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Will’s not really sure why he’s here, apart from the fact that he couldn’t bear to be alone in his apartment any longer, and this little bar on Via Cassia stays open later than all the others in New Rome.The only thing he is sure of right now is that he doesn’t want to be sober. He’s been making a half-hearted attempt to nurse the rum & Cokes he’s been drinking since eight, but the fact remains that eight o’clock was five hours ago, and Will’s always been a lightweight.The bartender approaches with a look that’s equal parts wry and sympathetic. “Sure you want another one?”Will just nods. What else is he supposed to do? What comes next, when you’ve just abandoned what you always thought was your entire life’s purpose?The door to the bar opens. Will glances towards it, reflexive. Even though each time he does, it’s with the accompanying dread that it’ll be someone he knows.The man who enters is familiar, someone Will’s seen around campus, maybe. Most people in New Rome are at least passingly familiar. He can’t remember the guy’s name, though, and he thinks he should. Nick, maybe? Will honestly doesn’t remember much right now. Which was kind of the plan when he came in here.A moment later, the dark-haired man heaves himself to a barstool a couple of spots down from Will. They make eye contact for a fleeting second when Will glances over, a quick nod.“Hey, di Angelo,” the bartender greets the other man. “What can I get you?”The answer is too low for Will to make out, but he remembers the name now. Di Angelo. Nico. They’ve had at least one class together. Something in first year. One of those tiered theatre-style lecture halls in the oldest buildings on campus. Something forgettable like intro sociology, maybe. Will has vague memories of a leather jacket and messy dark hair a few rows down from where he sat. Someone quiet, thoughtful. Didn’t speak up much.Will stares into his drink long enough that his eyes unfocus and he starts to feel a little dizzy. It’s just a little too warm in here, and that combined with the dim lighting (and okay, the alcohol) is making him sleepy. Maybe it’s time to call it a night.“Hey,” says a voice, and Will looks up blearily to see Nico di Angelo standing right next to him. It takes Will a second too long to focus on his face. But when he does focus – wow. The guy is really fucking pretty. Big dark eyes standing out in a pale face. And his mouth. Will very suddenly wants to trace the line of those lips, wants to see those eyes flutter closed and –Oh shit the guy said something. Will thinks he makes a questioning noise in response. He’s not really sure.Nico’s lips twitch, amused.Will is mesmerized.“You dropped your jacket,” Nico says. His voice is low and a little rough.“Oh. Thanks,” Will says stupidly, accepting the garment.A hint of a smile, and then Nico heads back to his seat.Will watches him until Nico turns, quirking an eyebrow.“You should move over here,” Will says, deciding he’s too drunk to be coy about it. He attempts to pat the stool next to him. Misses.That half-smile again. Tired, maybe, but curious.“Yeah? Why should I move over there?” Nico asks.Will’s not a great judge of… anything at the moment. But he thinks Nico might be a little drunk too. Probably not as drunk as Will is. But Will’s definitely an above-the-curve drunk at the moment. So it’s a high bar.“Because,” Will says, making a concerted effort not to slur, “I’m a little drunk, and if I try to come sit next to you,” he points waveringly at the stool beside Nico, “it’s gonna be awkward. I don’t know if I can stand right now.”“Hmm,” Nico says, thoughtful. His eyes flick over Will’s face. After a long moment, he stands, taking the few steps over to the stool beside Will.“Damn it,” Will realizes aloud as his words float back to him in pieces. “I was planning on not telling you how drunk I am.”Nico’s laugh is low and soft. It makes Will want to lean in closer, ask him to do it again. He wants to feel it on his skin.“No offense, but you weren’t doing a great job hiding it,” Nico says. “Maybe time to switch to water?”“Yeah. You’re probably right.” Will pushes the rest of his drink over to Nico, being extra careful not to spill it all over his lap. That definitely wouldn’t help him in his current quest to appear flirty and suave.Nico waves down the bartender and asks for a glass of water. He passes it over to Will when it arrives, and Will takes several large gulps.“Your name’s Will, right?” Nico asks.