How to Seduce Will Solace: Step by Step with Nico Di Angelo

Step Two: Make it seem like you don't like him

Later that night, Nico figured he was lucky enough to have Percy call him. He needed a distraction from homework anyway. He didn't expect Percy to say that he was coming over, though (that was an annoying thing about him, he never gave Nico a heads up if he was coming by to take him somewhere or if he was coming over).

"You can't come over right now, Percy. My dad is in one of those moods-"

"I won't bother him," he interrupted, "besides, your dad loves me."

Yeah right.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Percy," he sighed.

"Yeah, well, I'm already in my car. Jason canceled on me, and I'm bored. Plus you're my boyfriend, don't you want to see me?"

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no-

"I just- I have a lot of homework-"

"If you don't want me to come over, then just tell me," he said, and Nico closed his mouth, looking off to the side. This felt like a trap, and he was scared to answer. He heard Percy give an annoyed sigh, "You're my boyfriend, Nico, whether you like it or not. You can't just hang out with me when you want to."

"What, like you're doing?" He says, except it comes out as, "I- I'm not, Percy-"

"Then why the hell are you giving so many excuses to not see me?" Percy says, voice close to a shout.  Nico opens his mouth, but he isn't sure how to respond so he closes it.

"Whatever," he hears, "I'll just go to Annabeth's," then, he hangs up. Nico's eyebrows draw together, and he takes his phone from his ear, staring at the lock screen. After a minute, panic rises in his throat, and he quickly pulls up Percy's contact, sending a quick message.

'I'm sorry, you're right. I want to see you, you can come over if you want to.'

He bites his thumbnail as he waits for a response, but he doesn't get one, even as the word read pops up under his message.

------

At school the next day, Percy continuously avoided him until lunch. He was walking over to their usual table, which Will was sitting at, he noted, when Percy saw him. He stood up, walking over and putting a hand up, silently stopping him from walking any further. Nico frowned when Percy was close enough.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't want you around Will," he said simply, Nico's frown deepened.

"What? Why not?"

"Becuase," he said, glaring, "I don't want my boyfriend checking another guy out."

"I-" Nico's cheeks flushed, "I wasn't even- You can't tell me who I can or can't hang out with, Percy."

"Can you please just not be difficult for once and sit somewhere else?"

"Why should I? Why are you telling me to sit somewhere else and not Will? Like you said, I'm your boyfriend and-"

"He's my friend, Nico-"

"I'm your boyfriend-" he closed his mouth upon seeing Percy's glare. He glanced off to the side, biting the inside of his cheek, "where and I even supposed to sit," he mumbled, his cheeks flushing.

"I don't know, don't you have other friends?" Nico bites his lip, because Percy knows he doesn't- not really anyway. The only people he ever talks to is currently at the table with Will.

"Percy, please-"

"You could sit in the library," he said, and Nico huffed. Getting interrupted all the time was so fucking annoying. Before he could say anything else though, Percy was walking back to the table.

Nico sighs, looking around the cafeteria. He spotted an empty table, and decided he would sit there.

He caught Will frowning over at him, and he bowed his head, feeling strangely embarrassed. He put his hand in his hair, gripping at it as his cheeks reddened.

------
The more I read over this book the more I kind of hate it and realize it's kind of stupid, but there's no backing out now lmao
(9/4/18)
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