Solangelo One-Shots

Too Quick, Mumbled Into Your Scarf

They'd been together for two and a half months, this was about to be their 11th date, and yes, Nico had been counting.

He stood on Halfblood Hill, hands in his pockets as he waited for his boyfriend to meet him there so they could walk to the nearest city together.

When Nico saw Will approaching he almost burst out laughing. Nico wasn't an expert on fashion but he was pretty sure wearing a bright yellow scarf with an orange Camp Half-blood sweatshirt was not the best idea. "Nice outfit, sunshine."

"What? It's cold!" Will said, "And I bet you're freezing in that short sleeved shirt. Here, you should wear my scarf."

"I am not wearing a bright yellow scarf, you dork," Nico protested, but Will was already wrapping it around his neck.

"There," Will said with a slight smile, "It looks better on you anyways."

Nico gave a short laugh, "Yeah I bet it does. Let's go."

"Let's go." Will repeated in agreement and the two of them started walking.

Nico smiled as seconds later, Will took his hand, swinging their arms between them as they walk. The thought that slid into Nico's mind then felt so natural that he almost didn't realize what it meant: I love you. But he bit his lip and kept that thought to himself. Was two and a half months too soon to be thinking that?

But throughout their date that thought kept popping up. It floated through Nico's mind when the waitress at the coffee shop commented on how cute they were together and said that she could tell they were a couple by the way they looked at each other. Nico and Will had looked at each other again then and smiled. I love you.

It bounced into his head every time Will laughed that day. I love you.

It bubbled to the surface of his thoughts when they went went back to camp as the sun set and sat by the lake together, so close to each other with their arms around each other and Nico's head resting on Will's shoulder as the two of them chatted easily. I love you.

It burst into his mind as the hour slipped into double digits and the two of them finally kissed goodbye. I love you.

Now as they pulled away, those words balanced on the type of Nico's tongue, wanting to be said. But Will was already turning to walk away, so Nico turned too, ducking his head so that his words were muffled by Will's scarf that was still around his neck. And finally, he said it, though it was quietly and as they were walking away from each other, he still said it, "I love you, Will."

Will heard and he stopped, turning back around, "Did you say something?"

Nico froze for a second before facing Will and shaking his head, "Oh, nothing important. I, uh, just remembered that I'm still wearing your scarf," he said, pulling the obnoxious yellow cloth off his neck and handing it back to his boyfriend, "That's it."

As Will watched him leave, the last few seconds replayed in his head until he finally comprehended what Nico had said.

"Wait, Nico!' Will called after him, running to catch up until he could turn and stop in front of him. "I love you, too."