“Yeah.” Will blinks at him, managing to focus on the wave of dark hair falling over his forehead, his stubbled jaw. His brain is working slower than usual, and it feels as if it’s only able to process Nico in bits and pieces. But the bits and pieces are stunning. Tattoos peeking out at one wrist and at his collar. The mouthwatering contrast of his pale throat against his dark shirt. “We had a class together. Right?”“Yeah, I think so,” Nico drops Will’s gaze, eyes dipping to his own drink. (Gods, his eyelashes are gorgeous, a gentle brush against pale cheekbones.) “But – I actually remember you from the student health centre.”Will stares at Nico. He sways a little. Then a little more. Nico reaches out to steady him, his smile growing.“Right!” Will says. His brain’s running a little slow right now, okay? “You had – you came in for all those vaccines!”Nico nods. “Yeah, that was me. I um – I managed to miss most of my childhood vaccines. And like, all the – modern ones.” He looks awkward now.“I remember now,” Will says, softer. “You were the one with the –”Nico wrinkles his nose. “Yeah, seventy years in the Lotus Hotel.”Will does remember, now that Nico’s reminded him. It had been a run-off-your-feet kind of a day at the health centre, Will’s part-time job. Each patient had blurred into the next. Nico would have stuck with Will anyway, because of the bizarre story of his past. But that’s not the only reason he remembers, he realizes now.“Your hair was longer,” Will blurts out, just as Nico opens his mouth to speak. “You – you had a ponytail. And – an eyebrow piercing.” Will reaches out unthinkingly and manages to brush his fingers over Nico’s eyebrow without jabbing him in the eye. He can’t tell if Nico is impressed by this, per se, but he does go a little pink.“Yeah. You have a good memory,” Nico says, soft.Yeah, because you were hot, Will manages not to say out loud.Nico looks down, turns his drink in his hands. He has beautiful hands, too, Will realizes. Slender, pale fingers, a silver skull ring on the middle finger of his left hand.“I was kind of hoping I’d see you at the health centre the next time I came in, actually,” Nico says, raising his eyes to Will again, then keeping them there, soft. Almost defiant. “But when I came back for my second round of shots, you weren’t working.”“Oh,” Will says, utterly disappointed in his past self. “I – I um –”Nico glances down again, clears his throat. “My sister. Bianca – have you met her?”Will pictures a woman with Nico’s delicate features, his mesmerizing quiet. His long lashes and pale skin. Female, but just as breathtaking. He’s pretty sure he’d remember someone like that. “I don’t think so,” he says.Will’s not sobering up, exactly, but this conversation – and the beautiful creature across from him, of course – is proving to be an excellent distraction from his own miseries. He’s very glad he came in here tonight.Nico’s lips quirk. “She should have gotten all her vaccines, too. We both missed them. But she joined Diana’s Hunters, right after we got to Camp Jupiter, when we were kids. Apparently that gives you a pass.”Will nods in understanding. “Being an immortal teenager has its perks.”Nico rolls his eyes. “Apparently.” He looks fond, though.“Do you see your sister often?” Will asks. There’s a sudden, intense desire to know everything about the man next to him. Keep him here, keep him talking. It’s a welcome distraction of course, but there’s also a weird feeling that they should already know each other. And that doesn’t make sense – Nico grew up in New Rome, and Will’s only been here since he started attending college.“Yeah, we manage to meet up a few times a year, when she gets a break from hunting down monsters.” Nico huffs out a laugh. “I was so fucking jealous of that magical bow and arrow when I was a kid.”Will grins. “Those girls are pretty cool. They’ve got that whole – otherworldly feminist aesthetic going on. You’ve got the cool black sword, though,” he adds, gesturing at Nico. And then looking closer and realizing there’s no sword in sight.But Nico just smiles, so maybe Will’s not making a complete fool of himself. Either that, or Nico gets off on that sort of thing. Will decides he’s fine either way.“You do have a good memory,” Nico says.It’s a tiny little compliment, but it makes Will’s heart swell in a completely stupid way. They gaze at each other for a moment, Will wracking his brain to think of what clever thing he might be able to say to keep Nico talking.Nico’s watching WIll carefully, like he’s looking for something he can’t quite grasp, But like he wants to. And maybe it should make Will nervous, but it just feels warm. Comforting, almost.