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Nico had moved from Italy to New York to Texas in the span of four years. They had left Venice the year after a bad flu killed Maria and Bianca, hoping for a fresh start after the funeral. To be honest, Nico hadn’t wanted a fresh start. He just wanted his family back.
Then they had moved to New York, where his father was offered work, and Nico had to brush up on his English. It wasn’t very good, so he didn’t talk much, and the aura of sadness that surrounded him kept others at a distance. He was friendless that year.
Then his father had met Persephone, and had sat down with Nico to talk about him dating again. At first, Nico had been vehemently opposed—the screaming match he’d started (mostly him screaming while Hades tried to talk him down) had resulted in a noise complaint, and he’d been grounded for a week because they had nowhere else to go and couldn’t afford to be kicked out.
When he had calmed down, though, he agreed to at least meet the woman, if only because it seemed strangely important to his father. And when he met her, he understood. She lit up his father’s face; she was kind and witty and beautiful and caring, and the first thing that she said in her slight Southern accent was, “Don’t you ever think for even a second that I’m going to try and take your mother’s place in your life. I will never do that to you and if I overstep in that department, I want you to know that you can always tell me I’m out of line, and I’ll back down. Alright?”
After that, Nico allowed himself to warm up to the idea of having a stepmom so soon. He was sad that his father had been able to move on just a year and a half after losing Maria di Angelo, but he understood—and Persephone was a good woman, so he couldn’t really hold her at fault either.
She lived up to her promise, never trying to be a mother, but always there if Nico needed anything. Within four months she was living with them, and when Hades asked how he felt about the two of them getting married, Nico looked into his eyes and saw happiness.
“If she makes you happy,” he said seriously, “then marry her. You may not find a third woman to love like that.”
Hades had hugged him and gone to pick out a ring, and Nico broke down crying softly into his flat pillow, missing his mother and sister with all the heartache in the world and hating himself for being so accepting of Persephone.
“Mi dispiace, mama,” he whispered. “Mi dispiace, sorella. Mi miachi. Per favore, non odiarmi.”
I’m sorry, mama, it meant. I’m sorry, sister. I miss you. Please, don’t hate me. Nico wished desperately that they would answer him. Alas, they were dead, and the dead did not speak to teenage boys who suffered from depression, anxiety, dyslexia and loneliness.
Nico was alone.
When Persephone’s mother fell ill, Nico was the first to suggest moving down to take care of her. As he pointed out, the company Hades worked at had a branch in Austin, and the sunshine would do them all good. He missed the sunshine. Italy had always been so warm and sunny—New York was wet and cold and miserable. He was ready for a change.
Hades and Persephone had discussed it between each other, their jobs, and Demeter, and within two months they were packing their bags and hopping on a plane to Austin, Texas.
Nico had settled in fast, but to his disappointment, he was still alone. It had been almost three years since leaving Italy now and his English was good, but he still sported the musical accent of his home and the moon-white, near translucent skin from being trapped under storm clouds or inside for three years.
He looked like death, with his fair skin—greyish because of his natural olive—and his dark hair and dark eyes and slender frame and hunched shoulders. He stood out and faded into shadows at the same time, and was sad and shy and socially anxious and lonely and nervous, and it left him an outcast once again.
The best part of Texas was that Demeter lived on a ranch just outside the city proper—it was large, a good fifty acres, and she had requested that they move in with her to help take care of it while she was sick.
Nico was in charge of the horses and the bunny rabbits—he had all but begged for that. He fed and watered them, cleaned tack, mucked out stalls and cleaned hutches, played with the rabbits and groomed the horses. He didn’t know how to ride. He wished he did.
Persephone promised she would teach him as soon as she could, but she and Hades were both swamped with the transfer paperwork and catching up with their new jobs and looking after Demeter and the other animals (Hades looked after the goats and cows, and Persephone handled the pigs, chickens and dog).
Nico didn’t mind so much. The horses didn’t mind him and made low whickering sounds when he was around, and he liked spending time with them in the pasture and stables.
School was hard, especially English, but he managed. Demeter wasn’t a huge fan of his father, but she had warmed up to Nico quickly, and she helped him often. He held her hand when she had coughing fits and got her water, and when she asked why he wasn’t fazed, he told her about Maria and Bianca. She had hugged him, murmuring prayers that there would be nothing but love waiting for him on the road ahead, and Nico really did just about cry then.
For a little while, he entertained the idea that maybe—just maybe—he could live a happy life here.
Of course, something always has to throw a wrench in plans like that. As soon as hope shines through, something always tries to crush it.
Everything changed the day Minty got sick.
She was a sweet dappled grey, one Nico loved to sneak treats for. But she wasn’t eating them anymore—nor the hay, or even much water. She laid in her stall, too listless to even get up and go outside, and Nico ran to get Demeter.
“Call the vet,” she said immediately. “Number’s on the fridge, hun.”
Nico dialed it quickly, panting from his run. He wasn’t in very good shape. Too skinny, not much muscle or fat on his bones. A cheerful voice answered on the second ring, sweet and friendly. “Hi!” she said. “This is Solace Vets in Austin; how can we help you?”
“Hi there,” Nico said shakily. “Um, I’m calling from Demeter Rose’s ranch? I have a horse here who won’t eat or drink or move at all and Demeter said to call you. Can you help? I don’t know what to do.”
“Calm down, there, kiddo, we’ll get’cha fixed up in no time!” she reassured him. “Sounds like colic, most likely. Maybe a stomach bug. I’m a little tied up at the shop right now, but I’mma send my son out there right quick to take a look, alright? Don’t you worry about nothin’. Will knows horses like nobody’s business. He’ll make good and sure she’s all better before he leaves you.”
“Thank you,” Nico breathed. “Thank you so much.”
He confirmed the address and hung up, then grabbed his beanie and took to pacing around on the driveway, waiting for the vet to show up. He hoped this Will guy was capable—she'd sounded pretty self-assured on the phone, but... well, Nico was a nervous person. He couldn’t really help it; it was just the way he was.
The roar of a pickup sounded in under ten minutes and Nico sighed in relief—at least he was fast. They must have been close by, then.
The truck pulled up beside him and someone hopped out the other side before circling to meet him, slinging a heavy-looking bag over one... one incredibly broad shoulder. Oh. Oh, wow.
Nico was gay. He’d known since he was young and it didn’t bother him that much anymore—he didn’t go around proclaiming it, but he figured there were worse things to be. But never in his life had he felt this gay before.
The boy in front of him was probably seventeen or eighteen, maybe a year or two older than Nico, and he was handsome. He had a tall, broad, well-muscled figure hidden under a bright orange t-shirt (that really didn’t hide much at all, to be honest), springy blond curls and sparkling blue eyes, and a friendly, lopsided grin. He extended a hand.
“Hey, I’m Will,” he said, and damn, his voice was a little deeper than Nico had expected and had a thick Southern drawl to it and oh gods, he was going to be thinking about this boy from now on, wasn’t he? “Will Solace. It’s nice to meet you. Heard you had a horse with a bug of some sort out here?”
Nico forgot English, so he just shook Will’s hand in a slightly panicked grip and then turned towards the stables.
“Oh, poor girl,” Will cooed, crouching down beside Minty. “What’s wrong, Mint? Feelin’ a little under the weather?”
“Tu sei—ah, you... you know her?” Nico managed, silently cursing the way he tripped over the words. Will glanced up and smiled warmly.
“Yeah, been workin’ with Ms. Rose for a good five years or more, now,” he said. “Used to come help ma when she did this, when I was younger. You got a pretty voice; s’at Italian?”
Pretty!!!! It was like Will knew how weak he was to that word! Boys didn’t get called pretty enough, in Nico’s humble opinion. He wanted to hear it again, but his tongue twisted up, so he just nodded as heat surged to his cheeks.
“Super cool. Always wanted to learn Italian, but the class is kicking my sweet arse,” Will admitted, grinning in such a charming way Nico wouldn’t have been surprised if he turned out to be a puppy. “Anyhow, you from there? How’d y’end up in Texas?”
“Long story,” Nico mumbled. Will nodded, turning back to Minty.
“Looks like it is colic,” he announced. “Let’s check her hay for any mold, just in case the others got it too. Then we’ll take her on a short walk to get things moving and give her some alfalfa cubes, alright?”
“Walk?” Nico asked, tilting his head. Will grinned.
“Helps contract and expand the muscles in her digestive system, get things goin’ a bit; most mild colics pass like constipation and clear up pretty quick. Make sure she drinks water and goes for walks every day. We can take out Bracken and Ghost with her, so she can get up a little faster if she needs to. Sound good?”
Nico froze, then swallowed. How did one admit to a Texan that you cared for the horses, but couldn’t ride? He shook his head. “May... Maybe I should stay here,” he muttered. Will cocked his head and Nico felt compelled to explain by the confused blue eyes, even if it was embarrassing. “I can’t ride,” he admitted. “Persephone said she’d teach me, but... well, she hasn’t had time.”
