Battle Wounds: Solangelo Soulmate AU

NINETY-SEVEN

WILL POV:
The next day at school Nico said he was going to tell Peter and Eli to fuck off because he told me himself. By the end of the day I'm starting to think he isn't going to do it because as far as I'm aware he hasn't yet.

Getting into our car at the end of the day I turn to him before I even put the keys in the ignition. "How'd it go?" I ask.

He shrugs, "Fine."

"That's all? Fine? They weren't upset?"

He shrugs again, telling me they did not react fine and I'm sure when we get home I'm going to find out why. "They were, but they said they'd leave me alone."

I raise a, slightly, accusatory eyebrow at him. "Are you sure?"

He frowns, "What, still don't believe me?" He sounds slightly hurt, but mostly he just sounds defensive.

"You seem upset," I say, instead of just flat out saying No, no Nico I don't because for the past month at least you've been lying to me through your teeth.

"I'm just tired," he claims. "I need cuddles."

I decide to leave it for now, but plan on pushing later if he still seems upset. I turn the keys in the ignition and pull out of the parking lot to head home. The whole drive Nico keeps his head against the window as he stares at me.

When we get home we immediately go upstairs and Nico plops down on the bed and cuddles up with Mrs. O'leary. I smile at him and kiss his head before going to my desk to finish up some homework I didn't quite get done in class.

It only takes me about 15 minutes but when I turn back around Nico is wrapped around Mrs. O'leary and pretty much asleep. Mrs. Olearys big puppy dogs eyes look up at me as I approach them as if to say, "Come cuddle us but if you wake him I'll bite your face off."

I lay down behind Nico and as gently as possible press myself against him and my arm around him. He sighs and settles back against me. "I talked to them," he says so quietly I couldn't quite understand him.

"How'd it go?"

"Can I tell you later?" his voice cracks slightly. "I need some time."

I want to scream Absolutely not you tell me right now what happened! but of course I don't do that. Instead I said, "Yes baby." I kiss behind his ear softly. "Take your time." The quicker the better, but I also don't say that.

I sit and hold him for nearly an hour before he turns towards me and sits up. He sits there chewing on the inside of his cheeks for a few moments before finally speaking up. "They said they'd leave me alone on one condition."

He goes silent and I soon realize he wasn't planning on explaining further without a little more push. "What was that condition love?"

"I-I still have my, uh, connections. So I have to get them whatever they want whenever they want."

Connections. I think it's safe to assume they want drugs. They want Nico to be their dealer.

"Absolutely not," I say quickly. "If you get caught your screwed baby. And you only have another few months till you're off probation!"

"It's either that or they keep hurting me," he snaps. "Or I let them tell the whole fucking school what a fucked up coke whore I am."

My chest physically hurts when he starts talking about himself so poorly, because I know he genuinely believes these things about himself. He doesn't see the beautiful man I have in front of me, only the 14 year old on his knees in front of grown men for drugs to try and escape his awful life.