Just Solangelo Things

Writings On The Wall

There's something horribly wrong about love stories, Nico decides. There's something empty and void in the way they fall in love. Fate, he decides, is a terrible terrible thing.

All beginnings of love stories belong to Fate. The way the two meet accidentally, the way their fingers brush over the table, the way they make eye contact like the rest of the world is a blank canvas. All of that belongs to Fate in love stories, and it's very sad.

No, Nico believes in Choices. He wants those memories to belong to him. But, who is he against Fate?

---

It's not very hard to find a decent hospital in New York. What should be hard, instead, is finding a way to end up there as often as Nico Di Angelo does.

The first time isn't really his fault, just that his friend Leo had conveniently decided to set his new project on fire and burn down the dining table. In Nico's apartment.

And so he was getting carted off to the ER for treating his "really not that bad" burns. He says thanks to the doctor, pretends to be mad at Leo one last time, and even is halfway out the door before he meets the thing he hates most.

He nearly loses his footing as the nurse who had been walking with his nose buried in his clipboard walks face first into his shoulder.

"Oh my gods," says the nurse. "I'm so sorry!"

Nico looks up and their eyes meet. He has blond hair, sweeping to the side and a pen behind his ear. Theres a golden tan on his cheeks and galaxies of freckles on his nose and cheeks.

He hates it. He hates the way they touched so easily. He hates the way that as soon as he forces himself to look away, his eyes land on the nametag. He hates the way Will Solace feels perfect in his mouth, and he absolutely, positively loathes the color of airy blue that burns into the backs of his eyelids.

He knows, that moment is not in his hands anymore. He feels the eyes of Fate on their backs and his skin crawls.

"It's fine," he replies in a clipped tone. "I'm alright."

Will Solace doesn't say a word, doesn't breathe another breath. Nico walks out of the hospital and writes another note on his wall.

Fate is selfish, but it's never wrong. Maybe that's why I hate it so much. I hate the way those Blue Eyes looked at me.
No. I hate that they looked at me because of Fate.
Will Solace is a terrible pawn.
But so am I.

---

A few weeks later, he falls off his motorcycle. It's not really a big deal, hence "falling off" and not "auto accident". Still, he ends up sighing in the ER as his best friend Jason fusses over him like a mother.

Fate must really want to prove him wrong, because as soon as he is lead to a curtained room, Will Solace is sitting on a stool with a stethoscope around his neck and a computer in his lap. Their actual first meeting now seemed like preparation for this moment.

"Hi," Will says. "What happened this time?"

"Nothing bad. Motorcycle and a cat in the road."

"Huh," Will smiles at him and he's pretty sure his freckles are shining. "You don't look much like the 'swerve to save the animal' type. But then again, I did run headfirst into you the first time we met."