“Oh, I see.” Will grinned and stood, clicking his tongue and coaxing Minty up with him. He took her halter and lead from Nico and put it on her carefully before leading her to the front of the entrance. “Why don’t you wait here with her while I tack up Bracken, then?”
Bracken was a big, beautiful Friesian with a little temper and a lot of spirit. Nico loved him, but he wasn’t about to ride him. Well, at least Will seemed to be going alone.
“Here, gimme that lead,” came the handsome boy’s voice. Nico handed the lead up. Woah—Will was even taller up on Bracken’s back. He looked good up there. Nico thought he could probably look good anywhere. “A’ight, up we go!”
Nico gasped as the blond leaned down and looped an arm around his waist, hauling him up the side of the giant horse to sit sidesaddle in front of him. “W-W-W-What!?” he yelped, clinging to Will’s thick forearm in fear. He was pretty sure his nails were digging crescents in the tanned skin, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.
“Calm down, death boy,” Will snorted. “S’just a horse. I promise, I got’cha. Just swing your leg over and lean back against me—that's it, there we go. See? I got the reins, you got nothin’ to worry about.”
Nico swallowed, feeling shaky and nervous. But Will’s presence was warm and solid at his back, and strong arms surrounded him to grip the reins surely, and Minty’s lead was wrapped tight around the horn of the saddle, so maybe there was nothing to worry about.
He leaned back a little more, anxiety taking over at being so far off the ground, when they started walking. Will leaned forward to press against his back reassuringly. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head,” he murmured. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to ya. One’a mom’s best customers and friends; I’ll take care of you.”
Shit, shit, shit! The man was hitting every one of Nico’s secret praise kinks! Pretty, Little, I’ll take care of you. Ugh, fuck him! Seriously, what was Nico supposed to do with this!?
“Why death boy?” he asked to distract himself. Will shrugged.
“You look like hell,” he said. “Like you haven’t slept in days, or eaten. You don’t like it?”
“Whatever,” Nico mumbled, secretly embarrassed. Will must have caught the redness on his ears, because he pinched Nico’s side lightly. Nico rolled his eyes. “What?”
“You upset?” Will asked, guiding them down a forest trail. The sudden turn had the Italian gasping, one hand shooting down to clamp at Will’s forearm again. “S’it ‘cause’a what I said? If it makes you feel any better, you’re still gorgeous. Pretty eyes. Always liked dark eyes—just so soulful, y’know? Ah, shoot, was’at too much?”
Nico lowered his head even further and shook his head, pulling his beanie down over his ears. “It’s fine,” he sighed, trying to sound nonchalant while his heart beat in his chest like it was trying to batter open his ribcage. “How long now?”
“Hmm... long enough for some tips, if you wanna try,” Will said, grinning the kind of grin Nico couldn’t hope to say no to. He settled back against Will’s chest and tuned in for his impromptu riding lesson.
They circled back around to the stables in the space of half an hour, with Nico now holding the reins and Will’s arms around his waist, instructing him.
“Minty’s walking better,” he noted. “Let’s get her a cube, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Nico said with a small smile.
Will fed her, wrote up a report, and gave Nico his personal number “in case somethin’ happens to the poor ol’ lady” before going to report to Demeter. Nico followed on silent feet, hovering outside the door to her bedroom to listen in.
“That kid o’yours is kinda useless with horses, ma’am,” Will said, and Nico was shocked by the flash that went through his chest—cold and hurt. “I guess I taught him a little somethin’ about riding, but he ain’t got the intuition that us country folk got. If he ain’t taught right quick, he’ll end up gettin' one of ‘em hurt. Why’d you put ‘im out there?”
“I know,” Demeter said with a soft sigh. “But Will, I expected you to have figured it out. Didn’t you see that boy’s face?”
“Not a once,” Will said surely, and Nico faltered again; hadn’t he said Nico had pretty eyes? “Not for more’n a couple seconds. He was kinda cute, I s’pose. But he keeps his damn head aimed at his toes. It’s no wonder he can’t bloomin’ ride.”
Demeter chuckled wearily. “He’s sad,” she said. “More than sad. His mother and sister died of fever sickness. In just a few years, he lost half his family and his home, was outcast because of his struggle with English—how do you expect someone who’s grieving to relearn a difficult language, boy? So they pushed him away and his father worked in New York, so he lost the sun, too, and was left alone in the cold, mourning. Then his father meets a new woman, and he likes her, but he feels torn apart by it, because he misses his mama, still, and he can’t think of his dad bein’ with somebody else, not so soon. But he has a heart of gold, and a mama who taught him to love no matter what, so he tries. And then he hears I’m sick, and sees Seph’s worry, and he suggests they come take care o’me. He’s new. He’s shy, and scared, and scorned and lonely, and he doesn’t have a whole lot he can call his own. No friends, precious little left of family, no real home but the one he left behind in Italy. A language that isn’t his, a missing space where his mama and his sister used to be, a father who puts work over him because he has to to give him a good life, a new woman where his mother was, and not one person left to lean on.”
“He really went through all that?” Will asked, astonished. He sounded close to tears. “Really? Wait, but... why the horses?”
“He begged me,” she said. “I had Seph show him how; I watched him. He talks to them, y’know. In Italian, or English. Sometimes he reads ‘em books to practice, ones he brings from school. He ain’t got no friends there, either. He looks after the rabbits, too; went out the other week to mercy kill a baby bun with gut stasis when he shit out all his intestines. Dug it a grave, cried when he buried it. That boy is a sweet, sweet soul, even if he don’t know much yet. He takes care of ‘em all, loves ‘em, gives ‘em all his attention. He calls for help when he don’t know what to do and sets ‘em out to pasture every day so they can run. He works harder than you know and all through his own pain. Persephone promised she’d teach him to ride, but she just ain’t had the time; what she does have, she spends with her husband instead. Nico’s a hardworking, lonely kid.”
“I understand, ma’am,” Will said, nodding respectfully. “But I still think he should’a been taught proper before ever gettin' put out there with ‘em. Can’t even recognize colic; can’t ride, so he can’t run ‘em. If he’d put her out to pasture today, she’d’ve just keeled over and stopped movin’. He was tryin’ today, but still useless, and that’s dangerous, with horses.”
“Well, are you volunteering to teach him?” challenged the older woman. “He asked for help because he didn’t know what to do. He wouldn’t have tried to rectify it by himself if he didn’t know what to do. He cares for those beasties. I left your check on the counter in the kitchen, young man; I suggest you take it and go let your mother know about today. Thank you for the help, but I’ll worry about my own grandson.”
Will was silent for a long minute. Then he said, “Fine, ma’am, but when one of them horses gets hurt, don’t you say I didn’t warn you. He’s dangerously ignorant and too awkward for proper lessons.”
Nico didn’t jump when the blond left the room, muttering under his breath, or when the door shut with a click. He kept his eyes on the ground as Will turned, even as the older boy yelped in surprise and then stilled, awkwardly frozen.
“Nico!” he exclaimed. “You...” he sighed. “You heard all that, huh?”
“It’s true,” Nico murmured, though his chest ached. “I don’t want them to get hurt. I don’t know how to ride, though, or tack them up, or what kinds of sickness look like what. I wish I did, but I don’t. It’s true that I can’t look after them.”
Will crouched down in front of him, but he didn’t lift his face. It had been a long time since he’d worried about crying in front of someone. He really only cried alone; ordinarily, it was easy to suppress. But he loved the horses, and what if Demeter really did tell him he had to find a different job? He would miss them so much.
“Hey,” said the vet, softly. “I didn’t mean it like that. You’re doin’ a fine job of keepin’ ‘em happy and fed and watered and all that. It’s just learnin’, Nico. You can learn all that. You just... gotta learn it soon, that’s all. For their sake.”
Nico set his forehead on his knees. “Your check is on the counter,” he murmured. The blond didn’t move for a while, but eventually, he sighed and shook his head, stood up, and set off for the kitchen.
It wasn’t until the pickup roared away that Nico realized he’d said it in Italian.
After that, Demeter hosted a barbecue for them all. Will was dragged along by his mother, Naomi Solace; Nico was relieved to find that she was sweet and cheerful, unlike her judgmental son. He disappeared to the stables not an hour into the event, social battery drained.
It was there that Will found him, having wandered off himself a bit later. He didn’t say anything, and Nico didn’t notice him at first. He was singing; something soft and sorrowful, with a lilting, mourning tune and soft words that melted off his tongue like a symphony.
“That’s beautiful,” said the blond when the song died away. Nico jumped so violently that he banged his head against the shelf he was sitting near and they both winced. “Uh... sorry. Y’alright?”
“Fine,” Nico said coolly, turning away. “Why are you here?”
Will shrugged. “Done with people for now. Wanted to visit the horses.” He paused, then shuffled a little closer. “Lookin’ for you.”
“Why?” Nico asked, a hint of bitterness on his tongue. Will had called him useless and incompetent before; why would he purposely seek out someone he scorned? It seemed unnecessarily cruel, but Nico was used to unnecessarily cruel. You just had to pretend there was no heart to fire at.
“Y’know, you may not believe this,” Will said gently, sitting down on a hay bale, “but I don’t think you’re some city loser who can’t fit in.”
