The rainbow seekers guide to seeking rainbows

Nico

Nico's pen hovered over the paper, the straight lines blank and uninviting.

He needed to write to his father. He needed to tell him something, he needed to know that Hades was still there for him, needed to know whether they still had the bond of father and son.

Looking around, Nico realised that the place really needed to be redecorated. Thick, black curtains, a velvet armchairs and a velvet couch, table made from ebony - whoever had decorated the space must've thought he was a vampire. His bed was literally a black coffin with velvet cushions. According to Will, all the velvet was a deep blood red. Nico hadn't been bothered to buy anything new after the decorator Hades had hired had done their thing.

Nico didn't mind the aesthetic, but...Will was coming over today, and he realised that it probably didn't form the best impression.

Not that it mattered.

Will had already seen the place.

Right on cue, Nico heard a knock on the door - the ebony door. He stood up, pushed the pen and paper to the side, and opened the door, revealing a smiling Will, his hair messy and framing his symmetrical features. With a deep bow, he said in a low voice, "Thank you, Mr Dark Lord, for welcoming me to your humble abode."

"Idiot," Nico grumbled. "You know you can come here whenever you want."

"I know. But that was fun."

Nico held the door wider, allowing Will's broad frame through. He immediately jumped face first onto the coach, moaning in delight. "This is so damn comfortable!" Will exclaimed, burying his face further into the velvet.

Maybe Nico would keep the couch.

"I have a Switch," he said, making Will's head snap in his direction. "Do you want to play MarioKart?"

He grinned, eyes twinkling. "Of course!" Immediately, he leaped off the couch and onto the supposedly-crimson carpet, legs sprawled out.

"Do you want the grey one or the other grey one?"

"Surprise me!"

Nico gave Will the lighter grey one - coral pink or whatever, he didn't know nor did he care - and Nico wedged himself between Will's legs, leaning backwards. The Switch was set up in front of them. Both boyfriends stared intently at the screen, and once the race begun, everything was on the cards.

Both Nico and Will fought dirty.

When Will was ahead, Nico pressed into him so he couldn't control his vehicle properly. When Nico cut ahead of him, Will 'accidentally' kneed him in the stomach. Water splashing, popcorn throwing, orange squirting - all of them happened at some point during the races. Eventually, it got to the point where Will kissed Nico just to distract him, although he may have gotten distracted from the game himself.

In the end, they placed third and fourth, respectively.

Nico sighed, and broke the kiss, which had lasted an entire lap of whichever course they had been on, he didn't remember.

"So..." Will dragged the word out, eyes searching. "You look a bit down. A penny for your thoughts?"

"I..." Nico swallowed. "I was just thinking about family."

Will nodded. "You were wondering how they'd react?" Nico nodded - he wasn't lying, but it wasn't exactly the whole truth either. "I don't know," he said with a sigh. "I haven't seen my mum for a while, so my only parental figure is this one guy who has a PhD in practically everything and just decided that I was his child." Will cracked a small smile. "Along with a bunch of others."