Solangelo Highschool Au - People

36: Reminder

"Couch or bed cuddles?" Nico questioned.

"Couch. Less area. More close. Better cuddles." Will decided. Nico smiled and chuckled.

"Got it. Oh shit I forgot to tell the group that you're okay... I'm guessing you don't want to talk to all of then right now?" Will shook his head, "That's what I figured. Here, I'll do this." He took a picture of the two of them together.

"Did someone find my phone or was that taken?" Will asked him. Nico pulled out Will's phone and gave it to him.

"The group knows that you're alive and such. Sorry, I went through your phone a bit. I was looking for clues."

"That's okay. You're always free to do that." Will shrugged, unlocking his phone and checking his notifications quickly. They finally got to the apartment, and Will flopped on the couch almost as soon as he could.

"Comfy cushions." He murmured. Nico laid with him, cuddling up to Will.

"Did you get more touch starved while I was gone?" Will asked him. Nico nodded slightly.

"Very much so. It's okay though. And we don't have to do the shirtless cuddling if you're not okay with it."

"I'd actually like to? If you want to, obviously. I... I'd like some nice human contact too." Will told him. Nico nodded, and soon enough they were cuddled up, shirtless. Nico gently rubbed Will's back, finding a few new scars. He wasn't going to ask.

And then, right in the middle of his shoulder blades, there was more of a design out of scars.

Natalie had put N on Will's back.

And that... That wasn't good. Nico started quietly crying into Will, for Will. Will didn't know how to respond other than holding him closer.

Because you can't change an N. Any other scar, you could tell yourself it was from some heroic battle. Convince yourself that. But a clear, perfect N... It'll be a reminder. Forever. Nico knew that.

He could try and say it's N for Nico, that it's something nice, that it's a coincidence that it ended up as an N. In reality, Will wouldn't be able to forget what happened, whatever that may have been. That was an N for Natalie. A reminder that he was hers for a period of time.

"Are you asleep?" Nico asked quietly.

"No. I don't feel like sleeping. I just feel like cuddling, and feeling safe in your arms." Will muttered.

"Will... Are you okay?" Nico asked him tentatively.

"Physically, I'm peachy. Emotionally and mentally, I'm just trying not to think about anything but you. Otherwise, I'll probably... Break down or something annoying."

"I'm guessing you don't want to sleep due to nightmares?"

"That guess is correct."

"Ah. I have a secret for you..." Nico said mysteriously.

"What?" Will cocked an eyebrow.

"I love you." Nico told him.

"You're a dork." Will chuckled, pulling Nico as close as he could. "I love you too, my adorable dork."

"Mhm. I do have something to tell you though." Nico stated, "You need a shower. You hair's a mess."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Thanks for the reminder, I'll get on that." Will stood up, stretching and going to shower.

"MY SUNCHILD!" Piper shouted, breaking into the apartment.

"Your sunchild is showering. He seems to be fairly okay. He won't sleep and there's some new scars but... He's alive." Nico informed her.

"Great! I brought chocolate and popcorn, I don't know what he'd want, so snacks galore. And why are you shirtless? Were you and Will..."

"No. We cuddle like that because I'm touch starved. Don't ask Will anything about what happened, maybe? I asked him something and he looked really uncomfortable, I want him to feel safe." Nico suggested.

"No questions, got it. Natalie totally did it, right?"

"She sure did. The police have her in custody. Dumbass has got to go to prison for it." Nico stated confidently. They made quick, small conversation.

"Nico, my- Oh hi Piper. Didn't know you were here." Will waved to her awkwardly once he was properly out of the shower.

"Hi Will! Glad to see you again." Piper quickly hugged Will tightly, catching him a small bit off guard. "Your hair is so fucked up, can I please fix it?"

"You can cut hair?" Will questioned.

"Of course, I have to be able to. Child of Aphrodite. Please?"

"Go right ahead."