“That’s exactly what I am,” Nico said, and then a little softer, “...and what you seemed to think last time.”
“I know,” Will sighed. “I thought about it a lot and I get how it came across that way; but it really isn’t what I meant, or what I think of you. I think there’s a lot you don’t know, and I think if you learned it all, you could be the best worker on this farm. I think you’re shy and scared and probably have social anxiety, but that you’re sweet and open-minded, and you work hard and connect with them. And I think you love ‘em, which is the most important thing you could ever do for a horse.”
“I want to be better for them,” Nico admitted, turning sad dark eyes up to Bracken’s as the horse nuzzled his shoulder. “But I don’t know much about farms. In Italy, we lived in Venice, and then in New York—city places.”
“I guess I can teach you, if ya want,” Will offered hesitantly. “To ride and all that.” Nico looked up at him, noticing immediately that Will had the clearest crystal blue eyes, like the summer sky on the warmest days.
“Why would you do that?” he asked quietly, suspicion forcing caution in his tone. Will shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets, looking suddenly embarrassed.
“Well, I mean, why not?” he asked, glancing at the ground. “Demeter all but raised my ma, so she’s like family. She likes you. Says you’re lonely. I... don’t want you to be lonely. And I care about the horses and don’t want you to hurt ‘em or get hurt.”
Nico forced down the first hint of a smile, tilting his head at the handsome blond. He seemed sincere, at least, and he wasn’t being a dick about it. “Okay,” he said at length. “Then please teach me, Will.”
Will flushed a dark red and coughed. “Oh,” he said. “Yeah, okay. You have a really pretty voice. I’ve never heard my name said that way. Is that weird? That’s weird. I’m sorry. Pretend I never said that.”
“No, it’s...” Nico faltered, ducking his head to hide the pink spreading over his cheeks. “It’s sweet. Really. I like your accent, too.”
“Really?” Will beamed, and heaven help Nico because he looked so handsome when he smiled. “That’s... heh. I’m glad, I guess. So, wanna help me tack up Kitty?”
Kitty was an older horse, a thoroughbred with years of experience and a gentle temperament. She was tall at seventeen hands from the withers, but Will seemed confident. He tacked her up with Nico’s help and then boosted him up, directing him to get properly seated.
Nico swallowed, nervous, but gripped the reins the way Will had showed him last time.
“Ease up, there,” said the blond, gesturing at his hands. “You’re pullin’ ‘em too tight, she’ll cut her mouth.” Nico loosened his grip. “Perfect, that’s it. Now, gently squeeze her sides with your legs. Nice and tight.” He clicked his tongue and when Nico squeezed, she started walking.
The Italian gasped a little, but Will had hold of the reins under her chin and was giving him a reassuring smile as he walked them out of the stable and into the paddock nearby. Nico swallowed and focused, settling deeper into the saddle and moving the reins carefully in his hands until she had lots of space to move freely on her own and he wasn’t pulling on her face at all. He really didn’t want to hurt her mouth.
“There we go,” Will said, then paused. “Straighten your spine a bit; you’re too curved. Like this.” Nico nearly had a heart attack when Will’s hands landed on his ass and stomach. He swallowed hard, but allowed the boy’s large, warm hands to guide his hips forward and midsection back, keeping him straight instead of bowed out. “See?”
“Yeah,” Nico croaked as he stepped away. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” Will said, and it could have been the heat, but his cheeks looked a little red, too.
By the time anyone came to look for them, Nico was trotting with Will holding a lead in the middle of the paddock. Persephone cheered when she saw him and Nico couldn’t help his little smile, or the pleased thrill in his chest.
“There we go,” Will said, looping an arm around his waist to help him climb down from Kitty’s back. “Good job! See? You’ll have the hang of it in no time, promise.” His grin was wide and Nico smiled back happily.
Maybe he could make a friend here after all.
Nico decided to help Will with his Italian homework in exchange for the riding lessons, and Will accepted eagerly. They spent the afternoons lounging under the oak tree in the front yard, soaking up the sunshine and poring over their books.
“Are you going to be a vet like your mom?” Nico asked one day, looking up at him. Will grinned.
“Yeah!” he said happily. “I need a language credit, though, so that’s how I ended up in Italian. Heh. I guess having an actual Italian around gives me a leg up!” He knocked Nico’s shoulder with his own. “What school you goin’ to?”
“Anderson,” Nico answered, chewing on the end of his pencil. Will shot up, gaping at him.
“We go to the same school!?” he exclaimed, shocked. “What!? Oh my gosh, how have I never seen you there!?”
“I dunno.” Nico shrugged, still focused on his paper. “My bus always shows up two minutes to the bell and it’s the first one to leave after, so I don’t exactly wander the halls often. And I take mostly art and history courses.”
“Woah, you draw?” Will looked like a golden retriever, grinning with wide, sparkling blue eyes. “Will you show me? I mean, if you’re comfortable with it.”
“Sure, I guess.” If it had been anyone else, Nico would have said no. But Will was incredibly kind and he didn’t think he’d be judged, and he kind of wanted to open up a little.
He was right about that, as it turned out; Will gushed over his drawings for hours, marveling at how beautiful his renditions of his sister and mother were and at how alike they looked and how it was completely obvious where Nico had gotten his pretty face and mischievous eyes and how detailed the art was.
By the time they were called in for dinner, the younger boy was redder than a tomato, and there was a little smile curling up the edge of his mouth.
Nico’s school life became much, much more pleasant after that. It started when Will went behind his back to the office and asked them what his last period was. For some unknown reason (Will’s bright smile, palpable excitement and history of good intentions only), they’d told him, and Nico had exited with his usual downcast gaze and slumped shoulders only to bump straight into his chest and startle back at the sight of him.
“Hey, death boy,” Will said warmly. “C’mon, I’ll drive you home. You wanna stop by your locker or anything before we go?” He said it so naturally, as if it was a normal occurrence for the second most popular kid in school (after Drew Tanaka) to seek out the social reject and offer him a ride.
Nico’s mouth opened and closed like a fish and suddenly the stares of everyone around shot into focus at the forefront of his brain, making his throat close up. He stood there like an idiot for a minute, gawking at Will as his heart raced, until the blond gave him a sympathetic smile and reached for his hand.
“C’mon,” he said again, more gently. “Let’s go home, Neeks.”
“D-Don’t call me that,” Nico spluttered, cheeks red. “You--You know my name, damn it. What the hell are you doing?”
“Saving time and saving you a long, boring bus ride and a long, boring walk home from the main road,” Will said easily. He yawned and fuck, how could he look so handsome even doing that? Nico groaned pitifully and dropped his head, eyes on the floor as he followed the blond outside.
They went home together that day in Will’s truck (Nico had never ridden in a pick-up truck), and every day after that for another month.
Nico had been an easy target before, with his pale skin and tired eyes and skinny frame and downcast gaze. He’d had a few kids take his packed lunch, or shove him into a locker. Nothing near as bad as New York, but annoying.
Once they noticed that Will was talking to him, though, they stopped targeting him at all. One or two kids even tried to talk to him, though he didn’t make any friends because all they wanted to talk about was Will and if he could get them closer to him and whether he had a girlfriend or anything. It was nice, being accepted.
By the end of the month, about half the school knew about the new kid. He didn’t feel all that new anymore, but he must have been, because the most popular girl in school still had no idea he existed.
Oh, but she knew about Will. She liked Will, apparently, and had been fruitlessly asking him out for the better part of two years now.
The day Nico met her was warm and sunny. It was nice outside, and Will had had a spare again so he came to pick Nico up from his last class and tugged him along by the hand towards the parking lot so they could go back to Nico’s place for a snack, some Italian homework, and a riding lesson.
“Oh, Will Solace!” came a bright sing-song from somewhere off to the left. “Can I talk to you for a sec?” Will groaned under his breath, but turned. Nico looked up in surprise; he’d never heard his friend sound annoyed, and he’d spent more time with him on the daily than anyone else in the school by now.
“Hey, Drew,” he said with a forced smile. Nico privately thought his real, warm smile looked much better on him. “What’s up?”
Drew approached him, long hair done up in a pretty French braid, dressed in a short skirt and a pretty white blouse, and batted her made-up eyelashes at him. “I was wondering if you’d changed your mind about the whole Prom thing,” she said, smiling sweetly. “You know we’d look good together—you'd look even more handsome next to me. And just think of what my dad could do for your mom’s vet business if we dated! We could even get you franchised, I’m sure! Come on, please, honeybunch?” She pouted, clasping her hands together in a pleading manner, and Will gave a long-suffering sigh, tightening his grip on Nico’s hand.
“Sorry, but my answer was and still is no thank you,” he said firmly. “You’re a nice enough girl, Drew, but you ain’t my type and you ain’t someone I got the time to cater to. I’m lookin’ into vet school; I’m not gonna be able to be at your beck and call all the time and I don’t want to, either. I’m not what you’re lookin’ for, believe me.”
She glared, lips pressed together angrily. It was unfair that she was still kind of pretty like that. That was probably why she was so popular. Nico wasn’t interested; Will was much more attractive, even if he hadn’t been gay.
