Ex-Nemesis

CHAPTER 23: EH, MIGHT AS WELL...

A/N: Hey my lovely darling readers! It's a long weekend! So I have some time to write!

Well, enjoy!

Nico would've done anything to just be able to shadow travel away and pretend nothing happened.

Unfortunately, he could not.

Maria all but dragged Will indoors, leaving her own son deserted at the doorstep, contemplating the meaning of life.

Nico was gonna murder Will for this.

Sunshot was going down.

Period.

Nico stomped indoors himself, eyes glaring at the back of the ugly yellow hoodie.

Ugh, why was he even looking at it? It hurt his eyes!

But still, his eyes refused to stray.

Maybe he should make a doctor's appointment, perhaps he was coming down with something?

Yeah, yeah that's it.

(A/N: Yes Neeks, you are coming down with a serious case of 'crush-syndrome')

He got to the kitchen to find his mother enthusiastically explaining the ordeal of making pizza to Will. Will watched her talk with comically wide blue eyes. Maria's own dark eyes were twinkling with mischief and joy.

Despite how cross Nico was with the two of them, he found his rock of a heart softening at the sight.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and spoke, clearing his throat rather pointedly, "why are you here, Will?"

Both Will and his mother jumped at his voice, his mother with a hand over her heart, "goodness, darling, do your feet not touch the ground at all?"

Will blinked at him a couple of times, eyes lingering, then looked away with slightly flush cheeks.

O....kay?

Will cleared his own throat, "oh um... you forgot your notebook? I thought I'd return it tomorrow but then I saw you walking down the street and- um- followed you here I guess?"

Nico blinked at him, "you were stalking me?"

Will looked incredibly flustered. Making Will stumble over his words was more fun than Nico expected.

"It was only to return your book!"

Nico raised an eyebrow.

Unfortunately, his mother chose that time to butt in, ruining his fun, "Nico! Don't scare the poor boy! He was doing something nice for you!"

Will egged her on with a fake pout, "yes, Mrs. Di Angelo, your son is very mean to me!"

Nico stared at him, expression unimpressed.

Will grinned, and suddenly sprang forth and crushed Nico in a hug, "kidding! He's the best!"

Nico batted him away like a kitten, all while Maria watched with a smile.

However, Will's weird antics were not going to distract Nico from his earlier intention of strangling Will.

"Will," he stared, voice dripping with poisoned honey, "can we talk?"

Will immediately froze at his tone, he glanced down at him, (mind you, Nico was not short! He was average! It wasn't HIS fault that Solace was part giant and towered over him!)

"Uh um- sure?"

And Nico was dragging him out of the kitchen into the living room and upstairs, his mother's voice called after them, high and merry, "don't have too much fun, you two!"

If Nico instantly transfigured into a human shaped tomato, that was for him to know and all you readers to wonder about till the end of eternity. (A/N: NICO!!! I JUST had the 4rth wall fixed! Will has become a bad influence on you... * sigh * kids these days...amiright?)

Nico didn't slow down until he had shoved Will inside his bedroom and locked the door behind them.

Nico crossed him arms as he stood in front of the door, while Will awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to another, the way he did when he was feeling nervous.

Nico most certainly had not been paying attention to these small details! No way! You dare accuse him?

Will looked at Nico, "so?"

"So?" Nico seethed, "what the heck were you THINKING, Solace?!"

"Um... I was thinking about returning your book?" He held the said book up.

Nico face-palmed.

Who knew someone so literally bright could be so dim sometimes.

"No! You idiota! I'm asking why you told my mom that you were my boyfriend?!"

Will's lips formed a small 'o'.

"Well, since we're pretending to be couple for the sake of our job-"

"That was only within the school!"

Will blinked, realization dawning on his face, "so...

... I messed up?"

Nico dragged a hand down his face, his words coming out in a groan, "yes."

"Oops."

Nico glared at him.

"Sorry?" Will tried, not sounding sorry in the least, "but you have to admit, it's kinda funny-"

And Nico exploded, "funny? FUNNY? Solace, do you have any idea what kind of a woman my mother can be?!" He suppressed a shudder, "she's gonna make us a ship name and print it on t-shirts and hand them out around the neighborhood for free!"

At least, Will had the decency to look guilty after hearing that, "sorry..."

Nico let out a breath, slumping against the door, "well, the damage is done. There's nothing we can do except roll with it."

Will bit his lip nervously.

Nico walked past him and flopped down on his bed, "we might as well use this to our advantage, now I can have you over to discuss further plans and stuff."

Will hmmed in agreement, still standing awkwardly in the middle of the room like the beanpole he is.

He looked around the room, studying it, and Nico realized that Will had never seen his room before.

But then, why, amongst all the dark colored décor, Will's bright profile fit perfectly? Why did his presence feel so natural? As if he'd been here all his life just standing there in the middle of Nico's room?

"You can sit down you know, the furniture doesn't bite," Nico said at last, having had enough of Will fiddling anxiously with the hem of his hoodie.

Will gingerly sat down next to Nico, "well..." he stared, "what do we do now?"

Nico didn't sit up, "I suppose we'll make the most of this and talk about 'plans'."

Will nodded sagely, "so...

... updates on Hazel..."

A/N: This was a bit of a filler. I've been straying a bit from the main plot line to add some fun stuff, I hope y'all don't mind!

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Constructive criticism is always appreciated.