“I haven’t seen you in here before,” Nico says.“No, I think this is only the second time I’ve been here.” Will clears his throat. “Do you come here – often?”Nico’s face breaks into a slow smile. Breathtaking.Will laughs. “I didn’t exactly mean for that to sound like a line.”Nico quirks an eyebrow. “Exactly?”“Well.” Will shrugs, grinning. He manages to hold Nico’s gaze until Nico looks away.There’s still a smile playing around Nico’s lips as his gaze drops to the polished wooden bartop. “My apartment is just down the street,” he says. “I come in here to study a lot.”Will nods. “It’s a nice little place. Cozy.”Nico makes a sound of agreement. “It’s a good change of scenery,” he says.Will runs a thumb down the side of his water glass, drawing a line through the condensation. “I actually came in here because I was – trying not to run into anyone I knew,” he admits. “I um. I dropped out of med school. Today.”It feels like the floor is falling out from under him as he says the words out loud for the first time. And he’s not completely sure why he’s telling Nico this. But it feels right.“Really? Today?”“Yup. That’s why I’m –” Will gestures to himself, “not so sober.”“Well, shit,” Nico says.Will looks up to see Nico surveying him with sympathy.“It’s a good thing,” Will assures him. “I’ve – it’s been coming for a long time. I just finally got up the nerve to do it.” He stares down at the bar top for a long moment, swallows hard. Nico’s hand suddenly appears in his field of vision, gently removing Will’s empty water glass and replacing it with a new one.“Sounds like it was a tough decision,” Nico says, soft.Will nods. He is not going to cry in front of a complete stranger. Probably. Will blinks hard. Nico’s hand appears again, this time a gentle squeeze to Will’s wrist before retreating.“Speaking as an almost-complete stranger, I’m proud of you,” Nico says.Will lets out a wet laugh, looks up to a warm, gentle gaze. “Thanks,” he whispers.And then, somehow, he starts telling Nico everything. What it was like growing up at Camp Half Blood. Learning to save his friends’ lives as a literal child. The way he’d sob half the night in his cabin sometimes, desperately homesick. How, just as he started to feel like he was getting his footing at Camp, he lost Michael, and Lee, and so many others. The way so much responsibility fell to him, and he just took it. Because what else was he supposed to do?The way everyone just assumed he’d be a doctor someday, and the way Will just accepted it, too. The way it never really felt right, and how very long it’s taken to make sense of that.And Nico, an almost-complete stranger, listens. And seems to care, to understand.When Will’s throat is dry from talking more than he has in months, Nico shares, too. He fills in all the blanks Will’s wondered about – his childhood at Camp Jupiter and the years before, at the Lotus. Losing his mother. Losing his memories. Being raised by his sister – the only one in the world who knew him – and then having her leave, too.Nico’s brow is furrowed, and he’s twisting the ring on his finger. “I felt like it wasn’t even fair for me to complain about it, you know? I still had my sister, she was just – off with her new friends. So many other kids at Camp had had their siblings actually die. Well – like you did.” His eyes flit to Will’s for a second, hesitant.Will can’t help the impulse to touch, to offer comfort. It’s kind of in his DNA, after all. He reaches a hand out, laying it over Nico’s. “You’re still allowed to be sad even though bad things happen to other people too,” Will says, gentle.Nico nods, his gaze on their hands. He seems to take a moment to collect himself, then turns his hand to hold Will’s back, a gentle squeeze. Nico’s hands are smaller than Will’s, a bit cooler. It’s an awfully nice fit, Will can’t help but think. Comfortable.Maybe Nico feels it too, because he keeps talking, now with his hand in Will’s, punctuating with the occasional squeeze or stroke of his thumb. He talks about struggling to accept himself – his parentage and his sexuality. Being forced to come out before he was ready, and then losing Jason Grace, the first friend who Nico felt had really accepted him without question.“I was supposed to meet up with them tonight,” Nico says. He finished his drink at least half an hour ago, and he hasn’t ordered another. “My friends – the ones who were closest to Jason. We meet every year on the anniversary of his death, to remember him. And I know it’s good for me to go. But I just…” Nico shrugs. “I’m not always good. With people. So I blew them off and came here instead.”