“What, you’d rather hang out with this scrawny kid than me?” she asked, gesturing frustratedly at Nico, who flinched at suddenly being the center of attention. Drew had a little pack behind her, and several other students had stopped to watch the drama. “Come on, Will! Who even is that? Does... it... even go here? Jeez, you look like a goth’s Raggedy-Andy doll. Makeover much?”
“That’s... rude,” Nico said, raising an eyebrow. She was a piece of work, wasn’t she? No wonder Will didn’t want to go out with her.
“He does go here!” Will said, switch flipping immediately as he tugged Nico forward. He beamed at the smaller boy and squeezed his hand. “This pretty little thing is Nico di Angelo! He’s new. Lives about five minutes down the road from me at the Rose farm. He’s Miss Persephone’s stepson!”
Again with the ‘pretty little’ whatever! Will! Nico didn’t think he’d ever been so anxious in his life. He yanked his hand out of Will’s and turned around, stalking away from the group in hopes of escaping the conversation. Of course, no such luck.
“Where do you think you’re going?” asked Drew, blocking his path with a frown. “Come on, new kid, talk. Where are you from?”
Okay, enough of this. “ Io sono Italiano,” Nico said smoothly, raising his head to meet her slanted eyes with his own dark ones. “ Ma familia è morta. Mi padre innomoro di nuovo con Persephone e noi transferiti al Texas. Per favore, lasciami solo. Grazie. Ciao.”
Will gaped at him, wide-eyed, as she blinked. The whole schoolyard was silent and Nico was quickly beginning to regret ever speaking when suddenly—
“Fuck, that was hot.”
Nico whipped his head around to stare at Will, who had the good grace to blush as several stares transferred to him. “What?” he asked, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “Italian’s a pretty language. I... didn’t mean to say that out loud, but... well, c’mon! You gotta admit that was pretty cool.”
“Do you have any idea what I said?” Nico asked, astonished. Will scrunched up his face like he did when he was thinking.
“Uh... ‘I’m Italian, my family is something, my dad... something something new, with Persephone, something something to Texas, please... something... thanks, bye?”
“Close enough,” Nico muttered impressed. “You’ve been studying.”
“S’easier to focus when you’re helpin’ me,” Will admitted. “Should we get going?” He didn’t wait for an answer, grabbing Nico’s wrist again to tug him along to the truck and only releasing him to hop in. Reluctantly, Nico followed.
“I hate you,” he said as Will started up the engine. The blond glanced over, startled.
“Huh?”
“I hate you,” Nico groaned again, burying his face in his backpack on his lap. “Now Drew is going to have it out for me. Why do you keep calling me pretty? It’s going to get me in trouble, idiota.”
Will blinked, then chuckled, pulling out of his parking spot. “No worries, darlin.’ If she tries anything I’ll stand up for you. I got as much pull as she does here. I call you pretty ‘cause I think you are. Do you hate it? I can stop if you really hate it.”
“I--” Nico cursed his pale skin as his cheeks heated up again. “It’s--well, I—I don’t... it’s... it makes me... ugh, just stop it!”
“It makes you what?” Will’s sharp eyes glittered as they darted to Nico’s slumped form. “Huh? What were you gonna say?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Nico grumbled. “I said to stop.”
“And I promise I will,” Will swore, hand on his heart. “As soon as you tell me what you were about to say.”
“It makes me upset,” Nico grouched, glaring at him fiercely.
“Lie,” Will said immediately, grinning like an ass. “You’re a bad liar, death boy. Spit it out and tell the truth!”
“It makes me feel shy,” the Italian tried, carefully not looking at the blond. “It’s embarrassing .”
Will glanced at him a couple times, then hummed. “Partly true,” he decided, “but not what you were about to say just now. Come on, or I’m locking the door until you tell me. I’m not gonna bite, Nico. Not gonna judge you, either. You don’t have to be so scared of me.”
“Absolutely not,” Nico said, setting his gaze pointedly ahead. “You’re going to stop, end of story. That’s what good friends do.”
“Hmm.” Will grinned. “Sure, but you’re still gonna tell me, one way or another.” He dramatically raised a finger and hit the lock button, and the click echoed through the cabin. Nico groaned, rolling his eyes. “Gonna tell me?”
“No,” Nico said, giving him a dead stare that was lost on Will as he focused on pulling over to the side of the road and parking. “Want to hear it in Italian? No.”
Will snorted, shaking his head with a fond grin. “You’re hilarious,” he laughed. “Seriously. Okay, okay. Close your eyes?”
Nico’s mouth twisted in distaste and he gave Will a look, leaning back in his seat. “Are you kidding me? No way, dude,” he said flatly. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but it can’t be good.”
“I won’t touch you!” Will said quickly, holding his hands up. “Swear. Please?”
Nico sighed, but figured the fastest way out was to humor the guy. Besides, it wasn’t like he was scared. He was pretty much certain Will would drop it if he was really serious. And hey, how bad could it possibly be? Even if he did find out how Nico felt about it, all he’d do would be tease him and then drop it. Not so bad.
He closed his eyes and sighed as Will’s seatbelt clicked. “You promised,” he warned. Will chuckled, that low, breathless sound that made Nico’s heart flutter.
“I know!” said the blond, sounding playfully offended. “Not gonna do anything!” He sat there silently for a minute. Nico humored him, raising his eyebrows to indicate his impatience, but keeping his eyes shut. “Last chance,” Will sing-songed, shifting in his seat. “What does being called pretty make you feel?”
“Annoyed and embarrassed,” Nico said, now more curious about Will’s interrogation methods than concerned with keeping his secret. Will had said some sweet things when he admitted his sexuality, like that he was bisexual himself and that some guys were just really hot and that it didn’t matter what Nico liked as long as he was happy and the two of them could stay close. That encounter really made all this much, much easier.
“Lie,” Will sighed, and then Nico felt him moving closer. He stilled, waiting with his arms crossed. What was he going to do, blow in his ear? He knew Nico hated that. Maybe he would—
“ Pretty boy,” crooned a low, sweet Southern voice not a centimeter from Nico’s ear. He shuddered uncontrollably, goosebumps breaking out along his spine and arms as his eyes snapped open. He whipped his head around, pulling back against the door of the truck, but it was too late already. All his blood had rushed south and his erection was straining at his jeans, heart pounding.
Nico yanked his backpack back over his lap, but the motion just drew Will’s eyes downward before he got himself covered. For a moment, they stared at each other silently, not knowing how to react. Then, slowly, a giant grin split Will’s face and he laughed, delighted.
“Nico!” he cooed playfully, leaning back to give him space. “Aw, jeez, hun, it turns you on? That’s all? Man, that’s nothin’ to be ashamed of! Sorry, must’ve given you a heart attack just now. You look like a deer in headlights.” The smile fell into something kinder, sweeter, and he cocked his head like a puppy. “You know I’ll never, ever make you feel bad about stuff like that, right? You like what you like; sometimes you don’t even pick it. S’nothing wrong with that, y’know.”
“I know,” Nico sighed, embarrassed, but not afraid. “If I were scared of that, I’d have already made you let me out. You would have, right? If I looked really upset?”
“Oh, gods, yeah!” Will agreed seriously, nodding. “Yeah, in a heartbeat. I don’t wanna scare you. You’re my favorite.”
Nico had to break eye contact at that, looking down at his backpack as his dick throbbed in his jeans. Will paused, taking in the sight, and then made a sudden noise of understanding. “Oh, shoot,” he said, wincing. “Is it—is it praise and pet names, or something? More?”
“I dunno,” Nico muttered, red-faced. “Both, I think? And... and, I don’t know, being told what to do, but like, nicely? Like, not ordered around, but...”
“ Ohh,” Will said, sudden comprehension lighting up his bright blue eyes. “Oh, I get it! I think you’re a sub—the kind that likes to be babied, right? Okay, I gotcha. I’ll avoid that stuff in school, then. Sorry to put you in an awkward situation today; that must have been hard on you.”
“Maybe?” Nico shrugged and covered up a yawn with one hand. “Okay, okay, you made me spill my embarrassing kinks. What are yours?”
Will grinned and pulled back onto the road. “Hardcore BDSM,” he said. “Sadism, masochism—take or give—bondage, wax play, roleplay—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Nico snorted, whacking his arm. Will broke into bright laughter again. “You liar. Come on, I told you! Don’t let me be the only one embarrassed, man.”
Will sighed and shook his head. “Honestly?” he said, looking over his shoulder before pulling off the highway and onto the backroads. There was a lovely forest back here and Nico appreciated the quiet of the trees as they slowed down and drove, neither in any hurry. “I like giving out all that stuff you like getting. Weird coincidence, huh?”
“Seriously?” Nico blinked, surprised. “So you like--”
“Gentle orders, being in control but not having to control my partner, praising and spoiling, yep. All of it.”
“Even pet names?”
“ Especially pet names. Turns me the fuck on when I call somebody somethin’ cute and they react. You know?”
