had a really strong crush on Reyna in middle school, and she liked me back. But we both just misunderstood our feelings. And a lot of lesbians think they like guys, y'know, but they didn't, but it made them question. Sexuality's a spectrum, don't you think?"

"I have no idea," Percy blows out air. "So, if I were to question, there could still be a chance I was straight?"

"Yeah. I think."

"So, if I think Chris Evans is hot, I could still be straight?"

"Everyone thinks Chris Evans is hot, to be fair. But yeah, I'd say so."

Percy shrugs. "I'm questioning, I guess. I don't know. You're different than most dudes I know."

That makes my throat bubble up. "W-what?"

"I don't know. You're really cool and I think you're hot," Percy leans back, and he says it completely casually. God, he was just like Will. "You're like super caring, you help me out with a lot of stuff, and you talk about stuff that matters, and I don't know. So maybe you are making me question."

I nearly pass out. What the hell do I do with this information? And why doesn't Percy care?

"But you're off limits," he says. "You're in love with Will."