“And you ended up having to listen to my sob story all night,” Will says. A little regret seeps in as the effects of the alcohol start to fade and he realizes just exactly how much he’s talked Nico’s ear off.Nico shakes his head.“No. I’m glad. That I ran into you.” He looks up, shy, but solemn.“Me too,” Will says, soft. They gaze at each other for a long moment, something warm fizzing between them, their hands still joined. Will’s sure Nico’s gaze darts to his mouth.“Can I get you gentlemen anything else?” the bartender asks. “Last call.”Will binks, startled out of the little bubble they’d been sinking into.“A shot of nectar?” Nico says.The bartender nods.“Make it two,” Will says. It should stave off any impending hangover. It’ll sober him up a little faster, too. He’s spent the last hour certain in the knowledge that he wants to kiss this guy he just happened to run into at a bar on one of the worst nights of his life. And he thinks he’d like to be sober for that.They’re the only two left in the bar, and as they step back out onto the street, Will hears the door locking behind them.“Where do you live?” Nico asks. His face is bathed in the golden light still shining from the bar. It catches on his hair, the shine in his dark eyes.“Oh, I’m – across town,” Will says. “It’s okay, though. It’s a nice night for a walk.”Nico nods, his gaze flicking over Will’s face. “It is.”Now that they’re both standing, Will has the opportunity to appreciate the height difference between the two of them. He likes it. A lot. Nico is several inches shorter, delicate everywhere Will can see. Slight shoulders, narrow waist. Will wants to scoop him up in his arms and carry him… somewhere. Somewhere softer and more private.There’s a beat of silence in which Will struggles to tame the butterflies in his stomach enough to make some kind of a move.“Walk me home?” Nico asks with a small smile.Will grins, a trickle of relief. “Yeah. Okay.”Nico’s apartment is only half a block away, and the walk is over far too quickly. They pause again at the steps to the building.Will is not exactly bad at flirting, but at points like this, where it feels as if the pressure’s on and he just needs to do something – well. These aren’t his smoothest moments.They’re standing close. He thinks Nico opens his mouth to say something. Will can only think of a single thing he wants.“I’d really like to kiss you,” Will says in a rush. After all, the worst Nico can say is no. And the past few hours aside, Will’s already having a terrible day. Getting rejected by this beautiful boy won’t really make it that much worse.But Nico looks up, a slow, shy smile. “Okay.”As first kisses go, Will would put it in his top three, definitely. It’s soft, and sweet, and when they both sway closer for a second attempt, Will takes a half-step in, and Nico’s hands rise to Will’s arms, a light grip that sends heat sparking across Will’s skin.Nico pulls back first, just enough to speak. “Do you wanna come up?” His breath rushes over Will’s lips. There’s only one possible answer.It’s anything but soft and sweet when Nico finally fumbles open the door of the apartment. They reach for each other immediately, falling against the inside of the door, Will pinning Nico to the solid wood with a soft thump. Nico’s hands are everywhere – cradling Will’s face, and then smoothing down his arms, tracing the shape of him, gripping his waist. Twisting into the belt loops of his jeans and pulling him closer.Will’s mouth is everywhere, licking and sucking at Nico’s plush lips, then mouthing messily at the angle of his jaw, working at Nico’s neck until Nico moans.Will decides in that moment that he doesn’t ever want to let his mouth part from Nico’s sweet skin, and he covers every exposed inch with kisses, Nico’s pale throat and the hollow of his collarbone, the line of his jaw and the soft skin under his ear until Nico’s gasping, tilting his head back against the door, fingers clutching at the waistband of Will’s pants.