Nico paused, wheels turning in his head. “So, just now, when you called me... and I... you...”
“You are terrible at saying what you mean,” Will snorted. “But, well, look at my pants.” Nico glanced down and swallowed at the sight of the bulge pushing up against them. “If you’re weird, so am I, dude. It’s just natural.”
“You think I’m pretty and my reaction to your words turned you on?” Nico clarified. Will grinned, completely calm in the quiet cabin, and nudged Nico with an elbow.
“Yeah,” he said. “And you stare at me an awful lot for a normal friend and get turned on by my voice. Your point, my dear neighbor?”
Nico stared at him for a long while, watching the ease in Will’s movements and the relaxed slump of his body against the seat. He swallowed, eyes tracking the shift in his forearm when he shifted gears—slowing down even more, as they approached the halfway point on the road, clearly not wanting to reach Nico’s house—and the fucking bulge in his jeans and his stupidly handsome profile and his stupidly cute freckles.
“I want to suck your cock,” he blurted out. Will accidentally punched the accelerator and they both squawked as the truck jerked forward and the engine stalled. When he had the vehicle under control again, he pulled onto the side and parked under the shade of the trees, turning off the engine so he could give Nico his full attention.
“ What was that?” he choked, wide-eyed. He was blushing, Nico noticed, a dust of pink spreading over his cheeks and nose like a sunburn.
“I want to suck your cock,” he repeated with more confidence, looking right back at Will without fear. Fuck, he’d never wanted anything so bad, and Will didn’t scare him even a little bit. “Right now. You can say no, but—”
“Why the fuck would I say no?” Will asked, voice raspy and choked at the same time. “Dear gods, Nico, are you—are you serious? For real?”
“Uh-huh.” Nico unbuckled his seat belt and shoved his backpack onto the floor. “So, can I?”
“Holy shit,” Will muttered, swallowing hard. “Yeah. Yeah, you— yeah, fuck, oh my gods, is this really happening?”
Nico grinned, looking up through dark lashes, and kicked off his shoes. “Can you move the seat back or are we getting in the back?” he asked, mouth already watering. It wasn’t like he really enjoyed sucking dick (not that he’d ever done it to a real one), but... well. He sure wanted it now.
“I can... shit. Yeah.” Will swallowed and grabbed the bar under the seat, lifting it up until the thing slid all the way back and bumped into the backseat. “Come here, hun.”
Nico’s blood thrummed and he gulped, climbing carefully over the gearshift to settle a little awkwardly in Will’s lap. Fortunately, the truck had a tall cabin, so he wasn’t hunched over or anything. He let his hands rest on the blond’s chest and paused.
“You’re handsome,” he muttered, lifting one hand to trace the line of Will’s sharp jaw. “Wow.”
“Look at yourself,” Will murmured back, hands slipping under Nico’s black t-shirt to clutch gently at his hips. Nico mewled, arching into the touch, and the blond let out a long, barely-controlled breath. “You’re really hot, Nico. Goddamn. What do you wanna do now, hmm?”
Nico swallowed and brushed their noses together, silently asking permission. Will took the hint, thank the gods, and sealed their lips. With only a little bit of fumbling, they were kissing, and Nico swore there were fireworks behind his closed eyes.
It was warm and sweet and gentle, and then—and then, oh fuck, Will was pressing forward, pushing his tongue gently into Nico’s mouth, and Nico opened up and he groaned, deep and wanting, and his grip tightened and Nico just about came in his pants, shuddering. His hands found soft blond curls and buried themselves, tugging and guiding Will to lean up into him and kiss him harder. Will obliged, one hand sneaking around to his back and stroking gently at the base of his spine, asking permission.
Nico bucked up against it, so Will dropped his hand and squeezed his ass. It was Nico’s turn to moan, loud and wanton, and then Will pulled him forward in a display of sheer strength and lifted up his leg, rutting Nico’s crotch along his thigh. Nico moaned again, breathless, shaking, and ground his hips against the stimulation eagerly. He hadn’t known Will was this strong.
He broke the kiss to toss his head back, gasping as he rode Will’s thigh completely clothed, and Will’s eager mouth moved to suck and kiss at his neck, leaving what Nico assumed were marks that were going to be a pain to cover up.
“You like that?” Will husked, sucking at the spot just below his ear. Nico bit his lip to muffle the wild sound that escaped him as he shivered. He nodded furiously, rutting desperately against Will’s lifted leg until strong hands stopped him and he whined, feeling delirious with pleasure.
Will kissed him again. “Shhh,” he whispered, and Nico stopped whining and settled in his lap. “Good boy,” Will murmured, lips trailing the column of a pale throat. “I’ll let you cum later, sweetheart. You change your mind about sucking me?”
Nico shook his head, gulping. “I want to,” he panted. Will guided him backwards off his lap and Nico settled on the car floor between his legs, undoing his jeans just to ease the painful edge where it dug into his crotch. Will grinned at him. Nico grinned back. “You’re excited,” he said softly. Will’s grin turned a little sheepish.
“Well, yeah,” he said. “I’ve never had this done to me. And, well, I’ve kinda had a thing for you since you moved here, y’know?”
“Really?” Nico moved in and nibbled at the blond’s thigh, nuzzling his jeans. He grinned and leaned up, biting the edge of the waistband and pulling until the button popped open. Will let out a shuddering breath when the raven caught the zipper between his teeth and pulled it down, slow and steady. He gulped, pressing a hand over his mouth as his other clutched at the door pocket.
“You’re killing me,” he groaned, and Nico pulled his jeans down more, enough to give himself access to the fairly impressive bulge under his boxers. He leaned in and nuzzled at it, gauging the thickness and taking in the scent down there—the concentrated musk of precum and sweat, the scent of soap; Will kept himself clean. Thank the gods.
He dragged the flat of his tongue over it and Will’s whole body convulsed as he watched with wide eyes.
“Mmph.” Nico slowly pulled down the waistband and Will lifted his hips to help. He gulped at the sight before him. Will’s cock was long and thick, hard as a rock and shining with wetness at the tip. He had a few sparse curls here and there where the razor had missed, but I seemed he kept himself clean shaven down here. Nico liked it. “Nice cock,” he mumbled, and leaned in to lick at the head.
Will let out a low sigh, reaching down to run his fingers through Nico’s hair gently. “You look so fuckin’ pretty down there,” he rasped. “Put it in your mouth for me, angel, be a good boy.”
Nico shuddered and leaned forward, letting it slide further into his mouth. The head was heavy on his tongue and tasted a little salty, a little bitter. But it felt good—surprisingly good. He took in more, testing his gag reflex (no trouble; he’d practiced on a lot of things) until he was sitting at the base, hands on Will’s thighs, with a warm, heavy weight pressing comfortingly on his tongue and adoring blue eyes staring at him with dilated pupils.
“You look so hot with a cock down your throat,” Will groaned, moving both hands to grip lightly at Nico’s hair and pet him. “Fuck, this is a sight I never thought I’d see outside’a my own head. Sweet little thing. Suck it hard for me, baby boy. You feel so damn good—tap my leg if you need me to stop, okay?”
Nico hummed in affirmative and sucked gently on his mouthful, eyes half-lidded in bliss. Oh, this felt so good. He wanted more—he wanted to stay right there forever, kneeling between Will’s legs and warming his cock happily.
He pulled back up and slowly took it in again. When he was sure of his capability, he picked up the pace, bobbing sloppily up and down as Will’s legs tensed under his hands and his hands tightened in messy raven hair.
Extending his tongue, he pulled off completely and licked a broad stripe up the length of the heavy thing, kissing the shaft reverently. Then he moved up and circled the red-flushed crown of Will’s dick with his tongue, rubbing the tip against the slit until the blond moaned, feral and desperate, and tossed his head back against the seat.
“Good boy,” he choked. “Good boy, Nico, fuck!” Nico moaned against his shaft and took the whole thing back in his mouth, letting Will control his movements. The taller boy’s hips bucked and he gasped, probably about to apologize, but Nico just moaned and dove down to the base, undulating his tongue against the underside and hollowing his cheeks to suck harder.
“You’re so hot,” Will panted, raising his hips a bit to shallowly fuck Nico’s throat. “I’m gonna cum, Nico, pull off—let go, I’m gonna—I'm—I'm cumming, oh shit!”
Nico pulled up all the way to the tip and wrapped a hand around Will to pump him through it, keeping the head in his mouth and swallowing what he could. It wasn’t as bitter as he’d thought, and had a salty, sort-of-sweet aftertaste that had him suckling on it like a kitten, milking it for all it was worth until Will gave a groan of overstimulation and tapped him rapidly on the shoulder. Nico let go reluctantly, licking his lips.
Will sat there for a second, panting. Then he reached down and pulled Nico up, guiding him back into his lap and stroking his hips comfortingly. He rested his forehead in the crook of the raven’s neck and sat still while he tried to regain his breath.
“I’ve never cum that hard in my life,” he muttered against pale, hickey-marred skin. “You’re really good at that. Did you swallow?”
