Solangelo One Shots

Worlds Shatter

Hi guys, I'm just putting a trigger warning here because there will be mentions to a suicide but with that said, hope you enjoy!

Will's POV

Their apartment feels empty, but not the type of empty that it used to be when Nico was at work, or with friends. It's the type of empty when you could hear a pin drop a hundred yards away, the type of empty that you get when you take something out of its place and never put it back, and there's just a hole where it used to be. The type of empty that gets too much after a while, the type of empty that leaves him sobbing at three in the morning because of the hole in his heart that'll never fill. 

Instead of focusing his attention on the emptiness, the quiet, he turns back to the papers sprawled across the kitchen table, pouring himself another glass of wine with shaking hands as he goes over the plans. As he looks at the papers he catches a glimpse of the gold wedding band still on his finger, glimmering in the light from above. It's a painful reminder of what once was, of the high school fling that turned to years of curling up together in their tiny New York City apartment, listening to horns blare below them as they fell asleep in each other's arms. Years of eating take-out in their pajamas watching bad movies, years of quiet expressions of love exchanged in the dead of night. Years of memories and romance and love that felt like it had been thrown out the window. Fuck, he's crying again. 

He hears a knock at the door and he wipes at his eyes, forcing himself to stand up. His muscles ache and suddenly he wonders when the last time he stood up was. He glances out the window, and wonders when it got dark. 

When he opens the door Percy is standing in the hallway, his eyebrows knit together in the middle as he holds a pizza. "Hey, can I come in?" 

"Yeah, sure." Will runs his hands through his hair as he holds the door open wider. His hair is beginning to get that thin coat of grease and he grimaces, wiping his hand on his sweatpants as he follows Percy inside. "So, what's up?" 

"Nothing much." He leans over, pushing all of Will's papers into a neat pile and setting down the pizza, grabbing plates. When he opens the cabinets he sees Nico's mug sitting sadly on the shelf, already dusty from lack of use. The thought sends a sharp pain through his chest and he takes his seat again, running his hands through his hair as he listens to Percy rummage around in his kitchen. He's been over so much he knows where everything is and soon he's putting down a slice of pizza in front of Will, and a glass of water. "Just thought I'd check in." Will laughs dryly, leaning back in his chair and playing with the grease on the pizza. 

"I know what this is about." 

"Will-" 

"You're all worried about me, aren't you?" he says, his face heating up. He can't stand to look at Percy any longer so his trembling fingers wrap around his glass of wine but before he can take a sip Percy leans over, taking it gently from his hands. Despite the emotions raging through Will's body, it's easy. 

"Maybe go a little easy on the wine," Percy says gently. "And yeah, we are. You've been shut up in here for days." 

"Yeah, well, funeral planning is hard," he snaps, feeling his eyes stinging again. He sniffs, wiping hard at his cheeks even before the tears can flow. "I've been busy."

"You still shouldn't be alone," Percy says. "You should eat." He picks up his pizza and Will follows, taking a tiny nibble off of the tip as Percy tucks in, wiping pizza sauce off of the corner of his mouth. Will takes another bite and he can feel Percy watching him as if he's an animal in a zoo. "So, how are you doing?" 

"Great," Will says, unwilling to meet Percy's eyes. They're getting into dangerous territory, and he isn't in the mood to cry again. He wipes at his eyes again, glancing down at his pizza to avoid Percy. If he thinks about the grease glinting off of the pizza, the taste of the cheese, everything he has to do, he won't have to confront the problem looming over his head, the emotions threatening to bubble over at any minute.