shadows and sunshine (solangelo)

olympics au part 3

this is part 3 of the olympics au by buoyantsaturn on ao3! this part is my absolute favorite 😍😍😍😍enjoy!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42600519#main

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It was surprisingly easy to find ways to see each other in person over the next year, even if, sometimes, it was just long enough for Nico and Will to fall asleep in each other's arms, only for one of them to wake up too soon, forced to leave the other asleep in some hotel bed before catching a flight out of the country.

Each of them had a variety of competitions they had to compete in - and do well in - in order to qualify for their next respective Olympic games. Will spent a few of the colder months traveling across America and Canada to partake in his own qualifying matches, but any time he found himself in Europe, he knew that Nico would drop everything to be there with him. (Aside from one particular trip to Sweden, during which Nico had his own competition in France. Still, they'd made sure to meet somewhere in the middle before either of them had to return home.)

For the most part, though, they still relied on video calls that always had to happen too early in the day for one of them, or too late at night for the other. They sent texts, and snapchats, and shared tiktoks that reminded them of each other.

Until finally, Nico found himself pacing in between carousels at baggage claim, desperately searching for a head of blond curls that stood taller than everyone else. He kept checking his phone, though the last text he'd gotten was just landed :) see you soon! which left him buzzing in anticipation.

He almost wanted to wait in the car, allowing his heart a chance to beat at a normal pace again, but then he heard some sort of commotion from the hallway just past baggage claim, and then Will was marching through the crowds, a handful of reporters following after him.

Nico didn't hesitate to run toward him, calling out his name as the only warning before he leapt into Will's arms, his own arms wrapping around Will's shoulders and his ankles locking behind Will's back. To his credit, Will barely stumbled as he caught Nico, laughing in surprise before he buried his face in Nico's shoulder.

"Hey, darlin'," Will said softly into his ear, "I missed you."

Nico's arms tightened around him. "I missed you," he replied in Italian, mumbling the words against the side of Will's neck. "I love you so much. I can hardly believe we have the next two weeks to be together."

"Hm?" Will lifted his head. "You're gonna have to speak up, babe. I didn't catch any of that."

Nico leaned back far enough that he could meet Will's eyes, and framed Will's face with his hands. "I long for the reformation of Pangea so that we no longer have to suffer due to the distance between us."

Will smiled, reaching up to brush a lock of hair behind Nico's ear. "You're so pretty."

Nico tugged on one of Will's curls with a frown. "You haven't been practicing." He lowered his feet back to the ground, crossing his arms as he glared up at his boyfriend. "I told you, I'm not going to spend your whole visit acting as your translator."

"I have been practicing," Will assured him, "but I've also been a little bit distracted recently by, you know, this career-defining event I'm about to take part in."

Nico scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Your career is more important than your boyfriend, I get it. Then I guess I should just leave you to find your way to the Olympic Village all on your own."

Nico turned to start marching away, though Will caught him by the hand and dragged him back. Nico gave up his faux irritation as soon as his hand secured in Will's, and followed him toward a carousel to pick up his checked bags.