“Mmhm.” Nico leaned forward and kissed him, nuzzling his cheek. Will chuckled breathlessly against his lips and then reached down to squeeze him through his underwear. Nico convulsed in his lap at the sudden stimulation, gasping as his hips bucked.
“What do you want, pretty baby?” Will asked, smirking at him in that devilishly handsome way of his. “You wanna ride my thigh till you cum all over yourself, or you want me to take you apart?”
Nico swallowed hard, cheeks pink and warm. “You,” he rasped, voice rough from the abuse it had taken. “I want you to... to make me feel good.”
“Sure thing, angel,” Will said, kissing his neck. “Let’s get your pants off. ‘M gonna make you fuckin’ scream.”
Nico’s gut flared with heat and he gulped as he awkwardly squirmed out of his jeans and underwear, dropping them carelessly on the floor. He straddled Will’s legs and gasped a little when Will spread them, forcing his thighs apart and tugging up the hem of his shirt.
“Shit,” he muttered to himself. “Lose this too. You’re too damn gorgeous to cover up like this.”
Nico stripped completely, pressing against Will’s body for warmth. He rutted his hips against his friend’s shirt and moaned as the blond cupped his ass, pulling him in harder and faster. But Will didn’t let him play for long—he pulled him back and licked his palm, reaching between them to wrap a hand around Nico’s flushed pink dick.
“Aren’t you sweet?” he murmured against the Italian’s ear, and Nico gasped as his hand moved up and down, torturously slow. “So wet for me already, aren’t you? Hmm? That feel good, baby?”
“Yes,” Nico managed, burying his face in Will’s shoulder. Will pet his hair and back with the hand not jerking him off, kissing his temple lovingly. “Yes, oh gods, oh gods, please Will, more!”
“Hmm. What a good boy, sayin’ please. Sure.” He tightened his grip and sped up his strokes and Nico cried out, humping up into Will’s hand. Will gave a low groan and then suddenly, Nico was being yanked up higher in his lap and fondled everywhere by a large, hot hand.
“Will!” he moaned. Will squeezed his ass and then cupped his balls, sucking dark marks into his neck as he rolled his thumb over the crown of his baby’s cock.
“Shh,” breathed the Texan. “I’m gonna take good care of you, precious, don’t you worry. You just sit there all pretty like you are and let me handle it.”
“ Hnngh!” Nico arched against Will’s body with another squeeze and then Will was sucking on his own fingers, coating them with saliva. Oh, fuck; he knew where this was going.
“Will you let me finger you, sweetie?” Will asked, looking up at him in pure adoration. “I won’t hurt ya, promise. Just wanna make you cum so hard you pass out.”
He nodded eagerly and Will grinned, slipping one and then two fingers past the smaller boy’s rim and rocking them in and out gently until they glided smoothly. He was good at this. Nico wondered who he’d fingered before.
And then Will jerked his cock and crooked those fingers straight into his prostate and he cried out as pleasure made his eyes roll back. His thighs shook as he dropped down harder on those fingers, and Will grinned like a wild animal as he picked up the pace.
Nico rutted into his hand and back onto his fingers and Will nipped and kissed at his shoulder, following it down. The steady shlick, shlick of his long fingers was heady, and Nico’s body ached for release. He whined, throwing his head back as he bounced shamelessly on Will’s lap, riding his fingers.
“That’s right,” Will groaned. “You take what you need, baby boy, there’s a good pet. You’re so fucking hot, I swear. I wanna feel you squeeze around my cock like this.”
Nico all but squealed, tongue poking out with the sheer overload of pleasure that washed over him. Will’s hand tightened and he teased Nico, rubbing up and down and fingering the head like he couldn’t decide what to do with it. Nico whimpered, desperate, vision blurring.
“Please!” he gasped. Will hummed.
“Please what?” he prompted with an evil, lustful smirk.
“Please, make me cum!” Nico begged. “Please, please, please, Will, honey, make me feel good!”
Will visibly snapped. Black overwhelmed blue in his eyes and he dove forward, wrapping a hand fully around Nico’s wet little cock and stroking hard and fast as chapped lips wrapped around his left nipple and sucked. His tongue licked at it experimentally and when Nico shivered delightfully in his lap, he hummed and rolled the bud around with the tip of the wet muscle, teasing and stoking the blazing fire in Nico’s belly.
His thick fingers picked up the pace, slamming into the Italian’s prostate every time his thumb brushed the crown of his cock, and Nico screamed in pleasure, shaking between the stimuli and arching his back so hard it cracked.
“Cum for me,” Will growled before biting the other nipple, and Nico wailed as he convulsed violently in the blond’s lap, cum spurting all over Will’s bright orange t-shirt. He shook and shuddered and rocked between Will’s talented hands until at last, his legs gave out and he collapsed against the taller boy’s chest, panting hard.
Will gently extricated his fingers and wiped them on his jeans, then stretched back and fished around for a hoodie in the back seat. He pulled it over Nico’s head, then grabbed the boy’s discarded t-shirt and used it to clean them both up.
Once their pants were done up and all the cum had been wiped off with the wet wipes in the glove compartment, Will leaned the seat back and wrapped his arms around Nico, drawing him down to curl up on his chest, where they both just breathed for a minute.
“That was amazing,” Will said softly.
“Mmhm...” Nico slurred, still quivering a bit and out of it. Will chuckled and smoothed his hair back, kissing his forehead sweetly.
“Hey, are we... can we date? Like, will you go out with me, Nico? I really, really like you, and I really wanna be your boyfriend.”
“Okay,” Nico mumbled, nosing into his neck to hide the blush on his cheeks. “I like you too.”
Will grinned and squeezed him tight, petting his hair and kissing him for another twenty minutes before Nico’s phone buzzed.
Where r u its dinnertime??? Read the message. Nico snorted. “I forgot to tell them I was with you and they wait until five-thirty pm to ask where I vanished to,” he said, amused. Will snorted and kissed his forehead.
“Well, no need for them to worry about anything,” he sighed happily. “I won’t let you get hurt. You wanna tell ‘em, angel?”
“Sure,” Nico said, yawning.
Not coming back yet if it’s okay
With Will right now, so will be home by dark probably
Sorry
He lifted the phone and snapped a quick picture of himself sprawled on his boyfriend’s chest, hickies still partially uncovered but mostly unnoticeable and cheek pressed comfortably against his shoulder, Will’s arms snugly wrapped around him. He sent it to his dad.
K, came the response. Then, a minute later, wait a minute are u 2 dating??? That’s new right?? Bring him for dinner another time we approve. Nice job Nico, that’s a good kid. You keep that one. Be safe. Those succhiottos tell me I should remind u to practice safe sex but ur a careful kid so I'm not too worried. Have fun
DAD, Nico replied, and then shut his phone off.
“Succhiottos?” Will asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Hickies,” Nico mumbled miserably into his shoulder. “It means hickies.”
Will laughed, but hugged him tightly and nuzzled into his fluffy black hair. “Sorry,” he murmured, kissing the inky mess. “I’ll be more discreet next time.”
“Don’t you dare,” Nico said, smacking his chest lazily. “I’m going to look at them in the mirror for hours later. I might not be a fan of PDA, but these are hot and I like them.”
Will grinned and kissed his hair, squeezing him. “Hey, you wanna have a study date tomorrow?” he asked. “Gonna rain like all get out, but we can stay inside, make some hot chocolate... you can meet my mom. She’s been wantin’ to see ya for a while. Now that we’re dating, I guess I’d better introduce you two.”
“I’d love that,” Nico mumbled, and then he yawned and nuzzled into Will’s neck, letting his eyes fall closed. Will was more than safe enough to sleep with.
Another gentle kiss touched his forehead and then long fingers wove through his hair, stroking long and slow, lulling him further. “Sleep, little angel,” Will whispered. “I’ll take care of everything, don’t you worry. Just sleep.”
Nico dropped off.
Naomi Solace was the nicest person in the whole world. She’d been occupied by a golden retriever when Will had introduced them, but she had offered to order takeout for them later and hugged Nico tightly, welcoming him to the family and congratulating her son on getting together with him.
“I just know you’re a great kid,” she said kindly, then turned back as the pup barked. “Head on back to the house, you two!” she called. “Umbrellas by the back door!”
Solace Vets was a sunny little clinic near the road, which was all private property. Following it back further led them to the house proper, which was a gorgeous two-story white wooden building with a wraparound porch and flowers all around it—even hanging in baskets from the deck!
“Hurry up, before we get soaked!” Will laughed, leading him inside and shaking out the umbrellas on the porch before putting them away. He smiled at Nico. “Wanna study in my room or the living room?” he asked, cocking his head. “My little sisters won’t be home for a while yet, since they got music and archery practice, so we have the place to ourselves.”
“Can I see your room?” Nico asked eagerly, and Will beamed, grabbing his hand and dragging him upstairs.
Will’s room was neater than Nico’s by a mile. There was nothing on the floor and the bed was made, and he had a couple of textbooks and papers on his desk in neat piles. There was a stuffed duck toy on the windowsill and a few anatomy posters pinned up on the warm yellow walls, and he had a dreamcatcher hanging in the window.
