Nico di Angelo One-shots

Solangelo Ft. Abusive!Will - Lore

Everyone loved a charismatic man.

Someone who seemed to be all sunshine and no rain.

Someone you could trust.

Someone who could laugh with anyone.

Because if anyone doubted their name... slandered their character... Anyone who loved him would come to his defense without question.

Even if, behind closed doors, he beat the love of his life into a battered shell of a person as a way to say "I love you."

That's how Will was - and Nico loved him so much, but hated him too.

Because no one would believe Nico, a child of the shadows, a prince of the darkness, if he said that his tired eyes, sad smiles and bruised bones were from Will Solace, the friendliest face in Camp Half-Blood. The face Nico would kill to say "I love you" rather than his fists doing it for him.

He knew that Will had a reputation to uphold. That he didn't really mean it when he hurt Nico. That Nico had pushed him to that point, that his darkness was rubbing off on him. And, as in love with Will as he was, this was the best deal he'd ever get. He'd never have a relationship like theirs, none would compare, even with the beautiful ups and harsh, constant downs that they faced. They did it together... where no one needed to see.

"Everyone makes mistakes."

"Every relationship struggles somehow."

"He's trying to get better, but he goes through a lot."

Excuses Nico would say as he sat crying, defeated, in Percy's cabin. Percy would hold him, wonder why he couldn't convince Nico to leave. Nico was shattered into pieces, but every time it hurt this bad, he'd pick up the pieces and put them all back together in the wrong way.

He'd go back to Will, night after night, beating after beating, just to get screamed at but also have a chance of seeing the side of Will that really was soft, sensitive and bright.

The Will that Nico missed. The Will he couldn't accept that he'd never see again. The Will that gave Nico hope that things would get better, that he wouldn't have to leave the person he had loved the hardest with all of his soul and willpower just to face backlash by the people in the only home he'd ever known.

Nico just wanted to be loved, but never seemed to do it right. Do enough. Unconditional love was made up for those who couldn't work through things, he thought.

Percy knew better, but Nico wouldn't listen.

So he'd stand up at the end of his fit of sobs every time, thank Percy and reach for the doorhandle. Percy, his closest friend, would try to close the door, but Nico would just smile.

"It'll be okay," he said, more to convince himself then Percy, and shadow traveled away.

No one could stop him from going back to the abuse endured but Will, the only man on the planet who never would.