You're All I Need [Solangelo AU]

XXVII

One year later.

Will Solace was arrested on March 13th, 2018 after a raging court battle against Hades di Angelo. In this time, him and Nico di Angelo both grew closer and farther apart. Nico couldn't get the fact out of his head: Will was probably going to prison because of him. Because of this, Nico broke whatever romantic relations and friendship they had a week before Will was arrested. He didn't say goodbye.

Will, of course, was devastated. He was going to prison for something that wasn't really his fault and his crush -possibly more- had cut all ties between them. He went into prison with his head hanging low.

After the whole charade, Hades was a free and unsuspected man. Acknowledging how close he was to being found out, he and Persephone wisely moved away. Nico was glad, but there was still something bothering him.

He couldn't help but feel the smallest piece of regret for leaving Will. Even though he know Will was better off, much better off, he yearned for the time they first kissed- even though that time period and everything that followed left a foul taste in his mouth.

None of Nico's friends and what was left of his family (Hazel, who had made a bargain with Persephone and Hades so she could stay with Nico, she'd be eighteen that year anyway) were able to brighten his spirits. He hid himself away in his bed for days at a time, only getting up for the bathroom and when Hazel forced him to eat. He often heard her murmuring in her phone to one of their friends, distressed about what to do. That was another piece of guilt that ate away at him.

In June, Nico managed to graduate. He almost didn't attend the ceremony because he had no family besides Hazel, who wasn't even graduating, and it was a reminder that Will would not be. Eventually, Hazel convinced him to go by pointing that by missing his graduation, he'd also be missing everyone else's. Knowing that if he didn't go that'd be something else to make him feel bad, so, begrudgingly, Nico went. He couldn't deny the rush of pride when he saw all his friends getting their diploma's, and was a tiny bit grateful that Hazel got him to go. Afterwards, they all went out to celebratory dinner.

In August, Nico got the worst call of his life. He picked up his phone, the name Piper flashing on his phone screen. Thinking that it was another futile attempt to get him to go out, he groaned, and answered.

"Nico," Piper's shaking voice surprised him, and he immediately sat up, suddenly alert. "N-Nico, it's Jason."

At that moment, he knew.

"He got into an accident, he's-" Her voice cut off, a sob filling Nico's ears. "He's dead, Nico."

The rest of Piper's words were drowned out by the ringing in his ears. He heard the words car and drunk driver and gone before he reached the hospital, but couldn't process them. Hazel came in then, confused at Nico's expression and pried his phone from his hands, putting it against her ear. Her shocked gasp came a moment later before it finally came clear to Nico and a sob heaved in his chest.

Jason's gone.

Hazel sat beside Nico, wrapping her arms around him as they both sobbed. Jason, who was devoted to become Nico's friend. Jason, who always knew when Nico was feeling bad just from a single look. Jason, who was Nico's best friend. Jason, who was dead.

Sleeping became Nico's new favorite activity. When he was sleeping, he couldn't think about Will or Jason or Bianca or his father or his mother. Besides the nights he'd dream, which was the bane of his existence. In his dreams there was always a memory from when he was happy, when Jason was alive and Will wasn't in prison and Bianca and his mother were always there to hug him.