Percy Jackson Ships

Missing You Today -//- Solangelo

Today was the hardest day of the year for Nico. Today was the anniversary of Bianca's death. It was only noon, but it seemed like it had been days since he had woken up to buy flowers and leave Camp for the day. He shadow traveled to the grave yard just like he always did. It used to just be efficient, but now it's mostly because when he got back Will would force him into the infirmary and fawn over him, and he was really going to need that after today.  He headed into the grave yard and took the familiar path to Bianca's headstone. It was small, but beautiful, with her name, Bianca Di Angelo, An Angel Taken From Us Too Soon, her birth date and death date, and little flowers engraved all around the border. Hades didn't play with his daughter's gravestone. No expense was spared to give her the beautiful gravestone Nico had seen and loved for his beautiful, brave big sister. When he got close to the gravestone, he had already begun to tear up.
"Bianca? I know you can hear me, B." Nico says, wiping his eyes with his sleeve the whole time, and failing to hold back all the tears. "I miss you. It's scary up here. All the wars, monsters, nothing I can't handle, of course. But I'm still scared. Even you would be scared. Percy still tells how brave you were before you died. And I still hate him for letting you die." Nico is crying harder now, choking up. "Listen, I - I wanted to just say thank you. I know I never really did that. Thank you for-for loving me when Mom died, and when no one else did. Thank you for accepting me no matter who I was, and who I loved. Thank you for being the bravest soul I've ever known, for leaving me while you lived your life. Everyone makes sacrifices. I'm glad I got to make mine for you." Nico is basically sobbing now. "Some days, I can't even accept you're gone. I refuse to. Once, a few days after you died, I went looking for you, because I thought everyone was lying. I checked everywhere, before I concluded you were on a mission with the Hunters. I waited for 3 days before I really accepted you weren't going to come back, call, or even write. I would have to make my own way, and figure out how my life was going to be. And I hated you for it for a while. I don't anymore. And I'm-I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Being a brat, calling you names, screaming I hated you when you left me, and being the world's worst brother. I hope you know how much I appreciated, and loved you..." Nico can't take it, and finally just sits there sobbing, on his knees, head in his hands. Meanwhile, Will, who was ordered by their friends to find him and make sure he was okay, because 'he won't push you away, Will. He'll let you in. He won't let us in.'. Will sees this whole ordeal, and can't stay at a distance like he had planned. 
"Nico? Oh, Nico, it's all okay." Will says quietly, wrapping his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders. Nico doesn't mind it at first, but then he realizes: Will is seeing him cry. No one is supposed to see him like this. He starts trying to push Will away.
"Please, Will, leave me alone." he cries, but Will doesn't move. He tries to push Will away, but Will just hugs him. He tries everything, but Will is just there, hugging him, and being there, and not letting go. And Nico gives up. He stops caring about if Will sees him as Son of Hades, Emo Badboy, or Son of Hades, Emo Crybaby, and finally lets Will have his way, letting him hug him close while he sobs his eyes out. Will just sits there and lets Nico cry while he holds him close, and Nico clings onto his shirt when he starts rubbing his back. When the tears finally stop, quite some time later, and it's only shaking breaths, Will lets him go a little, and do what he wants. If he wants to stay on Will's shoulder, that's fine. If he wants to move, that's fine, too. Nico sits up, but doesn't move away, wiping his eyes with his pale hand. He takes a few breaths, and looks over to Will.
"You knew her, right?" he asks.
"I did. She was stunning. A natural born leader, and so caring. I was hoping to take her in, she would have made a wonderful Healer. But I think she deserved to be happy. Just like her brother." Will says gently. Nico shakes his head.
"You're not going to believe this is me at my happiest, then. I'm with her. My only family. The only person who knew and accepted me for so many years. Who took care of me before herself every time. And even though she left me to join the Hunters, I'm almost glad she did, because I needed to live my life, not hang onto her as she lived hers. I just wish I had gotten to say something to her... just so she knew I didn't hate her for leaving, and I loved her so much..." Nico tells him.
"That makes sense. She was your sister. But you guys were lucky. Not all siblings love each other like you two did. Nico, you searched the Underworld for her, just to see her one last time. She knew. I promise." Will soothes. "If you need anything, I'm right here, okay?" he adds, biting his lip.
"Can I maybe have another hug?" Nico asks somewhat hesitantly after a minute. Will smiles, nodding. 
"Don't even ask about that, Neeks. Come here." He says, and suddenly his arms are full of Nico, who is already on the verge of tears again, just from the contact that he's missed for so many years.

