I love Nico di Angelo, as you may have noticed. I have one-shot books for him on Tap, he's a main character in AT LEAST half of my stories, and is one of my FAVORITE characters Rick Riordan created. To sum it up, I'm a fangirl. So, I now present to...
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A/N: Homophobia and triggering words, themes and concepts may be included. Read at own risk. As a reminder, this one-shot (like many of my stories) is not entirely realistic. Thank you.
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Solangelo Will's POV:
I never wanted to "fix" broken people. By broken, I mean gay. But they offered me money, and they don't know what I tell my patients. If anything, I've got a mini GSA going.
Having a degree is counseling and experience as a camp counselor, it was easy to get the position at my local conversion camp when it was hiring. I'm gay, so it's important to me that there are people who can become a safe haven for gay youth when they're struggling... and if that means going under in a conversion camp, so be it.
Being the counselor, I make the most impact on the kids. I need them to know that they're not bad people, they're just in a bad situation - this camp. I need them to know that there is nothing wrong with their queerness. I needed to know that as a kid, so I'll be damned if I can't do it for these kids.
My coworker, Nico, is another story. He's obviously closeted, my gay radar sings when he's around. And he doesn't enforce any of the conversion camp rules either, unless our supervisor is watching (which is only one or two days each summer). But, he's quiet and very to himself... He's hard for me to figure out.
Nico's POV:
I'm not here to be these kids' sunshine and rainbows in the light of rain. They still have to go back to unwelcoming homes, and maybe they'll get sent to much worse camps when their parents realize that this camp did nothing for them. Eventually, this camp will shut down or the supervisors will start stepping in, once they realize that their clients are unsatisfied with their work. At some point, each of these kids has had a breakdown in my arms.
I'm no angel. I'm no knight in shining armor. I'm no godsend.
I'm just here to make sure an asshole isn't. I'm here so that someone who actually believes in conversion camps doesn't take control and step in. That's it. Because I needed someone to do that for me as a child.
My coworker, Will, is a different story. He's all smiles and fun. It's nice, watching the kids have a good time; some of them look like they never have before. But it's not something I could do. Will is even open about his sexuality to them. It's foolhardy, and I can't help but scoff at it (yet admire him for it at the same time, even though I'll never admit it).
I just hope that the supervisors don't find out how unmanaged their homophobic agenda is here. And I hope that when the time comes, I can at least find a job afterwards, because paying the bills is not easy.
~ Time Skip ~ Third Person POV:
After a while, Nico sat down next to Will at the faculty picnic table, looking out at the lake. All the kids were enjoying dinner at the tables across from them, talking amongst each other or stuffing their faces.
Nico never really spoke to Will, but always wanted to. He wasn't sure about mixing business with pleasure, but this time he didn't have to worry about it. Will started the conversation.
"You didn't work here last year," Will commented. "What brings you here?"
Nico wasn't sure Will was talking to him at first but then lifted his eyebrows, "Oh. Nothing much. Putting food on the table."
Will chuckles, "On this salary? It's gotta be more than that."
Nico shrugged, "Maybe it is. Why?"
Will opened up his sandwich, "Because you intrigue me, Mr. di Angelo."
"I what?" Nico asked with an 'excuse me' look on his face.
"Yeah," Will replied confidently. "I can't figure you out."
"What's there to figure out?" Nico furrowed his eyebrows, not touching his food yet.
"If I should like you or not," Will admitted. Nico figured like as in, in general, which made his heart twist a little bit but he wasn't sure why.
"There's nothing to," Nico assured.
"Nothing to what?"
"To like."
"Well now I know you're lying."
"Wha- How so?"
"Because only likeable people think they're unlikeable."
"Says who."
"Says me. And I'm a psychologist."
"A gay psychologist working at a conversion camp."
"Better than being a straight psychologist working at a conversion camp."
"Why?"
"Because then I wouldn't be able to flirt with you."
Nico paused, feeling his face go hot. Their back and forth came to an end as Nico looked Will up and down.
"What?" Nico asked, sure he heard him wrong.
Will smiled, seeing the blush, "Yeah. I think I do like you."
