Solangleo Stories

Wandering, Wondering

A / N 

Summary: Nico going to visit Will just before summer break *cough* and defending him against homophobic  peers *cough*

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The sun, it was blinding. And summer hadn't even started yet, the sun had no right to be that bright this early. What were you expecting, it's Apollo, Nico thought, blinking through utter arrogance of the sun god as he emerged from the shadows. He was released from their suffocating embrace, the action leaving him a little woozy, but nothing he wasn't used to, just regular shadow traveling side effects.

He tried to get his bearings in this alien environment; Austin, Texas.

His destination lay across the road from his shadow trapdoor, Will's school.

Oh gods, Will.

Over the past year, Nico had missed Will way more than he was comfortable admitting, but now, he was closer than he had been all year.

Nico couldn't exactly enroll in his local high school and had been at camp all year round, traveling between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter when needed. He had no great career expectation either, he was happy to find a life for himself at either camp, surrounded by other demigods. The mortal world wasn't exactly his natural habitat.

But Will, oh he had plans. His mother wanted him to graduate high school just like any other teenager, and since Will's scent wasn't as strong as other demigods due to his particular gifts, he had been able to go undetected so far. The son of Apollo himself had dreams of earning a degree in medicine, but whether he wanted to receive it from the college at New Rome or an external institution, he didn't know. That's why he worked so hard at school, to ensure both options were open to him.

But now, the school year was coming to a gradual close. Campers were expected to start arriving at camp as early as next week, but Nico had missed Will so much, that he had just been wandering around camp bleakly, anxiously awaiting his arrival. It seemed that in all his pacing and training, training and pacing, his longing to see Will had handed his control from his head to his heart, and he had involuntarily shadow traveled here, to Will's school.

How did Nico know this was Will's school?

He could see him, laughing and joking with a group of teenagers Nico didn't know. School mates and outside of camp friends, no doubt. Nico couldn't bear considering any alternative.

Swallowing his pride, Nico crossed the road, anxiously shoving his hands in his jacket, which he was wearing despite the scorching heat. He'd barely made it to the gate when Will saw him through the sea of people.

And his smile, the way it lit up his face, banished any regret Nico may have had. He couldn't suppress the grin spreading across his face, as his name was called over the bustling crowd.

"Nico!"

Will, dropped his bag at his feet, and ran, physically ran towards the son of Hades, not offering a word of explanation to his companions. But, considering the understanding smiles that replaced the bewilderment on their faces, they already knew. Will pushed his way through the crowd, but just as Nico took a step towards him, the crown of blond hair disappeared from view.

Nico rushed forward, but the students around him had begun to flock in a predatory circle, and the glimpse Nico caught of the boy he loved sprawled out on the floor, being towered over by three threatening older guys was enough to explain why. He ducked around people, trying to fight his way into the circle before he froze, paralysed in place by nothing other than pure unfiltered rage.