Solangelo Highschool Au - People

35: Discovered

One. Whole. Month.

One month since Will had disappeared. Nico, along with most if the group, was still looking. A lot can happen in two weeks, Will could be dead, but maybe they could at least find a body.

And then Nico gets a call. He picks it up, hoping that someone saw one of the missing signs and had information on where Will was. It ended up being so much more than that.

"Is this Nico Di Angelo?" A voice asked on the other side of the call.

"Yes."

"We were told to call your number if information on a Mr. Will Solace was discovered?"

"Yes." Nico replied calmly, though he was screeching with excitement and anticipation inside.

"This is officer Wilson. We have him at the station currently. We have asked him if he knows you and he claimed you were his boyfriend. He is asking that you come to the station to pick him up. Can you confirm that you two are in said relationship?"

"I can confirm that I am his boyfriend, yes."

"You are free to come here, however you would do that, and pick him up. He's been questioned and the woman found to have had him confined is in custody." The officer informed. Nico attempted to keep his cool, though, fuck he was excited. He was going to see Will again.

"I'm on my way. Is he okay?"

"He appears completely unharmed." Yeah, that meant little to nothing. Will could have healed himself. Unharmed didn't mean she didn't harm him at some point.

"And who had him confined?"

"An individual identified as Natalie Hampton."

"Fucking knew it. I'll be right there." He hung up the call, composing himself before shadow traveling just behind the police station. He walked around, walking in and looking around.

And there was Will.

He was in some clothes that definitely weren't his own, basic gray sweatpants and a slightly too small t-shirt. His hair was an absolute mess, not only had it been unwashed, but it looked like it was randomly cut at some areas.

Nico ran at Will, arms open to hug him. Will initially flinched, purely at the fact that someone was running at him, but he realized who it was and rushed at him too. And they hugged. For a really long time.

"You're alive. Thank the gods you're alive." Nico muttered.

"Can't you tell when people die?" Will asked him, voice kind of quiet and rough.

"Yeah, of course, but... I don't know, I could've been wrong. I'm just so happy." Nico held Will tightly, and Will held him tightly back.

"I'm glad to see you again, love. I was so worried I wouldn't ever see you again..."

"Are you ready to head back home?" Nico asked him gently once the two finally parted.

"Yes, please." Will replied. Nico took Will's hands, and shadows started gathering to shadow travel, but Will stepped away with a panicked look on his face. Nico stopped the process of traveling immediately.

"Are you okay?" Nick questioned. Will typically wasn't scared of shadow travelling unless it was putting Nico in harm. He had gotten used to it. But now, he looked so wildly adverse to it.

"I'm fine. Could we, uh, walk instead? Or something? I just... Don't feel like magic right now." Will told him quietly. Nico'd ask later why his voice sounded as strained, raspy, quiet as it did. Not now, though.

"Okay. That's okay. We can walk, it isn't too far. Did Natalie do something to make you dislike shadows?" Nico asked.

"N-N-Natalie, she uh, did a lot of shit. I don't really want to talk about it right now, please?" Will silently cursed at himself for stuttering the name, though, even just having to say it hurt him emotionally.

"That's okay, you don't have to talk about it, ever. If you don't want to. Let's just get home, hang out, cuddle?" Nico suggested. Will nodded, holding tightly onto Nico's hand as they walked.

"So, uh... What'd I miss?" Will asked him.

"Not much. Halloween, but that's about it. Not much could happen. We were all too busy looking for you." Nico admitted. Will sighed, and it was suddenly more clear how exhausted he was.

"Around a month, huh?"

"Just over that, yeah. It's November 19th." Nico informed.

"Wonderful."