Solangelo One Shots

Under the Willow Tree

Nico's POV

"You need to get out more." 

"Go away, Percy." 

"Have you left the house since he dumped you?" 

"He didn't dump me. It was mutual." That's what Nico's been telling himself as he lays on his bed in the burning heat of the summer, avoiding the sun as best he can and playing an embarrassing amount of Minecraft to avoid the pain of the outside world. If he catches even one word about Will, he'll burst into tears. So he stays in his room, playing Minecraft and ordering Chinese food and telling the delivery person to come right up. There are empty fried rice containers scattered across his floor, a soy sauce stain on his shirt and he doesn't intend on cleaning up until the name Will has been altogether forgotten from his mind. 

"Nico." Percy inches closer, setting his hand on Nico's shoulder. It's supposed to be comforting but it just reminds him of Will. It's what Will did every time he got a bad grade, or when he couldn't get himself to leave the house on the anniversary of Bianca's death. He can remember the feeling of Will's fingers on his shoulder, the sweet smell of his deodorant. He jerks away, stuffing his trembling hands into his lap. "Everyone knows he was the one who broke it off. And I'm sorry, and I know you're upset, but you need to get out of the house. It's been a week, and no one's seen you. We miss you." 

"You're here now." 

"Yeah, because everyone's worried about you. You really do need to get out." Nico sighs, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. There's a cluster headache building between his eyes. He's going to need another ibuprofen soon. 

"Yeah, I know." 

"You wanna do something later? There's a movie playing that you might like. Or my mom's making her famous seven-layer dip. You love her seven-layer dip." Nico smiles, playing with the string of his sweatpants. There are real clothes strewn across the floor, clothes that he can go out in without looking like a homeless person, but he's too lazy to change into them. He's comfortable in his sweatpants, and there isn't really a reason to change, anyway. He knows that he's not going to leave the house. 

"Maybe." He twists the string around his finger, the tip turning red. "I just need a little more time." Percy's eyebrows draw together and Nico feels bad because they've been friends for so long, but all he wants him to do is leave. 

"Do you want to stay here, then? We can watch a movie. I can cook you dinner." His eyes sweep the floor, passing over the Chinese food containers. There's a half-empty bottle of Coke by the leg of his bed, flat after being there for who knows how long. "Have you been eating real food or just getting take-out?"

"Hazel brought me up a bowl of cereal this morning." Percy frowns. When Percy is disapproving of your lifestyle, that's how you know it's bad. But Nico doesn't care. 

"Why don't you let me make you something? Annabeth has been telling me to learn how to cook, so I've got a pretty decent grasp on making base-level recipes. I can do mac and cheese. Or- or mac and cheese." Nico sighs, rubbing at the back of his neck. 

"I don't know. I'm kind of tired. And my head hurts." Percy pinches his lips together. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah, Percy." His tone comes off harsher than he had meant and he sighs, burying his face in his hands. "I'm sure." He feels Percy climb off of his bed but he doesn't take his head out of his hands. He can feel tears welling up in his eyes for the umpteenth time that week, and he can't let Percy see him like that. 

He feels Percy's hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Hope you feel better." He stays with his head in his hands, wrapped around his skull until he can't hear Percy's footsteps anymore and his breath hitches once before a torrent of tears are released from his eyes and he's sobbing, shoving his face into his pillow as all of the pain, all of the sufferings from the last week is released from his body in the form of salty tears. But when he's done, his heart isn't lighter, and his head hurts even more because there's only one thing that can make him feel better. The one thing that he can't have.