Moondust

Chapter thirteen

Family.

“Nico?” She asked, touching his cheek. He fingers came away wet, and Nico could feel the tears running down. “Your eyes are leaking.” He shook his head. “No, I’m-I’m fine.” He mumbled, getting up. He could feel Hazel, Frank and Michael staring. “I need to go to the bathroom.” He muttered  stumbling out into the corridor, slumping in one of the hard, plastic chairs in the waiting room.

Family
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Will jumped when his phone started to ring. He tried his best to answer it, tucking it between his shoulder and his ear, elbow deep in suds as he scrubbed at the plate. The bit of tomato sauce didn’t want to come off, even with his vicious scrubbing.

“This is Will Solace.”

“Will?” He froze at Nico’s voice, a slight twinge of embarrassment rushing through him. It wasn’t like he had hung around the stupid piece of metal and plastic ever since he got home, checking it every two minutes for missed calls or text messages. Nope. He quickly swiped at his screensaver, putting Nico on speakerphone.

“Nico? Is that you? Wasn’t expecting you to call.” He said. Lie, his brain rebuked.

Can it, brain.

He dried the plate with the blue towel. The tomato sauce stain could wait, he thought.

………………………………………………

“Nope, it’s Piper. Of course it’s me, you idiot.” Nico slumped against the chair, the barest hint of a smile on his face in spite of everything.

The drawing was on the chair beside him, the lopsided smiles boring holes into his chest. When Hazel had called him “family” something inside him gave out, leaving him desperately grabbing at anything he could to cut off the fall. They’d found each other no less than five months ago, and if he lost another member of his family again… Will was something familiar now, something safe.

“Well, good to know.” He heard Will chuckle on the other end. There was the sound of running water being turned off, and the clack of plates against a table top. “You okay, man? You sound…I dunno. Weird.”

“I’m…I’m okay.” He managed to lie through his teeth. “Though the nurse is corrupting my step-sister’s and her best friend’s minds with bedtime stories.”

“Huh?”

Nico gave him the name and he heard Will choke out a laugh on the other end. “You’re kidding me. There’s actually a book with a title like that?”

“Yup. Hazel asked me how to read it.” He confirmed, smirking. This felt normal, pointless banter and gentle teasing. Though not enough to forget about the drawing.

“Gods above." he heard the sound of a drawer slamming shut. “What are you doing now?”

Nico shrugged. “Other than talking to you? Having my spine dislocated by the chairs here. I swear, they’re hard enough to cut diamond.” He heard Will’s grin in his voice, and he got that drunk, high feeling again, the one that floated to the surface when he could make the other guy smile or laugh.

“What about you?” he asked. “Well, just finished putting away the dishes, so I’m probably going to study a bit. Maybe read a book. All the while sitting on this amazing, cushioned armchair that’s right next to me here.” Nico groaned, half exasperated, half amused.

“Okay, really? And here I thought you actually liked me.” He said, feigning betrayal and putting a hand on his chest, a full blown smirk on his face. He knew he was being melodramatic and probably looked ridiculous to anyone who happened upon him in the corridor. He didn’t care as much as he should have.

“I’m an evil mastermind, di Angelo. Bow before my wrath, lowly peasant!” Will attempted an evil cackle and Nico really felt like laughing now.

“You sound like a dying cow.” He informed him, and he heard Will sigh. “Well, at least I made you laugh.“

Nico was about to say something when he noticed the song in the background. “It that the cover I played this afternoon?” he asked. “Yeah. You’re still not telling me what it’s called?” Nico shook his head, then remembered that Will couldn’t see him.

“No can do, sunshine.” Nico teased. He heard Will huff a bit and his breathing hitched a bit. Gods, he was adorable.

“Change of subject, then. What do you want to talk about?” Will asked.

“Everything. But hold on a second” Nico replied, shooting a glance at Michael Yew, who was walking out of the room, holding Frank's hand.

She's sleeping, he mouthed, and Nico nodded, getting up. It was late. He looked at the drawing next to him on the seat and hesitated, looking at the happy, crayoned smiles. It went into his jacket pocket as he picked up his phone again. Will made him feel all right, wanted, making him hope.

Safe.

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A/N: Woo! Another chapter up! I wasn't originally planning to post this until next week, but because it was my best friend's birthday today, I decided to just write another chapter. Happy Birthday, Dory! : )

Since I've posted this chapter, you have a few options for the next one. They are:

A) part one of a Caleo fic, kind of a prelude to this fic
B) a Solengelo oneshot
C) the playlist so far, including songs for each chapter

Send in your vote in the comments! (*^O^*)

Hugs,
Clary ＼(^o^)／