“Wow,” Nico said, setting his backpack down by the desk. “Your room is so nice, Will. I’m kind of embarrassed about mine!”
“Nah,” Will said, already sitting on the bed. “Your room is really nice to be in; it’s got all the things you like lyin’ around. I like getting' to know you—that you’re a little messy and not as perfect as you seem at school, and all your stuffies that remind you of home, and the music box from your mama, and your art on the walls and stuff. It’s homey.”
“So’s yours,” Nico murmured. He glanced at the duck. “Does he have a name?” he asked, meandering over to pet the soft yellow fluff.
“Mr. Fuzz,” Will said, chuckling. “My sister Mary named him for me. He’s technically hers, but she wants me to have him when I go to college, to remember her. I haven’t told her I’m staying in Texas, yet; she’s nice to me ‘cause she thinks I’m leavin’ her.”
Nico laughed. “That’s adorable and mean and I love it,” he said. Will opened his arms and Nico sat next to him, letting his boyfriend engulf him in a tight, safe hug. “Mm. You gotta let go, the rain and the cuddles make me sleepy.”
Will kissed his forehead. “We can take a nap if you want, death boy,” he said cheerfully. Nico rolled his eyes and pushed the blond off.
“We have homework to do,” he reminded him, and Will gave a long-suffering sigh. He dragged himself up and thumped down the stairs to make hot chocolate, and Nico followed, tempted to spend time with his boyfriend over working out an essay for English.
“Oh!” He noticed a box of fettucine and some parmesan in the cupboard when Will opened it and a small smile spread over his lips. “Will, does your family eat meat?” he asked. Will glanced back, surprised.
“Yeah, we’ve got some chicken, beef and venison in the freezer right now,” he said. “Why?”
“What about tomatoes?”
“Yes, we have tomatoes. Why?” Will raised an eyebrow.
“Basil?”
“Plenty of herbs. Am I ever going to get to know why? Are you hungry? I can fix you up something now, if you like. I’m not much of a cook, but I do make a mean grilled cheese.” He shrugged, turning his full attention to Nico and pulling up a stool once the kettle was on. Nico shook his head.
“You have all the ingredients for a chicken caprese with alfredo fettucine,” he said. “Want me to make dinner tonight? To thank your mom for having me over. She didn’t look thrilled about takeout.”
“We don’t have any recipes on hand,” Will said, surprised. “Can you find one?”
“I don’t need one,” Nico said off-handedly. “Mama taught me forever ago. She taught me and Bianca both how to cook—I know this one by heart. It’s one of my favorites. So?”
Will lit up. “Yeah!” he said enthusiastically. “Yes, absolutely! I’d love to see you cook, and I’m sure mom would appreciate it. Can I help you do anything?”
“Let’s get our homework done first,” Nico said. He paused, swallowed, blushed. “Can I kiss you?” he asked. “On the cheek?”
Will melted, looking up from his stool with adoring puppy eyes. “You don’t have to ask, Sunshine,” he cooed. “Go ahead, whenever you want. Even if there’s lots of people around.”
Nico smiled and leaned over to kiss his boyfriend’s cheek happily. “Then, homework first,” he said. “And then we can make dinner after. What time will they be home?”
“Ma has to go pick up the girls for five-thirty, so they usually get home around six, ten after,” Will said. “Daisy waits a little longer than Mary, since she’s older.”
“I can’t wait to meet them,” Nico said, smiling. He had heard Will talk about his sisters on occasion, but he’d never actually met them himself. “What sort of things do they like?”
“Daisy loves archery and tomatoes are her favorite food, so your plan will be a hit,” Will said, getting up to pour the water into the mix as the kettle beeped. “She’s eleven and super outdoorsy, loves playing sports and is always the first one to help around the house if I’m not here.”
“She sounds fun,” Nico said, smiling. Will grinned happily, handing over a cup. It wasn’t great hot chocolate, but the fuzzy feeling in Nico’s chest when he saw Will had picked them matching cups made it taste like the best drink he’d ever had.
“She is. And Mary’s a sweetheart; she likes drawing, so you should show her your art. Especially the horses—she's a horse girl. She’s got a pony in the stables, but ma and I mostly look after her since M’s only six and can’t really lift the water buckets or the hay. She does all the grooming and rides her all by herself, though! She’s sharp as a tack and right now, her main interest is violin—that's the class she’s in now. She’s really good! She likes meat, especially chicken. Again, you picked a hit.”
“Your sisters sound incredible,” Nico cooed, stretching up to kiss Will’s cheek again with a smile. Will beamed.
“They’re gonna love you,” he said with utter certainty. “For sure.”
They finished their hot chocolate, made more, and then wandered upstairs to finish their cups while leaning against one another on the bedroom floor, quietly helping one another with their homework. They finished around five and Nico flopped back onto the floor, kicking his legs up onto Will’s mattress. Will sat cross-legged on the bed and traced idle designs over the bit of skin on Nico’s ankle where his jeans rode up.
“You’re so pale,” he murmured. “I’d thought you’d get a tan after so long in Texas, but you’re like the moon next to me.”
“I am death,” Nico said dramatically from the floor. “I do not tan.”
“Apparently,” Will said, and then reached down. “Gimme your hands,” he said, grinning. Nico snorted, but obliged, then shrieked as he was bodily lifted off the floor and all but catapulted into Will’s lap. He laughed, winding his arms around his boyfriend’s neck, and scrunched up his nose as Will rubbed his own against it playfully. “Hey, gorgeous,” he teased, grinning. Nico rolled his eyes.
“Hey yourself,” he murmured, settling more comfortably into the taller boy’s lap and wrapping his legs around his hips. “We need to get started on dinner.”
“Mm... still got an hour,” Will mumbled, nuzzling at his neck. “You smell nice.”
“I showered this morning,” Nico said, amused. “And, it takes about that long to make. Come on, tiger, let me go. We can still cuddle later. I’m staying the night, remember?”
“Yeah, with the door open,” Will whined. “What if my sisters look in? They’ll never stop teasing me, Nico. Until the day I die.”
“Dio mio, tesoro, you are not going to die if they find out we cuddle sometimes,” Nico snorted, pushing himself off the blond’s lap. “It’s not like we’re going to have sex in here. Relax, hmm?”
“I love it when you talk to me in Italian,” Will mumbled, reluctantly following his boyfriend out of the room and down into the kitchen. “Here.” He handed Nico an apron, which Nico thanked him for, and then they washed their hands and Nico preheated the oven and grabbed the ingredients.
He let Will help with the mise en place, showing him patiently how to hold the knife and how to cut the tomatoes and chicken. Will grated and sliced some cheese while Nico cooked the pasta and the alfredo sauce on the stove, then stole the chopped chicken for a large skillet his boyfriend found him in the cupboard.
“Aw, shoot,” Will muttered. “The basil’s in the garden.” He heaved a sigh and snatched up a rain jacket, rereading the measurement again. “Back in a sec, babe; need any other herbs while I’m out there?”
“Some oregano and thyme, please?” Nico requested with a smile. “Thank you.”
“Sure!” He disappeared out the door and Nico turned back to the stove, humming softly to himself as he turned down the heat and stirred in the garlic and the pasta. He poured the sauce over the top as his hips swayed idly to the song. The food made a pleasant bubbling noise.
Arms wound around his waist and Nico started a little, barely avoiding a burnt hand. He glanced back to see Will hugging him, and the blond set his chin on his boyfriend’s shoulder, kissing the base of his neck idly.
“You’re beautiful,” he mumbled. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Nico said, amused. “I didn’t hear you come back in.” He switched his wooden spoon to his left hand and reached up to thread the right through damp golden curls. “Oh, you got wet.”
“Sorry!” Will tried to pull back, but Nico leaned back into him and tipped his head to rest on one broad shoulder. He shook his head, smiling contently up at the older boy.
“Only your hair,” he murmured. “Don’t move.”
Will settled, heart fluttering a little against Nico’s back, and returned to his previous position of holding Nico close to his body. Nico resumed humming as he turned the stove off and found a casserole dish, transferring the meal over with the thyme and oregano and lining up the top with the sliced tomato and mozzarella.
He put it in the oven and set a timer, then filled the sink with soapy water and moved the dishes in to wash them while the meal cooked. Will wordlessly picked up a hand towel and took up drying by his side.
Nico smiled at the gentle intimacy of the moment and, in a moment of weakness, leaned his head on his tall boyfriend’s arm. Will bent over to kiss the top of his head and the Italian’s smile grew even bigger, happiness swelling in his chest. He hadn’t really felt happiness so all-consuming in a long time—not before Will.
“Oh, how sweet!” cooed a playful voice from behind them. The boys jumped and pulled apart to see Naomi standing in the open doorway at the front, beaming. Two girls ducked past her to take their shoes and coats off and she stepped inside after them, shutting the rain outside. “Oh, don’t stop on my account. You two are like a married couple already!” She giggled. “Maybe it’s a sign.”
Nico blushed, but smiled at her as he pulled the plug from the drain and rinsed his hands. “Welcome home, ma’am,” he said. “Will and I made dinner. It should be ready in a couple of minutes.”