"Thank you, Will. For-For being he-here." Nico chokes out right before he's crying again. 
"Nowhere I'd rather be, Neeks. I promise." Will promises, arms still full of the smaller boy, admiring the beautiful stone. "Her stone is beautiful. Did you pick it?" he asks after a minute.
"Yeah. She loved being outside, being with all the flowers, camping, you name it. I thought it was suiting, you know?" Nico says, having stopped crying, but his voice is raspy now.

"I think it's perfect." Will says quietly, admiring the beautiful stone. "She would have loved it, Nico, I know it." he adds. Nico looks up, eyes huge and glassy.
"Really?" he asks in a smaller voice than normal. Will was getting to see a whole other side of Nico today. He showed human emotion, he was upset, grieving, he was... vulnerable. Smiling softly, Will nodded.
"Absolutely. Oh Nico, it's okay...." Will says, taking Nico into his arms again as Nico starts crying yet again, but this time it seems happier.
They spend the better part of the day there, and Nico spends almost the whole time crying, and Will spends that time soothing him as best he can. They walk out of the cemetery, and Will expects Nico to still be upset, but he turns to Will and he looks the same as always.
"I usually leave all my emotions by the grave, but really. Thank you so much for staying for me today. I needed someone more than I thought." Nico says quietly.

"Neeks, I'm always around. I promise. I'll drop it all if you need me." Will says, and Nico looks shocked, but quickly recovers.
"Bianca was my favorite person on Earth and beyond. She knew everything about me, whether I wanted to tell her, I always did. Because she was that kind of person. We were just sitting around one day and we were just talking and I blurted out I was gay before almost breaking down. It was a long time ago, remember. Gay people weren't exactly common, or accepted. I honestly thought she was going to tell me to get out and not come back. But she didn't. She accepted me for me, and always kept me in check so it wasn't super obvious when we were out with her guy friends or mine. She was just the best, and when she told me she liked boys and girls, I of course couldn't resist myself from smiling so big my face hurt the rest of the day. We were both different than the people we grew up with, which made us so much closer, I think." Nico talked out loud as they walked. Of course Will about did a flip hearing that Nico was gay, but he refrained and continued walking, nodding along. 
"I didn't know her very long at all, but the way you talk about her, she sounds like the most amazing person ever." Will says, and Nico smiled. Actually smiled.
"She was..... Wanna grab some lunch?" Nico asks, steering off the topic so he can continue leaving his emotions behind him.
"Sure. Coffee shop or pizza?" Will asks, and Nico gives him a weird look. 
"Pizza. Always pizza." he says, shocked Will didn't know, and Will laughs.
"Got it. Always pizza." he chuckles as they head inside.
When they're seated with their pizza, Will clears his throat. 
"So... you said you're... gay..?" he asks. Nico swallows, eyes wide.

"Oh gods... did you not know? Are you not okay with it? Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods." Nico starts talking very fast, and descends into rapid Italian within seconds. "Oh mio dio. Questo non va bene. Pensavo che lo sapesse. Oh mio dio, mi dispiace così tanto Sono così dispiaciuto. Se è a disagio, Nico, vai via. Non restare in giro. Probabilmente è fuori di testa e non è a suo agio. Beh, ecco la mia unica vera amica." Nico rambles. (He said: Oh my gods. This isn't good. I thought he knew. Oh my gods I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. If he's uncomfortable, Nico, just leave. Don't hang around. He's probably freaked out and not comfortable. Well there goes my only real friend.) What Nico doesn't realize is that Will speaks Italian as well, and follows the whole rant, and as Nico is getting ready to leave, Will stands up and puts his hands on Nico's shoulders. 

"Va bene. Sono gay anche io." Will smiles (He said: It's okay. I'm gay, too.) and Nico has no time to be shocked before Will softly puts his lips to Nico's.
"Oh... my gods." Nico whispers, smiling before kissing Will back. "Now let's eat. I'm hungry. Sobbing until near dehydration takes a lot out of a person." he says, sitting back down and picking up his slice of pizza. Will smiles and picks up his slice as well.
Nico and Will go hand in hand to Will's car.
When Will thinks that Nico is asleep, he smiles, taking his hand away, and moving to Nico's head. He threads his fingers through Nico's dark mop of hair.
"I know you've been through so much, Neeks. But you've handled it so beautifully. The amount of strength you use daily is astounding. But you're an idiot not to realize I've loved you since day one." Will says, fingers playing with Nico's hair still. Nico only smiles, and pretends to sleep some more.