“I – I don’t usually do this. If that matters,” Nico gasps.It doesn’t, but – “me either,” Will manages between kisses. And it’s true, but he can’t imagine this night ending any other way, like it was promised from the beginning. From the moment he stepped into the bar tonight, or maybe earlier, maybe always. That’s probably a stupid thing to think, but Will’s brain isn’t exactly in top form right now.He loses still more brain power as Nico yanks Will’s shirt up, presses cool fingers to his stomach, smooths over his waist. Nico’s hands rise higher, caressing Will’s chest, over the flutter of his heart.Nico’s touch is impatient but startlingly gentle, like Will’s something precious. It brings a swirl of emotions that Will definitely isn’t going to unpack right this second. Especially when he feels Nico’s fingers fumbling for his belt, then his fly. Will thinks Nico’s hands are shaking. He thinks his might be, too. This, stupidly, feels far more monumental than a random hookup probably should.Will clumsily kisses his way back to Nico’s beautiful lips just as Nico shoves a hand into Will’s boxers, gets a good grip and squeezes. Will whines into Nico’s mouth and Nico kisses it away, hot and wet and persistent, his tongue sliding against Will’s.“I want you in my mouth. Is that okay?” Nico gasps.Will can only nod, then make an absolutely stupid sound as Nico drops to his knees.He thinks Nico mutters, “fuck, you’re big,” but then he’s not thinking much of anything, because Nico’s mouth is hot and wet and he’s sucking and stroking and pressing closer like he’s never wanted anything more in his life.Nico doesn’t have roommates, does he? Hopefully not, because Nico doesn’t warn Will to be quieter – and Will is being loud frankly. Nico is, too, making the most obscene wet noises as he sucks and mouths at Will’s cock, little whines that zip heat through Will’s veins.Will’s hands settle lightly on Nico’s head. Gods, his hair is soft, and the way it slips between Will’s fingers sends a fresh wave of heat crashing over him. He tightens his fingers, just a tentative grasp, but Nico moans around him, his rhythm stuttering. Nico’s hand flies up, closing over Will’s and squeezing, encouraging. Will holds tighter, eliciting another beautiful moan, Nico’s mouth working over him, everywhere.Everything is fuzzy and heat and beautiful little bursts of sound coming from both of them, wet noises, sighs and moans. Will’s so lost in it, his world narrowed down to Nico’s hands and Nico’s mouth and the pleasure pulsing through his body, incandescent.He’s so close now, his hips beginning to jerk unevenly as he fights to stay still. He needs something more than his fingers in Nico’s hair to keep him upright, and he falls heavily against the door with one hand above Nico’s head.Nico stills a little, the motion of his hand slowing. He’s breathing hard, carefully trying to take Will deeper. Will’s body floods with heat, not to mention appreciation, and he tries very hard to stay still, his own breath coming in sharp little gasps.Will’s sure he hits the back of Nico’s throat. Nico makes a choking sound, but doesn’t stop, doesn’t loosen his grip, swallowing again and stroking, stroking. Will focuses all of his strength on not letting his knees buckle. He’s shaking everywhere, teetering on the edge.“Nico –” It’s the only warning Will manages before he’s pulsing, spilling into Nico’s throat. “Sorry –” he gasps, but Nico just hums, shakes his head, swallows again and again until Will whimpers, loosening his grip on Nico’s hair.Will drops to his knees then, cradling Nico’s face, kissing him hard, licking his own taste out of Nico’s mouth until Nico moans with it. One handed, Will hikes his jeans back up. They’re both still wearing shoes for gods’ sake, but, careful as he can, he lowers Nico onto the thick, expensive-looking runner in the front hall. Nico goes down easily with a little whine, tugging Will on top of him and bucking up against Will’s thigh when he presses it between Nico’s legs.Will desperately wants to make a good impression here, but the truth is he’s so wild to get at Nico’s bare skin that he’s not sure he does a great job, grinding into Nico where he’s so hard against Will’s thigh, mouthing at his collarbones while he shoves a hand under Nico’s shirt, probably leaving stubble burn and maybe a hickey or two behind. Nico doesn’t seem to mind, anyway, arching and gasping and clutching at Will’s shoulders.Will moves lower, wet, clumsy kisses down Nico’s body, simultaneously fumbling with the fastenings on Nico’s jeans. He shoves jeans and underwear halfway down Nico’s thighs. Will finds himself very much hoping there’ll be a next time, when he can get them both undressed properly. When they can take their time.For now, Will takes a brief moment to admire everything he’s uncovered before diving in, nuzzling into the crease of Nico’s thighs, against his balls, pressing quick