His lips are even better than I imagined. Tender and a little chapped but perfect nonetheless, Will thought.

Nico was kissing him back but the surprise didn't register until they were both running out of breath and they pulled away.

Nico had kissed him back.

"Ni-" Will started.

"Shit." Nico mumbled. He turned away from Will immediately, breathing hard. He hid his face in his hands, "I'm sorry-I-" He took a deep breath, "I can't. I-I'm not sure if I'm over this other guy and-and you don't really want to start anything with me."

He liked someone else.

He liked someone else.

Of course he does, Will thought, I've just been this pesky guy with the messy hair following him around since he got here. He's not going to like me.

But he wasn't about to let him think he didn't want to start anything. He did. He so did. Even if he didn't like him, telling someone you liked them helped get over them right? And he was so wonderful, he needed to know that.

"I do-I would." Will's still flushed cheeks turned redder. "Nico, I like you. It's pretty obvious. Even my friends figured it out without me having to tell them. I mean, I thought it was obvious. Doesn't mean it was obvious for you. I was just putting it out there. I thought you should know. I did just-"

"Will." Nico was looking at him with equally crimson cheeks. "You don't. You really don't. "

"I do."

"You haven't noticed how difficult I've been since you met me?"

Will cringed. He had but he still liked him and he hadn't been able to get him out of his head. "I like you, Nico."

Nico sighed and turned away, "Percy."

Will frowned, "What?"

Nico shut his eyes and his hands went to his face, "I liked him a lot. I met him as a kid and the night he and my sister went to the junkyard, I got paranoid. I was ten, I thought she could get lost or something or maybe plainly not come back. I asked him to watch over her. She died. I know it wasn't his fault. He couldn't have known something would fall on her and if he had and stepped in the way...he would have been the dead one and...I don't think I'd been able to live with that guilt. Well, that day when he came back. He'd broken my heart a little. This guy who I was just crushing on so hard had let me down. I didn't speak to him for so long and even when I did, it was short clipped sentences because I realized I still liked him and didn't want my heart to be broken any further. So I can't... Right now...I'm not completely sure I'm over him...I can't be a let down to you too."

Will was taken aback and didn't know what to say. He felt Nico start to shake and he realized he was crying. There was no way Will would let him cry like that and let him feel alone so he tugged him close and enveloped him in his arms. Nico's head went to his chest and his hands clutched at the fabric of his shirt on his shoulders.

"I'm right here mon cheri." Will hugged him back fiercely. "You are not a let down and don't think otherwise. Your dad...he's just stupid. You're amazing, Nico."

Nico's hands let go of his shirt and he wrapped his arms around Will's chest instead, pulling him ever closer. "I miss her so much. She'd know what to do. And she always believed in me. If I just had her, I didn't need anyone else."

Will's chest constricted at his words. He barely knew what it was like to have a sibling, much less one who cared so much about him. Will took a deep breath, "Well...I had a crush on Percy too. Two years ago to be exact but I never did anything. If I talked to him, I didn't flirt. Sure, I'd blush uncontrollably but then I'd see him with Annabeth and I'd be happy for them and I realized... There was nothing there and there never was. He was happy and I just needed to move on and, I guess what I'm trying to say is that you won't be hung up on him forever. You'll move on."

Nico sniffled and Will realized that somewhere along his ridiculous speech, he'd calmed down. "Are you sure about that Solace? Because it doesn't feel that way right now."

Will gave him a squeeze. "Positive. And," he pulled away enough so he could cup Nico's chin and have him look up at him, "I believe in you, mon cheri. So I'll be waiting right here until you do."

They sat there, looking at each other for a long time. Or what felt like a long time. Nico's chin was still in Will's hand when he whispered, "And I'm Italian, mio cara, not French."

Will smiled and shrugged, "I know, but as you so kindly mentioned at the planetarium, I don't know Italian. I studied French. So I'm hoping here you didn't just call me a piece of shit."

Nico cracked a smile and it was like a rainbow after a storm. Will couldn't describe how happy he was to see him smile after his breakdown. "Trust that I didn't."

"Well, if I trust you with my heart, I guess there's no harm in trusting you with that."

They didn't speak again for another something that felt like an eternity but again Nico was the one to murmur, "You know I'll still be broken, even after I get over him. I'm not going to be fixed after one breakdown."

"But you'll have me and I'll be there the whole way to help and make sure you do get fixed. And I'll be there to patch you up if you fall back down along the way. Figuratively and literally. I'll be right here by your side, whether you want me to be or not. As your friend...or maybe your boyfriend in the future but I'll be here."

"Thank you, Will. I mean it."

Will smiled, "Yeah, yeah. I know. " He finally let go of his chin and stood up. "Welp, I'm starving, wanna head on back to our rooms?" He offered a hand to help him up.

Nico took it. "Yeah. I'm pretty hungry myself."