I Like Me Better when I'm With You (COMPLETED)

Crave a love to my beating heart

Author's Notes: Chapter title is from Oh You by Atlesta

***

"Ah, so I wasn't just dreaming about the smell!"

Nico turned his head to glance at Jason as Jason walked out of his room to the kitchen area. He flashed a smile at Jason.

"Good morning, Jace," he said, and turned back to the baking sheet.

"Good morning, Nico," Jason said, and sat on the stool by the kitchen island. "You're baking cookies?"

"Uh huh," Nico hummed as an answer as he was fanning the cookies with his hand.

"I didn't know you can bake," Jason said.

Nico shrugged his shoulders as he opened one of the cabinets. "I like baking. I just don't do it very often," he said. He took a Ziploc bag from the box in the cabinet and closed it back.

"Really? What's the occasion then?"

"Nothing," Nico said, hoping that Jason did not notice that he answered it just a bit too quickly. He picked up a cookie that he thought looked better than the others.

"Just feel like doing it," he added, picking up another three cookies to put inside the Ziploc.

Jason chuckled. "Well, you should feel like doing it more often," he said, and get off the stool.

Nico glanced at the clock. It was almost 8 now.

"Hey, Jace?"

"Hmmm?" Jason glanced at him from where he was standing by the coffee maker.

"Get some cookies if you want to, yeah? And... Don't lock the door, please?" Nico said as he shuffled his way to the door. "I'm just gonna need to go out for a minute."

"Okay!" Jason answered him, but Nico already opened the door, and stepped outside.

With the cookies-filled Ziploc bag in his left hand, Nico knocked at Will's door.

It didn't take long before the door swung opened.

"Nico?"

From the way his green backpack was already slung over his shoulder, it looked like Will was about to leave. His hair looked still a bit damp, and Nico could faintly smell something like citrus. At the back of his mind, Nico started to think about how Will was really like the personification of a fresh summer morning.

"Hey, what's up?

Will's voice jolted Nico back to reality.

Nico cleared his throat. "You're going to class now?"

Will hummed as he fixed the strap of his backpack on his shoulder. "Yeah. Got a class at 8.30. And, well... You know, that midterm is at 11.30."

"Good luck for the midterm," Nico said. "And well, here," Nico stretches his hand that was holding the Ziploc bag. "I made some cookies," Nico said in one single breath.

Will's brows shot up as his eyes darted to the Ziploc in Nico's hand. "For me?"

Nico nodded. "Remember when I told you I've tasted better cookies than Hestia's cookies? My Mama's recipe makes better cookies than any cookies. Including Hestia's."

Will's eyes moved back to Nico's for a second. Then he bowed his head down just a bit as he took the plastic bag from Nico. But Nico didn't fail to see the blush on his cheeks.

"Thank you," Will said as he lifted his gaze up back at Nico.

"You're welcome," Nico said. He quickly slid his hands into the pocket of his sweatpants, just so he could hold himself from grabbing Will's cheeks and kissed that shy smile that was curling up on those pink lips.