Naomi gasped, eyes lighting up, and placed a hand over her breast. “Well, bless your little heart,” she said. “You didn’t have to do that! Thank you, sweetheart. I’ll have the girls come set the table.”
The oven beeped and Nico glanced back as Naomi headed upstairs to change.
“I’ll grab a trivet,” Will said. The younger boy pulled the caprese out and followed after to the dining room, where Will was putting the treppiede down.
“What did you call that?” Nico asked, cocking his head. There were certain words he had just never had the occasion to use before in English.
“A trivet,” Will said, smiling. “What do you call it, angel?”
“ Treppiede,” Nico answered. “Trivet. Huh. Thanks.” He set the food down and looked back as a little hand tugged at his shirt. “ Si?” he asked instinctively.
“Is that Italian?” asked the little girl—this must have been Mary, Nico thought. She cocked her head like a puppy, an adorable imitation of her older brother’s habits. “Will’s practicing Italian. He says there’s a really pretty Italian person in his school he wants to impress!”
“Uh, okay, M, that’s... that’s enough, now,” Will blurted, and Nico noticed he was blushing something fierce. She blinked up at Nico, who grinned in delight.
“Your brother told you I was pretty?” he asked, and she nodded with her own charming smile. Nico looked up at Will and then rose up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “That’s very sweet, miele,” he cooed.
Mary was nice, and she was fun to talk with. Daisy seemed a little shyer, but when she came into the room, she just looked him up and down for an instant before glancing down at the table. Her blue eyes went wide and she looked up at Will so fast she might have given herself whiplash.
“Will, you cooked!?” she asked, utterly incredulous. “And nothing is on fire!?”
Will groaned, dragging a hand over his face. “You two are determined to embarrass me in front of my boyfriend,” he whined. “No, Nico cooked. I just helped cut some things up. I know I’m not a good cook!”
“I can teach you, if you want,” Nico said, amused. “It’s chicken caprese. Try some!”
“Ah-ah,” Will said, whacking Daisy’s fingers lightly when she reached for a tomato. “We don’t put our hands in community food. And it’s hot. How ‘bout you girls set the table for us, hmm? We’ll get drinks.”
He led Nico back into the kitchen and grabbed two glasses each—water for him and Nico, juice for the girls. “Ma’ll just grab a cider when she comes down,” he explained. “She works with animals all day, so she’s gotta shower before she can eat. Should be down any minute now.”
“Nico!” Naomi greeted him again with a proper hug from behind, grinning widely. “I forgot to ask, honey, do you pray? Do you mind us praying too terribly much?”
Nico paused, memories flooding back to him. He gave a soft, sad smile. “My mother used to pray with us,” he murmured. “Can I join you?”
“Of course, honey, you go right ahead,” Naomi said. “Why don’t we all sit down? Thanks again for makin’ supper, that was so sweet of you!”
“Of course!”
Nico sat with them and joined their circle while they prayed, and Will stood up to serve everyone, smiling as he asked the girls about their respective days.
They gave him quick answers and then turned all their attention to Nico, and both Will and Daisy let out loud moans at the first bites of their food.
“This is so good!” Mary wailed. “Can he come cook dinner all the time, mommy? Will, pleeeeease?”
“I would love to,” Nico laughed, “but what would my family eat?”
She paused, then lit up in excitement. “They can all come live here!” she squealed. “We can all live here, and then you can make us food and you can always see Will all the time, ‘cause he’s in the same house!”
With a small smile, Nico settled into daydreaming about all the things they could all do together with her, and skillfully wove the conversation towards her pony, Buttercup (what did he expect a six-year-old to name her pony, really?) so she could carry it.
Will’s family was easy to interact with, and the way the older boy watched him, with those gentle eyes and that warm, dreamy smile, would have made it easy even if it hadn’t been.
Nico hadn’t felt so at home in a long, long time.
When night fell, Nico’s father called him.
Are you staying over there stasera?” he asked. “Qualcuro ti sta supervisionando? I don’t want you messing around with your boyfriend in the house, alright? Naomi ha piccolo figlie.”
“Papa, calme!” Nico said. “Si, I’m staying the night. No, noi non siamo messing around here. Don’t worry! I’ll be home in the morning. La porta e aperta. Okay? Okay. Buono notte, papa. Dillo a Persephone per me? Grazie. Si, see you tomorrow. Ti amo anche. Okay. Ciao.”
He hung up, shaking his head, and Will blinked at him from where he lay with his head hanging upside down off the edge of the bed. “You talk in both languages at once?” he asked, astonished. Nico smiled as he plopped down cross-legged on the floor in front of him.
“Yes,” he said, threading his fingers through blond curls. “Well, we’re fluent in both, and I prefer Italian anyway, so...”
“You miss it there?” Will asked, reaching up with one hand to trace Nico’s cheekbone. “It must have been hard to leave.”
“Not that much, actually,” Nico murmured, leaning into the gentle touch. “I lived in Spinea, Venice. It’s not as bad as the actual Venezia Island, but it’s all such a huge tourist attraction that the streets will be too crowded to even walk for almost half the year. New York was cold and wet, though; I didn’t really like it. Texas is about the same temperature as my home, and it isn’t as crowded. And the people are better.” He winked at Will. “I just wish you could have met my mom. She would have loved you.”
“I hope so,” Will asked. “I’m sorry you lost her, Nico. But I’m glad you live here, now! If you had never come, I would never have gotten to meet you. And, well, mi piaci, angelo.”
“Mi piaci anche, tesoro,” Nico cooed, and leaned in to kiss him. It was a little awkward, what with Will being upside-down, but it was still nice. Nico liked kissing Will.
“I really love when you speak Italian,” Will mumbled against his lips. Nico smiled.
“Io penso di andare a nanna,” he said sweetly. Will grinned, lovestruck.
“What does that mean?” he asked breathlessly. Nico grinned back.
“I think I’m going to sleep,” he said, amused. “It’s slang. Your equivalent is... hit the hay, I think.”
“You’re going to hit the hay?” Will asked, grin widening impossibly further. “Baby, it’s barely ten o’clock!”
“I’m sleepy,” Nico protested, then laughed. “Ed io voglio coccole da te!”
“What?” Will laughed at him. “Non comprendo, honey! What do you want?”
“Coccole,” Nico repeated. “Cuddles!”
“ Awww.” Will flipped over and sat up, reaching out to pull Nico’s hand until he climbed into the bed. “So cute. Cute, cute, cute. I like you so much. Cute boy. Of course you can have cuddles. Anytime you want. All the time.”
“Yay,” Nico sighed happily. “Coccole.”
Will kissed his forehead and flopped back onto the mattress, arms around the smaller boy, to settle on his side with his boyfriend curled into his chest, head tucked in snug beneath his chin.
“You wanna ride horses with me after school tomorrow?” asked the blond, carding his fingers gently through the younger boy’s hair. “We can go anywhere you want.”
“I’d like that,” Nico whispered back even as he closed his eyes and sighed softly. “Good night, Will.”
“Good night,” Will replied.
“Up we go!” Will called, and Nico swung himself up into the saddle without any help whatsoever. Will cheered, grinning happily, before jogging over to get (much more smoothly) onto his own horse. Bracken had taken a liking to Nico, so Nico had chosen him, and Will took out Ghost, the white Camargue horse in the next stall over.
They walked together through the late afternoon sun until they reached the fields, and then they urged the horses faster and faster until they were racing through the grass, laughing like kids. Will chanced a look over at Nico and in an instant, all the breath left his body.
Nico was radiant, with blue highlights reflected off his jet-black hair in the sunlight, a rosy blush covering his cheeks, deep olive hands clutching at the reins as he leaned gracefully into every stride. His eyes were alight with a kind of blazing fire Will had never seen before, and with Bracken’s long mane and powerful, elegant onyx figure moving beneath and around him, he was...
“Nico!” he called impulsively. Nico glanced over and beamed when he saw the look on Will’s face. Will’s smile spread until he felt like his face would split. “You look like an angel!” he shouted, and Nico blushed.
He turned his head back to the front and ducked his head to hide the smile, but when he glanced back at Will there was such a tender look in those endless blue eyes.
Will, too, looked like an angel, he thought, or maybe... maybe something else. His white shirt was open at the collar, exposing his collarbones and some of his incredible pectorals. His golden hair was brilliant in the sun, curls tangled and unruly as the wind pushed them around his face, and his eyes shone with light. Ghost was a powerful force under him, strong legs pounding the earth like a war cry, and the long tail flowing behind him looked like a cloak of pure white.
“And you look like a god!” he called back, watching surprise take over his boyfriend’s face an instant before the huge grin shot up to a previously undiscovered level.
“Race you to the fence!” Will called.
“You’re on!”
As the horses picked up speed and Nico returned his eyes to the endless expanse of green before them, a brilliant, boyish laugh reached his ears from the kind, joyful, loving presence at his side. He smiled, wide and unrestrained and completely free, and for the first time since he had lost his family, he felt no guilt about his happiness. Yes, he thought.
This wasn’t such a bad place to call home.