kisses up Nico’s dick until he sucks the head into his mouth. Nico keens, hips shifting, restless.Will licks everywhere, ensuring everything is nice and slick before adding his hand, too, firm slow strokes that make Nico let out a long moan. Will tries, then, to do what Nico did for him – because it was really fucking hot – tries to steady his breathing, take Nico as far in as he can, mouth and throat working.But he comes up spluttering and gagging, eyes watering.Nico props himself up on an elbow, brow furrowed. “Shit, sorry –”“My fault,” Will gasps. “I was trying to impress you.”And Nico’s expression falls into something so fond that Will nearly dives right back in to give it another try.“I was already impressed, sunshine,” Nico says. His chest is rising and falling rapidly, lips swollen from their kissing. He levers himself up a little further, strokes Will’s face. “You were doing great. I don’t need anything special.”You deserve everything, Will wants to say, but that’s far too intense a thing to say to this guy who he’s only known for a few hours, so he lowers his head again and gets back to work. He must be doing okay anyway, because before long he’s got Nico panting and making these intoxicating little thrusts with his hips and a second later Nico cries out, the sound echoing through the little apartment. Will loosens the grasp of his hand, sucks Nico gently through the aftershocks until he groans, collapsing back onto the floor.“Fuck,” Nico breathes.Will’s in complete agreement, collapsed against Nico’s thigh, breathing him in, floating back down. One of Nico’s hands fumbles to Will’s head, stroking through his hair, careful.There’s quiet for a few blissful minutes, the slam of a door somewhere down the hallway.The apartment is dark, but there’s enough light filtering from between half-cracked blinds for Will to make sense of his surroundings. It’s a cozy little space, old like most of the buildings in New Rome, and it’s cluttered with bookcases and papers, photos and trinkets. All the little bits of Nico that Will thinks he’d like to learn, eventually. There’s a dark sword lying across the coffee table, and it catches a line of soft light shining from the window.Nico clears his throat. “I’m sober enough to take you home. If you want. But you’re welcome to stay. I – have a bed. It’s a lot more comfortable than the floor.”When Will lifts his head enough to see Nico’s face, there’s a quiet fire in his eyes, something sure and simmering.“Are you okay with me staying?” Will asks. He thinks he could probably sleep right here, face pressed to the crease of Nico’s thigh, feet from the apartment door. Mostly, he’s not quite ready for this evening to end.“Yeah,” Nico smiles.They prepare for bed together. And maybe it’s just the lingering effects of the alcohol, but Will keeps double-taking at how normal this all feels: Nico hanging Will’s jacket for him and giving him a quick tour of the apartment. Showing Will to the bathroom, and digging out a spare toothbrush. Idle, silly conversation as they prepare to climb into bed together. Nico’s in flannel pajama pants now, Will in his boxers and t-shirt.There’s a little flutter of nerves as they climb into bed, but only because Will’s not quite sure what happens now. They settle on their sides, facing each other. Pale moonlight catches the shine of Nico’s hair.“I’m glad I went to the bar tonight,” Nico whispers. He keeps saying these little things, low and earnest, that make Will’s heart throb in his chest, make his throat tight. Will’s probably reading too much into it, though. It wouldn’t be the first time. And besides, it’s been a long, emotional day.“Me too,” he manages, and Nico smiles at him in the dark.Will reaches a hand across the small space between them and Nico takes it, automatic.“Full disclosure,” Will says, “I’m a bit of a cuddler.”Nico’s smile becomes something warmer and fonder. “I’d be up for some cuddling.”They shuffle towards the middle of the bed, feeling each other out, finally settling against each other curled like commas, Will with an arm snug around Nico’s waist.This is so far from how Will expected this day to end. It's pretty damn far from anything he ever thought his life would look like, in fact: med school drop out, no concrete plans for what to do next, curled up in bed (and possibly half in love) with a guy he met a couple of hours ago.But he presses his nose into Nico’s hair, and Nico sighs and settles against him, and for the first time in so long, Will doesn't feel like he's on the wrong path.